NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Thursday, September 5, 2024

Episode Date: September 6, 2024

Hunter Biden pleads guilty to federal tax charges; Teen suspect charged with four counts of murder in Georgia school shooting; Biden administration launches probe into airline reward programs; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, Hunter Biden pleads guilty to federal tax charges. The stunning change by President Biden's son on the day his trial was to begin. Hunter Biden pleading guilty to nine tax offenses after prosecutors made it clear the only alternative to a trial was a guilty plea. The punishment he now faces and what he's saying tonight. Also, the 14-year-old Georgia school shooting suspect charged with four counts of murder in the killing of two students and two teachers. The suspect and his father interviewed by the FBI last year about online threats. Could more have been done? And how teachers pressed a

button on their badges to alert authorities. We'll show you how the tech works, but can it save lives? The FBI searches the homes of some top deputies to New York Mayor Eric Adams, seizing their telephones. What we know about the investigation? Former President Trump pitching his economic plan. Could Elon Musk play a role in a government overhaul? The battle over U.S. steel, the Biden administration trying to prevent it from being sold to a Japanese company, even though that's what some workers want. Are airline frequent flyer programs fair to consumers? The federal government launching an investigation of the major airlines.

This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome. There has been a major late-breaking development in the federal criminal tax case against President Biden's son, Hunter, who in a day of surprise legal turnabouts has just changed his plea to guilty, admitting to all nine counts related to filing false tax returns and not paying more than a million dollars in taxes, all while paying for an extravagant lifestyle. On what was to be the first day of his trial in a Los Angeles courtroom, the younger Biden's attorneys caught prosecutors off guard when they announced Hunter Biden would formally

acknowledge the strength of the government's case against him while maintaining his innocence, a rarely used plea in federal court. But by this afternoon, he had changed his plea to guilty with no conditions, avoiding what would have been his second criminal trial this year. Laura Jarrett starts us off with late details. President's son walking into a Los Angeles courthouse this morning, just as jury selection in his latest trial was set to begin. His lawyer soon informing the judge that plans had changed and Hunter would admit his guilt to all nine counts, including tax evasion, filing a false return,

and failing to pay his taxes on time. The judge asking if Biden understood his rights and the charges, Biden answering yes. Hunter decided to enter his plea to protect those he loves from unnecessary hurt and cruel humiliation. In a statement tonight, Hunter Biden saying, like millions of Americans, I failed to file and pay my taxes on time. For that, I am responsible. Today's guilty plea, which includes no deal with the government, reached after hours of legal wrangling and a last minute effort by Hunter Biden's lawyers to maintain his innocence

while admitting the strength of the government's case through a so-called Alford plea. The government balked at that proposal. Special Counsel Leo Wai saying that it is not in the public interest. It's contrary to the rule of law. And we think it's an injustice. The plea now sparing the Biden family another public spectacle, as Hunter Biden's past drug abuse was on full display when he was convicted on gun charges in June. The current tax case carried a risk of not only additional prison time, but an airing of even more salacious details, as prosecutors were prepared to call a dozen witnesses, trying to prove he spent millions on an extravagant lifestyle, illegally writing off payments to women and luxury car purchases as business expenses. The president has said he would not pardon Hunter.

I said I abide by the jury decision. I will do that and I will not pardon him. When asked today if he had reconsidered, the White House press secretary said the answer was no. Hunter Biden will now face two different sentencing hearings on two different coasts, both after the election. Laura, let me ask you what was happening in yet another federal courtroom today. Some developments regarding Donald Trump. Yes, a federal judge in D.C. holding a hearing, the first hearing since the Supreme Court granted him limited presidential immunity. But the judge laying out a timeline here, Lester, that all but guarantees he will not face any substantive trial on this issue and the immunity issue likely not to be resolved

before November either. OK, Laura, thank you for that. Now to Georgia, where the 14 year old suspect in that high school mass shooting was charged with four counts of felony murder today as we learn more about the suspect and the victims. Priya Sridhar has late details. Tonight, terrifying moments inside the deadly school shooting in Winder, Georgia, coming into clearer focus. K killing four and injuring nine at Appalachee High School. The suspect, 14-year-old Colt Gray, now in custody and charged with four counts of felony murder. Investigators searching his home. Authorities say they're looking into a potential motive and how he obtained an AR-style rifle.

It was carnage. It was blood everywhere. You could smell the gunpowder. Barrow County Sheriff Judd Smith says it was the suspect's second day at Appalachee High. The FBI and Jackson County Sheriff's Office say Gray and his father were interviewed last year after receiving several anonymous tips in May 2023 about potential threats posted to an online gaming platform, according to a senior law enforcement official, containing photographs of guns. His father stated he had hunting guns in the house, but said his son did not have unsupervised access to them. With no probable cause to arrest Gray, authorities say they told local schools to monitor him. Do you think this could have been prevented given the fact that there were already warnings about him?

Possibly. It's speculation. Again, I believe and I feel confident that the FBI, the system worked. The sheriff says an alert system called Centegix worked. At about 10.20 a.m. yesterday, authorities say teachers began activating a button on their badge that placed the school on lockdown. Within minutes, officials say law enforcement arrived on scene. Sheriff Smith credits three school resource officers with getting the suspect to surrender within six minutes of the first alert from teachers. They gave him verbal commands and he dropped the gun, went on the ground, and they took him into custody immediately.

Among the victims, 14-year-old classmates Christian Angulo and Mason Schermerhorn, and two math teachers, 39-year-old Richard Aspinwall and 53-year-old Christina Irami. Adriana Phillip is a senior at Appalachee High. She says she was in class when she heard the gunshots. We ran to the back of the classroom and we all huddled behind the lap tables. From where I was, I could see the door. So I watched it, but then after a little bit, I just closed my eyes and I was hugging the girl next to me. And Priya, the suspect had reportedly shown interest in prior mass shootings.

What more do we know about that? That's right, Lester. According to two senior law enforcement officials who were briefed on the investigation, the suspect had shown an interest in the Parkland mass shooting back in 2018. Officials say the suspect's first appearance in court will be tomorrow morning. Lester. All right, Priya, thank you. And more now on those panic buttons we showed you a moment ago, teachers using them in Georgia yesterday. It turns out that these systems are increasingly being given to teachers to use

when there are emergencies in the classroom. Here's Tom Winter now with how they work. Just a week before the shooting at Apalachee High School, the county put in a new system to alert law enforcement during emergencies. So when teachers heard shots yesterday, several immediately pressed what amounts to a panic button. The teachers each have an ID with their picture on it, and they have a button on that ID, and they press it so many times, and it alerts us where that incident is occurring. So it sends us a GPS coordinate.

The system is called Syntegix. It's one of several new real-time reporting systems. Gino Raffero developed an app-based system called SaferWatch. I pop this app open and I hit this button right here and say it's an active shooter. And you say hold this down for three seconds? Yes. Okay. So it's instantly notifying law enforcement and they're able to see who reported the emergency exactly where it's happening. Let me give you a real life example. It was an armed individual jump over a school fence. Principal took out SaferWatch, pressed the panic button that instantly notified everyone on campus. Simultaneously, that alert from SaferWatch

goes to 911. Lori Alhadeff's daughter,ssa was killed during the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida. She's now pushing for states to pass laws mandating every classroom have a panic button type device. It helps to honor my daughter Alyssa. And every time that panic button is pushed, I know that Alyssa is saving lives. Seven states have passed the law, which is named after her daughter. Tom Winter, NBC News. Now to dramatic new developments in New York City. Federal agents searching homes of officials close to Mayor Eric Adams. Chief Justice Contributor Jonathan Dean's joining us here. There's also news involving the police commissioner in New York.

That's right, Lester. Federal prosecutors have seized the cell phone of NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban, according to three sources. The U.S. attorney leading the investigation has declined to comment. We were told this development is not related to the separate criminal investigation into the past campaign fundraising of New York's Democratic Mayor Eric Adams. Also today, we've learned the homes of multiple people close to Adams, including two deputy mayors, were also searched by the FBI and numerous phones seized. The city hall spokesperson says they have no information. The mayor of his staff are targets of any investigation. Important to note, no charges have been filed in any of these investigations, Lester. Okay, Jonathan, thank you.

Let's turn out of the presidential campaign. Former President Trump laying out part of his economic vision for a second term, which could include a role for Elon Musk. Here's Von Hilliard. Tonight, just days from his critical faceoff with Vice President Harris, former President Trump zeroing in on a top issue for voters, the economy. We delivered an economic miracle, which Kamala and Joe turned into an economic disaster. Among Trump's plans, increasing tariffs on imports and eliminating taxes on Social Security benefits and tips. Harris recently adopted his no tax on tips proposal. She is actually copying a lot of my plan.

In fact, we're going to send her a MAGA cap sometime in the next week. Trump revealing he's taken a suggestion from a supporter and tech billionaire, Elon Musk, to create a government efficiency commission, which would audit the entire federal government to cut waste. And Elon, because he's not very busy, has agreed to head that task force. Trump signed an executive order in 2020 that would have allowed for his administration to fire a segment of the federal civil workforce and hire his political appointees in their place. Today, Musk writing, I look forward to serving America if the opportunity arises.

But that could raise conflicts of interest since he owns companies regulated by the government. Meanwhile, the Harris campaign also focusing on the economy in this new ad. While corporations are gouging families, Trump is focused on giving them tax cuts. But Kamala Harris is focused on you. Building up the middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency. Also former Republican congresswoman and member of the January 6th Select Committee, Liz Cheney, who once labeled Harris a radical liberal, says she'll now vote for her, warning that Trump poses a danger. Lester. OK, Von Hilliard,

thank you. One of the few things Trump and Harris agree on, they both oppose the sale of U.S. steel to a Japanese company. But some local workers are desperately trying to change their minds. Gabe Gutierrez explains. This is U.S. steel, responsible for some 4,000 jobs across Pennsylvania, and now at the center of a fight that's growing more heated. What frustrates you the most about all this? I think that it's a lack of concern. You know, damn, you're right. I'm pissed. Chris Kelly, a Democrat, is the mayor of West Mifflin,

a small town near Pittsburgh with a U.S. steel plant. His garage is also his office. At first, he was skeptical when a Japanese company, Nippon, said it wanted to buy U.S. steel. But he says Nippon won him over by promising billions of dollars in local investments. I've learned what the deal is about, what the offer is, the protection of jobs, the protection of the pension, protection and modernization. Now, two people familiar with the matter tell NBC News that President Biden is preparing to announce that he will formally block the sale. Earlier this week, Vice President Harris said she opposed it too. U.S. Steel should remain American-owned and American-operated. Former President Trump is also against the sale, but U.S. Steel's CEO

is warning without Nippon's money, he'll have to pull out of western Pennsylvania, costing thousands of jobs, including perhaps Troy Stevenson's. He's worked at U.S. Steel for 27 years. How worried are you about your job if this deal falls through? Very, very. I mean, we worry about our jobs all the time. Right now, with what we know, we feel like Nippon is the better deal. Still, union leadership argues that deal would benefit stockholders, not workers, and it doesn't believe the CEO's threat. I think it is the most baseless, irresponsible threat and statement that any CEO could possibly make. Mayor Chris Kelly, though, thinks his town is caught in the middle.

I believe everybody's being played as a pawn. And as the presidential campaign intensifies here in western Pennsylvania, Mayor Kelly says he has a message for both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Japanese investment is better than none at all. Lester. Gabe Gutierrez in Pittsburgh. Thank you. In 60 seconds, so many students use their cell phones to call loved ones during that mass shooting in Georgia at a time when more schools are banning phones. The growing debate right after this.

This school year, many districts have new restrictions on phone use, but the shooting in Georgia is now reigniting the debate over whether phones should be allowed. Rahima Ellis reports. When shots rang out in Winder, Georgia, area bowling called her mother, Tabitha, from inside the school. It's scary and I'm thankful that she did have her phone so that I could know that she was in this situation. Increasingly, schools nationwide are putting limits on kids' cell phones. Tonight, the tragic school shooting has a lot of parents concerned about staying in touch. Carrie Rodriguez is president of the National Parents Union. What are you hearing from parents? Deep frustration, deep fear, deep anxiety.

That they're not going to know what's happening with their child if an emergency arises. And frankly, if a child needs to reach out to a parent for help and support, they should be able to do so. 2,100 middle school students in Marietta, Georgia, have been locking their cell phones in pouches since last spring. We wanted students to be focused and present and free from distractions in class. Superintendent Dr. Grant Rivera says the decision came after extensive discussions with parents, teachers, and law enforcement about what to do in an emergency. One of the dynamics they've shared with us is that we don't want students being distracted by cell phones while they are listening to the directives and commands of adults who've

been trained on how to respond. Dr. Rivera says unlike some other schools, in Marietta, every classroom has a device to quickly unlock the pouches in the event of an emergency and when it's safe to do so. Tonight, parents and schools trying to strike a delicate balance between learning, safety, and being connected. Rahima Ellis, NBC News. There's lots more ahead in a moment. Turbulence over those popular airline rewards programs. The new federal investigation into whether you're really getting your money's worth. Tonight, the Biden administration is launching an investigation into airlines loyalty rewards programs. And if those miles you've been saving up will take you as far as you think.

Here's Tom Costello. The airlines now the focus of a DOT investigation, United, American, Delta, and Southwest. All four order to provide detailed information about their rewards programs, practices, and policies. In a letter to airline CEO's Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, writes the goal is to ensure that customer rewards are protected from any practices that would diminish their value, benefit, or availability. Many consumers cultivate pointer miles balances just like saving accounts. But unlike the dollars in our savings accounts, the value of points and miles is completely up to the companies that issue them. Customers earn rewards by flying or using a co-branded credit card. But many airlines reserve the right to change the terms and value of accrued points. With Americans relying on reward points for family vacations,

the probe is focused on airlines that devalue earned reward points, the true hidden value of rewards, extra fees to maintain or redeem rewards, and whether programs reduce competition and choice. Passenger Lauren Randall says it often feels like bait and switch. It feels like there's an algorithm that's stacked against me when I'm trying to book these flights through my miles and that I'm not getting any benefit out of it. The airline industry says millions of Americans use loyalty programs and airlines are transparent about the programs, but the details can be buried in the fine print and vary from airline to airline.

Lester. Okay, Tom Costello, thank you. And football is back. The Super Bowl champion Chiefs take on the Ravens tonight. Coverage kicks off at 7. That's nightly news. Thank you for watching. I'm Lester Holt.

Please take care of yourself and each other. Good night.