NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Episode Date: February 5, 2025

Growing backlash over Trump and Musk's attempt to reshape government; China retaliates after Trump administration imposes new tariffs; Trump suggests that Palestinians leave Gaza, move to another country; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, the federal government's extreme makeover rapid changes as President Trump and Elon Musk bring a dramatic overhaul to Washington. Protests breaking out outside government buildings as the administration says thousands of federal workers have taken that buyout. And Mr. Musk's lieutenants gain access to government servers, federal workers firing back at a heated town hall as Republicans cheer the changes. The legal challenges mounting at the FBI after the Trump administration demands names of agents involved in January 6th investigations. The high stakes meetings with Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu as President Trump suggests Palestinians may have to leave Gaza. China fires back in the trade war, adding tariffs on billions of dollars worth of U.S. imports, what it could mean for prices at home. The tale of the commuter jet raised from the Potomac

as we get new details on how high the Army Blackhawk was flying during the deadly collision. The raid in New York's Diamond District, is there a connection to those break-ins at star athletes' homes? Restaurants cracking out of the pressure of egg prices. Waffle House charging an extra 50 cents an egg. What's behind it? And the good news, when photos rained down during the L.A. fires, returning them to their owner brought back a flood of emotion.

This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome. An executive order to abolish the U.S. Department of Education may be forthcoming, according to two sources familiar with the plans, as billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk continues to test the limits of his authority and influence in the Trump White House. Having already gained access to government computers, targeted America's foreign aid program for elimination, and offered incentives for government workers to quit, Musk's apparent freedom to slash what he identifies as wasteful spending is fueling backlash tonight, Musk estimating a few billion dollars a day of savings so far. But Democrats in Congress becoming increasingly vocal as Musk directly challenges Congress's traditional authority,

including on matters such as eliminating the Department of Education, Republican lawmakers applauding the rapid makeover of the federal government that's also angering many federal employees. Peter Alexander has the latest. Tonight, two weeks after returning to office pledging to take a wrecking ball to Washington, President Trump is pushing back against new attacks on his efforts and those of billionaire Elon Musk to reshape the federal government. He's done a great job. Look at all the fraud that he's found.

But tonight, top Democrats are sounding the alarm that Musk and his lieutenants are going too far. The American people will not stand for an unelected secret group to run rampant through the executive branch. Being innovative is good. But Mr. Musk, this isn't a tech startup. These are public institutions. Musk, who vowed to slash $2 trillion from the budget, runs the Department of Government Efficiency that is not a government agency.

But his team has already gained access to closely held data systems. There's already been really tremendous progress. You know, a rough estimate is that there's at least a few billion dollars a day of savings. One of those cost-cutting efforts sharply reducing the federal workforce by offering a buyout to federal workers. A senior administration official tonight telling NBC News more than 20,000 federal employees have accepted the offer so far. But many federal workers are furious at the pace and the scope of the president's changes. I am angry. I am

seething. Speaking at a town hall in Virginia overnight. My colleagues are getting 15-minute one-on-one check-ins with 19, 20, and 21-year-old college graduates asking to justify their existence. One of Musk's top lieutenants and his wife and young child have checked up on the sixth floor of our agency and are living there. Today, President Trump praising Musk, including his move to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development, which distributes and delivers foreign aid. Arguing much of its more than $40 billion budget is wasteful. Money going to all sorts of groups that shouldn't deserve to get any money.

But the agency's supporters say it's a vital mission. Still leading Republicans strongly back Musk's moves. I told him to continue the effort because it's really important for us to get to restore fiscal sanity to Washington. Late today, the president responding to a new offer from El Salvador to take back deported undocumented migrants and American prisoners, too. If we had the legal right to do it, I would do it in a heartbeat. But we could make deals where we'd get these animals out of our country. And Peter, at the beginning of the broadcast, I mentioned another sweeping change of foot, the abolishment of the Department of Education.

Where does that stand? Lester, the president says he told his secretary of education nominee that he would like her to put herself out of a job, saying that states should handle all of it, but getting rid of an agency would require Congress's approval. Meanwhile, nonprofit groups tell NBC News tonight that the president's actions on USAID have left lifesaving antibiotics sitting in limbo at the port of Sudan and essential medicines expiring in the Congo. Lester. All right.

Peter Alexander tonight. Thank you. A dramatic statement from President Trump on the Middle East today suggesting Palestinians not return to Gaza, which he called a demolition site, saying they should be given other options. It came as he met with Israel's prime minister. Andrea Mitchell now with late details. Tonight, President Trump rolling out the red carpet for Israel's prime minister Netanyahu at the White House to talk about Gaza and freeing the remaining hostages.

Thank you very much. It's President Trump's first invitation to a foreign leader after four years of President Biden denying Netanyahu a White House visit. We want peace. We want people to stop being killed. But everybody's demanding one thing. Very simple. Peace. And he wants peace also. Hamas is not going to be in Gaza, and we're going to get everyone back. Sitting next to Netanyahu, Mr. Trump is suggesting close to 2 million Palestinians could move out of Gaza to Egypt and Jordan while Gaza is rebuilt,

which he said could take 10 to 20 years. Gaza maybe is a demolition site right now. If you look at Gaza, it's all, I mean, it's hardly a building standing. I think we need another location. I think it should be a location that's going to make people happy. But most Gazans don't want to leave, and leaders in Egypt and Jordan have said they don't want to take them. The whole thing is a mess. And I think that if we can resettle, and I believe we can do it in areas where the leaders currently say no.

While tonight, the family of American-Israeli hostage Keith Siegel speaking to NBC News after he was released Saturday following 484 days held captive. There were no words. It was a wow. It was an amazing. It was, oh, my gosh, is this really happening? President Trump also signaling a new U.S. approach to Iran, saying he would meet with Iran's president, but signing an executive order sanctioning Iran,

saying he is unhappy to do it, but has to be strong and firm. Lester. Andrea Mitchell, thank you. Also tonight, FBI agents involved in investigations into January 6, pushing back against the Trump administration tonight in an attempt to keep their jobs and keep their identities from being made public. Here's Kelly O'Donnell. Tonight, FBI agents who say they fear for their safety and privacy are fighting back against the Trump administration. Two new lawsuits filed, including a class action representing at least 6,000 FBI employees.

Anonymous FBI personnel identified only as John Doe's, suing the Department of Justice. To halt, steps toward the mass unlawful termination of bureau employees and what they claim is unlawful retaliation for doing their jobs to investigate the January 6th cases, citing the president's own words as posing risk to them. The vicious, violent and unfair weaponization of the Justice Department and our government will end. Tonight's legal action follows days of upheaval. First, last Thursday, what looked like reassurance at Kash Patel's confirmation hearing. There will be no politicization at the FBI. There will be no retributive actions taken by any FBI should I be confirmed as the FBI director. Friday, DOJ officials fired eight senior FBI leaders. Over

the weekend, the acting director refused to assist in additional firings, while staff was sent a required 12-question survey to document their work on January 6th cases. Monday, FBI leaders agreed to hand over a list of agents to the Trump DOJ. And tonight, agents asking the courts to block the collection and public release of FBI personnel names. America is less safe because of these firings and threatened firings to come. If you actually start removing hundreds or even up to 6,000 agents who touched January 6th cases, you are depleting the counterterrorism cadre of the FBI. The lawsuits point out that pardoned J6 figures like the Proud Boys leader urged the public posting of agents' names so they could be made

to pay for their crimes. Kelly O'Donnell, NBC News, Washington. Let's turn now to that trade war launched by President Trump, with China quickly retaliating after new tariffs on Chinese products went into effect today. Christine Romans has details. At the stroke of midnight, China retaliated. Just as President Trump's new 10% tariffs on goods coming in from China went into effect, Beijing announced its own tariffs on imports from the U.S. 15% on coal and liquefied natural gas, 10% on crude oil, farm machinery, and certain cars and trucks. It's fine. We're going to do very well against China and against everybody else. China's response won't take effect until Monday and targets an estimated $14 billion worth of U.S.

goods. The delay and relatively symbolic dollar amount suggesting the potential for a deal. NBC's Janice Mackey-Frayer is in Beijing. That China's allowing some time for negotiation and showing the multiple ways that they can hit back suggests Beijing is trying to make a point here that China can dig in too and won't back down from President Trump. The White House says the new tariffs are because of the deadly drugs pouring into the U.S. That was the reason for this tariff. It was a retaliatory tariff on China for the last four years of their unprecedented distribution of fentanyl into our nation's

borders. President Trump today saying he'll speak with China's President Xi, but gave no timeline. I won't speak to him at the appropriate time. I'm in no rush. After speaking yesterday with the leaders of Canada and Mexico, Trump paused the 25 percent tariffs he had announced for those countries. But for China, tariffs are now in effect and likely to be felt by almost all Americans. China responsible for one third of the active ingredients in medicines sold in the U.S. and dominant in personal electronics, accounting for 78 percent of smartphones, 79 percent of laptops and 87 percent of video game consoles sold in the U.S. It's going to make it even more expensive.

Tonight, many small business owners like Sheryl Mosey, who imports handbags from China, are left struggling with uncertainty as well. Yes, added tears will really shut me down. I cannot afford to pay an additional 10 percent on top of what I'm already paying. It's just not feasible. And, Christine, joining us now, the tariffs from China weren't the only retaliatory step taken. That's right. China announced it is further tightening controls on these really important rare earth minerals, five of them. They're critical for making weapon systems, EV batteries, sophisticated semiconductors. This is China showing its clout. It's one reason why

the U.S. is moving away from China to source these really important minerals. All right, Christine, thanks very much. In Sweden, police say at least 10 people are dead after a gunman opened fire today at an adult school. Matt Bradley now has late details. Oh, my God. open fire today at an adult school. Matt Bradley now has late details. Tonight, the deadliest mass shooting in Sweden's history. Ten people shot dead at a school for adults, shattering the calm in the town of Obrero, more than 100 miles west of the capital, Stockholm, and shocking a country where gun violence is rare. It's difficult to take in the magnitude of what's happened today, the prime minister said.

What simply cannot happen has now also happened in Sweden. Social media footage showed students hiding under their desks as shots rang out. Police said they believe the gunman acted alone and that he's among the dead. But his motives remain unclear. Police said they have also ruled out terrorism, and they're not expecting any further attacks. A guy next to me was shot in the shoulder. He was bleeding a lot, said this student. When I looked behind me, I saw three people on the floor bleeding.

Everyone was shocked. They said, go out, get out. The students here are all adults seeking language classes and continuing education. But one teacher told Swedish media that many students had already left for the day following national exams. Lucky timing that may have saved lives. Matt Bradley, NBC News. We have a major update on that deadly midair collision between an American Airlines jet and a U.S. Army helicopter. The NTSB confirming radar data and the plane's black box show the Black Hawk helicopter

was flying at about 300 feet during the collision, which is higher than it was supposed to. Today, all 67 victims were recovered and nearly all have been identified. We're also getting new images of the jet's recovery. Parts of the plane's cockpit and tail were salvaged from the Potomac today. And here in New York, a potential break in the case of those recent burglaries at the lavish homes of top athletes. Laura Jarrett is here. Laura, what just happened, this big bust? Lester, the historic Diamond District just blocks from here the site of a federal raid today, as authorities have now arrested at least two men in connection with those brazen thefts of homes belonging to pro-athletes and

other wealthy individuals. Now, federal prosecutors accuse these men, including the one you see being led away by the FBI there, of buying watches, jewelry and other luxury goods that they knew were stolen and then reselling them, working closely with an alleged South American crime ring. Three sources familiar with the matter say investigators are looking into whether one of those targets was Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, whose home was burglarized last December, Lester. All right, Laura, thanks very much. In 60 seconds, the growing egg shortage tied to bird flu now prompting some restaurants to put surcharges on egg dishes. Prices going up at Waffle House and others right after this. The price of those

two eggs over easy is going up at Waffle House. The famed chain is among restaurants imposing surcharges on egg dishes because of shortages tied to bird flu. Here's Kathy Park. Tonight, shell shock with the price of eggs continuing to soar. The average price for a dozen, now more than $5. That's a 50% spike in just the last year. They've gotten really expensive. Avian flu infections, also known as bird flu, has led to more than 13 million hens being slaughtered since December and at least 140 million birds killed since 2022. The move to slow infections disrupting the egg

supply in a big way, leading to price surges and empty shelves at grocery stores. Eateries coast to coast also feeling the pinch and passing their cost increase to customers. Waffle House diners now paying 50 cents more per egg. A surcharge, the company says, will be short-lived. We cannot predict how long this shortage will last. What about you personally? Me personally, I'll just stop eating eggs here. This is just the time that we're living in.

It makes sense they've got to make up for, you know, the prices that they're paying. And it's not just Waffle House. This restaurant in New York is charging $2 extra for egg items. While in Los Angeles, Kara Haltewinger says the cost of eggs at her new breakfast spot went from roughly 25 cents to $1 per egg. I'm in a rock and a hard place because I'm paying about as much for eggs a week as I would be to employ someone almost full time. The Department of Agriculture has spent more than $1 billion compensating farmers for birds they've had to kill. And with so many hens already lost, and even with the outbreak under control, the agency predicts the cost of eggs will go up

another 20% this year. Lester? Okay, Kathy, thanks. Up next, the alarming news about tiny particles of plastic getting into our brains. What to know next. We're back now with a disturbing new study about microplastics, that study revealing those tiny bits of plastic that we can't even see could get into our blood and even our brains. Erin McLaughlin has more on this. Erin, this is alarming. That's right, Lester. Researchers tell me this is about nanoparticles of decades-old plastic only visible under a microscope that have somehow made it into

the food and water supply now being found in the human body. New research out of the University of New Mexico finds alarmingly high levels of that plastic in human brains at much higher concentrations compared to the liver and kidney. And the concentrations appear to be increasing over time by 50 percent from 2016 to 2024. These researchers still don't know the full health impact, but they're calling for new policies around the use and disposal of plastic. A lot to take in there, Erin. Thanks very much. Coming up, they are priceless images, family photos being recovered and returned after the California wildfires. The good news is next. Finally, tonight was so much lost in the Los Angeles wildfires, when one woman had an opportunity to save the photos of a total stranger, she found a new mission.

Liz Kreutz explains. It started with one picture. It says, Nora and Eddie, New Year's Eve, Eve, 1989. Then another and another. Family photos, a yearbook, a child's artwork now charred. I think it was probably on somebody's fridge and then when everything burned down it got ripped off and flew away. Claire Schwartz says these images are among dozens that rained down during the firestorm that ripped through Altadena, found in some cases miles away and then posted online. More and more posts like

that started turning up. And so Claire began collecting and cleaning these lost images, creating Eaton Fire found photos in hopes of reuniting them with their owners. If I only get one photo back to its owner, I'll be happy. The wind's blowing and branches are hitting our face. Enter Hootie Marginian, who says during her family's rush to evacuate, the trunk of their car snapped open and boxes of their most precious photos flew out. You're the woman in the tiara?

That's me in the tiara. But then a family friend recognized Houdi on Claire's Instagram. I said, oh my goodness, like, yay. So happy we found you. Now Claire returning these irreplaceable photographs. It's pictures of my parents that are both deceased, pictures of my childhood. A lot of missing people in my life. What does it feel like to actually have found a match and reunited someone with their photos?

It feels great. It means a lot and I appreciate you. I can't build houses. I can't put the neighborhood back together. But I can do this. A single snapshot developed into so much more. Liz Kreutz, NBC News. She's found her calling.

That is nightly news for this Tuesday. Thanks for watching, everyone. I'm Lester Holt. Please take care of yourself and each other. Thank you. So nice to meet you. So nice to meet you.