NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Tuesday, July 9, 2024

Episode Date: July 10, 2024

Biden kicks off NATO summit in Washington amid concerns about his candidacy; Justice Sotomayor's bodyguard shoots man with gun; Millions remain without power in Houston after Hurricane Beryl; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, the political test for President Biden as he fights to put concerns about his campaign behind him. All eyes on the president as he welcomes world leaders for the NATO summit as a ninth House Democrat calls for him to step aside after his devastating debate. On Capitol Hill, Democrats meeting privately to discuss a path forward. And the unanswered questions, why did a Parkinson's expert visit the White House eight times? Also tonight, the shooting near Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor's home. The attempted carjacking involving a U.S. marshal. The remnants of Hurricane Burl on the move.

The U.S. death toll rising to 10. More than 2 million spent the day without power. And dangerous heat coast to coast. Al Roker is tracking it. The Dartmouth student found dead in a river. Police investigating it. Is it linked to a fraternity event? The possible close call between two passenger jets. What the FAA says happened. Alec Baldwin in court as jury selection begins in the Rust shooting trial. NBC News investigates the Texas megachurch pastor resigning after he was accused of sexually abusing

a 12-year-old girl decades ago. Our new reporting revealing his attorney tried to blame her for the alleged abuse. And who else in the church knew about it? And your first look at the first giant pandas to enter the U.S. in 21 years. This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome. President Biden is stopping out political brush fires tonight that are eating at his campaign, while Democrats on Capitol Hill hash out whether the president

remains the right person to carry the party to victory in November, following that debate performance that turned the presidential campaign on its head. For now, the president's still hanging on in what could prove to be a make or break week as he hosts world leaders in Washington, looking to project a message of strength here and abroad. Mr. Biden opening a meeting of NATO leaders with a forceful tribute to the alliance and vowing that Ukraine will prevail in the war with Russia. We begin with NBC's Gabe Gutierrez. Tonight, President Biden on the world stage, kicking off a high-stakes NATO summit with 38 world leaders here in Washington. It's good that we're stronger than ever

because this moment in history calls for our collective strength. President Biden and European allies announcing new air defense systems for Ukraine late today. Putin wants nothing less, nothing less than Ukraine's total subjugation to end Ukraine's democracy. But make no mistake, Ukraine can and will stop Putin. But looming large, the president's political standing with deepening divisions among anxious Democrats on Capitol Hill, who met today behind closed doors. I don't think he should stay here. Asked whether they were on the same page. They're not even in the same book.

Ten House Democrats have called for the president to step aside, but one is now backtracking. We're concerned that it's beside the point. He's going to be our nominee, and we all have to support him. Still, while some rank-and-file Democrats are torn, their leadership is holding firm. We are riding with Biden. I'm with Joe. Right now, President Biden is the nominee, and we support the Democratic nominee. Republicans hope the infighting helps them in November.

Joe Biden is not fit for that office, and it's a terrible thing. The Democrats have misled us, and they need to be held accountable for that. The political chaos comes after President Biden's personal doctor confirmed overnight in this letter that a neurologist who specializes in Parkinson's did see the president, but only during his annual physicals. The specialist, Dr. Kevin Kennard, visited the White House eight times in eight months, according to public visitor logs. The president's doctor, St. Kennard, held, quote, regular neurology clinics at the White House Medical Clinic to support military staff.

It was being incorrectly assumed and insinuated that the president was being treated for Parkinson's. I said right here that the president was not being treated for Parkinson's. On the Republican side, former President Trump giving his first post-debate interview, saying he believes President Biden will stay in the race. He's got an ego and he doesn't want to quit. Also adding that he may wait to announce his running mate until Democrats sort out President Biden's future. We wanted to see what they're doing, to be honest. And Gabe, what do the coming days look like for the president? Well, Lester, tonight he has a call with Democratic mayors to reassure them. Then he's meeting with world leaders again tomorrow here in Washington.

And then on Thursday, that rare solo press conference, his first of the year. Lester. Gabe Gutierrez, thank you. Also tonight, details emerging of a shooting involving the security detail of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. During what police say was an attempted carjacking. Erin McLaughlin has late details. Tonight in Washington, D.C., an investigation into an alleged carjacking attempt near the home of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. According to the Metropolitan Police, it happened hours after the Fourth of July fireworks on this block in the heart of the Capitol. Two deputy U.S. Marshals charged with

protecting Supreme Court justices were parked outside when the suspect, identified as 18-year-old Kentrell Flowers, allegedly armed with this firearm, approached one of the marshals and pointed a handgun at him in an apparent attempt to carjack him. According to police, the marshals opened fire. The suspect survived, taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. It's the latest in a series of high-profile carjackings to strike the Capitol. Late last year in nearby Georgetown, two teenagers were arrested for allegedly breaking into a Secret Service car assigned to protect Naomi Biden, the president's granddaughter. Local

residents say they're not surprised by this latest violence near Sotomayor's residents. Do you feel safe? It comes and goes in waves. Still, for the first time in six years, carjackings in the capital are actually down 46% compared to last year's spike as police crack down. While we have not reached our destination, we are on the right path. A source close to the investigation tells NBC News they believe the attack was random and not related to the Supreme Court justice. The suspect has yet

to enter a plea. Lester. Erin McLaughlin, thanks. Hurricane Burrell is gone, but the Houston area is still suffering with more than two million people without power in stifling heat. At least 10 deaths are now blamed in the storm. Priscilla Thompson is there. The scope of Hurricane Beryl's destruction seen from above. Downtown Houston flooded, cars washed away, and homes crushed. I was just so scared the whole tree was going to fall into the house. Today, this family watched as crews removed a fallen tree from their house. They were inside when it came crashing down and the water began pouring in. I could just see this huge trunk right there on the window, and then that's when the rain really started pouring in.

A tree can get taken down, a house can get fixed, a life cannot be replaced. The U.S. death toll from the storm, now up to 10, including two from carbon monoxide poisoning and one person whose oxygen machine ran out of battery. The remnants of Beryl now wreaking havoc in the Midwest. Overnight, 110 tornado warnings were issued, the most ever for a day in July. In Louisiana, mangled metal and debris strewn for miles. Back in Houston tonight, another threat. What does it feel like in your house right now? It feels like an oven.

More than two million people are without power and scorching triple-digit heat, including Tracy Timmons, who's diabetic. It can be life or death for me. Because it drains you even more. It makes you, it just physically just makes you sick. Now spending her days at a cooling center and praying for power. How many days can you go like this? I don't have a choice. I just have to keep coming back and forth to the cooling center. I mean, what do you do? Priscilla joining us now from Houston. Priscilla,

how much progress are they making on the ground? Well, Lester, the family that lives here managed to get this giant tree that snapped, leaving that gaping hole in their roof off of their home today. But as for power, state officials say that this will be a multi-day recovery. Centerpoint Energy says that they hope to restore one million customers by the end of day Wednesday. Lester. All right, Priscilla, thank you. We want to bring in Al Rooker. Now, you're following more trouble from Burrell as well as oppressive heat in a lot of parts of the country. That's right, Lester.

In fact, we've got tornado watches and warnings right now from Indiana all the way down to Tennessee till 11 p.m. Central Time. This system is going to be pushing to the east. And so we have a flood risk through Thursday. Three to five inches of rain from St. Louis, Indianapolis, all the way to Bangor, Maine, New York City as well. Plus, we've got dual high pressure systems sending up really hot, humid air in the east, dry, unrelenting heat in the west. And so the heat index is triple digits tomorrow from Baltimore all the way down to Macon with temperatures out west. Triple digits for the next three days into the with temperatures out west, triple digits for the next three days into the weekend for Medford, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Palm Springs, Lester.

All right, Al, thank you. We'll turn now to a tragedy in the Ivy League. A 20-year-old student and fraternity member at Dartmouth College found dead in a river along campus. Police say no foul play is suspected, but they're investigating whether hazing played a role. The student attended a social gathering on the docks the night before. The school says it has suspended the fraternity, which was already on alcohol probation. Tonight, the EFA is investigating two hair-raising moments involving passenger jets on opposite sides of the country, including what appears to have been a close midair encounter over Syracuse Airport. Here's NBC's Tom Costello. Police dash cam video shows what appears to be a very close call over Syracuse. An American Airlines Blue Streak regional jet and a Delta

regional jet coming within 700 feet of each other. Moments earlier, controllers had cleared the Delta flight for takeoff. On the same runway, the American regional was about to land. Wait, who's cleared to take off on QA? Blue Streak 5511, Stacey Scott, go around. Run around, Blue Streak 5511. Ben Augustine was on the American flight that waved off. And then all of a sudden, there was this whip of like you're going up a roller coaster and you just felt the altitude go, you just felt yourself go way up.

The FAA is investigating whether it was controller or pilot error. Both airlines are cooperating. Also on Monday, yet another close call. Netted 1001, we were just told a tire came off your aircraft. A United flight leaving LAX for Denver losing a tire on takeoff. The Boeing 757 continued on to Denver. Where flight attendants prepared for an emergency but landed safely. United tells NBC News the wheel has been recovered in Los Angeles and we are investigating what caused

this event. It comes as United's maintenance operations remain under increased FAA scrutiny following a series of high-profile incidents, including a tire that fell from a United 777 departing San Francisco for Japan. Tonight, new questions and scrutiny. Tom Costello, NBC News, Washington. In 60 seconds, actor Alec Baldwin goes on trial for the fatal shooting on the Rust movie set. Jury selection now underway in New Mexico. Nearly three years after the deadly shooting on the set of the movie Rust, a jury has now been seated in Alec Baldwin's involuntary manslaughter trial in New Mexico. Our Chloe Malas is at the courthouse. Alec Baldwin stoic as he entered this Santa Fe, New Mexico courthouse.

He arrived at the court alongside his wife, Ilaria. The actor faces one count of involuntary manslaughter for the fatal shooting of cinematographer Helena Hutchins on the Russ film set nearly three years ago. Today, 12 jurors were selected who will now decide Baldwin's fate in what's expected to be an eight-day trial. A central question for jurors, did Baldwin pull the trigger or did the gun misfire? I let go of the hammer of the gun and the gun goes off. Baldwin has long maintained his innocence. For this trial, prosecutors will rely on two key witnesses. A crew member expected to testify he saw Baldwin pull the trigger and firearms experts who will say that the revolver could not have fired without pulling the trigger. In a pre-trial win for the

defense, the judge ruled that Baldwin's role as a producer of the movie could not be presented to the jury. The defense will make the case that it's not the job of an actor to ensure a prop gun doesn't contain live rounds. In New Mexico, a lot of people are hunting families. It's not a big deal to have a gun. And so they're very familiar with gun culture and gun responsibility. The judge ruled videos like this of Baldwin on set is admissible. Prosecutors hoping it shows jurors he was reckless with his firearm. And one big question still remains. Will Baldwin take the stand in his own defense? Opening statements are expected to start tomorrow. And if convicted,

Baldwin faces up to 18 months in prison. Lester. Chloe Malas, thank you. Here in New York, prosecutors say they are investigating additional allegations of sexual assault against former Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein. At a court hearing today, they said they could present new charges to a grand jury this fall and could be ready for a retrial of Weinstein by November. Coming up, our investigation. A woman breaks her silence about sexual abuse. Her claims about one of the country's most powerful evangelical church leaders.

Next. Back now with our NBC News investigation involving one of the most powerful evangelical church leaders in the country and the allegation that as a young pastor, he sexually abused a minor. And Tony Hilton now with that report. We want to warn you some of the details are disturbing. For decades, Cindy Clemishire carried anger and shame as she watched the meteoric rise of megachurch pastor Robert Morris. Thank you, Jesus, for saying that. Watching him has been harder and harder. Morris founded Gateway Church in 2000. If you don't tell the whole truth, you're not being honest. One of the largest evangelical congregations in the nation,

with nine campuses in North Texas and tens of thousands of devoted worshipers. He became a member of President Donald Trump's Spiritual Advisory Council. But to Cindy, Morris was the traveling evangelist who began to sexually abuse her on Christmas Day 1982. He told me, he said, hey, come in my room before you go to bed tonight. I want to talk to you. He was 21. Cindy was 12. He started by touching my breast and putting his hands in my pants. He wanted me to stand and close my eyes so he could lift my shirt and pull my pants down and just look at me as a 12-year-old. Do you remember what he would say to you, what he'd tell you? Well, the very first time he told me, you can't tell anyone because it will ruin everything.

She says the abuse lasted four years until she told her family what was happening. In 2005, after years of struggling, Cindy reached out to Morris and suggested that he pay her restitution. No one can give me back my teenage years. It was just last month that for the first time she shared her story publicly online. Morris had been sharing his version for years. Sexual temptation is an appetite of the flesh, and I developed an appetite before I was saved. As he rose in influence and power at Gateway, Morris sometimes alluded to past transgressions. I was very immoral,

and I was immoral a lot. In June, Morris told the Christian Post he had inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady and resigned from Gateway. Gateway told NBC News it is committed to protecting people, first and foremost children, and that it has retained a law firm to conduct an investigation. Gateway says before last month, the current elders did not have all the facts. Former Gateway pastor Stephen LeBlanc says parts of Robert Morris' past were known for years. He just didn't know Cindy's exact age. It wasn't cloaked at all. It was a common knowledge. And in a way, somehow celebrated that God had disciplined a man and restored him.

Even now, he worries former colleagues aren't being honest about what they knew. I can't think of any accountability that they've taken other than to plead ignorant. And you don't buy it? No. Other incidents bring the culture of the church into question. Court documents show earlier this year, Gateway Church settled a lawsuit brought in 2020 by the mother of a minor who alleged she was sexually assaulted by another member

and that Gateway leaders concealed and discredited evidence. The church did not admit to any liability. They don't look at a child as someone to protect. Let's use the child in any way we have to to protect ourselves. In letters from 2007 reviewed by NBC News, Robert Morris's attorneys blamed Cindy, claiming she initiated inappropriate behavior. Cindy and her attorneys say that same year, Robert Morris asked her to sign an NDA in exchange for $25,000. She refused. Morris did not respond to multiple interview requests.

While Gateway's review is underway, four church officials have taken a leave of absence from the Board of Elders. Do you think even now Gateway is protecting him? I do. Cindy says what she wants now is to help other survivors feel less alone. Antonia Hilton, NBC News, Southlake, Texas. We will take a break right here when we come back. Our first look at some new stars reviving a long tradition of panda diplomacy. Finally, your first look at the newest additions to the San Diego Zoo, the first giant pandas to arrive in the U.S. in 21 years. Here's Liz Kreutz. They're objectively the country's cutest diplomats, and they're officially now on U.S. soil. The San Diego Zoo sharing these sneak peek

images of five-year-old Yun Chuan and four-year-old Sing Bao, the first giant pandas to enter the United States in more than 20 years. It's exciting, really. It's exciting, like so cool. The adorable duo's journey from China began two weeks ago after months of preparation, the first of even more pandas bound for the U.S., including Washington, D.C. later this year. It all marks the revival of China's panda diplomacy, which began in 1972 when a pair of pandas first arrived to the nation's capital. I think pandemonium is going to break out right here at the zoo. 52 years later, the feeling hasn't changed.

It is so special for everybody. Our team members now get to care for them again. Now it's still unknown when the pandas will be viewable to the public. They're currently in quarantine, but zoo officials say they're settling in well to their new California life. The zoo riding the girl, Sing Bao, loves sunbathing and showering down on her favorite food, bamboo, while the boy, Yoon Chuan, has been spending his days climbing trees or rolling in the grass. It's wonderful that they want to bring them back so that everybody can see the pandas. I think this is what peace is.

The two now forever friends, helping make the strained relations between their old and new countries a little more bearable. Liz Kreutz, NBC News. Well, we can't top those images, so we'll say good night. That's nightly news for this Tuesday. Thank you for watching. I'm Lester Holt. Please take care of yourself and each other. Good night.