NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Tuesday, June 25, 2024

Episode Date: June 26, 2024

Flooding emergency cripples parts of Midwest; Trump could announce running mate this week, sources say; WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrives in Northern Mariana Islands; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, the new storm threat in the Midwest on top of the catastrophic floods that have left a dam on the brink. The stunning new image is widespread flooding across three states, neighborhoods devastated in South Dakota, streets completely caved in, homes and vehicles washed away and teetering on the edge. In Minnesota, officials confirming a partial failure at a dam southwest of Minneapolis. We're in the storm zone tonight. Also this evening, just two days before the Joe Biden and Donald Trump debate,

the final preparations and our new reporting. Could Mr. Trump announce his VP pick before the debate? WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange boarding a plane to freedom. The plea deal he struck to end his years-long standoff with the U.S. government for publishing a trove of classified documents. The deadly violence in Kenya, police opening fire as thousands storm the parliament. What's driving these protests? NBC News investigates the search for more than 50 migrants with possible ties to an ISIS-affiliated smuggling network released into the U.S., their whereabouts unknown.

And the American track star overcoming life's hurdles for his shot at gold in Paris. This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, reporting tonight from Aspen, Colorado. Good evening from Aspen, Colorado, where thought leaders have gathered for the Aspen Ideas Festival, of which NBCUniversal is a media partner. We'll tell you more on that later, but let's begin with a flood emergency unfolding across South Dakota and Minnesota. While there has been some relief in Iowa, stunned residents elsewhere have been powerless to stop the surging floodwaters from spilling into their neighborhoods. The rising rivers riding history along the way as waterways across the region hit record crests. In Minnesota, that broken dam holding communities in terrifying suspense tonight.

While brutal heat holds its grip across a wide area of the country, 70% of the nation experiencing highs of 90 and above. Adrienne Broaddus has our report. Tonight, catastrophic flooding across the Midwest. In South Dakota, neighborhoods off the Big Sioux River are unrecognizable, with streets completely caved in and people unable to access their homes. Some cars washed away. Others are teetering on the edge of those collapsed roads. And the water is still gushing. In Minnesota, entire communities are submerged. We literally watched our childhood wash over the bank, trees, buildings. Residents near Mankato are bracing for the possible failure of the Rapid Am dam.

That's her life. Jenny Barnes grew up here. Her father and brother live in this house by the river. We're hanging in there. Our house is hanging by a thread. It's not just their home they're worried about. The family has owned the dam store for more than 50 years. That's what we worry about the most. The store. We know the house is gone. We know we'll never be able to go back in that house. But let's keep the damn store. That's

the main goal. But that's our business. That's our livelihood. And in Sioux City, Iowa, the water levels are going down. Residents aren't out of the woods yet. Shaquille Brewster is there. 24 hours ago, this road was completely flooded. The water here is clearly receding, but you see the Big Sioux River is still at historic levels. Rich and Amy evacuated their mother overnight. How weird is it to be this close to the house but not able to access it? It's very, very, yeah, devastating is a good word. Devastating. It's right there. Yeah, it's within reach, but it's not within reach. With a strong line of thunderstorms already wreaking havoc across Michigan today,

more rain is set to return here by the end of the week. Adrian, that's a dramatic backdrop we're looking at. The rain has stopped, but I know there are still dangers out there. Lester, that's right, and city officials are pleading with people to stay away from the rushing water. Folks have been trying to get pictures of this scene all day. Officials say even though the ground looks stable, it's not. And officials warn if someone were to accidentally fall in, there's no way first responders could go in for a rescue. Lester. Adrienne Broaddus, thank you. Tonight with the

first presidential debate just two days away, we're learning that former President Trump could announce his running mate earlier than expected. Kelly O'Donnell is at the White House. Kelly, what more do we know about the potential timing here? Well, Lester, the choice of a VP nominee is one of the big unknowns. And four sources familiar with the situation say there have been high level discussions about moving up the timeline Mr. Trump has talked about publicly from before the convention to as early as this week to make a splash. Contenders are said to include North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum and Senators J.D. Vance and Marco Rubio, all expected to be in Atlanta for the debate. And now turning to an issue that

could come up on the debate stage, student loan relief. And one of President Biden's programs is facing new legal challenges. Tonight, a campaign promise aimed at millions of student borrowers hangs in the balance. We made a commitment to fix our broken student loan system. One of President Biden's programs to slash student loan debt is partially on hold after two federal judges temporarily blocked further relief from what's known as the SAVE plan. Eight million borrowers are enrolled in the program that ties the amount of loan repayment to income and family size. Under its rules, about 4 million borrowers qualify for no monthly payment. Others get a deep reduction. Austin Davis is a special education teacher who says he and his wife, Brooke, saw their monthly payments drop from nearly $1,600 down to $480.

Without this, we would not have been able to afford the cost to be able to have our own house to live with our daughter. Two separate lawsuits were brought by Republican attorneys general across 18 states, arguing that the education secretary overstepped his authority and that states holding loans could be harmed. The president has no textual basis in law for this plan, and I'm not going to let Joe Biden saddle working Missouri families with Ivy League debt. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona late today. People shouldn't have to choose between groceries and the student loans. Some Republicans are working harder to stop what we're doing to help than to offer any solutions. The administration says it intends

to vigorously defend the relief program. Kelly O'Donnell, NBC News, the White House. And join us for complete coverage starting Thursday night of the first presidential debate hosted by CNN. Turning overseas now, the founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, has arrived on the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. commonwealth in the Pacific, where he'll appear before a federal judge to finalize his plea deal for conspiring to hack U.S. secrets. Keir Simmons is following this for us. Keir, what more do we know? Well, Lester, Julian Assange spent the day traveling. Video released by his team documenting his journey today on a private jet from the UK to Bangkok and finally

to the Northern Mariana Islands, where he's just landed and would appear in a US court. The Justice Department's 18 charges against him, including conspiring with Army intelligence officer Chelsea Manning to hack US secrets, reduced to just one plea deal. And he will get credit for time served, five and a half years in a UK jail. In 2010, Assange's WikiLeaks released a trove of material, including details of the killing of civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan. This, the end of a long standoff. His next stop will likely be Australia, where his wife and children are waiting for him.

Lester. All right, Keir, thank you. In Kenya tonight, deadly chaos in the streets after rioters stormed Parliament with police opening fire. Andrea Mitchell has late details. Tonight, police firing on thousands of unarmed protesters, killing at least five and wounding dozens. After protesters stormed the Kenyan parliament over a proposed tax law, setting fire to parts of the building as legislators fled. In the melee, former President Obama's half-sister, Alma Obama,

a self-described activist, talking to CNN. Young Kenyans are demonstrating for their rights. They're demonstrating with flags and banners. I can't even see anymore. They're being tear gassed. The uprising over a $2.7 billion new tax bill, as Kenya struggles to pay down its debt from COVID, the Ukraine war and two years of drought. But young people are furious with the country's President William Ruto, elected less than two years ago on a promise to help the poor. Tonight's violence shattering the glittery image the world saw just last month

at a lavish White House state dinner, when the Bidens celebrated Kenya's leader as an important Western ally. Former President Obama, whose father was Kenyan, came to the reception. As Nairobi burns this morning, the first contingent of 400 U.N.-backed Kenyan police arrived in Haiti to try to restore order there. Lester. Andrea, thank you. Now to the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The U.S. built a $220 million pier to get aid flowing into the war-torn enclave. But in the 40 days since deliveries began, it's been hit by several setbacks. Courtney Kuby now with a rare up-close look.

You can see the beach from this American pier off Gaza. Tonight, our first look at the structure which has allowed the U.S. military to deliver much-needed aid by sea. It took about an hour to get from the Israeli-port at Ashdod to here. This is J-LOS. It's a temporary U.S. military pier system meant to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. But even after about six weeks of operating, the U.S. military is seen. It has some limitations. Including weather. High seas and winds damaged the embattled pier last month, forcing the U.S. to drag it back to Israel for repairs. The weather here today is calm, so aid is moving. But once these waves get to about four feet high, the pier has to be taken apart and moved or it risks being damaged.

President Biden unveiled the pier with great fanfare during his State of the Union. A temporary pier will enable a massive increase in the amount of humanitarian assistance getting into Gaza every day. It cost American taxpayers over $220 million, but has only delivered aid on 17 of the last 40 days. It's been online 17 days of the last six weeks, mainly for weather. So when you look at that, do you still feel

that this mission has been a success? Yeah, absolutely. And let me point out why. One, as a commander, personal, my soldiers and sailors have stepped up. We know the weather got us. And when it did, they stepped up. The day's deliveries were made, the U.S. military brought in nearly 14 million pounds of aid, often the main contributor to aid for Gaza on any given day. The beach area takes indirect fire nearly every day, according to defense officials. The pier has not been targeted, but aid agencies suspended distribution and haven't delivered that aid since June 9th.

Now about 11.5 million pounds of aid are sitting in scorching heat and sun, where it can't help the Asila family. We live in a tent and eat canned food, and our children stand in line to get water. The aid is not always available, she says. The American military mission and the pier are expected to leave in the next six weeks. We've learned the U.S. is working on an alternative plan for the J-lots that could include delivering humanitarian aid through the Israeli port at Ashdod. Lester.

All right, Courtney, thank you. In 60 seconds, the search for dozens of migrants in this country with possible ties to an ISIS smuggling network. Right after this. We're back now with our NBC News investigation. Dozens of migrants with potential ties to an ISIS-linked smuggling network released into the U.S. And now the search is on to find them. Here's Julia Ainsley. Tonight, NBC News has learned more than 50 migrants with potential ties to an ISIS-affiliated smuggling network are at large in America. Many illegally crossed the border and were released into the U.S.

by border patrol because there was no information suggesting terror ties at the time. Now their whereabouts are unknown as immigration agents look to arrest them, U.S. officials tell us, saying they're among a group of over 400 migrants DHS identified in the U.S. from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, and Russia as subjects of concern because they were brought to the U.S. by an ISIS-affiliated smuggling network, something the FBI director warned about earlier this year. Some of the overseas facilitators of the smuggling network have ISIS ties that we're very concerned about. ICE has located and arrested over 150 of the 400 migrants so far, with some already deported from the U.S., officials say. Adding authorities are not panicking

because their ties to ISIS are not certain, but they're prioritizing their arrest out of an abundance of caution. The problem is the volume of people coming across the southern border, individuals from ISIS and other affiliated groups have recognized it as a weak point in our defense. And they're using this opportunity to try to sneak in. NBC News was first to report on a similar arrest of a news spec man in Baltimore whose country alerted the U.S. he was affiliated with ISIS. That man, like the others apprehended so far, was arrested on immigration charges, not terrorism-related charges. ISIS-K has claimed responsibility for deadly terror attacks in Russia and Iran in the past year. And recently, the DHS inspector

general sharply criticizing vetting at the U.S. southern border, saying DHS is at risk of admitting dangerous persons into the country or enabling asylum seekers who may pose significant threats to public safety and national security to continue to reside in the United States. Two senior law enforcement officials told NBC News they are not tracking a terror plot from this group of migrants, but their arrest on immigration charges come out of an abundance of caution. Lester. All right, Julia, thank you. Coming up, it's not your imagination. More people are getting sick this summer, COVID cases and other illnesses rising again across the country. The changing guidance next.

As the nation deals with an epidemic of shootings, the U.S. Surgeon General declared gun violence a public health crisis today. Dr. Vivek Murthy called for a ban of automatic rifles and universal background checks. The National Rifle Association called it, quote, an extension of the Biden administration's war on law-abiding gun owners. And another alert this summer about a COVID comeback. Cases are once again on the rise, fueled by new variants. Erin McLaughlin now with the latest updated guidance on masking and isolation. Tonight, for a growing number of Americans, this summer of sizzling temps is also the summer of sick. The number of COVID cases now on the rise nationwide. So far, 15 states have higher, very high levels of the virus in their wastewater,

according to the latest data released by the CDC. I probably characterize it more as a swell. It's certainly more than we've seen in the last few months. As people crowd indoors to escape the heat, the virus spreads. This year's uptick is thanks to the so-called flirt variants, subvariants of Omicron, which now account for more than 60% of COVID cases. COVID-19 is indeed becoming more mild over time. Population immunity has been going up, and therefore the severity of the illness has been going down. And yet it's still worse than the flu. Yes, COVID-19 is still worse than the flu. The outcomes of COVID-19 are still worse than the flu. The outcomes of COVID-19 are still worse than the flu.

Doctors say the elderly and immunocompromised are still at high risk of severe disease and should consider masking in public spaces and make sure they're up to date on their vaccines. While preventative, masking for healthy individuals is no longer recommended by the CDC. They say if you're infected, wearing a mask can prevent spread. As for isolating, the CDC has updated their guidance saying that if you're infected, wearing a mask can prevent spread. As for isolating, the CDC has updated their guidance, saying that if you have symptoms, stay isolated. Otherwise, you don't need to isolate, even if you're testing positive. That new guidance has raised some concern among medical experts. Lester. Erin, thank you.

Up next, the American hurdler catching his second win and reaching for such great heights in Paris. And we're back with you here in Aspen at an annual gathering of thought leaders. It's where I sat down with retired WNBA superstar Candace Parker today. And tomorrow, I'll be speaking to the tech titan behind OpenAI, Sam Altman, and CEO and industry disruptor, Airbnb's Brian Chesky. Well, for many athletes competing at Olympic trials this week, the road to the games is filled with obstacles. But one American runner is jumping right over them. Here's Sam Brock.

For Cordell Tinch, hurdles are the perfect event. I've had a lot of races where I'm in last place at this exact point here. His life has been full of them. Your path was anything but a straight track. You were all over the place. Absolutely everywhere. Knowing that, what would an Olympic berth mean to you, to Cordell, as an athlete and as a person? Apparently, when they used to ask me, what do you want to be when you grow up?

I want to be an Olympic athlete. I don't know any kids that say that. That dream began in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where Cordell was raised by his mom, Elizabeth, affectionately known at the track as Mama Tinch. Yes, he's my child, but I still feel like he's my best friend. She was just 16 when she had Cordell. We were in a shelter because I was homeless, but seeing him, it made me say, okay, Elizabeth, you can cry later, but you got to get this done today because he needs to eat. Despite plenty of challenges growing up, athletics came naturally to Cordell,

who earned a scholarship to compete at the University of Minnesota, then transferred to Kansas. But when the pandemic struck, Tinch struggled without structure, going back home to work. You were selling cell phones, installing cable, dealing with manufacturing machines for toilet paper. Is that all accurate? Yep. Only thing we're missing is I was also a part-time moving company person as well. Elizabeth was not going to let her son's dreams dissipate. Everyone seeing what he didn't see just yet and just being there for him when he does finally see it.

Cordell Tinch. So in January 2023, Tinch joined D2 Pittsburgh State University in Kansas. Five months later, Cordell shocked everyone. Running the fastest time in the world that year in the 110-meter hurdles. He can literally do anything he wants. He's a once-in-a-generation talent. From cell phone salesman to the world championships. His meteoric comeback continuing at nationals. Come on, son! Come on, son!

Where Elizabeth's heart rate nearly matched her son's. And Tinch is on his way to the world championships. He's now aiming to make good on that childhood dream of competing at the Olympics for himself and his mom. I always put my mom on like the highest pedestal. This gave you a sense of purpose for her. Absolutely. They've already traveled so far together,

and now they hope they're next up, the city of light. Sam Brock, NBC News, Pittsburgh, Kansas. And I hope to see them both there. 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.