NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Tuesday, May 15, 2024

Episode Date: May 16, 2024

Biden and Trump agree to first presidential debate in June; Ship hits bridge in Galveston, Texas, creating oil spill; Asian American women soar in professional golf; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, the showdown now set. Joe Biden and Donald Trump agreeing to meet face-to-face for two debates before the election. After months of uncertainty, the candidates agreeing to just two televised debates in June and September. Mr. Biden saying, make my day, pal. Mr. Trump firing back, I am ready and willing. And the comment by Senator Mitt Romney making headlines that President Biden should have pardoned Mr. Trump. Also tonight, the attempted assassination, a man walking up to Slovakia's prime minister, shooting him multiple times, aides pushing the wounded politician into a car, and a man tackled on the ground, the prime minister's condition tonight. The barge slamming into a bridge in Galveston, Texas, causing a partial collapse and unleashing an oil spill, one

community island cut off. Opening statements in the bribery trial of Senator Bob Menendez, the defense suggesting those gold bars didn't belong to Menendez, but to his wife. A heart stopping new dash cam video from a semi truck as a crash sends it dangling off a bridge. The record breaking filibuster in Missouri as Democrats wage a battle over abortion rights and the athletes dominating the world of women's golf and swinging for a shot at gold in the Paris Olympics. This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome. Not one but two presidential debates are on the books tonight after an exchange of verbal taunts more akin to a prize fight promotion. President Biden

and former President Trump have agreed to televise one-on-one debates, the first happening June 27th and notably without a live audience. The second one, September 10th. The arrangement first proposed by President Biden was quickly accepted by Mr. Trump, who refused to take part in this year's Republican primary debates. The first of the showdowns, timed by the Biden campaign to take place before early voting begins. In the time being, the debate among pundits will likely be over which candidate has the most to gain or maybe lose. White House correspondent Peter Alexander now with how it all came together. Before I get started.

Tonight, the stage is set for the first TV confrontation between President Biden and former President Trump in more than three years. The agreement punctuating a dizzying day of deal making. The president posting this video responding to weeks of pressure from Mr. Trump for a debate. Donald Trump lost two debates to me in 2020. Since then, he hadn't shown up for debate. Now he's acting like he wants to debate me again. Well, make my day, pal. The president taunting his rival over his Manhattan hush money trial that's kept him in court four days a week. So let's pick the dates, Donald. I hear you're free on Wednesdays. There are traditionally three debates, the president offering two. Mr. Trump,

who refused all of the primary debates, quickly saying yes and pushing for more, writing, I'm ready and willing to debate Crooked Joe at the two proposed times. I would strongly recommend more than two debates and for excitement purposes, a very large venue. Just tell me when i'll be there within hours a pair of debate dates were set one in late june another in september both sides bypassing the commission on presidential debates proposal for three fall showdowns president biden's decision comes after former president trump repeatedly challenged him to debate you can see we have an empty podium right here to my right. You know what that is? That's for Joe Biden. I'm trying to get him to debate. The June 27th face

off with no audience will come at a critical moment in the race, with recent polls showing Mr. Trump in a strong position in some key battleground states. And shortly after the former president's criminal trial is expected to wrap up. Today, Senator Mitt Romney, a fierce Trump critic, arguing the president should have pardoned Mr. Trump. I would have immediately pardoned him. I'd have pardoned President Trump. Why? Well, because it makes me, President Biden, the big guy and the person I pardoned, the little guy.

The debate is certain to be a bitter battle with the president and his predecessor trading insults. The worst presidents, take them, give me the 10 worst names. They haven't done the damage to our country that this total moron has done. And from Mr. Biden, just today, the guy is sort of lost his mooring. He seems like the guy who just doesn't know what he's doing anymore. In an already unprecedented campaign, the first crucial clash, now the earliest in modern history. And Peter, to be clear, this means this happens before the conventions. That's right. Likely even before Mr. Trump has picked his vice presidential nominee here. The former president is now saying that he accepted an offer for a third debate in October. The Biden campaign, though, they are brushing that off.

Lester telling me no more games, no more chaos. In their words, President Biden will do two debates. All right, Peter, thanks very much. A world leader is fighting for his life after a brazen assassination attempt in broad daylight. Keir Simmons now with late details on what's being called a politically motivated ambush. Tonight, a tense Europe shaken again, gunshots and a possible glimpse of the shooter. Then Slovakia's prime minister staggers to his car, hit in the stomach, his security bundling him inside. I heard three shots, this woman says, and then he fell next to the barrier.

Tonight, Robert Fizzo, airlifted to the hospital, is in a life-threatening condition. Moments after the attack, police handcuffing a man. The country's president says a suspect has been arrested. I am shocked, she says. It's an attack on our democracy. Tonight's attack coming after a spate of political assassination attempts. In 2022, Japan's former prime minister, Shin Shinzo Abe was shot dead in the street. A year later, an assassin's gun jammed as he targeted Argentina's then vice president. And in January, a South Korean opposition leader was stabbed in the neck. Last month, Ukraine claimed it foiled a Russian attempt to assassinate President Zelensky. But Slovakia's pro-Russian prime minister had run for re-election opposed to military aid to Ukraine,

only to U-turn months later. His politics divisive, thousands protesting in the streets over plans to bring the state broadcaster further under government control. Officials say the attacker had political motivations amid ever escalating tension in Europe. But exactly why he did it is still not clear tonight. Lester. All right. Keir Simmons tonight. Thank you. Another bridge accident today, this time in Galveston, Texas, where a barge crashed into a crucial causeway. It comes as federal officials grapple with the recent

Baltimore bridge collapse. Here's Priscilla Thompson. Tonight, another scary scene on America's waters. Possible boat that hits the bridge and a power line down and maybe fuel in the water. A barge crashing into a bridge, this time in Galveston, Texas, closing the only road to a small island community and causing an oil spill. Our emergency management is requesting fire department has advised them that there's fuel oil leaking into the water. The barge holds about 30,000 gallons.

Officials say it's unknown how much oil has leaked. The barge owner, Martin Petroleum, says it broke loose from its tow and drifted into the bridge. The accident comes after the Dali cargo ship crashed into Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge in March, plunging the bridge into the water, killing six. The NTSB chair on Capitol Hill today. Yesterday, we released our preliminary report, which shows that the Dali experienced four total power outages. Investigators finding the pilots lost control of the massive vessel right before the collision. The recent rash of barge bridge accidents, including Pennsylvania and Iowa,

all raising safety concerns. The NTSB now warning states to examine their infrastructure before it's too late. Keep reiterating this. If you own a bridge, if a state owns a bridge or other entity owns a bridge, look at the current structure. Do a risk assessment. You can do that now. Priscilla joining us now. Were there any injuries and what's the status of the oil leak? Lester, officials say there were no injuries and Martin Petroleum says that leak has been stopped. The NTSB and the Coast Guard are now investigating as tonight this bridge and the waterway remain closed. Lester.

Priscilla Thompson, thank you. Here in New York, opening statements today in the corruption trial of one of the most powerful U.S. senators, Democrat Bob Menendez of New Jersey. He's accused of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes. Jonathan Dienst was in federal court. Today, New Jersey Democratic Senator Bob Menendez walking into federal court where prosecutors alleged he put his own greed ahead of his country in opening statements calling him corrupt, accusing him of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in payoffs, including gold bars, a Mercedes convertible, and other items as part of a widespread bribery scheme. For years, Robert Menendez betrayed the people he was supposed to serve by taking bribes, the prosecutor told the jury. Among the charges, prosecutors allege Menendez

acted as a foreign agent, accepting payoffs to help Egypt get more military aid, and abusing his position as the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee by allegedly helping a New Jersey man get a multi-million dollar business deal approved by the Egyptian government. This was not politics as usual. This was politics for profit, the prosecutor said. Menendez has pleaded not guilty. His attorney telling the jury today he was not an agent of the Egyptian government, but an American patriot who took no bribes. Menendez previously said that over $400,000 in cash the FBI found in his home, in suit jackets, a safe, and shoes, was just money he took out of the bank over 30 years.

I have withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash from my personal savings account, which I have kept for emergencies and because of the history of my family facing confiscation in Cuba. And the Menendez defense today suggesting his wife Nadine was responsible for the gold bars found in their home, saying they were in her closet. He did not have a key to that closet and did not know of the gold bars in that closet, the defense attorney said. And Jonathan, join me now. Nadine Menendez has also been charged here.

That's right, Lester. Nadine Menendez has pleaded not guilty. She will go on trial separately this summer due to illness. Meanwhile, a businessman who earlier pleaded guilty is expected to testify against Senator Menendez. All right, Jonathan, thank you. With the war in the Middle East raging, the Israeli prime minister revealing what he expects the offensive against Hamas battalions in Rafah to look like and that it would last for weeks, even as he acknowledges the rift it's causing with the U.S.

He spoke to CNBC's Sarah Eisen. Tonight, with Israeli troops pushing further into Rafah, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu underscoring in an interview with CNBC, Israel is moving forward with its assault there, and soon. The intense part of the fighting, the smashing of the battalions, is just weeks away. It doesn't take that long. So it's a matter of weeks until this is over? The Rafah operation, if continued as we plan, is a matter of weeks, not months and not years. Netanyahu undeterred by the growing and vocal opposition from the United States.

Yes, we do have a disagreement on Gaza and rather on Rafah. But we have to do what we have to do. After President Biden vowed last week to stop sending certain offensive weapons to Israel if they invade Rafah, tonight signs U.S. military support for Israel is continuing. A U.S. official says the Biden administration has notified Congress they're advancing a potential $1 billion arms sale to Israel. The arms transfer wouldn't happen for several years. Meanwhile, pressure on Netanyahu isn't only coming from other countries, it's also coming from within.

Netanyahu's defense minister criticizing him today for his indecision on who will govern Gaza and pushing against any notion of Israeli military rule if and when Hamas is ultimately defeated. Three U.S. officials say a giant floating dock that'll be used to deliver food and other aid will reach Gaza tonight. It'll be installed over the next 24 hours and distribution of that aid should begin in the coming days. Lester. Sarah Eisen, thank you. It's 60 Seconds, the marathon filibuster in Missouri. What's behind the intense legislative fight and the dramatic video from inside a semi truck as it dangled from a bridge? Next. Some pretty dramatic new images in to us tonight from

the dash cam of a semi truck as a collision sends it dangling off a bridge over the Ohio River in Louisville as the driver inside yells in terror. That driver later rescued by firefighters who rappelled down. The other driver involved has been charged with causing the crash in March. We'll turn out of the battle being waged in Missouri. Democrats breaking the state Senate record for longest filibuster in a fight fueled by the issue of abortion rights. We get more from Yamiche Alcindor. Missouri has one of the strictest abortion bans in the country. The state Senate's Republican majority wants to keep it that way.

We're going to protect our Constitution. We're going to protect it from the abortionists. But tonight, Democrats are fighting back. Missourians need to wake up and understand that this is an attack on them. Democrats speaking for more than 50 hours during a marathon filibuster, trying to block a Republican-driven bill that, among other things, would make it harder to amend the state's constitution. Supporters of abortion rights say they've gathered enough signatures for a separate ballot measure in November that would protect access to abortions. We have these outside groups coming into our state,

pouring money in, going to the urban areas, getting signatures, completely circumventing our rural voices. But if the Republican proposal is passed before November, enacting the abortion amendment would not just require a simple statewide majority, but also majorities from five of the state's eight districts. The reason that Republicans are so committed to silencing people's voices at the ballot box is because they're afraid that Missourians are going to come out in support of restoring their reproductive rights and their access to abortion in Missouri. Across the country in at least seven states, every time the issue has been put to voters through a ballot initiative, abortion rights have been expanded.

Lester, the filibuster ended early this evening after a Republican senator moved to send the bill back to committee. Democrats say if a similar version of this bill comes back, they're prepared to filibuster again. All right, Yamiche, thank you. Coming up, why so many families are struggling to keep up with the soaring cost of child care and the lengths they'll go to for their kids. Financial markets set new records today following the April inflation report showing prices rose 3.4 percent year over year, a slight cooling from the previous month, but still well above the Fed's target of 2 percent. Areas hitting Americans hard include housing up five and a half percent, car maintenance up 7.6 percent, and child care up more than four percent. As Christine Romans reports, that cost of living is forcing many parents to make drastic choices. In Cambridge, Wisconsin, Sarah and Kevin

Montour live on seven acres, have good jobs as nurses, a new baby summit, and toddler canyon. But this American dream comes with a huge bill. Child care eats up one entire paycheck. You have your career just kind of beginning. You're not fully established. You're building your family, and it's kind of just, you feel like you just can't really get ahead. After a lot of thought, they made a very tough call. Kevin will stay at home with the kids for now, while Sarah works as a nurse anesthetist. I did not think that I would be a stay-at-home parent ever, really. Right.

Yeah. Big surprise. In the Midwest, daycare for two children tops $23,000 a year more than housing. In fact, child care is more expensive than housing in three quarters of the country. Is anyone getting rich in child care? No, definitely not me. You can ask my husband. Child care providers say they feel the squeeze too. Heather Murray owns Art House Preschool. She charges up to $15,000 a year for infant care. When someone's paying $13,000 to $15,000 a year for child care, it's going to staff. Yeah, it's going to staff. If we want well-educated people taking care of your children, you're going to have to pay them more than $12 an hour. She pays $18 to $20 an hour,

well above the national median, to keep her experienced staff. Her supply costs are up, too, everything from diapers to wipes to paper towels. Murray has been lobbying state lawmakers for funding as COVID-era subsidies run dry. Finish my sentence. The current model for child care in America is not working. We need funding. What does work for arthouse parent and IT project manager Stephanie Franz is a child care stipend from her employer. I want to be a good role model for my daughter and really show her that she can achieve anything she wants, but that would not be possible without, you know, affordable, high-quality child care. 749, let's go put our stuff in the car. But those corporate benefits

are rare. Restaurant owner Rebecca Nethken-Ulrich and her husband, a metallurgist, lean on her parents to help with daughter Scarlett's daycare bills. Mortgage child care, that's your top two? Yeah, mortgage and child care. It's literally survival. I like that one. For the Montours, the cost of child care is changing their lives. I don't think anybody our age is thinking when

they're in their early 20s, I have a couple years before I have to save for daycare. Like that's not that's not a thought. Right. Really? Yeah. But I guess it should be. Christine Romans, NBC News, Cambridge, Wisconsin. When we come back, meet the next generation behind the revolution on the golf course and vying for a shot at Paris gold. Finally, the stars rising to the top of the world of women's golf and looking for their shot at the Paris Olympics. Here's Kathy Park. Asian-American athletes are dominating in women's golf. Megan King is among those leading the pack.

It's pretty cool to kind of be the first Hmong American player out on the LPGA Tour. Her journey started at just five years old, thanks to her dad, a self-taught golfer and coach. King's mom, a schoolteacher, became the primary breadwinner after the family decided to go all in to develop their young athlete. Being immigrants from Laos during the Vietnam War, they kind of sacrificed everything to give us the best life we could possibly have. Also atop the leaderboard, Allison Lee, the daughter of Korean immigrants. I never saw them use a penny to purchase something for themselves.

It was always to save money so we can afford playing in events and continuing what I love to do. For a game built on tradition, historically male-dominated with little diversity, the landscape has changed. Six of the top 25 female players in the world are Asian American. What would you say is behind this trend? Yeah, I mean, we have some phenomenal Asian-American players. I think a lot of it is 1998 savory pack sort of took the world by storm, winning the U.S. Open in dramatic fashion. And there it is. We had women like Michelle Wee, who was a superstar from the time that she was 13.

Trailblazers who teed up the next generation. And these players now hoping to earn a spot on Team USA for the Paris Olympics. Do you ever sit back and reflect on how far your family has come? Definitely. It kind of puts everything in perspective again of like, wow, we've come such a long way and we're not done yet. Kathy Park, NBC News, Los Angeles. And that's nightly news for this Wednesday. Thank

you for watching. I'm Lester Holt. Please take care of yourself and each other. Good night.