NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Episode Date: November 20, 2024

Trump taps Dr. Oz to head Medicare and Medicaid agency; New York prosecutors ask for sentencing delay in Trump hush money case; Ukraine uses U.S.-made long-range missiles in Russia attack; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, President-elect Donald Trump making another surprise pick, tapping a TV personality for his new administration. Mr. Trump in Texas for Elon Musk's SpaceX launch, and late today announcing he will nominate TV's Dr. Mehmet Oz to oversee the Medicare and Medicaid agencies that tens of millions of Americans depend on for health care. And Mr. Trump says he's not reconsidering his pick for Attorney General Matt Gaetz, as a source tells NBC News a hacker stole damaging testimony from the woman who alleges Gaetz had sex with her when she was 17, Gaetz denying all accusations. Also tonight,

Ukraine for the first time launching long-range U.S.-made missiles into Russia, and Vladimir Putin's new nuclear warning as the war reaches its 1,000th day. Caught on camera, the deadly house explosion in Ohio, a powerful bomb cyclone targeting the West Coast, and the new brush fire spreading in the Northeast. The new surveillance video shown in court of Lake and Riley jogging the final moments of her life and new images of the man accused of killing her. The head of FEMA grilled on the government's hurricane response and the now fired employee who told workers to stay away from the homes of Trump supporters. And your ticket inside the fanciful amusement park dreamed up by some of the world's most

famous artists. your ticket inside the fanciful amusement park dreamed up by some of the world's most famous artists. This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome. Tonight, President-elect Donald Trump is engaging in the fight to save the nomination of Matt Gates to become Attorney General, even as a computer hack appears to have unearthed potentially damaging information about the former congressman. Sources familiar with the case confirmed the hack accessed sworn testimony from a civil case of two women, including one who says she had sex with Gates when she was 17, an accusation Gates denies. With some Senate Republicans already wavering over the Gates pick

and the House Ethics Committee considering whether to release its investigation, the president-elect is now actively lobbying for Gates's confirmation. Mr. Trump also moving ahead with picks to fill other key spots in his administration, today naming TV personality Dr. Oz to lead Medicare and Medicaid services. Garrett Haig has late details. Tonight, President-elect Trump traveling to Texas to witness the launch of a SpaceX rocket, the company run by his key ally, billionaire Elon Musk. And announcing two new administration picks, TV personality and physician Dr. Mehmet Oz as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator,

who Trump says will, quote, work closely with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to take on the illness industrial complex. Critics have accused Dr. Oz of at times offering questionable medical advice. And Howard Lutnick, his transition co-chair and Wall Street executive to serve as Commerce Secretary. All while Trump tonight was asked if he's reconsidering his choice for Attorney General, former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz. It comes as an unidentified hacker was able to gain access to a file containing depositions of two women who have made allegations against Gaetz, what is described as damaging testimony, according to a source familiar and an email obtained by NBC News, though it's unclear if the hacked material was released.

One of the depositions is from a woman who alleges she had sex with Gates when she was 17, an accusation Gates strongly denies. Both women testified to the House Ethics Committee, which is expected to meet tomorrow to weigh whether to release its report. The House Speaker has said he's against it. The president has the team in place to do what the American people have elected him to do, and we're going to support that effort. But some Senate Republicans want to review it.

There needs to be legitimate vetting. I think we need to embrace advice and consent with full enthusiasm. Gates was also investigated by the Justice Department over allegations of sex trafficking, but prosecutors ultimately did not file charges. Gates has denied any wrongdoing. Nobody should be disqualified because of a media report. It's more than a media report. He was investigated by the department he wants to leave.

And they didn't proceed forward. A transition official tells NBC News Trump has been, quote, heavily working the phones, calling Republican senators to push for Gates. I wouldn't bet my house on it one way or the other. If all Democrats oppose a nominee, they can only lose three Republican votes to be confirmed. What these picks tell me is Donald Trump is going through the same movie, chaos, contempt for the law, and disrespect for the American public. Garrett, the Trump team will make a big push there on Capitol Hill tomorrow. What's it going to look like? That's right, Lester. Vice President-elect J.D. Vance will be here on the Hill tomorrow for meetings with senators alongside Gates and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who's also facing some

resistance from Republicans. Lester. All right, Garrett Haig, thanks. Here in New York, prosecutors told the judge in President-elect Trump's hush money case they opposed dismissing it, but said the sentencing could be delayed. Laura Jarrett is here. Laura, the judge has a big decision to make here. Another first in this nation's history, Lester. The judge could decide to postpone this sentencing until Mr. Trump is no longer in office, meaning 2029. That's something that the D.A. proposed for the first time today. We could also see him wipe out the conviction entirely. That's what the defense team wants. Obviously, the prosecution pushing back. No word yet from Judge Mershon on when exactly he will rule. But you'd have to expect he's going to do this sometime before Inauguration Day, Lester.

All right, Laura Jarrett, thank you. The U.S., for the first time, U.S. officials say Ukraine has fired American-made long-range missiles on targets in Russia, as Russian President Vladimir Putin hardens his position on the use of nuclear weapons. Keir Simmons has late details. Tonight, anxious hours after Ukraine fired American-made long-range missiles called Atakams at a nuclear-armed Russia for the first time, according to two U.S. officials. It comes just days after the White House approved their use outside Ukraine's borders. Tonight, President Putin has lowered the bar for Russia's use of nuclear

weapons. Under a new nuclear doctrine, Russia could deploy its arsenal if attacked by a non-nuclear country allied with a nuclear state, a message unmistakably directed at Ukraine and the U.S. I'm Kelly O'Donnell in Rio de Janeiro at the G20 summit, where dozens of international leaders have been gathered, including President Biden and Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, who today called the Ukrainian missile attack an escalation. And he talked about Putin making changes to how Russia could use its nuclear arsenal. We are strongly in favor of doing everything not to allow a nuclear war to happen. As for the attack, Ukraine says they will help resist a Russian offensive supported by North Korean troops just months before President-elect Trump takes office and is expected to demand a deal.

Ukraine today marking 1,000 days of war with Russia, with talks on the horizon, but no sign of compromise. President Putin has made many unnerving nuclear threats. Tonight, one European leader calling it rhetoric. Lester. OK, Keir, thanks. Back home now to the house explosion caught on camera outside Cincinnati. The blast killing two people and injuring a third.

Here's Erin McLaughlin. New video shows the moment a house exploded, sending shockwaves through a neighborhood in Bethel, Ohio. We have the fire department on scene. Smoke showing. They're revising the house is gone. Officials say the blast killed a man and a woman. A neighbor told reporters a heating and

air repairman was found at the scene covered in soot. He's like bent over with his hands on his knees like trying to get a breath and stuff and he's all dirt like his face was dirty and then I got closer we were like are you okay and his whole hair was singed. Officials say he is now being treated at a local hospital. Another harrowing video shows the fire that immediately followed the explosion. It sounded as if I thought somebody had drove into the side of my house. Like I felt the shockwave from through a brick house. The stunning footage was caught on a neighbor's doorbell camera, now part of an ongoing investigation.

It definitely had a large amount of energy to make a house like that go apart. The fire chief says the cause of the explosion is unclear. The victims have yet to be named. Erin McLaughlin, NBC News. It's going on two months now since Hurricanes Helene and Milton tore through parts of the South. Today, tough questions for the head of FEMA about the agency's response as some who lost everything still wait for help. Here's Stephanie Gosk. Hurricane Helene tore through six states, the most destructive storm in North Carolina's history. Less than two weeks later, Hurricane Milton ripped apart Florida's already battered West Coast.

Today on Capitol Hill, FEMA's Administrator Deanne Criswell criticized over the agency's response. Do you think you could have done better? We can always improve and we will review all our response efforts. Is that a yes? Nobody is perfect. Melinda Williams spoke to us in what's left of her North Carolina home. I am only alive by God's grace.

She was in the house when the water tore it off the foundation, somehow managing to survive. Do you recognize pieces of the house wrapped around this tree? That's my kitchen. But while the local government has helped, she says she has seen little federal assistance, her application still pending. It's kind of like they've forgotten about the people. Your neighbors. Yeah. You. You feel forgotten. I do feel forgotten by the government, I do.

Williams told us she was given a $750 check for immediate needs, but still no assistance to rebuild her lost home. I haven't really seen anybody that I know that's really received any real help. And it's been weeks. It's been weeks. At today's hearing, Administrator Criswell defending the agency's response. I am incredibly proud of the work that the 22,000 members of this workforce have done. But FEMA, she says, needs more money. The cost to respond to these two disasters is outpacing all other disasters in the previous 10 years except for Hurricane Maria. The administrator also grilled today over a FEMA employee in Florida who told workers to skip

homes with Trump signs after Hurricane Milton. Criswell says that employee wasn't following FEMA policy and was fired. We are currently investigating. But that's not what you said. You said this is isolated, reprehensible, hasn't happened. This is the only time. And they're saying, nope, nope, nope. It's commonplace. The destruction between the historic back-to-back storms is estimated to be $170 billion. And for some, there's an urgent need. It's hard. It was my home that it just isn't here anymore. This is temporary housing being set up by FEMA. They say individuals can qualify for up to $85,000 in FEMA assistance. But some of the people we speak to here in North

Carolina say the application is complicated and the help is taking too long. Lester. All right, Stephanie Goss, thank you. A dramatic day in the trial over the murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley. The prosecution resting after showing new surveillance of Riley jogging during the final moments of her life. They also introduced video they say appears to show Jose Ibarra, the undocumented immigrant accused of killing her, lurking at an apartment complex near the crime scene. One forensic expert also testified that DNA from under Riley's fingernails matched Ibarra. Ibarra's legal team has called the evidence circumstantial. In Hong Kong, a major blow to what's left of the pro-democracy movement there as dozens of activists were sentenced to prison today. Janice Mackey-Frayer joining us now. And Janice, there is already a backlash to this case.

Lester, the U.S. is strongly condemning the sentences. All but two of the 47 pro-democracy activists were given jail terms of up to 10 years. Their offense? Holding an unofficial primary vote to pick opposition candidates. The trial is seen as the most telling sign of Beijing's tightening grip on Hong Kong since imposing a national security law in 2020. But the government here said was needed to stop protests in the city. China has praised the Hong Kong court's action, but critics say this is the end of the rule of law in Hong Kong. Lester.

Janice Mackey-Frayer tonight. Thank you. In 60 seconds, the legal battle over documents found in Sean Combs' jail cell. What a judge just ruled. Plus, a bomb cyclone hitting the West with torrential rain, heavy snow and powerful winds. Next. Music mogul Sean Combs appeared in a courtroom here in Manhattan today as he fights to be released from jail while awaiting trial on sex trafficking and other charges. Chloe Malas joins us now. Chloe, his lawyers are making a claim the judge is taking seriously. Lester Combs' legal team making an eyebrow-raising claim that prosecutors wrongly

took possession of 19 pages of notes from his jail cell last week and that these should be covered by attorney-client privilege. His attorney saying in court today that this is a complete institutional failure and dangerous, but prosecutors say that these documents were swept up as part of a pre-planned sweep of the jail and that the notes are not confidential at all, that they're mostly just inspirational quotes and to-do lists, but that they do talk about paying off a witness and finding dirt on two alleged victims, according to prosecutors. For now, the judge is telling prosecutors not to use these documents as part of their case. And we did get a preview today over this battle as to whether or not Combs should stay behind bars ahead of his criminal trial in May.

And there's a fourth bail hearing on this issue on Friday. Lester. Chloe Malas, thank you. Also in New York City today, firefighters battling another brush fire burning across 10 acres in Upper Manhattan amid the historic drought in the Northeast. While on the other side of the country, a powerful bomb cyclone is taking aim. Dylan Dreyer is with us. Dylan, what are you watching? Well, Lester, this is going to be a powerful storm for the West Coast. We've got this atmospheric river of moisture. All of this moisture off the Pacific Ocean is just going to hit northwestern California and southwestern Oregon. If we were to put this on a scale, we would say this is on the

extreme side of these types of systems, especially for northwestern California, because not only will we see a lot of rain, we're also looking at high winds gusting up to about 50 to 75 miles per hour. Combine that with up to a foot of rain, and that means downed trees, downed power lines. Mud slides are a possibility, and there is a colder side of this storm in the higher elevations. We could see as much as two feet of snow in some of the mountain ranges, Lester. All right, Dylan, thanks. Thanks for being here. Up next, thousands complain about their home warranties. Are the policies they're paying for selling them short? We have a consumer alert for you tonight about home warranties. Some

promotions seem to promise to cover everything under your roof. But as Vicki Wynn found out, when things break, it's not always so easy to get them replaced. Home warranty. American Home Shield is one of the country's biggest home warranty companies with more than 2 million subscribers, and its ads make a simple promise. Covered repairs and replacements are taken care of. Pay a fee and they'll cover your appliances. No repair records needed, even undetectable pre-existing conditions. But in Las Vegas, Julian Sanchez and Patricia Nunez say they lost their cool with the company during the city's hottest summer on record. Most of the time in this room,

it would reach onwards of the high 90s to low 100s. They say AHS declined to repair or replace their air conditioner after it broke down in May, despite the couple's monthly coverage payments for the past three years. The company sent this repairman seen here on home security video to inspect the unit. But Julian says he left it in even worse shape. They removed a piece of my AC unit and they left it on my roof. What did you expect? I expect it would be just a quick diagnostic and then a fix. And what I got was the complete opposite.

AHS denied the Sanchez repair claim, saying the unit had stopped working because of foreign debris and not the normal wear and tear covered in the contract. The unrelenting heat forcing the couple and their five children to do homework and sleep on the ground floor. It's just been atrocious, the way that the company has dealt with everything. The family's frustration echoed in thousands of complaints filed against AHS with the Better Business Bureau. They will find a way to deny the claim. Consumer attorney Alex Batua says AHS often uses the term not normal wear and tear to deny claims in his clients' cases. Do you think that phrase is intentionally vague?

Yes, of course. Every single case I have is the same. They come out there, they diagnose the problem, they say not normal wear and tear. From that perspective, it's good for business. It's bad for consumers. After NBC News reached out for comment, American Home Shield declined an interview but said in part in a statement it believes the correct coverage decision was made, adding, as a gesture of goodwill and an accommodation to Mr. Sanchez, we will fix his unit at no cost. Melanie McGovern with the BBB says consumers should read both the contract and reviews before

choosing a home warranty company. Read the complaint data, read the reviews, and then make their purchasing decision from there. Did the company respond? Did they get it all settled? The Sanchez family now working with attorney Alex Batua says they declined the AHS repair offer and they want a replacement. Vicky Nguyen, NBC News, Las Vegas. And coming up for us tonight, a lost world of art found. Finally, there's good news tonight about a one-of-a-kind experience featuring long-lost art from some very famous names. It opens tomorrow in New York, but Rahima Ellis has your sneak preview. This is Luna Luna on display, a spectacular amusement park in Manhattan. The exhibits,

the work of famous artists, delighting wide-eyed kids, and kids at heart. It blew my expectations. Lunaar Lunar is about dreaming. Michael Goldberg restored a dream that began in 1987. I couldn't believe that there was, you know, this incredible project that I had never heard of. The project showcasing a Ferris wheel with Jean-Michel Basquiat's paintings, a carousel featuring Keith Haring's dazzling iconic images, a mirrored dome by Salvador Dali. It opened in Germany, but soon was stored in a Texas warehouse for 36 years. With investors like superstar rapper Drake,

Goldberg acquired the contents sight unseen. What was going through you in terms of what you might find? I was beyond anxious. Potentially it was, you know, a pile of dust. It turns out most of it was still pristine, including Herring's carousel. Everything, you know, still held up and looked like Keith had painted it days ago. Today, most of the artwork is so valuable, it's hands-off. But this new edition by Efrain and Pablo Deliero. This is touch the art. Is all hands on. It's a gift that just keeps on going. Luna Luna now coming full circle for a new generation to enjoy. Rahima Ellis, NBC News, New York. Looks like fun. 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.