NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Tuesday, October 8, 2024

Episode Date: October 9, 2024

Hurricane Milton moves toward Florida as a Category 5 storm; White House fights hurricane relief misinformation and conspiracy theories; Fighting intensifies between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, the race to escape as monster Hurricane Milton threatens to make a direct hit here in Florida. The hurricane regaining Category 5 strength and expected to double in size before slamming Florida's west coast. A state of emergency, mandatory evacuations, highways jammed with vehicles trying to get out, theme parks shutting down, Tampa and the potential bullseye were with first responders bracing for impact. Tropicana Field with a Tampa Bay Rays play transformed into a base camp. President Biden warning this could be the worst storm to hit Florida in over a century as the southeast is still reeling from Helene. Al Roker with a shifting new track tonight. Also this evening, four weeks until the election, Kamala Harris on a media blitz and asked what would she have done differently than President Biden?

How she answered. And the new book claiming Donald Trump secretly sent COVID testing machines to Vladimir Putin during the shortage in 2020. How his campaign is responding. And just in, the Afghan national under arrest in Oklahoma, the terror attack he's accused of plotting for Election Day. The new legal battle over children using TikTok, why more than a dozen states are now suing the popular app. This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, reporting tonight from Florida's Gulf Coast. Here is Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome from St. Pete Beach, where neighborhoods like this still bear the scars of the last hurricane to come through here. Helene, now the area tonight bracing for what's about to come. Hurricane Milton, now barely 30 hours away from

making a historic landfall here along Florida's Gulf Coast. It could wind up being the strongest hurricane to hit the Tampa Bay area in a century. Officials warning it's an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation. As expected, Milton's intensity has fluctuated right now back to a Category 5, which is where we begin tonight with Al Roker and some new tracking updates. What's the latest, Al? Lester, we are watching this system intensify now. 165 mile per hour winds, Category 5 moving northeast at 9. Now, the track currently brings it a little further south of Tampa, so they may be spared the worst of that storm surge, but it's still going to be bad

when we make landfall sometime between 12 and 3 a.m., maybe an hour or so on either side of that. Now, the storm surge is a big deal, 10 to 15 feet south of Tampa, going towards Fort Myers and Sarasota, five to eight feet as you get further south. But as the as the hurricane exit, it could see a storm surge on the eastern end of the Florida. And we're also looking at a high risk of flooding anywhere from Ocala, Orlando, Sarasota, heavy rain, 18 inches or more. That's going to cause catastrophic flooding. And Lester, also tornadoes possible from Daytona Beach, Sebring, all the way down to Key Largo. Lester. All right, Al, thanks very much on the way here today. We saw roads leading out of the flood zones filled with traffic. Many who witnessed

what Helene did a few weeks ago complied with mandatory evacuation orders and made their escapes from the storm zone, leaving behind communities like this one, empty and vulnerable. Tonight, time is running out with a ferocious Category 5 Hurricane Milton heading straight for the Florida Gulf Coast. You must leave. I'm not asking you to leave. I'm telling you, you must leave. In vulnerable areas, police blasting out last-minute notices to evacuate. Quickly secure your home or business and safely evacuate the area.

There are signs many here are heeding the dire warnings. Absolutely going to leave now. Just taking whatever I can get in my car. Bumper to bumper traffic heading out of town. While some of the region's most iconic communities look like ghost towns. In St. Pete Beach, we found the streets mostly empty today. Except for piles of debris from Helene. This is amazing. There's piles of debris everywhere.

It's mountains of debris everywhere. It's mountains of debris everywhere and they seem to be growing. Fire Chief Jim Kilpatrick took me around to show me what they're up against. This ball field, now a drop zone for debris. The piles of debris and stacks like this here along the barrier islands were actually created in the immediate aftermath of the last hurricane. Officials thought they would have time to get rid of it, but then they found out about Milton. Trucks are staged all over the area to pick up as much as possible before Milton barrels in. But Chief Kilpatrick says there's not enough time to clear it all.

This is amazing. This is all collected from the streets of the barrier islands. That's right. These are all household items that all collected from the streets of the barrier islands. That's right. These are all household items that were put to the curb for the first storm. Yeah. And I'm looking at a 12 inch long stick here. This becomes a lethal weapon, doesn't it? Right. It's a missile with 175 mile an hour winds that could kill someone. Mexico is already being pummeled by Milton's heavy rain and intense wind. It's the strongest hurricane formed in the Gulf of Mexico since Rita back in 2005. It's stunning scale, apparent in this view from space. It's going to be a catastrophic impact,

potentially across two of the major population centers in Florida. Even inland cities like Orlando expect to be impacted. Disney and Universal both closing their theme parks early tomorrow. While President Biden today announced he has canceled a planned trip overseas in order to focus on the storm. This could be the worst storm hit Florida in over a century. And God willing, it won't be. But that's what it's looking like right now. could be the worst storm hit Florida in over a century. And God willing, it won't be, but

that's what it's looking like right now. And that's exactly why Emily Siegel and Samuel Shearer are leaving. This is debris from Helene. Yeah. They closed on their new home three weeks ago, just before Helene roared ashore. What does this house mean to you guys? What does it represent? I mean, it was going to be like our future, like long-term house. So this is pretty disappointing. Like so many here in Florida, they don't have insurance. We're still hoping it goes south, but we're definitely preparing for the worst. Thankfully, they have another place to stay. They plan, like many others on this island, to leave tonight. And as Milton sharpens its aim, Tampa is bracing for a potential direct hit. Tom Yamas is there. And Tom, that area is especially vulnerable. Yeah, Lester, that's right. There's a combination of factors, including the shape of Tampa Bay, the fact that it's shallow near

the coastline. And that's why that storm surge damage from Hurricane Helene was so severe. It's the reason why these piles are so big. And we've just learned from county officials here in Hillsborough County that most of the piles still around the Tampa area will not be picked up. They tell us too many workers have evacuated, that there's just too much debris and not enough time before conditions worsen. For more than a century, Tampa has avoided a direct hit from a major hurricane. But as Milton barrels across the Gulf, experts warn this time Tampa could be in the bullseye. Large portions of the Tampa Bay area are going to be uninhabitable. You're not going to have power.

You may not have other essentials. According to one report, Tampa is one of the most vulnerable places in the country when it comes to storm surge. And the National Hurricane Center warns Milton could bring a wall of water up to 15 feet. I've never seen a hurricane with that trajectory before, so it kind of spooked a lot of people. Is this the one that's going to hit Tampa? I'd like to say no, but it could be. Congressman Jared Moskowitz used to run Florida's Department of Emergency Management. He says models have shown a Category 5 hurricane hitting Tampa would be the worst disaster the state could possibly face. The Director of Emergency Management and the National Hurricane Center is talking, what's the worst case scenario for Florida? It is that. It is the black swan of a Category 5 storm coming into Tampa.

Researchers say the underwater depth off the coast and the funnel shape of the bay mean the right powerful storm could trap an enormous buildup of water. Another challenge? Tampa's dense population. More than 3 million people live in the area, and not everyone has the ability to pick up and leave. Tonight, some hospitals choosing to evacuate vulnerable patients. Folks came from as far as Louisiana and Missouri with ambulances to help transport and move these patients safely. Bob Fritzinger was moved from a hospital in Pinellas County, which sits on the Gulf, to safer ground. They were really working. I mean, they're running up and down the halls.

Tampa resident Jennifer North will ride out the storm inside this shelter with her daughter Liliana. I don't live too far from here, but my house is quite old and there's a lot of trees. Since it's just the two of us, I just felt safer being at a community shelter. And the storm is so powerful, you're not going to take any chances? Yeah, not going to take any chances. Liliana turns two on Friday. Her mom's still hopeful they'll get the chance to celebrate back home, even as this historic storm rages on. Tom Yamas, NBC News, Tampa. Now to the race for the White House. Vice President Harris facing some tough questions

on her media tour, while former President Trump's campaign responding to reports in a new book about his relationship with Vladimir Putin. Here's Garrett Haig. Tonight, in her ongoing media blitz, Vice President Harris telling ABC she wouldn't change anything President Biden did. Would you have done something differently than President Biden during the past four years? There is not a thing that comes to mind in terms of, and I've been a part of most of the decisions that have had impact. Later saying she would name a Republican to her cabinet. Former President Trump slamming the response,

calling it, quote, her dumbest answer so far, and Biden the worst president in history. While on CBS, Harris was pressed about her record on the border. Was it a mistake to loosen the immigration policies as much as you did? It's a long-standing problem and solutions are at hand and from day one literally we have been offering solutions. But the numbers did quadruple. And the numbers today, because of what we have done, we have cut the flow of illegal immigration by half. New data obtained by NBC News shows there were 54,000 illegal border crossings last month,

the lowest number in three years. Meanwhile, Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward writes in a new book that former President Trump secretly sent Russian President Putin COVID tests for his personal use in 2020. Please don't tell anybody you sent these to me, Woodward says Putin told Trump. I don't care, Trump replied. Fine. Woodward citing an unnamed aide who claims Trump may have spoken to Putin as many as seven times since leaving the White House. NBC News has not confirmed Woodward's reporting. The Trump campaign responding in part, quote, none of these made up stories by Bob Woodward are true. Harris slamming Trump today. Everybody was scrambling to get these kits, the tests. This guy who is president of the United States is sending them to Russia

to a murderous dictator for his personal use? And, Gerard, we've just learned of an arrest in an Election Day terror plot. What more do we know? That's right, Lester. The FBI arrested 27-year-old Nasir Tawidi, an Afghan citizen living in Oklahoma City, saying he wanted to conduct that Election Day attack in the name of ISIS. The DOJ is saying he was arrested while trying to buy semi-automatic weapons and ammunition. Lester. All right, Garrett Haig, thank you. In the Middle East, the fighting in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah is only getting worse. Lebanon's health ministry says 36 people were killed and 150 wounded in attacks by Israel this week. Richard Engel is in Beirut with late details.

Israel is delivering Hezbollah crushing blows. Today, new video shows Israeli troops raising the Israeli flag in a southern Lebanese village. Although the Israeli military has yet to confirm it, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today claimed an Israeli strike killed Hezbollah's successor, chosen to replace Hassan Nasrallah, assassinated by Israel just days before. Hezbollah is weaker than it's been for many, many years. Riding high, the Biden administration worries Netanyahu could retaliate against Iran's recent missile barrage without fully coordinating with the U.S. Tonight, the Israeli defense minister's planned visit to the U.S. set for tomorrow was postponed. President Biden has said he does not

support striking Iran's nuclear facilities. An Israeli attack on Iran's oil industry could drive up gas prices ahead of November's election. Vice President Harris weighed in on 60 Minutes. Which foreign country do you consider to be our greatest adversary? I think there's an obvious one in mind, which is Iran. Iran has American blood on their hands. Here in Beirut, evacuations are picking up pace. Ten U.S. charter flights, including today, have so far taken out a thousand Americans and hundreds more have left on commercial

flights. There's an urgency to get them out. Lester. Richard Angle, thank you. In 60 seconds, is TikTok doing enough to keep kids from being addicted to the giant social media app? More than a dozen states say no on her suing TikTok. That story coming up after this. New legal troubles for TikTok tonight. The wildly popular social media app facing a fresh round of lawsuits for more than a dozen states accusing it of harming children's mental health. Brian Chung explains.

Social media giant TikTok facing allegations tonight that it's as addictive and dangerous as cigarettes. For young people, the TikTok platform is like digital nicotine. Thirteen states and the District of Columbia are taking TikTok to court, alleging the dopamine-inducing algorithm hooks young users into endless scrolling, causing anxiety, depression and body dysmorphia. TikTok hasn't engaged in a pattern practice of deception, of lies. It has addicted an entire generation of young people and teens. The lawsuit also alleges the app at times promotes harmful and deadly behavior, from subway surfing to stealing cars. The lawsuits also allege TikTok

doesn't do enough to stop children from scrolling into mental health problems. They lose track of time. That is by design. Alleging further that the app's beauty filters create unreal standards and that around-the-clock notifications lead to sleep loss. The states saying tools like a 60-minute limit aren't effective. Why, in New York State's view, was that not enough? The tools that they have oftentimes are difficult. They're hidden. Parents cannot activate those tools. TikTok blasted the claims as inaccurate and misleading, adding that the lawsuits are disappointing after they tried to work with the states

for over two years. In August, the federal government sued TikTok for what they allege are widespread violations of children's privacy laws, allegations TikTok denies. President Biden signed a bill earlier this year that could ban TikTok in the U.S. if its Chinese owner, ByteDance, doesn't sell it. Lester? Brian Chung tonight. Thank you. Up next, the storm within the storm, the rising tide of hurricane relief, misinformation, and what the head of FEMA told us about wild accusations. Stay with us. Back now with a growing political storm over the federal hurricane response, with the White House trying to fight what it calls rampant misinformation.

Gabe Gutierrez reports and asks the head of FEMA about their response. Tonight, in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and with Hurricane Milton barreling towards Florida, President Biden is calling misinformation about the federal response un-American. It puts people in circumstances where they panic, where they're really, really, really worried. They think they're not being taken care of. Former President Trump and some of his allies keep spreading false claims. For one thing, a billion dollars was stolen from FEMA to use it for illegal migrants. That's not true. FEMA has distributed more than a billion dollars to shelter migrants, but the agency says that's from a separate government program, not disaster relief. Trump also falsely claims residents are only being offered $750,

even though they can qualify for more. He really lacks empathy on a very basic level to care about the suffering of other people. On social media, even more outlandish conspiracy theories are exploding, from false claims of FEMA stealing money from donations to the government controlling the weather from Antarctica. The amount of misinformation just continues to grow unnecessarily. And it's just really creating an interference for us to be able to do the job that we need to do. It prevents them from actually coming in and asking for help. But we also pressed the FEMA administrator about criticism of the federal response.

The administration was slow to get started. We're only beginning to see that mobilize about a week too late. Including from Helene's survivors. I hear them say on the radio that FEMA's here, but I haven't seen them. What do you say to people like her? I think the best thing that I would say to this is just because you don't see a person wearing a FEMA shirt does not mean that we're not here. In Florida, there's another political storm brewing between Governor Ron DeSantis and Vice President Kamala Harris. A source familiar with the situation tells NBC News he's refused

to take her calls. It's utterly irresponsible and it is selfish. Overnight, DeSantis fired back, saying he did not know she'd called, adding he's spoken with President Biden and Harris has no role in the process. She's the first one who's trying to politicize the storm, and she's doing that just because of her campaign. Meanwhile, a White House official tells us they're preparing to fight misinformation ahead of this latest storm, calling the false rumors the worst they've seen. Lester? All right, that is nightly news for this Tuesday. Thank you for watching, everyone.

I'm Lester Hull. Please take care of yourself and each other. Good night.