NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Wednesday, April 10, 2024

Episode Date: April 11, 2024

Severe storms and tornadoes sweep through Gulf Coast as millions face flooding risk; Trump says Arizona abortion ruling went too far; EPA requires municipalities to remove 'forever chemicals' from water systems; and more on tonight’s broadcast

Breaking news tonight, the deadly storms on the move. Tornadoes touching down and major flash flooding in the south. The dramatic images, power poles exploding as a massive tornado crosses the highway in Louisiana. Major damage near New Orleans, 50 people rescued at an apartment complex. Across the Gulf Coast, heavy rain and hail. Strong winds, downing trees, ripping off roofs. Widespread floods, streets and highways underwater. We're tracking it all.

Also this evening, growing fallout after Arizona upheld a 160-year-old abortion ban. Donald Trump saying today Arizona went too far and that it will, quote, be straightened out. But how? Shots fired during an end of Ramadan celebration in Philadelphia. Three injured, including a 15-year-old whom police say had a gun. What we're learning. After a six-year-old shot a teacher, why the former assistant principal is now charged with child abuse. The warning from President Biden that Iran may be planning a major attack on Israel.

And the deadly new airstrike further raising tensions in Gaza. The forever chemicals in your drinking water linked to illnesses like cancer. The EPA announcing the first ever national limits on them. And the grand reopening months after terrible tragedy, the bowling alley ready to welcome the community back to the lanes. This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome. Heavy destruction, power outages, flooding, and at least one death tonight in the south after violent weather, including tornadoes, ripped through parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas today. All of it accompanied by fierce winds gusting to over 70

miles per hour, leaving a tortured landscape of destroyed homes, trees, and power lines. Dozens of people required rescues. One death confirmed in Mississippi. Torrential rains along the eastern extreme edge of Texas, over a foot falling in under 48 hours. New Orleans getting a month's worth of rain in a day. And tomorrow, it is not over. 25 million expected to be in the risk zone for severe weather. Kathy Park is in the storm zone tonight. Big tornado, big, big tornado. Tonight, severe weather sweeping across the south with tornadoes in Texas and Louisiana tearing through buildings, trees and apartments. In this one complex, officials say roughly 50 people were rescued. If that continues to hold true, that we have zero major angel fatalities, truly a miracle. Meanwhile, employees at this construction company in Slidell say they were riding out

the storm in their office building as the roof blew off. And I literally watched a plywood wall touch the floor and come back up and touch the floor again and come back up. A dangerous combination of heavy rain and strong winds snapped power lines and trees across the state. It once was our house was surrounded by shade and now it's very sunny and I'm assuming no power at this point. No power. Emergency responders rushed to trap residents in West Feliciana Parish, stuck after large tree limbs dropped onto roads. I came down there earlier, but you couldn't go any further than right here because that tree was so big. Baton Rouge and the bullseye for tornadoes during the morning commute. At times, the storms almost look like hurricanes, with wind gusts reaching more than

70 miles per hour. You can see outside, it's not looking good for any of us across southeast Louisiana. 13 million people across the Gulf Coast are on high alert for flash floods. Parts of Kirbyville, Texas, still underwater. So it's not a good day to be out on the road. Back in Louisiana, the cleanup is just beginning with a disaster opening old wounds. I feel like back in New Orleans when Katrina hit, I remember that like it was yesterday. And Kathy, joining us out from Slidell, is the worst of this weather over? Well, Esther, as you can see, the weather is clear. The storms have moved on out of here, but another round of severe weather is expected to strike portions of the east come tomorrow.

But here in Slidell, this is just an example of the destruction left behind. This used to be a hair salon. All the glass has been blown out. All that's left now is a metal framing. Lester. All right, Kathy, thank you. Also tonight, the fallout from that Arizona Supreme Court ruling that brought back a 19th century abortion law. Former President Donald Trump weighing in, saying it goes too far, along with some other Republicans. Dana Griffin is in Arizona for us tonight. Tonight, former President Trump distancing himself from that bombshell Arizona ruling on abortion. Did Arizona go too far?

Yeah, they did, and that'll be straightened out. I'm sure that the governor and everybody else are going to bring it back into reason. The former president criticizing Arizona's revival of the Civil War era ban, adding he won't sign a national ban. And controversial Republican Arizona Senate candidate Carrie Lake endorsed the 1864 law two years ago. We have a great law on the books. We will be a state where we will not be taking the lives of our unborn anymore. Now saying she opposes it, adding Arizona voters will make the decision on the ballot come November when an initiative to protect abortion rights will likely be on the ballot. Many Arizona voters differing on abortion stances, but against the total ban. I'm a Christian,

but I still believe in the women's right to choose. I'm not for abortion, but I think it's not the place of the states to punish women. President Biden also addressing the ruling. What do you say to the people of Arizona right now who are witnessing a law go in place that dates back to the Civil War era. Elect me. I'm in the 20th century, 21st century, not back then. There weren't even a state. Kathy Harrod leads the Center for Arizona Policy, which opposes abortion rights. Arizona can be the first in the nation to defeat a radical pro-abortion amendment. It simply goes too far for Arizona voters. Meanwhile, groups like Arizona Abortion Access are working to protect women's right to

choose. After the decision came down yesterday, we decided that we just need to get out and be in as many places as we can be. You just signed that and I see tears in your eyes. Why? Because I've been in this situation and I'm lucky to be alive. And you want to have children. And when you find out you can't and you're in danger, your health is in danger. And I can't imagine the women that are going to be in situations that can't get the care they need. And Dana, as we saw, you spoke with Arizona voters today. What were they saying about November? Yeah, Lester, we spoke to voters on both sides. They are now galvanized, just like what we saw when Roe v. Wade was overturned. One voter tells me she wants the state constitution to reflect not 1864, but 2024. Lester. Dana Griffin,

thank you. We'll turn out of the breaking news out of Philadelphia. Multiple people shot at a celebration marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Tonight, five people are under arrest, most of them minors. Here's George Solis. Tonight, gunfire erupting outside a Ramadan event in Philadelphia. We've got an active shooting going on at this time. At least three people were shot near a mosque where police say an estimated 1,000 people were gathered to celebrate Eid, the end of the holy month. They observed three males and a female running and they stopped those individuals and we recovered four weapons. An officer firing at a fifth suspect, a 15-year-old male who was armed according to police. It was unexpected. People were jumping tables, going up on their trucks and stuff. People were just shooting for no reason. Police swarming the scene within minutes, confirming at least 30 shots fired into the crowd.

It was supposed to be a celebration. It was supposed to be a celebration. And the Ramadan. And for this to happen, it's just sad. It's just sad. Baybel was there with her family when she heard the gunshots. Kids were playing and just gunshots just all over the place. We were just grabbing the kids, putting them underneath the tables, putting them under, you know, pickup trucks underneath the cars, just getting them to safety. Tonight, of the five people now in custody, four of them minors.

Police do not believe this was a targeted shooting and anticipate all shooting victims to survive. Tonight, while this community is shaken, they're relieved there were no fatalities. Lester. All right, George Solis, thank you. And in Virginia, there's a new twist in a school shooting involving a six-year-old with a gun. More than a year later, the school's former assistant principal has now been charged with child abuse. Erin McLaughlin explains why. Tonight, new allegations about the actions of the assistant principal in the hours before a six-year-old student shot and seriously injured his teacher last year. On Tuesday, a grand jury indicted former assistant principal Dr. Ebony

Parker on eight counts of felony child neglect, one count, according to the grand jury, for each bullet inside of the loaded gun the child brought to Richneck Elementary and used to shoot Abigail Zwirner. I just will never forget the look on his face that he gave me. Today, the Commonwealth Attorney's Office released the special grand jury's 31-page report alleging that Dr. Parker neglected to take any action upon receiving four reports of a potentially dangerous threat, including a request from a teacher to search the child after concerns were raised the boy had a gun in his pocket. According to the report, the grand jury found Parker acted in complete disregard for the safety of the children at the school,

while also noting that when Zwirner tried to warn Parker about the child's behavior, Parker did not look away from her computer screen. NBC News attempts to reach Dr. Parker and the school for comment were unsuccessful. Zwirner's attorneys tell NBC News she is now seeking $40 million in civil damages. When you look at what happened that day, it meets the elements of child neglect. It was certainly an appropriate charge to be brought. And what message does Abby believe this sends to other schools? Well, hopefully they will take notice that they have to be held accountable for their actions. Tonight's a warning to school administrators across the country.

Erin McLaughlin, NBC News. Well, turn out of the economy. Stock markets way down across the board today. The Dow losing more than 400 points after disappointing news about inflation. The government said inflation accelerated to 3.5 percent in March from a year ago. That was up from a 3.2 percent increase in prices in February. Now, rising prices, one of several concerns President Biden was pressed on at the White House today. The president also sounding the alarm about a possible retaliatory strike on Israel by Iran. Peter Alexander has late details from the White House.

Tonight, new fears of a possible major escalation of the war in the Middle East, with President Biden warning Iran may be planning to hit targets inside Israel soon. They're threatening to launch a significant attack on Israel. As I told Prime Minister Netanyahu, our commitment to Israel's security against these threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad. Iran eyeing retaliation for strikes last week on a diplomatic building in Syria that killed several Iranian commanders, which it blames on Israel. Iran, a primary backer of both Hamas and Hezbollah. Two U.S. officials tell NBC News any retaliation inside Israel is expected to focus on military and intelligence targets, not civilians, and that the Biden administration is considering options for how to respond. Also tonight, growing tensions over a new Israeli airstrike in Gaza.

Israel saying the attack killed three adult sons of a top Hamas leader, who they say were Hamas operatives, including a commander. Hamas says the strike also killed four of his grandchildren. During today's state visit for Japan's prime minister, President Biden demanding Hamas accept the latest ceasefire offer that includes returning the hostages, including Americans held by Hamas. There's a now up to Hamas. They need to move on the proposal that's been made. We get these hostages home where they belong. Tonight, former hostage Aviva Siegel, whose husband is still being held, tells NBC's Andrea Mitchell it's time for results. Somebody needs to help. And I'm begging Biden to be strong enough, stronger, stronger than Hamas.

The president's policy toward the war has sparked protests. Another challenge for the Biden campaign, the economy, with today's headline that inflation ticked up again, even higher than expected. Housing and gas prices accounting for most of it. Overall, prices up nearly 19 percent since President Biden took office. Former President Trump tonight. Biden has totally lost control of inflation. It's back. It's raging back. President Biden saying he's made tremendous progress. We have dramatically reduced inflation from 9% down to close to 3%. My opposition talks about two things. They just want to cut taxes for the wealthy and raise taxes on other people. Peter, let me ask you about new signs tonight of former President Trump's grip on House Republicans.

Lester, conservative Republicans just blocked an effort to extend a controversial spying law that intelligence officials say is critical to protecting Americans from terrorists and other foreign threats. It is another blow to the Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson after Mr. Trump urged lawmakers to kill it. Lester. Peter Alexander at the White House. Thank you. The former chief financial officer of the Trump organization, Allen Weisselberg, was sentenced to five months in jail today. Weisselberg pleaded guilty to two counts of perjury over his testimony at former President Trump's civil fraud trial. The charges involved his statements about the valuation of Mr. Trump's apartment. In 60 seconds, the arrest warrant issued for Super Bowl winner Rasheed Rice.

And there are all kinds of things we use from nonstick cookware to dental floss, chemicals that get into our water. The government's new rules to reduce the risks and save lives after this. Just breaking, an arrest warrant issued for Kansas City Chief Star Rasheed Rice and another man in connection with that multi-vehicle crash on a highway in Dallas late last month. Officials say Rice and Theodore Knox were speeding and caused a chain reaction collision. They were charged with aggravated assault and collision involving bodily injury. Four people were injured in the crash. And a major health alert about those so-called forever chemicals in our drinking water. The Biden administration today announcing the first

ever national limits on those chemicals that have been linked to serious illnesses. Anne Thompson is here to tell us more. Anne, good evening. Good evening, Lester. This is a big deal. The EPA says this means when some 100 million Americans turn on their taps, the water that comes out will be essentially free of those forever chemicals called PFAS. They're linked to a whole host of health problems, including cancer, thyroid disease and heart disease. The new rules cover six of these chemicals. Water companies will have three years to monitor the chemical levels. And if they exceed the new standards, two years to fix it.

These forever chemicals are in many things, like water-resistant clothing, nonstick cookware, firefighting foam, and yes, even some dental floss. Environmentalists call these standards historic, but the water industry says meeting them could drive up your bills. Lester? All right, man, thank you. Up next for us here tonight, a new kind of blueprint for home design in our series, AI Revolution. By now, you've probably seen or heard about some of the things AI can do, producing all kinds of images, videos, and even songs. But what about the floor plans for a new home?

CNBC's Diana Olick shows us how it's done and what it could mean for an entire industry. Houses today are the product of design work done by architects. Oh, I like the second one. But this artificial intelligence program is looking to disrupt the industry. Meet Vitruvius. It's the brainchild of Jason Ballard, CEO of Icon, a robotic construction company that brought the first 3D printed community to Austin, Texas. The big vision of Vitruvius is to go all the way from human desire all the way through delivery, so like construction documents, budget schedules, even robotic instructions. The program already lets you design a home with detailed floor plans. The future, Ballard says, will include electrical, structural, plumbing, and mechanical in delivered plans,

all to make the usually pricey process cheaper and faster. I'd like a log cabin style vacation ski home. Vitruvius asks you questions and learns from your answers, incorporating knowledge from every design it's ever seen. I'd like an open floor plan for family events. I tried it out with Ballard's help. It's got the fireplace in your bedroom, as you have asked, and it's a traditional log cabin style, as you have asked. Text prompts. This looks expensive. Can you make the home more affordable? Lead to nearly instant renderings. The kitchen's smaller, I see.

Everything is smaller. Everything's a little more basic. Architects aren't going to love you very much. I have no doubt that tools like this are going to change the way that we do things. Michael Bruckwick has been an architect in the D.C. area for roughly 30 years. It certainly is a disruptor and it certainly will arrange and rearrange staffing and productivity and how and who does what. He said he sees AI taking over some basic areas like restrooms and stairways in offices or hotels, but not everything. Regulation-wise, one would still need an architect.

Brockwick says he's also concerned AI will stifle creativity, because while it may have ingested millions of designs from the past, AI won't have a real architect's eye for the future. Lester? Fascinating stuff, Diana. Thank you. Up next, after a mass shooting, the remarkable comeback of a beloved bowling alley as a community heals. Finally, a story about bowling and healing. Nearly six months after an unimaginable tragedy at their bowling alley, the owners say they're ready to welcome the community back. Here's Emily Aketa. Justin Jure grew up bowling here in Lewiston, Maine. So when the owner announced he was closing the business in 2021, he bought it just in time. We were bowlers and we knew a lot of the people here and we hated to see it closed.

Active shooter incidents for all available units. But last October, his passion project was upended when a gunman storms the bowling alley and a nearby bar, killing 18 people. What do you remember from that night? Thinking that Samantha had been murdered. Samantha feared the same for her husband. And not knowing if he was alive. I didn't find out for like two and a half hours if he was alive or not. Even nearly six months later, the emotion's still so raw. Heartache, guilt, nightmares and triggers have plagued Samantha and Justin's days and nights.

I didn't think that I'd ever be able to walk in here again, let alone reopen the business. But slowly, a change of heart and a feeling that Lewiston needed just-in-time recreation. We have all new paint on the walls. It's now in the final stages of renovation, days away from reopening. The people that we lost loved this place. I could hear Bob Violet just telling me, you can't give up. You feel like this is what the victims would have wanted? Yes, absolutely. Bob and Lucy Violet were killed while volunteering with the Youth League, just as they did every Wednesday night. Son John and his wife Cassandra moved back to Maine to continue that legacy. I look over at the lanes over here. That's where

Youth League Wednesday night practice was. Came in on a lot of Wednesday nights with my own kids myself. So I try to remember the good things. We've spent a lot of hours in this bowling alley, years and years and years here with them. So I kind of feel close to them by being here. I hope my presence encourages others and hopefully we can move forward. Pressing on the only way they know how.

Lewiston Strong. Emily Ikeda, NBC News, Lewiston, Maine. And that's nightly news for this Wednesday. Thank you for watching, everyone. I'm Lester Holt. Please take care of yourself and each other. Good night. I love you.