NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Episode Date: February 13, 2025

Trump says peace talks over Ukraine War will begin immediately; Growing showdown over DOGE's efforts to downsize federal government; Parade of winter storms slam U.S.; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, the major reset with Russia over the Ukraine war. With Kyiv under attack, the president signaling a dramatic departure to the nearly three-year-old conflict. President Trump's new phone calls with Russian President Putin and Ukraine's President Zelensky saying peace negotiations will begin immediately. The Secretary of Defense calling Ukraine's goals unrealistic. Where Trump and Putin could meet next. Plus, the new prisoner exchanges. One teacher now on American soil as another American is released.

The nationwide parade of winter storms in the Midwest pile up, stranding drivers. The dramatic flooding in Alabama. Thousands of flights delayed or canceled. Al Roker is here with the latest. The more than 50 lawsuits the Trump White House is now facing, the administration blasting the courts as the, quote, weaponization of justice. Justice Sonia Sotomayor speaking out. We're on the front lines of America's farms, the lengths farmers are going to protect their flocks, and why they say egg prices are soaring. The Navy crew ejecting from their jet before splashing into the Pacific. The outrage over Kanye West's anti-Semitism. How backlash

and a viral AI video are renewing the debate over online speech. This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome. A potential path to end the war in Ukraine in focus tonight after President Trump took steps to kickstart negotiations with Russia. On the same day Kiev was struck by a heavy Russian air attack, President Trump speaking by phone to Russia's President Putin and later Ukrainian President Zelensky. After failing to end the war on day one of his new term, as he boldly promised during the campaign, Mr. Trump telling Moscow his team is ready to start negotiations to end the war immediately. But U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth quickly tamping down on expectations that all of Ukraine's territory seized by Russia would be in play. The U.S. has poured billions of dollars into Ukraine's war effort since it was invaded by Russian troops in 2022. Today's potential breakthrough happening alongside prisoner releases between the U.S. and Russia.

It's where we begin with Gabe Gutierrez. Tonight, fast-moving diplomacy is signaling a potential breakthrough in the war in Ukraine. After calls with Russian President Putin and Ukrainian President Zelensky, President Trump now saying peace negotiations will start immediately. President Putin wants peace and President Zelensky wants peace and I want peace. I just want to see people stop getting killed. After nearly three years, the war is still raging, with Russia launching a new deadly drone and missile attack on Kyiv.

But today's developments mark a seismic shift for the U.S., from prioritizing weapon shipments to Ukraine during the Biden administration to now actively negotiating an end to the war. The Kremlin even inviting Trump to Moscow. Do we expect that he'll come here and I'll go there and we're going to meet also probably in Saudi Arabia the first time we'll meet. The president and the Oval Office swearing in his newly confirmed director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard. But even before negotiations begin, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth cautioning that Ukraine will likely have to give up the territory that Russia seized when it invaded Crimea in 2014. Returning to Ukraine's pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective. The president was asked, did Hegseth take Ukraine's

territorial integrity off the table? No, I haven't done that. I'm back in Ukraine. I'm back in Ukraine. Don't say that. The president saying NATO membership, a key Ukraine demand, was not practical, and he was pressed on whether he views Ukraine as an equal member in the peace process. It's an interesting question. I think they have to make peace. It all comes amid a flurry of prisoner releases. Today, three detainees released by Russia's close ally Belarus, including an unnamed U.S. citizen. Overnight, a dramatic homecoming for American schoolteacher Mark Fogle, who literally kissed the ground after the Trump administration secured his release from Russia, where the U.S. says he'd been wrongfully detained for three and a half years. I am not a hero in this at all. And President Trump is a hero. A U.S. official telling NBC News convicted money launderer Alexander Vinnick is being sent back to Russia in exchange for Fogel's release.

Gabe, if we can turn back to these peace negotiations over the Ukraine war, President Trump indicating this will all start as soon as Friday. Yes, Lester. Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are expected to meet with Zelensky Friday in Germany. Meanwhile, President Trump is not committed to visiting Ukraine, but he said he'd think about it. Lester. All right, Gabe Gutierrez, thank you. Three monster storm systems are bringing heavy snow and extreme temperatures across the U.S. Maggie Vespa joining us now live from Chicago. Maggie, this is likely to be the city's biggest snowstorm of the season. Yeah, Lester, that's right. Certain areas could see up to eight inches, which would clobber

snowfall totals so far this winter. In the meantime, this same system we're now seeing reports is being blamed for knocking out power for more than 100,000 people in Virginia. All this amid a relentless week of severe weather. Tonight, a parade of paralyzing winter storms marches on with the second of three monster systems now burying parts of the Great Plains and upper Midwest in up to 10 inches of snow. Kansas City seeing nearly half a foot overnight. Farther south, new video shows a confirmed tornado on the ground near Columbia, Mississippi and heavy rains flooding roads in Alabama. In all, 75 million Americans are under winter alerts from the Rocky Mountains to Maine. Yeah, this definitely feels like the most this winter.

I didn't know snow could fall that fast. You didn't know snow could fall that fast. Same. I was like, whoa. I was like, oh my God. Roads and highways across several states, a mess, with wrecks piling up and drivers stranded. I slid and wobbled twice. Then I slowed down drastically. At Chicago O'Hare Wednesday, crews raced to de-ice planes. Thousands of flights delayed

or canceled nationwide. This after yesterday, a deluge of snow and ice slammed parts of the mid-Atlantic and East Coast, with parts of Virginia seeing up to 14 inches. Down in Florida, authorities confirmed this EF1 tornado left multiple people injured, while out west, this Oregon school's roof collapsing under officials say 700,000 pounds of snow. Around Philadelphia, Eagles fans digging out before Friday's Super Bowl parade. We could have a blizzard, a hurricane, it doesn't matter. As long as we have this parade on Friday, I don't care. Wintery chaos unfolding coast to coast with another severe system already taking shape. Maggie Vespa, NBC News, Chicago. Let's get right to Al Roker. Al, we're hearing that term another. This is quite a train. I'm

telling you, and it's not over yet. We've got severe weather tornado watches right now till late this evening for parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Strong storms along that. And then to the north, we've got heavy snow for 75 million people, upwards of four to eight inches around the Great Lakes, even up into New England later on. And then we've got more rain, an atmospheric river, 32 million people looking at heavy rain. Flood watches are out. We look for a strong flood risk, a moderate flood risk from west of Santa Barbara all the way to San Bernardino. Another six to 10 inches of rain in the mountains there. Then here comes the next winter storm intensifying east of the Rockies by Sunday. Snow from Chicago, Cincinnati, Buffalo on up into

Bangor. The snow will continue to Lester to really pile up near the Great Lakes. Of course, we'll have the latest tomorrow morning. All right, Al, good to have you here. Thanks very much. Turning back now to Washington, where President Trump's former personal lawyer was on the hot seat today. It comes as dozens of challenges to the president's new policies are making their way through the courts. Here's Laura Jarrett. The United States Department of Justice must protect this nation. President Trump's former personal attorney turned top DOJ nominee clashing with Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill today. I will follow the rules as told to me by the experts, career prosecutors in the department

when it comes to every recuse. I've heard that. I've heard that. But it's true that. Well, it may be true in the abstract. No, it's not abstract. It's true. Senators also pressing Todd Blanch on everything from President Trump's recent executive orders to the abrupt firing of several watchdogs across multiple federal agencies. Do you think he broke the law by firing these attorneys general, these inspectors general? I don't know. I wasn't part of the decisions that he and the White House counsels made. Eight of those federal watchdogs fired by Mr. Trump banding together in a new lawsuit today, arguing the president failed to give Congress a 30-day heads up required by law.

IGs are independent. We are nonpartisan, which means that we are the taxpayers' advocates within each of government agencies. The legal challenges to the president's efforts to reshape the government mounting. The administration now racking up more than 50 civil lawsuits since Inauguration Day on everything from the use of Guantanamo Bay to proposed funding freezes. Judges across party lines issuing injunctions bringing a halt to nearly a dozen different Trump policies or actions. I follow the courts. I have to follow the law. Hopefully the courts will be fair. They don't have to be very fair. They just have to be a little bit fair because this is so egregious what's taken place. While a sitting

member of the highest court, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, now warning of the dangers of an erosion to the rule of law. Court decisions stand. Whether one particular person chooses to abide by them or not, it doesn't change the foundation that it's still a court order that someone will respect at some point. Meantime, a federal judge in Massachusetts has now cleared the way for the administration to offer federal employees a buyout. That was a program that had been previously on hold after labor groups sued Lester. OK, Laura, thank you. Now to the escalating showdown over President Trump's Department of Government Efficiency and his new vow tonight to abolish the Department of Education. Kelly O'Donnell has late details for us. The debate over Doge, a flashpoint in President Trump's overhaul of government. The spigot is getting ready to be turned off.

Today, Democrats held up for scrutiny Elon Musk, the billionaire head of the Department of Government Efficiency. It's a demolition plan that's going to run through our government. The divide is clear. Democrats call out an unaccountable overreach. Donald Trump and Elon Musk are recklessly and illegally dismantling the federal government, shuttering federal agencies, firing federal workers. While Republicans praise Musk's methods to slash spending. Now that Doge is taking real action, Democrats are choosing to defend the bureaucracy and status quo instead of standing up for the American people.

At today's White House briefing, Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt showed what she called receipts for spending identified and terminated by Doge, including diversity and inclusion programs, a $4 million training contract at Job Corps, and a $2.3 million contract for diversity training at the Air Force officer school. But Levitt argued, without evidence, the spending she cited is not simply a policy dispute, but suggested fraud, which is a crime. I would argue that all of these things are fraudulent, they are wasteful, and they are an abuse of the American taxpayer's dollar.

New tonight, a separate move to halt taxpayer spending for migrants. The Department of Homeland Security announced that Secretary Kristi Noem clawed back $59 million that had been paid to provide hotel housing for migrants in New York City. The city says it is exploring litigation to get the money back. And Kelly, tonight, the president ramped up his demand for cuts at another agency, the Department of Education. What did he say? The president said that he wants the Department of Education closed immediately. He labeled it as a, quote, con job, lashing out at its employees and spending as wasteful. Now, federal education money

supplements states and local schools in lower income communities. And it's important to note, only Congress can eliminate a department, not the president. Lester. Kelly O'Donnell, thank you. There has been another plane crash today. This one, a U.S. Navy F-18 Growler falling into San Diego Bay. There it is plunging through thick fog this morning. Two crew members were on board, but both ejected and were rescued by a fishing boat. Officials are patrolling the area to retrieve the debris from the downed airplane. We'll be right back in 60 seconds with the skyrocketing cost of eggs and how the price of protecting chickens from bird flu gets passed on to you. Markets closed mixed today in reaction to the hotter-than-expected January inflation report. Prices rose 3% compared to a year ago. A key driver of the increase was shelter, up 4.4%.

Food overall up a moderate amount, 2.5% year over year. But a key ingredient in today's inflation numbers, eggs. A dozen grade A selling for about two and a half dollars a year ago and now nearly five dollars a dozen nationwide. Aaron McLaughlin has more on how bird flu is sending egg prices soaring. At Wagon Wheel Farm in upstate New York, farmer Jason Tao knows his eggs are expensive. I never thought I'd see the day where a dozen eggs cost more than a bale of hay. The $5.50 he charged for a dozen back in May became $7 in October, and now it's $8 a dozen.

Cao says he has no choice but to pass along the cost of protecting his flock of 500 chickens. Across the country, more than 21 million chickens died due to bird flu since December. Just weeks ago, it was found on a chicken farm a county away from Wagon Wheel. And so, Tao is ramping up security, sanitizing footwear, sporting gloves, and installing roofs over his coops. We're always watching for it. So far, so good. So far, so good. The goal? To protect his farm from wild birds, known carriers of the virus.

He's spent thousands on biosecurity. The cost passed along to his consumers. Tao says the main price pusher for his eggs? Repl replacing older hens that no longer lay profitably. Those costs have skyrocketed. And for Americans struggling with inflation fatigue, the doubling of egg prices is an added shock. I don't get it, and I can't afford it. So I eat a lot less and pay a little more. And that's when people can even find eggs. Retailers Trader Joe's and Costco now limiting how many eggs a customer can buy.

Meanwhile, back at Wagon Wheel Farm, do you worry you're going to have to charge even more if this keeps going? That's already on the horizon. Tonight at chicken farms across the U.S., they're scrambling to keep the bird flu at bay while bracing for the cost of eggs to climb even higher. Erin McLaughlin, NBC News, Goshen, New York. We're back in a moment with the online outrage over Kanye West's anti-Semitism, the latest controversy fueling a new debate over artificial intelligence and free speech. Welcome back. It started with an ad that aired in some cities during the Super Bowl. But what followed for megastar rapper Kanye West has renewed a heated debate over anti-Semitism, free speech and the toxic brew of online culture.

Liz Kreutz explains. Tonight, controversy within the growing controversy over Kanye West and his anti-Semitic comments. A new video circulating online appearing to show Jewish celebrities protesting the rapper, who now goes by Ye. But the video is a fake, seemingly created without the artist's consent and made with artificial intelligence. Actress Scarlett Johansson, who was depicted in the video, denouncing it, saying, I am a Jewish woman who has no tolerance for anti-Semitism or hate speech of any kind, but I also firmly believe that the potential for hate speech multiplied by AI is a far greater threat. One of the people behind the video saying it was not created for commercial purposes,

but rather as an artistic and cultural statement. The video comes on the heels of West's latest anti-Semitic insult, selling swastika t-shirts on the website for his clothing brand, which he advertised in select markets during the Super Bowl, igniting instant outrage. I was shocked. The website now shut down, but West's voice and hateful declarations recently back on the very social media sites that just a few years ago restricted him because of his rhetoric. Although a spokesperson for West says he has can say what they want and that it's on the community to come out and say that is not right or that is not right or that is not truthful.

With much of the speech online protected by the law, many now calling for common sense decency. Actor David Schwimmer posting, I don't know what's worse, the fact that West identifies as a Nazi or the fact that there is not sufficient outrage to remove and ban him from all social media at this point? From AI to hate speech, tonight the controversy is igniting renewed discussions about what is or should be allowed online. Liz Kreutz, NBC News. That is nightly news for this Wednesday. Thank you for watching. I'm Lester Holt.

Please take care of yourself and each other. Good night.