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

Episode Date: January 11, 2024

Tens of millions still reeling from monstrous winter storm that walloped much of the U.S.; Chris Christie suspends campaign for 2024 presidential race; Hunter Biden surprises GOP members by showing up to House contempt hearing; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, the deadly avalanche and new flood evacuations as another storm begins sweeping across the country. The frantic search at a ski resort in Northern California, the avalanche leaving at least one person dead. The new cross-country storm already bringing blizzard conditions to the Northwest, while thousands of miles away in the Northeast, evacuations ordered after a dam burst in Connecticut. People piling into boats to escape, Al Roker is tracking the new threat. in the Northeast, evacuations ordered after a dam burst in Connecticut. People piling into boats to escape.

Al Roker is tracking the new threat. Also tonight, the shakeup of the 2024 GOP primary race. Chris Christie dropping out what he was heard saying on a hot mic about rival Nikki Haley as she debates Ron DeSantis tonight in Iowa for the final time before the caucuses without frontrunner Donald Trump. Hunter Biden making a surprise appearance on Capitol Hill at a hearing on holding him in contempt for defying a Republican subpoena. Boeing CEO admitting the company made a mistake after a door plug blew off a plane. The CNBC exclusive. Why was it allowed to fly in the first place? How he answered. NBC News investigates toxic lead from battery recycling plants released into communities.

What are state officials doing about it? This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome everyone. Tonight, millions from the snowy Midwest to the tornado-scarred southeast are still in the throes of yesterday's severe and deadly weather outbreak. Many communities in the Northeast today battling the aftermath of floods after several inches of rain driven by powerful winds and leaving many without power. Along the Gulf Coast, recovery will take longer after 24 reported tornadoes. At least five deaths are being blamed on the storm, but there will be little time to prepare for the next one. A system pounding the west tonight, but expected to bring cross-country misery by week's end. The next storm expected to leave frigid temperatures in its wake. And tonight, heavy snow falling in the Cascades and Sierra Nevada mountains, where an avalanche has killed at least one person at a popular ski

resort in California. Al Roker will lay out the track in a moment, but first, the latest from Emily Akeda. Tonight, another winter wallop charging into the west, where an avalanche at Lake Tahoe ski resort killed one person and injured another, according to authorities. The avalanche carved out a path 10 feet deep and 450 feet long. Rescue teams rushing to the scene. This is a very sad day for my team and everyone here. This comes as tens of millions are still reeling from a sweeping winter storm that thrashed much of the country. From blinding snow to tornadoes and downpours. Nearly five

inches of rain inundated parts of an already drenched northeast. Swallowing cars and flooding neighborhoods. A raging river in Connecticut partially busted a dam today. This dam could be at risk. And right now, it looks like that risk is mitigating, but you can't be too careful. Officials ordering locals to evacuate near the Yantic River as people piled into rescue boats to escape fast-rising floodwaters. I've been here for about 30 years now, and I don't think I've been here for about 30 years now and I don't think I've ever seen the water come this high with this kind of force. In northern New Jersey, rescue crews out again just weeks after a December storm stranded residents.

What's going through your mind as you're watching the water level approach your home? It's scary because you don't know how high the water's going to be. Every time a storm comes, we're like know how high the wall is going to be. Every time a storm comes, we're like paranoid because we know this is going to happen. New York City relocated nearly 2,000 migrants from housing in Brooklyn to a high school to ride out the severe weather. At least five people died in this week's far-reaching winter storm that brought up to 15 inches of snow to Iowa and two dozen reported tornadoes across the south. Cars flipped and roofs ripped off. Tonight, a massive cleanup underway as another blast of extreme weather barrels in. And Emily, you're in Patterson, New Jersey right

now. Are the floodwaters still rising? Lester, that's right. Water rescue teams are not letting their guards down tonight with some New Jersey rivers set to remain in flood stage through the next several days when more rain will batter the area again. Lester. Emily Aketa, thank you. And the new storm that caused that deadly avalanche, we reported, is making its way across the country. Al Roker is tracking it. Al, where's this one going? Lester, we've got winter weather advisory, storm warnings, blizzard warnings from the West Coast to the upper Midwest for 38 million people. Storm dives down into the Rockies tomorrow, bringing snow and a blast of cold from the central plains. Tomorrow night, we've got the risk of severe weather, a few tornadoes, nocturnal ones, most dangerous. Friday,

blizzard conditions from Missouri on into Michigan. More torrential rain for the northeast. And tomorrow night, we've got, again, more tornadoes possible from Montgomery to Wilmington down to Tallahassee and Jacksonville. Rainfall amounts about one to two inches in the Mississippi River Valley, but anywhere from three to nine inches in the upper Midwest, 18 inches in the Rockies, Lester, and bitterly cold weather coming in after this, right after that. No, you're keeping a watch on it, Al. Thank you. All right. Just breaking, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is the latest Republican to drop out of the race for president, while tonight Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis will face

off in the final debate before the Iowa caucuses next Monday, Garrett Haik is there. Tonight, Chris Christie announcing the end of his long-shot presidential bid, just five days before the first contest of the Republican primary. It's clear to me tonight that there isn't a path for me to win the nomination, which is why I'm suspending my campaign tonight for president of the United States. The most vocal Trump critic in the GOP field, the former New Jersey governor had focused his campaign on New Hampshire, but struggled to gain traction. I am going to make sure that in no way do I enable Donald Trump to ever be president of the United States again.

And that's more important than my own personal ambition. And while Christie made no endorsement tonight, he already faces pressure to back Nikki Haley, whom he has publicly defended in the past, but has repeatedly criticized in recent days, including for not taking on Trump more directly. When you ask her the tough questions, she doesn't answer. Christie appearing to criticize her on a hot mic before his event began tonight. And she's going to get smoked. And you and I both know it. She's not up to this. On social media, Trump calling that a, quote, very truthful statement.

Christie's exit could give Haley a boost in New Hampshire, where polls show her closing the gap with Trump and where a recent poll shows roughly half of Christie's supporters listing Haley as their second choice. The two former governors sharing an appeal to similarly moderate and independent voters like Zach Clare's, who voted for Joe Biden in 2020. Who's it going to be in 2024? Nikki Haley. Tell me why. I just think, you know, at this point, we just need a leader. We need a leader who's going to go in and unify the country. Someone that's willing to work on both sides of the aisle.

And Garrett, you're in Iowa, where the caucuses are, of course, around the corner. What's the latest there? Well, Lester, tonight, Haley and Ron DeSantis will face off in the first one-on-one debate of the cycle here at Drake University. The race's dominant frontrunner, Donald Trump, is skipping, choosing to counter program instead with a town hall on Fox News. Lester. Garrett Hake in Des Moines. Thanks. A dramatic scene in Washington today, the unexpected appearance of Hunter Biden at the impeachment inquiry of his father, President Biden. Ryan Nobles is at the Capitol.

Tonight, Hunter Biden facing the threat of being held in contempt of Congress, surprising members of Congress debating his future. The president's son was called to testify about his foreign business dealings as part of the GOP impeachment inquiry into President Biden. He refused to answer questions behind closed doors, leading the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees to send a resolution to the floor holding him in contempt. Biden's attorney making it clear he was ready to testify in a public hearing. The question there is what are they afraid of? But congressional Republicans argue Biden is breaking the law by not following the rules of their subpoena, which required a closed-door testimony. Spitting in our face, ignoring a congressional subpoena to be deposed. What are you afraid of? You have no balls.

As he left this morning, Hunter said he was prepared to testify publicly today. If they called you to testify today, would you say yes? House Republicans don't think that's enough. Time's expired. Sending the resolution to the House floor with the promise that the next step will be a referral to the Department of Justice for criminal charges. And this all comes as Hunter Biden is expected to appear in a Los Angeles courtroom on Thursday to answer a new round of tax charges. Lester. Ryan Nobles, thanks.

Let's turn now to the Boeing 737 MAX 9 fallout. After part of that Alaska Airlines plane blew away on a terrifying flight, loose bolts have been found on other MAX 9s. And tonight we press Boeing CEO for answers. Our Tom Costello has more. Five days after a near catastrophic mid-air emergency, the CEO of Boeing, in an exclusive interview with CNBC's Phil LeBeau, says he was devastated and emotional seeing the gaping hole in that Alaska Airlines MAX 9 Friday night. What I really saw was the empty seat. And I had spent a week with my kids and grandkids. And so enough said. Thankfully, no one was seated near the hole. During a Boeing safety stand down Tuesday, CEO David Calhoun told employees, airline and passenger confidence in Boeing is at stake. We're going to approach this, number one, acknowledging our mistake. The NTSB's focus, that blown out door plug,

looking for signs of metal fatigue and whether it was ever properly secured. Four critical bolts have not yet been recovered. Both Alaska and United Airlines, which fly the MAX 9, report finding loose bolts around other MAX 9 door plugs. How did an unsafe airplane fly in the first place? Because a quality escape occurred. Calhoun doesn't know if the breakdown of production line quality control happened at Spirit Aerosystems, which makes the fuselage, or Boeing, which turns out the plane. Spirit said today it remains focused on the quality of each aircraft structure that

leaves our facilities. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Are you concerned about the quality of product that Boeing is turning out and should the American public be concerned? What I'll say is that every plane that they deliver to an airline, every plane that goes into the skies needs to be 100% safe and they need to be able to demonstrate that. Five years after two MAX 8 crashes killed 346 people overseas, CEO Calhoun says the company's reputation is on the line. It's serious, serious. It's a safety incident and nobody's going to live with that, period. United and Alaska Airlines are still waiting for inspection guidance from Boeing on the FAA, likely to take several hours per plane. For now, all MAX 9 flights remain grounded, Alaska says, at least through Saturday. Lester. Tom Costello, thanks. In 60 seconds, the alarming high-profile cases of swatting,

the fake emergency calls drawing police to the homes of well-known officials. What's being done and the concern the calls could spark real violence right after this. Law enforcement officials say there has been an alarming rise in so-called swatting incidents their fake emergency calls meant to draw a swat team to someone's home and gabe gutierrez reports increasingly they're targeting high-profile public officials it was something congressman brandon williams never expected on christmas day it is a surprise when it happens to you. It's very personal. It's very violating.

He says someone had called 911 to falsely report violence at his home. Police recognized his address and called to alert him while they were on their way. But the harassment was terrifying for his family. I wanted to get my family into a place where they would be safe. I brought everybody into the kitchen and, you know, I just explained what was happening, drop everything. Swatting, as it's known, is when someone makes a false emergency call, often alleging violence at a victim's home, so that heavily armed law enforcement, such as a SWAT team, respond. It's happening more often to prominent and even not so prominent public officials.

Among them, Special Counsel Jack Smith, who filed criminal charges against former President Trump, accusing him of plotting to overturn the 2020 election. Also, Judge Tanya Chutkan, who's overseeing the case. Maine Secretary of State Shanna Bellows, who barred Mr. Trump from the state's ballot, also swatted. So was Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, Florida Senator Rick Scott, and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, a trend that has the Justice Department on high alert. A deeply disturbing spike in threats against those who serve the public. The FBI has launched a national database to track these incidents and says that swatters

use what's known as spoofing mechanisms to hide their identity and their location. As for Congressman Williams of New York, he believes he was targeted because of his pro-Israel views. No arrests so far. The sheriff investigating the case stresses the calls are more than pranks. They're illegal and can be dangerous and lead to violent encounters with police who might believe they're responding to a threat. People that are doing this are trying to create chaos. They're trying to intimidate the individuals who are the subject

of these false reports. And it's very unfortunate. Some states, including Virginia and Ohio, have increased penalties for swatting. Other states are considering it. Lester? Gabe Gutierrez, thank you. Up next, the community that still faces a major toxic threat from a plant that was shut down years ago. Our NBC News investigation is coming up. Back now with our NBC News investigation. The EPA is deciding whether to designate at least three former battery recycling plants, once run by Exide Technologies, as Superfund sites to help clean up toxic lead released into communities. Cynthia McFadden takes us to one of those communities where many say the impact has been devastating. Here on the east side of Los Angeles, at what was once a battery recycling plant,

they've chiseled the company's name, Exide, off the wall. If only it was as easy to erase the harm it has done to the people who live here. It's very evil. Very, very evil. For most of the 40 years, Monsignor John Moretta has served the neighborhood next to the plant. He has battled to close it. As the facility knowingly released cancer-causing arsenic and lead in some places 650 times what the state says is safe, while more than 100,000 people have been affected. I couldn't sit up here and just pray and just think that somehow my people are

going to be saved. He and other community leaders were finally successful in getting the plant shuttered in 2015 after Exide admitted to felony violations, including the illegal storage and disposal of hazardous waste in a settlement with the Department of Justice. But now, nine years after the plant closed, life-threatening problems remain. Honestly, you can feel that you're sucking in dirt, grime. You can feel it on your skin. The state's half-billion-dollar cleanup has failed, and a new study exclusively obtained by NBC News shows that the contaminated area is more than

twice the size originally thought. When we found out that our property was contaminated, we were heartbroken. Like most people here, Guadalupe Valdevinos lives surrounded by her extended family. Nobody cares how hurt we are, how sick we are. My two-year-old is in behavioral therapy. Is it a coincidence? Nobody will tell me. Children are particularly vulnerable to being poisoned by lead, which over time can cause brain damage and developmental delays. Community members say despite repeated requests, the state has not provided any long-term health testing. Mark Lopez's family has lived here since the 1950s. I'm very motivated. He now leads a non-profit instrumental in shuttering Exide, but says he's furious the company got away with a modest fine, later declaring bankruptcy and

dissolving in the U.S. When we talk about environmental racism, it's not just the fact that these facilities exist in our communities. It's also when disaster happens, how do the authorities respond? And they respond in ways that tell us that our lives don't matter in fact dr jill johnston was the lead author of a recent study that concluded the state's cleanup is not working four out of five homes that were cleaned by the state are still contaminated the team also concluded 98% of homes as far as four and a half miles from the former plant tested at lead levels above state standards. State officials at the Department of Toxic Substances Control, DTSC, responsible for the cleanup, have declined repeated requests

for an interview. How good a job have they done in your estimation? Failed completely. Year after year after year, DTSC has failed. DTSC did tell us they have hired a new contractor to run the cleanup and a third-party monitor. But after decades of failed promises, the community is both angry and in despair. Cynthia McFadden, NBC News, Los Angeles. 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.