NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Wednesday, July 3, 2024

Episode Date: July 4, 2024

Hurricane Beryl smashes across Jamaica; White House insists Biden will stay in presidential race; Decaying old piano redefines how we think about music and art; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, Hurricane Beryl now threatening to hit the U.S. as the monster storm bears down on Jamaica. The deadly Category 4 storm slamming the island with heavy rain and life-threatening storm surge. New images of Beryl's destruction. 90% of homes on one island damaged or destroyed. We're live in Jamaica, our team in the middle of the storm, and we have the new track showing barrels shifting to potentially impact Texas. The raging wildfire in California, we're on the fire line of this out-of-control blaze. 28,000 ordered to evacuate, homes destroyed, and the scorching heat, more than 100 million on alert. Also breaking tonight, President Biden under pressure. The new report that he told a key ally he's weighing whether to stay in the race after his rough debate.

Now another elected Democrat calling on him to drop out. But the president defiant, telling staffers no one is pushing me out. And the post-debate polls rolling in will show you what they reveal. Plus the smallest victims of gun violence, the three-year-old who survived accidentally shooting herself, and the new law that led to her father being charged. The nightmare flight, a Delta plane forced to divert to JFK after passengers were served spoiled food. What the airline says happened as July 4th travel hits record numbers. And play it again, the old piano that's found a new home in the great outdoors.

This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. And good evening. I'm Tom Yamas in for Lester tonight. There is new destruction and uncertainty tonight in the tropics where Hurricane Beryl is lashing Jamaica right now as a powerful Category 4 storm. It's now on track to pass over or near the Cayman Islands. Up to a foot of rain is expected in Jamaica, which could bring life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides. And we now know seven people have died since Beryl began ripping through the Caribbean this week. The question now, will it hit us here in the U.S. where a scorching heat wave has 120 million people under heat alerts

tonight and a massive California wildfire, look at this, has forced tens of thousands to evacuate? We are covering it all tonight and we start with NBC's Sam Brock in Jamaica. After days of anticipation, Hurricane Beryl blasted its way by Jamaica as a massive Category 4 storm with 140 mile an hour winds. The strongest system to threaten the island in almost two decades. Impossible. Spawning dangerous storm surge that washed over a narrow road to the mainland. Right now we're standing in wind and it's got to be at least 70 or 80 miles an hour. I can't even're standing in wind and it's got to be at least 70 or 80 miles an hour. I can't even see straight right now as it's coming in sideways. Well,

this was not as powerful as many expected. It's still strong enough to bend power poles and knock out electricity to many. Just hours before Beryl roared ashore, Jamaica's prime minister announcing an evacuation order for low-lying and flood-prone areas. We urge all Jamaicans to comply with notices to evacuate. Though in Kingston, the mayor trying to convince people, unsuccessfully, to go to shelters. Right before the storm hit. We've got oil, we've got cereal, sugar. We met people stocking up on last-minute supplies.

What is your biggest concern going into the storm? The light and the water. Golden Grocery is a family-owned store that's been here for more than 70 years. What are your greatest fears as we await the landfall of the storm? I'm more afraid for my employees. We are like family. They are family. Beryl already devastated several islands southeast of Jamaica, killing at least seven.

In Grenada, the island of Karaku largely flattened. These Maxar images show it before Beryl and after. While in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the destruction is indescribable. Officials say 98% of homes on Union Island are either severely damaged or destroyed. As the Cayman Islands and Mexico are now next in Beryl's Crosshairs. Sam Brock joins us tonight from Jamaica. Sam, clearly a dangerous situation there. Are there any search and rescues underway there and what are the conditions like? Yeah, Tom, we know a couple of hours ago,

about 70 people were rescued and taken to shelters, roughly 500 in shelters right now. And as you feel this rain really picking up, that's the biggest risk. It continues to pour into higher elevations. It increases the risk tonight for landslides and mudslides. Tom. Sam Brock leading us off. Sam, please stay safe tonight. This hurricane's track is far from settled. Bill Cairns is here now tracking it all. Bill, so what are the chances this could hit the U.S.? Not as low as I would like, Tom. We're going to watch this over the next four days very closely for our friends in South Texas. Right now, the eye is over western portions of Jamaica. The eastern portion really was a glancing blow. There's a lot of damage going on currently. Tonight, it goes

south to the Cayman Islands. Then tomorrow night, it goes into areas of the Yucatan. Maybe it's a Category 2, a little worse than they were expecting. Then we're going to take this over the warm waters of the Gulf. We're hoping it doesn't regenerate into something more significant than, say, a Category 1. But you notice that cone of uncertainty goes from Corpus Christi all the way down to the Mexican coastline. And these are our spaghetti lines. Everyone will be watching very closely over the next couple of days to see where the storm is heading on Sunday. And as far as the heat goes, this is not your normal heat wave. We are going to break over 150 record highs over the next five days. And all eyes on Las Vegas. If they hit 118 on Monday, that'll be the hottest temperature ever recorded

in Vegas. 118. All right, Bill Caron's here for us. And that scorching heat wave in the West is making it all the more difficult to fight a massive wildfire in northern California, where tens of thousands have been forced to evacuate. Liz Crois is there for us tonight. Tonight, a massive wildfire in northern California burning out of control amid triple digit temperatures. The Thompson fire spreading across more than 3,500 acres with zero containment. As tens of thousands scrambled to safety ahead of the July 4th holiday, forced to evacuate with the fire bearing down on residential neighborhoods outside the city of Oroville. I'm a little bit worried that, you know, we might not have a place to go back to. Several homes and structures destroyed

as firefighters work round the clock to battle the fast-moving blaze. Flames burning on either side of the Oroville Dam spillway. Crews are using Lake Oroville here to try to fight this fire. You can see multiple helicopters right now are coming to the lake, picking up water to attack this fire from the air. The Inferno, one of several burning across the West with intense heat and heavy winds creating conditions ripe for fire.

What's the biggest challenge right now? I would say the biggest challenge is obviously the conditions. The high temperatures, those low humidities, and without a doubt the wind is going to be the biggest concern. This is 120 million people are facing heat alerts as a dangerous heat wave scorches large swaths of the country. In Phoenix, where temperatures hit 113, the heat wave turning deadly. A 10-year-old boy died after being airlifted from a trail where authorities say he was hiking with family. So far this year, 13 people have died from heat-related incidents in Maricopa County, with another 162 still under investigation. Back in California, the relentless conditions just getting started, with no relief expected

through the holiday weekend, leaving the region on edge. And with that, Liz joins us now. Liz, we see all that destruction there behind you. Any word on the cause of this fire? Tom, no cause yet. Officials are still investigating. But yeah, you can see the destruction this fire has done. That home behind me completely destroyed. Those two cars there burned to a crisp. We are told that eight firefighters have been injured fighting this fire. The governor has declared a state of emergency for the county. Tom. Liz Kreutz on the fire lines tonight. Liz, thank you. Let's turn to Washington tonight. We have several new post-debate polls and they all show the same thing. The president's performance is proving disastrous in the minds of voters. But President Biden is making it clear he's staying in the race, even as more Democrats call for him not to run again.

Here's Kelly O'Donnell. Facing doubts from within his party and new polling that shows the president falling further behind former President Trump. Today, candidate Biden telling his team, no one is pushing me out. The president and vice president held a conference call with campaign staff. Officials say he was direct, saying to aides, let me say this as clearly as I possibly can, as simply and straightforward as I can. I am running. Nearly a week after the debate that the White House labels a bad night, the president called key congressional Democrats, officials here acknowledging the strain.

That the last few days have been challenging. With more troubling signs in new polling done after the debate. President Biden now trailing former President Trump by six points. Eighty percent of those surveyed said they consider the president too old to run again. Biden allies say the president must counter that perception. President Biden has got to go out there and on a sustained basis show he has the stamina and can do the job. But a second House Democrat, Arizona's Raul Grijalva, has now called on Mr. Biden to drop out. The president's only public event today, a Medal of Honor ceremony in the East Room. Son Hunter Biden in attendance. The president ignoring

reporters' questions. The White House says the president is now feeling great after citing a cold on debate night. The president told donors Tuesday evening that he had jet lag too, though the debate was 12 days after his return from Europe. The president said that this is not an excuse, but an explanation. Meanwhile, the White House is also trying to blunt any signal the president is even talking about an exit and rejected a report from The New York Times, not confirmed by NBC News, that the president told an ally he is weighing whether to continue. Is the president telling people he's evaluating the race? Absolutely false. That is absolutely false.

All right, Kelly, that poll you cited, just one of several new polls showing the debate did real damage to the Biden campaign. And the Biden campaign is responding to the polling, saying that they argue the race is incredibly tight. While tonight, the president and vice president continue outreach with a meeting with more than 20 Democratic governors on video call. And some are here in person looking to shore up support and to address their concerns. Tom. All right. Kelly O'Donnell from the White House.

Next tonight to the midair nightmare, a flight from Detroit to Amsterdam forced to divert to New York's JFK Airport after passengers were served spoiled food. Emily Akeda joins us live now. Emily, this comes right in the middle of a record-breaking July 4th travel season. Tom, that's right. American Airlines, for instance, has four flights departing every minute. And while fewer than 200 flights have been canceled so far in the U.S. today, this July 4th holiday isn't free of travel headaches. In the final countdown to July 4th celebrations, the travel rush is shifting into

high gear, with 32 million shuffling through airports nationwide over a 12-day stretch, a staggering pace airlines and airports alike have been preparing for for months. We're staffed up, we're prepared across the country. I mean, we've been going through days of record travel. Eight of the 10 busiest days at airports on record have been in 2024. And while this holiday airlines are monitoring Hurricane Beryl closely, with United even texting passengers live radar maps during delays, some people are facing unusual travel snags. I was actually a little nervous that I had eaten the ticket. Traveling from Detroit to Amsterdam, Will Colvin was among Delta's 277 passengers diverted to New York City's JFK Airport today because of spoiled

food served on the flight. Authorities reporting two dozen cases, but say all declined medical attention. Delta apologized to customers and says it will investigate. Now, with a new flight to Amsterdam tonight, Colvin just hopes this travel headache doesn't morph into a nightmare. We bought tickets to see Taylor Swift tomorrow, and, you know, if we miss that, I'm going to swim across the ocean. Meanwhile, the vast majority of Americans will hit the road to reach Independence Day celebrations, up nearly 10 percent from 2019. But just trying to be safe and get down there on time. A holiday dash this record-setting season. Emily Ikeda, NBC News, Newark, New Jersey.

All right, in 60 seconds, guns inadvertently getting into the hands of children meet a little survivor who was playing a big role in the national debate over safe gun storage. That's next. We are back now with a stunning fact. Nearly every day in the U.S., a child accidentally injures or kills someone with a gun. That, according to the firearm safety group Everytown. Maggie Vespa tonight spoke with one family touched by such a tragedy amid a battle over laws meant to keep guns out of children's hands. Getting Skye McBride to pick a favorite stuffed animal is a tough task. She's a bubbly three-year-old with no memory of the moment her life changed,

but her maternal aunt and grandmother wish they could forget the day a relative knocked on the door saying something happened to Skye at her dad's house in Flint, Michigan. He says, Skye has been shot in the head and I just lost my mind. I was just screaming. I was jumping up and down. I was screaming. Skye was at the hospital in a coma. I thought I was stuck in a nightmare. The investigator said she'd gotten a hold of her father's revolver, left loaded and unlocked on a bed, and shot herself in the face. He said he forgot. He was so excited to see her.

You don't forget about something like that. You don't. Like that sounds absurd. Yeah, it is. Skye's tragedy doubling as a legal landmark. Her father, Michael Tolbert, is the first person charged under Michigan's safe storage law, requiring owners keep their guns unloaded and locked or stored in a locked box if they believe a child is likely to be present. The maximum penalty for failing and allowing a child to shoot themselves or someone else, 15 years in prison. Genesee County Prosecutor David Layton lobbied for the law. I believe in the Second Amendment. I believe in gun ownership, but you have to be responsible. There were more than 400 unintentional shootings by children last year.

26 states, including Michigan, now have similar laws. If grown-ups aren't going to be responsible gun owners and lock those guns away, then government has to step in. Some gun rights activists argue safe storage laws violate the Second Amendment, pointing to a Supreme Court decision that established the right for people to keep guns for protection in their homes. We certainly strongly advocate and encourage that that people act in a responsible manner. But the Supreme Court has said that laws that mandate firearms be locked in and so therefore not accessible to a person to use for self-protection violates the second amendment so you're doing your stickers as for sky she lost her right eye that's the baby mama that's the baby but her family says she has no apparent brain damage

and is mastering walking her father has pleaded not guilty and hasn't responded to NBC News' interview requests. Meanwhile, since Skye's shooting, Michigan's seen at least two other safe storage cases, including in May when investigators say a two-year-old boy shot himself. This time, it was fatal. David Layton has charged the boy's father and two other relatives. This is preventable. Yeah, it's preventable. Lock your gun relatives. This is preventable. Stacey first. Yeah, it's preventable. Lock your gun up. You're the adult.

Put it away. Maggie Vespa, NBC News, Flint, Michigan. And we thank Maggie and her team for that powerful reporting. We'll take a turn now to our health alert on that bird flu outbreak linked to dairy cows. A new human case in Colorado, now the fourth confirmed in the U.S. The CDC is saying the patient, a dairy worker, had eye symptoms but recovered after taking Tamiflu. Cases have also been reported in Michigan and Texas. And next, they are loved and hated.

But after so many stores have added self-checkout aisles, why some of the nation's biggest retailers are now scaling them back. Stay with us. Welcome back. Stay with us. Welcome back. You've seen them in stores for years now. Those self-checkout lanes meant to speed up your shopping. But lately, more stores are bringing back the human touch. Brian Chung explains why. Do it yourself.

That's the idea behind self-checkout lanes. A way to skip the pleasantries and skate out of the store quickly. Super fast, easy, convenient. But more and more stores are now hitting cancel on those self-checkout machines. Dollar General says it has pulled self-checkout from about 12,000 stores and five below hoping to eliminate self-checkout options in its highest risk locations. Both companies saying theft is the main reason, as 15% of users confessed to purposely stealing at the self-checkout lane. Entering in a cheaper type of produce when they're scanning their groceries or just pretending to scan something and just bagging it anyway. It's one area where

retailers are noticing too much. Then there's the user experience. For shoppers, self-checkout is supposed to offer the convenience of just scanning and then going. But sometimes it ends up being more trouble than it's worth. Please wait for assistance. Definitely where I have to wait for someone to come in and fix it. And it's just a waste of time. The solution? Bringing sales associates back.

It's more profitable for the retailer to pay employees to manage checkout than it is to support the machines where they're probably getting less than accurate checkouts from consumers. Self-checkout isn't going away, though. It's on the rise at grocery stores, making up 44% of transactions last year. If your store decided to take out all the self-checkout lanes and put in regular lanes, how would you feel about it? I'd be really disappointed. A battle of humans versus machines playing out in the checkout line. Brian Chung, NBC News, New York. All right, coming up, why so many are lining up to play a piano that is rotting away.

The new type of sound nature is helping compose. Finally, the unique symphony from an instrument left out in the elements and people can't wait to play it. Here's Jesse Kirsch. It might look and sound bizarre, but make no mistake, this is a piano at play. If somebody hears this and thinks, well, that's not music, well, then what is music to you and why is this not music? When Brown University was throwing away an old piano, Ph.D. student Devani Haruta gave it a new home outside. For more than a year now, inspired by other work, Haruta's been documenting what she calls piano decomposition in Providence, Rhode Island, from snow to sunshine,

inviting anyone to wander under the trees and rethink what counts as music. So what's the best way to play this right now? Any way you want. You can pluck, hammer with twigs, pull out one of the keys, or still play them. Kind of. Kind of hurts.

Oh, we kind of got it. It's not built for harmony anymore in the same way that it was. But I think it's only frustrating if you try to play the piano in the way that you've been taught. Whether or not it's music is almost irrelevant because it's more about the connections and the creativity that comes out of it. An idea, even if not a sound, that could be music to your ears. Jesse Kirsch, NBC News, Providence, Rhode Island. We thank Jesse for that story and we thank you for watching tonight. That's nightly news for this Wednesday. I'm Tom Yamas. Have a great night.