NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Episode Date: August 1, 2024

Katie Ledecky wins 1,500-meter freestyle and 8th gold medal; Supporters of Hamas and Hezbollah call for revenge after killings of leaders; Wildfires explode in Colorado, killing at least one person and forcing evacuations; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, Team USA superstar swimmer Katie Ledecky winning gold here at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The amazing triumph, Ledecky dominating in the pool in the women's 1500-meter freestyle after setting a new Olympic record. She's talking to us tonight. Also, the triathlon held today after concerns about pollution in the Seine. The swimmers battling the river's current. And in tennis, the Americans knocking out Spain's dream team as Rafael Nadal played his final match. Also tonight, the controversial comments by Donald Trump. Attacking Kamala Harris's race, the former president saying Harris, quote, happened to turn black.

She is responding to that tonight. Justin accused 9-11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two other alleged plotters reaching a plea deal. The assassination rocking the Middle East, one of Hamas's top leaders killed in a strike in Iran. The militant group blaming Israel. Will it lead to a wider war? The deadly wildfire is burning near Denver. Nearly 600 homes evacuated in the middle of the night. Plus the victory 100 years in the making. Meet the women of the U.S. rugby team after their must-see last-second upset. And they're everywhere here in Paris.

T-shirts, caps, and key rings. But the question on everyone's mind, what exactly is the Olympics mascot? This is NBC Nightly News. Reporting tonight from the Olympics in Paris, here is Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome. American swimmer Katie Ledecky doing what she came here to do in Paris, win medals. Her blistering finish in the women's 1500-meter freestyle race earned Ledecky her eighth career Olympic gold medal, tying the record for most gold won by an American woman. The swimming phenom could add to her hardware collection with

two more big races this week. Other big headlines from here tonight. Officials say the bacterial readings in the Seine dropped to within safe limits, allowing the grueling women's triathlon to go forward without delay this morning after the men's race was postponed by a day because of poor water quality. Here's where things stand on day five of the Paris Games. The U.S. leads the medal count with 30. China and France have earned the most gold. And Tom Yamas was at the pool tonight. Tom, what did Katie Ledecky tell you about her race?

Yeah, Lester, I was right there when Katie Ledecky won. The entire arena was shaking. As you're about to hear, she tells me that every medal is special, but that she still has more work to do here in Paris. Her medal run could just be getting started. The greatest swimming machine we've ever seen. Make it gold medal number eight for Katie Ledecky, setting an Olympic record in her signature race, the 1500 meter freestyle. What more can America expect from you at these Paris Games? I'm going to get my best effort each race and represent Team USA to the best of my ability and hopefully bring home some more hardware. The crowd is roaring. And that wasn't the only Olympic record broken in the pool tonight.

French superstar Léon Marchand smashing another on his way to his second gold. Huskers hang a tough up there in lane one. While American Tori Husk picked up her third medal of these games. I knew it was possible, but it's still so exciting to be on the podium again. The racers are now set to dive into the Seine. And there was more swimming action outside the pool. In the triathlon, pollution nearly led to the swimming portion being called off. But today, organizers felt

it was safe enough to jump in. Athletes say the toughest part was the current. Which some athletes said caused them to swallow mouthfuls of water. This looks like a better run in the final for Leapfart. Team USA picked up medals in canoe slalom and BMX freestyle. There it is. And the men's basketball team kept cruising through their tournament, easily handling South Sudan. If that's in, it's over. In tennis, Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz fell to the Americans in doubles, ending their run together and knocking Nadal out of the Olympics.

Rumors now swirling about his retirement. This court has been good to him and he has been so good for tennis. This is a full send routine. After winning bronze in the team event earlier this week, the American men were shut out of medals in the all-around. One, two, three, go. And even though she didn't medal today, synchronized diver Jessica Parado still staying true to that Olympic spirit. Results, it just doesn't matter. I'm so proud of us. Tom Llamas, NBC News, Paris.

And tonight on Prime Time in Paris, you can see Katie Ledecky in action along with the men in the gymnastics all-around final, all starting at 8 Eastern. Former President Trump is facing harsh criticism tonight for questioning Vice President Harris's black identity during an interview with black journalists. Here's Garrett Haig. Former President Trump facing fierce backlash tonight after falsely claiming Vice President Harris, who went to a historically black college and is a member of a black sorority, did not identify as black. I didn't know she was black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn black. And now she wants to be

known as black. So I don't know, is she Indian or is she black? I respect either one, but she obviously doesn't because she was Indian all the way. And then all of a sudden she made a turn and she went, she became a black person. The White House responding in real time. What you just read out to me is repulsive. It's insulting. Harris is the daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants. Her campaign tonight saying, quote, today's tirade is simply a taste of the chaos and division that has been a hallmark of Trump's MAGA rallies this entire campaign and called on him to debate. It all unfolded during an often combative interview at a black journalism conference. The former president there to court black voters.

I've done so much for the black population of this country, including employment, including opportunity zones. But later was pressed about his comments that the record number of migrants have hit the black population hard, taking what he termed black jobs. Coming from the border are millions and millions of people that happen to be taking black jobs. You had the best. What exactly is a black job, sir? A black job is anybody that has a job.

That's what it is. Anybody that has a job. All right. Mr. President. They're taking. Anybody that has a job. All right. And they're taking the employment away from black people. The Trump campaign has been going after Harris on immigration. She unleashed the worst border crisis in American history on her watch. But Harris flipping the script overnight, pointing to Trump's efforts to scuttle a bipartisan border bill he said wasn't tough enough. He tanked, tanked the bipartisan deal because he thought it would help him win an election.

Which goes to show Donald Trump does not care about border security. He only cares about himself. Trump defiant tonight, blasting the questions at that event as rude and nasty. All source close to the Harris campaign describes them as painful and completely unhinged. Lester. All right, Garrett Haig, thank you. Just in tonight, word that the accused mastermind of the 9-11 terrorist attack, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two accomplices have reached plea agreements.

Courtney Kuby is tracking this at the Pentagon. Courtney, what more do we know? Well, Lester, the Pentagon just announced the three men, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Waleed bin Atash and Mustafa Al-Hawassawi, will plead guilty to some charges as early as next week as part of plea agreements in the military commissions process. They've been held at Gitmo for years, with the U.S. accusing the al-Qaeda terrorist suspects of plotting the 9-11 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people. Now, the details of the plea agreements are still unknown, but they are expected to plead guilty to lesser charges that could spare them the death penalty. Sentencing may not come for months, but they'll likely appear at a hearing in Guantanamo in the coming days. Lester.

Courtney Kuby tonight. Thank you. And in the Middle East this evening, there is growing fear of a broader war between Israel and Iranian-backed militants after the killing of top leaders of both Hamas and Hezbollah. Raf Sanchez is in Tel Aviv tonight. Raf. Lester, Israel is bracing for retaliation on multiple fronts tonight, and now the State Department issuing a stark new warning to U.S. citizens, get out of South Lebanon, because new fighting may be about to erupt. Tonight, cries for revenge against Israel echoing across the Middle East, after the brazen assassination of Hamas's political chief in the heart of the Iranian capital. Ismail Hanieh killed in an Israeli missile strike

just hours after meeting Iran's supreme leader, according to state media. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tonight refusing to say if his country was responsible, but warning Israel will exact a heavy price for any aggression against us. Now, fears growing that Hanieh's violent death could derail fragile ceasefire talks and spark a wider war. The White House racing to keep diplomacy alive. I think it's too soon to know what any of these reported events could mean for the ceasefire deal.

That doesn't mean we're going to stop working on it. 84-year-old Oded Lifshitz, kidnapped on October 7th, has been held hostage in Gaza for 299 days. We met his grandson, Daniel. Do you think Benjamin Netanyahu is serious about getting a deal to bring the hostages home? I think that if he's not serious about getting the hostages home, the Americans need to make all the necessary pressure that he will do so. A thousand miles away from Iran in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, Hezbollah confirming one of its top commanders was killed by an Israeli strike. Israel says Fuad Shukr was responsible for the deaths of 12 children in a rocket attack. But Lebanon says this brother and sister were also killed in the Israeli bombing,

a cycle of revenge that's taking the region to the brink of war. Raf Sanchez, NBC News, Tel Aviv. The newest wildfire emergency is in Colorado, where one person has been killed and hundreds of homes have been evacuated. As Liz Kreutz reports, the fires there are among almost 100 burning in the West right now. A summer of wildfire not letting up, with multiple infernos now raging in Colorado. If the wind switches directions, I think that we could be in big trouble. The Stone Canyon fire northwest of Denver, now deadly.

One person was killed after flames tore through homes in the town of Lyons. Five structures up in smoke. And late today, a new fire burning homes in the hills of Boulder. Further south, the Quarry fire igniting overnight almost 600 homes evacuated. There was a flashlight shining in the window and it was the sheriff telling us we had to evacuate. The fire small but challenging with crews and resources stretched thin. Joe Lorenz has been watching the fire grow. What's your biggest concern right now? I don't want

to lose my home, I don't want to lose my neighbors. Every neighborhood in this facility is at risk. This fire is not an easy fight. The terrain is treacherous. And this is what they're talking about here, this steep terrain. On top of that, another big concern are rattlesnakes. There are a lot of them here making it even more dangerous and challenging for firefighters to do their job and get that under control. This fire among 95 burning across the West, including in Oregon, Washington, and California, where crews are getting a handle on the massive park fire after it chewed through more than 300 structures. As evacuees return home, some finding nothing left behind.

It's just the hope that maybe you'll flip something over and it won't be ashes. And Lester, the Colorado governor tonight has called in the National Guard to help manage these fires. All right, Liz Kreutz, thank you. And in the northeast tonight, storms on the move and flood watches in effect after heavy rain in northern Vermont triggered the second flash flood emergency in the state this month. Entire neighborhoods left underwater, homes ripped from their foundations, cars and trees tossed about, and roads washed away. In 60 seconds, I speak with the American women who pulled off that last second dash into history on the rugby pitch. One of the great upsets of these Olympics right after this.

Upsets and thrilling finishes are the stuff Olympics are famous for. But it would be hard to top what happened on the rugby pitch here yesterday when the American women pulled off a win for the ages. A moment they relive with me today. They're going to have to go the distance here. Team USA was losing to Australia with eight seconds to go when Alex Spiff Cedric somehow broke a tackle and then sprinted down the field. Spiff Cedric's away! The last few moments of the match felt like a sports movie, you know, where it's in slow motion, the clock's ticking down, the sweat is falling.

Did it feel that way to you? I mean, it probably couldn't have panned out any better. I mean, we all would have liked it to not be down to the last second, but there's no time left, and I'm just eyes forward. I'm like, run straight, something will work out for me. She's gonna take it all the way! Cedric for the USA!

So that brings you to the tie, but you've got to get the conversion kick. Which I completely forgot about, yeah. What did you forget about? I was just like, oh my God, that was amazing, we won. And then everyone was screaming. Oh, you thought it was over? I thought it was over, yeah. Not quite.

While she's not typically a kicker, she practiced that morning just in case it paid off. There it is! Cedric with the conversion! just in case it paid off. There it is! Cedric with the conversion! And Team USA make history! I can't stop watching that video of her. Like, before I go to bed, I watch it. And I woke up, I watch it again.

I mean, being in that moment, I was behind her, and I was like, no way, no way, she's going to do it. She's going to do it. We're all going to name our kids Smith. We first introduce you to Alona Meyer on Nightly News on Sunday. She's got lots of fans, nearly 2 million on TikTok. I am officially a fan of women's rugby. We got Jason Kelsey.

Football player Jason Kelsey, who wore a shirt with her face on it, but none bigger than her family, ecstatic and emotional in the stands. We went into this tournament knowing we kind of needed a medal for our program. Our program depended on a medal because we needed to show our value and our worth that, you know, in sevens, because we have a 1-1 in any of the Olympics. So we knew that this was kind of it. We're just passing through the jersey, so we want to set it up better for the next generation. And next, she's the daughter of Ethiopian immigrants. Now Naomi Gurma is at the heart of Team USA's run to return to greatness on the soccer pitch.

The U.S. women's soccer team advancing to the knockout round here in Paris, beating Australia today 2-1. And tonight, one of the team's rising stars, Naomi Gurma, is opening up about leading a new generation of soccer standouts. She spoke with our Steve Patterson. With her dazzling defense. Look at the speed of Gurma. And fearless focus. Makes everything look so easy. Naomi Gurma doesn't let anything get past her. Naomi Gurma has been outstanding. I'm pretty composed, calm. As a defender, I like to read the play. During last year's Women's World Cup, Gurma was at the heart of a defense that allowed just one goal in four games. But in Paris, many of soccer's famous faces are gone, replaced by a new generation.

Even though 24-year-old Gurma is one of eight players without any Olympic experience. They're calling you like one of veterans. It is weird to be called a veteran. I don't know if I see myself as that, but yeah, I think just going out there and making sure that I can kind of lead in any way that's helpful. Girma grew up in San Jose. Both her parents immigrated from Ethiopia, her mom for education, her dad escaping a brutal civil war. To give his kids and community a way to connect, Girma's father established the Malida Soccer Club, a way for Ethiopian immigrant families to find a home through football. What does it mean to you? It's just bringing the kids together

so they know their heritage, their identity, their culture. It was just the most low-stakes, fun introduction to soccer that I could have, and it helped me fall in love with the game without any pressure. Girma's parents didn't know much about the world of elite soccer in the U.S., so she often leaned on friends and coaches. I think being a first-generation kid can be difficult at times because you feel like you're navigating two worlds. Both worlds incredibly important to Girma.

It's one of my favorites. Something I saw firsthand when she took me to her favorite Ethiopian restaurant. It's delicious. You like it? It's very good. My culture is really special, and it isn't something to hide or be ashamed of. She feels the same way about mental health. Since losing her best friend and former Stanford teammate Katie Meyer to suicide,

Girma has been fighting to dispel its stigma in sports. It's a hard thing to be a professional athlete. Something we talk about is how important it is to look at players as people and realize they're human. A purpose she feels is worth far more than any medal. I just want to be someone who left their mark and helped people feel like they belong. Steve Patterson, NBC News, San Diego. Coming up, just what is the deal with that funny-looking mascot here at the Olympics? It's a story that begins hundreds of years ago. Next. Look who I ran into in the stands at the beach volleyball competition here in Paris. Rapper Snoop Dogg, who has become quite the fixture at these games. And there is someone else you see everywhere you look, the Olympic mascot.

But the question is, what exactly is it? Here's Stephanie Gosk. At the Olympics, the mascot plays a starring role, hyping the crowd, taking selfies. But there's a question a lot of people have this summer in Paris. What is this? What is this? What is it? Well, it's the Olympic mascot. What did you think it was when you first saw it? I don't know. Neither did I. Are these the arms? Well, I think they're the arms. These are certainly the legs. Turns out the mascot is actually a hat. The character is Frigeux. A what?

How's your French pronunciation? Not great. Frigeux. Frigeux. Pretty good. A little bit more Frigeux. Ah, there you go. Perfect.

A hat with huge significance in French history. During the French Revolution in the 1780s, they were wearing this as a sign of liberty, you know, getting away from the monarchy. In fact, the frieze was worn at the famous Storming of the Bastille, right where podcaster Oliver Gee and I are standing. Imagine in the 1780s, there was a big prison there and it was stormed. This is the start of the French Revolution. Revolutionaries wearing hats similar to this. Becoming an important symbol of liberty and

freedom. They stormed the Bastille in the freeze. In the freeze with one of these mascots tucked under their arm. Not exactly, but the popularity of the hat stuck in paintings and in the culture. So when it was announced as the mascot to the 2024 Olympic Games, the French were thrilled. Kiosks like this one are set up all across the city. This one is by the Arc de Triomphe. They sell all sorts of stuff in there, mugs, bags, and of course, mascots, and they are flying off the shelves. After all, who can resist a human-sized hat with a history and a smile strolling the Champs-Élysées. Stephanie Gosk, NBC News, Paris. And there they go, off together. 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. Thank you.