NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Wednesday, June 12, 2024

Episode Date: June 13, 2024

Record rainfall drenches Florida; 1 dead, suspect arrested after Atlanta bus hijacking; Biden meets with world leaders to pitch more funding for Ukraine; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Breaking news tonight, the life-threatening flood emergency in South Florida as we come on the air. The tropical rain drenching the region, triggering dangerous flash floods. Parts of I-95 shut down. Roads are submerged, vehicles stranded, dozens of rescues reported. Some areas getting a month's worth of rain in a matter of hours. A possible tornado touching down, cutting off a community. We're in the storm zone. Also tonight, the new twist in the deadly hijacking of a transit bus in Atlanta.

The suspect, by chance, speaking to TV cameras hours before the chaos. What he said about his struggles with mental health. The mass casualty incident in Illinois, three sheriff's deputies shot as they entered a home with a barricade suspect. President Biden in Italy for the G7 summit, the new security agreement he's expected to sign with Ukraine as Russian warships reach Cuban waters 90 miles off the U.S. coast. House Republicans voting to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress. But will it go any further than that? This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome. We are watching an extraordinary weather story unfold in South Florida tonight. The rain just not stopping.

For a second day, a slow motion system triggering intense downpours and flash flooding. Tonight, flash flood warnings and emergencies are posted into the evening. Many streets are impassable. Cars have been left stranded, adding insult to injury, the risk of lightning and severe wind gusts. Rain totals in the last two days across southern Florida exceeding a foot in some places, with no relief expected before Saturday. Downpours just this afternoon, falling at an estimated rate of 4 to 6 inches per hour. Flights in and out of the Miami area have faced hundreds of delays and cancellations.

Fort Lauderdale Airport recording 7.5 inches of rain in the last six hours. Sam Brock is in the middle of it all tonight and starts us off with the latest. Tonight, Florida under siege from severe weather. This reported tornado slamming down in Martin County, Florida, while about 100 miles south, chaos on the roads near Miami Beach. The cars are floating and the water is so high right now. On this iconic highway, vehicles swamped by flooding. How would you describe the conditions right now? Very bad. Another round of vicious rain battering the state for hundreds of miles, canceling flights and delaying travelers. I'm gonna miss all my connection flights.

With life-threatening flash flood warnings popping up from Miami-Dade to Broward. There was a lot of rain, a lot of rain. We had to stop and walk because we couldn't see from the rain. Florida's notorious flood problems re-emerging, even as Miami Beach has recently razed some of its roads for drainage, but the porous limestone underground is an issue. It creates something we call compound flooding, whereas the water is coming from underneath. You may see it percolate up through storm drains. When you add rainfall on top of that, there's really, there's nowhere for the water to go. And this is only the middle stretch of a week of rain. So you can see cars are being towed behind me all over the place. We want to move the car up on the garage so then we can stay here because I know it's not safe to go out the streets either.

The challenge now, what still lies ahead in the days to come. And Sam, as I mentioned at the top of the broadcast, this will be around for a while. Look, Lester, parts of South Florida have already seen more than a foot of rain from north dade where i am all the way out to fort lauderdale and as you suggest we have at least four to eight inches more expected by the end of the week in lester it only takes six inches to stall out a car something many people right now are discovering tonight all right sam brock thank you we're going to turn out of the deadly hijacking of a transit bus in Atlanta and the stunning new detail we have learned about the situation. Here's Priya Shurther. A terrifying scene unfolding during rush hour in Atlanta Tuesday.

A person shooting on the bus. As 39-year-old Joseph Greer hijacked a Gwinnett County Transit bus with 17 passengers on board. I think there's someone taking the bus hostage. Police say it all started with a fight between Greer and a fellow passenger. That passenger pulled out a gun, then Greer grabbed it and shot the passenger before ordering the bus driver to flee the scene, authorities say. Right now I'm in extreme mode. passenger before ordering the bus driver to flee the scene, authorities say. Right now I'm in extreme mode. Earlier that day, Greer spoke to NBC's WXIA at the scene of an unrelated shooting in downtown Atlanta, telling our affiliate he was bipolar and manic. My thing is I'm in a manic episode.

Hours later is when police say Greer hijacked the bus. Johnny Gilbert says his wife was a passenger as it all unfolded. She called me and told me that one guy shot another guy on the bus. Police say Greer fatally shot that passenger with the passenger's own gun. Tonight, the victim identified as 58-year-old Ernest Byrd Jr. My heart goes out to the family. The entire hijacking lasted nearly 40 minutes. as 58-year-old Ernest Byrd Jr. My heart goes out to the family. The entire hijacking lasted nearly 40 minutes,

the bus seen driving in the wrong direction of traffic and hitting multiple cars before a Georgia State trooper was finally able to stop the bus by shooting his gun into the engine. It was something that we'll never forget. Tonight, authorities confirming the suspect is a convicted felon. He now faces 31 charges, including kidnapping and murder. Lester. All right, Priya, thank you. There's breaking news out of northern Illinois. Three sheriff's deputies and a suspect shot in an exchange of gunfire at home where police had responded to a report that someone was threatening to harm themselves and others. The deputies are said to be

in good condition. No word on the suspect's condition. Overseas, President Biden traveling to Italy for a high-stakes meeting with allies as the war in Ukraine intensifies. Gabe Gutierrez is there. Tonight, President Biden landing in Italy for a high-stakes summit, a critical focus that warned Ukraine. A Russian missile strike today in Ukrainian President Zelensky's hometown killed at least nine people and injured another 21, including two children. The White House announcing President Biden will sign a bilateral security agreement, pledging long-term defense cooperation. This as Russian warships arrived in a show of force off the coast of Cuba, just 90 miles from the U.S. The Pentagon has sent ships and aircraft to track them, but

says they don't pose a threat. The G7 summit will bring together leading democracies. President Biden is looking to shore up alliances, though every leader at the summit is facing low approval ratings. Just days ago, in European parliamentary elections, hard-right and populist parties scored a clear victory. But also weighing on the president, the felony conviction of Hunter Biden. While he's ruled out pardoning his son, today the White House press secretary did not rule out the president commuting Hunter Biden's sentence, which could erase or reduce any potential prison time,

but would not expunge the conviction. A White House official later telling NBC News any talk of a commutation was premature. Biden aides, meanwhile, are looking ahead to Hunter Biden's September tax evasion trial in California, which could expose new information about his foreign business dealings. Here in Italy, President Biden is expected to meet with Ukrainian President Zelensky tomorrow and Pope Francis on Friday. Lester. All right, Gabe Gutierrez, thank you. A barrage of rockets fired into Israel today from over the border in Lebanon as a U.S.-backed ceasefire plan for Gaza is in peril. Raf Sanchez is in northern Israel. It's time for the haggling to stop and a ceasefire to start. Tonight, a visibly frustrated Secretary Blinken in Qatar accusing Hamas of making unacceptable demands as it tries to change the terms of the ceasefire deal laid out by President

Biden. Hamas could have answered with a single word, yes. Instead, Hamas waited nearly two weeks and then proposed more changes. A source familiar with the talks tells us Hamas is seeking a timeline for when Israeli forces will withdraw from Gaza. It's not clear if Israel will commit to that, accusing Hamas of giving a negative response. But the mediators say they'll keep trying to bridge the gaps. And in Gaza, exhausted families tell our team they're praying for a deal. Enough killing, enough destruction and enough suffering, this displaced man says. The U.S. says a Gaza ceasefire is also the best way to ease the growing crisis on the Israel-Lebanon border. These Israeli families running from rockets

fired by Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants. The IDF says more than 200 were fired today, one of the largest bombardments of the entire war. We're seeing more interceptions now over the skies of northern Israel as a fresh barrage of Hezbollah rockets comes in. The attack in response to this Israeli strike, which killed a senior Hezbollah rockets comes in. The attack in response to this Israeli strike, which killed a senior Hezbollah commander. And at his funeral today, calls for revenge. Here in northern Israel, tens of thousands have been displaced

by the fighting since October 7th, a similar number just over the border in Lebanon. Lester. All right, Rath, thank you. Now to Capitol Hill, the House voting to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for refusing to hand over recordings of President Biden's interview with the special counsel. Ali Vitale is there. Ali, this was a very close vote along party lines. Very close, Lester. The speaker telling us the House did its job tonight. All but one Republican voting to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt

for defying a subpoena to turn over audio of an interview President Biden did with Special Counsel Robert Herr. That regarding his handling of classified documents. Herr did not charge the president, saying a jury would view him as a, quote, elderly man with a poor memory. The White House invoked executive privilege regarding the audio, but lawmakers already have the transcript of it. The DOJ, not expected to act on the referral, saying the House of Representatives has turned

a serious congressional authority into a partisan weapon. Lester. Ali Vitale, thank you. Just in, the ACLU filing the first major legal challenge to President Biden's recent executive order, executive action on the border. And we have new reports that migrants crossing illegally are still being released into the U.S. Here's Julia Ainsley. Tonight, new evidence migrants who cross the border illegally are still being released into the U.S. by border agents. one week after President Biden signed an executive action suspending their entry. If they choose to come without permission and against the law, they'll be restricted from receiving asylum and staying in the United States.

But NBC News has learned Border Patrol is still releasing many migrants into the U.S. who crossed illegally to pursue asylum claims. A senior DHS official tells NBC News those releases have dropped by more than half, but are still happening because agents don't have enough space to detain the large numbers of arriving migrants. An internal memo to Border Patrol agents in San Diego directs agents there to release migrants into the United States unless they are from these eight countries. Overall, illegal border crossings under the new policy are still high, but have dropped from 4,000 to 3,000 per day,

DHS sources tell us. President Biden signed the executive action after fierce criticism of his handling of the border, with a record nearly 10 million migrants entering the U.S. since he took office. But the Border Patrol Union says the president's new action is not tough enough. It's status quo. Things have not changed. The executive order has not made any significant impact as it relates to the illegal border crossings. We suffer a lot just to get here, says this Guatemalan woman waiting in Mexico to cross. And late today, immigration advocates suing, saying the asylum restrictions go too far. This ban is patently illegal. The Trump administration enacted a near

identical asylum ban. We sued over that. We won. We hope to win again. A senior DHS official tells us it's too soon to judge the new policy's effectiveness. They say they need more help from Congress to increase immigrant detention and do more deportation flights. Lester. All right, Julia, thank you. In just 60 seconds, the costs after you buy a home, why insurance rates are going through the roof and some homeowners policies are suddenly being dropped next. Some welcome news today as May inflation came in cooler than expected, up 3.3% year over year. The Fed today leaving interest rates unchanged and signaling just one cut is likely this year. Price relief coming in areas like airline fares, down almost 6%. Used cars and trucks down more than 9%.

And smartphone prices down 11.5%. But in our series, The Cost of Living, Brian Chung reports now even after buying a home, the cost of maintaining it is hitting Americans hard. Taran Joyner is a single mom of three living in Atlanta. When she bought her home in 2020, she thought her low mortgage rate would keep her monthly payments down. But water damage from severe winter storms led to two insurance claims, and the event planner wasn't prepared for what came next. I did expect for my rates to go up, but I did not expect to be dropped. She scrambled for a new policy only to find rates skyrocketing,

her premium going up from $1,200 to more than $5,700 a year with her new provider. To get penalized for just being a customer who needed help, it just felt, I don't know, like a little bit of a betrayal. She's had to cut back her spending and pick up more freelance work on the side as a graphic designer. When I started reaching out to people like, hey, I'm back in the business, like this is what I'm doing. You know, if you need something, just trying to like prepare. So you can cover this homeowner's insurance premium. Yeah, just trying to like brace myself.

The costs of owning and maintaining a home have soared, up 26% since 2020, according to one analysis. And home insurance is a major piece. That's up 20%. One of the reasons, Climate change. Last year, the United States had a record 28 separate weather and climate disasters costing at least $1 billion, with insurance companies losing money in 16 states. And now many insurers are dropping customers from their policies, sometimes leaving entire states, and not just ones on the

coast. We've never seen anything close to this. Even in Iowa, a place that doesn't get hard hit by hurricanes or wildfires. These last five years have been more difficult because of hail, tornado, wind and other factors that are not weather related. In Atlanta, Joyner says she and the kids are happy in their home, but it hurts when she looks at the bills. Do you regret purchasing this home? There are times where I feel that way, yes. The cost of living at risk of becoming too much to bear. Brian Chung, NBC News, Atlanta, Georgia. And up next for us tonight, the massive settlement

from Johnson & Johnson over allegations they misled consumers about the safety of baby powder. After years of concerns about the safety of its talc-based baby powder, tonight Johnson & Johnson has reached a $700 million settlement with 42 states over allegations the company misled consumers about the product's dangers. Kate Snow has more. The makers of that iconic white bottle. Johnson's Baby Powder, a feeling you'd never outgrow. Now paying out $700 million to 42 states and Washington, D.C., Johnson & Johnson agreeing to a settlement after the attorneys general accused the company

of deceiving customers about the safety of baby powder containing talc. We began our investigation five years ago, but we worked together as a team, arm in arm on a bipartisan basis, and we did a good job making sure that Johnson & Johnson stepped up. The company faces tens of thousands of other lawsuits from individuals who say J&J baby powder caused cancer and mesothelioma. Research released last month did find a link between use of talc and ovarian cancer, something the company has always disputed. Baby Powder is absolutely safe.

Back in 2017, I sat down with Bart Williams, a lawyer representing the company at the time. The notion that Johnson & Johnson would sell that product, knowing that it causes cancer in women is just outrageous. In the settlement with states, Johnson & Johnson admits no wrongdoing. But just last year, it stopped selling all talc-based baby powder worldwide. And the agreement with the states says J&J will never sell talc-based products again in the U.S. In a statement, Johnson & Johnson said in part, the company continues to pursue several paths to achieve a comprehensive and final resolution of the talc litigation. Does today's news feel like some form of vindication? Yes, definitely. I think it definitely is a step in the right direction. Dean Berg used baby powder since she was a teen.

She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at 49. I thought I was going to die. So my husband and I, we began to think about casket versus cremation. She was the first person to file a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson. She refused a settlement, then won in court, but received no payout. Do you think if you hadn't gone forward with your case, none of this might have happened? Definitely, yes. I do feel that way. Berg has been cancer-free for 17 years and hopes no other women will go through what she did. Kate Snow, NBC News. And that's nightly news for this Wednesday. Thank you for watching. I'm Lester Holt. Please take care of yourself

and each other. Good night.