NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Wednesday, September 25, 2024

Episode Date: September 26, 2024

Hurricane Helene bears down on Florida with potential for big storm surge and tornadoes; Six injured in explosion at California courthouse; Israeli army tells troops to prepare for ground assault in Lebanon; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, Hurricane Helene gaining strength, expected to slam Florida as a major Category 4 storm. Helene rapidly intensifying as it closes in on Florida's Gulf Coast and its capital, Tallahassee. Set to become the most powerful hurricane to hit the U.S. in two years. Life-threatening storm surge up to 20 feet. States of emergency in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas. Mandatory evacuations, miles of traffic as the race to get out is on. Al Roker standing by with the new track. Also breaking tonight, the IED exploding at a California courthouse. Six injured, a suspect in custody, deputies pinning him down as he screamed at the top of his lungs. What was his motive?

The deadly bus hijacking in Los Angeles. A gunman leading police on a chase for more than an hour. Police using flashbangs to enter that bus. How the driver escaped and the life-saving training police say he used to alert authorities. Overseas, Hezbollah fires a missile on Tel Aviv for the first time. Is Israel preparing for a ground offensive in Lebanon? The new troubles for the Secret Service. The agent on leave tonight after law enforcement sources said he allegedly sexually assaulted one of Kamala Harris's staffers, plus the candidates in two key battlegrounds as Vice President Harris tries to cut into Mr. Trump's lead on the economy.

And the baseball mitt master giving new life to old gloves from around the globe. This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. And good evening from Miami. I'm Tom Yamas in for Lester tonight. It is massive. It is gaining strength and it is life threatening. Tonight, Hurricane Helene is on a potentially devastating path to Florida, expected to make landfall late tomorrow as a powerful Category 4 storm. Helene already flooding streets in Cuba and causing heavy rains and dangerous conditions in Mexico. Hurricane and storm surge warnings are in effect for much of Florida's Gulf Coast, with surges as high as 20 feet

predicted. Airports in Tampa and St. Petersburg set to close tonight. Flood watches are in effect for 36 million people from Florida all the way to Virginia. Beyond the winds of 130 miles per hour expected at landfall, there's a tornado threat across parts of the southeast. Al Roker is tracking it all for us tonight. And Al, this is one of the most powerful storms we've seen in years. That's right. Two years ago, Hurricane Ian making landfall as a Category 4. And Tom, right now it's 460 miles southwest of Champa, 85 mile per hour winds, and it's moving a little faster north at 12. We've got tropical storm warnings all the way north of Atlanta, down to Key West, but

hurricane warnings into Georgia and the panhandle of Florida. Storm surges, as you said, anywhere from 10 to 20 feet near Cedar Key. Dangerous, life-threatening surge and escape routes washed out for flooding. The system makes landfall sometime tomorrow evening between 6 and 10 p.m. This is going to bring massive amounts of storm surge inland. And then as it makes its way into the Appalachians, more flooding possible. We're talking about anywhere from 10 to 20 inches of rain, Tom. Considerable flooding across the southeast. We're going to be talking about this right on into Friday. We'll have complete details tomorrow morning on Today. Tom? All right. We know you're going to stay tracking it throughout

the week. Up and down Florida's Gulf Coast, preparations for Helene are in overdrive tonight. Marissa Parra is in Tampa for us. And Marissa, the storm surge there is the big fear. It is, Tom. And that's why this normally bustling riverwalk is completely empty. It's also why you see essentially this wall of flood protection panels creating a fortress around storefronts like this one. After slamming Cuba and Mexico, tonight powerful Hurricane Helene now barreling towards Florida. A mandatory evacuation has been ordered.

Millions of Florida residents now on the move. Officials are pleading with locals to evacuate the entire Gulf Coast from the panhandle to Sarasota, as Helene's winds could reach 130 miles per hour. This is a really big storm. You're going to see impacts up to 250 miles outside the center of the storm. Florida is no stranger to hurricanes, but rapid intensification, increasing with climate change in recent years, has some Floridians on edge. Some people say the whole state of Florida can be like a flood zone now if we get enough rain. The Sunshine

State is bracing for storm surge that in some parts could reach 18 feet. Tonight, Tampa Airport announcing it will suspend operations overnight as residents and tourists race to evacuate. Our hotel is getting evacuated too. Just this morning here in downtown, this lobby was teeming with people. Now, it's a ghost town. In Tampa, not everyone is heeding the warning. Instead, doing anything they can to prepare. You are worried. Oh yeah, I'm very worried. Water, you can't run away from it. It comes on you before you even know it. But with hours until landfall, the time to prepare for Helene is running out. Marissa Parra, NBC News, Tampa. All right, we want to turn now to a developing story out of

California. A suspect is in custody after an explosion at a courthouse injured six. David Noriega is in Santa Maria. David, witnesses saying deputies pinned down the suspect? That's right, Tom. Right behind me is the courthouse where witnesses described a shocking explosion shortly after court opened for business this morning, followed by a chaotic scene as multiple officers piled onto the suspect. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office says

that the explosion, which happened in the lobby of the building, was caused by an improvised explosive device. They describe the suspect as an adult male who acted alone, but they haven't released any information about his identity or his motive. Authorities say they deployed a bomb squad to comb this entire surrounding area and to search a vehicle that they say was connected to the suspect. The FBI is involved in this case, Tom, and one thing we're keeping an eye on is whether they will be taking over the investigation. Tom? Yeah, still a lot of questions tonight. All right, David, we thank you for that.

We turn overseas now to the escalating war in the Middle East. Hezbollah targeting Tel Aviv with a missile for the first time. And Israel with its strongest suggestion yet there could be a ground war. Richard Engels in Beirut. Israel now says its strikes into Lebanon are preparatory to take out Hezbollah fighters and weapons before a possible ground invasion. The chief of staff of the Israeli military today told his troops a maneuver is being planned into Lebanon, where the death toll from air attacks has been rising for days. You will go in, destroy the enemy there, and decisively destroy their infrastructure, he said.

Hezbollah leaders are promising to inflict heavy casualties in a ground war. And to prove they're undeterred, the Iranian-backed militia group for the first time launched a missile at Tel Aviv. The missile was shot down by Israeli defenses. The last time Israel invaded Lebanon was in 2006. That war crippled Lebanon and destroyed its infrastructure. After heavy losses, Israel ended the operation. President Biden today still hopeful. An all-out war is possible, but I think there's also the opportunity, or still in play, to have a settlement that can fundamentally change the whole region. There needs to be a two-state solution.

But his calls for diplomacy are going unheard. Beirut is already filling up with refugees. Public schools turned into shelters to accommodate the tens of thousands of Lebanese who have left the south and the west areas that are being shelled by Israel right now. Israel says it will fight until Hezbollah is disarmed. Hezbollah says it will fight until Israeli troops stop attacking Gaza, and neither side shows any sign of backing down. A woman I spoke to tonight who evacuated to Beirut with 21 of her relatives told me she hopes the American government will act and not allow Lebanon to become the next Gaza. Tom? Richard Engel from Beirut tonight. Richard, we thank you. Back here

at home, law enforcement sources saying a Secret Service agent is on leave, accused of sexually assaulting one of Vice President Harris's staffers. And a scathing new report is out on the first assassination attempt on former President Trump. Here's Ryan Nobles. Tonight, the Secret Service once again facing scrutiny. Two law enforcement officials telling NBC News an agent in Vice President Harris' detail has been placed on administrative leave for allegedly groping a Harris staffer. Those sources saying the agent was allegedly intoxicated at the time. The agency says it's investigating.

All of it comes on the same day as a scathing Senate investigation outlined a long list of human errors made by the agency on the day of the attempted assassination of former President Trump in July. Including a Secret Service counter-sniper team not alerting Trump's security detail despite seeing local law enforcement running with guns drawn toward the building where the shooter was. Investigators asking, did the thought even cross your mind that you should inform someone to keep Trump from going on stage or get him off stage? The sniper responding, the thought did not cross my mind. There needs to be a house cleaning and management, not just in the city, but the policies and practices and the secret services. A Secret Service spokesperson said the report was in line with the agency's internal review. All this while the Trump campaign says that U.S. intelligence officials have briefed them on the ongoing Iranian threats against the former president.

Tom. Ryan Noble's on the hill for us. Ryan, we thank you and both candidates today taking their dueling messages on the economy to key battlegrounds as Kamala Harris tries to chip away at Donald Trump's lead on the issue. Kelly O'Donnell is in Pittsburgh tonight. Today, both campaigns focused on an issue that affects every voter, the economy. The cost of living in America is still just too high. You know it and I know it. Vice President Harris, who's faced criticism for limited policy specifics, laid out what she called a pragmatic approach to lower costs,

invest in small businesses and bring more manufacturing to the U.S., a message aimed at Pittsburgh. By offering tax credits for expanding good union jobs in steel and iron and manufacturing communities. As if debating from a distance, former President Trump countered Harris's new plans from North Carolina. Our economy is doing really, really badly. Kamala goes to work every day in the White House. Families are suffering now. So if she has a plan, she should stop grandstanding and do it. Just do it. While the vice president has made up ground in polling on voters' views of who would best handle

the economy, a new poll shows Mr. Trump still has the edge among likely voters at 50 percent with Harris at 39. The former president tying Harris to inflation. But ask yourself, is anything less expensive than it was four years ago? Late today, Harris speaking to MSNBC. Donald Trump has a history of taking care of very rich people. And I'm not mad at anybody for being rich, but they should pay their fair share. From the economy to immigration, Vice President Harris is headed to Arizona Friday,

where she's expected to make a stop along the southern border. Tom. Kelly O'Donnell on the campaign trail for us. And come November, control of the House could also come down to a handful of districts, including one in New York, where a Republican has found himself at the center of a very big controversy. Here's Stephanie Gosk. Outside the Capitol, some uncomfortable questions for the freshman congressman from New York. Did you give your mistress a job? I did not. This week, The New York Times reported Republican Anthony D'Esposito hired his mistress part-time in 2023, citing four people

familiar with the relationship. He also hired his longtime fiance's daughter. Both possible violations of House ethics rules, which prohibit hiring relatives and sexual relationships with staffers. Payroll records show D'Esposito employed the women, but NBC News has not confirmed the alleged affair. Do you think you violated any House ethics? Absolutely not. De Esposito, who represents a district on Long Island, called the article a slimy, partisan hit piece. His Democratic opponent, Laura Gillen, says the allegations are very serious and demand further investigation. De Esposito's seat was one of four New York districts Republicans

flipped in 2022, one of them going to another Long Islander, George Santos. Critical wins that gave the party control of the House. Santos pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges and was kicked out of Congress. A Democrat now holds that seat. So allegations of House ethics violations in this Long Island district are not just a local matter. They bring national implications. Republican control of the House rests on the tiniest of margins. Just eight seats, and this seat is wobbly.

One of 24 that the Cook Report says are considered toss-ups this election. What do you make of the allegations against Congressman D'Esposito? I wasn't wild about him to begin with. I wouldn't change my vote or think differently of the man. What matters to you more as a voter? I would say it had been ethics and morals. I'm not so certain that's important anymore. I like his positions.

The vote in this critical district may already be locked in. Stephanie Gosk, NBC News, Garden City, New York. All right, in 60 seconds, the deadly hijacking of a city bus in Los Angeles. The police chase and takedown caught on camera. That's next. We are back now with the chaotic, deadly scene on a bus in Los Angeles earlier today,

taken over by a hijacker until police finally stopped him. Here's Steve Patterson with the video. Downtown Los Angeles earlier today, taken over by a hijacker until police finally stopped him. Here's Steve Patterson with the video. Downtown Los Angeles, besieged by a storm of sirens. As a small army of squad cars tailed this hijacked LA Metro bus for an hour, the driver, police say, steering the bus at gunpoint. This operator continued to operate the bus in as safe a manner as he could. Police say the bus came under assault shortly before 1 a.m. The hijacker, identified by police as Lamont Campbell,

shot one passenger, sending others running from the bus. The operator initiated the emergency protocols on the bus. Police say the driver remembered a piece of life-saving training, pressing a panic button to display a distress signal on the bus's message board. 911, call police. Emergency. Spurring the LAPD into action. Deploying spike strips, funneling the bus into a trap.

The SWAT team surrounding the bus. This is LAPD. You're surrounded. Come out with your hands up. trap. The SWAT team surrounding the bus. Storming in, pulling the driver to safety, arresting the suspect alive and unhurt. He surrendered immediately and there was no use of force at the end of the pursuit. Police say one passenger was shot multiple times. The victim later died at the hospital. No one else was hurt. A small wonder, police say, thanks to the quick thinking of the man steering away from danger. They are civil service heroes. Courage under fire, calm behind the wheel.

Steve Patterson, NBC News, Los Angeles. Up next, the new city where former President Trump is trying to link immigration and crime. What we found. That's next. We are back now with another American city in the center of a firestorm over immigration. Former President Trump has claimed Aurora, Colorado, is being overrun by Venezuelan gangs. We sent Gabe Gutierrez there to find out if it's true. This video of armed men roaming an apartment complex in Aurora last month went viral. It was captured by Cindy Romero's security camera. This was terrifying and I don't wish it on anybody. She says the nightly violence forced her to move and she showed us the bullet holes in her car. It was never meant to be political when I released it, of course.

It was meant to bring awareness so the people in my building could get help. Her videos thrust Colorado's third largest city into the national spotlight, prompting former President Trump to repeatedly rail against Venezuelan migrants here, including today. They're going in with guns that are beyond even military scope, and they're taking over apartment buildings, and they're literally taking over those towns. Trump and his allies have highlighted a Venezuelan prison gang, Tren de Aragua, or TDA. Homeland security officials tell NBC News they have more than 100 criminal investigations nationwide into TDA, including for sex trafficking and shooting police officers, calling TDA the next MS-13, a violent gang from El Salvador.

But police in Aurora stress the gang is not overrunning their city. And it's unclear whether the gang is responsible for any violent incidents at three apartment complexes, one of which has been shut down. Immigrant Carlos Orozculti lives in another. He tells us the story has been exaggerated for political reasons and that most Venezuelans are here to work. I want the former president to come because I want to show him this city. I want to show him that the narrative is not accurate by any stretch of the imagination. Mike Kaufman is Aurora's mayor. You're a Republican. Right. You're a Donald Trump supporter.

I'm going to vote for the president. But you don't agree with him on this particular narrative? No. We asked the mayor whether he regretted seeing at first the apartments had fallen to the gang. He says he does not because he was going off police reports he'd been given at the time. Tom. All right, Gabe Gutierrez for us tonight. Gabe, we thank you for that. When we come back, we're going to switch gears here. We'll introduce you to the man giving new life to old baseball mitts, reviving memories and smiles. The good news is next. Finally, if you ever had a beloved baseball glove you just couldn't part with, there's good news tonight. Here's Maggie Vespa. Woven into the fabric of America's favorite pastime lives a love for nostalgia that Jimmy

Linetti is determined to preserve. The retired Minneapolis mail carrier and father of three took a swing two years ago, opening D&J Glove Repair. Hi, Jimmy. Hey, fellas. Dedicated to restoring baseball gloves. A glove should be a lifetime investment. Buy a good one, take care of it, you'll have it forever. Linetti's extra innings career traces back decades to repairing gloves for his son Dom, the D in D&J. Word spread among Little League parents and found fans online. Linetti now repairs roughly a thousand gloves per year shipped from around the world. I've gotten them from England. I had a guy from Norway send me a glove.

His home run work linking generations. Breathing new life into Jim Ruprecht's 60-year-old glove gifted by his dad, now used for catch with his granddaughter, Abby. You never thought twice about replacing it. Oh, heaven. No, no, no, no, no, no. There's way too much sentimental value. This is cultural glue. This is intergenerational glue. That glue. It's fun. I also get to spend time with him. Also bonding, Linetti's legacy. It's this old guy right here. That's your first glove. First glove. My parents bought it for me at the local Kmart. With his grandfathers.

A career cobbler, his photo perched among the prized memorabilia. And I've had guys come in and mist up when they see their glove, standing right where you are and get misty. It's emotional. It is. It is. It just means I'm doing some good. So, yeah.

And I'm having fun, too. Maggie Vespa, NBC News, Minneapolis. We thank Maggie Vespa for that home run of a story. And we thank you for watching Nightly News on this Wednesday. I'm Tom Yamas. Have a great night.