NBC Nightly News Full Episode with Tom Llamas - July 13

Tonight, FBI agents swarming the late Senator Lindsey Graham's home and what could be his last phone call. The unusual scene as FBI agents search Graham's D.C. residence. Our new reporting on why they were there, plus the late senator's sister just named to finish out his term. But who will take his seat in those high-stakes midterms? An ICE-involved shooting in Maine leaving one person dead. A white car circling as agents appear to grab at the door. Was the man even the target of the ICE operation? New round of strikes on Iran right now. President Trump reinstating the blockade on Iranian ports just hours ago. The new action he's threatening tonight. Dangerous flash floods across the South. A pickup truck swept away. Mastiff trees pummeling this car. Plus 100 million under heat alerts. Where those unbearable temps head next? Deadly bar fire. Violent flames bursting from this pub. People running for their lives. Why survivors say there was no way out. Brutal bison attack. A grandfather tossed several feet in the air. We have new details from those who witnessed it and how the victim is doing tonight. Friends of Nolan Wells now speaking out after he was found dead following a 4th of July boat trip. What the revealing about the moments leading up to his disappearance. Europe's explosive wildfires. Flames raging just outside of Paris putting the city on high alert. The door dash worker hit by a driver fleeing police. Then finishing that delivery. Stunning save caught on camera. The group of army cadets pulling this driver from a sinking car. And there's good news tonight. The hospital making a splash for this little girl finally getting the kidney she so badly needs. Nightly News starts right now. This is NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas. And good evening. It's great to be with you on this Monday night. We want to begin tonight with the shocking and sudden death of Senator Lindsey Graham. There is new reporting just in and we want to get to about what could have been his last phone call. But we start right here with the scene on Capitol Hill today. White roses on his chamber seat. Handwritten notes and a condolence book outside of his office. Just blocks away though this surprising scene. Look closely. Multiple FBI agents at Graham's D.C. residence taking photos and searching through the home. Their presence raising questions about what they're investigating after a preliminary examination blamed a heart condition for Graham's death. Late today, South Carolina's governor appointing Graham's sister to temporarily fill the seat. And now there's a scramble among Republicans in that state to fill a seat permanently. Ryan Nobles is on Capitol Hill. He starts us off tonight. Tonight, new video showing more than a dozen FBI agents fanning out across the Washington home of the late Senator Lindsey Graham. The FBI shutting down the street as investigators spent several hours on scene taking photos and searching the property. Two law enforcement sources familiar with the scene tell NBC News their work is out of an abundance of caution. So far, no evidence has emerged to suggest foul play. A preliminary medical examiner's report revealed Graham suffered from a tear in the main artery of his heart. But they are still waiting on a toxicology test before declaring a cause of death. On Capitol Hill, Graham's seat and the Senate chamber adorned in white roses, his colleagues struggling with his shocking loss. Senator Graham always brought a smile to your face and levity to the halls of Congress. We will laugh together again. I'm surprised I healed before. In his home state of South Carolina, the governor appointing Graham's sister, Darlene Graham-Nordone, to fill his term until the end of the year. I think this is what Lindsey would have wanted, and I plan to honor him in this way. Nordone is not expected to run for the seat this fall, leaving a wide open primary field for a special election in August. She will be sworn in Tuesday, filling the vacancy quickly. What is less certain is if or when Senator Mitch McConnell will be back. Absent for more than a month, his office released this picture over the weekend, revealing that the 84-year-old is recovering from pneumonia after a fall at his home sent him to the hospital. Ryan Nobles joins us now live. And Ryan, I know you have some new reporting for our viewers about what was potentially Senator Graham's final phone call. Yeah, that's right, Tom. Senator Tommy Tuberville telling us tonight that his former scheduler was working for Senator Graham and took a call from the senator on Saturday night saying that he had chest pains and to call 911. The staffer called 911 and then rushed to his house. They found the paramedics there treating Senator Graham, but unfortunately, it was too late. Tom, Ryan Nobles from Capitol Hill tonight on those developments. Ryan, thank you. We want to get to some news now on Iran. The U.S. military is attacking for the third night in a row. Those new strikes as President Trump reinstates that naval blockade of Iranian ports, all of it as oil prices spike once again, meaning gas prices are going back up. Here's Garrett Haig. President Trump tonight escalating the latest battle with Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz, ordering a naval blockade of Iranian ports back into effect and a third consecutive night of airstrikes, according to CENTCOM. We're attacking them tonight. We're taking out all of their capability for anything having to do with the Strait, with the Hormuz Strait. And I think in the end, we will end up just controlling the whole thing. The president today insisting the vital waterway is open and that the U.S. would begin demanding reimbursement at a rate of 20 percent of the value of any ship's cargo to pass through it. Marine traffic data shows shipping through the Strait falling by half last week after Iran struck two commercial vessels, triggering U.S. retaliation. We'll become the guardian of the Strait. Maybe you'll call it the guardian angel of the Strait. And we should be reimbursed for that. The U.N. agency which oversees international shipping saying there is, quote, no legal basis for applying such tolls, tolls which, when imposed by Iran earlier this year, Secretary of State Marco Rubio called, quote, completely illegal. No country is allowed to charge tolls or fees on an international waterway. That's existing international law. That's the way it is. It all comes after a weekend in which the U.S. and Iran traded missile and drone strikes across the region, including the U.S. deploying sea-based one-way attack drones in combat for the first time, destroying a ship and submarine maintenance facility, the tensions sending oil prices surging nearly 10 percent. As Democrats warn, the president has no real plan to end the war. It's very difficult to see the way out of what has become a kind of a quagmire. OK, we're going to switch gears, Gary. I know you're also following some news of a scathing takedown of the president today, with a judge throwing out his lawsuit against the IRS. Walk us through what happened. Yeah, Tom, this is a federal judge in Florida who ruled that the president's lawsuits against the IRS, which he controls, was brought to, quote, manipulate the judicial process. The judge even suggested sanctioning some of the president's attorneys for bringing this lawsuit at all. This appears to be the final word in the so-called anti-weaponization fund that came out of that initial settlement. Tom? Garrett Haig at the White House. Garrett, thank you. We are following a new ICE-involved fatal shooting. Parts of that incident caught on video, and we have new reporting tonight. The man killed may not have been ICE's original target. Erin McLaughlin has the latest. Tonight, new videos out revealing key moments connected to a deadly ICE-involved shooting in Maine. In one video, you see a white vehicle driving in a circle as an agent attempts to grab the door. It's unclear if this was before or after shots were fired. In another video, you can hear that fire. And in this video, you see what appears to be federal agents pulling out the limp body of a man, his hands then placed behind his back. And tonight, in a stunning development, Independent Senator Angus King issued a statement saying the victim of today's was not the target of the warrant. King's spokesperson telling NBC News the Secretary of Homeland Security called King to tell him the news. Minutes later, DHS released this statement saying in part ICE was conducting targeted surveillance on the last known address of an individual with a final order of removal. An individual who was not here legally departed the resident's vehicle. Quote, the vehicle attempted to flee the scene and fearing for public safety, an officer discharged his weapon. Adding the driver of the vehicle was struck and passed away from his injuries. Earlier today, an immigrant rights organization told NBC News it identified the man killed as a 26-year-old from Columbia. Adding he was authorized to work in the United States, having been issued a social security number. Today, news of the fatal shooting sent scores of protesters marching through the streets of Maine. NBC News reached out to Maine's Attorney General for comment on Senator King's latest statement. They previously said a deportation officer would be placed on leave per standard protocol. Aaron joins us now live in studio. Aaron, there's a lot of questions about this shooting. Now, DHS is taking over the investigation. Yeah, that's right, Tom. Moments ago, Senator Susan Collins tweeted that she has been informed that the DHS Inspector General will take over the investigation in cooperation with the FBI. Okay, Aaron McLaughlin. Aaron, thank you for that. We're also tracking flooding threats for millions tonight. Heavy rains have already washed out parts of Tennessee. The scene was even worse in Hartford, Missouri, where rising waters flipped a state trooper's boat and hundreds of campers and staffers had to be airlifted to safety. We are tracking the brutal heat. Bill Perrins is here, and Bill, almost a third of the country will be hit with these high temps. Yeah, and it's moving to the east coast for the next few days, and eventually it'll actually last in the mid-Atlantic longer than that. So let's start with the numbers. One third of all Americans are under some sort of heat advisories, warnings, and as we go throughout the next 24 to 48 hours, the hottest area that has been in the northern plains is going to push through the Great Lakes and into the northeast. Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, 100 degrees. New York City, 98. Even Syracuse, 96. It won't be as humid, as hot as the last heat wave, but still dangerous. Now let's talk about the life-threatening flash flooding that we're expecting tonight into tomorrow, maybe even lasting into by the time we get to Wednesday. We're going to watch heavy rainfall in what we call Texas Hill Country. This is areas that are very flood-prone. We could see some locations getting up to 10 inches of rain, and this includes the areas around Kerrville and Camp Mystic that had the horrific flooding a year ago. Could be an incredibly dangerous week for Texas. We'll be watching. Okay, Bill, we thank you. We're going to head overseas now to Thailand and new images of a massive fire at a pub in Bangkok, killing dozens. Janice Mackey-Frayer has the latest. Flames bursting out from a pub in a busy area of Thailand's capital Bangkok. People seen fleeing, helping the wounded, and attempting to put out flames on an injured man. The blaze started on Sunday night. This video filmed shortly before shows a band performing in the crowded venue. The country's prime minister visiting the site said musicians say the fire started at a circuit breaker on the stage, followed by a blackout and an explosion. Thai authorities have opened an investigation looking at possible negligence, including emergency exits that witnesses say were blocked. It was so rapid there was no way to get out at all, this survivor says. We didn't know where the fire exit was. Body cam footage from first responders shows a venue filled with smoke. Authorities say most casualties were found in the bathrooms as people tried to escape. At least 28 people are confirmed dead, with 71 injured. Relatives still struggling to find news of their loved ones, like this woman looking for her son, a singer at the pub. I have only one son, she says. I have no other kids. Now one of the worst incidents in the country's recent history, a fire with so many victims and so few answers. Janice Mackey-Frayer, NBC News. And back here at home, we have some stunning video out of Yellowstone National Park, the moment a massive bison tossed a grandfather into the air, and we have an update tonight on that man's condition as we hear from a new witness to the attack. Camila Bernal with that video and the story. Tonight, an eyewitness sharing new details about the lead-up to this terrifying moment. A Yellowstone bison charging a 65-year-old man and his grandson, flipping the man into the air. I was scared to be watching something like that happen firsthand. Emmylou Abrahamson says moments before, the agitated animal had settled onto the ground near their campsite. This bison is pissed off. The two take pictures, then the bison begins rolling in the dust before getting up and seeming to target this truck, a rapid charge. Both tried to run and hide with the bison chasing the man around a group of trees, stopping to trash one around before it catches up, the massive animal tossing the man several feet. It was terrifying. When the bison jumped up, it looked like it ran after the man and the kid, and we could see the bushes shaking. The man's says he underwent surgery and is on the mend, telling us the grandson is also okay. Photographer Mike McCloud captured the animal's powerful charge. It was like watching a bulldozer move out at 45 miles an hour. It was breathtaking. And while there's no indication anyone did anything wrong, a reminder to use caution as you enjoy the beauty of our parks. It doesn't take but a second for a wild animal to change their mind. Camila Bernal, NBC News. All right, when we return in 60 seconds, friends of Nolan Wells speaking out. They were with him in his final hours on that island before the teen's death. What they reveal, plus the cadets jumping into action to save a driver from a sinking car. That's coming up. We're back now with the investigation to the death of a Mississippi College football player. His friends who were with him before he went missing now speaking out. Our Kate Snow has the story. News reporter, 18-year-old son, Nolan Wells, missing at three on Horn Island. New audio from a dispatcher after Nolan Wells' mother contacted authorities when she learned her son was missing. 18-year-old Nolan went to Horn Island in a boat with friends on July 4th. His body was found two days later. It's unclear who Nolan was with when he disappeared. And now, new details from two people who were on the island. Trayston Shepard was not on the same boat with Nolan, but tells Rolling Stone he was with Nolan and a large group around 3.30 p.m. Many have speculated this video, widely circulated on social media, showed Nolan in an altercation. But Shepard says he's the man in that video having a disagreement. In that video, you hear somebody yelling, that is me, Shepard told Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone reports Shepard's girlfriend, uncle, and a family friend corroborated his story. So, like, it's really hard. A close friend of Nolan's, Javon Williams, telling TMZ he saw Nolan on the 4th and would have done anything to help his friend. That's my boy, and I want him to find justice. Like that, like this whole case thing, like whatever, like this whole situation, and none of this adds up to me. Nolan's parents told us they need more information. We're having to pull straws because just everything's so inconsistent, and again, you know, we're doing this because we want answers. Do you think someone might have harmed your son? I don't, I don't, I don't know. I don't, I don't, I can't, I don't know how to answer that. Kate Snow joins us now in studio. Kate, it's been nine days since he went missing. It's been a week since his body was recovered, and we still know so little from authorities. Yeah, that is puzzling, Tom. We don't have results yet from the official autopsy or from the autopsy the family commissioned. NBC News has been reaching out multiple times to the coroner, to the sheriff. We're told the investigation is ongoing. Social media sleuths are trying to fill the gaps, Tom, but unfortunately, that means there's a lot of misinformation out there. Hopefully, the family will get some answers this week. All right, Kate, we thank you for that. We're back now with a massive wildfire raging near Paris. Video showing huge plumes of smoke over one of the most prominent palaces outside of Paris. The blaze tearing through a massive forest within 40 miles of the city. Two people have already been arrested in connection with that fire. And in Italy, army cadets to the rescue. Look at this. The Ministry of Defense says they dove into action when a car plunged off the Italian coast with the driver stuck inside. There they are in the water, working together to pull the driver out just in time before that car sinks. When we come back tonight, there's nothing scarier than going to the hospital, right? Why the staff at this one made sure there was nothing more joyful than when this little girl was finally ready to leave. That's next. Finally, there's good news tonight. A little girl getting a life-saving gift for her birthday. Celebrating with the hospital caregivers that were by her side for so many treatments. That's 10-year-old Paisley Spees. She's got her sunglasses on ready for the summer ahead. She recently celebrated her birthday and got a life-saving gift, a new kidney donated by her uncle. So why all the floats? Because after she recovers from her transplant, Paisley says the first thing she wants to do is to jump in the pool. She's even named her new kidney, Splash. Now I can live a life again. The medical staff at Wolfson Children's Hospital in Jacksonville by Paisley's side for years as she waited for a kidney, celebrating her final dialysis treatment before that life-changing transplant. I'm not one to show a lot of emotion, but to open the door and to see everybody. We've spent for two years, every single Monday, Wednesday, Friday for four hours with them. And so they did become family. I love them all. They're all your best friends. Yes. We're still emotional. We're still, it still doesn't seem real, honestly, and we're just excited to see what she does with her second chance here. And we are so happy for Paisley and her family. Paisley, enjoy that pool. That's Nightly News for this Monday. I'm Tom Yamas. We thank you so much for watching tonight and always. We're here for you. Good night.