NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas Full Episode - July 24

Breaking news tonight, that huge parasite outbreak expanding across the country and the race now to get it under control. The outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce now in twice as many states. Which ones are affected and how to keep your family safe? Shocking confession with a stunning scene in court today. Disturbing audio of a school shooter describing what he did just minutes after his attack. NBC News exclusive reporting tonight why the U.S. military is choosing to let some Iranian attacks hit U.S. bases if it doesn't endanger troops. Miracle Rescue, how everyone on board this seaplane managed to survive a fiery crash in the Pacific Northwest. Tighter security at tonight's White House Correspondents' Dinner redo, months after a shooting postponed the last one. Mass evacuations, hundreds of thousands running from those huge wildfires in France and Spain. A gas canister, look at this, exploding behind that reporter. Horses racing to escape. LeBron James' major move, the NBA's all-time leading scorer taking his talents to Philly. The euphoria there and the new hope for the Sixers. The D.A. in the Nolan Wells case speaking publicly now, weeks after the 18-year-old was found dead. And what a friend's now revealing about the last moments he saw Wells alive. Sportscaster and former quarterback Tony Romo arrested and booked for DUI, what we're learning tonight. Prison fight, why Diddy got sent to solitary confinement. Plus, the fireworks foul at a minor league baseball game as they're accidentally launched toward the stands. And our series Great Americans, travel guru Rick Steves, whose guidance helps Americans see the world on why he loves to come home. Nightly News starts right now. This is NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas. Good evening, I'm Hallie Jackson in for Tom tonight. And we begin with that massive parasite outbreak now hitting nearly twice as many places. But the CDC saying the outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms has hit these four states. You see them here, Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania, in addition to the five other states where thousands have already gotten sick. An additional 32 states have reported cases not yet linked to that lettuce. And the CDC tells us tonight this outbreak could expand even more. The news doesn't necessarily mean the bug is spreading more quickly, but it does suggest this parasite could be showing up in more places than people initially thought. Tonight we'll walk you through what could be next and what to do to protect yourself and your family. Erin McLaughlin starts us off. Tonight investigators at the CDC adding four more states to the cyclospore outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce grown at Taylor Farms and served at Taco Bell. With newly confirmed cases in Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania, bringing the total number of states connected to that tainted lettuce to nine. And the number of states with cases, 41. Gwen Biggerstaff is a deputy director of the CDC. Is it possible that more states will be added to this outbreak list? It is possible. The FDA says it traced the massive multi-state outbreak to shredded iceberg lettuce sourced from Taylor Farms growers in central Mexico. After patients reported having eaten the lettuce at Taco Bell back in June, the nationwide chain pulled the ingredient from its menu ahead of the Taylor Farms voluntary recall. Because of the lag for how long it takes to get sick, someone could have eaten these products before the recall. Weeks into the outbreak, hospital systems now inundated with potential cases. Thirty-year-old Indiana resident Allie Renner has been in the hospital fighting the parasitic gut infection for a week. We didn't think it was in our area yet. So that's what kind of took me for a surprise. She says she ate the lettuce, but not at Taco Bell. It's like a stomach bug times 100. Symptoms can last weeks if untreated. The outbreak is sparking a drop in demand at restaurant chains nationwide. Taco Bell among the hardest hit. Erin is joining us now. And Erin, besides throwing out the recalled lettuce, what else should people be thinking about? Well, Hallie, while most experts agree other lettuce should be safe, if you are extra concerned, avoid bagged lettuce, buy whole heads and just eat the washed inner leaves. Cooked leafy greens are the safest option. Hallie? Erin McLaughlin, thank you. To the stunning moments now in a Georgia courtroom today at a hearing for the 16-year-old pleading guilty to a 2024 school shooting. Prosecutors playing audio of his confession just minutes after the attack. And it's unlike anything most people have heard before. Erin Gilchrist has that with a warning that what you're about to hear is disturbing. Nearly two years after the deadly shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia, Colt Gray today foregoing a trial and pleading guilty to 55 counts, including murder for the four people he shot and killed. He's pleading guilty to each of the charges. He's barred by this decision. Prosecutors presenting testimony and evidence before recommending a sentence to the judge, including an audio recording of Gray. For moments after the shooting, being questioned by police while still inside the school building. Gray can be heard sobbing throughout the recording, confessing to the crime and talking about loving the school. But he also talked about planning the shooting and about having thoughts of suicide. Earlier this year, Gray's father, Colin, was convicted of second-degree murder after giving his son a rifle, despite warning signs of potential violence. During that trial, prosecutors played surveillance video of Colt from September 4th, 2024. From the moment he got on his school bus that morning with a wrapped rifle sticking out of his backpack, cameras capturing him moving through the school day and capturing the shooting that killed two students and two teachers and injured nine others. I have lived 688 days so far of a sentence with no parole. And that is what he should receive as well. Today, the mother and sisters of Mason Schermerhorn among nearly a dozen heartbreaking victim impact statements. September 4th was not just the day I lost my brother. It was the day I lost the life that I knew before. It was the day my sense of safety, my ability to see the world the same, and the future I imagined with Mason were taken from me. Next week, the judge will ultimately decide whether the 16-year-old will receive the maximum sentence of life without the possibility of parole. Hallie? Erin Gilchrist, thank you. And NBC News exclusive tonight. With attacks between the U.S. and Iran escalating, new details about why the military is intentionally letting some Iranian missiles through their defenses. Our Courtney Kuby has that tonight. Courtney, what do we know? Yeah, Hallie, two senior U.S. officials tell NBC News that military commanders are allowing some Iranian missiles and attack drones to get through air defenses amid an effort to preserve the Pentagon's shrinking supply of missiles to shoot them down. Now, Iran has fired nearly 9,000 projectiles since the war began, and U.S. officials insist they fire interceptors at anything on track to harm U.S. troops. But in some cases, missiles and drones bound for areas without troops can be let through even if they could inflict damage on base infrastructure, including ones that would have been shot down in the past. Hallie? Courtney Kuby with that new reporting tonight. Thank you. Also tonight, dramatic new video of a plane crashing into the water off the Pacific Northwest with 11 people on board, all incredibly surviving. And their rescue? Caught on camera. Here's Liz Kreutz. Tonight, this fiery plane crash in San Juan Islands outside Seattle, now under investigation by the NTSB. It happened just after 5 Thursday night. The Coast Guard says the seaplane carrying 10 passengers and a pilot from Seattle to Roche Harbor, Washington, had to make an emergency landing. Witnesses in the area recorded the plane as it came in. This is so cool. I can't believe these people. But the danger quickly became clear as the plane crashed into rocks off Susha Island. Oh God, I hope he's okay. I gotta go out there. Boaters nearby jumping in to help. Just stay there! You can see some of the passengers getting out of the plane as first responders, including the U.S. Coast Guard, rushed to the scene. The seaplane itself was mostly entirely underwater by the time we got there. Incredibly, authorities say all 11 people on board survived, some suffering head injuries and broken bones. One passenger is in critical condition. While the cause of the crash is still under investigation, Kenmore Air, which operates the plane, says there was a weather system in the area at the time, and the pilot adjusted the flight path due to that weather. Radar shows storms moving through. It seems pretty amazing that everyone survived. I would agree. Very much. A lot of things went right for a lot of people in a lot of ways. And Kenmore Air says three of the passengers remain in the hospital and that the company is fully cooperating with the investigation. Hallie? Liz Kreutz, thank you. Here in Washington, a massive security footprint as President Trump attends the White House Correspondents' Dinner again after this year's original one was postponed because of that assassination attempt against the president. Gabe Gutierrez is outside tonight's black-tie dinner, and Gabe, security looks different this time around. Yeah, that's right, Hallie. For one, there's a new venue, D.C.'s Waldorf Astoria behind me. Formerly the Trump International Hotel, it has a much smaller ballroom than the Washington Hilton, where the Correspondents' Dinner had been held since 1972. Among the other security measures, there are more road closures for an expanded perimeter. There will be one controlled entry point, stricter airport-style magnetometers, and guests will be required to present a QR code instead of paper tickets. This all comes after prosecutors say a gunman stormed through a checkpoint at the dinner back in April, trying to assassinate the president and top members of his administration. As for tonight's event, Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Rubio, and the first lady are not attending this time around. Hallie? Gabe Gutierrez here in Washington, thanks. Overseas tonight, the major wildfires burning out of control in Europe, with the flames bearing down on one enclave known as the French Hamptons, and some 200,000 people being forced to evacuate. Raf Sanchez has those new images. Tonight, two major wildfires ripping through southern France, forcing thousands of tourists and residents to evacuate, some of them fleeing by boat. The flames bearing down on the exclusive peninsula of Cap Ferret, sometimes known as the French Hamptons. The popular vacation spot, now the scene of desperate street battles, as fire crews try to stop the blaze. The camera rolling as a gas canister explodes behind this reporter from France's M6 channel, injuring a firefighter. A nearby riding school releasing its horses, allowing them to run free to escape the flames. It's totally apocalyptic, this woman says. It's really right at our doorstep. Firefighting aircraft from across Europe scrambled to help in both France and neighboring Spain, where authorities say the Madrid region is facing the worst wildfires in its history, calling it a perfect storm of extreme temperatures and relentless wind. Raf Sanchez, NBC News. We have new details tonight in the case of Nolan Wells, the college student found dead in Mississippi. The district attorney now speaking publicly as a friend reveals what happened right before Wells disappeared. Here's George Solis. Nolan's family deserves answers and our community deserves answers. Tonight, the district attorney overseeing the investigation in the death of Nolan Wells speaking out on camera for the first time and defending why her office has said so little. It is an effort to protect the integrity of this investigation and the grand jury proceeding. District attorney Angel Myers McElrath says Nolan's case will go before a grand jury, which is standard procedure. Nolan Wells was last seen on July 4th after a boat trip to Horn Island with his friends. His body was found two days later. A mother of one of the friends Nolan was with saying the group left without Nolan when their boat began malfunctioning. We're sinking. Can you all please come? Nolan's friend, Warren Hudson, describing in a recent podcast that Nolan was chatting with a woman when his friend urged him to leave. Nolan, get the F on the boat. Get on the boat. And Nolan said, no, I'm staying out here. I'm going to ride in with somebody else. My buddy asked Nolan multiple times to get on the boat. Nolan made a decision to stay out on the island. This week, preliminary results from an independent autopsy ordered by a legal team representing Nolan Wells' family found his cause and manner of death were undetermined. The doctor, however, noting he could not rule out foul play. Meanwhile, almost three weeks later, no official cause of death and still no clear answers about what happened to Nolan Wells. George Solis, NBC News. When we come back in just 60 seconds, King James' new court, the celebrations across Philadelphia tonight as LeBron James says he's heading to the Sixers. Plus, NFL sportscaster and former quarterback Tony Romo arrested. What police say happened when they pulled him over. And this week's great American, Rick Steves, who taught so many how to love traveling the world, why he tells us he loves coming home. Back now with the announcement that stunned the sports world today. Sending Philadelphia into a frenzy because LeBron James is taking his talents to the 76ers, hoping to chase another championship. Sam Brock reports. The excitement came in at a fever pitch. Philly fans in disbelief. We got LeBron, baby. After LeBron James, a four-time NBA champion and basketball legend, picked the Philadelphia 76ers as the last stop in his storied career. Philly, the Sixers. The reveal coming after a multi-week wait with LeBron only offering this teaser before the World Cup final. I think when you trust the process of actually getting to that point. But the team who's always said trust the process is now the destination with LeBron joining a lineup stacked with all-stars in passing on storybook options like his hometown Cavs, Miami Heat, or Steph Curry's Warriors. LeBron, LeBron James. James writing today, this is my last decision. I'm not going for money. I'm not going for family. Adding he picked the Sixers for a chance at the feeling of winning another championship. Philadelphia supercharged at the thought of it with StubHub saying demand for preseason tickets spiked more than 200% in the hour after the news. LeBron fans travel with him, so there's going to be a whole new contingent. As the city of brotherly love is embracing the king with open arms. Sam Brock, NBC News, New York. Sure are. We are back in a moment with the prison fight that landed Diddy in solitary confinement. And a big league fireworks disaster at a summer minor league game that sent fans running for cover. Welcome back. Former football star and NFL analyst Tony Romo has been arrested for driving under the influence. Last night, just after 6 p.m., Romo was pulled over in Milwaukee and performed poorly on a field sobriety test, according to a police report. He was charged with operating while under the influence and released. And Diddy, Sean Combs, has been taken to solitary confinement in prison, according to a source with knowledge of what happened. It comes after a fight with another inmate at Fort Dix in New Jersey, where he's being held. Combs is not set for release until February of 2028. And talk about a blast to centerfield. Look at this insane video from the postgame celebration at a minor league game. You can see fireworks exploding basically into the stands at the stadium in Richmond. Nobody was badly hurt. That's the good news, with fans scrambling from their seats to try to avoid the whole thing. When we come back, it is a big world out there. But no matter where Rick Steves goes, he knows his favorite place to come back to, the USA. The travel guru is this week's Great American, next. Finally tonight, our series Great Americans, where we talk with those who have achieved so much and inspired so many. Tonight, Tom brings us the story of the man who's inspired millions to travel abroad, on why he always loves returning home to America. His new book, On the Hippie Trail, is a New York Times bestseller. Our Great American tonight, travel host Rick Steves. The ideals of America, that's what I love about our country. And that we live in a society that is smart, brave and free enough to set a high bar for these ideals. Hi, I'm Rick Steves, enjoying more of the best of Europe. For nearly half a century, Rick Steves has made it his mission to teach Americans how to travel. This Yankee commoner is going to give it a try. Very good. His European expertise, now an empire here in America. With 70 guidebooks, 13 seasons of a television show, and a legion of fans. Ah, there you go. Thank you so much, Rick. Oh my gosh, we love you so much. But behind the comfortable shoes and practical travel tips, are an appreciation for simple, everyday experiences. Values born in the Pacific Northwest, where Steves grew up. That's where I caught my first salmon with my dad out there, in his little boat. His wonderlust started as a teenager, after a trip with his parents. I spent my summers in Europe on a very tight budget. I thought, hey, I could package the lessons I've learned from my travels. And then other people could learn from my mistakes, rather than their own have a better trip. He self-published his first guide in 1980, Europe Through the Back Door. Now, in its 40th edition. A back door is a place where you can connect with the culture when it is at ease. Not cliches on stage, surrounded by a bunch of tourists. Now, 34,000 Americans join his company's tours every year. Embracing Steve's push to step outside their comfort zones. Culture shock is a constructive thing. It's the growing pains of a broadening perspective. That's the mission right now, is to help Americans travel in a way where they come home with the very best souvenir. And that's a joy. A realization that the world is filled with love. It's filled with wonderful people. At 71, Steve still does his own research. Spending two months every year in Europe, updating his guides. But he always comes back to Edmonds, Washington, just outside of Seattle. I could live anywhere, but I choose to live here. I think it's because of the ideals of America. It's here that he employs more than 100 locals at Rick Steve's Europe headquarters. Because everybody wants to go in there, right? Everyone just says that and it goes out and back. He's also spent millions helping build two senior centers and saving a hygiene facility for the homeless. Now 800 people who happen to be homeless in the south end of my county know that they've got a shower and a place to wash their clothes. Steve says it's about encouraging the values he believes set America apart. Until next time, keep on traveling. And now his life's work focuses on giving Americans the tools to grow through travel. Travel makes us both better citizens of the planet and frankly better Americans. I really believe you learn a lot about your own home by leaving it and looking at it from a distance. Guidance for so many in more ways than one. That's Nightly News for this Friday. I'm Hallie Jackson. For all of us here at NBC News, thanks for watching and have a great night.