Transcripts For KNTV NBC Nightly News 20150602

Place where it all started. Opening up to matt lauer about the accident, his health, and wanting to make people laugh again. Nightly news begins right now. Announcer from nbc news World Headquarters in new york, this is nbc nightly news. Reporting tonight, lester holt. Good evening. We begin with an alarming lapse involving those charged with protecting the planes we fly on. For anyone whose had their luggage searched over a bottle of water, a draft from the Homeland Security Inspector General today may come as a shock. That tsa checkpoint screeners failed miserably at detecting concealed explosives and weapons. Tonight the agency is under orders to immediately plug security holes after undercover testers exposed shocking gaps at dozens of airports. Nbcs tom costello reports. Reporter the tests were conducted by Homeland Security red teams charged with probing tsa checkpoints nationwide. Nbc news has confirmed tsa screening officers failed to detect smuggled weapons in 67 out of 70 attempts. A 95 failure rate. In one case an alarm sounded on a magnetometer, but during a patdown, the screening officer failed to find a fake plastic explosive taped to a persons back. They call the red teams super terrorists because they know the tsas weaknesses going in. They can construct the devices in a lab. Theyre not out in the desert some place in syria or some place like that. Reporter upon learning of the results, homeland secretary johnson ordered the tsa to take immediate steps to address the security lapses. Today Homeland Security said the numbers in these reports never look good out of context, but they are a critical element in the continual evolution of our aviation security. Frankly, im glad they found this today because i would rather have the good guys find this than have the bad guys figure it out. Reporter red teams have been testing tsa checkpoints for 13 years. Including on John Pistoles watch. But the threat, he insists is very real. Theres a continuing drum beat of interest by terrorist groups to try to bring down a western especially u. S. Bound aircraft. Reporter the tsa also stresses it has a layered approach to security. From the moment you buy your ticket and your name is compared to the terror watch list to the curb to the airport where you have police k9 to air marshals on board. They call it a curb to cockpit approach. All right. Tom costello tonight, thank you. Now to the battle over collecting your phone records and other surveillance programs that the government can no longer use for the First Time Since right after 9 11. Those powers went away at the stroke of midnight when senate infighting allowed the patriot act to expire. Is National Secure more important . And did the programs work in the first place . Heres nbcs andrea mitchell. Reporter the Boston Marathon bombing or last months attack in garland, texas, by two men allegedly inspired by isis. Neither was prevented by the nsas mass collection of phone records which they call an invasion of privacy. Exposed by Edward Snowden who said last week, in not a single case had mass surveillance produced information that made a concrete difference in any terrorism investigation. President obama and many in Congress Proposed a scaled back program. The telephone companies, not the government, would hold the phone records. Heaven forbid weve got a problem where we could of prevented a terrorist attack but we didnt do so simply because of inaction in the senate. Reporter but senator rand paul running for president killed the surveillance programs last night. Get a warrant reporter for now. Including two that the government say are potentially far more important than sweeping up everyone bs phone records. The fbis ability to track lone wolf terror suspects although its never been used. And authority to conduct roving wiretaps on suspects who use multiple cell phones. And senator paul also launched a provocative attack against fellow senators. Some of them, i think, secretly want there to be an attack on the United States ame it on me. Reporter today another republican, the ninth, Lindsey Graham announced he is running for president on a tough Foreign Policy platform. Ive got one simple message. I have more experience with our National Security than any other candidate in this race. Reporter senators in both parties say that rand paul is grand standing to help his president ial campaign. Still, the nsa has other ways to track suspected terrorists until congress can agree on a compromise most likely later this week. Lester . All right. Thanks very much. A major decision from the Supreme Court tonight. A first of its kind ruling that affects every american that uses social media. The issue is when do threats posted online go too far and actually amount to a crime . We get the breakdown from our justice correspondent pete williams. Reporter in a decision applying to the 200 million americans who use social media, the court said that just because a message causes genuine fear, that doesnt make it illegal. The court overturned the conviction of anthony elonis, an Amusement Park worker who posted threats on facebook after his wife left him and took their two children. He said put it in your pocket. Is it thick enough to stop a bullet . Two years before the mass killing at sandy hook he wrote, enough element schools in a tenmile radius to initiate the most heinous School Shooting imaginable. The Obama Justice department argued messages like his are illegal if a reasonable person would consider them threatening as his wife did. But today eight Supreme Court justices said thats wrong. They said what matters is what the sender intended. Users of social media can still be convicted, the ruling said, if they mean to threaten or realize their messages will be seen that way. Only Justice Clarence thomas would let the conviction stand based on the fear of the recipient. Civil liberties groups applauded the decision as fair to people charged with crimes, but said threats when proven are still against the law. This decision is not a licensed threat. Threats are still illegal as long as the government properly proves them. Reporter but advocates for Domestic Abuse victims say threats cause real harm. Regardless of what the senders intent is, it absolutely has a phenomenally horrible impact on victims. Reporter as for anthony elonis, hes back in jail arrested last week charged with throwing a cooking pot at the mother of his current girlfriend. Pete williams, nbc news at the Supreme Court. John kerry is on his way home from switzerland after breaking his leg in a bike accident. He was in geneva for talks with iran. He has previously undergone hip and knee surgeries. His surgeon on back on the flight with him. Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert is now scheduled to make his First Court Appearance in chicago on thursday to be arraigned on federal charges alleging he illegally covered up hush money payments to a still unidentified person. A federal Law Enforcement official tells nbc news that hastert was paying off a man to hide misconduct of a sexual nature when that man was a student at the high school where hastert once worked as a coach. Tonight Vice President biden is with his family in delaware dealing with a kind of loss no parent ever expects to. And since his son beau bidens death from brain cancer on saturday, many of the tributes pouring in are focusing on all that he accomplished in his 46 years. And his particular impact on children. Our senior White House Correspondent Chris Jansing has this report. Reporter family photos tell a story of a doting father. Beau biden who lost his own mother in a car accident when he was not quite 4 always said his priority would be his own family. It was sort of a picture perfect, you know, that they were complete when they were together. Reporter so while the political world was shocked when beau biden decided not to run for u. S. Senate, friends werent surprised when he stayed on as attorney general in delaware so he could prosecute the worst pedophile in u. S. History. 1,400 patients accused dr. Earl bradley of sexual abuse average age 3. Nancy bergs daughter was 7. I wanted to leave. I didnt want to live here. Reporter for ten years no one would listen to her. Finally beau biden decides to do something. He really felt strongly about Child Advocacy and being the voice for those who dont have a voice. Reporter now 22, olivia berg has never spoken publicly about this before, but tonight wanted his family to know how grateful she is to beau biden for putting dr. Bradley behind bars for life. I want them to know he definitely helped a lot of people get justice. Reporter beau biden established a Child Predator task force, fought against bullying, and at home tucked in his kids every night. If im half as good a dad to my kids as my dads been to me, my kids will be in great shape. Reporter his dad wasnt shy about showing his pride. Big headline after the 2012 election. Biden most popular man in delaware. Beau. Reporter his son was hospitalized for the last time after that speech. But he leaves a legacy of compassion and conviction for his own children and others. Chris jansing, nbc news, washington. Overseas now. It was a cry heard around the world. Bring back our girls. The social Media Campaign that went viral after the kidnapping of more than 200 Nigerian School girls by boko haram militants. Now more than a year later, most of those girls and hundreds of others are still missing while more than a Million People have been forced to flee from boko harams wave of terror. Nbcs keir simmons traveled to the region and has an exclusive look at a remote haven for thousands of desperate refugees. Its a place unseen to the outside world until now. Reporter riding motorized canoes in 110degree heat we cross lake chad where boko haram fighters have launched recent attacks reaching this island. Thousands of refugees have built simple homes here after escaping with their lives from militants who believe education is sinful. And who kidnap women and girls. Jennifer, who was a student, and her friends all say they fled from boko haram. Women captured by the militants are sexually exploited. They kill them. Reporter later we saw this woman who saw boko haram militants cut her sons throat. His children now fatherless. Including this 12yearold and this one, just 3. Further on another gathering. Are you sick . More families begging for help. Hes not well. Not well. When medicine arrives the scale of the need shows. Mothers holding up their babies clamoring for supplies included Water Purification tablets. The aid workers are overwhelmed and they just got here. People are terrified. Now theyre desperate. More than a hundred malnourished children are treated. This is the first aid theyve had . Yes, first aid they have had since they came. Reporter in just 24 hours here, unicef delivers aid to thousands. A fraction of the estimated 1. 5 Million People displaced in the region. Including jennifer who must now look after her 4yearold. She remains hopeful. When boko haram are gone i go back to college. Reporter youll go back to college. But no one here knows when boko haram will be gone. Still fighting. While on this remote island, the innocent fend for themselves. Keir simmons, nbc news, lake chad. A lot more still ahead tonight including the photos that exploded on the internet today. Our first look at Caitlyn Jenner, the woman formerly known as bruce jenner makes her debut opening up about surgery and what pushed her close to suicide. Tonight after weeks of speculation over what her name would be and what she would look like, Caitlyn Jenner, the woman formerly known as bruce jenner made her debut in a big way on the cover of vanity fair opening up about some tough times to get to this point. Nbcs Stephanie Gosk has our report. As soon as the vanity fair cover comes out, im free. Reporter once bruce jenner, now Caitlyn Jenner described to vanity fair the relief she would feel today in this behind the scenes video. Bruce always had to tell a lie. He was always living that lie. Reporter there is no lie anymore. In the article jenner says if i was lying on my death bed and had kept this secret and never did anything about it, i would be lying there saying you just blew your entire life. Today Caitlyn Jenner tweeted for the first time. Im so happy after such a long struggle to be living my true self. Welcome to the world, caitlyn. Cant wait for you to get to know her me. Within hours jenner had a million followers, breaking a twitter record. I worked out a lot, ate a lot of wheaties. Reporter more than a few on social media suggested wheaties should put the gold medal winning decathlete back on the box. While we see this increased media interest in transgender people which is exciting, we still have a long way in terms of making the world safe for those people. Reporter the article describes jenners doubt after facial reconstruction surgery. Asking herself, what did i just do. But the feeling passed. Jenner says she was close to suicidal after tmz reported on possible adams apple surgery in 2013. Forced to tell the family before she was ready. Son brandon responded at the time, ive never been more proud of you than i am at this moment. 65yearold jenners family life has been public for years in keeping up with the kardashians. Only just recently discussing her transition. Do we have any more questions . When do we start referring to you as her . You will see me and you will know. Reporter now there is a far more personal reality show set to air this summer. Caitlyn doesnt have any secrets. Reporter and she has quite a story to tell. Stephanie gosk, nbc news, new york. Up next tonight, a shocking attack. How did a lion get inside an suv killing an American Woman on safari . In texas tonight six people remain missing in wimberley, one of the hardest hit by the rainfall. While to the east outside houston, cowboys rushed to rescue about 600 cattle from the swollen Trinity River yesterday. Despite their efforts they lost about half the herd. Now a different system is soaking the east coast. Heavy downpours flooding roads in new jersey and elsewhere forcing stranded drivers to be rescued. The worstcase scenario became a terrible reality today at a wildlife park in south africa. An American Woman was killed and her driver injured when a lion attacked through the open window of their suv. She hasnt been identified yet, but police say she was 22 and died before authorities arrived. Witnesses confirm the suv did have its windows down, something the park specifically warns visitors not to do. The hunt is on in Northern California tonight to find a mystery woman who donated an old computer to a shop that recycles Old Electronics not realizing it was an apple 1 computer. Thats the first computer steve jobs and Steve Wozniack created in their garage. Only about 200 remain and the remaining ones are valued at 200,000. The shop wants to thank her and give her a major payday. When we come back, Tracy Morgans exclusive interview with matt lauer nearly one year after an accident nearly claimed his life. What he tells matt about whether hell return to performing. The world nearly lost comedian tracy morgan last year in a Traffic Accident that claimed the life of his dear friend. Now after nearly a year of difficult recovery, tracy is speaking out for the first time in an exclusive interview with matt lauer. He, his lawyer, and fiance sat down with matt in the saturday night live studio. Morgans first time back since the crash. You walk in this room, what do you think of . Home. Its being home. A lot of good memories. Im brian fellows. How are you feeling . I have my good days and my bad days. Sometimes i dont feel well. Sometimes emotionally i dont feel well. Im really focused on my memory coming back to me, my walking getting better, my balance is still off. So i have to really focus on those things. This is a terrible accident. The car flipped. Its on its side. Whats the last thing you remember from that night . Saying a joke looking at jimmy mac. Then wanting to get back to my wife. You two were actually talking on the phone. As the impact occurred. Yeah. We were on facetime, actually. But i didnt know that he was in an accident. I just thought reception dropped. Once i found out the time of the accident, i realized i havent heard from tracy since that point. Tracy, you mentioned a second ago jimmy mac, james mcnair, who died in this crash. You didnt get to see him after the impact, did you . No. When did you learn he had passed away . A week after i came out of the coma, my lady leaned over to my bed and said we buried jimmy about a week ago. I didnt know how to take it. For a long time, we would discuss how guilty he was feeling because of all the people who were there and especially jimmy mac wasnt even performing, just was there for him. Emotionally speaking, do you experience depression . How are you getting through that . I love comedy. I wonder how im going to be funny again, remembering my identity. What do i do . And the fans have let me know we cant wait for you to come back. We cant wait for you to come back and i cant wait to make them laugh again. I want to say thank you to the people. Thank you very much for saving my life. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you from me and my family. You know what would be a nice way to thank them . One day walking down those stairs again on saturday night live. I promise you. I promise you. One day when im 100 , im going to grab that mic and i aint never going to let it go. Never. Im going to be the funniest i could be because i aint never going to take life for granted no more. Matt lauer with tracy morgan today. We wish him a speedy and full recovery. Thats going to do it for us on this monday night. Im lester holt. For all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching and good night. Its pretty bold for someone to do what theyre doing. Right now at 6 00 a crime ring busted. Thieves accused of stealing while their victims were working up a sweat. How gym employees caught the suspects in the act. Good evening and thanks for being with us on this monday. Im raj mathai. And im jessica aguirre. It is the ultimate workout of your wallet. Your car is stolen while youre on the treadmill. Police say south bay gyms are being targeted by an auto theft ring. Tonight three people have been arrested, but police say more car thieves could be out scoping gym parking lots. Michelle roberts joins us from the south valley ymca in san jose with more on how the thieves are managing to pull it off. Michelle. Reporter thieves know most people dont work out with their keys in their pockets so theyre either sneaking in like they did here at the ymca and going into the locker room or in some cases theyre actually buying a day pass just to get into the locker room. Theyre looking for things left out like a bag and of course those keys. Police describe this man, colby worsham, as the ring leader for an elaborate operation. The target san jose fitness centers. Its pretty bold for someone to do what theyre doing. Police sergeant ken davis says in the last month seven cars have been stolen for five different gyms mostly in san jose. Chances are if they try it here theyll try it somewhere else. Reporter carol with the south valley ymca say pol