Transcripts For WCAU NBC Nightly News With Lester Holt 20161209

Nightly news begins right now. Announcer from nbc news, World Headquarters in new york, this is nbc nightly news with lester holt. Good evening. Wintry weather is making for miserable deadly conditions in parts of the country with falling temperatures across nearly ever state. Since yesterday there have been several weatherrelated pileups on the roads as heavy snow makes for treacherous driving in parts of the northeast and midwest. And tonight, as another storm barrels eastward from the pacific northwest, much of the country is also bracing for a brutal blast of arctic cold. Well get the forecast in a moment. First, nbcs correspondent with the latest. Reporter today another deadly day on the roads. In sweden, new york one man died after losing control of his suv. In ohio, another massive Chain Reaction crash, the third in 24 hours. Weve got a few more accidents headed eastbound. Reporter nearly 50 cars and trucks slammed into each other in the snow. 20 people injured, some had to spend hours in their cars waiting to get out of the cold. While pileup crashes in pennsylvania and michigan are finally clear. In upstate new york, blinding lakeeffect snow, more than a foot in places. Creating headaches for drivers. And anyone trying to get out. I shoveled this probably five times since 9 00 this morning. It just keeps on coming. Reporter theyre used to this kind of weather up here, but the atmosphere was so unsettled the storm also brought rare thundersnow. Almost 40 of the country is now covered in snow. We are seeing the roads are basically ice. Reporter even parts of texas saw a light dusting. Seattle giving us a glimpse of more to come. Ice on the roads had wheels spinning and cars sidelined. I took off, i slid into the the side. So i got stuck. Reporter on top of all this, 45 states seeing below normal temperatures today. You know it is frigid. It is like alaska. Reporter emergency crews in states like iowa and illinois getting ready for a rough weekend ahead. Knowing that we got over a foot of snow possibly coming it could be, kind of scary. Reporter and here in perrysburg, new york, we have already gotten more than 19 inches. Lester heres what happens when you dont dig your car out with more snow on the way. Doesnt look like this one is going anywhere any time soon. Thank you. Dillon dryer, here watching it all for us. The dreaded siberian express, what are we looking for as we head into the weekend and beyond . The colder air will settle in. By tomorrow morning, looking at wind chills across the midwest to drop down into well below zero. We are looking at some areas, actually going to see, wind chills tomorrow well down about 20 degrees below zero. If we can just advance this here. I will show you some of the colder air that will continue to settle in. We are looking at wind chills all the way back through parts of the eastern great lakes to drop down into the Single Digits as well. So, okay. Sorry, lester, just trying to get this going here for you. There is the colder air that is going to be around tomorrow morning. We got 30 below in bismarck. During the afternoon not looking at much rebound. We do have this siberian express we have been talking about. Coldest air arriving from siberia. Look at by thursday, looking at 7 below, bismarck. 6, chicago, new york, 29. Down in nashville, temperatures barely above freezing. No matter what map you put up, spells cold. Still cold. Thank you very much. Turn now to a dramatic day in court in south carolina. Juries or viewed videotape confession from the avowed white supremacist charged with killing nine at a historically black church last year. Most detailed and disturbing account of why dylann roof opened fire from roofs own mouth. Nbcs Gabe Gutierrez has the latest. Reporter in his chilling confession, dylann roof said he considered himself a white supremacist, telling fbi agents i went to the church in charleston and you know, i did it. Then, later chuckling, well, i killed them, i guess. This is security video of roof entering charlestons ame church last year, he told investigators he chose the location because he thought it would resonate. He said the Trayvon Martin case woke him up. What i did is still minuscule to what theyre doing to white people every day he told fbi agents. Prosecutors showed jurors the confession on the third day of roofs federal trial where he is accused of 33 counts including hate crimes. Minutes before the massacre, during bible study, prosecutors said roof could be seen in this snap chat video. When the bloodshed was over, he quietly walked out gun in hand. I was in absolute awe that there was nobody out there, he told investigators. Adding that if officers had been waiting for him, he would have shot himself. Instead, Police Arrested him during a traffic stop the next day. And he seemed surprised when he was told nine Church Members had died. When the fbi agents asked him what he would tell the families of the victims he said, i couldnt even look at them. Investigators found the journal in his car with a swastika scrawled inside and this entry, i would love for there to be a race war. Roofs defense team is not disputing the facts of this case. Their goal to avoid the death penalty. It would be the first such punishment in a federal trial involving hate crimes. There is news concerning the biggest safety recall in u. S. History involving some 69 million defective car airbags. Government regulators say it is taking far too long to swap out the defective bags with new ones. So far less than 20 have been replaced. So today the department of transportation laid out a new plan to speed up the process. Deciding which cars get fixed first. Here is nbcs tom costello. Reporter next time you are on the road, look around. Roughly one out of every six cars has a potentially defective airbag made by takata. Airbags with Ammonium Nitrate inflaters under the right conditions can explode sending metal shrapnel flying into the front seat. Without enough parts replacing all 69 million airbags is taking far too lodge. Only 12. 5 million have been replaced so far. Now government regulators are picking up the pace. Imposing deadlines on the models that need to be fixed first. We actually have priority to make sure that people in the highest risk get their inflator first. Reporter as of today, 19 brands and multiple models included. Cars at least six years old and hot, humid states are most at risk of an expledding aexpled i exploding airbag. The list, based on age of the inflator, geographic location of the car, and whether driver or passenger airbag. So far, government investigators report 11 deaths, 180 injuries. As you can see it still has her dried blood on it. Reporter in texas attorneys for Serena Martinez said she suffered severe injuries when the airbag in her car exploded during a front end accident. I remember looking down and seeing blood all over my shirt. I thought i was going to bleed to death. Reporter tonight the airbag maker, takata tells nbc news it ramped up production and capacity of airbag replacement kits to meet demand. To find out if your airbag is under recall, your vehicle under recall, find your vehicle Identification Number there on the dashboard, then go to safercar. Gov. Type that in. The recall should show up and priority number should appear. Lester. This breaking news this evening in the scramble for secretary of state. Former new york mayor Rudy Giuliani is out of the running. As two other candidates are rising. A big decision for president elect trump to make. As he is also dealing with new scrutiny about his business ties as he prepares to take office. Lets get all the late details now from nbcs kristen welker. Reporter surprising news from trump world tonight. The president elect announcing loyalist, Rudy Giuliani will not join his cabinet. Mutual decision to do so. Giuliani telling fox news tonight. That was the only one i had any real interest in. Reporter giuliani lobbied hard for the job. Just a few weeks ago. But now joins Newt Gingrich and chris christie, as wouldbe shooins now on the outside of the new white house. The names at the top of trumps list for secretary of state, mitt romney, former antagonist turned supporter, and rex tillerson, ceo of exxon mobile. Today, sources tell nbc news mr. Trump plans to tap gary cohn, goldman saks number two as director of the economic council. New scrutiny of the president elects decision to stay on as executive producer of the apprentice. New host, arnold schwarzenegger. I dont think he is going to be cohosting with me. Even though maybe we have him as guest advisers or Something Like this. Nbc entertainment declined to comment noting mgm owns and produces the show. Donald is retaining his executive producer credit as he always has. Been the same way since season one. Reporter experts warn, trumps business entanglements could pose a problem. The Business World has seen this time and time again. Executives think they have the appearance of conflict. It turns dangerous and real quickly. Reporter mr. Trumps event here in michigan will be the fourth stop on his thank you tour. He will appear on stage with state party chair, the niece of mitt romney and leading candidate to become the next rnc chair. Lester. Thank you. Now to the unusual action taken by president obama. He is ordering u. S. Intelligence to produce a report with all the evidence suggesting the russian government used cyberattacks to try to influence the u. S. Election. President elect trump continues to voice doubts about that though 17 u. S. Intelligence agencies have pointed fingers at the kremlin. Nbc news Senior Investigative correspondent Cynthia Mcfadden has details. Reporter the president s extraordinary request was revealed this morning. The president has directed the Intelligence Community to conduct a full review of what happened during the 2016 election process. Reporter the president now wants a document which pulls together the evidence behind the intelligence agencys stunning announcement last fall they were confident the russian government at the highest level tried to affect the outcome of the u. S. Election. The request comes as congress is pressing for more details and after donald trump told Time Magazine this week he still doesnt buy russian involvement. I dont believe they interfered. It is an awkward situation. Surely mr. Trump doesnt want to give the russians any credit for his election. Added to that, intelligence officials who worked on the trump transition tell nbc news, trump distrust the intelligence agencies believing theyre political. But they also say mr. Trump has formed a unique bond with president obama. The white house hope is that this new report can help mr. Obama persuade mr. Trump the russians cannot be trusted. I think whats important from my perspective is the role this administration can play and the Intelligence Community can play in helping inform and prepare the next National Security team. Reporter how strong is the evidence pointing to the putin government . A Senior Intelligence official with direct knowledge tells nbc news, it is complex but clear. How mr. Trump reacts to that evidence will shape u. S. russian rerelations at a tense moment. Cynthia mcfadden, nbc news, new york. Overseas now, rebels appear on the brink of defeat in the bloody battle for aleppo. Syrian Government Forces claim to have seized almost all of the city, which was once a rebel stronghold. That leaves thousands of lives hanging in the balance. We get more from nbcs richard engel. Reporter the syrian governments longawaited and brutally fought total military victory in aleppo now seems close. Government forces control 93 of the city the Russian Military said today. So faced with what seems to be an almost certain defeat, thousand are crossing over to government territory. But they face an uncertain fate once they do. The u. N. Today said it has received reports of hundreds of men who have gone missing. Those who support the Syrian Regime will forever be associated with the fate of these men, some of whom are still boys. Reporter even dr. Farida told us tonight the last female doctor left in rebelheld east aleppo worries what the regime will do to her. Of course i am afraid. When they approach my house i just wait what they want to do with me. Reporter why are you still staying . Because i am doctor. I cant go out. There are some people that need me. Reporter but staying in eastern aleppo could mean dying anyway. Our camera followed this man with his wife when she collapsed. He prayed her last rites. She died a short time later. Secretary kerry tonight said whats happening in syria is the worst catastrophe since world war ii. For the rebels, aleppo was their biggest hope to bring down the regime. Now many there just hope to got out with their lives. Lester. Richard engel tonight. Thank you. Well take a break. In a moment, a warning over gift cards. More than half of american shoppers plan to give one this holiday season. Watch out they can be drained before theyre ever used. Well tell you what ugh. Heartburn. Sorry maam. No burning here. Try alkaseltzer heartburn relief gummies. They dont taste chalky and work fast. Mmmm. Incredible. Can i try . She doesnt have heartburn. Alkaseltzer heartburn relief gummies. Enjoy the relief. Can this much love be cleaned by a little bit of dawn ultra . Oh yeah one bottle has the grease cleaning power of two bottles of this bargain brand. A drop of dawn and grease is gone. Jay knows how to keep his nice shorts dad. They dont make em in adult sizes . This is what the pros wear. Look at the lines. Uhhh. Look at the other line. Mm. Mhh. Thats why he starts his day with those two scoops. In deliciously heart healthy kelloggs raisin bran. Ready to eat my dust . Too bad i already filled up on raisins. By taking steps towards a healthy heart, jay knows hell be ready for the turns ahead. Hey dont forget to put up your kickstand. Ring bell sighs. Kelloggs raisin bran. And try kelloggs raisin bran crunch now with more crunchy clusters. Via. Take viagra when theys wineed it. N. Ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough for sex. Do not take viagra if you take nitrates for chest pain or adempas® for pulmonary hypertension. Your Blood Pressure could drop to an unsafe level. To avoid longterm injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. Stop taking viagra and call your doctor right away if you experience a sudden decrease or loss in vision or hearing. Ask your doctor about viagra single packs. Back now with a buyer beware about one of the most popular gifts of the season. More than half of americans plan to give a gift card. But theyre not all created equal and americans let a lot of them go to waste. Nbcs jolene kent explains what you need to know to get the most for your money. Reporter for gift givers who hope to skip the Holiday Shopping frenzy, gift cards may seem like just the solution. In fact, 56 of americans plan on giving one this year. But tonight consumer experts are warning, receiving a gift card comes with strings attached. If you give someone a gift card that has lets say 50 on it. Not just 50 until the end of times, there is an Expiration Date. Kerry shank didnt know that. She was saving 400 worth of gift cards for something special. When she went to use them, she says the value was zapped to nearly zero. I was really frustrate the. I thought it was ridiculous. Reporter there is a lot of fine print that goes with a gift card including builtin fees and Expiration Dates. Not all gift cards work the same way. The cash value can drop if theyre not u used within a stated period of time. Like, 90 days. Traditional gift cards usually do not decline in value and show Expiration Date much further into the future like 2024. 1 billion in gift cards was wasted last year. Last thing you want to do is give someone a gift they ever end up using. Reporter before you give or receive a gift card this holiday season, experts recommend, make sure it is a gift card and not a prepaid debit card. Buy directly from a retailer or brand. Not from a second hand source. Always read the terms of agreement before you buy or use a gift card. Reading the fine print to prevent a holiday headache. Jolene kent, nbc news, new york. Up next here tonight how a secret santa m with my moderate to severe ulcerative colitis, the possibility of a flare was almost always on my mind. Thinking about what to avoid, where to go. And how to deal with my uc. To me, that was normal. Until i talked to my doctor. She told me that humira helps people like me get uc under control and keep it under control when certain medications havent worked well enough. Humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. Serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened; as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. Before treatment, get tested for tb. Tell your doctor if youve been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if youve had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flulike symptoms or sores. Dont start humira if you have an infection. Raise your expectations. Ask your gastroenterologist about humira. With humira, control is possible. Impressive linda. It seems age isnt slowing you down. But your immune system weakens as you get older increasing the risk for me, the shingles virus. Ive been lurking inside you since you had chickenpox. I could surface anytime as a painful, blistering rash. One in three people get me in their lifetime, linda. Will it be you . And thats why linda got me zostavax, a single shot vaccine. Im working to boost lindas immune system to help protect her against you, shingles. Zostavax is a vaccine used to prevent shingles in adults fifty years of age and older. Zostavax does not protect everyone and cannot be used to treat shingles or the nerve pain that may follow it. You should not get zostavax if you are allergic to gelatin or neomycin, have a weakened immune system or take high doses of steroids are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. The most common side effects include redness, pain, itching, swelling, hard lump warmth or bruising at the injection site and headache. Its important to talk to your doctor about what situations you may need to avoid since zostavax contains a weakened chickenpox virus. Remember one in three people get shingles in their lifetime, will it be you . Talk you to your doctor or pharmacist about me, single shot zostavax. Youve got a shot against shingles. Single shot zostavax. He wears his army hat, he gets awalks aroundliments. With his army shirt looking all nice. And then people just say, thank you for serving our country and im like, thats my dad. Male vo no one deserves a warmer welcome home. Thats why were hiring 10,000 members of the military community by the end of 2017. Im very proud of him. Male vo comcast. If you still have one of the recalled Samsung Galaxy note 7 smart phones, listen up, samsung plans to force you to stop using the phones that have batteries that could explode. December 19, samsung will release an update. The biggest carrier, verizon says it wont push the update out because it doesnt want customers to be without a phone in an emergency. Holiday surprise for shoppers at a pennsylvania walmart. Employees say a secret santa paid off 194 layaway accounts for a total of 46,000. It happened at a store in everett, 100 miles southeast of pittsburgh. Employees are calling customers to tell them the good news. Tonight, 100 reasons to celebrate for a legendary american star, spartacus, kirk douglas, one of the all time greats from hollywoods golden era turned 100 years old today. Birthday wishes pouring in including son actor Michael Douglas and katherine zita jones. Our best wishes to him tonight. Up next the inspiration for oscar contender. Mone hundredts thousand times a day, sending oxygen to my muscles. Again so i can lift even the most demanding weight. Take care of all your most important parts with centrum. Now verified non gmo and gluten free. 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Finally tonight, there have been many stories told about the men who had the right stuff for americas space program. But coming soon to theers the lesser known story of the africanamerican women at nasa who made the countdowns possible. Nbcs rehema ellis has more in our inspiring america report. You have identification on you. Nasa, sir. Nasa, i had no idea they hired reporter neither did the star of the new film called hidden figures. Here we have these women who changed the course of america. The history of this nation. And we dont know about them. Reporter henson plays Katherine Johnson now 98 one of the black women at nasa that did the math that put men in space. Growing up in west virginia, numbers were always on johnsons mind. I counted everything. I counted plates when i washed dishes. Reporter she graduated college at 18. Then on to nasa becoming an unsung hero behind Historic Missions by Alan Shepherd and john glenn. I feel fine. Reporter who insisted she verify the computers calculations before his first orbit around the earth. He knew that if i had done it it was right. Reporter charles baldin its the head of nasa. We would not have had a Human Space Flight Program i dont think had it not been for katherine jon. Reporter how surprised do you think people were that it was a black woman . Shocked. Shocked. Remember when she walked in the control center she was the only black in there. Quite naturally they thought she was a maid. Reporter in the 1960s, jim crow america, even the scientists were segregated. But nearly 30 years later, awarded the president ial medal of freedom. The trail blazer is this astronauts role model. You look lovely in what you are wearing. The only reason i look lovely is because you made it possible. Reporter Katherine Johnsons daughters are proud. Every day i know how lucky i am. And its been a joy. Reporter a remarkable life of a humble pioneer now on the big screen. No longer hidden from history. Rehema ellis, nbc news, hampton, virginia. That is going to do it for us on a friday night. Im lester holt, for kri kri an angel evena and kanye come out of hiding. They each reemerged on extra. Extra, extra. Extra. The first kanye sighting since his break down. His hair bleached. New details on his surprise night out without kim. And angelina out of exclusion as her divorce war continues too rage. Ivanka quitting trump inc. To work in the white house . Plus. Call me. Why Kellyanne Conway is sending a message to bruno mars and justin timberlake. Fresh off her wild car pool care yokea, our interview with mdonna. How are you, madonna . So good. Her take on president elect trump and the truth about her rekindled romance with sean penn. New video, the moment sparks first flew between mariah and her new man. How are you . Mariah, still engaged at the time. How many clues the cameras caught during the flirt fest. Then. Only on extra. Our Adam Glassman has sjp, what she is feeling about the return of carrie bradshaw. What is happening with sex in the city three . That is your exclusive. Got my number. How far is shamar moore wiin