Transcripts For WRC NBC Nightly News With Lester Holt 20171208

After president trumps decision on jerusalem. Richard engel is there. And bitcoin bonanza. Its value suddenly skyrocketing. But what is it . And how are so many people making so much money so fast . This is nbc nightly news with lester holt. Good evening from ventura, and a neighborhood where, as you can see around me, the largest of four major wildfires burning in Southern California has already left its calling card of charred destruction. But fire is on the move virtually all around us tonight from the ocean to the desert to the mountains. 20,000 homes are threatened as the number already destroyed the feared to rise into the hundreds. Facing erratic winds which range at times from calm in some places to hurricaneforce gusts in others taunt crews as they work feverishly to control the wildfires. Nbc news has multiple teams on the ground. Our national [000 01 58;00] coverage from the northern end of this fire in ojai. Miguel, whats the situation there now . Reporter lester, good evening. Were standing here with firefighters who are moving on this blaze which is moving in multiple directions. As you can see here the battle. In a matter of minutes. The winds are at 80 miles per hour. Right now there is no stopping this blaze. It happened again overnight. Flames racing towards the popular resort town ojai. Firestorms raining down on communities throughout Southern California. This is exactly what firefighters feared. Powerful santa ana winds fanning flames in every direction. Evacuees by the thousands scrambling from their homes. This hospital emptied in the middle of the night. Today reinforcements coming to join 5500 firefighters attacking from the ground. Its backbreaking work in apocalyptic conditions spreading across hundreds of miles of dry terrain. Nbc las Eliana Moreno is over the coast. The fire has making its way all the way to the ocean and affecting these Beachside Community homes. Reporter four massive wildfires with no control in sight. And now a new front outside san diego. Its hot embers flying through the air is igniting spot fires like this one. Theyre incredibly intense, and they can wipe out a neighborhood in minutes. Tonight in this tortured landscape, many realizing theyll spend the holidays rebuilding their lives. I was too scared to be afraid for my life, i think. I was shocked. Reporter Patricia Hampton and her family lost a lifetime of memories in minutes. It was so thick and the fires were huge. Reporter wind gusts up to 70 miles per hour. Unpredictable and explosive, limiting the air attack. We may have as little as five minutes before the fire shows up. Its very quick, its dangerous, its critical. Reporter with 125,000 acres already charred, smoke is pouring across Southern California, visible from the space station. The air quality so toxic more than 400 schools are closed. Stretches of highway 101 were shut down. Ive been here 30 years, and i never saw anything like this. Reporter with 20,000 homes still in the path of fire, tonight the battle has just begun. Miguel almaguer, nbc news, Ventura County. Im Jacob Soboroff along the 101 freeway in ventura, california. This is the new front line of the thomas engulfed over 90,000 acres here in Ventura County. There have been over 50,000 people who have been evacuated from this area. With the winds expected to get what cal fire is calling to epic levels. There are no signs of this fire letting up any time soon. This wind event is a historic wind event for our county and the destruction that its created. With the drought years that weve had, just a bad combination. Reporter this is a multiagency response partially because so many homes, lives, property are at risk. These homes on the beach are in the immediate path of the destruction right now, but with the shift of the winds at any minute they could, too, go up in flames and the direction could change. These palm trees just a moment ago were not ablaze, and that changed just like that, lester. Jacob soboroff, thank you. The term were all in this together is no Ventura County where at least five firefighters have suffered personal losses, homes and property, in this explosive wildfire, yet they remain focused on the bigger task at hand, defending the entire community that they call home. As his team, seen in this video, battle to save homes on one front of this raging fire, a friend was manning a separate front in captain tom lanskis neighborhood. I asked him to go by and check my house, and he text me back saying, sorry, you know, tommy, its gone. Reporter his family safely evacuated with what they could. Lanski stayed with his team. Knowing my family was okay is how i could focus on my job. Reporter what was saved from the 2900 square foot home right here some christmas ornaments. Reporter wont even cover the bed of a pickup truck. Youve seen this more times than you could probably count. Did you ever, ever imagine it would be you and your family . I honestly never thought it would be our home. I always thought our home would be fine. I thought this area would be fine. Reporter your wife hasnt been up here. My wife hasnt been [000 06 59;00] right there getting out. So reporter ill give you a moment. Im sorry. Sorry, too. Reporter amazingly, the street that captain lanski lived on served as a funnel. The fire raced down a canyon and hit this area. Amazingly, some structures some structures completely untouched while every other house around destroyed. Nothing but embers. The random nature of wildfires, what they spare and what they take, was something this veteran firefighter and his family understood better than most, but living it is something else. While this is burning, you were saving other homes. Do you take some solace in that . Yeah, thats the kind of person that my husband is. Hes yep, always willing to go and try to take care of everyone all the time. Im really proud of him. Hes my hero. Reporter captain lanski is getting his family resettled and is eager to rejoin the firefight tomorrow. By the way, tuesday, the day of that fire, was his 49th birthday. Tonight two students are dead and investigators are searching for answers after an attacker opened fire at a high school in new mexico. Another burst of violence at an American School with all too familiar scenes of students running for safety. Nbcs joe fryer has our report. Reporter the day was just Getting Started inside Aztec High School when gunfire erupted. As soon as we hear like the second guns shot, it like shoots through my classroom and busts a window, through the wall. Reporter the Northwestern New Mexico school is nearly 200 miles from albuquerque. Get down. Reporter as shots rang out, students quickly took cover. The next thing we knew our teachers are yelling for us to get in the closet right now, and that it was gunshots. Reporter Authorities Say two students were shot and killed. This, it hits you in the heart. We do have a possible suspect in the 800, 900 building second floor. Reporter the suspect also died, but investigators are not yet saying how. Nervous parents gathered outside city hall looking for information and waiting to reunite with their kids. A rural tightknit community now the latest scene of a Deadly School shooting. Joe fryer, nbc news. Tonight al franken has confirmed he is resigning from the u. S. Senate facing a wave of pressure from within his own party to step down amid accusations of groping and inappropriate sexual behavior. Franken taking to the senate floor to announce his decision and leaving with a few pointed words. Nbcs kasie hunt is at the capitol. Reporter former snl star al franken tonight announcing hell soon be a former senator. In the coming weeks, i will be resigning as a member of the United States senate. Reporter franken had been fighting to keep hisob seven women came forward to accuse him of Sexual Misconduct. Too many for 15 women senators who demanded he step down. Enough is enough. Reporter franken insisting today he did nothing wrong. Some of the allegations against me are simply not true. Others i remember very differently. Reporter but this photo of franken on a uso tour in 2006 with a sleeping leeann tweeden, for which he apologized, unleashed a half dozen more accusations. He had put his arm around me, and he ended up groping my right breast. Reporter franken calling out his rival party. I am leaving while a man who has bragged on tape about his history of Sexual Assault sits in the oval office and a man who has repeatedly preyed on young girls campaigns for the senate with the full support of his party. Reporter republicans in a tough spot if roy moore, who accusations of Sexual Misconduct with teenagers, wins the Alabama Senate race next tuesday. And tonight, another republican congressman, trent franks of arizona, announcing he will resign from Congress Next month as the Ethics Committee says theyre investigating him for possible Sexual Misconduct. Lester . Kasie hunt at the capitol tonight, thank you. Now to the standoff over money in washington. President trump hosting congressional leaders in the oval office including Democratic Leaders Chuck Schumer and nancy pelosi or chuck and nancy as the president is fond of calling them. Both sides tried to reach a deal to avert a government shutdown. Hallie jackson is at the white house. What came out of this meeting today . Reporter bottom line, lester, no shutdown at least for now. Thats because late today Congress Passed a bill that keeps the lights on for the next two weeks. So this punts the big budget battle to december 22nd, right before the holidays. President met with Top Republicans and democrats today to talk through next steps including Chuck Schumer and nancy pelosi. Remember, they bailed on an invitation here last week over frustration over one of the president s tweets. This time there was plenty of talking, just not a lot of agreement. Republicans pushing for more military spending, democrats looking for immigration concessions. Im told both sides committed to keep the conversation going. Lester . Hallie jackson, thank you. Now to the sentence handed down in one of the major cases that sparked a National Conversation about police and race. A federal judge ordering a former South Carolina Police Officer to serve 20 years in prison for the Fatal Shooting caught on camera of an unarmed man who was black. Nbcs Gabe Gutierrez has followed the story from the beginning. Reporter today a federal judge ruled former North Charleston Police Officer Michael Slager committed Second Degree murder when he shot walter scott multiple times in the back in april of 2015 captured on video. Tonight scotts mother is grateful for th sentence. And i am rejoicing, and im glad in it. Reporter in federal court, slager had pleaded guilty to violating scotts civil rights after jurors deadlocked in the states murder trial a year ago. The defense argued the shooting was selfdefense after scott ran from a traffic stop. His laugh. We never get to hear that laugh again. Reporter the sentence a milestone in other cases of alleged Police Misconduct from ferguson, to baltimore, to charlotte, no convictions. To receive some jail time that actually is incredible. Reporter today for first time an emotional slager told the scott family he took responsibility, and he thanked them for their forgiveness. Gabe gutierrez, nbc news. In the middle east violence erupting over president trumps controversial decision for the u. S. To recognize jerusalem as the capital of israel and becoming the only country to move its embassy there. Richard engel is i the thick of it tonight. Reporter this was day one of president trumps new plan which he says will foster peace in the middle east. But peace was in short supply today. Palestinians rejecting the president s declaration that jerusalem is israels capital. You can see theyve been lighting fires here. Theyre burning tires using the smoke to provide a smokescreen. Palestinians threw stones at israeli troops. The troops fired rubber bullets and tear gas. Theres talk of a new uprising starting, what palestinians call an intefadeh. They say they tried the peace route for decades but president trumps remarks show it didnt work. This could be become an Armed Conflict said one of the young stone throwers. Anything is possible. Clashes are expected here in jerusalem tomorrow. Palestinians say theyve lost confidence in the United States ability to be an honest so now theyre looking for a new way to achieve their goal of a state with East Jerusalem as its capital. Lester . Richard engel, thank you. And still ahead inside the bitcoin boom. The virtual money skyrocketing in value. Surging over a thousand percent this year. But is it a safe investment for you . Well be back. A wealth of information. A wealth of perspective. A wealth of opportunities. Thats the clarity you get from fidelity wealth management. Straightforward advice, tailored recommendations, taxefficient investing strategies, and a dedicated advisor to help you grow and protect your wealth. Fidelity wealth management. To help you grow and protect your wealth. When this guy got a flat tire in the middle of the night, so he got home safe. Yeah, my dad says our insurance doesnt have that. What . you can leave worry behind when liberty stands with you™. Liberty mutual insurance. D tried the patch. 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Many insurance plans cover chantix for a low or 0 copay. Were back now with whats being called the bitcoin boom. Its suddenly all the rage. The Digital Currency has exploded in popularity this year. And just in the past two days its value has soared a whopping 40 . A lot of people are making a lot of money, but what is bitcoin and why are some experts so worried . Heres nbcs tom costello. I think bitcoin helped us pay for that item. Reporter in indianapolis sierra and brads plans for a big june wedding have suddenly gotten a lot bigger after her dads 10,000 bet on bitcoins quadrupled just since october. As a matter of fact, why dont we go even bigger . Lets go grander. [000 17 58;00] at debit card. Theres no bitcoin cash. Its virtual money that travels the world but without any country or Central Bank Backing it up. Its simply worth what others will pay for it. And this year theyre paying a lot. Up 1600 since january. Going from the currency of criminals to mainstream with some very big names starting to accept it as payment. And convertible into dollars. Despite its meteoric rise, the question here on wall street is whether bitcoins are good investment for average americans or is it a bubble ready to burst . Skeptics include billionaire Warren Buffett and the ceo of jpmorgan chase. I could care less what bitcoin trades for, how it trades, why it trades, who trades it. If youre stupid enough to buy it, youll pay the price for it one day. Reporter many Investment Advisers say families and small investors should use caution. Its a gamble. Its a gamble that might give you better upside odds than sierra and brad i feel fortunate and lucky that were doing it at the right time. Reporter a fathers bitcoin bet will make for a dream wedding. Tom costello, nbc news, new york. Coming up, will the winter games be safe for americas olympians . The new questions being raised by the Trump Administration. 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Just over 60 days to go until the 2018 Winter Olympics kick off in south korea, but the Trump Administration is now raising possible safety concerns over americas participation in the games which take place just 50 miles from the dmz bordering north korea. Nbcs Kristen Welker has details. Reporter a game plan in question. When u. N. Ambassador nikki haley seemed to suggest the u. S. May not participate in the Winter Olympics. Theres an open question. Its always about how do we protect the u. S. Citizens in the area. Reporter the Olympic Committee saying there hadnt been any discussions about not attending. And more confusion at the white e. Decision has been made on that. Reporter but moments later a clarification. Press secretary Sarah Sanders tweeting, the u. S. Looks forward to participating in the Winter Olympics in south korea stressing safety and security. A u. S. Official telling nbc news haleys comments were taken out of context. Still, it all underscores the escalating tensions with north korea. With comparisons to 1980 when the u. S. Joined more than 60 countries to boycott the games in moscow. The reality now the u. S. Does not want to boycott an ally. The entire world comes together around sport. Thats kind of the spirit of the olympics. Reporter the athletes now ready to carry the torch. Kristen welker, nbc news, the white house. History tonight down under. Weeks after a nationwide referendum showed overwhelming support, Australias Parliament has voted to legalize gay marriage. After tears of joy flowed in the halls of parliament where supporters gathered to hear the news, the government said samesex couples will be able to apply to marry starting on saturday. Up next here tonight, the rescue going viral. The man taking a big risk to save something so small. One of the many heroes here in california. 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Try new alkaseltzer plus sore throat relief. The melts dissolve quickly. Plus, the powerful pain reliever provides longlasting relief for up to six hours. Try new alkaseltzer plus. Finally tonight, this kind of damage is certainly a personal loss deeply felt throughout this community. Neighbors grieving with one another. But so many people are rising to the occasion including some real heroes looking out for the smallest among us. Heres kristen dahlgren. Reporter as the inferno rages along this roadside, a dramatic rescue. A Good Samaritan jumping over flames, falling hes saving an animal. Reporter all to save a tiny wild bunny. The video now viral, but the hero opting to stay anonymous. One of the ordinary stepping up under extraordinary circumstances. Watch this reporter five High School Friends grabbed garden hoses ducking embering and dangerous smoke to fight back the flames. The house belonging to a complete stranger. It wasnt even their town. Either you help or you kind of stay in the background and leave. You know, for us, its just kind of second nature. Reporter with wildfires spreading, so were the stories of incredible bravery. No man or animal left behind. Whether its horses or a car full of kittens. And on social media, not always the nicest of places, today generosity overflows. Use my truck. Leave your animals with me. Ive got a spare room. What can i do to help . Sometimes when Mother Nature is at her can be at its best. Kristen dahlgren, nbc news, camarillo, california. The expressions of humanity that remind you this place will come back. That is nightly news for this thursday night from here in california. Im lester holt. For all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching and good night. Nbc sports, home of the Winter Olympics, the nhl, premier league, the nascar playoffs, primetimes number one show, sunday night football and super bowl lii on nbc. Atlanta, high stakes at 75 matt ryan and the falcons are on the playoff bubble. Tonight, they host drew brees and the divisionleading new orleans saints