lawmaker barred from speaking on the floor. a pastor killed, police say, by a man he stopped to help it turned out to be an inmate escaped from jail the violent standoff and manhunt ongoing. menopause and money. the new data on the billions in lost work. how some businesses are changing their thinking and a song that echoes through the past the violins that survived the holocaust and the people who saved them announcer: this is nbc nightly news with lester holt good evening, and welcome. it is like the worst of winter in reverse as excessive snow melt poses a rising disaster threat in parts of the country tonight. along the mississippi river, flood warnings up from st. paul to north of st. louis in places like davenport, an agonizing wait for residents powerless to halt the creeping waters still days before the river is expected to crest. almost 2,000 miles away, the atmospheric rivers that brought massive snowpacks to california s high country are gone, but war
forcing evacuations with the worst still days away. in california, communities bracing for epic flooding there from the meltdown of record snow. plus, tens of millions in texas and florida on the lookout for tornadoes and large hail. also tonight, the woman who accused former president trump of rape and defamation takes the stand in his civil trial. what she says about their alleged encounter years ago. the former president s denial. disney fires back suing florida governor ron desantis in their feud about free speech and the future of disney world. just breaking, republicans in the montana legislature punish a transgender lawmaker barred from speaking on the floor. the pastor killed, police say, by a man he stopped to help. it turned out to be an inmate escaped from jail. the violent standoff and manhunt ongoing. menopause and money. the new data on the billions in lost work. how some businesses are changing their thinking. and a song that echoes through the
Here s laura jarrett. reporter: e. jean carroll taking the stand in a packed courtroom today telling a manhattan jury, quote, i m here because donald trump raped me, and when i wrote about it, he said it didn t happen. it s a disturbing allegation the former president has always denied. today the longtime advice columnist told the jury of six men and three women what began as a chance encounter at bergdorf goodman soon turned violent. she believes it happened in 1996 but can t say for sure. what she does recall is it started with playful banter as trump wanted her help buying a gift, the two joked about trying on lingerie. she told the jury the next thing she knew, he shoved her against the wall of a dressing room. quote, i was pushing him back. it was quite clear that i didn t want anything else to happen. then she says he assaulted her. an accusation carroll described many times before. i thought it hurt, it was against my will. reporter: she told the jury she confided