lester? >> all right, richard engel in jerusalem, thank you. >>> tonight the white house is trying to prevent a wider war in the region after iran's attack on israel. it comes as protests broke out coast-to-coast here at home against president biden's policies in the israel-hamas war. we get more from gabe gutierrez. >> reporter: tonight, the pressure is mounting on the biden administration over the war in gaza. hundreds of pro-palestinian protesters today blocked traffic on new york's brooklyn bridge with several arrests. >> oh, good. >> reporter: police say protesters near chicago's o'hare international airport today substantially delayed travelers, and on san francisco's golden gate bridge, multiple arrests after protesters snarled traffic there for hours. the demonstrations come as president biden touts what he calls an unprecedented military effort to defend israel. >> together with our partners, we defeated that attack. >> reporter: in the oval office today, he met with iraq's prime min

lester. >> all right. hallie jackson, thanks. >>> let's turn to tonight's other top story, israel saying today it will respond after iran launched that barrage of missiles and drones, almost all of them shot down by israel. richard engel is in israel with the latest. >> reporter: 48 hours after iran attacked israel with hundreds of drones and missiles, israel tonight is vowing to strike back. an israeli official telling nbc news a response could be imminent. while touring a base that was lightly damaged, the only known damage in israel, the chief of staff of the israeli army today said. >> iran will face the consequences for its actions. we will choose our response accordingly. >> reporter: that announcement came after prime minister benjamin netanyahu held a second war cabinet meeting in two days. throughout his career, netanyahu has advocated for a tough approach against iran, including military action, and this is a pivotal moment for him. a senior israeli official telling nbc news that the cabinet agre

>> reporter: yeah, lester, that's right. you know, the house has already passed legislation that would force the chinese company that owns tiktok to sell off its stake in the company within six manned in the united states. lawmakers are g extending that window of time whermpany would have to divest in the company to one year. the six-month bill currently stalled in the senate. this new bill up for a vote this weekend is expected to pass. that's despite an tiktok to prevent the legislation from becoming law. lester. >> all right, ank you. >>> in new york, n protests r more than 100 peop encampment set up by demonstrators. an late developments. >> reporter: it's day columbia univers demonstrat campus and off app to grow.o] student protesters et up new encampments on the new one day after columbia's president, minouche shafik, called in the nypd to clear an encampment of pro-palestinian demonstrators leading to the arrest of 114 classmates, many who will get their day in court in may. those dramatic arrests ratcheted up the ten

lester. >> all right. angie, thank you. >>> well, for most part of the week he has sat in a new york courtroom, a former president listening to the claims about the relationships and the money prosecutors say are at the heart of the criminal case against him. late today donald trump's executive assistant took the stand. here's laura jarrett. >> reporter: tonight, the prosecution closing out the first week of testimony by offering the jury a peek inside the inner workings of the trump organization from one of the people who knows the former president best. the state briefly calling ronna graff, mr. trump's longtime executive assistant to the stand this afternoon. graff confirming contacts were saved on the company's computer system for karen mcdougal and stormy, an apparent reference to stormy daniels. prosecutors say both women were shopping stories of sex with mr. trump ahead of the 2016 election, encounters he denies. >> are you nervous about stormy daniels' testimony? >> reporter: at the heart of the ca

lester? >> blayne alexander, thank you. >>> tens of millions are in the crosshairs of severe weather tonight and tomorrow in the midwest and south from the same storm that caused major flooding and surprisingly heavy snow in california over the weekend. al roker is tracking it for us. al, a dangerous situation brewing. >> in fact, lester, it is developing right now. a volatile situation. we have 8 million people under tornado watches from st. louis, kansas city down to oklahoma city and just north of dallas until late tonight. and then we've also got, as you can see, this line of showers and thunderstorms moving into the midwest. flood watches for 16 million people. tonight we are really concerned about this area right in central oklahoma where we've got damaging hail, wind gusts, nocturnal tornadoes. these are twice as deadly as daytime tornadoes. fort smith, joplin, st. louis, poplar bluff, and then we move into tomorrow. the threat ramps up to 55 million people in the upper ohio river vall

>> reporter: yeah, lester, that's right. you know, the house has already passed legislation that would force the chinese company that owns tiktok to sell off its stake in the company within six months or be banned in the united states. lawmakers are now proposing extending that windo where the parent divest in the company to one year. the six-month bill currently stalled in the senate. this new bill up for a vote this weekend is expected to pass. that's despite an aggressive public relations campaign by legislation from becoming law. lester. >> all right, ryan nobles, thank you.in new york protests one day aftern 100 p were arrested asn demonstrators. antonia hylton has late devel >> reporter: it's day three of protests columbia university as campus and off appear [ crowd chanting ]r: student protesters have set up new en new york city campus, just one columbia's president, minouche shafik, called in the nypd to clear an initial encampment of pro-palestinian demonstrators leading to the arrest of 113 people, many who will ge

lester. >> maggie vespa, thank you. >>> let's bring in dylan dreyer now. she's in lower manhattan where rainy and windy conditions are picking up tonight. dylan. >> reporter: they certainly are, lester. the rain has been coming down hard. we've had thunder and lightning. severe storms are still a possibility across the mid-atlantic. this whole storm system produces a lot of rain as it moves through tonight and tomorrow, so we still have 39 million people under flood watches. now, on the back side of this storm as it pulls away, winds will increase. the threat of snow increases, and then more rain is going to fill in back through the mid-atlantic. we could see wind gusts along the coast up to 65 miles per hour with an additional 2 to 3 inches of rain possible across new england, and if we get one to two feet of snow, lester, up across new england, this could be the biggest snowstorm we've seen so far this season, and, of course, it's now april. >> all right, thank you, dylan. >>> israel is facing growing outrage after its air strikes in gaza killed an ameri

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lester? >> all r us off, thank you. and mr. trump's first criminal trial resumed in new york with more telisher of "the national enquirer" about that payment to an adult film star. here is vaughn hillyard. >> reporter: on his third day on the stand, former "national enquirer" publisher of david pecker told the jury he refused to catch and kill stormy daniels' story about her relationship with then candidate donald trump. pecker said he told his right hand man at "the enquirer" not to pay daniels the $120,000 she was seeking, because they'd already shelled out tens of thousands of dollars to keep other stories about mr. trump quiet. if anyone should buy it, pecker said, it should be donald trump and michael cohen, trump's former fixer. pecker says when he told cohen, quote, he was upset and responded that the boss -- that's referring to trump -- would be furious with me. pecker said today he believed mr. trump or his company had paid daniels until cohen told him in december of 2016 that he was

lester? >> laura jarrett, thanks. >>> tonight, tens of millions are under threat of severe weather and it's hit parts of the midwest hard with more than 20 tornadoes reported. priya sridhar has late details. >> reporter: the severe storms ripped across the plains, with at least 22 reported tornadoes across four states -- kansas, iowa, nebraska, and missouri. residents capturing these terrifying images as menacing funnel clouds approached. the suspected tornadoes leaving a trail of damage in their wake. scary moments for drivers in iowa who filmed a moment a possible twister crossed a highway. >> that's a big old tornado. >> reporter: near smithville, missouri, several roofs were torn off buildings and this camper flipped over. debris now scattered throughout the town. at least two people have been injured in the storm. the area was also hit by strong thunderstorms with golf ball-sized hail and wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour. tonight, the region bracing for more severe weather with mill

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lester? >> all right, morgan, thank you. for more on the severe weather threat tonight, let's bring in al roker. this threat will continue through tonight and even tomorrow. >> that's right, lester. this is just what we were talking about last night at this time. you can see this large area stretching from ohio all the way down to mississippi. we have tornado watches in effect that lasts into late tonight. 41 million people under flood watches from indiana all the way to the northeast. and we've got winter weather advisories, 10 million people from the great lakes all the way into new england, with some blizzard warnings possible. 53 million people at risk. wind gusts of 70 miles per hour, hail, and look at this wide area of possible ef-2 tornadoes from columbus all the way down to dothan. atlanta is in there, as well. rainfall amounts, 1 to 3 inches of rain through tomorrow. but look at this snow, lester, in the new england area, 1 to 2 inches of snow per hour. upwards of a foot and a half.

lester? >> vaughn hillyard, thank you. >>> new protests flaring up across the country today as pro-palestinian demonstrations escalated, and more people were arrested. and with graduation season practically here, liz kreutz reports schools are making tough choices. >> we will not go! >> reporter: in an unprecedented move, the university of southern california tonight canceling this year's main commencement ceremony, attended by roughly 65,000 people, citing new safety measures put in place amid protests on campus. this stunning decision coming a day after nearly 100 protesters were arrested for trespassing after a contentious rally where pro-palestinian demonstrators clashed with police. >> even if they have to cancel every single commencement, that's up to them. >> reporter: the tabassum c school's administration had already canceled the graduation speech for their pro-palestinian valedictorian asna tabassum, citing safety concerns. coast-to-coast protests growing from george washington univ

lester? >> hallie jackson, thanks. >>> we're tracking severe storms moving up the east coast tonight, after producing a confirmed tornado today in northern florida. powerful winds tearing through this backyard, whipping around lawn furniture and debris. first responders using boats to rescue stranded residents. those storms moving north, causing flooding in charleston and savannah. >>> let's turn now to our exclusive reporting on a potential terror threat here at home involving a man on the terror watch list who crossed the southern border, but was arrested, then released into the u.s. and he is not the only one. here's julia ainsley. >> reporter: tonight, an alarming development on the border crisis. among the record number of migrants crossing the southern border was a member of an afghan terror organization who was released into the u.s. by border agents, according to u.s. officials. 48-year-old mohammad kharwin illegally crossed into california in march of last year. his name is on a u.s.

lester? >> all right, yamiche, thank you. >>> let's turn to the 2024 presidential campaign. today, prominent members of the kennedy family endorsed president biden, even >> reporter: today with his opponent stuck in court, president bi though robert f. kennedy jr. is running against him. gabe gutierrez reports. visions for america. trump's vision is about an >> reporter: today, with his opponent endorsement kennedy family members, even one stuck in court, president biden on the attack in battleground pennsylvania. >> the 2024 election is about two fundamentally different visions for family's e america. trump's vision is one of anger, hate, revenge, and retribution. >> reporter: the campaign touting the endorsement of 15 kennedy family members, even though one of their own, robert f. kennedy jr., is running against him as an independent. >> the best way forward for america is to re-elect joe biden and kamala harris to four more years. >> reporter: responding to his family's endorsement of his

i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. good night.seca n >>> i'm raj mathai. next on nbc bay area news tonight, an unprecedented move in the fight against fentanyl. two roommates are now charged with murder after a baby dies of an overdose. will this new tactic work? we're joined by the santa clara county district attorney jeff rosen. >>> also, is it a culture of bullying at a

i'm lester holt.are of yourself and each [ ♪♪♪ ] ♪ swear i couldn't sleep a wink last night♪♪ ♪ no point in turnin' off the lights♪♪ ♪not the same without your head on my shoulders♪♪ ♪ growin' pains but i don't wanna get older♪♪ ♪ almost like we left it all on read♪♪ ♪ couple feelings never laid to rest♪♪ ♪ didn't know that the party was over♪♪ ♪ and it's true that i need you here closer♪♪ ♪ i hope you're getting everything you needed♪♪ ♪ (needed)♪♪ ♪ found the puzzle piece and feel completed♪♪ ♪ (completed)♪♪ ♪ just wanted you to know every reason♪♪ ♪ hope you know that i mean that♪♪ ♪ i couldn't see♪♪ ♪ the forest from the trees♪♪ ♪ only time we speak♪♪ ♪ is in my dreams♪♪ ♪ burning photos♪♪ ♪ had to learn to let go♪♪ ♪ i used to be♪♪ ♪ somebody in another skin♪♪ ♪ (another skin)♪♪ ♪ i heard that you're happy without me♪♪ ♪ and i hope it's true♪♪ ♪ (i hope i hope it's true)♪♪ ♪ it kills me a little that's okay♪♪ ♪ 'cause i'd die for you♪♪ ♪ you know i'd still die for you♪♪ [ ♪♪♪ ] [ applause ] [ app

lester? >> indeed. michelle, thank you. >>> at america's college campuses new deadlines, defiance and arrests as protests against the israel-hamas war expanded even more from coast to coast. liz kreutz now with late developments. >> reporter: tonight at university of texas austin police one by one detaining pro-palestinian protesters. law enforcement tying up this demonstrator by their hands, dragging them out of their encampment while screaming. >> you're choking me! >> reporter: the university says protesters ignored repeated directives from administration and that a majority of the protesters are believed to be unaffiliated with the school. so far more than 1,000 people have been arrested since the demonstrations across college campuses against the war in gaza began. at ucla hundreds of students and faculty walking out of class in support of the protests. >> these students say there are hundreds of them, they were not able to get into the encampment. so they are now attempting to storm one

>> reporter: yeah, lester, we spoke to voters on both sides. they are now galvanized just like we saw when roe v. wade was overturned. one voter tells me, she wants the state constitution to reflect not 1864, but 2024, lester. >> dana griffin, thank you. >>> we'll turn now to the breaking news out of philadelphia. multiple people shot at a celebration marking the end of the muslim holy month of ramadan. tonight, five people are under arrest, most of them minors. here's george solis. >> reporter: tonight, gunfire erupting outside a ramadan event in philadelphia. >> we got an active shooting going on alt this time. >> reporter: at least three people were shot near a mosque where an estimated 1,000 people were gathered to celebrate eid, the end of the holy month. >> they observed three males and a female running, and they stopped those individuals, and we recovered four weapons. >> reporter: an officer firing at a fifth suspect, a 15-year-old man armed according to police. >> it was unexpected, like, people were jumping under tables and going unde

i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other.eir store is all boarded up now after a car slammed into it during a br

i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. good night.

i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. you for watching. please take care of yourself and each other. good night. >>> i'm raj mathai. next on "nbc bay area news tonight," here comes the rain. we're tracking the timeline of this storm as we head into the weekend. >>> also it's a home smaller than most studio apartments, and it just sold in the south bay for $1.7 million. so what does this say about our

i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. good night.seca n ♪♪ you know i was broke down ♪ ♪ i had hit the ground ♪ ♪ i was crying out ♪ ♪ couldn't make no sound ♪ ♪ no one hears ♪ ♪ the silent tears collecting ♪ ♪ you know i had lost hope ♪ ♪ i was all alone ♪ ♪ never been so low ♪ ♪ 'til you came along ♪ ♪ teacher i feel ♪ ♪ the dots connecting ♪ ♪ beat down on me ♪ ♪ beat down ♪ ♪ like a waterfall ♪ ♪ 'cause i can take on ♪ ♪ so much more than i ♪ ♪ had ever dreamed ♪ ♪ so beat down on me ♪ ♪ beat down like a waterfall ♪ ♪ 'cause baby i am ready ♪ ♪ to be free ♪ ♪ now i am invincible ♪ ♪ no, i ain't a scared ♪ ♪ little girl no more ♪ ♪ yeah, i am invincible ♪ ♪ what was i running for ♪ ♪ i was hiding from the world ♪ ♪ i was so afraid ♪ ♪ i felt so unsure ♪ ♪ now i am invincible ♪ ♪ and i'm a perfect storm ♪ ♪ i was running ♪ ♪ from an empty threat ♪ ♪ of emptiness ♪ ♪ i was running ♪ ♪ from an empty threat ♪ ♪ that didn't exist ♪ ♪ but now i am invincible ♪ ♪ no, i ain't a scared ♪ ♪ little girl no more ♪ ♪ yeah, i am invincible ♪ ♪

lester. >> yamiche, thank you. also tonight, the mideast on edge over a possible retaliation attack on israel by iran with president biden saying he expects it. hala gorani is in israel tonight. >> reporter: tonight, the pentagon repositioning assets including fighter jets and ships in the mideast in preparation for a potential iranian attack against israel as president biden is warning a strike could happen soon. >> my expectation is sooner than later. >> what is your message to iran in this moment? >> don't. >> reporter: a u.s. intelligence assessment warns an iranian attack could include a swarm of drones or land-attack cruise missiles hitting israeli diplomatic or consular facilities, two u.s. officials tell nbc news. all of it almost two weeks after iran vowed to retaliate for a bombing on its embassy compound in syria that it blames on israel where several top iranian military officials were killed. iran is a top backer of hamas and hezbollah, and iran's supreme leader has warned, israel, quote, will be punis

lester? >> gabe gutierrez, thank you. join me tomorrow night when i sit down with families of american hostages who were captured by hamas on october 7th. >>> after almost a week of uncertainty, a lawyer for kansas city chiefs wide receiver rashee rice said today that rice was in fact driving one of the cars involved in that multivehicle crash in dallas. here is priscilla thompson. >> reporter: tonight, an attorney for nfl star rashee rice confirming his client was behind the wheel acknowledged that he was driving the in this dangerous crash caught on camera. >> mr. rice acknowledged that he was driving the lamborghini. >> reporter: police say that lamborghini and this corvette were speeding down the expressway in dallas when both drivers lost control, hitting four other vehicles and sending two people to the hospital. it comes a day after rice confirmed in a statement that he spoke with dallas police about saturday's crash and apologized to the victims. >> he is going to do everything in his

lester? >> all right, laura, thank you. >>> in a new interview, mr. trump provides more insights into what a second term would look like. here is gabe gutierrez. >> reporter: tonight, former president trump is revealing more of his second term agenda, including new details of his controversial plan to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. >> i will stop the invasion. >> reporter: trump now telling "time" magazine he would use the national guard and possibly the military to deport migrants and isn't ruling out building new detention camps. when asked whether he'd ignore a u.s. law that prevents deploying troops against civilians, the former president responded well, these aren't civilians. these are people that aren't legally in our country. in fact, civilians are commonly defined as someone who is not an active member of the armed service, regardless of immigration status. trump said he would comply with all supreme court orders. when asked whether he might fire a u.s. supreme court att

lester? >> maggie vespa tonight, thank you. >>> in idaho, a teenaged suspect is under arrest. the fbi says he's an isis sympathizer who was stopped the day before he was set to launch deadly attacks on churches. ken dilanian reports. >> reporter: prosecutors say this is the suspect, 18-year-old alexander mercurio, posing in front of an isis flag. according to the criminal complaint, he allegedly told associates he had spent months with a plan to attack churches and kill parishioners in coeur d'alene, idaho. the fbi arresting him the day before they say he planned to carry it out. mercurio allegedly wrote in a text message he would walk into a church, start beating people, and then kill them with his knives and machete, saying he would burn down the building. he said he would keep going until police killed him. that message allegedly sent last week to a confidential fbi informant. during his arrest, the fbi seizing knives, a machete, and butane. intelligence officials have been warning about t

with lester holt. >> good evening and welcome. anyone who has ever served knows jury duty can be tedious, sometimes interesting or emotional, and often forgettable. but for seven people selected today to sit in judgment of the criminal trial of a former president of the united states, the experience will likely be hard to forget on so many levels. today in the second day of jury selection in donald trump's new york hush money trial, the seven anonymous individuals, the first of an eventual 18 jurors to be impanelled for the case have been sworn in. they are a salesman, an oncology nurse, two attorneys, an i.t. consultant, a teacher, and a software engineer, selected in a process that has confronted some perspective jurors with their past actions and remarks over hints of potential partiality. laura jarrett is covering the trial for us. >> reporter: tonight, seven jurors have now been chosen to sit in judgment of former president trump, who left for the courthouse this morning, then closely watching what one juror who was dismissed