NBC Nightly News Full Episode - June 29

TONIGHT THE EXTREME WEATHER EMERGENCY. 160 MILLION PEOPLE BRACING FOR A DANGEROUS HEAT. WAVE AS DEADLY STORMS AND WILDFIRES SPREAD. POWERFUL WEATHER CRUSHING THESE SILOS AND FLATTENING BUILDINGS. DEADLY FLOODS LEAVING PARTS OF THE SOUTH IN CHEST-DEEP WATER. AND OUT OF CONTROL WILDFIRES OUT WEST LIGHTING UP THE NIGHT SKY. PLUS AL ROKER'S IN TO TRACK A LIFE-THREATENING HEAT. DOME FOR TENS OF MILLIONS THIS HOLIDAY WEEK. MIRACULOUS RESCUES FROM THE RUBBLE FIVE.

DAYS AFTER DEADLY EARTHQUAKES SLAMMED VENEZUELA. AMERICAN TEAMS LOOK AT THIS, PULLING THIS BABY OUT ALIVE. BUT WHY THAT GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE TO THE DISASTER IS NOW SPARKING ANGER. A MAJOR SUPREME COURT MOMENT EXPANDING THE PRESIDENT'S POWER. HOW THAT COULD AFFECT DOZENS OF FEDERAL AGENCIES. AND WHY THE JUSTICES WON'T OVERTURN A CIVIL SEX ABUSE CASE AGAINST PRESIDENT TRUMP. THE UNEXPECTED COURT HEARING HOLD UP FOR ACCUSED CEO KILLER LUIGI MANGIONI. WHY HE HAD TO BE RESCUED FROM AN ELEVATOR.

MID-AIR E FOR A JETBLUE FLIGHT WITH THE PILOT. SAYING THEY HIT A DRONE JUST BEFORE LANDING. DISGRACED LAWYER ALEC MURDOCH IN SHACKLES AND A PRISON JUMPSUIT. BACK IN COURT AFTER HIS MURDER CONVICTIONS WERE OVERTURNED. THE FIERY MOMENTS THERE AND WHEN HE'LL BE RETRIED. A DEADLY CROCODILE ATTACK NEAR A POPULAR BEACH RESORT. HEAR FROM THE COUPLE WHO TRIED TO SAVE THE VICTIM. RODEO HORROR. A BULL RIDER THROWN AND TRAMPLED. HOW HE MANAGED TO SURVIVE. DRAMATIC APARTMENT EXPLOSION.

FIREFIGHTERS, YOU SEE IT THERE, PUSHED BACK AFTER THIS POWERFUL BLAST. TAYLOR SWIFT WEDDING WATCH NEW REPORTING ON THE INVITES TO A CELEBRATION. AND THE NONDISCLOSURE AGREEMENTS APPARENTLY COMING WITH THEM. AND OUR SERIES GREAT AMERICANS WITH THE STORY OF. THE FAMILY RUNNING AMERICA'S OLDEST US FLAG COMPANY. THE LEGACY. LITERALLY WOVEN INTO THE FABRIC OF OUR COUNTRY. NIGHTLY NEWS STARTS RIGHT NOW. THIS IS NBC NIGHTLY NEWS WITH TOM YAMAS.

GOOD EVENING, I'M HALLIE JACKSON IN FOR TOM, AND WE ARE COMING ON THE AIR TONIGHT WITH THE DANGEROUS AND DEADLY. WEATHER AFFECTING MILLIONS AND THAT STIFLING HEAT. DOME DESCENDING ON NEARLY HALF THE COUNTRY. IN WHAT IS NOW AN EXTREME START TO THIS HOLIDAY WEEK. IN THE WEST, WILDFIRES BURNING OUT OF CONTROL. IN COLORADO. AND IN UTAH, WHERE HERE YOU CAN SEE IT FROM ABOVE, THICK SMOKE BLANKETING THOSE MOUNTAINS. IN THE SOUTH, THE AFTERMATH OF DEADLY FLOODING THAT KILLED AT LEAST 4 PEOPLE, AND FOR SURVIVORS, THE AGONIZING WORK OF PICKING UP THE PIECES.

YOU CAN SEE THE CHEST-DEEP WATER THEY'RE WORKING IN. AND THAT HEAT WAVE IS STARTING TO HIT HARD. 36 STATES AND MORE THAN 162 MILLION PEOPLE UNDER ALERTS RIGHT NOW. TEMPERATURES IN SOME PLACES SET TO FEEL LIKE 110. AL WILL HAVE OUR FORECAST IN A MINUTE. DANA GRIFFIN'S ON THE GROUND IN UTAH, BUT WE START WITH SHAQUILLE BREWSTER IN CHICAGO. FROM BRUTAL HEAT TO POWERFUL STORMS, IT'S RAINING HARD NOW TONIGHT, A DANGEROUS MIX OF SEVERE WEATHER, WIND GUSTS UP TO 131 MILES AN HOUR,

LEAVING DEVASTATING DAMAGE IN SOUTH DAKOTA. WHILE FURTHER WEST, CREWS BATTLING MASSIVE WILDFIRES IN UTAH AND COLORADO, PLUMES OF SMOKE SEEN FROM MILES AWAY. LOOK AT THAT THICK ORANGE HAZE BLANKETING THE SKY. HERE THE FIRE'S GLOW, REACHING FAR INTO THE DISTANCE. CREWS SCRAMBLING TO FIGHT THE FAST. MOVING FLAMES. IN UTAH, THE NATION'S LARGEST ACTIVE WILDFIRE EXPLODING TO SOME 93,000 ACRES. NBC'S DANA GRIFFIN IS THERE.

THOSE PLUMES OF SMOKE ARE HOT SPOT FLARES FIREFIGHTERS ARE WORKING AROUND THE. CLOCK TO PUT OUT AS AFTERNOON WIND AND HEAT FUEL THE FLAMES. TANNER LARSON IS A VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER WHO JUST LOST HIS OWN HOME. JUST COULDN'T ABSORB IT. AT THE MOMENT. I'M SURE THAT YOU KNOW WHEN WE GO UP THERE, ESPECIALLY TODAY. THERE WILL PROBABLY BE A COUPLE OF TEARS SHED IN COLORADO. OFFICIALS HONORING THREE FIREFIGHTERS KILLED WHILE. BATTLING THE FLAMES OVER THE WEEKEND. MEANWHILE, IN KENTUCKY. FLASH FLOODS KILLING AT LEAST 4 PEOPLE.

AND TRIGGERING DOZENS OF RESCUES AND EVACUATIONS. THIS MAN PULLING A REFRIGERATOR FROM THE BASEMENT OF THE FLOODED HOME, THE WATER UP TO HIS CHEST, ALL WHILE DANGEROUS HEAT STRETCHES ACROSS MORE THAN HALF THE COUNTRY. 162 MILLION PEOPLE UNDER HEAT ALERTS. RECORD SETTING TEMPERATURES AND HUMIDITY HITTING FOLKS. FROM THE MIDWEST TO THE EAST COAST. UNRELENTING HEAT MARKING A BRUTAL START TO THE HOLIDAY WEEK. SHAQ IS JOINING US NOW FROM CHICAGO, AND SHAQ,

PART OF WHAT MAKES THIS SO DANGEROUS IS THAT IT'LL STAY SO WARM EVEN OVERNIGHT. THAT'S RIGHT, HALLIE, AND THAT'S WHY OFFICIALS HERE ARE TAKING THIS SO SERIOUSLY. EVEN WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN AND IN THOSE OVERNIGHT HOURS, YOU CAN EXPECT TEMPERATURES TO FEEL LIKE THEY'RE IN THEIR 80S, ESPECIALLY DOWNTOWN. THAT'S WHY OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS CHICAGO. IS UNDER A HEAT WARNING GOING INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT. HALLIE, SHAQ, THANK YOU. AL IS JOINING US NOW, AND AL, IT'S NOT JUST CHICAGO. SO MANY OF US ARE BRACING FOR A STAGGERINGLY HOT HOLIDAY WEEK.

THAT'S RIGHT, HALLIE. AS YOU HEARD, 162 MILLION FROM NEW ENGLAND, THE NORTHEAST. DOWN TO FLORIDA AND OUT INTO THE PLAINS, THE HEAT INDEXES WILL BE UP TO 115. THIS HIGH PRESSURE, BIG DOME OF HIGH PRESSURE HEAT INDEXES, TRIPLE DIGITS FOR KANSAS CITY, CHICAGO, ATLANTA, NEW ORLEANS, AND HOUSTON. AIR TEMPERATURES COLUMBUS, UPPER 90S, TRIPLE DIGITS. NEW YORK, ALSO IN NASHVILLE, DOWN IN RALEIGH. YOU ADD IN THE HUMIDITY. AND THE HEAT INDEXES, ALL TRIPLE DIGITS IN NEW YORK,

WASHINGTON, NASHVILLE, COLUMBUS, AND CHICAGO, AND THIS GOES INTO THE WEEKEND, HALLIE. AL ROKER, PLENTY TO WATCH. THANK YOU. TO VENEZUELA NOW, WHERE WE ARE SEEING MIRACULOUS RESCUES EVEN A. FULL 5 DAYS AFTER THOSE DEADLY DOUBLE EARTHQUAKES. RELIEF FOR SOME FAMILIES, BUT FOR OTHERS, HOPE IS BEGINNING TO FADE. HERE'S CAMILA BERNAL. TONIGHT FROM BENEATH THE RUBBLE, THE MIRACLES. YOU CAN HEAR THIS BABY'S CRIES AS IT'S FREED BY. AMERICAN RESCUE TEAMS RUSHING OFF THE PILE FOR MEDICAL ATTENTION.

AND AMAZINGLY, MOMENTS LATER FROM THAT SAME COLLAPSED BUILDING, THE BABY'S MOTHER IS ALSO PULLED OUT ALIVE, GREETED BY CHEERS FROM HER NEIGHBORS. RESCUES STILL HAPPENING 5 DAYS AFTER THOSE. DEADLY BACK TO BACK EARTHQUAKES IN VENEZUELA. THIS MAN WAS TRAPPED FOR 106 HOURS, BUT THERE'S ALSO GROWING ANGER WITH THE VENEZUELAN GOVERNMENT. PEOPLE SAYING OFFICIALS HAVE NOT MOVED FAST ENOUGH TO FIND THOSE TRAPPED.

AND TO HELP SURVIVORS IN LA GUAIDA, PEOPLE WHO LOST EVERYTHING ARE PICKING THROUGH PILES OF DONATED CLOTHES. ANA VANESSA HERRERO IS THERE. HUNDREDS BEHIND ME. ARE SLEEPING IN TENTS. THEY TELL ME THAT THE GOVERNMENT. HAS NOT, UM, UH, INFORMED THEM. WHAT THE NEXT STEPS COULD BE. IN LOS ANGELES, KELLY MONTANO TELLS US HER PARENTS ARE STILL MISSING. STILL DON'T BELIEVE IT, NO. I DON'T BELIEVE IT.

SHE HEARD FROM THEM MINUTES BEFORE THE EARTHQUAKT. THEY WERE PACKING THEIR CAR TO LEAVE THE APARTMENT. MY HOPE WAS THAT THEY WERE LEAVING FROM THE PARKING, BUT TODAY IS MONDAY, AND IT DOESN'T APPEAR ANY OF THEM. NOW SHE'S ORGANIZED AN AID DONATION SITE AT HER RESTAURANT. BACK IN VENEZUELA, THE HOURS ARE GROWING DESPERATE TO FIND MORE SURVIVORS. TELEMUNDO'S JULIO VAQUERO IS THERE. THIS WAS A 13TH FLOOR APARTMENT BUILDING. RIGHT NOW THEY'RE NOT TRYING TO FIND ANY PEOPLE ALIVE.

THEY ARE JUST TRYING TO FIND. DEAD BODIES. AND TONIGHT THE UN ESTIMATES THE DEATH TOLL COULD HIT AS HIGH AS 10,000 PEOPLE. THE CURRENT DEATH TOLL UP TO MORE THAN 1700 PEOPLE, AMONG THEM THREE AMERICANS. MEANWHILE, THE US IS NOW SENDING MORE THAN $300 MILLION. FOR DISASTER RESPONSE, AND THE VENEZUELAN GOVERNMENT SAYS. IT'S WORKING TO EVALUATE DAMAGED BUILDINGS. AND SET ENCAMPMENTS FOR THOSE DISPLACED. HALLIE, CAMILA BERNAL, THANK YOU.

HERE IN WASHINGTON, THE SUPREME COURT TODAY IS DELIVERING A WIN. TO PRESIDENT TRUMP THAT COULD EXPAND HIS PRESENCE. POWERS. LAURA JARRETT IS JOINING US NOW. BUT LAURA, A SEPARATE RULING ON THE FEDERAL RESERVE SHOWS THAT POWER MAY ONLY GO SO FAR, RIGHT, HALLIE? THAT IS RIGHT. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD OF GOVERNOR LISA COOK WILL BE ABLE TO STAY ON. THE JOB FOR NOW AS HER LAWSUIT PLAYS OUT IN THE LOWER COURTS. THE JUSTICES SAYING TODAY THAT THE FED IS SIMPLY UNLIKE. OTHER TRADITIONALLY INDEPENDENT AGENCIES AT THE NATION'S CENTRAL BANK, OF COURSE, THE BODY THAT SAID. INTEREST RATES FOR THE COUNTRY.

MUST BE PROTECTED FROM POLITICAL INTERFERENCE. YET IT'S A DIFFERENT STORY, HALLIE, WHEN IT COMES TO MOST OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES. THE JUSTICES SAYING. CONGRESS CANNOT SADDLE THE PRESIDENT. WITH THOSE THAT HE DOESN'T WANT TO WORK WITH, ALLOWING THE PRESIDENT. TO FIRE A DEMOCRATIC APPOINTEE TO THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION. PRESIDENT TRUMP PRAISING THAT RULING, SAYING. IT GIVES STRENGTH TO THE PRESIDENCY, HALLIE. AND LAURA, THE HIGH COURT IS ALSO NOW LETTING A $5 MILLION CIVIL. VERDICT AGAINST PRESIDENT TRUMP STAND IN THE E JEAN CARROLL LAWSUIT.

YES, HALLIE, A JURY IN THAT CASE, YOU'LL REMEMBER, HAD FOUND MR. TRUMP LIABLE FOR SEXUAL ABUSE AND DEFAMATION OF WRITER E. JEAN CARROLL, WHICH HE'S DENIED REPEATEDLY. THE PRESIDENT'S LAST HOPE. WAS THE SUPREME COURT, BUT THEY REFUSED TO TAKE UP THAT APPEAL TODAY. CARROLL'S SAYING. THIS IS A WIN FOR EVERY WOMAN. HALLIE. LAURA JARRETT, THANK YOU. ALSO TODAY, A HEARING FOR ACCUSED CEO KILLER LUIGI MANGIONI WAS DELAYED FOR. A BIT AFTER HE GOT STUCK IN THE COURTHOUSE ELEVATOR, ACCORDING TO A COURT OFFICIAL FAMILIAR WITH WHAT HAPPENED. MANGIONI STAYED IN HANDCUFFS AS ENGINEERS WORKED TO FREE HIM.

HE ENDED UP ARRIVING AT THE COURTROOM MORE THAN A HALF HOUR LATE. IN THOSE PROCEEDINGS, WE LEARNED MANGIONI'S FEDERAL TRIAL IS NOW SET TO BEGIN ON JANUARY 5TH. HE HAS PLEADED NOT GUILTY. AND A SCARE IN THE SKIES TONIGHT WITH THE LATEST INCIDENT OF A. CLOSE CALL BETWEEN A PLANE AND A DRONE THIS TIME IN NEW YORK. ERIN MCLAUGHLIN REPORTS. TONIGHT THE FBI IS INVESTIGATING A DRONE. AFTER THE PILOT REPORTED A DRONE STRUCK A JETBLUE FLIGHT ON FINAL APPROACH.

TO NEW YORK'S JFK AIRPORT. YOU SAID YOU COLLIDED. HIT US. RIGHT ABOVE THE COCKPIT. DO YOU REQUIRE ANY ASSISTANCE, YOU JUST CONTINUE TO THE RUNWAY. WE DON'T NEED ANY ASSISTANCE. WE'RE JUST GOING TO GO AHEAD AND LAND. IT HAPPENED AT 7:15 THIS MORNING. FLIGHT 948 FROM LAS VEGAS WAS ABOUT 3000 FT IN THE AIR. JETBLUE TELLS NBC NEWS THE FLIGHT LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT, AND A POST-FLIGHT INSPECTION FOUND NO DAMAGE. MINUTES LATER, ACCORDING TO AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL AUDIO,

ANOTHER JETBLUE FLIGHT REPORTED SEEING A DRONE FLYING QUITE CLOSE. JETBLUE OBSERVED A DRONE. TO OUR RIGHT SLIGHTLY BELOW US AS THEY SCRAMBLED TO. FIGURE OUT WHETHER IT WAS SAFE TO LAND THE PLANE. AND LAST FRIDAY ANOTHER DRONE SIGHTING AS A UNITED FLIGHT ARRIVED IN NEARBY NEWARK. WE ALMOST HIT A DRONE RIGHT THERE. MANY TIMES THESE ARE FALSE POSITIVES. IN OTHER WORDS, IT'S A BIRD STRIKE OR SOME OTHER BALLOON OR OBJECT LIKE THAT. AND IF IT WAS A DRONE,

WELL, THAT'S VERY SERIOUS. ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, NBC NEWS, NEW YORK. TO THE FALLOUT FROM SOUTH CAROLINA'S SO-CALLED TRIAL OF THE CENTURY NOW, AND ALEC MURDOCH BACK IN COURT AFTER THE. STATE TOSSED OUT HIS DOUBLE MURDER CONVICTION, SETTING THE STAGE FOR A RETRIAL. AARON GILCHRIST IS THERE. ALEC MURDOCH BACK IN A SOUTH CAROLINA COURTROOM TODAY. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MORE THAN 2 YEARS. I SEE WE HAVE A FULL HOUSE. GOOD MORNING. WITH A NEW JUDGE DIVING HEADFIRST INTO HIS SECOND MURDER TRIAL, MURDOCH IN AN ORANGE PRISON JUMPSUIT AND SHACKLED.

HIS LAWYER HAVING HIM STAND TO MAKE A. POINT ABOUT BIASING POTENTIAL JURORS BEFORE TRIAL, CHAINED AROUND THE WAIST, CHAINED THE CHAINED ON THE FEET. I MEAN THIS GUY IS NOT A SERIAL KILLER. THE STATE SAYS IT'S A ROUTINE SECURITY MEASURE, AND WHAT WAS TO BE A ROUTINE STATUS CONFERENCE QUICKLY BECAME CONTENTIOUS. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DON'T KNOW. AND I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.

MURDOCH'S LAWYERS ARGUING THERE MAY BE EVIDENCE AVAILABLE THAT WASN'T. SHARED WITH THEM DURING THE FIRST TRIAL IN 2023. STATE PROSECUTORS PUSHING BACK. I KNOW THAT. MY OBLIGATION IS TO PROVIDE THAT. I'M AWARE OF IT, IT'S BEEN PROVIDED, AND WE HAVE DONE THAT. THEY'VE HAD IT SINCE WELL BEFORE THE ORIGINAL TRIAL, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT. GUILTY. A JURY CONVICTED MURDOCH, A ONCE PROMINENT AND POWERFUL ATTORNEY, OF KILLING HIS WIFE MAGGIE AND SON PAUL BACK IN 2021. SOUTH CAROLINA SUPREME COURT OVERTURNED THAT CONVICTION LAST MONTH,

CITING INTERFERENCE BY FORMER COURT CLERK BECKY HILL, WHO THE COURT SAID PLACED HER FINGERS ON THE. SCALES OF JUSTICE WITH COMMENTS SHE MADE TO JURORS. THE NEW JUDGE SETTING. APRIL 5TH AS THE START DATE FOR THE NEW TRIAL, THE JUDGE ALSO DELAYING A DECISION ON A REQUEST FOR. A NEW ANALYSIS OF UNIDENTIFIED MALE DNA FOUND UNDER MAGGIE'S FINGERNAIL. AS THE DEFENSE SIGNALS SOMEONE OTHER THAN ALEC. COULD HAVE BEEN AT THE CRIME SCENE. ERIN IS JOINING US FROM SOUTH CAROLINA, AND ERIN, THIS NEW JUDGE ALREADY SEEMS TO BE SETTING THE TONE FOR THE RETRIAL.

HALLIE, AS SOON AS JUDGE DEBORAH MCCASLIN SAT DOWN, SHE LAUNCHED INTO A SERIES OF POINTED QUESTIONS ABOUT EVIDENCE, AND SHE ENDED THE HOUR-LONG HEARING BY TELLING THE LAWYERS, QUOTE, WHEN I SET A TRIAL DATE, I DON'T DO CONTINUANCES, HALLIE. ERIN GILCHRIST, THANK YOU. WE ARE BACK IN 60 SECONDS WITH THE DEADLY CROCODILE ATTACK NEAR A. POPULAR RESORT BEACH AND THE AMERICAN COUPLE WHO TRIED TO SAVE THE VICTIM. THEN THE CLOSE CALL FOR THESE FIREFIGHTERS. AFTER A DANGEROUS EXPLOSION CAUGHT ON CAMERA.

AND THE NEW DETAILS WE'RE LEARNING TONIGHT. ABOUT PLANS FOR TAYLOR SWIFT'S WEDDING CELEBRATION. IS NEW YORK READY FOR IT? A HORRIFYING SCENE FOR PEOPLE VACATIONING AT A POPULAR RESORT IN. MEXICO AFTER A MAN WAS ATTACKED AND KILLED BY A CROCODILE. LIZ KREUTZ HAS THE STORY. TONIGHT NEW VIDEO SHOWS A MASSIVE CROCODILE AT THE. BEACH NEAR A POPULAR RESORT IN PUERTO VALLARTA SHORTLY. AFTER OFFICIALS SAY A 28 YEAR OLD MAN WAS ATTACKED AND KILLED BY ONE OVER THE WEEKEND.

JAMIE YETTER AND CHRIS BURRY WERE VACATIONING AT THE IOTT, PUERTO VALLARTA WHEN THEY WITNESSED THE HORRIFYING ATTACK. IT WAS A REALLY, REALLY BIG CROC, AND HE NEVER LET GO. OF THE MAN. HE JUST KEPT TAKING HIM UNDER, ROLLING HIM. AND EVERY TIME WE SAW HIM SURFACE, IT WAS DEEPER AND DEEPER EVERY TIME. THE COUPLE SAYS THEY HAD NO IDEA THE BEACH NEAR THEIR HOTEL IS KNOWN FOR CROCODILES. IN 2021, A CALIFORNIA WOMAN WAS ALSO ATTACKED WHILE STAYING ON THE PROPERTY. DID ANYONE WARN YOU WHEN YOU CHECKED IN AT. THIS HOTEL THAT THERE WERE CROCODILES IN THAT WATER?

NO, NO ONE, NO ONE SAID A WORD ABOUT IT. DID THE HOTEL CLOSE DOWN THE BEACH AFTER THIS ATTACK? NO. EVEN THE NEXT MORNING, HOURS LATER, THERE'S LITTLE CHILDREN PLAYING IN THE WATER. MARRIOTT TELLS NBC NEWS THE HOTEL HAS APPROPRIATE SIGNAGE AS WELL AS. NIGHT PATROLLING AND RED FLAGS TO INDICATE CAUTION IN THE AREA, AND ALL WERE AND ARE PROPERLY IN PLACE. JAMIE AND CHRIS SAY THE ONLY WARNING THEY SAW ABOUT CROCODILES WAS THIS. ONE SIGN THEY TOOK A PICTURE OF AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE BEACH. THERE'S ONLY ONE SMALL LITTLE WHITE.

SIGN WITH SEVERAL MARINE ANI ON IT. THIS ISN'T APPROPRIATE. THE TERRIFYING INCIDENT COMES AS OFFICIALS IN. FLORIDA SAY A 30-YEAR-OLD WOMAN DIED AFTER. SHE WAS ATTACKED BY AN ALLIGATOR WHILE SWIMMING IN A RIVER OUTSIDE ORLANDO. SHE WAS BITTEN ON BOTH OF HER ARMS. OFFICIALS NOW ISSUING A WARNING AS THEY REPORT 3 ALLIGATOR. ATTACKS ACROSS CENTRAL FLORIDA IN JUST THE LAST WEEK. LIZ KREUTZ, NBC NEWS. WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH THE FRIGHTENING MOMENTS AS A. BULL THROWS A RIDER TO THE GROUND IN NEW YORK. AND THE NEW REPORTING WE HAVE ON WHAT MAY BE THE MOST.

SPECULATED ABOUT NUPTIALS OF THE DECADE WITH TAYLOR SWIFT'S WEDDING WATCH. BACK NOW WITH THE MASSIVE APARTMENT EXPLOSION CAUGHT ON CAMERA. LOOK AT IT HERE. FIREFIGHTERS WERE RESPONDING TO A CALL ABOUT SMOKE, AND THEN YOU SEE IT HAPPEN. OFFICIALS SAY AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE SET OFF SOME FLAMES, AND THEN THAT SPARKED THIS BIG EXPLOSION. 8 BUILDINGS HAD TO BE EVACUATED NEARBY, BUT INCREDIBLY, NONE OF THOSE FIRST RESPONDERS YOU SAW. WERE HURT. AND A WARNING HERE. THIS NEXT VIDEO IS DISTURBING, SHOWING THE TERRIFYING MOMENTS AT A RODEO IN NEW YORK.

YOU SEE IT HERE. THE BULL HURLS A RIDER TO THE GROUND AND THEN TRAMPLES HIM, DRAGGING HIM THROUGH THE DIRT BEFORE PEOPLE THEN START RUSHING IN. YOU SEE IT TO SAVE HIM. THAT RIDER IS RECOVERING IN THE HOSPITAL TONIGHT. AND AN UPDATE CLOSE TO HOME HERE WITH OUR PARENT COMPANY COMCAST ANNOUNCING. TODAY IT PLANS TO SPIN OFF NBC UNIVERSAL INTO A SEPARATE COMPANY. THAT INDEPENDENT NBCU WILL INCLUDE THE NBC AND. TELEMUNDO BROADCAST NETWORKS AND PEACOCK AMONG OTHERS. THE SPLIT IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED NEXT SUMMER AND. ISN'T LIKELY TO CHANGE HOW YOU WATCH YOUR FAVORITE SHOWS,

MOVIES, AND NEWS ANYTIME SOON. ALSO TONIGHT, THE NEW INSIDE INFO OUR TEAM'S LEARNING ABOUT WHAT MAY BE. THE WEDDING OF THE YEAR BETWEEN TAYLOR SWIFT AND TRAVIS KELSEY, OR AT LEAST THE PARTY TO CELEBRATE IT. CHLOE MLAS EXPLAINS. JUST DAYS AWAY FROM TAYLOR SWIFT'S POSSIBLE WEDDING, AND IT FEELS LIKE THE WHOLE WORLD IS READY FOR IT. NOW. MORE DETAILS ARE EMERGING. ABOUT THE SINGER'S HIGHLY ANTICIPATED I DO'S TO FOOTBALL STAR TRAVIS KELSEY,

A SOURCE WITH KNOWLEDGE OF THE MATTER WHO WAS AMONG THE INV GUESTS, TELLING NBC NEWS THAT 1100 PEOPLE ARE. EXPECTED TO ATTEND WEDDING FESTIVITIES THIS FRIDAY. AT NEW YORK'S ICONIC MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, ADDING THAT THE INVITES ARRIVED ELECTRONICALLY. AND REQUIRED GUESTS TO SIGN NDAS. NBC NEWS HAS REACHED OUT TO SWIFT, KELSEY, AND MSG FOR COMMENT, BUT HAS NOT HEARD BACK. THE SOURCE ALSO SAYING MULTIPLE PERFORMANCES ARE EXPECTED FROM VARIOUS ARTISTS, INCLUDING STEVIE NICKS.

NBC NEWS HAS REACHED OUT TO NICK FOR COMMENT, BUT NOT EVERYONE IS CONVINCED. IS SHE GETTING MARRIED TO MSG? THERE'S NO WAY, AS QUESTIONS STILL SWIRL AROUND THE BIG DAY. CHLOE MALAS, NBC NEWS. WHEN WE COME BACK, OUR SERIES GREAT AMERICANS AND THE GENERATIONS OF. FAMILY BEHIND THE LONGEST RUNNING US FLAG MAKER. THIS WEEK IN THE LEAD UP TO THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF AMERICA, WE WILL END OUR BROADCAST EVERY NIGHT WITH OUR SERIES GREAT AMERICANS,

AND TONIGHT. TOM HAS THE STORY OF 1/6 GENERATION FLAG MAKER. WHOSE FAMILY HISTORY IS WOVEN DEEPLY INTO AMERICAN HISTORY. OUR GREAT AMERICAN THIS WEEK, CARTER BEARD. STITCH. BY STITCH, THESE LONG ROLLS OF FABRIC. ARE CUT, SEWN, AND STAMPED INTO SOMETHING MORE. I GET TO MAKE. THE SYMBOL. OF OUR COUNTRY THAT IS SO IMPORTANT TO SO MANY PEOPLE. I'M REALLY PROUD THAT I'M DOING THIS.

AMERICAN FLAGS FROM ANNAN FLAG MAKERS CREATED ON FACTORY FLOORS LIKE THIS, THEN WOVEN INTO ICONIC MOMENTS OF AMERICAN CULTURE, DRAPING ATHLETES IN OLYMPIC GLORY. EVEN. PLANTED ON THE SURFACE OF THE MOON, WE WERE THE SUPPLIER OF FLAGS TO NASA DURING. THE APOLLO PROGRAM FOR 6TH GENERATION CEO CARTER BEARD. THIS IS ACTUALLY LEWIS ANNAN AMES. HE WAS MY. GREAT GRANDFATHER. HIS FAMILY HISTORY. THIS IS A SHOT FROM THE CIVIL WAR,

IS AMERICAN HISTORY. I THINK THE FLAG THAT WENT UP ON MOUNT SURIBACHI, IWO JIMA. WAS RAISED BY THE MARINES. IS PROBABLY THE MOST EMOTIONAL FLAG, AND I BREAK UP EVEN THINKING ABOUT IT. IN TIMES OF TROUBLE, PEOPLE TURN TO THE FLAG. IT'S A COMFORTING THING TO THEM. IT REPRESENTS ALL THAT'S GREAT ABOUT AMERICA, YOU KNOW, IT REPRESENTS OUR STRENGTHS. AND OUR WEAKNESSES. IN TIMES OF CRISIS LIKE IN 9/11, IT'S EMOTIONAL TO THINK THAT THE FIRST THING THOSE RESCUE WORKERS SOUGHT TO DO.

WAS GO GRAB AN AMERICAN FLAG AND RAISE IT ON THAT RUBBLE. IT'S A, IT'S, IT'S A POWERFUL SYMBOL. MAKING THAT SYMBOL RIGHT HERE IN THE USA. TAKES A LOT OF HARD WORK. I FEEL VERY PATRIOTIC. AND MUCH OF THE PROCESS HAS STAYED THE SAME FOR GENERATIONS. WE STILL MAKE AMERICAN FLAGS VERY SIMILAR TO THE WAY WE MADE THEM IN 1950 OR 1930S. IT'S STILL A MANUAL PROCESS AND IT'S A HIGHLY TRAINED SKILL.

ADA MAURA HAS BEEN WORKING AT ANNAN'S SUBSIDIARY FLAG ZONE FOR 20 YEARS. I ENJOY WORKING HERE. I ENJOY MAKING THE AMERICAN FLAG. SHE NOW TRAINS NEW EMPLOYEES, MANY OF THEM. FIRST GENERATION AMERICANS. IT MAKES ME PROUD THAT I'M MAKING THE AMERICAN. FLAG JUST BECAUSE THEY GAVE ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO. BE PART OF. BEING AN AMERICAN. THESE FLAGS THREADED TOGETHER. BY THE SAME IDEALS THAT CONNECT US ALL. SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT AMERICA REPRESENTS.

THAT OPPORTUNITY THAT YOU CAN BECOME ANYTHING. THAT YOU'RE WILLING TO WORK FOR. A LONGTIME LEGACY AND A SYMBOL OF SO MUCH. THAT'S NIGHTLY NEWS FOR THIS MONDAY. I'M HALLIE JACKSON. FOR ALL OF US HERE AT NBC, THANKS FOR WATCHING AND HAVE A GREAT NIGHT.