Nightly News Full Broadcast - Feb. 2

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tonight the brutal arctic blast causing temperatures to plummet on the heels of that deadly ice storm in the south the dangerous deep freeze moving toward the US more than 50 million on alert from Montana to Maine by some of the coldest winds in decades as low as 60 below zero in the South hundreds of thousands still without power dangerous conditions cars sliding on the road Al Roker is here with the latest also tonight in our NBC News exclusive the floating object over the northern US. Is it a Chinese spy balloon? What is the Pentagon? saying and what the military is going to do about it the mystery in New Jersey a councilwoman found shot dead outside her home the search for a suspect and a reason to vote at the Capitol Republicans in the House of Representatives expelled Democrat Johann Omar from a key committee about his previous comments that have been condemned as anti-Semitic or defiant speeches in the room the deadly Russian attacks on a city in eastern Ukraine as Vladimir Putin makes new threats to the West the weight loss drugs that have been shown to help to people struggling with obesity then why? insurance will not cover them and the gift that one New York firefighter saved the life of another will inspire America, this is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt good night and thank you for being with us, the many brutal faces of winter 23 that They point northeast tonight as we head into a weekend that could bring the region's coldest weather in decades.

It's been a tough week across the country, especially in the South, which is still suffering from days of freezing weather and deadly travel downed power lines. The worst there is already over, but thousands. remain in the dark and as the ant system turns to rain now a growing threat of flooding across the South, the staggering cold will soon grip the Northeast that has 56 million people from the northern Plains to the Northeast under wind chill alerts Chicago could wake up to a wind chill of -20 degrees tomorrow Saturday. Northeastern cities, including Boston and Buffalo, are also likely to experience double-digit negative wind chills.

Al Roker will explain this to us in a moment, but let's start with Morgan Chesky in Texas Morgan Lester, good evening and tonight, the warmer weather can't come fast enough, there are people who have currently spent 48 hours without power stuck in these conditions After a wild week of twisting, sliding and sliding, the paralyzing ice is starting to melt, but the South is not out. of the forest yet, I passed it about six or seven times if it weren't for that curve I would be completely off the bridge, the freezing rain and thunder dissipate today, but Havoc remains in its wake, no, we slide on some black ice and we almost had a serious accident and got stuck in the ditch, four days of icy roads have claimed at least eight lives in Arkansas and Texas and this close call on the Oklahoma police dash cam that captures a big rig that swerves across the lanes of I-40 while in Fort Worth, a jackknife truck crushed this police SUV and sent two officers to a hospital at home.

People were struggling to stay on their feet. It's definitely scary. I can tell you that it is very slippery here. More than 400,000 customers remain without power across the South, with Texas being the hardest hit. hits the most vulnerable by turning to warm shelters there are so many people who are depressed and outside and have nowhere else to go guard Venegas is in eastern Arkansas even though the ice is starting to melt and the temperature is rising we still have big areas covered by it as you can see it is still quite thick and it only takes a small amount to cause an accident, the skies are clearing but not in time for the over 700 flights canceled across the country today, 500 within just and outside of Dallas Fort Worth and although there may be happier days. be on the horizon a chilling prediction from Pennsylvania's most famous mammal meteorologist six more weeks of this winter disaster may be ahead Morgan chesky NBC News and here in the Northeast a deep freeze is underway with some of the coldest weather in years Al Roker is going to be bone-chilling and dangerously cold for at least 24 hours 56 million people from the Dakotas to New England and everywhere in between are paying attention to wind chill warnings and advisories Friday tomorrow - 45 degrees here's what it's like will feel in Duluth - 20 degrees in Chicago - 10 degrees in Detroit now this is what's going to happen the warmest temperatures will be early tomorrow morning and then we'll see them drop during the day dropping into the single digits and sub-zero temperatures in the background falls Saturday morning overnight with morning lows will feel like minus 23 in Binghamton minus the foreign State College minus 29 in Boston, but the good

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for Lester is, as you'll see, over the next few days, Monday between 30 and around 40 degrees with those temps warming up just fine Mel Roker thanks just tonight the Pentagon is tracking a suspected Chinese spy balloon that has been flying over the northern US and officials say even They have considered tearing it down.

Courtney Cubey broke the story tonight Courtney the balloon was at one point over Montana, that's right Lester, it was spotted yesterday over Billings, a senior defense official told NBC News that the high altitude surveillance balloon has been monitored by the Pentagon for several days. On Wednesday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and military leaders discussed options, including shooting. On the way down they decided that the debris could be dangerous to civilians and President Biden agreed that the official tells us that China has not confirmed that it is their spy balloon. Officials say the balloon has limited intelligence value and is not a threat to people on the ground or aircraft. as tensions with China are high with fears of a possible invasion of Taiwan and Secretary of State for Justice Blinken expected to travel to China in the coming days for high-level talks.

Lester, okay, Courtney, thanks for that update that will also be developed this afternoon. murder mystery in New Jersey where a local councilwoman was found shot to death in her car last night Ron Allen is there with late details around 7:30 p.m. police respond to 9-1-1 call about shots fired in New Jersey suburb check everything For the guy we're shooting, investigators say they found Eunice 1-4, a 30-year-old county councilwoman in her car with multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene. One victim horrified residents who described hearing a barrage of gunshots. Did you hear last night I heard this?

A burst of gunfire around 7:30 last night and I immediately moved away from my windows. I knew immediately that this was abnormal. The governor of New Jersey says he can't remember the last time a gunman killed an elected official in the state, it's just a shocking, shocking event, so please keep his memory and that of his family in the community in your prayers. of Sayreville. Our New York station reported that neighbors say they saw a man standing near the car who then fled the scene toward a wooded area and highway near the apartment complex where Jordan 4 lived and died while those who knew the single mother with A pre-teen daughter praised her commitment to Public Service elected as a Republican in 2021 and her devotion to her church has caught my attention. a person who loved to challenge and loved to serve and loved to serve through his church and loves to serve the community tonight authorities are not saying if they have a suspect or a motive only that their homicide investigation continues.

Lester, okay, Ron Allen in New Jersey. thank you, heated debate in Congress today before the GOP House LED voted to remove Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee citing her past comments condemned as anti-Semitic Ryan Nobles has more from the Capitol tonight Congresswoman Democrat Ilhan Omar defiantly and my leadership and voice will not be diminished if I am not on this committee for one term after Republicans took the dramatic step of voting to remove her from the Foreign Affairs Committee. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy says it's in response to Omar's previous comments that both Republicans and Democrats have condemned as anti-Semitic including saying that supporting Israel was quoting all about Benjamin's baby and that quote from Israel mesmerized the world comments that Omar has apologized for when it comes to Foreign Affairs, especially the responsibility of that position around the world with the comments you make, she should not This new confrontation will not serve there after McCarthy expelled to Democrats Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell of the intelligence committee.

Democrats are calling it retaliation after they stripped two Republicans from all their committees for their inflammatory rhetoric in the last Congress. There is nothing consistent with the Republican Party's continued attack. Except for the racism and incitement of violence against women of color in this body signed so far from an increasingly bitter division like this heated showdown at a Committee hearing this week, it's hard to take that claim seriously if in fact an individual who in some way supported an insurrection against the United States government. I am concerned that they may be disqualifying many of their own members.

McCarthy maintains that things are better than in the past. How can the American people be sure they can get things done? done because this is nothing like the last Congress where someone from every committee is moved. Democrats came to me saying we're handling this much better, and tonight McCarthy is proposing a bipartisan panel to come up with a code of conduct. to all the members who are part of the committees minor Ryan Nobles on Capitol Hill thank you in Ukraine a new and devastating Russian attack in the East today while Ukraine says Russia is starting a new offensive this is Russian President Vladimir Putin launches a new threat to the West Ralph Sánchez en In Ukraine tonight, following the relentless fire of Russian rockets at the city of Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine, this apartment building was destroyed by a direct hit, killing at least three people.

Ukraine says there is a struggle in overcrowded hospitals to treat the wounded. The last thing I remember was that I was doing my hair. the cat, says days after the United States and Germany announced they will send tanks to Ukraine Russian President Putin makes veiled nuclear threats warning the West that we do not send our tanks to their borders, but we have the means to respond The president of Ukraine, zielinski, says Putin is preparing a new offensive before the first anniversary of the war we have been fighting evil for almost a year and we can attack from the south or the east near bakmu there are less than 200 children left in the city, say the police and they are trying to evacuate them with these child sized bulletproof vests, the vests come from the leviv defense group of an outfit that normally makes armor for NATO Special Forces.

Nine-year-old Angelica, who fled the fighting in her hometown of Harkov, shows us what the West is like. can assemble in several seconds a wartime innovation designed to save the lives of the smallest Ukrainians, meanwhile Poland has become the first NATO country to say it is open to sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine , but only in coordination with its allies. Lester Ralph Sanchez thanks in 60 Seconds a new twist in Adnan Syed's story from a successful podcast series into the new court battle that caused him to speak out for the first time since he was released from prison.

Now we're back with Adnan Syed, whose murder case was profiled in the podcast series, speaks for the first time since he was released from prison as the family of his murdered ex-girlfriend is asking the court to reinstate his conviction. We get more from Miguel Almaguer who is out of prison but returning to court today Adnan Syed's lawyers are rejecting a petition to reinstate his 23-year murder sentence in the Maryland Court of Appeals, the family of the ex-girlfriend of Heyman Lee Syed who was found dead in a park argued that they were never properly notified about a hearing in September that suddenly led to Syed's death. release after years of doubt about his conviction today Syed spoke for the first time since his release in October our family we have suffered a lot, you know, in the last 20 almost 24 years and that is very difficult for us, it is difficult for my dad. hard for my mom hard for my younger brother Syed's freedom came after prosecutors argued he was convictedunfairly overturning his charges of murder, kidnapping and robbery.

Prosecutors also cited DNA evidence that helped clear his name. Syed became the focus of a documentary and podcast series that questioned and re-examined his conviction, but Lee's family says they were left out of the process. His mind is open to the possibility that this was a wrongful conviction and that Mr. Syed did not do it. We don't have enough information about what he showed up for. In the process leading up to him being fired to find out if that's right or wrong, we definitely understand that the Hayes family has suffered a lot and continues to suffer and I just suffered too tonight after going through more than half of his life. in prison, a non-side fights again for freedom Miguel almaguer NBC News below, a distant visitor makes his closest encounter with our planet in tens of thousands of years, plus popular medications often prescribed for weight loss and the battle to get insurance companies to do it. cover them is a very rare view of the night sky spectacular images of a green comet passing Earth for the first time since the Stone Age 50,000 years ago.

If you missed it, you still have a chance to watch it over the next few days too. tonight they are called a life changer for people struggling with obesity. The pharmaceutical industry believes that more than 100 million Americans can benefit from prescription weight-loss drugs, but only if they can afford them. They are Stephanie Gosk, no strict diets or grueling gym sessions are needed. Social media is abuzz with rumors about a new class of drugs, including ozampic, which is not approved for weight loss, and wagovi, which stimulates hormones to curb hunger and appetite, another Eli drug. Lilly is on its way to get FDA approval this year.

Market analysts expected it to become the best-selling drug of all time. The weight was coming off rapidly. It was the first week. It was like two pounds. The second week I lost three pounds. about 17 pounds Artemis Bayendor has multiple issues that make it difficult for him to maintain a healthy weight, including insulin resistance. This is not a medication, so you can wear the dress to walk the red carpet. This is a medicine to keep you away. the hospital right to continue maintaining my weight to stabilize my blood pressure to keep you alive to keep me alive to stay healthy but the coupon I was using for wagovi ran out after six months she said uh it's 1295 dollars and I said we passed from 25 to 12.95.

Did you drop your phone? Yes, she can't afford it and her health insurance won't pay. Most insurance companies will not cover the cost of medications used as weight loss treatment, nor will Medicare and most. States, not Medicaid, are the people who need these drugs to get them. Not everyone, not everyone, receives the medications that could actually benefit from the medication and that is a harsh reality as a doctor. More than 40 percent of Americans are obese and at risk. strokes and heart disease, a disproportionate number are Hispanic or black. Dr. Veronica Johnson specializes in obesity at Northwestern.

Why aren't weight loss medications covered in this country? I think the most important thing is the stigma around the disease of obesity and we still feel obese. It can be managed by lifestyle alone. Legislation that would include coverage of weight-loss drugs under Medicare has been in Congress for 10 years. It was huge for me. My blood pressure had gone down and I was actually able to live a happier, healthier lifestyle at that time. Andor stopped taking the medication and the weight came back and so did the high blood pressure. So how bad does your health have to be for you to finally have coverage for thirteen hundred dollars a month?

For now, the so-called miracle weight loss drugs are only a miracle for those who can afford to pay Stephanie gosk NBC News Chicago and the next one here tonight A legacy of firefighters still saving lives after death and inspiring To united states. We end tonight with the story of two of New York's bravest firefighters and their families, each in their own extreme circumstances. are inspiring America Billy Moon loves being a firefighter a member of an elite FDNY Rescue Unit husband and father died tragically in a training accident in December but his service story didn't end there I just asked Terence Jordan I was blessed with a second chance at life Jordan, a retired FDNY lieutenant, was suffering from lung disease after working at the World Trade Center recovery site and needed a life-saving transplant.

You were in very bad shape until a few weeks ago. He was in the terminal stage. I felt. As she was going to say when Christina Moon found out about Terence, she knew what her husband Billy would have wanted from her. Billy and I had talked about this kind of thing before we knew he wanted to be an organ donor. Terence was a match and received new lungs from Billy Moon five days before Christmas how many people have benefited from his organs five it's amazing Terence is recovering from transplant surgery in quarantine but joined our interview via Zoom hi Christina, The first time he and his wife Terry met Christina, we just wanted to say that we think you're an amazing person and thank you so much, uh, in your darkest hour, you came through and gave me and four other people the gift of life and we wanted to thank you and tell you that we love you.

You are very welcome and thank you for everything you did. I think it must be the way it worked out and the match, so I'm really happy for you and you look great. I feel 30 years younger because of everything it has. It was a journey of mixed emotions when it happened and we discovered Billy, we started reading about him and finding out more about him and we realized that he was like a younger version of Terence and that almost made it easier to reconcile with my daughter. Brianne is about to turn 11 years old. She says she's so glad you're continuing her father's journey and my son says he hopes you live to be 100.

I think it's amazing and I'll try it. I will let both families know now. I focused on organ donation awareness. I felt horrible because Billy passed away and I benefited from it, so I'm still trying to understand that, but I really appreciate it and, uh, Billy and he talked to his wife about it. The fact that they talked about it was incredible because most people don't talk about organ donation while they are alive and now, dead, a firefighter is still answering the call and still saving lives. We call Billy our eternal hero. To learn more about organ donation, you can scan the QR. code on your screen or go to organ donor.gov and by the way Billy Moon's liver went to another firefighter who is Nightly News thanks for watching everyone.

I'm Lester Holt, please take care of yourselves and each other. Good evening, thank you for watching our YouTube. The channel follows top stories and breaking news by downloading the NBC News app.