Nightly News Full Broadcast - May 13

DRAMATIC SHOWDOWN AT

DONALD TRUMP'S HUSH

MONEY TRIAL.

MICHAEL COHEN

TESTIFYING AGAINST HIS

FORMER BOSS.

MR. TRUMP'S FORMER

FIXER TURNED FOE,

MICHAEL COHEN, TAKING

THE STAND FOR HIS

HIGHLY ANTICIPATED

TESTIMONY, TELLING THE

JURY MR. TRUMP

DIRECTED HIM TO PAY

OFF STORMY DANIELS TO

KEEP QUIET ABOUT THEIR

ALLEGED AFFAIR TO

PROTECT HIS 2016

CAMPAIGN.

COHEN SAYING MR. TRUMP

TOLD HIM, "JUST TAKE

CARE OF IT."

THE DEFENSE PREPARING

TO ATTACK COHEN'S

CREDIBILITY AFTER

CALLING HIM AN

ADMITTED LIAR.

AND THE SECRET TAPE

COHEN MADE OF TRUMP

PLAYED FOR THE JURY.

>>> ALSO TONIGHT, THE

RACE TO ESCAPE RAFAH.

360,000 PEOPLE FLEEING

AS ISRAELI FORCES

ADVANCE ON THE

SOUTHERN GAZA CITY.

>>> TERRIFYING MOMENTS

AT A LOUISIANA CHURCH

DURING A LIVESTREAMED

SERVICE.

A TEEN WITH A GUN

STOPPED AS HE TRIES TO

GET INTO THE BUILDING

WITH 60 CHILDREN

INSIDE FOR THEIR FIRST

COMMUNION.

>>> SEVERE WEATHER

FROM TEXAS TO FLORIDA.

WE'RE TRACKING IT.

>>> WILDFIRE SMOKE

FROM CANADA MOVING

INTO THE U.S.

AIR QUALITY ALERTS IN

MULTIPLE STATES.

>>> PRO-PALESTINIAN

PROTESTS DISRUPTING

SOME GRADUATIONS.

JERRY SEINFELD'S

SPEECH AT DUKE

PROMPTING DOZENS TO

WALK OUT.

>>> AND THE MOST

STUNNING IMAGES FROM

THAT SPECTACULAR SHOW

IN THE SKY.

>> Announcer: THIS IS

NBC "NIGHTLY NEWS"

WITH LESTER HOLT.

>>> GOOD EVENING AND

WELCOME.

THE PROSECUTION CASE

AGAINST DONALD TRUMP

NEARING ITS CRESCENDO

IN A NEW YORK

COURTROOM TONIGHT,

WITH THE

MUCH-ANTICIPATED

TESTIMONY OF FORMER

TRUMP LAWYER AND FIXER

MICHAEL COHEN.

COHEN DESCRIBING HIS

ROLE IN TRYING TO BURY

STORMY DANIELS'S CLAIM

OF A SEXUAL LIAISON

WITH MR. TRUMP AND HIS

CONCERNS ABOUT ITS

IMPACT ON THE 2016

ELECTION, DRIVING

COHEN TO PAY HUSH

MONEY TO DANIELS THAT

HE SAYS WAS AT MR.

TRUMP'S DIRECTION.

HE WASN'T THINKING

ABOUT MELANIA.

THIS WAS ALL ABOUT THE

CAMPAIGN, COHEN

TESTIFIED.

THE FORMER PRESIDENT

DENIES HE HAD SEX WITH

DANIELS AND HAS

PLEADED NOT GUILTY TO

FALSIFYING BUSINESS

RECORDS TO DISGUISE

THE HUSH MONEY

PAYMENTS.

COHEN FACING A SECOND

DAY ON THE STAND

TOMORROW, LATER

FOLLOWED BY WHAT COULD

BE A CONTENTIOUS

CROSS-EXAMINATION BY

THE DEFENSE.

LAURA JARRETT BREAKS

DOWN THE DAY IN COURT.

>> Reporter: TONIGHT A

HIGHLY ANTICIPATED

COURTROOM SHOWDOWN.

PROSECUTORS' STAR

WITNESS MICHAEL COHEN,

FORMER PRESIDENT

TRUMP'S SELF-DESCRIBED

FIXER TURNED FIERCE

CRITIC, TELLING THE

JURY MR. TRUMP

DIRECTED HIM TO PAY

OFF AN ADULT FILM

ACTRESS DAYS BEFORE

THE 2016 ELECTION TO

PROTECT HIS CAMPAIGN.

>> IS MICHAEL COHEN A

LIAR?

>> Reporter:

EVERYTHING REQUIRED

MR. TRUMP'S SIGN-OFF,

COHEN TOLD THE JURY,

TESTIFYING MR. TRUMP

WAS FURIOUS IN 2016

WHEN HE LEARNED STORMY

DANIELS WAS STILL

TRYING TO SELL HER

STORY OF SEX WITH THE

FORMER PRESIDENT,

TELLING COHEN, "I

THOUGHT YOU HAD THIS

UNDER CONTROL."

COHEN EXPLAINING HE'D

MANAGED TO SUPPRESS

DANIELS' STORY YEARS

BEFORE BUT IT

RESURFACED ON THE

HEELS OF THE "ACCESS

HOLLYWOOD" TAPE AND

COHEN FEARED IF

DANIELS WENT PUBLIC IT

WOULD BE, QUOTE,

CATASTROPHIC FOR THE

CAMPAIGN, SAYING MR.

TRUMP TOLD HIM "JUST

TAKE CARE OF IT.

THIS IS A DISASTER.

WOMEN ARE GOING TO

HATE ME.

GUYS MAY THINK THIS IS

COOL BUT THIS IS GOING

TO BE A DISASTER FOR

THE CAMPAIGN."

COHEN SAID MR. TRUMP

TOLD HIM HE MET

DANIELS AT A GOLF

TOURNAMENT, DESCRIBING

HER AS A BEAUTIFUL

WOMAN.

MR. TRUMP HAS DENIED

HE HAD SEX WITH

DANIELS AND PLEADED

NOT GUILTY TO CHARGES

OF ILLEGALLY

DISGUISING HIS

REIMBURSEMENT CHECKS

TO COHEN AS LEGAL

EXPENSES ON HIS

INTERNAL BOOKS AND

RECORDS.

THE DEFENSE TEAM

ARGUING THERE WAS NO

CRIME, THAT COHEN WAS

HIS PERSONAL ATTORNEY

AT THE TIME, HANDLING

A PERSONAL MATTER TO

AVOID HIS FAMILY

EMBARRASSMENT.

FORMER TRUMP AIDE HOPE

HICKS PREVIOUSLY

TESTIFYING MR. TRUMP

DID NOT WANT

NEWSPAPERS WITH

DETAILS OF A HUSH

MONEY PAYMENT TO A

DIFFERENT WOMAN

DELIVERED TO THEIR

HOME.

BUT COHEN SUGGESTING

TODAY THAT MR. TRUMP

WASN'T CONCERNED ABOUT

MELANIA'S REACTION.

"HE WASN'T THINKING

ABOUT MELANIA.

THIS WAS ALL ABOUT THE

CAMPAIGN."

COHEN ADDING MR. TRUMP

TOLD HIM, "I WANT YOU

TO JUST PUSH IT OUT AS

LONG AS YOU CAN.

JUST GET PAST THE

ELECTION.

BECAUSE IF I WIN IT

WILL HAVE NO RELEVANCE

AND IF I LOSE I DON'T

EVEN CARE."

COHEN TESTIFYING THAT

HE TOLD MR. TRUMP HE

WOULD PAY DANIELS AS

PART OF A

NON-DISCLOSURE

AGREEMENT, OPTING TO

USE MONEY FROM A HOME

EQUITY LINE OF CREDIT,

AND MR. TRUMP WAS

APPRECIATIVE, SAYING

WORDS TO THE EFFECT OF

"DON'T WORRY, YOU'LL

GET THE MONEY BACK."

THE STATE TRYING TO

SHOW THE DANIELS

PAYOFF WASN'T ISOLATED

BUT PART OF A PATTERN.

COHEN ADMITTING HE

SECRETLY RECORDED HIS

CLIENT WHILE THEY

DISCUSSED REPAYING THE

"NATIONAL ENQUIRER,"

WHICH PURCHASED THE

STORY OF ANOTHER WOMAN

WHO SAID SHE HAD SEX

WITH MR. TRUMP, WHICH

HE DENIES.

>> WHEN IT COMES TIME

FOR THE FINANCING,

WHICH WILL BE --

>> WAIT A SEC, WHAT

FINANCING?

>> WELL, I'LL HAVE TO

PAY HIM SOMETHING.

>> PAY WITH CASH.

>> Reporter:

PROSECUTORS HAVE

PRESENTED NO DIRECT

EVIDENCE MR. TRUMP

KNEW ABOUT OR TOLD

ANYONE TO FALSIFY

BUSINESS RECORDS.

SO COHEN'S CREDIBILITY

HERE, KEY.

TELLING JURORS TODAY

MR. TRUMP NEVER USED

E-MAIL BECAUSE "TOO

MANY PEOPLE HAVE GONE

DOWN" ONCE PROSECUTORS

OBTAIN THEIR E-MAILS.

COHEN NOW A DISBARRED

ATTORNEY WHO HAS BEEN

CONVICTED FOR LYING

UNDER OATH.

THE DEFENSE ARGUES

HE'S OUT FOR REVENGE

AFTER HE DIDN'T GET A

JOB IN THE WHITE

HOUSE.

TODAY COHEN TESTIFYING

HE WOULD HAVE LIKED TO

HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED

FOR WHITE HOUSE CHIEF

OF STAFF FOR HIS,

QUOTE, EGO.

>> THERE'S NO FRAUD

HERE.

THERE'S NO CRIME HERE.

THIS IS FOUR WEEKS OF

KEEPING ME FROM NOT

CAMPAIGNING.

>> LAURA, MICHAEL

COHEN'S TESTIMONY

SEEMED TO BE MOVING

PRETTY QUICKLY TODAY.

>> Reporter: LESTER,

SO RAPIDLY IN FACT

THAT WE COULD SEE HIS

CROSS-EXAMINATION AS

SOON AS TOMORROW.

WE SAW THE PROSECUTION

TRYING TO GET AHEAD OF

SOME OF THE DEFENSE

LINES OF QUESTIONING,

TRYING TO PREREBUT

THEM, IF YOU WILL.

BUT NO DOUBT THIS

CROSS-EXAMINATION WILL

BE BRUTAL AS THE

DEFENSE TEAM IS LIKELY

TO FOCUS ON HIS PAST

CONVICTIONS FOR LYING

AND CREDIBILITY

ISSUES, TRYING TO

ARGUE THAT MICHAEL

COHEN IS ESSENTIALLY

USING HIS ATTACKS ON

THE FORMER BOSS AS HIS

MEAL TICKET.

LESTER?

>> LAURA JARRETT IN

LOWER MANHATTAN.

THANK YOU.

>>> IN THE MIDDLE EAST

ISRAEL IS NOW BATTLING

HAMAS MILITANTS THAT

HAVE REGROUPED IN

NORTHERN GAZA.

MEANWHILE, 360,000

PEOPLE HAVE FLED RAFAH

IN THE SOUTH.

RICHARD ENGEL IS IN

ISRAEL WITH MORE.

>> Reporter: ISRAEL

THOUGHT IT HAD

DEFEATED HAMAS IN

NORTHERN GAZA.

BUT THE MILITANTS HAVE

REGROUPED AND ARE NOW

FIGHTING FROM THE

RUBBLE.

ONCE THE GOVERNMENT OF

GAZA THAT TRIGGERED A

WAR WHEN THEY STORMED

INTO ISRAEL AND

CARRIED OUT A

MASSACRE, HAMAS HAS

BECOME AN INSURGENCY.

AND AS THE UNITED

STATES LEARNED IN

AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ,

INSURGENCIES CAN LAST

FOR DECADES.

IN SOUTHERN GAZA

ISRAEL IS EXPANDING

MILITARY OPERATIONS IN

RAFAH DESPITE WARNINGS

FROM PRESIDENT BIDEN

ABOUT THE RISK TO

CIVILIANS.

ISRAEL CLAIMS HAMAS

HAS FOUR BATTALIONS OF

FIGHTERS IN RAFAH AND

HAS ORDERED THE

EVACUATION OF LARGE

SECTIONS OF THE CITY.

THE U.N. SAYS AROUND

360,000 PEOPLE HAVE

ALREADY LEFT.

FOR MOST IT'S NOT THE

FIRST TIME.

>> THAT'S THE SIXTH

TIME I EVACUATE FROM

ANYWHERE I WAS IN.

I FEEL SO LOST.

>> Reporter: THIS TIME

ISRAEL IS TELLING

PALESTINIANS TO GO TO

AN AREA ON THE

MEDITERRANEAN COAST.

BUT PALESTINIANS SAY

THERE'S NOTHING FOR

THEM THERE.

NO TENTS, NO FOOD, NO

FUTURE.

>> ARE WE GOING TO

LIKE KEEP LIVING IN

THIS ONGOING LOOP?

>> Reporter: OUR CREW

FOUND THESE MEN

PACKING UP PIECES OF

THEIR OWN BOMBED-OUT

HOME SO THEY COULD

BUILD SHELTERS WITH

THE DEBRIS.

WHILE HAMAS FIGHTERS

ARE NOWHERE TO BE

SEEN.

THEY BROUGHT THIS WAR

TO GAZA BUT NOW

PROVIDE NO SERVICES

AND NO HELP.

THEY'VE GONE

UNDERGROUND, READY FOR

A LONG INSURGENCY.

APPARENTLY AT ANY

COST.

>> RICHARD, WHAT DOES

IT SAY THAT HAMAS HAS

BEEN ABLE TO REGROUP

IN THE NORTH?

>> Reporter: WELL, IT

RAISES VERY TROUBLING

QUESTIONS ABOUT

ISRAEL'S CURRENT

STRATEGY.

IT SHOWS THAT HAMAS

HAS BEEN ABLE TO REARM

ITS FIGHTERS, FIND NEW

FIGHTING POSITIONS,

AND COULD MAINTAIN A

GUERRILLA WAR FOR A

VERY LONG TIME.

LESTER?

>> RICHARD ENGEL,

THANKS.

>>> IN LOUISIANA

DRAMATIC MOMENTS WHEN

PARISHIONERS ACTED

FAST TO STOP A TEEN

WITH A GUN FROM

ENTERING A CHURCH WITH

60 CHILDREN INSIDE.

HERE'S BLAYNE

ALEXANDER.

♪♪

>> Reporter: IT WAS

THE MOST SACRED OF

SPACES AT ST. MARY

MAGADELENE CHURCH IN

ABBEVILLE, LOUISIANA

60 CHILDREN WERE

POISED TO TAKE THEIR

FIRST COMMUNION

SATURDAY.

>> THAT THIS

SACRAMENT --

>> Reporter: WHEN

SUDDENLY A MAN

APPROACHES THE PRIEST,

WHISPERING IN HIS EAR.

MOMENTS LATER FATHER

NICHOLAS DUPREE

ABRUPTLY STOPS THE

SERVICE.

[ SCREAMING ]

AS CHAOS ERUPTS.

ACCORDING TO CHURCH

OFFICIALS, A

SUSPICIOUS PERSON

OPENED THE BACK DOOR.

MEMBERS IMMEDIATELY

CONFRONTED HIM AND LED

HIM OUTSIDE, CALLING

POLICE.

AUTHORITIES SAY HE WAS

ARMED WITH A GUN.

INSIDE, THE VIDEO

SHOWS CLERGY MEMBERS

DUCKING FOR COVER,

ALTAR SERVERS

SCRAMBLING TO SAFETY

AS POLICE RUSH IN,

GUNS DRAWN, CHECKING

FOR ANY ADDITIONAL

THREAT.

>> JUST GET A HOLD OF

YOUR CHILD.

GO SLOWLY.

>> Reporter: THE

SUSPECT WAS A

16-YEAR-OLD WHITE

MALE, POLICE SAY,

DRESSED IN ALL BLACK.

HE WAS ARRESTED, THEN

TAKEN TO A HOSPITAL

FOR MENTAL EVALUATION,

CHARGED WITH

TERRORIZING AND TWO

COUNTS OF JUVENILE GUN

POSSESSION.

INCREDIBLY, POLICE

SAY, THERE WERE NO

INJURIES.

>> HALLELUJAH.

>> Reporter: BUT AT

TODAY'S SERVICE THE

SCARS WERE CLEAR.

IT BEARS A SHOCKING

SIMILARITY TO YET

ANOTHER CLOSE CALL

LAST WEEK AT A

PITTSBURGH CHURCH,

WHEN A MAN APPROACHED

THE PULPIT AND AIMED

DIRECTLY AT THE

PASTOR, WHO WAS

SPARED, POLICE SAY,

ONLY WHEN THE GUN

JAMMED.

BACK IN LOUISIANA THE

CHURCH PLANS TO HAVE

LAW ENFORCEMENT STAND

GUARD AT EVERY SERVICE

GOING FORWARD.

AS MORE HOUSES OF

WORSHIP ARE FORCED TO

MIX THE POWER OF

PRAYER WITH THE

PRESENCE OF POLICE.

BLAYNE ALEXANDER, NBC

NEWS.

>>> WE ARE WATCHING

FOR MORE SEVERE

WEATHER TONIGHT.

A BRILLIANT LIGHTNING

STRIKE CAPTURED IN

HOUSTON AS A VERY

LARGE HAIL STORM

PELTED PARTS OF TEXAS.

BILL KARINS IS HERE.

BILL, WE'RE GOING TO

SEE MORE OF THAT SORT

OF THING TONIGHT?

>> UNFORTUNATELY,

YEAH.

THE GULF COAST CAN'T

CATCH A BREAK.

WE'VE ALREADY SEEN

ISOLATED REPORTS OF

TORNADOES.

A LOT OF WIND DAMAGE,

ESPECIALLY IN AREAS OF

LOUISIANA WITH THIS

LINE OF STORMS ROLLING

THROUGH.

SO SEVERE THUNDERSTORM

WATCH GOES THROUGH

THIS EVENING.

I'M WATCHING THIS LINE

OF STORMS THAT JUST

WENT THROUGH LAKE

CHARLES.

60-MILE-PER-HOUR WIND

GUSTS, UP TO

80-MILE-PER-HOUR WINDS

ARE POSSIBLE.

ALONG INTERSTATE 10

HERE AS IT HEADS

TOWARD LAFAYETTE WE'LL

WATCH AND SEE IF THAT

HOLDS TOGETHER THIS

EVENING AS IT

APPROACHES BATON ROUGE

AND THE NEW ORLEANS

AREA.

BESIDES THAT IT'S BEEN

RAINING SO MUCH, SO

OFTEN, IT DOESN'T TAKE

MUCH TO GET FLASH

FLOODING.

WE HAVE FLASH FLOOD

WARNINGS OUT THERE.

8 MILLION PEOPLE

IMPACTED.

AND UNFORTUNATELY

TOMORROW WE'RE GOING

TO DO MORE SEVERE

WEATHER.

BUT THIS TIME IN AREAS

OF NORTH FLORIDA AND

SOUTHERN GEORGIA.

>> ALL RIGHT, BILL,

THANK YOU.

>>> WE TURN NOW TO THE

DEMONSTRATIONS ON

CAMPUS.

PRO-PALESTINIAN

PROTESTERS DISRUPTING

SOME COMMENCEMENTS

THIS WEEKEND,

INCLUDING AT DUKE,

WHERE JERRY SEINFELD

WAS THE SPEAKER.

HERE'S STEPHANIE GOSK.

♪♪

>> Reporter: A MOMENT

TO CELEBRATE

ACHIEVEMENT BECOMING

ANOTHER CHANCE TO

PROTEST THE WAR IN

GAZA.

AFTER A TURBULENT

SPRING MULTIPLE

UNIVERSITIES FACING

DISRUPTION AT

GRADUATION.

INCLUDING DUKE.

DOZENS OF STUDENTS

WALKED OUT ON JERRY

SEINFELD'S

COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS

SUNDAY.

THE COMEDIAN WAS LATER

CHEERED.

[ CROWD CHANTING

"JERRY" ]

>> I SAY USE YOUR

PRIVILEGE.

I GREW UP A JEWISH BOY

FROM NEW YORK.

THAT IS A PRIVILEGE IF

YOU WANT TO BE A

COMEDIAN.

>> Reporter: AFTER THE

INITIAL HAMAS ATTACK

OF OCTOBER 7th

SEINFELD POSTED ON

INSTAGRAM, "I WILL

ALWAYS STAND WITH

ISRAEL AND THE JEWISH

PEOPLE," AND VISITED

THE COUNTRY BACK IN

DECEMBER TO SHOW HIS

SUPPORT.

DUKE RELEASING A

STATEMENT THAT SAYS IN

PART, "WE RESPECT THE

RIGHT OF EVERYONE AT

DUKE TO EXPRESS THEIR

VIEWS PEACEFULLY,