Violent protest is not protected. His 2024 rival donald trump praising the nypd crackdown. Calling it a beautiful thing. The massive fireball on i95. A Fuel Tanker Colliding with a tractortrailer and a car in connecticut. No injuries. How long could the interstate be shut down . Evacuations ordered in texas. Widespread flooding submerging homes, roads, and cars. Former President Trump back in court as his criminal trial resumes. The former attorney for Stormy Daniels on the stand, testifying about Hush Money Payments as prosecutors asked the judge to hold mr. Trump in contempt again. New troubles for Britney Spears. An ambulance called to a landmark l. A. Hotel after sources say the pop star got into an altercation with her boyfriend. And the lego legend. Turning the landmarks in our Nations Capital into mini masterpieces. Announcer this is Nbc Nightly News with lester holt. Good evening and welcome. More dramatic takedowns at College Protests encampments leaving hundreds more arrested. But tonight, the propalestinian movement they joined is still alive and playing out at dozens more of the tent camps that have popped up at other campuses across the country. California Highway Patrol officers in the front lines of a crackdown at ucla overnight, tearing down the makeshift barricades erected by propalestinian supporters and moving in to arrest those who defied orders to disperse. The sweeping operation captured on live tv. President biden breaking his silence on the demonstrations, expressing his support for peaceful protests, but adding were a Civil Society and order must prevail. An nbc news count shows over 2,100 people have been arrested nationwide since the demonstrations began. Tonight we take you into the chaos. Here is liz kreutz. Reporter with the clashes between College Campus demonstrators and police reaching new heights, today President Biden condemning violent disruptive protests. Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campuses, forcing the cancellation of classes and graduations, none of this is a peaceful protest. Threatening people, intimidating people, instilling fear in people is not a peaceful protest. Its against the law. Reporter dozens of universities and colleges across the country continuing to grapple with how to handle the growing movement of propalestinian demonstrators. This morning at ucla, Law Enforcement breaching the massive encampment just before dawn. All right, police in riot gear right now. You hear the flashbangs, but police are breaching the barrier, trying to make their way into the encampment. The students though, theyre pushing back and trying to hold the line. Reporter demonstrators, many of them in hard helmets and gas masks appearing to use Fire Extinguishers aimed at police, trying to fend them off. Police pushing back with overwhelming numbers. California Highway Patrol officers making hundreds of arrests. Were not going back down. We have to be force. Reporter students demanding divestment from israel, but also taking their protests beyond the war in gaza, calling for defunding of police as well, and asking supporters to bring supplies for shields, materials and water. Today the campus left covered in trash and busted tents. The universitys iconic royce hall defaced with graffiti. Some of those arrested now released from a Downtown Jail speaking out. How do i feel . Ive never felt more proud of myself or my community. Reporter across the country at Columbia University in new york, the nypd today releasing portions of Body Cam Video from tuesday nights raid to clear hamilton hall. Police finding protesters sitting on the ground with arms linked. Nationwide, more than about the,100 arrests have been made connected with Campus Protests. Today Portland StateUniversity Campus closed down as police made 12 arrests and cleared the schools library. Overnight, four arrested at yale. 90 removed from campus at dartmouth. And at the university of wisconsins madison campus, defiant students reestablishing their tents just 24 hours after police disbanded the encampment there. Were going to be here indefinitely until they meet our demands. Reporter back at ucla, cleanup is under way. Professor graham blair, who was arrested this morning in the encampment, is defending the students right to protest, despite some of the tactics theyve used. I think anyone who is worried about graffiti on buildings on a College Campus needs to come visit a College Campus. Its 18yearolds who are learning for the first time how to express themselves. Liz, what is ucla saying what played out there this morning . Well, lester, the ucla chancellor says that protesters were given several warnings to leave, and that ultimately the encampment here was unlawful and had become a huge disruption here on campus. They said because of that, it had to be removed to restore campus safety. Lester . A much different scene behind you, liz. Thank you. All that is having an impact in the 2024 president ial campaign. President biden facing pressure over the ongoing protests as former President Trump praised the nypd campus crackdown. Gabe gutierrez is at the white house. Reporter President Bidens condemnation of violent Campus Protests are his first on camera comments about the growing controversy in more than a week. There is the right to protest, but not the right to cause chaos. Reporter the president says he wont call in the national guard, and he bluntly rejected the protesters demands that changes policy in the middle east. Mr. President , have the protests forced you to reconsider any of the policies with regard to the region . No. Reporter President Biden is facing mounting political pressure. Some democrats want him to do more to support palestinians, while many republicans are blasting him for not speaking out earlier. In moments like this, there are always those who rush into score political points. But this isnt a moment for politics. Its a moment for clarity. Reporter still, the war is playing a larger role in the 2024 campaign. We demand a ceasefire reporter for months on the trail, the president faced growing propalestinian protests. But the tensions are boiling over this week. These are radical left lunatics, and theyve got to be stopped now, because its going to go on and on. Reporter former President Trump is praising the Police Response at Columbia University. It was a beautiful thing to watch. New yorks finest. Reporter but mr. Trump is also drawing controversy for an interview where he would not commit to respecting the outcome of the election, saying if everythings honest, ill gladly accept the results. If its not, you have to fight for the right of the country. The President Firing back late today. Mr. President , are you worried that trump says he wont accept the Election Results . Listen to what he says. Listen to what he says . And gabe, we can circle back to the protests for a moment. The president s remarks i understand were a lastminute add to his schedule . Yes, lester. But the white house insists the president was not bowing to political pressure. Biden campaign officials, meanwhile, previously downplayed the College Protests, arguing that young people care more about other issues like the economy and abortion rights. Lester . Okay, gabe gutierrez, thank you. A Traffic Nightmare in the northeast after a fiery crash in connecticut shut down part of interstate 95 in both directions. Emilie ikeda is there. Reporter with thick plumes of smoke darkening the sky, a nightmarish scene today in norwalk, connecticut. I can feel the heat from here. Reporter after a crash involving a passenger car, tractortrailer, and fuel truck ignited this massive fire on i95. Flames fully engulfing the tanker that Officials Say was carrying 8500 gallons of gasoline. I couldnt believe what i was seeing. It looked surreal. Reporter remarkably, no one was seriously injured, but tonight officials are urging people to avoid the area as the aftermath, coated in Fire Suppressing foam, continues to clog traffic. Cant stay home, take the train. Reporter this Critical Northeast Corridor sees 160,000 drivers a day. Now being diverted on to local roads and other interstates. An hour and 40 minutes to get to work today. Stop, start, stop, start. Reporter a section of i95 will remain closed for several days in order this bridge scorched by the flames to be demolished. Gasolinefueled fires can get hot enough to deform even steel, leaving bridge collapses like this in philadelphia last year. Back in the tristate tonight, drivers bracing for this travel headache to linger. The new charged bridge less than 10 years old will begin to be removed first thing tomorrow. Then crews will have to repave the goal the road with the goal of reopening this major Traffic Artery at the earliest monday morning. Emilie ikeda, thank you. Were watching severe flooding tonight in houston with the houston area hit hard after more than 5 inches of rain. Cars and trucks were submerged. Some mandatory evacuations were ordered, and at least nine rescues were carried out. Tonight six Million People remain under flood watches in parts of texas and louisiana. Dramatic moments at the former President Trumps Hush Money Trial today as a key prosecution witness was crossexamined about the alleged payments he helped arrange. Laura jarrett has the latest. Reporter former President Trump arriving at court today, watching his defense team go on offense, casting a key prosecution witness is out to extort him for money. The defense hoping to discredit keith davidson, the lawyer who negotiated payoffs for Stormy Daniels and karen mcdougal. Both threatened to go public of stories of sex with mr. Trump ahead of the 2016 election. Mr. Trump has denied the allegations of both women, and denied any advanced knowledge of the payoff. His defense team suggesting today that davidson had a habit of shaking down celebrities, like Charlie Sheen for money. Davidson saying he never extorted anyone, testifying at lengths about his negotiations with mr. Cohen, mr. Trumps former attorney. But today saying he never met nor spoke to the former president. Instead, he dealt exclusively with cohen, who he painted as desperate and despondent, that then president elect trump would not make him Attorney General or white house chief of staff. Describing a phone call where cohen lamented i cant believe im not going to washington. Cohen saying he saved trump so many times, you dont even know. Davidson testifying about cohen, i thought he was going to kill himself. A helpful point for the defense as it tries to cast cohen as having an ax to grind against mr. Trump. The former president is accused of illegally doctoring his internal records to disguise his repayments to cohen, making cohens testimony critical for prosecutors, who are now seeking additional fines against mr. Trump, saying he violated a gag order again by calling his former fixer a liar. While the defense argues the former president should be allowed to defend himself against cohens frequent criticism. Im unconstitutionally gagged. He gagged me. So im not even i would say supposed to be talking to you, because he gagged me. Reporter the judge hasnt yet ruled but expressed concern mr. Trumps statements and the effects hey might have on other potential witnesses. Lester . Laura jarrett here in new york tonight, thanks. Turning to the developing news out of los angeles involving Britney Spears and a latenight incident with her boyfriend at a famed hotel. Chloe melas is here. Chloe, what do we know . Lester, nbc news has learned that authorities responded to an incident involving Britney Spears at the landmark Chateau Marmont Hotel early this morning. Now two sources close to the singer say she got into a fight with her boyfriend paul solis, but went home with her Security Team and is safe. The sources disputed a report that spears threatened hotel employees, but did say she was screaming and crying. Late today spears took to social media acknowledging an incident had happened, saying that she twisted her ankle, and that paramedics showed up at my door illegally. This comes just hours after spears and her ex sam aghari settled the terms of their divorce and two and a half years after she was publicly released from her 13year conservatorship. The lasd have not responded to comments tonight. Chloe, thanks very much. In 60 seconds, whats behind a surge in opioid overdose, with at least nine people dead since monday in one city alone. Were with first responder, stunned by what theyre seeing. Ravis and who are antiachr antibody positive, season to season, ultomiris is continuous symptom control, with improvement in activities of daily living. It is reduced muscle weakness. And ultomiris is the only longacting Gmg Treatment with the freedom of just 6 to 7 infusions per year, for a predictable routine i can count on. Ultomiris can lower your immune systems ability to fight infections, increasing your chance of serious meningococcal infections, which may become lifethreatening or fatal, and other types of infections. Complete or update meningococcal vaccines at least 2 weeks before starting ultomiris. If ultomiris is urgent, you should also receive antibiotics with your vaccines. Before starting ultomiris, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions and medications. Ultomiris can cause reactions such as back pain, tiredness, dizziness, limb discomfort, or bad taste. Ultomiris is moving forward with continuous symptom control. Ask your neurologist about starting ultomiris. In texas, First Responders are racing to contain a surge in opioid overdoses. Calls for help spiking a thousand percent this week. Priscilla thompson is on the front line. Two overdoses right now. Reporter wow, right now. We go out to every overdose. Reporter for austin emt randy chabra, its been a harrowing week. In a typical day, how many overdoses do you all usually get called for . Three, maybe five. Reporter what does that number look like this week . I think were up to 73 across the three days. Reporter a more than one thousand percent spike in overdose calls, likely caused by drugs laced with fentanyl, unbeknownst to users, austin Officials Say. Confirming at least nine people have died of suspected overdoses since monday amid a flood of hospitalizations and 911 calls. This morning its been 15 people have been i guess they smoked something that was bad. Two people in the car. I cant get into the front seat. The mother is passed out do you need a narcan kit . Reporter paramedics handing out more than 400 doses of narcan in 48 hours, which can reverse an overdose before its too late. The dea says fentanyl is now the leading cause of death for young americans. Youre my girl, she died. She died of an overdose. Oh, no. Of fentanyl. Reporter those on the front lines in austin worry outbreaks like this could be the next wave of the crisis. My fear is that its just the start. That whats next . The fear that it becomes just unmanageable . Right. The fear that we have no ambulances left, and that we still have overdoses occurring. It happens on monday where you would go and its not one person, its four people, right. 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