The move the judge made today. Also tonight, a tornado watch up for several states in the midwest, including the entire chicago metro area after a deadly Tornado Strike in oklahoma. Israeli forces entering rafah, seizing a critical Border Crossing as a possible ceasefire deal hangs in the balance. New crackdowns on propalestinian protesters, as President Biden condemns what he calls the ferocious surge of antisemitism in the u. S. Tiktok firing back. The lawsuit filed today to block a law that could ban the popular app nationwide. And our trip to the new wonderland, where Classic Childhood Books come to life. Announcer this is Nbc Nightly News with lester holt. Good evening and welcome. A Star Prosecution Witness In The Criminal Trial Of Donald Trump appeared on the Witness Stand here in new york today. The former president coming facetoface with Adult Film ActressStormy Daniels as she testified, at times graphically, about a sexual liaison she says she had with mr. Trump in 2006. He denies an encounter and wrongdoing, but is nonetheless accused of illegally altering Business Records to disguise hush money payments to ms. Daniels, meant to buy her silence during his 2016 run for president. The actress testifying that she understood it was donald trump who would benefit from the nondisclosure deal she ultimately signed. Later, daniels sparring with Defense Lawyers under aggressive crossexamination, but there is major news in another trump prosecution tonight, his federal documents case in florida now on indefinite hold. But first, Laura Jarrett on the big day in court for Stormy Daniels. Reporter tonight, donald trump seated just ten feet away as the woman at the center of his hush money coverup trial, Stormy Daniels, testified in vivid detail about their alleged sexual encounter nearly two decades ago that prosecutors say he was desperate to hide from voters before the 2016 election. The Adult Film Actress speaking quickly at times, looking directly at the jury, recounting how she first met mr. Trump at a celebrity Golf Tournament in lake tahoe in 2006 and went up to a hotel suite where the pair ultimately had sex, which mr. Trump says never happened. Mr. Trump, hows it going in there . Did stormy get you . Very well. Reporter she told the jury she was not threatened and wasnt drugged, but her testimony about an imbalance of power and blacking out during the alleged encounter prompting the defense team to ask the judge to declare a mistrial, arguing the lurid details were only meant to embarrass the presumptive gop nominee, saying the testimony is impossible to come back from. The judge refusing to declare a mistrial, but agreeing some of daniels testimony would have been better left unsaid. All leading to a heated crossexamination. The Defense Zeroing in on Testimony Daniels gave about an unknown man she says confronted her in a parking lot in 2011, a story she recounted to 60 minutes. A guy walked up on me and said to me, leave trump alone, and then he leaned around and looked at my daughter, and said, a beautiful little girl. It would be a shame if something happened to her mom. Reporter the defense pressing her about why she didnt call police or tell her then boyfriend at the time. The testimony stretching far afield from the criminal charges the former president faces for allegedly disguising how he reimbursed michael cohen, his former fixer and attorney, who paid daniels the 130,000 to stay quiet just before the 2016 election. The judge Chiding Daniels to move it along at times. Their case is totally falling apart. They have nothing on books and records. Reporter daniels telling the jury today she was focused on selling her story, but my motivation wasnt money, it was to get the story out. Adding she didnt feel safe after the parking lot threat. Mr. Trumps Defense Attorney taking direct aim at her credibility and past denials of their alle their alleged encounter, grilling her. You are looking to extort money from president trump, right . Daniels responding, false. And laura, at the top of the newscast, i mentioned a Big Development in another trump case, this the classified documents case in florida. What happened . Reporter yes, lester. The judge Tonight Making Official what was already widely expected, putting that trial date officially on hold, wiping it away, saying essentially there are too many unresolved issues and complex motions left to resolve here, lester. And one more federal case, the one focusing on election interference. Where does that stand . Reporter lester, that one too also in limbo, with no trial date as we await a ruling from the u. S. Supreme court about whether the former perhaps president is in fact immune from prosecution at all, making this case in new york, lester, perhaps the only case that will be complete before the november election. Lester . All right. Laura jarrett, thanks. Tonight, there is more dangerous weather ahead after a string of reported tornadoes hit the plains, including an ef4 in the same city that was hit by a tornado just a month ago. Sam brock now with the unfolding dangerous weather situation. We need to go to the basement. Grab the dogs. Reporter tonight, the spate of Severe Weather sprawling across the country has expanded to the midwest, with michigan in the midst of a tornado emergency. This is right where they came through. Reporter damage already seen, as the state faces several possible twisters. Barnsdall, oklahoma, tonight is a sight that wont easily be forgotten. Homes twirled in to speckles of wood and mangled metal after a vicious tornado tore through the city of 1,400. We need a lot of prayers. Reporter claiming one life and prompting hours of search for a missing person. Yet the sheer force of Mother Nature how did you survive . I guess the good lord. Reporter countered by the resolve of residents like carl killey, who used his body to shield his 80yearold mother. How long were you covering your mom for . However long it was, 5 seconds, 10 seconds, a minute, i dont know. Reporter time stops . It stopped for me. Are you okay . Reporter barnsdall Authorities Say they rescued around 25 people. One of the stunning aspects of this storm is that the tornado could be so violent that it would shear the side off of a home, snap a tree in half, take an entire home and life possessions, and stack them like this on top of property, and flip over a car which still has a headlight on, and to this point the casualties are only a handful. Many here know that could have been different. Everything literally is exploding and blowing everywhere. Reporter chase short nearly drove into the tornado to reach his panicked girlfriend. The only thing that completely stopped me from going through the tornado itself was somebody coming out of it flashing their lights at me. Reporter while feet away at bartlesvilles hampton inn, there was a partial roof collapse. And families holding on for dear life. We all went running and the windows popped out of the hallway. The suddenness of the severity was shocking. Reporter tonight, gratitude to be alive for loved ones, despite the physical destruction surrounding them. Sam brock, nbc news, barnsdall, oklahoma. And the Severe Weather threat is far from over tonight. That brings in dylan dreyer, who is tracking it. What are you looking at . Lester, we have a particularly dangerous situation across southern michigan. Weve had reported tornadoes in portage, michigan, also moving through sherwood and union city, where we have seen tornadoes on the ground. So we do still have tornado watches in effect for that part of the country, and naturally, thats also where we are expecting our most severe storms tonight with this enhanced risk, not just for tornadoes, but for hail, eggsized in diameter. Also wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour. That could cause some damage. This whole cold front is moving east. So those storms will move east through the night. Well see another round of storms redevelop in a much larger area tomorrow. Again, with tornadoes and hail, and then finally on thursday, it will approach the east coast and the gulf coast before exiting for friday, lester. All right, dylan, thanks very much. A forceful condemnation of antisemitism today from President Biden, who invoked The Holocaust, the hamas terror attack on israel, and the wave of protests on American College campuses. Peter alexander is at the white house with more. Reporter with an explosion of violent clashes and hateful comments directed at jews on campuses nationwide, President Biden tonight is condemning what he calls a ferocious surge of antisemitism. There is no place on any campus in america, any place in america for antisemitism or hate speech or threats of violence of any kind. Reporter with a Bipartisan Group of leaders Holding Photos of holocaust victims, the president Drew Parallels between the horrors of The Holocaust and hamas terror attack on israel on october 7th, the deadliest day for jews since world war ii. People are already forgetting, already forgetting that hamas unleashed this terror. It was hamas that brutalized israelis. It was hamas that took and continues to hold Hostages ReporterPresident Bidens been facing intensifying pressure. I have not forgotten, he coun. Nor have you. Reporter President Bidens been facing intensifying pressure from progressive democrats, calling on him to stop sending arms to israel. There are protests all over the country. We have a president that just refuses to talk. Reporter and from republicans blaming him for not criticizing the protests sooner. Instead of protecting jewish students, joe biden has pandered to the prohamas wing of the democrat party. Reporter the latest flash point, the university of chicago. Police in riot gear this morning sweeping in to clear a propalestinian encampment, scuffling with demonstrators protesting israel sending tanks into southern gaza. Those protests amplify a politically challenging issue for the president , who polls show is losing support among young voters. Meanwhile, the Antidefamation League reports antisemitic incidents, harassment, and vandalism incidents were up 140 in the last year, surging nearly 900 in the last decade. This forceful condemnation of antisemitism comes as President Biden has been highly critical of Benjamin Netanyahus handling of the war in gaza, but today vowed his commitment to israels security is, quote, ironclad, even when we disagree. Lester . All right, Peter Alexander at the white house, thank you. Tonight, israel calling a hamas counteroffer a nonstarter, but saying it will negotiate to try to reach a ceasefire, all while Israeli Forces target hamas in rafah, trying to pressure the group to release its hostages. Here is richard engel. Reporter the Israeli Military today said the only language hamas understands is force. And all day, israel shelled the Southern City of rafah. Israeli tanks rumbled in, trampling over palestinian signs, taking over a Border Crossing with egypt it says hamas uses for terrorist purposes, but also stopping the flow of aid. The white house says the operation is limited, not israels long anticipated major offensive, which President Biden opposes, because the city is packed with more than a million civilians ordered by israel to come here for their safety. Israels Defense Minister says the operation is designed to pressure hamas to free its hostages, but that israel is also prepared to make concessions to bring them back. As were learning more about hamas counteroffer, claiming it will free all hostages in stages in exchange for releasing Palestinian Prisoners of hamas choosing, and a full israeli withdrawal from gaza. Israel says the proposal doesnt meet its security needs. Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu dispatched a Negotiating Team to cairo to discuss the proposal. But today he sounded dismissive, calling the offer an attempt to sabotage the rafah operation, which he said is vital to destroying hamas. In rafah today, our crew filmed at one of the only remaining hospitals where Mohammed Abu Amra cries for his nine sisters, brothers, and niece, all killed in an israeli strike today. He is racked with guilt. He invited them to stay in his home because its further away from israels new positions. Then, he says, for reasons he doesnt understand, israel bombed his house. No one is left, he cries. Its just me and the rest are here. The cia director is in cairo, along with negotiators from israel and hamas. The Israeli Military says it will intensify its operations in rafah unless there is a deal. Lester . Richard engel in jerusalem, thank you. In 60 seconds, tiktok goes on the offensive. Its Chinese Parent Company is now fighting an order to sell. So what happens next for the millions who love one of the most popular apps in america . but this is a not flash. for moderate to severe Vasomotor Symptoms due to menopause. Veozah is the first and only Prescription Treatment that directly blocks a source of hot flashes and night sweats. With 100 hormone free veozah. You can have fewer hot flashes and more not flashes. Veozah reduces the number and severity of hot flashes day and night. For some women, it can start working in as early as one week. Dont use veozah if you have cirrhosis, severe kidney problems, kidney failure, or take cyp1a2 inhibitors. Increased liver blood test values may occur. Your doctor will check them before and during treatment. Most common side effects include stomach pain, diarrhea, difficulty sleeping, and back pain. ask your doctor about hormone free veozah. And enjoy more not flashes. Tiktok is Fighting Back tiktok is Fighting Back, filing a lawsuit to block a u. S. Law that would force its Chinese Parent Company to sell the popular app or face a nationwide ban. We get more from savannah sellers. Reporter calling a ban so obviously unconstitutional, today, tiktok sued the u. S. Government, trying to undo the legislation signed into law last month that would force its Chinese Parent Company to sell within a year or see it banned. Tiktok and bytedance arguing the law disregards less extreme alternatives and is simply not possible, not commercially, not technologically, not legally, adding the law will force a shutdown of tiktok by january 19th, 2025, silencing the 170 million americans who use the platform. Do you think there is a chance here that tiktok successfully challenges this . I think tiktok has a chance. And if they can articulate that their First Amendment rights are being denied, then the government may have to show that the legislation was necessary to achieve a compelling interest. Reporter the Department Of Justice declined to comment on the lawsuit, but in a recent interview, fbi director Christopher Wray telling lester tiktok is a National Security concern because it is beholden to the chinese government. It has to do with the recommendation algorithm. It has to deal with the software. Were talking about the ability to control or collect data on millions and millions of users. Reporter tiktok arguing unspecified National Security concerns are not enough of a reason to restrict free speech, and has previously denied it provides american user data to china. Tiktok finally fires back. Reporter some of the apps users today celebrating the lawsuit. They seem like they have a case. Reporter a case in which tiktok says it is being unfairly singled out and is ready to prove as much in court. Savannah sellers, nbc news. Were back with more, right after this. I take oncedaily jardiance at each days start as time went on it was easy to see im lowering my a1c jardiance works twentyfour seven in your body to flush out some sugar. And for adults with Type 2 Diabetes and known heart disease, jardiance can lower the risk of cardiovascular death, too. 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