children, as both sides made their final cases. the prosecution accusing mr. trump of trying to illegally influence the 2016 election by covering up a payment to adult film star stormy daniels. the defense attacking michael cohen as, quote, the greatest liar of all time. and the chaos outside the court. actor robert de niro clashing with pro-trump protesters. also tonight, severe storms slamming texas. flash flooding on the highway in dallas. vehicles trapped. a church and homes possibly hit by lightning. hurricane-force winds pushing a plane away from the gate. more than a million without power on the heels of a deadly holiday weekend. the massive explosion at a chase bank in ohio. debris blowing across the street. multiple injuries were reported. >> israeli forces entering the heart of rafah for the first time. and deadly new strikes as outrage grows over the attack on a tent city that killed 45 people. the new study on preventing peanut allergies in children. what parents need to know. and the needle in a haystack search. the divers on a mission to reunite a couple with a wedding ring lost 25 years ago. ♪♪ >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. >> good evening and welcome. after 21 days of trial, the opposing lawyers in the donald trump hush money trial have spent today appealing directly to the jurors. today's closing arguments the last chance for each side to convince 12 everyday new yorkers of donald trump's guilt or innocence. the former president facing 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. and what the state alleges was a scheme to conceal hush money payments to an adult film star in an effort to suppress damaging information in the days before the 2016 election. prosecutor joshua steinglass telling jurors it could very well be what got president trump elected. the defense in its summation saying there was no crime, that the state had failed in its burden to prove mr. trump's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, and blasting key witness former trump fixer michael cohen as the mvp of liars. laura jarrett was in court today. >> reporter: tonight, the first trial of an american president soon in the hands of seven men and five women. prosecutors closing their case, arguing former president trump orchestrated a criminal conspiracy to influence the 2016 election to pull the wool over voters' eyes, they say, by ordering the payoff of stormy daniels and then covering it all up. prosecutor joshua steinglass trying to establish a pattern of mr. trump baring damaging stories that could derail his 2016 campaign, pointing to a key conversation secretly recorded by mr. trump's then attorney michael cohen, the star prosecution witness, where mr. trump discussed an alleged payoff of a different woman. steinglass calling it jaw-dropping. >> funding, yes. and it's all the stuff. >> reporter: but much of closings today focused on the credibility of cohen. quote, we didn't pick him up at the witness store. the defendant chose michael cohen, steinglass said, acknowledging cohen's criminal history and admitted lies under oath, but telling jurors you don't need michael cohen to connect these dots. but as the ultimate insider, he can do just that. the defense has also tried to discredit cohen as motivated to lie, desperate to put mr. trump behind bars. pointing to cohen's own podcast. >> revenge is a dish best served cold, and you better believe i want this man to go down and rot inside for what he did to me and my family. >> reporter: but steinglass took that head-on, arguing today cohen is understandably angry because mr. trump dropped him like a hot potato after the feds came calling in 2018, urging jurors to see this case not about michael cohen. it's about donald trump. in his closing arguments, trump attorney todd blanche tore into the prosecution's case and its reliance on cohen's testimony, blasting cohen as the human embodiment of reasonable doubt, branding him the gloat, the greatest liar of all time, and the mvp of liars, saying he lied to congress, judges, prosecutors, bankers, his family. adding he came in here, raised his right hand and lied to each of you repeatedly, pointing to one of the trial's most dramatic moments when cohen was confronted with phone records suggesting he never spoke to mr. trump about daniels in an october 2016 phone call lasting just 96 seconds, but instead had called mr. trump's bodyguard to complain about a teenaged prank caller. blanche arguing today, "he told you he spoke to trump. that was a lie. and he got caught red-handed. that is perjury." blanche striking at the heart of the 34 low-level felony counts mr. trump faces for allegedly falsifying his business records, arguing none of the invoices, vouchers, or checks were false, saying the legal retainer language on the records wasn't criminal or sinister, but merely generated by accounting software at the trump organization, and there was nothing wrong with it. president trump is innocent, blanche said. there is no crime, period. >> this is not a trial that should happen. it's a very sad day. this is a dark day in america. >> laura, let me ask you about the length of the prosecution's closing argument. it's a bit unusual. >> reporter: yeah, lester. it's rare to see closing arguments stretch on in a case like this. the prosecution going over four hours at this point. at times the jury appearing attentive, other times less so. but we do expect that this jury will finally get the case tomorrow morning. lester? >> all right. laura jarrett, thank you. it was a chaotic scene outside the courthouse with the biden campaign holding its first event there, including an appearance by a hollywood star. gabe gutierrez has the latest. >> by yelling and intimidating. you're not going intimidate. >> reporter: outside the manhattan courthouse, the drama took another tumultuous twist. that's actor robert de niro in a different role, surrogate for the biden campaign, clashing with pro-trump protesters. >> trying to be gentlemen in this world, democrats. you are gangsters. you are gangsters. >> you're washed up. >> reporter: also on hand, first responders who were at the capitol on january 6th. >> donald trump is the greatest threat to our democracy. >> reporter: this event a sharp change for the biden campaign, which has largely avoided the trial since it began six weeks ago. >> if trump returns to the white house, you can kiss these freedoms goodbye that we all take for granted. >> reporter: with many democrats nervous about the state of the race less than a month before the first presidential debate, nbc news was first to report the biden campaign is deploying a more aggressive strategy, defining mr. trump to voters as a threat to democracy and the architect of repealing roe v. wade. the former president's family firing back, blasting the biden team for holding an event near the courthouse. >> right across the street. tells us exactly what we all knew all along, that it is a political prosecution. persecution. it is a witch hunt. >> reporter: the white house is considering whether the president would speak publicly here after the trial ends. sources familiar with the discussions tell nbc news that has yet to be decided. lester? >> gabe gutierrez, thank you. yet another destructive storm in texas today after a deadly weekend of tornadoes in 14 states. an astounding number of tornadoes. more than one thousand reported so far this year. maggie vespa has late details. >> reporter: tonight, texas in the bulls-eye again, with flash floods stunning drivers in dallas, and lightning potentially setting a suburban church and multiple homes on fire, say authorities. heavy rain and winds flipping semis, mangling metal buildings, and authorities say killing one person. hail piercing the roof of this walmart. and at d-fw, incredible video of nearly 80-miles-per-hour gusts appearing to push a plane from its gate. american airlines saying there were no injuries, and its maintenance team is conducting thorough inspections. hundreds of flights canceled. today more than one million texas customers without power. all of it capping a harrowing holiday weekend with more than 60 tornadoes reported across 14 states, including kentucky, where clara rice's worst nightmare repeated itself. this is not the first tornado that you've been through? >> no, ma'am. >> reporter: the mother and grandmother became famous back 2021 when a tornado destroyed her home and sent her bathtub flying, her two baby grandsons inside, clutching her bible. >> i had no clue at all where these babies was. >> we need help. we've got somebody under this debris. >> reporter: miraculously, the boys were found alive and rice rebuilt. >> my mama made that. >> reporter: sunday, her home was obliterated again. authorities say memorial day weekend storms killed five people in kentucky, close to two dozen nationwide with more than one thousand tornadoes reported, 2024 is now the second busiest start to a year ever recorded. rice's family this time taking cover in a neighbor's storm shelter. will you rebuild here again? >> yes, ma'am. >> reporter: you will? >> yes, ma'am. >> if you can afford a tornado shelter anywhere at all, get you one, get in and use it. just use it. god's put it there. >> a pretty incredible story. maggie vespa joining us now in dawson springs, kentucky. maggie, we're learning more about the power of the tornadoes that tore through there. >> reporter: yeah, lester. we're talking about four confirmed tornadoes. the national weather service says the one that swept through here and obliterated this home was an ef-3, packing winds up to 165 miles per hour. they say it was on the ground for 37 miles. lester? >> my goodness. maggie vespa, thank you. it was an incredible scene today in youngstown, ohio, where a massive explosion at an office building injured seven people, one of them critically. the first floor of the building was occupied by a bank, and apartments are on the upper floors. authorities said a gas explosion may have caused it. in the middle east, israeli forces pushed farther into rafah in southern gaza today, and authorities there say more than 20 people were killed in a new israeli attack. raf sanchez is in israel with late developments. >> reporter: tonight, palestinian families fleeing rafah any way they can as an nbc news crew saw israeli forces pushing into the heart of the city for the first time. but the white house says it hasn't seen evidence of israel crossing president biden's red lines. >> we still don't want to see the israelis, as we say, smash into rafah with large units. we still believe that. and we haven't seen that at this point. >> reporter: while just outside the city, at least 21 people killed in an israeli strike on tents along the coast, according to the health ministry in hamas-run gaza. the idf denying they attacked a safe zone. it comes just two days after an israeli air strike ignited this firestorm at a different camp, killing dozens of civilians. facing international criticism, the idf tonight revealing results of a preliminary investigation, saying it used small bombs to target two hamas commanders, but that a secondary explosion started the enormous fire. >> our munition alone could not have ignited a fire of this size. >> reporter: the idf says hidden hamas weapons might have caused the blast, but offered no firm evidence. an israeli official earlier said a gas tank could have sparked the flames. meanwhile, nbc news has learned the u.s. military has been forced to halt aid deliveries into gaza by sea after three officials said bad weather damaged its temporary pier. this video showing part of the causeway floating away from the beach. it's the latest setback for the american aid effort after military boats washed up on the coast of israel and gaza over the weekend, while a u.s. service member remains in critical condition after an accident on the pier last week. now that temporary pier had only been operational for two weeks, and the pentagon says it will take another week to repair. that's a major blow to the humanitarian effort in gaza at a time when the rafah crossing, the main lifeline for food and aid from egypt remains closed. lester? >> all right, raf, thank you. just in tonight, a u.s. military aircraft crashing in new mexico. the images of the fiery wreckage on a hill after the aircraft went down outside albuquerque's sun port airport. fire officials say the pilot was able to escape and was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. in los angeles, police are releasing new details about the fatal shooting of a former "general hospital" star. his family speaking out to morgan chesky about his tragic final moments. >> we should find these killers, guys. >> reporter: tonight, emotional pleas from loved ones of johnny wactor, the soap opera star gunned down in los angeles after police say he walked up on a group of car thieves. wactor's ex-fiancee speaking to the group now wanted for murder. >> you don't have to steal, you know. especially take a life over it? >> reporter: investigators tell nbc news they are trying to pull prints from wactor's vehicle and scouring the area for videos. lapd sharing wactor arrived at his car after work to find it raised up with a floor jack by three suspects who were in the process of stealing the catalytic converter, adding one suspect then shot wactor without provocation. those three suspects were last seen here on hope street, but details are still few. police only saying the group wore dark clothing and was last seen heading north in a dark sedan. wactor's mother said he was with a coworker at the time of the attack. >> thankful that that person is okay. and that when he died, he wasn't alone. >> reporter: she says her son drove a toyota prius, one of the most targeted models nationwide for this kind of theft due to the high levels of valuable metals inside the hybrid's converter. >> i think they are cowards. i think they are very sad excuse of humans. especially the one that pulled the trigger for no reason. >> reporter: a split-second decision robbing a family of a beloved brother and son. morgan chesky, nbc news, los angeles. in 60 seconds, essential information for parents. a new study out. when is the right time to introduce peanuts to small children to reduce the risk of dangerous allergies, next. mall c whhien my doctor gave me breztri for my copd things changed for me. breztri gave me better breathing, symptom improvement, and reduced flare-ups. breztri won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. it is not for asthma. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. don't take breztri more than prescribed. breztri may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia, and osteoporosis. call your doctor if worsened breathing, chest pain, mouth or tongue swelling, problems urinating, vision changes, or eye pain occur. ask your doctor about breztri. a lot of new dry eye patients in my office tell me about their frequent dry eyes, which may point to dry eye disease. millions of americans were estimated to have it. they've tried artificial tears again and again, but the relief is temporary. xiidra can provide lasting relief. xiidra treats the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. don't use if you're allergic to xiidra. common side effects include eye irritation, discomfort or blurred vision when applied to the eye, and unusual taste sensation. doctor: why wait? ask your eye doctor about a 90-day prescription for xiidra today. we are back now with a new study that we are back now with a new study that parents need to know about on preventing dangerous peanut allergies in children. our nbc news medical contributor dr. natalie azar is here. dr. azar, the guidance on this issue for parents has changed over time. >> yeah, that's right, lester. the guidance really changed in 2017, and today we have even more evidence from an nih study that says this is a simple and safe strategy that can prevent tens of thousands of cases of peanut allergies each year. researchers found that introducing peanut products from infancy to age 5 reduced the risk of peanut allergy by as much as 71% in adolescents. the key is to follow the guidelines. if your infant has severe eczema or egg allergy, it may be possible to introduce peanut-containing foods at four to six months at home or in a doctor's office to reduce the risk of developing the allergy. and of course, always, lester, consult with your pediatrician. >> all right. dr. azar, thank you. up next, the disease on the rise because of the spread of mosquitos. why scientists are concerned about new cases of dengue fever before summer has even started. what's being done to stop it, next. it was one thing when my mom got alzheimer's, but then we started noticing things that seemed...off. she developed agitation that may happen with dementia due to alzheimer's disease. sometimes she'd fidget with her fingers, get suddenly overwhelmed, and even throw things. and that was just never her. so we asked her doctor what else we could do. rexulti is the only fda-approved medication proven to reduce agitation symptoms that may happen with dementia due to alzheimer's disease. rexulti can cause serious side effects. elderly dementia patients have increased risk of death or stroke. report fever, stiff muscles, and confusion, which can be life-threatening, or uncontrolled muscle movements, which may be permanent. high blood sugar which can lead to coma or death; weight gain; increased cholesterol; low white blood cells; unusual urges; dizziness on standing; falls; seizures; trouble swallowing, or sleepiness may occur. rexulti helped reduce my mom's symptoms. take action for your loved one. ask their doctor about rexulti. since my citi custom cash® card automatically adjusts to earn me more cash back in my top eligible category... suddenly life's feeling a little more automatic. like doors opening wherever i go... [sound of airplane overhead] even the ground is moving for me! y'all seeing this? wild! and i don't even have to activate anything. oooooohhh... automatic sashimi! earn cash back that automatically adjusts to how you spend with the citi custom cash® card. [mind blown explosion noise] if you have wet amd, you never want to lose sight of the things you love. some things should stand the test of time. long lasting eylea hd could significantly improve your vision and can help you go up to 4 months between treatments. if you have an eye infection, eye pain or redness, or allergies to eylea hd, don't use. eye injections like eyla hd may cause eye infection, separation of the retina, or rare but severe swelling of blood vessels in the eye. an increase in eye pressure has been seen. there's an uncommon risk of heart attack or stroke associated with blood clots. the most common side effects were blurred vision, cataract, corneal injury, and eye floaters. and there's still so much to see. if you are on eylea or a similar type of treatment, ask your retina specialist about eylea hd today, for the potential for fewer injections. now that summer is unofficially under way, we want to tell you about a growing risk for millions of americans, a tiny threat that could be outside your home right now. anne thompson with tonight's health alert. >> reporter: a quarter inch long and alive up to a mere 25 days, mosquitos carrying dengue can inflict enormous pain. >> the severe pain started in the evening, and then soon after that, the high fever started. >> reporter: dr. debra heaney got dengue fever vacationing on the caribbean island of curacao. >> initially i thought that i had broken my ribs. >> reporter: she had all the symptoms, including the hallmark pain. why dengue is also called breakbone fever. it just sounds like your whole body was breaking down. >> it was. >> reporter: t