Announcer from nbc news World Headquarters in new york, this is nbc nightly news with lester holt. Good evening, trying times in the south tonight. Fire, water and tornadoes, part of twin deadly disasters that have struck over the last 48 hours. Violent storms spawned twisters overnight, killing five people in two states, including tennessee. Which is still reeling that exploded the night before in the great smoky mountains. And today we learned three more bodies have been recovered from the scorched ruins, bringing the death toll to at least seven. Weve got it all covered, starting with nbcs jacob rascon in stormdamaged alabama, jacob, good evening. Reporter lester, torpedos reported in six states and nowhere was hit harder than here in rosalie, alabama. Im standing inside what used to be the towns only shopping plaza. Of the rubble alive, while several of his neighbors did not survive. Barrelling through the southeast, dozens of tornadoes reported from florida to mississippi. Late today, pictures showing a possible funnel cloud near atlanta, threatening a major metropolitan area. Its devastating. I mean, it breaks my heart. Reporter overnight, the town of rosalie, alabama, devastated. The one shopping plaza, reduced to piles of wood and alive. Nearby, another survivor, bob wright, hoping to find pictures of his family members, who did not make it. I lost two, my brothers boy, his daughter, and that boys, his boys girlfriend. Reporter their mobile home tossed across the highway. Three people died, two hospitalized, including cynthia wright. How do you remember them . How do you hope people remember them . Do, buddy. Reporter 31 reported tornadoes in two days, theth of destruction spreading over 550 miles. And i thought we were going to die last night. Reporter including through polk county, tennessee, where jennifer young, her husband and two sons barely escaped. My husband saying theres a tornado coming. Theres a tornado coming. Get the kids, grab the kids. Reporter their neighbors, not so fortunate. After a family of seven took shelter inside the Day Care Center they own. The twister leaving nothing but the bathroom. The family recovering in a nearby hospital. The healing and the cleanup only just beginning. Jacob rascon, nbc news, rosalie, alabama. This is Kerry Sanders with our first upclose look at damage in gatlinburg, one of the areas hardest hit by the hit the gas, hit the glass. Reporter in the aftermath of the frantic evacuations, now a different chaos, tracking down those still unaccounted for. No ones heard from alice haggler since the fire raced through her neighborhood. My mother call immediate frantically, that the house was on fire. We got disconnected. And because of that, i havent heard from her since. Reporter then theres michael reed, still waiting for news. Looking for my wife, constance. And my daughter, lily. Daughter chloe, who is 12. Reporter the greatest fear . Those missing could be dead. Today, the death toll rose to at least seven. This morning, muchneeded rain began to fall in the droughtstricken smokies. But it was too little, too late. 17,000 acres here burned. Gerry morgan lost all her mothers keepsakes, including photos, treasures that took on extra meaning after her mom died recently from cancer. All of her silverware. Everythings gone. The morgmorgans escaped as the flames engulfed their driveway. They thought the Fire Department had the blaze under control. When you look at this, can you believe this . No. We thought they would be able to stop it. Reporter you prayed . I yes, i prayed that theyd i addition to the widespread devastation that goes on for blocks here just beyond downtown gatlinburg, today the rain caused problems of mudslides and rock slides. Forecasters say tonight the threat of rain here with thunderstorms and through the south will continue, but by tomorrow it should be gone. Which will allow folks at least some here in gatlinburg to come back in and begin cleaning up. Lester . All right, Kerry Sanders in tennessee, for us to the, thank you. There are new prosecutors have decided not to charge an officer for the killing of Keith Lamont Scott in charlotte, north carolina, in september. Authorities maintain scott, whose wife recorded the confrontation, had a gun on him. Nbcs Gabe Gutierrez has the latest. Dont shoot him. Dont shoot him. Reporter more than two months after this dramatic video stunned the nation, today the District Attorney announced that brent vincent, the Charlotte Police officer who shot and killed Keith Lamont Scott, that officer vincent acted lawfully when he shot mr. Scott. Reporter the shooting sparked nights of violent unrest here. Social media catapulted the story into the national spotlight, based on false information, the prosecutor says. According to state investigators, initial witness accounts that scott was holding a book proved to be false. His wifes statement she didnt know he owned a weapon, also false according to investigators, based on Text Messages the and they say witness claims that it was a white officer who shot scott are also untrue. Police say they were trying to serve a warrant to a different man at an apartment complex when they saw scott with a gun and marijuana. Investigators say scott ignored commands to drop the weapon at least ten times. Keith, dont you do it. [ gunfire ] did you shoot him . Did you shoot him . Did you shoot him . He better not be [ bleep ] dead. Reporter the surveillance video, of scott at a nearby Convenience Store shortly before the deadly encounter. The bulge you see here is consistent with the holster and gun that was later described by officers and located at the scene. What appears to be a holster also seen on a freeze frame from a police body camera. Still, scotts family is planning a lawsuit and says theres no proof a gun was in his hand. This is an open carry state, so carry state to now theres imminent danger, aggravated imminent danger and therefore deadly force should be used . Reporter the scott family is asking that any protests remain peaceful. Gabe gutierrez, thank you. Were learning more information about what may have caused the tragic plane crash in south america that killed 71 people. Six miracle survivors found in the wreckage. In the past hour, we got new video of the team on board the doomed flight before takeoff, in high spirits for their upcoming championship. Traffic control audio reveals the pilots urgent final words repeatedly saying he was running out of fuel. We get the latest from nbcs keir simmons in colombia. Reporter in colombia and brazil, memorials, instead of a soccer match. In the brazilian teams empty locker room, flowers and candles. And tonight, a stunning recording obtained by the pilot, suggesting the players died because their plane ran out of fuel. Were asking for priority in our approach. We have a fuel problem. The controller tells the pilot he can start his approach in seven minutes. Two minutes later, the pilot again asked to land. But is told theres an aircraft below. She asks, how much time do you have to stay put . Fuel emergency, the pilot responds, im asking for immediate descent. Is in total electrical failure and out of fuel. The aircraft slams into the side of a hill, short of medellin airport. They should have had a minimum of 45 minutes reserve fuel. And they only held for seven or eight minutes. So its obvious that they were well into that reserve fuel. Reporter Flight Attendant Jiminez Suarez one of three survivors being treated at this hospital told doctors here the lights in the plane went out and then impact. Three players survived. The teams backup goalie still in a coma. Yes, i am. Reporter among the 71 who perished, a player known as tia guan, pictured last week finding out his wife was pregnant. His future as a father and the hopes of an entire team wiped out. Keir simmons, nbc news, medellin, colombia. We turn to politics now and the ongoing drama of whos in, whos out of president elect Donald Trumps incoming administration. During the campaign, trump repeatedly promised to drain the swamp. Capital. As our Halle Jackson explains, hes choosing washington, d. C. And wall street insiders to stack his team. Reporter he won the white house partly by promising a purge in washington. We are going to drain the swamp. Reporter but now, the president elects latest cabinet picks panned by democrats. So much for draining the swamp they say, accusing him instead taking special aim at steven mnuchin, officially announced today as Donald Trumps choice to head the treasury department. Feeling terrific. Reporter he was trumps chief fundraiser, a hollywood fitnessier financier behind movies like mad max, and a former Goldman Sachs banker who today pushed back against criticism he took advantage of homeowners during the financial crisis by buying a failing bank. We bought it from the government in a highly competitive sixmonth auction. Of opportunities for corporate loans. Reporter trumps Transition Team argues theres no one better to help reform the tax code than privatesector picks like mnuchin and like newly named commerce nominee, billionaire investor wilbur ross. So far, almost all the president elects administration picks have ties to washington or wall street. And now its insider and former trump critic, mitt romney, who is in the hunt to lead the state dinner of steak, scallops and frog legs. He did something i tried to do and was unsuccessful in accomplishing, he won the general election. And he continues with a message of inclusion and bringing people together. Reporter today the president elect is announcing that in a couple of weeks he plans to explain how he will, in his words, get completely out of Business Operations for the trump organization, with one big question being whether hell still have an ownership that will be his first News Conference in more than four months. Hallie, thanks very much. President elect trump also poised to make an announcement tomorrow, delivering on a promise to save jobs at an indiana company. Carrier air conditioning says its reached a deal to keep 1,000 jobs in the state, half the number carrier was planning to shift to mexico but what was the tradeoff . Nbcs Kevin Tibbles has reaction from employees. Reporter shift change in indy. Carrier workers leave with a reprieve. Reporter a different mood from last februarys announcement that 1,400 jobs were being moved to mexico. To move production from our facility in indianapolis to monterey, mexico. Back then, candidate donald trump pounced. If i were in office right now, carrier would not be leaving indiana. That i can tell you. That i can tell you. Reporter following negotiations over night a tweet from the president elect. We will keep our companies and jobs in the u. S. Why did carrier reverse course . Well, details have not been released. Sources familiar with the negotiation say carrier will receive tax incentives from the state, where Vice President elect mike pence is governor. Sources add carriers parent company, United Technologies, a major defense contractor now avoids angering the new administration. Billion, comes from the u. S. Government and the pentagon is United Technologies single biggest customer. Reporter robert james who has made furnaces for 18 years, has questions, too. We need to know whats behind it. Is there anything thats going to be asked of the union. Reporter but for j. T. Bray, raising a young family, relief. Some people are saying its a christmas miracle here. The kids will be having a good christmas, we wont have the worry of daddy wont have his job. Reporter tomorrow the president elect and governor pence will be here to tour the carrier plant and talk to its workers. Lester . Kevin tibbles in indianapolis, thank you. Still ahead, new details in a kidnapping mystery that has captured much of the nations attention. What a mother of two is now telling police about the suspects she there are new northern california. Authorities are hunting for two kidnappers who abducted a mother and held her for three weeks. Investigators say she showed signs of torture and starvation. When she was found on the side of a highway, 150 miles from her home. Heres nbcs gotti schwartz. Reporter six days after Sherri Papini was found chained and beaten, investigators finally have a more detailed description of the two Hispanic Women suspected of kidnapping her at gunpoint as she went for a jog near her home. Spanish the majority of the time of her captivity. The suspects concealed their faces. Reporter papini spent hours giving interviews to detectives. I will confirm that the suspects did brand her. Reporter what could that mean . Maybe a method of torture. It could mean a way of control or exerting control over a person. Reporter her husband, keith papini telling People Magazine in a broken, her hair chopped off, her body covered in bruises in beatings. Writing, she was thrown from a vehicle with a chain around her waist, attached to her wrists with a bag over her head, the same bag she used to flag someone down when she was able to free one of her hands. There are still so many unanswered questions. So far no motive or information on where she was held for three weeks, and why her kidnappers released her on thanksgiving day. Investigators now working with a sketch artist as detectives compare papinis with her family by her side, her husband crediting his wifes survival with her will to stay alive. Gotti schwartz, nbc news, redding, california. Up next here tonight, the manhunt for a thief caught on camera. Striking gold in a brazen broad daylight say that again. You might not know the name, but for sure you know the burger. The man behind the big mac has died. Michael James Jim Delligatti has died. He created the iconic menu item nearly 50 years ago at one of his mcdonalds franchises near pittsburgh when he decided that customers wanted a bigger sandwich. It Went National in 1968 and his son says he ate one every day. So who knows, it might be the secret to a long life. Jim delligatti was 98 force behind many beloved shows, including the Mary Tyler Moore show which starred his thenwife and business partner. Also lou grant rhoda and the bob newhart show. He helped turn fortunes around at nbc during his time as chairman. The Network Launched blockbusters like cheers family ties. He was 90 years old. Police are on a manhunt for a thief stealing a pot of gold literally. New video shows a man taking a bucket filled with 1. 6 million in gold flakes from an armored truck here in new york while the guard was distracted. Police dont think he even knew what was inside the 86pound bucket until he opened it. Hes now believed to be hiding out in florida. Coming up next, work versus family. The Popular American brand making sure employees never have to choose one over the coming up at 66 how long a local teacher will be behind bars after sexually assaulting a student and the emotional testimony from the childs mother. And if you need to get to the west side of down there are more det finally tonight, its one of the toughest things for parents, returning to work after having a child. But the Popular American outdoors brand patagonia is payroll. Because its got the kind of parental perks you almost never see these days, heres nbcs jolynn kent with more. Reporter for hans cole, every day is take your child to work day. My office is just about 100 feet away from the child care center, so i can literally look out my window and see him playing out in the playground here. Reporter outerwear brand patagonias day care is the squealing, laughing heart of its corporate headquarters. Theres this work. Reporter moms nurse in meetings, while dads feed in the nursery. Any parent can swing by for a quick hello. Im going to meeting. Just wanted to give awe big kiss. Reporter the company says offering this kind of inhouse child care for 33 years is not a distraction, rather than an investment thats paid off. 100 of moms returning to work after leave we figure we recoup over 90 of our costs. Reporter parents paying 1200 a month for child, a priceless takes her around the world. Wherever she goes, her daughter and caregiver go, too. All paid for by the company. It allows me to excel in my job. But it allows me to excel in my life, really. Reporter patagonias model is rare. Onsite subsidized child care in the u. S. Has dropped from 9 in 1996, to just 2 in 2016. Often what youll find in the marketplace is that people understand that something can be positive. But they dont have the tools in terms of how to imp reporter tyler wellborns mom, susan, brought him to day care at 18 months, now 30 years later, he designs wetsuits for patagonia and has standing breakfast dates with mom at work. It allowed me to not worry about where my kids were when i was busy. Its kind of like an extension of the family. Reporter full circle for a company that hopes to inspire others to put family first, too. Jolynn kent, ventura, thats going to do it for us on this wednesday night, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree will be lit tonight during a live broadcast beginning at 8 00 eastern 7 00 central here on nbc. Im lester holt, for all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching and have a good night. Live at six, a tearful apology from a former Clark County School district teacher accused of raping a student. Tonight she finds out how long shell spend in town is about to get messy. What you need to know about new lane closures coming to Summerlin Parkway this evening. Reed a ten day party for coy cowboys and coy girls get cowgirls getting ready to kick off. Weve got a preview announcer news 3 starts right now. She made our family believe her and trust her. Her evil ways only not hurt my former teacher. Today that teacher tearfully took responsibility. Good evening. Im jim snyder. Reed im reed cowan. Nicole wilfinger will spend at least twoandahalf years in prison for those crimes. News 3s sergio avila has our top story tonight. I accept my responsibility. I know this is my mistake. Reporter she was shielded from our cameras by her attorneys. During sentencing a tearful Nicole Wilfinger apologized to the community for 14yearold student. I make no excuse for my behavior. Theres nothing i can say or do that can change what happened or the fact that it happened or the fact that people were hurt. Reporter the relationship began in june of 2015. Wilfinger was a family friend and acquaintance of the 14yearold victim. She made our family believe her and trust her. Her evil ways only not hurt my son but our whole family. Reporter that teens mother testified her child hasnt been
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