tonight, the state of emergency in michigan as severe storms threaten more than 50 million people from texas to virginia. the deadly new threat after days of relentless severe weather. dozens of tornadoes tearing across the central u.s. and deep south. in michigan, the side ripped off a massive fedex facility. a home flipped upside down. our team in the storm zone, and the forecast coming up. and just in tonight, president biden saying he will stop sending bombs to israel if it goes ahead with its ground offensive in rafah. donald trump winning another legal delay and another chance to remove d.a. fani willis from his georgia election case. congresswoman marjorie taylor greene pushing her hand on a motion to oust speaker mike johnson as boos erupt in the house.

the fedex plane landing on its nose after its front gear fails. smoke and sparks flying. the investigation tonight. president biden in battleground wisconsin announcing a major investment in a.i. and taking aim at donald trump over a failed project at the same site. after our series of reports on complaints of racist, homophobic bullying at a texas school district, the feds now taking action. and one of the mysteries of the deep may be solved. what are whales saying to each other? turns out they may have their own alphabet. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. good evening, and welcome. for weeks now, millions in the midwest and plains have been living in a virtual line of fire from violent storms that have unleashed more than 100 tornadoes since the start of the month. michigan, the latest in the bull's-eye, homes destroyed in kalamazoo county. tens of thousands across the state were

left in the dark. in portage, the side of a fedex facility ripped away, and the threat zone is only expanding tonight. right now, 51 million people living under a severe storm risk in an area stretching from texas to virginia, with tornado watches posted in several states. we'll get to the latest forecast from bill karins in a moment, but first maggie vespa with a look at the destruction. >> reporter: a vicious cycle of violent spring weather strikes again. >> large tornado right here. >> reporter: tonight in storm-battered tennessee, one person is dead after authorities say a tree fell on a car north of knoxville, and this warehouse evacuated after its roof caved in. in southern michigan, fierce winds overnight ripping a massive chunk out of this fedex facility revealing multiple stories of fallen metal and wires. fedex writing, we are grateful there were no serious injuries. in all tuesday, close to 30 reported tornadoes tore across eight states making

for more than 60 twisters this week. in portage, michigan, neighborhoods are shredded, close to a dozen people hospitalized. this house flipped completely upside down with a couple in their 60s inside. >> your cousin was effectively buried alive. >> buried under this house, yeah, and it was over an hour before they could get her out with just her arms sticking out. >> reporter: sisters kathy and ann say firefighters dug their cousin out unharmed. her husband, who was thrown into the yard, suffered a broken neck. the family back today to save photos. >> it's hitting me right now. >> yeah, yeah. >> it's been hitting us all morning >> all morning. >> yeah. >> yeah, i mean, it was scary. it was scary what they went through. you know, i cry for them because of the trauma of what they went through. >> yeah. >> with all the great support, they're going to be okay. >> reporter: the same sort of devastation that's played out all week. among the flash points, a deadly ef-4 decimating parts of oklahoma monday. meanwhile, texas now at risk for more

damaging winds and hail days after torrential floods ravaged the state. amid our climate crisis, the behavior of these severe systems is shifting with supercell storms that spawn twisters becoming stronger and so-called tornado alley trending east toward more populated areas in mississippi, tennessee, and the ohio river valley. back in southern michigan -- >> it feels like i'm at a funeral. >> reporter: dawn nico's home is among the latest destroyed. >> i cried all day yesterday. it's, like, the end of time, all the destruction. >> maggie joining us now from michigan, and, maggie, that fedex facility behind you is certainly proof of the power of these storms, yet we understand there were no serious injuries. >> reporter: yeah, lester, that's right. no serious injuries and no reported deaths. michigan's governor saying today that in that respect, people feel very lucky, but adding, quote, the devastation is real. lester. >> maggie vespa, thank you. the extreme weather still very much a threat for tens of millions tonight.

bill karins is tracking it. bill, new reports of tornadoes even this evening. >> yeah, on our way to another tornado outbreak. already eight reported today, and the worst of these storms has been in tennessee, kentucky, and missouri, report of a damaging tornado already in missouri and softball to grapefruit-size hail reported with that storm. already 162 severe weather reports, and we're just getting started. we have tornado watches in portions of 11 states from texas all the way through missouri back into areas of tennessee, and the strongest storms so far have been focused really to the most part nashville up into western kentucky, and we have life-threatening flash flooding ongoing now, and this will get worse as we go throughout the evening, especially from bowling green up towards evansville and areas south of st. louis, and, unfortunately, we do it all over again tomorrow. severe weather expected from dallas all the way through the south and right up the east coast into washington, d.c. not so many tornadoes tomorrow, lester. a lot of wind damage. >> i know you and the climate team will be

watching carefully. thank you. tension is deepening between the u.s. and israel tonight after president biden halted a shipment of weapons to israel. the president saying late tonight he won't supply the weapons for a major israeli operation in rafah. andrea mitchell has late details. >> reporter: tonight in a stinging rebuke of a close american ally, president biden halting a weapons shipment of 3,500 bombs to israel, just as israeli troops are targeting hamas in rafah. >> if they go into rafah -- they haven't gone into rafah yet. if they go into rafah, i'm not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with rafah. >> reporter: fearing israeli forces could drop 2,000-bombs on rafah as it did targeting a suspected d hamas terrorist in the jabalia refugee camp last fall killing civilians. >> we have concerns about what that would mean for the civilian population when you look at the way israel has conducted its operations in the past and the impact on

civilians. >> reporter: the move angering many republicans. >> i think it's a hugely irresponsible decision. there should never be any question about america's commitment, the united states' commitment to israel. >> reporter: an israeli official telling nbc news, there is deep frustration over the u.s. decision, and tonight also a rift over humanitarian aid with the rafah border crossing now occupied by israeli tanks, aid not getting through. the state department calling that unacceptable. it comes despite secretary of state blinken's repeated urgings about aid to gaza, as he told me in israel last week. >> and it's imperative that they get the food that they need, the water they need. >> reporter: and tonight new reporting. cia director william burns is back at cease-fire talks in cairo after meeting with prime minister netanyahu. u.s. officials telling nbc news, israel wants rafah to be excluded from any cease-fire. an israeli official denies it. still, the state department said today an agreement that could halt the fighting and bring home the hostages is within reach. lester. >> okay, andrea, thanks. now to that late drama we're watching in congress.

republican marjorie taylor greene calling for a vote to remove house speaker mike johnson, then democrats stepping in to help save his job. ryan nobles is tracking all of it. ryan, the speaker is now weighing in. >> reporter: yeah, that's right, lester, and this has been brewing for weeks. conservative republican marjorie taylor greene had threatened to call this vote, finally doing it tonight where she was booed on the house floor. listen. >> declaring the office of speaker of the house of representatives to be vacant. [ booing ] >> reporter: supporters of mike johnson quickly offered up a motion to end her effort, and the vote was overwhelmingly in johnson's favor including some democrats. now, greene forced the vote despite opposition from virtually every republican, as well as former president trump. earlier in the week greene gave johnson a long list of demands, but johnson did not back down. a long list of demands.

tonight he called greene's attempt misguided and said he hoped it was the end of the personality politics in congress. lester. >> ryan nobles, thank you. now to former president trump's legal battles. a georgia appeals court giving the former president at least a temporary victory in his election interference case brought by d.a. fani willis. laura jarrett joins us. laura, what did the court say? >> well, lester, the court has now given mr. trump permission to appeal that decision from march that kept the d.a. on the case but prompted her to remove nathan wade, her ex-boyfriend, who had led the prosecution. now, mr. trump still wants the d.a. disqualified, so this appeal will slow down the georgia case considerably with the d.c. election interference case still in limbo, and the florida classified documents trial now indefinitely on hold, all of this making it all but certain that the ongoing hush money trial will be the only case done by november, and stormy daniels is, of course, expected back on the stand here in manhattan tomorrow, lester. >> okay, laura, thanks very much. in battleground wisconsin today, president biden tried to sell voters on his economic achievements

and the strength of the u.s. economy, but as peter alexander reports, he is still facing plenty of skepticism. >> reporter: president biden tonight in wisconsin, his fourth visit to the crucial battleground this year announcing the creation of a multibillion dollar a.i. data center. microsoft promising to bring thousands of jobs. >> we're seeing the great american comeback story all across wisconsin and, quite frankly, the entire country. >> reporter: the president also trying to cast a contrast here at the same site where then president trump announced a $10 billion electronics factory, but that massive project never materialized. >> look what happened. they dug a hole with those goldman shovels, and then they fell into it. [ laughter ] >> reporter: union worker eric stolz voted for mr. trump in 2020, but is backing the president now. >> what does new manufacturing mean in a city like this? >> everything to me, my family, to my community, to the whole state of

wisconsin. go outside. look at the cranes. go outside. look at the roads. >> reporter: still, president biden has a lot of convincing to do. a poll this week shows americans trust mr. trump over the president on the economy and inflation by double digits while two-thirds of americans say they're living paycheck to paycheck. mr. trump slamming president biden just last week. >> it's called the new tax. it's called inflation tax. we call it the biden inflation tax. >> reporter: at the sugar shack in downtown racine, michele noonan's family business is thriving, but rising prices are taking a toll. >> just a lot more challenges for any business owner these days. >> yeah, yes, everything costs more. >> reporter: the noonans now always looking to spend less. >> i feel like it was better, easier four years ago. i could just go to work, come home, not worry about so much. >> reporter: here in wisconsin, president biden also warned in the starkest terms yet he believes if mr. trump loses, he will not accept the election results this fall. lester. >> all right, peter, thank you. tensions in the middle east leading to new disruptions as graduation season gets

off to a rocky start with commencements on some campuses and arrests on others. liz kreutz has late developments start with commencements on some campuses and arrests on others. liz kreutz has late . [ crowd chanting, the " "the people have all the power" ] >> reporter: across college campuses nationwide, another tense day as more universities crack down on pro-palestinian protests ahead of graduation. at george washington university, police using pepper spray overnight to disperse a crowd of demonstrators there. at umass amherst, roughly 130 people arrested after refusing to leave their encampment while student protesters continue to barricade themselves into a building at the rhode island school of design. these new clashes coming as a house committee led by k through 12s grilled k through 12 administrators on capitol hill today were grilled accusing some elementary and high schools of letting anti-semitism run rampant in their classrooms. >> what are you doing

to keep students safe, and how can we stop this? >> reporter: new york city schools chancellor, david banks, pushing back on the line of questioning. >> if we really care about solving for anti-semitism, and i believe this deeply, it's not about having gotcha moments, it's about teaching. you have to raise the consciousness of young people. >> they're pushing forward now. >> reporter: meanwhile, an investigation is under way at ucla into the violence that broke out after counterprotesters attacked a pro-palestinian encampment last week. according to law enforcement sources who spoke to "the los angeles times," police are using photo recognition technology similar to what was used after the january 6th attacks on the capitol to identify the counterprotesters. at nearby university of southern california, a police chopper circled overhead as graduation celebrations got under way. the school canceled its main commencement ceremony due to safety concerns. >> i think for administrators, myself included, there's a lot of attention to how do you make sure that we pull this off with minimal disruption. >> reporter: pedro noguera is the dean of usc's rossier school of education, but 40

years ago, he was a student at uc berkeley leading the campus protest against south african apartheid with demands for divestment like pro-palestinian students are making now. >> what's your message to the student protesters now? >> my message is educate. educate others. engage in dialogue. i know it's hard, but don't just talk to the people you agree with already. >> reporter: and, lester, as scaled-back graduation celebrations begin here at usc, things remain tense on campus. a pro-israel counter-rally is now scheduled here tonight. >> all right, liz, thanks. in 60 seconds, the news about a texas school district we've investigated for years accused of tolerating a culture of racist and homophobic bullying. what federal officials are now saying right after this. on the things you love because of asthma? get back to better breathing with fasenra, an add-on treatment for eosinophilic asthma that is taken once every 8 weeks. fasenra is not for sudden breathing problems or other eosinophilic conditions.

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feds are calling on the district to address claims of civil rights violations. we get more from antonia hylton. >> reporter: for over three years, nbc news has investigated the picturesque southlake, texas, carroll independent school district where some students told us about a culture of racist and homophobic bullying. >> what happens to black kids when they go through school systems where they don't feel entirely at home? >> i think that it strips them of their identity, and i think that they leave a shell of the person that they once were. >> reporter: documents reviewed by nbc news show that this week the department of education notified southlake's carroll schools that it intends to negotiate with the district over four students' civil rights complaints. we spoke with a lawyer for the students. >> when the department of education's office of civil rights notifies the district that they're being invited to negotiate resolution of a complaint, it means that they have made a formal finding that the school district violated the complainants' civil rights. >> reporter: christian was 12 years old and had just left the

district when we met him in 2022. >> what were kids saying? >> they were using gay slurs and, like, being very rude to me. >> reporter: southlake was thrust into the national spotlight in 2018 when a video of students chanting the "n" word went viral. a group of conservative residents then defeated a proposed diversity and inclusion plan. >> by the time my youngest was in ninth grade, he was getting called the "n" word pretty regularly. >> reporter: mom, angela jones, filed one of the federal complaints. >> i knew that my children's civil rights had been violated, but to have the department of education come out and say they agree, that meant the world to me. >> reporter: southlake's carroll school district today did not respond to requests for comment, but in august of 2021, we sat down with superintendent lane ledbetter. >> is there racism in southlake and in carroll isd? >> so, let me think

about that question. i'm going to stop there. i think it goes back to people understanding each other almost from an empathy standpoint, just being able to understand varying perspectives and differences. >> reporter: angela jones' children have already left the school, but she believes she has an obligation to the students still there. >> i can't sit here and let those children face the exact same thing my children faced. that's not being a good citizen. >> it seems like here the d.o.e. is essentially raising the stakes. what happens next? >> well, according to the department of education, the district will have to negotiate an agreement to, quote, remedy both the individual discrimination at issue, as well as any systemic discrimination. if they don't cooperate, legal experts tell us, they could lose federal funding, or face judicial proceedings. >> all right, antonia, thank you. coming up, a dramatic landing of a fedex plane touching down without its front landing gear extended.

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no injuries were reported. also tonight, a major development involving the former interpreter for baseball superstar shohei ohtani. the justice department saying he has agreed to plead guilty to two federal charges for illegally transferring $17 million out of ohtani's account to pay off his own gambling debts. and a major milestone in our countdown to the 2024 paris olympics. tens of thousands welcoming the olympic flame as it arrived in france after 12 days at sea aboard a historic ship from greece. a relay will now carry it across france over the next 69 days to light the cauldron at the opening ceremony july 26th. coming up, the breakthrough, science under the sea, what researchers are finding out about how some of the biggest animals on the planet talk to each other. s are finding out about some of the biggest animals on the planet and how they talk to each other. tri gave me better breathing, symptom improvement, and reduced flare-ups.

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spey wants to get rid of pg and the haunting sounds of whales have long intrigued us. now we're learning how these giants of the sea speak. here's anne thompson. >> reporter: to you and me, the underwater noises sperm whales make sound like tapping. [ whale sounds ] >> reporter: but these vocalizations, scientists say, are actually language and more sophisticated than imagined in "finding nemo." >> dory, dory, this is not whale. [ whale sounds ]

>> reporter: these series of clicks are blocks called codas the scientists say are the building blocks of communication between these mammoth sea creatures. far from arbitrary, a new study published in "nature" found whales use four basic elements including rhythm and tempo to create a phonetic alphabet. >> how does this phonetic alphabet work? >> it essentially looks at the speed at which they're saying things, at the kind of different texture -- >> emphasis. >> -- emphasis on how i said something. >> reporter: researchers from dr. david gruber's cetacean translation initiative listened to some 8,700 of these snippets made by whales off the caribbean island of dominica. trying to figure out what they are saying is the next step. >> do you think it's possible one day we could talk to whales? >> i think it will be possible to be able to be sending information back and forth. we're not really sure what it's going to

look like. that's the kind of cool thing. >> reporter: and become real-life dr. doolittles learning the abcs of the deep. anne thompson, nbc news. that's "nightly news" for this wednesday. thank you for watching, everyone. i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. good night. yourself and each other. go night.od

superintendent is addressing claims of anti-semitism on campus. some believe we do nothing. this is not true. it comes as a new complaint was filed alleging anti-palestinian racism. also, can you get rid of pg and e and e