Wednesday, January 31, 2024 |
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Wednesday, January 31, 2024 |
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Good Wednesday afternoon. Mark Zuckerberg apologized at a congressional hearing to families who say their children have been harmed by social media, the U.S. says it knows who was behind a deadly drone attack on American forces, and an atmospheric river is slamming the West Coast. Here is what’s in our Nightly Rundown. |
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Zuckerberg apologizes after lawmakers say tech CEOs have “blood on your hands” |
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologized to families who say social media contributed to the suicides or exploitation of their children, after he and several other top tech executives were told they have “blood” on their hands during a fiery congressional hearing. “I’m sorry for everything you have all been through,” Zuckerberg said, standing and turning to address the families in the audience, many of whom were holding pictures of their children. “No one should go through the things that your families have suffered and this is why we invest so much and we are going to continue doing industry wide efforts to make sure no one has to go through the things your families have had to suffer.” The moment came after Sen. Lindsey Graham used his opening statement to blast Zuckerberg and the other CEOs present from TikTok, Snap, Discord and X, formerly known as Twitter. “Mr. Zuckerberg, you and the companies before us, I know you don't mean it to be so, but you have blood on your hands. You have a product that's killing people,” Graham said. |
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U.S. says Islamic Resistance in Iraq behind deadly drone attack |
The U.S. today accused the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed militias, of planning and facilitating the drone strike in Jordan that killed three American soldiers. The U.S. is planning a “campaign” of strikes against Iran-backed militants that could last “weeks,” in retaliation, U.S. officials told NBC News. The targets are expected to include sites outside Iran, and the campaign will involve both strikes and cyber operations, the officials said. President Joe Biden said Tuesday he had made a decision on how to respond to that deadly drone attack. Iran warned today that it would respond decisively to any attack on its territory or interests. |
Atmospheric river slams West Coast with heavy rain and wind |
The first of two back-to-back storms, fueled by an atmospheric river, is slamming much of the West Coast today with heavy rain and gusty winds. More than 21 people across California are under flood watches, and more than 25 million people are under wind alerts across the West. As the powerful winds blew in, firefighters responded to a report of a girl trapped by a fallen tree in California's Santa Clara County. She was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Parts of Washington state, Oregon, and northern California are already being drenched, as the rain spreads south this afternoon. The next atmospheric river event, expected on Sunday or Monday, promises to deliver more heavy rain, wind and snow to California. |
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FBI director warns Chinese hackers preparing to “wreak havoc” on U.S. |
Chinese hackers are preparing to “wreak havoc” on critical U.S. infrastructure such as the electric grid, oil and gas pipelines, and transportation systems, FBI Director Christopher Wray warned Congress today. “China’s hackers are positioning on American infrastructure in preparation to wreak havoc and cause real-world harm to American citizens and communities, if or when China decides the time has come to strike,” Wray testified before a House committee. During the hearing, Wray was asked about recent reports that China has pledged not to interfere in the upcoming U.S. presidential election. “China’s promised a lot of things over the years, so I’ll guess I’ll believe it when I see it,” Wray told the panel. |
Man arrested after allegedly showing father’s decapitated head on YouTube |
A Pennsylvania man has been arrested for a shocking crime, allegedly killing his father and displaying his decapitated head in a gruesome YouTube video while spouting right-wing conspiracy theories. Justin Mohn, 32, was arrested about 100 miles away from the crime scene, and is now being held without bond on charges that include suspicion of first-degree murder, according to police and court documents. In his YouTube video, Mohn says his father was a federal employee for 20 years and calls him a traitor. He also rants about the Biden administration and the federal government. The 14-minute-long video was up on YouTube for hours before it was removed. |
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Watch us this evening at 6:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. CT on NBC, or check your local NBC station listing. After the broadcast, access Nightly News video on NBCNightlyNews.com or the NBC News app. |
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