News Information and Media Site: Nightly Rundown: Delphi murders trial verdict; Spirit Airlines plane hit by gunfire; Trump’s first Cabinet picks

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By Dan Donahue

Monday, November 11, 2024

Good Monday afternoon. A verdict has been reached in the Delphi murders trial, a Spirit Airlines flight out of Florida had to be diverted when it was struck by gunfire, and President-elect Donald Trump has announced the first picks for his new Cabinet.

Here is what's in our Nightly Rundown.

Jury finds Delphi murders suspect guilty on all counts

The man charged with killing two teenage girls nearly eight years ago in Delphi, Indiana, was found guilty on all counts at his trial this afternoon.

Richard Allen, 52, was charged in the 2017 murders of Abby Williams, 13, and Libby German. The girls had disappeared on a hike, and their bodies were discovered in the woods near a trail a day later.

Police released material from Libby's cell phone that allegedly showed the killer, and captured his voice saying "down the hill," but there was no arrest in the case for more than five years.

The prosecution argued that Allen admitted to the killings. The defense maintained that there was reasonable doubt in the case, and that Allen only confessed because he had a psychotic break.

Spirit Airlines flight from Florida diverted after plane struck by gunfire

A Spirit Airlines flight from Fort Lauderdale to Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince was struck by gunfire and forced to divert to the Dominican Republic today, the airline said.

Video and photos posted to social media appear to show bullet holes inside the plane's cabin. NBC News has not confirmed the authenticity of the images.

After the plane touched down, an inspection found evidence of damage to the aircraft "consistent with gunfire," Spirit Airlines said.

One flight attendant on board reported minor injuries and was being evaluated by medical personnel. No passenger injuries were reported, the airline said.

Fire crews battle dangerous wildfires raging on both coasts

Firefighters on the East and West Coasts are racing to contain dangerous wildfires, including a deadly inferno raging along the New York-New Jersey border, and another fire that's destroyed nearly 200 homes, businesses, and other structures in Southern California.

In New Jersey, wildfires are burning across thousands of acres, fueled by a historic drought. The Jennings Creek Wildfire, near the New York state line, has grown to 5,000 acres, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said this afternoon.

On Saturday, an 18-year-old New York State Parks employee was killed while battling the Jennings Creek fire, state police said.

On the other side of the country, the Mountain Fire has grown to more than 20,000 acres and is now 36% contained, after destroying 174 structures and damaging at least 74 others, authorities said.

Trump names Stephen Miller deputy chief of staff for policy, Tom Homan as "border czar"

President-elect Donald Trump has filled more key roles for his incoming administration following his sweeping election victory last week.

Trump has selected Stephen Miller, the immigration hardliner and architect of the "zero tolerance" policy during Trump's first term that resulted in the separation of thousands of undocumented families, to return to the White House as his deputy chief of staff for policy, a source with knowledge of the transition team's plans said.

While Trump hasn't publicly announced his choice, Vice President-elect JD Vance appeared to confirm the news on social media, calling Miller "another fantastic pick" by Trump.

Late Sunday, Trump announced that Tom Homan, the former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and an early supporter of his "zero tolerance" policy, would become his new "border czar," after his campaign promise to carry out mass deportations.

Also today, Trump announced his first two Cabinet picks, naming House Republican Conference chair and longtime ally Rep. Elise Stefanik, of New York, to serve as ambassador to the United Nations.

And Trump revealed he has selected former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve the administrator of the Environmental Protective Agency.

Disney cruise ship rescues four people from sinking boat near Bermuda

A brand new Disney cruise ship rescued four people from a sinking boat about 265 miles from Bermuda, authorities said.

The disabled boat, a 50-foot catamaran, issued a distress call Sunday morning, prompting the Coast Guard to alert nearby vessels, the agency said in a statement.

The Disney Treasure, the closest ship to the sinking catamaran, responded to the call.

Coast Guard video shows a lifeboat being launched to rescue all four people on board the catamaran.

What else we're watching:

Caught on camera: Flames shot out of the engine of a Hainan Airlines flight after a bird strike, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in Rome shortly after takeoff, the airline said.

President Joe Biden took part in a wreath laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery to mark his final Veterans Day as commander-in-chief. The event also featured the first public appearance of Vice President Kamala Harris since her concession speech Wednesday.

Russia has massed "tens of thousands" of troops for an offensive to retake the Kursk region that was seized by Ukraine, according to Kyiv's military.

A 25-year-old man has been charged with possession of a machine gun after a shooting at Tuskegee University left one person dead and at least 16 others injured during the school's homecoming weekend.

"I know we were right": Team USA gymnast Jordan Chiles spoke out to NBC's "TODAY" show about her campaign to have her Olympic bronze medal returned.

Mattel has apologized after a misprint on packages for a line of dolls from the upcoming "Wicked" movie featured a link to a pornographic website.

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.