NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Friday, April 11, 2025

Episode Date: April 12, 2025

Fiery plane crash in South Florida kills all 3 onboard; Investigation underway into fatal Hudson River helicopter crash; Judge rules Mahmoud Khalil can be deported; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Breaking news tonight, three people killed in yet another horrific plane crash. The fiery scene when a small plane went down in Boca Raton, Florida. The bizarre flight path the plane took before the deadly descent. Those pilots and that aircraft were trying their absolute best to get on the ground safely. And the investigation into that helicopter crash in the Hudson River. What we're learning about what went wrong and the family of five killed on a birthday trip. The news just in on Mahmoud Khalil, the protest leader arrested in the Trump administration's crackdown on foreign student activists, an immigration judge ruling he can be deported.

The critical hearing for Lyle and Eric Menendez, the brothers making their case for resentencing. The urgent warning about real ID, the TSA saying if you don't get it now, you could see delays and risk missing your flight. No way to shop, police arresting multiple people for riding horses into a Walmart. The college students warning about how a pair of smart glasses can in seconds identify personal information about complete strangers. What to know? This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt.

Good evening and welcome. For a second day, a horrifying air crash has taken multiple lives, creating more unease in a country rattled by what is felt like a series of dramatic but unrelated aviation accidents. The latest today in Boca Raton, Florida, where a twin engine Cessna with three people on board came crashing to Earth in a shower of smoke and flames, leaving a wide debris field and injuring a motorist in its path. The crash occurring minutes after the plane took off and made a series of circles and turns in the sky, the plane apparently suffering some kind of a control problem. All on board were killed. The crash less than a day after a

sightseeing helicopter plummeted into New York's Hudson River, killing a family of five and the pilot. As you can imagine, some of the images are disturbing. Let's get the latest from New York in a moment, but first to Marissa Parra at the scene of today's disaster. The tragic final moments of a doomed Cessna plane captured on video in Boca Raton, Florida. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Plumes of smoke and plane parts scattered across streets and train tracks. Are you OK? A car engulfed in flames in the hazy aftermath of a plane crash. It was just a big explosion, smoke. Flight school student Jared Scarpato witnessed the plane's final moments. Were you afraid that there was going to be a crash imminent?

100%. 100%. I said out loud, you know, he's too low. And, you know, what's going through my mind is, you know, once he goes out of sight, that's just really it. It's devastating. According to the FAA, the small twin engine Cessna 310 took off at 10-12 from Boca Raton, headed for Tallahassee, crashing less than 10 minutes later, killing all three on board. The flight path shows the Cessna appearing to make repeated circles. A source with knowledge of the situation says the pilot reported an issue with the rudder. How could that lead to what we saw happen? If the rudder were displaced to the left and the pilot was not able to bring it back to neutral, it's going to want to make the nose of the airplane continually go left.

Pablo Tufor tells our affiliate WTVJ how he narrowly avoided falling plane debris from his car below. Next thing I know it's on top right right in front of me and exploded impact right in front of my car and we crashed and tried to steer out of the way but it's pretty much unavoidable. The NTSB now on the scene investigating what went wrong. While tonight he's hurt but grateful to be alive. Got out of the car that was on fire, threw the flames and made it to safety. And Marissa, we heard from the NTSB just moments ago.

What more are we learning about this accident? Well, this type of plane is not required to have a so-called black box. So investigators are parsing through to find any type of electronics that can give them any clues into what happened. That preliminary report will be out in the next 30 days. But in the meantime, this impacts a busy section of road and railroad tracks behind me.

This section in Boca Raton will remain closed through the night as they continue to investigate. Lester. All right, Marissa, thank you. We turn to another tragedy in the air a day after a sightseeing helicopter crashed into the Hudson River, killing all on board. NTSB investigators are probing for clues as we learn more about the victims. Sam Brock reports. A day after a sightseeing chopper crashed into the Hudson, new video shows one of the rotors spiraling into the river, seemingly supporting eyewitness accounts that pieces of the aircraft came off midair. I'm pretty sure the helicopter hit the water and the blade was just starting to come down. The tail was a couple of feet back. The NTSB says most of the helicopter has been recovered,

but NYPD divers are still searching for key components. Those include the main rotor, the main transmission, the roof structure, and the tail structure. The crash outcome, fatal for a family of five from Spain. When you look at those pictures and how excited they are to be here in New York, I'm certain nobody in their wildest dreams thought that would be kind of the last minutes of their lives. Jersey City Mayor Stephen Fulop says that Gustin Escobar, a high-level Siemens executive, was here on a work trip and that his wife was celebrating her 40th birthday with their three kids. We've also learned the pilot has been identified as 36-year-old Sean Johnson. One Instagram post from a friend saying, I met

Sean when he was a new tech in the SEAL teams, saying he stood out immediately for his vibrance and humility. The Bell 206 helicopter took off from the lower Manhattan heliport just before 3 p.m., traveling north along the Hudson River up to the GW Bridge, and then turned south in flight for just 15 minutes before the rotor blades appeared to detach from the aircraft, sending the chopper crashing into the water. The owner of New York Helicopter Tour saying in an interview with The Telegraph that he was devastated, adding the pilot had just called in about refueling and was only minutes away. Their owner declined NBC News' request for comment.

The companies had a couple of incidents in New York City that have prompted NTSB investigations, including a 2013 incident where a chopper lost power and had to land on the Hudson. This particular company had a couple of serious incidents in the last several years. Do you think that will be relevant to your investigation? We always look at safety history. That's a standard part of all of our investigations. Sam, what's the biggest priority right now for investigators? Yeah, Lester, right now the NTSB says it's finding perishable evidence. It's really challenging conditions outside. They say they can go back

and look at safety logs or maintenance, but they can't recreate those rotors or transmission. It's also worth noting, Lester, today would have been the ninth birthday of one of the children on board. Lester. All right, Sam Brock, thank you. There's breaking news in the case of a pro Palestinian activist whose detention has sparked national controversy. A judge today ruling he can be deported. Laura Jarrett reports it's part of a broader tension going on between the administration and the courts. Tonight, lawyers from Mahmoud Khalil vowing to fight his possible deportation. An immigration judge today finding the Trump administration can remove the Columbia grad student using a rarely invoked provision of

immigration law. Khalil, a leading pro-Palestinian activist on campus, held for the last month in a Louisiana detention facility after his arrest in New York. The 30-year-old suggesting at today's hearing he hasn't gotten a fair shake, saying, this is exactly why the Trump administration sent me to this court 1,000 miles away from my family. The justification for Khalil's deportation outlined in this State Department memo, citing his alleged participation in anti-Semitic protests and disruptive activities. This with tensions growing between the administration and the courts. A federal judge today appearing troubled by the Justice Department's refusal to provide any details on the whereabouts of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland man wrongly

deported to El Salvador last month. This is not about getting information. This is about getting Kilmar back. The Trump administration initially calling Abrego Garcia's removal an administrative error, given a court order expressly prohibited deportation to El Salvador. Yet the father of three was put on one of the highly publicized flights to El Salvador and is now believed to be housed in an infamous prison. The case now reaching the U.S. Supreme Court. The justices agreeing the government must facilitate his release, but cautioning some deference must be owed to the executive branch on foreign affairs. The ultimate outcome, far from certain, as the courts grapple with the president's mass deportation campaign.

As for what comes next here, the court there in Maryland in a rare move saying that the Justice Department, Lester, actually has to provide daily status updates on its efforts to get Garcia back home, just underscoring the urgency here, Lester. All right, Laura Jarrett, thank you. Wall Street ending the week on a high note tonight, the Dow up more than 600 points, all amid that growing trade war between the U.S. and China. Here's Gabe Gutierrez. Tonight, more whiplash on Wall Street. The Dow closing up more than 600 points, making up over half its losses from Thursday. The stock surge coming even after China slapped new tariffs on the U.S. overnight, raising the tax on American goods to 125 percent

and retaliation for the White House boosting tariffs on imports from China to 145 percent. The country's leader, Xi Jinping, saying there are no winners in the tariff war. Despite that, the White House insists China will join other countries negotiating new trade deals with the U.S. Taking on China in the terms of trade and tariffs is something that both Democrats and Republicans alike have spoken about for decades. President Trump is finally doing it. President Trump's supporters say his tariffs will revive American manufacturing. It's a little short-term pain for some long-term gain. I think our new administration has our best interests at heart, and I think that we needed a change. But in this warehouse outside Houston, do you think this business will be able to survive? I don't know. Ting Geng's family has

operated a restaurant interior design business for 25 years, importing furniture and other materials from China. Her clients' orders have grinded to a halt. These lanterns, for example, typically cost about $60. Now, about $200. How much of it would you pass along? At this point, it's just hard to even decide the percentage right now because percentage is changing almost daily basis. Ting says she cannot get many of her materials in the U.S. because no company makes them. What would your message be to President Trump? Changes like this magnitude and speed, it's just hard for us to be able to cope with kind of the change. The White House says it's actively negotiating trade deals with about 15 countries. But so far, no talks with China are scheduled.

Lester. Gabe Gutierrez, thank you. A Russian-American woman imprisoned in Russia is now back home in the U.S. You can see Ksenia Karolina run into her boyfriend's arms as she landed. The Trump administration negotiated the release of the former ballerina in a prisoner swap. She'd been sentenced to 12 years for treason after donating around $50 to a charity helping Ukraine. Turning out of the Menendez case, a judge today deciding whether to proceed with the resentencing hearing for Lyle

and Eric Menendez. Liz Kreutz was inside the courtroom in Los Angeles. Tonight, a major decision by a Los Angeles judge ruling that the Menendez brothers resentencing hearing can move forward more than three decades since they were sentenced to life without parole for the 1989 murders of their parents. Eric and Lyle Menendez appearing in court virtually for the first time in years for this critical hearing with no cameras in the courtroom. The brothers in blue jumpsuits listening intently and at times whispering to each other. As attorneys sparred over whether a judge should withdraw the previous district attorney's recommendation that the brothers be resentenced. The defense team applauding the decision by the judge.

Do you feel like this ruling suggests the judge might be sympathetic to the brothers' case? I don't think there's any other way to interpret it. Now there is a presumption that they get resentenced. The at times contentious hearing lasting far longer than expected with the DA's office questioning the brother's credibility and lack of remorse, repeatedly reminding the judge of the gruesome nature of the murders, which they described as willful, deliberate, and premeditated, even showing an image of the bloody crime scene. The brothers' attorney blasting the prosecution. Not only inappropriate, it's generally sanctionable conduct. Did you expect it to go on this long this morning?

No. The brothers argue they acted in self-defense after years of abuse at the hands of their father, Jose. Tonight, the Menendez family grateful for another step towards potential freedom. The court made clear that this process isn't about politics. It's about truth. It's about justice. And it's about giving people the chance to show who they are now, not just who they were in their worst moment. And Lester, this late breaking news, a big win for Eric and Lyle Menendez. Their resentencing hearings are now scheduled for next Thursday and Friday. And it's possible the brothers themselves will speak and make their case before a judge for release.

And remember, this is just one of three paths to their potential freedom. Governor Gavin Newsom is also reviewing their bid for clemency. Lester. All right, Liz Kreutz updating us here. Thank you. In 60 seconds, going to the aisle on horseback, the wild scene inside a Walmart. We'll tell you about it, plus the urgent new warning from the TSA. Get your real ID or risk missing your next flight.

We're back with wild video of four people riding horses inside a Walmart near Baton Rouge, Louisiana. You can see them heading into the store here. One of them even has a phone. While mounted, they were later arrested and now face several misdemeanor charges. Tonight, the TSA is warning that it's sticking with the real ID deadline of May 7th. Anyone who plans to fly after then will need a real ID or face airport delays. Tom Costello joins us. Tom, this could impact families going on summer vacations. It could. It's been 20 years since Congress passed the Real ID law after 9-11, and now Homeland Security says no more delays. The TSA says checkpoint officers will no longer

accept state IDs that are not Real ID compliant as of May 7th. Passengers 18 or older who don't have a real ID or a passport could face additional screening and delays. The TSA says 81% of current travelers do have real IDs, which have a star or a California bear in the upper right-hand corner. You'll also need a real ID to visit a military base or a secure federal building. The TSA's website has a list of all the documents you need at your local driver's license office. If you're traveling this summer, make your appointment now. Lester. Okay, Tom, thanks for that. Still ahead, why two college students are sounding the alarm about smart glasses and artificial intelligence. What they say they can find out about complete strangers in seconds. Finding out names, jobs, even addresses. Next.

We're back now with our series, AI Revolution, and the warning from two college students who say with a pair of smart glasses and artificial intelligence, they can download personal information on just about anyone they see. Erin McLaughlin explains. Harvard students Kane Artefio and Anfun Nguyen say they created this viral video Is your address? to sound the alarm over artificial intelligence and privacy. We built glasses that let you identify anybody on the street. The two took a pair of so-called smart glasses, which have a built-in camera. Practically undetectable, it's activated with a button or voice command.

The glasses can capture photos or videos, and with artificial intelligence developed by the students, learn a lot from a face. Scouring internet databases, the AI often able to connect a face to a name, job, interest, even a home address. The information sent almost instantly straight to the user's phone. June Lee, right? Is this a warning? I think so, yeah. The tech, the students say, cost just $400 and was coded in a matter of days. Two students, albeit Harvard students, were able to do this in four days. Yeah. What does that say? All of the technology is already in place and it's more

just, you know, a matter of effort into making it exist. Realizing the potential dangers, Kane and Anfu say they never intended to make their mobile app public. So they led some of the code lapse, but they showed us its power using a laptop. Oh, Aaron McLaughlin, journalism and media appearances. You're involved in writing. Television personality on the Today Show and NBC News Daily. You can learn about hundreds of millions of people by just looking at them. Someone walking down the street is just choosing to walk down the street. And now all of a sudden, their identity could be known. Yeah, this was what we wanted to let people know.

The pair's next project, hiding in plain sight. And then we're creating a wearable necklace with a camera on it. Oh my God, that's cool. The necklace camera and AI scans people's faces and connects the wearer with profiles other users create and willingly share. And we built it ourselves. You built that yourself? Yeah, I do think like the world is very lonely today. People don't really go up to people or like talk to people or learn about others in real life anymore. And I think some in real life, like social network could change this. Their hope that their tech will bring people together voluntarily.

Aaron McLaughlin, NBC News, Cambridge, Massachusetts. That is nightly news for this Friday. Thank you for watching. I'm Lester Holt. Please take care of yourself and each other. Good night.