NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Saturday, April 5, 2025

Episode Date: April 6, 2025

New Trump tariffs go into effect, rattling global economy; Major nationwide protests erupt against Trump admin.; Millions at risk as dangerous storms hit the South; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

This is NBC Nightly News with Jose Diaz-Balart. Good evening. Today marks the beginning of a new era for the global economy. President Donald Trump's reliance on tariffs to bring wealth into the United States and manufacturing jobs to the American people kicked in this morning, with 10% baseline levies on just about every import coming into the U.S. Far steeper tariffs on trading partners like China, Vietnam, India, and the European Union are set to begin next week.

The market's reaction? Clear and jarring. The S&P 500 plunging 10 percent in two days. Major banks like J.P. Morgan now forecasting a recession this year, even as the president today posted encouragement saying this is an economic revolution. We begin tonight with senior business correspondent Christine Romans. At ports across America tonight, a new reality for the more than three trillion dollars worth of goods imported into the country each year. President Trump's baseline tariff of 10 percent for nearly all U.S. trading partners now in effect. Far higher tariffs like 46 percent on Vietnam, 26 percent on India and 20 percent on the European Union are set to begin on Wednesday. The president's senior counselor for trade and manufacturing today, insisting... We're going to have a bullish boom, and the Dow's going to hit 50,000 during Trump's term.

But U.S. markets this week had a decidedly different interpretation, the Dow plunging nearly 4,000 points since President Trump's Rose Garden announcement Wednesday. It's our declaration of economic independence. The market sell-off triggered Thursday, deepening Friday, after China announced it would match the new U.S. tariffs on its goods with 34 percent tariffs of its own on imports from the U.S. Warning signs of a recession now flashing, J.P. Morgan forecasting a downturn in U.S. GDP for the year that will increase U.S. unemployment to 5.3 percent. And Fed Chair Jerome Powell warning of rising prices to come. Tariff increases will be significantly larger than expected. And the same is likely to be true of the economic effects, which will include higher inflation and slower growth. President Trump today golfing in Florida, acknowledging the economic disruption his policies are causing,

posting, hang tough, it won't be easy, but the end result will be historic. His administration now making big promises. Wages are going to go up, profits are going to go up, and life's going to be beautiful here in America. Trust in Trump. Christine, the president has said his policies will not change, but he has also indicated that he is open to discussion. Yeah, Jose, he said he is in talks with Vietnam about a possible deal and there could be relief for China if there's a sale of TikTok. And just today, the White House confirmed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He will be in D.C. on Monday in part to talk about tariffs.

Jose. Christine Romans, thank you. Also tonight, major protests around the nation against the Trump administration and the president's efforts to downsize the federal government. Von Hilliard reports. Huge turnouts from Washington, D.C. to Chicago, West Virginia, Utah, and beyond. Protests in nearly every state. I think America is in terrible distress. We're showing the current administration that we are not happy, and we will not stop. Demonstrators pushing back on the Trump administration's economic policies.

Trump and Musk have got to go! Cuts to the federal workforce. Rise up! And Elon Musk's Doge agency. He's going in with a chainsaw. He doesn't know what he's doing. In upstate New York, this protest went straight past Borders' Tom Homan's house to call out the administration's immigration policy. And in Palm Beach County, Florida.

Hands up! Just miles from Mar-a-Lago, after the president returned from a third consecutive day at one of his Florida golf courses, hundreds hoping to get his attention. I don't want to be rich. I just want to be comfortable. And that's what I've been comfortable. And he's taken away my security. The protests around the country coming even as in Washington, the president's economic agenda is making progress on Capitol Hill. Our goal to the American people is to create more revenue and lower spending to balance the budget.

Republicans in the U.S. Senate advanced a plan for what Trump has called one big beautiful bill, a robust economic package that includes greater border and military spending and an extension for the Trump tax cuts first passed in 2017. Democrats blasting it over concerns of cuts to programs like Medicaid and Social Security. Donald Trump has betrayed the American people. Tonight, Senate Republicans joined him in that betrayal. Vaughn Hilliard is traveling with the president in West Palm Beach, Florida. And Vaughn, even though Republicans control the House and the Senate, it's not clear this plan of the president's is set for smooth sailing. That's right, Jose. There is disagreement among Republicans. Some in the House are saying the Senate plan doesn't go far enough to reduce

the deficit. But just today, House leaders are now urging their members to saying the Senate plan doesn't go far enough to reduce the deficit. But just today, House leaders are now urging their members to support the Senate budget plan because they say due to the market turmoil, quote, time is of the essence. Jose. Von Hilliard in West Palm Beach, Florida. Thank you. Dangerous storms are slamming parts of the country tonight, with 46 million people under flood alerts from Texas to Pennsylvania. George Solis reports from hard-hit Arkansas. Sheets of rain continuing to drench parts of the South tonight. Powerful rushing water appearing to pull this house off its foundation in Frankfort, Kentucky. Catastrophic flooding reaching roofs of some buildings and turning highways like this one into rivers.

Officials in Arkansas say nearly 50 highways are closed because of high water. It's been scary, of course, and everyone's feeling a little afraid. Today in Little Rock, Arkansas, this massive tree collapsing onto cars and power lines leading to this fire. Fortunately, no one was hurt. And in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, part of this train plunging into a river after floodwaters washed out this bridge, derailing multiple cars. Officials say no one was hurt. In Beebe, Arkansas, this tree crashed into Jim Tinkle's house, adding insult to injuries after days of unrelenting

storms. Has it ever been to this degree? Not this bad, not this fast. Storm clouds rolled into Memphis ahead of flash flood warnings in Tennessee, near where our Kathy Park is tracking the storms. The storms here in West Memphis have unleashed so much rain, two to three inches per hour. Entire neighborhood roads are going underwater, catching motorists off guard. Some folks have no choice but to leave their cars behind. In Kentucky, the massive amounts of rain raising rivers to

dangerous levels. Over the last 24 hours, the waters have risen over five feet and we expected them to rise an additional 10. Our Maggie Vespa is on the ground there. It's been pouring for hours here in Paducah and the river's rising so fast, the city's planning to install big metal gates here along its banks to keep water from rushing into downtown. There have been multiple deaths across several states including a five-year-old after days of severe storms. You guys are used to dealing with severe weather but have you ever seen it to this level? No, never like this in my life. George, the rain hasn't stopped, but you're getting a first look at the damage there.

Yeah, that's right, Jose. This right here, just one of the many downed trees in this neighborhood alone. This one right here falling onto this car and power lines. You may be able to see that this car is still smoldering. So many in this region unable to clean up until these storms pass. Jose? George Solis and Little Rock, thank you. I want to bring in meteorologist Angie Lassman. Angie, when should conditions start to improve? Jose, relief on the way for some tomorrow, but the threat ongoing tonight with this robust line of thunderstorms marching across parts of the Midwest and the South. Ongoing flood alerts for 46 million people, including flood warnings across this same region that has been inundated with these heavy rains. Those heavy rains continuing through the evening hours tonight with the potential for more

of these strong storms with the wind, the hail, tornadoes all on the table into the overnight hours. We'll see an additional three to six inches of rain across this region. Then the system moves out, working across parts of the Southeast for the stronger storms, some rain up across parts of the mid-Atlantic, that heavy rain finally out of the picture. But as the water drains, more of that river flooding across this same region. Jose? Angie Lassman, thank you. New concerns tonight as the country's measles outbreak appears to be worsening, especially in Texas. Maya Eaglin reports on an outbreak at one daycare center. Tonight, the country's deadly measles outbreak is getting worse, spreading at an alarming rate in Texas.

59 new cases have been reported there since Tuesday, leaving 14 people hospitalized. We just don't know how bad it's going to get. Megan Messick is the co-owner of Tiny Tatsu Learning Academy in Lubbock. Six children who attend the Texas daycare have tested positive for measles. I've got parents that are upset because we're doing so much and then, you know, isolating their children. And then you've got other parents that are like, do more. It's something Lubbock County Public Health Director Catherine Wells feared.

I think this demonstrates how infectious measles is. It is our most infectious virus that we know about. More than 600 cases have been reported across 21 states and the capital so far. Health experts say it's a shocking comeback for a disease declared eliminated in this country 25 years ago because of the vaccine. Measles is going to find those unvaccinated populations. Getting the vaccine now before you're exposed to measles is really the best way we can prevent you from getting measles. In Texas, the majority of cases and hospitalizations are occurring in unvaccinated kids. One unvaccinated school-age child has died.

This is not something that I was expecting to be working on this year as a public health department. Alarming numbers signaling a desperate need to slow the spread. Maya Eaglin, NBC News. Still ahead tonight, the growing fears among farm workers over President Trump's plans for mass deportations and how that could impact the food we put on our table. We're back with a closer look at President Trump's mass deportation policy and the impact on farm workers in California's Central Valley. They produce a huge amount of the fruits and vegetables we all eat, and now many fear they may be deported. Our Steve Patterson reports.

The seeds of resistance taking root across California's most fertile farmlands. This week, thousands of United Farm Workers and other union members gathered in support of laborers in the state's Central Valley. They're the backbone of agriculture in our country. Nobody is going to be able to do what they do. Shortly after the election, the ACLU says immigration officials detained and deported about 200 farmworkers here. For one undocumented farmworker, that anxiety is now part of her daily life.

I felt fear, she says, so much so that I didn't leave my house to work for three days. Alejandra works to support her five-year-old son, a U.S. citizen. She asked we conceal her identity. What has the community been like since the election? The truth is that everything President Donald Trump was saying in his campaign against us immigrants wasn't positive at all. It's a crisis because this industry is dependent on immigrant labor. Farm workers in California grow about one third of the country's vegetables and three fourths of its fruits and nuts. According to the U.S. Agriculture Department, undocumented and unauthorized workers make up nearly 50 percent of the total farm labor nationwide. In California, generating nearly $60 billion in agriculture sales a year.

This is America's food basket. The crops that are produced here wind up in grocery stores across the country. So despite the level of anxiety that we've seen here, workers still need to come in. Fear doesn't pay the bills. We reached out to several farmers in the area, many refusing to comment for fear of retribution. Others worried about their workers. One family owned farmer told us if there is a reduction of workforce, it could have a long term impact on what we're doing here. The Trump administration says the raids are necessary and cost effective,

arguing that a surge in illegal immigration enabled by the previous administration is to blame. For Alejandra, despite everything, she still says she loves the work and she does it for her five-year-old son. It's for him that I risk going to work, she says, to give him a life worthy of him. Pride in an essential task, putting food on the tables of millions of Americans. Steve Patterson, NBC News, Central Valley, California. There's good news tonight. So often the good news doesn't get as much attention as the bad. And tonight we're highlighting major life-changing moments for medical students

as they prepare to start their careers of service. Congratulations! students as they prepare to start their careers of service. These are the moments our nation's future doctors have been waiting for. When medical school students across the country find out if they can take their critical next step. I'm Max! Congratulations, you've matched! The key to their dream of becoming a doctor. Known as Match Day, this is when they find out if and where they matched into a residency program before they start the next chapter of their lives.

Alex saw hopes to become an eye specialist for astronauts. And now, he's matched at the University of Southern California. Oh, my God! This has been something that I've been looking forward to my entire life. I really, really hustled. Alex sharing his moment with the people who made it possible. I wanted those closest to me right next to me during the moment. And I honestly could not get where I am without them.

And I'm really grateful. We did not match. The anticipation was too much for Marija Shahid. With her parents and fiance by her side, finally relief. Harper! Harper! Shahid, with her parents and fiancé by her side, finally relief. Marija got into her top program for anesthesiology at Harvard. I just couldn't believe it. It really felt like I had come such a long way with my family, from being a first-generation immigrant, first medical student of my family to now being a physician. Match Day was a family affair for Joseph Holland.

His loved ones overjoyed when he matched with Harvard for dermatology. This moment, it is certainly a prayer that has been answered by my ancestors, by my family. I really like to bring my family to the forefront and my tribe. I say tribe because it includes my friends, my mentors, my colleagues, because without them, I certainly wouldn't be the product that you see today. Eight, seven, six. Talk about hard work paying off. Three, two, one.

Those are new moms, Megan Holt and Madison Melquist, two best friends matching at the same hospital near Tampa. How important was it to have each other through this process? Oh, so important. So important. I think that that bond will probably last a long, long time. Women can do both. And if you want a career, you can go for it. And if you want a family, you can go for that, too. A proud moment for these moms and soon-to-be doctors who get to build their next chapter together. Talk to me about your dreams going forward. You've already accomplished so much. I just want to be the best physician that I can be and continue to be the best mom that I can for my daughter. These next few years are going to give us that confidence to be able to go out and help our communities and make a difference.

This is just the beginning for those soon-to-be doctors, and we want to wish them the best of luck. That's NBC Nightly News for this Saturday. Hallie Jackson will be here tomorrow night. I'm Jose Diaz-Balart. Thank you for the privilege of your time, and good night.