NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Saturday, March 8, 2025

Episode Date: March 9, 2025

Brush fires erupt in New York due to strong winds; Manhunt for 3 suspects after mass shooting at Toronto pub; CDC to research potential links between vaccines and autism; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, the state of emergency over fast-moving brush fires in New York State. Massive wildfires sending huge plumes of smoke above Long Island. The flames visible for miles, shutting down this busy highway. Several injured, including a firefighter. Another fire erupting in Brooklyn. The battle to get them under control. The urgent manhunt for three suspects after 12 people were injured during a mass shooting in a Toronto pub The latest on the investigation

The controversial move from the CDC now saying it will research potential links between vaccines and autism Despite being debunked repeatedly A major Russian strike in Ukraine Russia ramping up attacks after the U.S. stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine. Catastrophic floods and a major city underwater. At least 10 killed, hundreds evacuated. Cars submerged as streets are flooded. The first death row inmate in years to die by firing squad.

First-hand accounts from the witnesses of his final moments and why he chose to be executed that way. How small businesses are bracing for new tariffs and stocking up as fears grow about price increases. An eagle is born. Bald eagles, Jackie and Shadow, now have a third mouth to feed after welcoming their final eaglet to the world. This is NBC Nightly News with Jose Diaz-Balart. Good evening. As we come on the air, massive brush fires are burning in New York State. This was the scene near the Hamptons out on Long Island. Massive plumes of smoke that could be seen for miles. Firefighters rushed to contain the flames,

and they even shut down a busy highway there when flames jumped the road. And it wasn't just there. This fire burned on the outskirts of Brooklyn. And look at this. The fires were even detectable on this radar from the National Weather Service. All of this comes just one week after we saw wildfires breaking out in the Carolinas. Our Maya Eaglin starts us off tonight. Tonight, a shocking scene not far from the heart of New York City.

Wildfires ripping across parts of Long Island. Thick black smoke billowing into the sky. Officials telling residents to close their windows and stay inside. The fires not far from the upscale Hamptons area. Major roads nearby shut down. This satellite image shows smoke billowing from the area. Tonight, New York's governor declaring a state of emergency. Officials with this alert for the public. This fire at its largest, which is now still burning,

is two miles long and two and a half miles wide. We have a number of minor injuries, but an injury that required transportation to Stony Brook Hospital to their burn center, a second degree burn on the face of one of our firefighters. Oh my God, it's so bad. Fire burning on the outskirts of Brooklyn, too, flaring up this afternoon. But water drops late today finally put a stop to the flames. Maya Eaglin is in Brooklyn. Maya, what's the scene there like right now? Jose, yeah, we've got the Manhattan skyline just over here.

But here in Brooklyn, it's still pretty windy. As you can see, we've even got some smoke around me on the ground. It's completely charred and experts are saying some of these high winds could continue into tomorrow. Jose? Maya Hagelin in Brooklyn, thank you. Now to the urgent manhunt underway tonight. Police in Toronto are searching for three suspects on the run after 12 people were injured during a mass shooting at a pub overnight. Adrian brought us has the latest. Tonight, an urgent manhunt for the suspects in a mass shooting at a pub in Toronto, Canada. My center's telling me that there's an active shooter inside with multiple patients. The city about 100 miles from Buffalo.

The nightmare scene unfolding just before 11 p.m. Friday when police say three masked men burst into the pub on its opening night. One of the men appearing armed with an assault rifle, the other two with handguns. Officials searching for a motive. Our investigation will tell us whether or not this pub was targeted for a particular reason. Maybe somebody was inside that somebody didn't like. Maybe somebody had a beef with the business. We don't know. The suspects shooting at random. Possibly more than one shooter in the pub.

Officials say 12 people were injured, six of them hit by gunfire. By the grace of God, there's been no fatalities. Police describe it as horrifying and said people ducked for cover, others fleeing to the basement. And when it was over, shattered glass, blood and belongings everywhere. In Canada, mass shootings are rare. The nation has strict gun control laws and Toronto is widely considered one of the safest cities in North America. I can tell you this was a brazen and reckless act of violence that's really shaken our community and the city itself. But I can tell you right now we're leaving no stone unturned.

Police tonight searching for clues and the suspects in a shooting that's left this community on edge. Adrienne Broaddus, NBC News. To politics and NBC News has learned that the CDC will now research a possible link between vaccines and autism, a decision that's already sparking strong reaction. Yamiche Alcindor reports. Tonight, what is sure to be a controversial move for the Centers for Disease Control. The agency will initiate expanded research into understanding autism and the potential links between vaccines and autism, according to a source familiar with the planning. The myth that autism is caused by childhood vaccines has been repeatedly debunked by hundreds of studies.

What is the medical consensus on vaccines and autism? The scientific evidence is clear. There is no link between vaccines and autism. And this has been proven not just in studies in the United States, but validated and reproven across the world. Still, President Trump foreshadowed the CDC news at this week's joint address to Congress. Not long ago, and you can't even believe these numbers, one in 10,000 children had autism, one in 10,000. And now it's one in 36. There's something wrong. The president saying he tasked Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. with finding out why. Kennedy, the founder of a prominent anti-vaccine activist group, has spread false claims linking autism and vaccines. Though at his recent confirmation hearing, Kennedy defended his

views. News reports have claimed that I'm anti-vaccine or anti-industry. I am neither. I am pro-safety. And this week, amid a growing measles outbreak in Texas and New Mexico, health officials reported an unvaccinated adult tested positive for measles after dying. How concerned are you that the CDC study could spread vaccine skepticism and maybe even harm the public? I think it already has because of the concern. Well, if the government is studying it, then all those scientists and doctors who told me there was no link must have been lying. And that's how the misinformation starts. Tonight, the Trump administration not responding to questions about how the study will be conducted, when results are expected, or how much money will be spent.

But for all health department employees, a new detailed offer. Resign by 5 p.m. Friday, March 14th, and walk away with a $25,000 lump sum payment, according to a person who received the email and an administration official. Yamiche is traveling with the president in Florida tonight. And Yamiche, we should note President Trump's nominee for CDC director has his confirmation hearing next week. That's right. His name is Dave Weldon. He's a physician and former congressman from here in Florida. And he, too, has spread false claims linking autism and vaccines, claims there's sure to be a focus at his hearing on Thursday. Jose.

Yamiche Alcindor in West Palm Beach, Florida. Thank you. And tomorrow on Meet the Press, Kristen Welker interviews Michigan Senator Alyssa Slotkin and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick right here on NBC. And now to the war in Ukraine and the deadly new attacks by Russia just after the Trump administration suspended intelligence sharing with Kiev. Megan Fitzgerald has more. Massive new Russian attacks are pounding Ukraine. Buildings and homes erupting in flames as first responders rush to save those trapped beneath the rubble. At least 11 killed and dozens more injured today in this attack on a residential area in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, where Russian troops have

been fiercely pushing the front line. This woman frantically saying her neighbor was among the dead. The deadly attacks come just after the Trump administration stopped sharing crucial satellite imagery and intelligence and halted military aid to Ukraine following the diplomatic meltdown in the Oval Office with Ukraine's President Zelensky last week. You don't have the cards right now. But overnight, Zelensky saying his team was working closely with the Trump administration. Adding, quote, the agenda is clear. Peace as soon as possible. Security as reliable as possible. Ukraine is committed to the most constructive approach. On Friday, President Trump

seemingly unfazed when asked if he thought Russian President Putin was taking advantage of the U.S. pausing intelligence sharing with Ukraine. I actually think he's doing what anybody else would do. And Jose, in a sign of a potential reset, President Zelensky is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia on Monday, where he'll meet with the crown prince. Officials from his office will then be meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East. Jose. Megan Fitzgerald in London, thank you. Here in the U.S., we are hearing firsthand from witnesses at last night's firing squad execution in South Carolina, which was the first the country has seen in 15 years. Marisa Parra has the details.

67-year-old Brad Sigmund was legally shot to death. The execution was performed at 6.05.50. With a red bullseye target over his heart for a three-person firing squad. He was pronounced dead by a physician at 6.08 p.m. This is how the convicted murderer chose his own death. Anna Dobbins from NBC affiliate WYFF was there as a witness. I did see a splash of blood when the bullets entered his body. Sigmund was sentenced to death in 2002 in South Carolina, convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend's parents, beating them with a baseball bat.

His final exchange, not with the family in attendance, but according to a witness with his attorney. They were mouthing back and forth to each other, but it looked like he was just saying he was okay. Death by firing squad is extremely rare in the U.S. This was the first execution of its kind in 15 years. His lawyer said before he died, Sickman chose fully informed. He knows it's going to break his bones. He knows it's going to blow his heart apart. But his choice was to avoid what he called the more painful method of lethal injection. Brad had to choose between risking a 20-minute execution while he's strapped to a gurney with

his lungs filling with water fluid and the firing squad. Sigmund's final meal, an array of Southern staples, fried chicken, biscuits, and sweet tea. His ex-girlfriend and the daughter of Sigmund's victims, absent from the execution, but telling USA Today his death wouldn't bring her closure. Marisa Parra, NBC News. Still ahead tonight, the deadly and catastrophic floods prompting hundreds of evacuations and putting a major city underwater. And birds of a feather flock together, including bald eagles.

And this one just hatched today. We are back with catastrophic flooding in Argentina. Heavy rains caused major flooding in the port city of Bahia Blanca, where more than 10 inches of rain fell in just a few hours. Streets completely submerged. At least 10 people were killed, hundreds of people evacuated. Here in the U.S., a bald eagle couple just welcomed their third and final eaglet to their nest. And it was all caught on camera. Camila Bernal has a closer look. This is the joyful moment today bald eagles Jackie and Shadow beat the odds. The webcams over their snow-covered nest revealing their third egg had finally hatched.

Their new baby breaking out of its shell. The family perched high above Big Bear Valley, California now complete. Fans worldwide have been tracking the pair for years, following their ups and downs. The livestream, a labor of love started by biologist Sandy Steer, who runs Friends of Big Bear Valley. How rare is it to have all three eggs hatch? Only about 50% of the chicks hatch, so this is an amazing time that we're getting all three of them to hatch. It hasn't been easy for Jackie and Shadow. One year, ravens devoured the eggs. They tried again, but a snowstorm buried the nest and the eggs never hatched. What was it like for you this time around? Oh, it was amazing. I was grinning

from ear to ear and my heart was pounding and tears streaming down my face. Jackie and Shadow now taking turns feeding their little ones who will grow quickly. The trio building their own strength to fly right into the future. Camila Bernal, NBC News. We're back in a moment with small businesses bracing for tariffs and stocking up like this and the impact it could have on the price we all pay. We're back with the impact some small businesses are bracing for if a proposed tariff on aluminum goes into effect next week. As Antonia Hilton reports, one business is getting creative as it prepares. At the Thomas Hooker Brewery in Connecticut, owner Kurt Cameron is bracing for impact. Keeps me up a little bit at night.

Next week, the Trump administration is expected to place 25 percent tariffs on imported aluminum and steel, raising the cost of all the cans you see here. They process over a million cans at this facility every year. So if prices go up by just a couple cents, it'll really hurt. And it's not just the cans. It's also what goes inside them. Where are these tariffs going to hit your business? Well, the obvious places are aluminum for cans, barley for beer. Will you have to change the way that you can your products? There's really no way for us to change the way we can our products. We just have to sort of, you know, suck it up and

pay the extra price and then decide whether we're going to absorb that additional cost or pass it on to the consumer. Cameron's doing everything he can to avoid that. But breweries are already slow during winter, and it's the independent guy, not global brands, that'll struggle to stay afloat. Though they declined an interview or statement to NBC News, on their most recent earnings call, Coca-Cola's CEO sounded unconcerned, saying, It's not insignificant, but it's not going to radically change a multi-billion dollar U.S. business. With no other option, Cameron spent about $100,000 in capital in advance to stockpile cans and fill up these silos with Canadian barley, money he can't unspend if Trump reverses these tariffs,

as he's done with some tariffs against Mexico and Canada. Look, I'm no foreign policy expert, but when I look at these tariffs and what they're designed to do, is it kind of like, you know, using a screwdriver to hammer in a nail? Price premiums for aluminum in the United States have surged to a record high. Cameron says some of his suppliers are already charging him more. So with all that uncertainty. What would you say to someone worried about how much their summer fund is going to cost? I'd say be understanding. We're going to do what we can to keep prices the same. He hopes customers still have the small business owners backs,

but live your life, have some fun and have a beer. Cheers to that. Antonia Hilton, NBC News, Bloomfield, Connecticut. Also tonight, we are remembering former Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart, my brother, who died this week after a battle with cancer. His memorial service was held earlier today. Lincoln spent 24 years in public service, including 18 years in Congress representing South Florida. He was the author of the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act,

which granted a pathway to citizenship for hundreds of thousands of political exiles. Lincoln, 70 years old, was a pillar in the community and a pillar in our family and the best brother ever. Gracias, Lincoln. When we come back, there's good news tonight about the birthday this little boy will never forget. And the special gift his family has been praying for. There's good news tonight. So often the good news doesn't get as much attention as the bad. So every Saturday we highlight the many people who spread joy and love. And these are just some of those stories this week. This was a proud moment for Maryland teacher Ryan Gates.

See that young man hugging her? That's Paris Olympic gold medal track and field star Quincy Wilson, who also happens to be her former first grade student. Guess who his teacher was? Miss Gates! Quincy surprising Miss Gates at Tulip Grove Elementary to let her know just how much she means. It feels great just being able to come back and just basically give back to where I came from.

It makes my heart truly full. Cadet, Zira Flowers, front and center. Take a look at this surprise for Florida high school senior Zakira Flowers. That's your car. That's your car. She thought she was at a routine junior ROTC inspection when a local business, Mullins Auto Body, gave her a car. Niceville High School principal Charlie Morello said they chose Zakira because she's a great student

who needed reliable transportation. In Detroit, Celeste Cole, so grateful for the hero she says saved her life. I just want to thank every single last one of y'all for not giving up on me and coming to my rescue. The mom of two finally meeting the first responders one year after going into cardiac arrest. Celeste's family giving out tiny angels to the team they say has been a blessing. I'm just so thankful. Thank you all. Here's a story worth celebrating. That's the Boston Fire Department throwing a birthday party for Lincoln Stanger, who just turned five years old. Happy birthday, dear Lincoln.

A bit of light and love for Lincoln. You became an official junior firefighter with the city of Boston. The brave little boy's been in the hospital almost a year, waiting for a heart transplant. His mom, Ashley, overjoyed to see her son smiling again. I mean, honestly, I think this birthday is going to be one to beat. I don't know that we'll ever be able to make any birthday better than this birthday. So we're so thankful for that. But then, just days later,

things did get better. Lincoln finally got that new heart they'd all been praying for. It was five days after his fifth birthday, which we thought was so special, that his miracle, his heart was here. Lincoln is now recovering from his heart transplant at Boston Children's Hospital and getting stronger every day. I don't know how anyone could ever do anything like this without having a village of people to support them and love them. It's been incredible to see how people have shown up for us. Lincoln also told us he wants to be a firefighter too when he grows up, and he will be. That's NBC Night 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.