NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Sunday, April 27, 2025

Episode Date: April 28, 2025

Multiple fatalities after car drives into crowd at festival; Millions in the path of severe weather; NBC News Stay Tuned Poll: 45% approve of Trump's job performance; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, the new developments after a deadly car attack at a busy street festival. A massive emergency response. A driver plowing through the crowd, knocking people to the ground. At least 11 killed, dozens more hurt. This is the darkest day in our city's history. New tonight, what police are revealing about the suspect and what we're learning about the victims. Intense weather turning deadly, record rainfall triggering flash floods, washing cars off the road.

My neighbor's car was floating down the river. Plus a twister and hail storm, look at that in New Mexico. We're tracking the severe threat for the start of your week. New warning signs for President Trump as he approaches 100 days in office. Our new NBC News poll showing Americans not happy about where the country is headed. The report from voters on his handling of immigration, inflation and tariffs. Steve Kornacki is here to break it down.

Thousands wait in line to visit the tomb of Pope Francis as the focus now shifts to the selection of his successor. The terrifying moments as a boat smashes into a pier, going airborne, flipping over, and a major cancer breakthrough, the new treatment option that could help some patients avoid surgery. This is NBC Nightly News with Hallie Jackson. We are coming on the air with new questions tonight after someone plowed a car into a festival, killing 11 people, hurting dozens more. Victims ranging in age from just 5 to 65. You can see the aftermath here in Vancouver after that SUV drove into a block party celebrating a Filipino holiday, ramming into food trucks lining the streets. People there crying, stunned, some in the crowd even stopping and capturing the driver

themselves, according to police. Investigators say it was not an act of terrorism, revealing the suspect had a history of mental illness as a city now in shock and in grief reels from the attack. Our Dana Griffin is in Vancouver tonight. And a warning, some of the video you're about to see is disturbing. Oh, my God. Tonight, the city of Vancouver in shock. Oh, my God. My God. After hundreds attending this block party Saturday night celebrating Filipino heritage were mowed down by a driver in this black Audi SUV. This is the darkest day in our city's history. It happened just after 8 p.m. local time.

Officials say the 30-year-old driver and Vancouver resident was arrested after witnesses intervened, holding him on scene until police arrived. According to police, that driver entered the festival area here on East 43rd Avenue. You can still see tents, food trucks, crime scene markers, and a ton of debris in the middle of the road from when that SUV came plowing through. Sheldon Nipshak returned to the festival soon after the crash. I saw this lady. She was screaming, I can't feel my legs. I can't feel my legs. And there are people around her trying to help her. According to police, at least 11 are now

dead dozens more injured. No motive has been released but authorities don't believe this was an act of terrorism saying they have a history of interactions with the suspect related to mental health. There are many unanswered questions about why this horrific crime happened. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney offering these words of solidarity. To the Filipino-Canadian community and to everyone in the broader Lower Mainland, Vancouver, I would like to offer my deepest condolences. A community in mourning and continuing to process an unimaginable tragedy. Like all of you, I'm completely heartbroken.

I'm shocked., I'm completely heartbroken. I'm shocked and I'm angry. Vancouver police say they are confident in the risk assessment they conducted prior to this event. That's why there were no dedicated police officers or vehicle barriers. However, they will review all circumstances surrounding the planning of this event and if there could have been more done to prevent this tragedy. Hallie. Dana Griffin in Vancouver, thank you. The severe weather threat ramping up tonight and into the early part of this week with millions of people in the danger zone after deadly flooding, twisters, and hail

have left part of the country battered already. Adrienne Broaddus is tracking it all. Rising flood water in Oklahoma threatening homes and sweeping cars off the road. Record rainfall forcing rescues. First responders using boats to bring neighbors to safety as officials urge some residents to evacuate. From above, you can see the creeks spilling over to nearby fields. We've got sheriff's deputies going house to house in areas that are flood-prone where people are living and trying to do evacuations. In Lawton, more than five inches

of rain fell on Saturday, setting a daily record. My neighbor's car was floating down the river. Police say one person was killed after their car was submerged. All right, pull over now. Meanwhile, in southeast New Mexico, storms spawning two confirmed tornadoes. Damaging hail battering windshields and homes. We lost our basketball goal. Look at the front of our house. In Pennsylvania, a cold front fueling strong wind gusts as firefighters work to contain two wildfires. And tonight, the threat isn't over. Millions in the path for damaging wind, hail and tornadoes. The severe weather risk ramping up tomorrow,

with 36 million on alert from Texas to Michigan. Adrienne Broaddus, NBC News. New warning signs for President Trump just ahead of his first 100 days in office, with our new NBC News polling showing a majority of Americans disapprove of the president and how he's handling key issues like the economy. Erin Gilchrist reports. Tonight, a new measure of President Trump's job performance. An NBC News Stay Tuned poll showing a majority of American adults disapprove of how he's handling the job.

And 60% of Americans also say the country is on the wrong track under his leadership. That national feedback coming as Trump approaches the 100th day of his second term this week, a term so far focused on things like reshaping the world economic order. Americans concerned about the prices they'll pay, even as threats of tariffs have led to negotiations. We're going to be taking in a tremendous amount of money. We're going to be taking in a lot of jobs, a lot of plants and factories. They're already coming. Trump's Treasury Secretary backing his tariffs play.

You're not going to tell the person on the other side of the negotiation where you're going to end up. But the administration refusing to confirm whether Trump has talked tariffs with the biggest U.S. competitor, China. I think that the Chinese will see that this high tariff level is unsustainable for their business. Despite a campaign promise

to end the war in Ukraine on day one, which the president now says was an exaggeration, Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggesting a peace deal may be at an impasse we have to make a determination about whether this is an endeavor that we want to continue to be involved in this after president trump's face-to-face on saturday with vladimir zelinsky the president also sharing skepticism on social media about whether russia wants to stop the war democrats worried about trump's next move to just abandon Ukraine after all the

sacrifice that they made. It would just be a moral tragedy. Aaron Gilchrist is near the president's home in New Jersey and Aaron late tonight, President Trump still sounded somewhat hopeful Ukraine may make concessions. How the president was asked if he thought Zelensky was willing to give up Crimea, the area annexed by Russia in 2014. The president said, oh, I think so, which is the opposite of what President Zelensky has said as recently as last week. Hallie. Aaron Gilchrist in New Jersey, thank you. Let's bring in Steve Kornacki for a closer look at the numbers at the big board. And Steve, how does this all break down when you look at specific issues? Yeah, Hallie, we can see Trump's overall approval of 45 percent. But what really is dragging him down? It's right here. It's inflation, the cost of living. Obviously,

one of the issues arguably he was elected on 40 percent approval and the tariffs, tariffs and trade, 39 percent approval right there. Where is he doing a little bit better? You can see here it's on some of the more cultural fronts, his executive order on DEI, 44 percent approval and border and immigration. It's basically it's almost 50 50 right there. But these two issues right here, how they really dragging the president down. There's also some revealing trends when you look at the gender gap, too, right? Yeah. A new look at it, a twist here. We always talk about the gender gap. It's been around forever. What happens, though, when you combine gender with generations? I think this is very revealing from our new poll. Trump's approval rating here, Gen Z, this is voters under 30 years old, men under 30, 45 percent job approval. And

that number is not too far off what you see in other generations among men and other generations that you see among women. Which one of these is not like the other? It's right here. Trump among Gen Z women, women under 30, falls off a cliff. And Hallie, it's not just Trump's approval rating. Issue after issue in this poll, the most progressive side of the political spectrum is concentrated right here. Women under 30. Steve Kornacki at the big board.

Thank you. The White House's immigration crackdown, drawing new scrutiny over the effect it's having on some families. All as we're learning about hundreds of arrests in Colorado and Florida this weekend. Here's Marissa Parra. Tensions rising across the country over the escalating battle on immigration and impacted families. Haley Sanchez says she was ripped apart from her still-nursing baby. Deported to Cuba, now separated from her husband and several children,

all U.S. citizens left behind in Florida, including her one-year-old. We want Hady back. It's really hard. Targeted large-scale operations have been touted by ICE, boasting nearly 800 arrests across Florida in just the last week. In Colorado Springs, DEA agents detained more than 100 people after a raid on a club, turning them over to immigration authorities. ICE says they're focused on, quote, criminals, but immigration rights groups say their actions show otherwise. They're arresting people indiscriminately. Civil rights attorney Serene Shabaya says these detentions have been happening at routine

appointments. And then being ambushed and put on flights in the early hours of the morning before any court opened. And in New Orleans, two families deported to Honduras. In one case, an undocumented mother with her American children, one just four years old with cancer, and in another case, an undocumented mother and her American two-year-old daughter. The memorandum order in their case states that the mother expressed that she would like to take her children with her, but advocates say that's not true. We know for a fact that the mother did not actually want her U.S. citizen child to go with her. The federal judge ordering the matter be set for a hearing, quote, in the interest of dispelling our strong suspicion that the government just deported a U.S. citizen with no meaningful process. Border Czar Tom Homan

responding this morning when asked about removed American children. The children aren't deported. The mother chose to take the children with her. When you enter the country illegally and you know you're here illegally and you choose to have your assistant child, that's on you. That's not on this administration. Families now at the center of a brewing national firestorm. Marissa Parra, NBC News, Miami. To breaking news tonight, two sources tell NBC News a second suspect has been arrested in connection with the theft of the Homeland Security Secretary's purse last week. Secretary Kristi Noem had been dining with family at this D.C. restaurant when the bag with $3,000 in cash and her government I.D. inside was taken. Officials say the first

suspect arrested yesterday is in this country illegally. To the Vatican now, where the focus is shifting to when a new pope will be selected, as tens of thousands of people wait hours in line for a chance to pay their respects at the tomb where Pope Francis was laid to rest. Anne Thompson is there. A joyful noise today outside the basilica where Pope Francis is buried. His words turned into music. The faithful waiting two hours in a line that wrapped around Santa Maria Maggiore for a chance to walk by his tomb. Many emotional, like Cincinnati's Karen Dime.

Just what Pope Francis meant to the world. You know, a very moving experience. The cardinals coming to pray as well. Those under the age of 80 will select France's successor, the start date for the conclave expected this week. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, thought to be one of the contenders, celebrated Mass this morning in a crowded St. Peter's Square, originally intended for the canonization of the first millennial saint, which is now delayed. The mass, itself a reminder that unlike political transitions, much about the Catholic Church

is indeed eternal. The task of the church is to make sense of the truths the church has professed for 2,000 years. That's the task for the next pope. Brooklyn's Sophia Lazaro says Pope Francis' death has changed the conversation among her friends. Like, I just feel like it's just been, yeah, very influential. Maybe more than I even would have thought. A pope bringing people together in life and death. Anne Thompson, NBC News, Rome. A scary moment in Miami. Look at this here, that boat going airborne, flipping over. Look at this video showing it speeding up, then it swerves before it runs into some other boats that are docked. There it is. It flips.

It lands upside down. Several people were on board, including some children, apparently. They were thrown from the boat into the water. Witnesses quickly jumped into action to help them. One person was hospitalized and still no word on what caused the crash. We are back in a moment with the major cancer breakthrough that could let some patients avoid surgery altogether. Back now with a new study out today showing how immunotherapy could help some patients beat cancer without surgery. Here's Dr. John Torres. Hi. When Maureen Sedaris was diagnosed with gastroesophageal cancer over two years ago, doctors told her she wouldn't just need chemo and radiation, but they would also have to remove part of her esophagus and stomach.

I wouldn't be able to eat or talk. My two favorite things in life. Are you kidding me? But then she found a promising clinical trial for patients like her, with tumors that have a genetic mutation called mismatch repair deficiency. All our cells in the body, when they divide, they make mistakes. And mismatch repair corrects those mistakes. And these tumors, to gain an advantage, the tumors have shut down mismatch repair. Any tumor can have the mutation, but they

predominantly affect colorectal, gastric, pancreatic, and endometrial cancers. The trial, co-led by Dr. Luis Diaz, had patients skip surgery and instead take an immunotherapy drug. So this immunotherapy is not just revving the immune system up to fight the tumor. It's exposing the tumor, and if the reality is the tumor looks foreign, it will wipe it out of the body. Today, that study finding the experimental approach is 80% effective in people with the mutation. This is Maureen. And you see here, her active esophageal cancer when we first met her. That highlighted area right there. And that black area there. And then after treatment, you can see that that area disappears. It's gone. It's gone. Any tumor that needs to go for surgery should be checked for mismatch repair.

And in 80% of patients, we might be able to avoid surgery. Less than a year after her diagnosis, Maureen had no evidence of cancer. It was like winning the lottery. Dr. John Torres, NBC News. When we come back, there's good news tonight about the unexpected way this musician got his job and the unusual concerts he now delivers. There is good news tonight about the power of music after one man was given the keys to a lifelong career he never expected.

To get to this Maryland town's most musical perch takes 50 steps up a winding staircase. Wow. Fortunately for the folks in Frederick, John Widman's a pro. A carillon is an instrument of bells played from a keyboard of batons and pedals. Do you always play in socks? I always play in socks. For 33 years, Widman has been Frederick's city caroliner,

a seasoned organist and former public school teacher, performing free concerts every single Sunday, a job he didn't just earn, he inherited. About two years after we moved to town, I found a manila envelope with my name misspelled on it. And inside the envelope was a brass key. The key from Frederick's prior caroliner, who'd heard him play just once, opened the door, literally. What a way to get a job.

Yeah, it was bestowed upon me. The playlist, everything from classical to classic rock. You played Billy Joel on this thing? Oh, I did today, yeah. These days, only about 180 of these instruments operate in the U.S. So for these Marylanders to hear ringing regularly is a treat. And although it's an instrument anyone can learn,

really, anyone. You too can be a carillonneur. It just sounds better in the hands and feet of a pro. I hope people find something that they like or maybe something familiar or maybe something romantic. If it makes people happy, that's good. And that's nightly news for this Sunday. Lester will be back tomorrow. I'm Hallie Jackson. For all of us here at NBC, thanks for watching and have a great week.