NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Thursday, May 15, 2025

Episode Date: May 16, 2025

Justices hear arguments in birthright citizenship case; Cassie Ventura cross-examined in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’s trial; Air traffic control outage in critical Denver airport hub; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, the landmark Supreme Court showdown protests outside the Supreme Court as the justices hear arguments over the future of birthright citizenship in America and whether federal judges can put a halt on actions from the president. Laura Jarrett breaks down a contentious day in court. The tornado threat tonight as millions face the risk of severe storms and millions more facing hotter-than than normal spring temperatures, Al Roker is here. Cassie Ventura under cross-examination after painting a vivid portrait of being forced into so-called freak-offs for years and alleging Sean Diddy Combs tried to

blackmail her with the videos. The criminal investigation into music icon Smokey Robinson. What multiple women who work for him accuse him of doing. Radio silence in Denver. One of the busiest airports in North America loses radio contact with jets for 90 seconds. What happened? The price you pay, world's biggest retailer Walmart, says they'll have to raise prices

as the Trump tariffs continue while you may pay more for bananas and more the next time you shop. Our report on Elon Musk's XAI Colossus supercomputer, why some near Memphis say fumes from the giant facility are making it difficult to breathe, and how a missing camper who survived in the snowy Sierra for weeks was found by chance. This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome. Tonight, the Supreme Court once more called upon to settle a question

of presidential powers. In this case, the ability of federal courts to block presidential executive orders. Today, the justice is hearing arguments related to birthright citizenship guaranteed in the Constitution. By executive order, President Trump moved to take away citizenship from children born in the U.S. to undocumented immigrants, an order blocked by lower federal courts. The administration arguing the courts have been exceeding their authority. It's just one of dozens of Trump executive orders that have been held up by courts. The administration arguing the courts have been exceeding their authority, a charge that may have found a sympathetic ear among Supreme Court conservatives

during today's oral arguments. It's where we start with Laura Jarrett. The high stakes clash between the White House and the federal courts. Down with deportation. Reaching the Supreme Court today. The high stakes clash between the White House and the federal courts. Reaching the Supreme Court today. Presidents want to get things done. The Trump administration hoping to convince the justices that a single federal judge in a single state has no authority to block an executive order for the entire country. President Trump facing nearly 40 so-called nationwide injunctions on a host of issues so far in his second term, particularly on immigration, including today's case about lower courts blocking President Trump's executive order stripping birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to undocumented immigrants. The court's conservative majority today seeming open to the administration's arguments on the dangers of judicial overreach. There are 680 district court judges, and they are dedicated and they are scholarly,

and I'm not impugning their motives in any way, but you know, sometimes they're wrong. But some liberal members of the court grilling the administration on what happens if judges cannot block an executive order they believe is illegal on a nationwide basis. Let's just assume you're dead wrong. Does every single person that is affected by this EO have to bring their own suit? Democratic state officials backing today's suit, arguing a patchwork of citizenship would emerge if the administration wins here, with rights varying from state to state. Still, there has been bipartisan criticism of judges abusing nationwide injunctions, incentivizing so-called judge shopping for sympathetic courts. We are being hit hard by judges that I think they're trying to take away the power of the

presidency. And Laura is here. There are new developments in the case of that Wisconsin judge who was just indicted. Yes. Hannah Duggan making a brief appearance in court today, pleading not guilty. Remember, she's being charged with helping an undocumented man being escorted out the courtroom so he could evade arrest. She's now saying, Lester, she's entitled to judicial immunity. All right, Laura, thanks. Already, it is turning into a night of tornado sirens. This cell video shows a tornado touching down in western Wisconsin, one of six reported so far. And the threat remains across the Midwest and northern plains. Al Roker is here. This is just the beginning. That's right, Lester. A very volatile night ahead. We've got tornado watches, tornado warnings all the way down from Illinois on up into parts of Minnesota through later tonight.

And we've got severe thunderstorm watches along the mid-Atlantic states. 60 million people, Minneapolis, Chicago, Fort Wayne, this area in pink hatching, that's up to EF2 tornadoes. We're going to be watching that overnight tonight. Tomorrow, 70 million people at risk from Pittsburgh down to Shreveport, Lexington, Poplar Buff. Again, a risk of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes from Indianapolis down to Nashville. And then on Saturday, Lester, from upstate New York all the way into Texas, 56 million people. Again, more severe weather and brutal heat into the weekend. OK, Al, thank you very much. We turn now to the trial of Sean Diddy Combs. Cassie Ventura was back on the stand today. His

former girlfriend faced questions from Combs' lawyers seeking to undermine her testimony. Our Chloe Malas reports from the courthouse. Cassie Ventura back on the witness stand today, this time facing cross-examination from sean combs's lawyers his defense team fighting back against testimony that ventura was forced to participate in drug-fueled sexual encounters known as freak-offs combs's team submitting often explicit text messages and emails sent between the former couple into evidence in one ventura writing to Combs in 2009, after they have been dating for two years,

I'm always ready to freak off. In another, that same year, she writes, when we used to freak off when we were so in love, there were no questions asked. It felt right. When asked by Combs' lawyer about a text from 2017 where she said she loved freak-offs, Ventura said they were just words at that point.

There's a chance that one or more of the jurors might hear this evidence that she came back time and time again to Combs, that she participated in these freak-offs. And some of the jurors may conclude that this was more of a choice than it was coercion. The defense team also asking about the couple's infidelity on both sides, seeming to paint the relationship as deeply troubled but consensual. Cassie said Combs kicked her in the back after finding out she cheated on him with rapper Kid Cudi, also admitting that she was jealous of a relationship Combs was having with another woman. She also spoke about the couple's extensive drug use and revealed Combs overdosed

on painkillers in 2012. She said drug dependence influenced some of the rapper's mood swings and also spoke again about her own drug addiction. Ventura's cross-examination comes after two days of emotional testimony in which she said Combs subjected her to years of physical and psychological abuse. Testifying that Combs blackmailed her with recordings from sexual encounters to silence her and keep her in the relationship. Combs has pleaded not guilty and says the freak-offs were consensual. Chloe, there's been some heated back and forth about the length of this cross-examination. Do we expect to see Ventura again?

Yes, Lester, we expect for Ventura to be back on the stand tomorrow, and we anticipate that she's going to testify more about the days leading up to that violent incident at the Intercontinental Hotel in 2016 with Combs. But the defense has been given only five more hours to finish their cross-examination because Ventura could go into labor as early as this weekend. Lester. Chloe Malas, thank you. Also tonight, authorities confirming a criminal investigation into Motown legend Smokey Robinson. The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department says their investigation is now in its early stages. It comes after four of Robinson's former housekeepers accused him of sexual assault

in a lawsuit earlier this month. An attorney for Robinson denied the allegations in the lawsuit and called them an attempt to extract money. Tonight, we're learning of yet another air traffic control outage, this time in Denver, a critical airport hub for both United and Southwest Airlines. Tom Costello covers aviation for us. Tom, what happened? Yeah, this happened at Denver Center, which controls high altitude flights in and around Denver International, one of the nation's busiest airports. On Monday at 1.50 p.m. Mountain Time, the FAA says controllers lost several radio channels that allow them to communicate with pilots. The outage lasted for about 90 seconds and controllers switched to a backup frequency. While controllers never lost radar and planes remained separated,

this follows the outages we saw at Newark Airspace that have contributed to hours-long delays there. And yet another indication of how the country's aging air traffic control system that the Trump administration wants to replace over the next four years is really showing its age. Lester. Tom Costello tonight. Thanks. Now to President Trump's high stakes trip to the Middle East and what he's saying today about the possibility of striking a new nuclear deal with Iran. Garrett Haik reports from Abu Dhabi. Tonight, President Trump striking

an optimistic note on nuclear negotiations with Iran. You probably read today the story about Iran has sort of agreed to the terms. They're not going to make out. I call it in a friendly way, nuclear dust. We're not going to be making any nuclear dust in Iran and want them to end up being a great country, frankly. But they can't have a nuclear weapon while delivering this warning. There's two steps is a very, very nice step. And there's a violent step. I don't want to do the second step. Some people do. Many people do. I don't want to do that step. It comes as the president received another extravagant welcome

on the final stop of his Mideast trip in the United Arab Emirates. Touring the iconic Grand Mosque. This is an incredible culture. And touting new Emirati investment pledges in the U.S. That all means jobs, because to me, the most important jobs, I want jobs. Earlier in Qatar, President Trump addressing a rally-like gathering of U.S. troops on the massive American airbase there. You are without a doubt the greatest fighting force in the history of the world. That's the way it is. The president also conceding there'd likely be little progress in Ukraine's ceasefire talks until he and Russian President Putin can meet in person. I don't believe anything's going to happen, whether you like it or not, until he and I get together.

And today in Turkey, President Putin skipped peace talks that he had called for. The Kremlin says there is no timetable for a Trump meeting. All of it comes just two weeks after President Trump said he believed Putin was ready for peace. Lester. OK, Garrett Hank, thank you. Here at home, Florida just became the second state to ban fluoride in public water. Governor Ron DeSantis signed the bill into law today describing fluoride in water as forced medication. The bill does not specifically mention fluoride, but it effectively bans it by preventing certain additives in the state's water system. We turn now to an NBC News investigation. Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company, XAI, has made giant leaps in the industry in the past year thanks to the company's supercomputer in Memphis.

But while it's keeping the company competitive globally, many in the Tennessee community are pushing back. Stephanie Gosk reports. In Memphis, Elon Musk is making a play to control the future of artificial intelligence. His company, XAI, says it has built the biggest supercomputer in the world with lightning speed. Paul Young is the city's mayor. It represents a tremendous opportunity, an opportunity for us to take our economy to the next level. XAI says it will create $100 million in revenue and hundreds of jobs. But the digital future needs power. Lots of it. These are the gas turbines fueling the supercomputer they call Colossus. They emit hazardous pollutants like formaldehyde and nitrogen oxides,

according to the manufacturer. Just over this fence, you can see and hear the turbines churning 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Without them, the data center does not function. What's not in dispute is the fact that they are polluting the air. What people don't know is how much of that pollution is reaching nearby communities. Easter Knox lives two miles away. You smelled it. Yes, Lord.

Right away? I sure did. Well, you know, after they got situated, I started smelling it. Knox lives in Boxtown, a mostly black, low-income neighborhood in South Memphis. The health department, they need to be ashamed. Where industry has taken a toll for generations. There's a lot of people out here who've got medical problems, like breathing issues. Cancer risks here are four times higher than the national average.

Cancer killed her father and other relatives, Knox tells us. Life expectancy here is nine years less than the national average. Elon Musk's company is not to blame for those numbers, but that legacy and those turbines have triggered a backlash against XAI. A recent health department hearing turned into a shouting match. An executive from XAI ducking out a side door. The mayor says the city is hoping to start testing the air in the next two months. Right now, there are people in that community that feel like they have been

railroaded by XAI, that they weren't a part of the conversation when it was approved, and now they're bearing the brunt of its existence. Well, I think it's important for us to have direct dialogue. I take their concerns deeply serious. Among their concerns, the company is running the turbines without a permit. But the health department says that's OK for the first year. And after city officials said there were 15 turbines, environmental advocates released this thermal image. They say it shows twice that many active. As soon as we saw the image, we called like, hey, we had a conversation. What's happening with these additional ones? So they're not using those?

No. They're in idle mode in case they are needed. XAI declined to be interviewed, but tells NBC News it is using pollution minimizing technology and working with public officials to stop relying on the turbines by the end of this year. XAI has also pledged to build a water treatment facility for the city. Elected officials are working for and conspiring with industry in order to draw profits. Community organizer Keyshawn Pearson has lived in South Memphis most of his life. He says he is skeptical XAI will create hundreds of jobs and doubts the mayor's promise that its tax dollars will be directed to improve these neighborhoods. We don't

want money in exchange for our lungs or in exchange for our lives. We want clean air. We want clean water, clean soil, just like everybody else. XAI is already building a second supercomputer nearby, even bigger, that will need even more power, raising new questions and more anger among some residents, Lester. Okay, Stephanie, thank you. In 60 seconds, costs are going up at the biggest retailer in the country, while Walmart says it will raise prices on some items and how it could impact you as soon as this month. The nation's largest retailer announced today that it will raise some

prices in the coming weeks as the fallout from the president's ongoing trade war continues. Christine Romans reports. It's a brand built on everyday low prices, but Walmart says some of those prices are about to rise. The president's trade war hitting the nation's largest retailer. The level of tariffs that have been proposed is pretty challenging. And certainly our concern is that consumers are going to feel some of that. Feeling that, Walmart says, in a matter of weeks. Some prices are already higher. Walmart raised prices on bananas, one of its most frequently purchased items, from 50 cents a pound to 54 cents a pound. Companies trying to keep up with six weeks of shifting trade policies. We reached a breakthrough agreement with China.

Days ago, the Trump administration and China struck a deal, both sides agreeing to dramatically lower tariffs for 90 days. But the tariff on Chinese goods coming into the U.S. is still 30 percent. Walmart says that's not low enough. We're very appreciative of the progress that the administration has made to get them down to this level. But I would say that it's still too high for consumers. We'd like to see them come down more. Walmart not alone in warning of higher prices.

Black & Decker, Hasbro, Mattel and Procter & Gamble have said they will raise prices, too. Jean Sirocca is the executive of the Port of L.A. What about the risk that there could be skimpy store shelves at some point? We're at a real critical time when it comes to purchasing. May typically is the month where the majority of the purchase orders go in for the year-end Christmas and holiday season goods. If we don't get those in now at the right price points, we may see fewer items to select from, probably at higher prices. For companies big and small, higher prices at the ports could show up in the price you pay soon. Christine Romans, NBC News, New York. We're back in just

a moment with good news from the medical world, why this baby could help pave the way for millions of people to be treated with gene therapy. Plus, the season is months away, but the NFL schedule is here. We'll show you how teams are having fun with it. We're back now with a potential scientific breakthrough. This nine-month-old baby just became the first to successfully receive personalized gene therapy. Doctors used the gene editing tool CRISPR to treat the baby named KJ, who was born with a rare and dangerous disease. Scientists say this treatment could treat millions of people down the road. We've also got big news in the sports world.

NFL teams revealing their schedules for the fall season today, and some had a lot of fun doing it. The LA Chargers putting out this Minecraft-themed video. teams revealing their schedules for the fall season today, and some had a lot of fun doing it. The LA Chargers putting out this Minecraft-themed video, the Falcons opting for a Mario Kart-style rollout, and the San Francisco 49ers tapping into a vintage video game look. The regular season starts in September. And a clarification on a story we brought you here last night about a recall involving Waymo's autonomous vehicles. Some cars and accidents involving gates and chains prompting a recall of about 1,200 cars. According to the company, the recall does not impact operations or any vehicles currently on the road. When we come back here tonight from lost in the snow to the arms of a total stranger. The rescue you have to hear about

next. There is good news tonight. A woman rescued in California after weeks missing. Liz Kreutz with her story and where she was found. It's a remarkable end to a bucket list trip gone completely awry after three weeks missing while camping in California's snowy Sierra Mountains. Tiffany Slayton miraculously found alive. She said, Dad, I'm alive. I just grabbed somebody and said, can I hug you? And I did. I was crying and hugging. Slayton's parents in Georgia say they hadn't heard from her for days when they reported her missing on April 29th.

A video surfaced showing Slayton biking in early April. But after no sightings for weeks, authorities began scaling back their search. Then the owner of a remote mountain resort went to check on his property. There, inside a cabin, Slayton. Her initial reaction, just like her mom's. Didn't say a word, just ran up, and all she wanted was a hug. And a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She ate as much peanut butter and jellies as she could stand to eat.

Gutierrez says during the winter, he intentionally leaves the doors open just in the rare event someone needs shelter. It was a blizzard, and the first thing she saw was a cabin. With little supplies, authorities say it's incredible Slayton survived. Two days, nine days, that's amazing. But three weeks, it's unheard of. Her elated parents calling it the perfect birthday gift. Slayton turns 28 today.

Happy birthday, Tiffany. Certainly a celebration she'll never forget. Liz Kreutz, NBC News. Terrific story. That is nightly news for this Thursday. Thank you for watching. I'm Lester Holt. Please take care of yourself and each other.

Good night.