NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Tuesday, April 29, 2025

Episode Date: April 30, 2025

Trump marks 100 days of second term at Michigan rally; Trump announces changes to auto tariffs; Severe weather wreaks havoc in southern Missouri; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, 100 days in, and President Trump is just getting started. From immigration to tariffs to America's profile on the world stage, how the president has changed the country. Struggling in a new wave of polls, President Trump is facing court battles over deportations and shifting gears on tariffs. We're in Battleground, Michigan, talking to Americans with mixed reviews, plus inside the phone call with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos as more giant online retailers list tariff fees, and going in reverse on auto tariffs, what the president just signed after upending the car industry. Also tonight, severe thunderstorms bringing floodwaters and intense damaging winds across

the nation's midsection. The catastrophic crash into an after-school camp. What we're learning about the four young victims and the driver whose car went all the way through the building. Measles cases rising. Our questions for the CDC deputy director helping lead the response at the epicenter in Texas. The alarming snap benefits, skimming scam, leaving many Americans at the grocery store with drained accounts. What's being done about it? The scuffle caught on camera even before an American Airlines flight took off. What happened? And outstanding in her field, the volunteer making sure California comes alive with color every spring.

This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome. Donald Trump has more than 1,360 days left in office, but it is the first 100 days being scrutinized tonight. The pluses, the minuses, the promises kept and the promises not kept. With a spate of new polls, including our own, showing rising voter dissatisfaction with President Trump's handling of the economy and trade war. The president tonight is revisiting the campaign trail, so to speak, appearing before supporters at a rally in Michigan, a signature of his runs for office. The White House not expressing alarm over the poll numbers, but instead on this 100th day of the president's second term, focusing on what it sees as points of success. The immigration crackdown slowing illegal border crossings, while on the economy and tariffs, the president still insisting new trade deals are in the works. Peter Alexander begins our coverage. Tonight, President Trump marking 100

days of his second term here in Michigan with his first rally since returning to office. You finally have a president who is defending our borders and our nation. It comes amid a new dust-up over the president's trade war. A source familiar with the matter telling NBC News, President Trump called Amazon founder Jeff Bezos this morning to express his displeasure after a report citing an anonymous source that America's largest online retailer would begin displaying how much Trump's tariffs are adding to the price of imported items. This is a hostile and political act by Amazon. Why didn't Amazon do this when the Biden administration hiked inflation to the highest level in 40 years? Amazon quickly disputed the report, saying this was never approved and not going to happen. Jeff Bezos was very nice. He was terrific. He solved the problem very quickly

and he did the right thing. And he's a good guy. The ongoing turmoil over tariffs fueling what polls show is growing dissatisfaction about the president's economic agenda 100 days in, including sparking sharp drops on Wall Street. Still, the White House tonight is touting its success on a key campaign promise, restoring border security, with illegal crossings plummeting 95% in March compared to a year ago under President Biden. The Democrat Party kept saying we needed new legislation, but it turned out that all we really needed was a new president.

But the president's crackdown on illegal immigration has also ignited an array of legal challenges over due process. Then there's candidate Trump's vow on inflation. When I win, I will immediately bring prices down starting on day one. Overall, inflation is dropping, but grocery prices are rising. Here in Michigan, it's the economy that prompted Lauren Maxwell, a first-time voter and community college student, to back Trump. He promised a few things about groceries, making sure things are affordable, and I haven't seen it happen yet. Maxwell tells us she now has regrets about her vote. If you could tell the president one thing on behalf of people like you, what would it be?

It would be to have more compassion, a little more empathy for the decisions he's making and the people that they affect. We also met Misty Robinette, a lifelong Democrat and longtime union autoworker who voted for Trump. How's the president done? He's done good. But she has short-term concerns about his tariffs. The prices of cars going skyrocket to where people can't afford them. You say in the long run it's got to happen. It does have to happen.

We need more jobs here in America. Her message to the president's critics, give him more time. If you could vote for Donald Trump again. 500 percent. I would. I would. He's what we need. And Peter, one of the most striking themes of the second Trump presidency so far is how much he's done by executive order. Lester, the president has signed 140 executive orders in his first 100 days, far outpacing his recent predecessors. But he's also just signed five bills into law, the fewest since President Eisenhower. Still soon, he'll be counting on congressional Republicans to get a major tax cut bill to his desk. Lesser. Peter Alexander starting us off. Thank you. President Trump is

changing the rules on some auto tariffs, welcome relief for the industry, but also adding to the confusion for a sector that has been subject to back and forth throughout the first hundred days of the administration. Brian Chung has more. I think the biggest thing is that it's not it's not us versus you. It's not Canada versus U.S. For Canadian auto parts maker Brendan Lane, the Trump tariffs have been a roller coaster of turmoil. This whole system is integrated together. And it's been like that for a while.

Yeah, that's nothing new. That is just the way it was. Right now, he says he's paying 25% more to buy steel from the U.S. And he worries about the future tariffs he could face, given that his company crosses the U.S.-Canadian border four times to make its parts. Yes, we've got everything ready. His car door latches, for example, get treated for rust protection at this factory in Warren, Michigan. Tell me about the impact of these tariffs. What is that going to do your business? It's not good. It's tough to plan for. You don't have that sort of margins in your work. Today, for lane and car part makers like him, another change to the rules of the road.

We just wanted to help them during this little transition, short term. A new order from President Trump designed to ease burden on the auto industry. Still in place, 25% tariffs on imported vehicles and starting later this week, 25% on parts outside of the USMCA trade agreement. But the new order prevents automakers paying those import fees from also paying other duties like those on steel and aluminum. This is a beat on the top and the bottom line for General Motors in the first quarter. GM today reported better than expected earnings, but because of the uncertainty around Trump's tariffs, said it has to reassess its expected earnings for the year.

Treasury Secretary Scott Besson indicating that confusion is tactical. President Trump creates what I would call strategic uncertainty in the negotiations. And the White House now says cars assembled in the U.S. with 85 percent domestic parts will face no tariffs. The only problem is, according to government records, zero vehicles currently meet that threshold. With today's announcements, Brendan Lane is hopeful but remains worried about jobs in an industry interconnected across bridges. There's thousands of people involved that that's their everyday life. It's how they make a living. Brian Chung, NBC News, Warren, Michigan. We are keeping a sharp eye on some severe weather that's already

caused destruction in southern Missouri today, putting 48 million people across the country on alert. We get the latest from George Solis. Tonight in Missouri, extreme winds leaving behind a trail of destruction. Holy s***, boy. In Potosi, the risk so severe, this elementary school had to evacuate 600 students to a storm shelter. I could not see probably 100 feet out my door over there when that storm came through. Outside Springfield, this video showing part of a roof that was torn to pieces, debris and trees snapped in two in the thick of heavy rainfall.

Time-lapse video showing how quickly the storm moved in. The power line here snapped in half and it's just hanging across the sidewalk. The powerful winds uprooting trees in several neighborhoods, many falling on homes and roads. Nearly 50,000 reported without power. I just kept praying that it wouldn't get as bad as it finally got. Our neighbors have a lot of damage, but they're all alive. The rash of extreme weather also producing hail the size of tennis balls in Oklahoma. Tonight into tomorrow morning, 48 million under the threat of more severe weather. And tonight, that same system that caused so much damage in southern Missouri today could trigger severe thunderstorms and flooding here in and around Oklahoma City. Lester. George Solis, thank you. We turn now to a devastating scene in Illinois. A woman driving a car through a center where kids had gathered after school, killing four. Here's Maggie Vespa. Oh no. Tonight, new details in a small town's

senseless tragedy. Police identifying 44-year-old Mary Ann Akers as the driver who plowed a car through the Why Not After School Camp Monday afternoon in Chatham, Illinois, south of Springfield. They say four students were killed, including seven-year-old Alma Bunner Kempe. Her mom calling Alma a ray of sunshine who loved playing soccer, basketball and doing gymnastics, while eight-year-old Ainsley Grace Johnson's dad telling NBC News her nickname was Squirt. She was larger than life and will forever leave a void in our broken hearts. State police say six more kids were injured, one still in critical condition. Look at these tire tracks here. According to police, Akers left the road, drove through this massive field across the street here,

and then crashed clear through the camp just behind me. The back of the building had been blown out. There was insulation, debris everywhere. Taylor Godwin lives next door and saw the aftermath. I turned to the left and unfortunately there was a dead child. So you saw a dead child? Yes. Every single one of those families now has said goodbye to their kid for the last time, entire life just gone. Police say it does not appear to be a targeted attack and that Akers is not in custody as the cause of the crash remains under investigation. They're awaiting toxicology results. Until 2022, she was a food service employee at the local school district. NBC News has reached out to

Akers but has not yet heard back. It is just horrible, Maggie. Police are still trying to nail down why this happened. Yeah, Lester, that's exactly right. They note they're still waiting for those toxicology results. Meantime, camp organizers here note that local security cameras captured acres driving through that field, which could be key. Meanwhile, local schools canceling in-person classes until Friday. Lester. OK, Maggie, thanks.

Now to key testimony in Karen Reed's second murder trial. She's accused of killing her police officer boyfriend with her car. Our Emily Akeda with the latest on the widely watched case. In the second week of Karen Reed's retrial and the death of her boyfriend, a highly anticipated witness taking the stand. I was literally just stunned. I mean, there he was. Jennifer McCabe, growing emotional, recalling the morning her friend John O'Keefe's body was found. I had told her, Karen, I saw you guys outside of my sister's house. And then she told me she didn't remember being there. And then she went on to say, she started saying, could I have hit him? Did I hit him? Prosecutors allege Reed hit O'Keefe with her SUV after a drunken argument and left him to die

in the cold. While her legal team says Reed's being framed and something went wrong after O'Keefe entered the house. The data is the data. A digital forensic specialist testifying it's unlikely O'Keefe ever went inside based on his phone's location data and battery temperature, which continuously dropped overnight. But in his cross-examination today, the expert acknowledged the phone battery tested in his experiments lost heat significantly faster. Is it correct to say that there was a much more dramatic drop in temperature in your test scenario one?

Yes. Internet sleuths across the country hanging on every detail in the case as Reid's murder trial redo ramps up. How do you feel? I feel great. Emily Ikeda, NBC News. Now to a growing outbreak. More than 900 measles cases have been confirmed nationwide. NBC News spoke with a CDC official exclusively in the epicenter of the outbreak as they work

to contain the spread. NBC's Stephanie Gosk has more. CDC officials touring a makeshift testing and vaccination clinic in Gaines County, Texas, the epicenter of the measles outbreak. Tonight, the Texas Department of Health announcing 17 new cases in the last four days, pushing the total over 650. Measles is still spreading. This outbreak is the biggest we've seen in the last 25 years. Jonathan Yoder is helping lead the CDC response on the ground. We know that the most important way to prevent measles is to get vaccinated. But there remains resistance to vaccines in West Texas. I think this really is a longer term project to think of how we provide evidence-based information that meets communities where they are. Since the Texas outbreak began, three people have died,

including two unvaccinated children, and measles has spread to multiple bordering states. What grade would you give the federal government for its response since the outbreak began? I would give the federal government a failing grade. Dr. Sira Madad, an infectious disease expert, says the government hasn't sent a strong message on the importance of vaccines. People are confused whether they should or shouldn't get vaccinated. It took months into the Texas outbreak for RFK Jr., the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to say vaccines are the best way to stop the disease. But he continues to publicly question their efficacy. We're always going to have measles, no matter what happens,

as the vaccine wanes very quickly. But the CDC website says the vaccine usually protects against measles for life. I worry that we are coming upon summer months where we're going to see a lot more movement of individuals, a lot more travel. She worries the epidemic is going to get worse before it gets better. Stephanie Gosk, NBC News. In 60 seconds, when some Americans are going to get groceries, they're finding as little as 11 cents on their SNAP benefit cards.

What's behind a concerning trend known as SNAP skimming? Next. We are going to turn now to a growing scheme targeting SNAP food assistance benefits, which more than 22 million families rely on for groceries. Here's Vicki Wynn. Nationwide, people trying to buy food with their SNAP benefits and learning there's no money left on their cards. In Pennsylvania, Joe Karp learned he had just 11 cents in his account. As a senior citizen on a fixed income, that's my lifeline. That's my food for the month. Our stations from coast to coast tracking down victims whose accounts have been drained, leaving them with no way to pay for groceries, a scheme known as snap skimming.

Thieves often do this by placing a device on machines where cards are swiped and using the information to make duplicates. Grace Perry telling NBC Connecticut $500 in benefits were stolen from her account and used in another state. This card has been in my wallet the entire time. I've never let another soul use it ever. The USDA says it replaced $220 million in stolen SNAP benefits over the past two years, but that program ended in December. Reporting from our Houston

affiliate KPRC helped convince a Texas congressman to push for legislation to restore that program. But experts say the system needs a security overhaul to modernize Snap cards. Do you think chip-enabled cards would drastically reduce the amount of fraud we're seeing? Yes. Snap participants deserve the same protections that debit card and credit card holders have. For now, Snap users should change their pins frequently, check their accounts often and report fraud right away. Vicki Wynn, NBC News. We are back in a moment with a dramatic rescue aboard a runaway boat and the scene you only see in Florida as a man wrestles an alligator into submission along a highway. Next. Video captured on an American Airlines plane before takeoff appears to show flight attendants

physically restraining a female passenger. The passenger was knocked to the floor as the crew struggled to shut the open cockpit door. A flight attendant can be heard saying she tried to enter and then chaos ensues. The flight was traveling from Sao Paulo to New York. American Airlines confirms in a statement the plane returned to the gate due to a security issue on board. Hard-stopping new body cam video released by Florida police shows an officer leaping onto a boat after the operator was thrown overboard. Unmanned, it was speeding out of control at about 40 miles per hour. Police were ultimately able to bring it under control. The boater sustained minor injuries. Also in the Sunshine State, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office

got some civilian assistance in wrestling a giant alligator in the median of a busy highway. The so-called local legend known as Blue Collar Brawler wrangled the gator, pulling it onto the side of the road, all while barefoot. When we come back, the fields of spring coming alive for only a short time, and the volunteer who helps plant seeds of joy. There is good news tonight, next. There is good news tonight. Next. There is good news tonight in Southern California, where the hills are blooming with the colors of spring. Here's Camila Bernal. This is where spring flirts with the sky.

Fifty five acres of ranunculus, five hills, a living rainbow of 80 million blooms. Beauty with all capital letters and exclamation points. The flower fields in Carlsbad, California pop up for just 10 short weeks every spring, giving volunteer Marielle and Courtney a purpose. As a retired school teacher, what does it mean to you? It allows me to further connect with the kids because that was the favorite part of my job. And this is just a different type of classroom. Families. So sweet.

And the flowers have kept her coming back for more than a decade. Everybody that's here is happy. Even the men. The men are happy. A magical array of colors. Yellow and orange, pink and white. Where time forgets to tick. We packed our lunches,

baby dinner. It's quite the photo op and when you're competing against 10,000 other people on a busy day, it may take up to an hour to get a photo right here. Oh, beautiful. We're from New York City, so we don't really have a lot of fields and greenery. So it was like, wow. Wow. A word said a lot here and a few others, too. It's peaceful. It's spiritual, comforting, and everyone has a good time. Camila Bernal, NBC News, Carlsbad, California.

It makes me happy. That's nightly news for this Tuesday. Thank you for watching. I'm Lester Holt. Please take care of yourself and each other. Good night.