NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Episode Date: March 12, 2025

Trump on recession chances: ‘I don’t see it at all’; More market turmoil as trade war escalates; Department of Education workforce slashed in half; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, the rollercoaster day on Wall Street as President Trump goes headlong into his trade war. Stocks diving again over new tariff threats, the president threatening 50 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum against Canada, as a top official there backs off a surcharge for electricity in the U.S. The major market losses, despite the president's promise to create an economic boom like no other. The White House downplaying it as a moment in time.

And with Elon Musk's Tesla stock down by more than half since December, President Trump's controversial show of support. Plus the new cuts coming to nearly half of the Department of Education. What we're learning. After the most intense drone strike on Moscow, the U.S. announcing Ukraine is on a path to peace with Kiev open to a 30-day ceasefire. Intelligence sharing and aid restored. How will Russia respond?

The new surveillance in the search for a missing student in the Dominican Republic. The new bag fees coming from Southwest Airlines that change after half a century. You can find it at convenience stores and dispensaries across America, but what is Kratom and how safe is it? And moving Maryland, controversy over a 26-foot statue of the Hollywood icon turned into an awe-inspiring aerial move. This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome. We were reminded today why they call it a trade war as the U.S. and Canada exchange cross-border salvos over electricity and aluminum,

while the markets regain some of their lost footing attributed to Trump's trade policies and fears of a recession. The president offering a more optimistic assessment of the economy today, even as he threatened new unspecified tariffs. On Wall Street, meantime, the major indexes once again closed in negative territory, but not as far a drop as yesterday's eye-watering sell-off. On the trade front today, the Canadian province of Ontario agreeing to pause its 25% surcharge on electricity imported into Michigan, New York, and Minnesota after the Trump administration threatened to hike tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum by 50%. Peter Alexander leads off our coverage. With the market suffering another significant slide days after President Trump would not rule out a possible recession, tonight the president with a different take. Do you think there will be a recession?

I don't see it at all. I think this country is going to boom. All of it punctuating another round of whiplash in President Trump's trade war with Canada. This morning, the president announcing he would double the tariffs on Canadian aluminum and steel set to go into effect tomorrow. Retaliation after Canada slapped a 25% surcharge on electricity going to three U.S. states. If the United States escalates, I will not hesitate to shut the electricity off completely. President Trump posting, can you imagine Canada stooping so low as to use electricity that so affects the life of innocent people as a bargaining chip and threat. Tonight, Ontario's leader backing down, saying he's suspending that electricity surcharge on the U.S. We have to stop the bleeding. We have to make sure we protect both countries. And as we're duking it out back and forth, China's laughing.

President Trump now scrapping his threat to double the tariffs on Canada. The president sharing those plans while promoting Teslas at the White House, one of which he says he'll buy. He said that is the coolest design. A show of support for one of his most powerful advisors, Elon Musk, with Tesla stock plummeting nearly 50% since inauguration day, and police investigating a series of attacks on Tesla showrooms and vehicles. He shouldn't be penalized because he's a patriot. He's an

incredible patriot. Some say they should be labeled domestic terrorists. I will do that. I'll do it. As for President Trump's tariffs, supporters say they level the playing field for American workers. In West Virginia, steelworker Mark Liptis leads the local union. It's not going to save jobs. It's going to create jobs over time. If tariffs weren't imposed, I think steelworkers would lose their jobs in many cases. The United Auto Workers Union is also backing the Trump tariffs. But in Idaho, contractor Steve Martinez spent hundreds of thousands of dollars stockpiling lumber after President Trump first announced tariffs on those Canadian imports, but then paused them. How are these threats of tariffs already impacting you?

So we just have a ping pong approach to this. We absolutely can't operate in that in that arena. I don't. There's no certainty. Peter, another big headline you're watching today. House Republicans passed a funding bill. This gets past the threat of a government shutdown. Yeah, Lester, you're right. This happened late tonight and President Trump personally lobbied several conservatives, several conservative Republicans. The House now narrowly passing that short-term spending bill to keep the government open through September. Just one Republican voted against it. Just one Democrat voted for it. That means it now goes

over to the Senate where Republicans there are going to need the help from Democrats to avoid a government shutdown going forward. All right, Peter, thank you. Brian Chung has been down at the New York Stock Exchangeored by what was another roller coaster day on Wall Street. After markets endured their worst trading day of the year yesterday, the Dow Jones and the S&P extended their losses today, meaning since Trump's inauguration, the Dow has now fallen 4.7 percent and the S&P 7.1 percent. Among companies that had particularly bad days today, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, and retailer Kohl's. Those household names indicating they're worried about a pullback in American spending as concerns over the economy grow. Lester. Brian, thank you.

Now the late word of deep cuts at the Department of Education. Kelly O'Donnell has been reporting this story out, and Kelly, the president, has vowed to get rid of the agency altogether. And here's a sign of it, Lester. Dramatic change is coming tomorrow. Administration officials say that a notice went out to all career employees at education that due to what's being called a security event, all of those employees are being told to stay home tomorrow and have their government issued laptops with them. And many of those workers, an estimated twenty one hundred, making up nearly half the civil service workforce,

will receive termination notices by email, losing their jobs effective March 21st. I'm also told some of the leases for federal education offices around the country are expected to be canceled. Lester. Kelly O'Donnell, thank you. Now to the possible breakthrough involving the war in Ukraine, with Ukraine announcing it has agreed to President Trump's 30-day ceasefire plan and the U.S. reinstating American military aid and intelligence sharing. Keir Simmons has late details. Tonight, in what could be a significant step towards peace, Ukraine agreeing to President Trump's proposal for a 30-day ceasefire, with the president turning the spotlight on Russia,

announcing he will speak to President Putin. Hopefully President Putin will agree to that also, and we can get this show on the road. Secretary of State Rubio, leading the talks in Saudi Arabia, also saying Russia must make the next move. Ball's now in their court. If they say no, then we'll, unfortunately, know what the impediment is to peace here. It's a reset for Ukraine, but at a cost. After that diplomatic disaster in the Oval Office, where President Zelensky insisted on U.S. security guarantees.

You're gambling with World War III. Tonight's statement commits to guaranteeing Ukrainian prosperity and security. It does not say how, but the U.S. will resume intelligence sharing and military aid for Ukraine. Overnight, the largest ever Ukrainian drone attack against Moscow, matched by another Russian onslaught, the latest in an escalating Kremlin campaign, a day of war and peace talks, ending with Ukraine's President Zelensky declaring if Russia agrees, silence will take effect immediately. But whether Russia will agree depends on President Putin and President Trump's appetite to pressure him the way he has pushed President Zelensky. Lester.

Keir Simmons, thank you. Tonight, the Secretary of Transportation is ordering immediate changes to air traffic near Washington's Reagan National Airport, with the NTSB revealing a startling number of close calls there before January's midair crash. Here's Tom Costello. Six weeks since the midair crash between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet, the new Transportation Secretary today announced he is permanently limiting helicopter flights around Washington, D.C., and the FAA will roll out artificial intelligence to identify close call trends nationwide. We're going to make sure we've learned from this air disaster, and we're going to pay it forward

so there's not other families that have to go through the pain and anguish of losing a loved one. It comes as the NTSB today reported a staggering number of close calls at Reagan national with choppers flying down the Potomac river right off runway three, three between October, 2021 and December of 24, 15,214 close proximity events between planes and helicopters. 85 were very close, less than 200 feet vertical separation. And from 2011 to 2024, at least one automated cockpit collision avoidance warning every month. In more than half, the helicopter may have been flying above the 200-foot limit. The NTSB chair says the distances allowed between planes and choppers were dangerous. They pose an intolerable risk to aviation safety. Sam Lilly was the first officer on the regional jet.

The legacy for Sam is going to be, obviously, that we're going to find ways to reduce the probability of this ever happening to hopefully close to zero. Secretary Duffy also calling on Congress to spend tens of billions of dollars now to expedite upgrading the nation's antiquated air traffic control system. Lester. Okay, Tom, thank you. We turn now to the search for a missing U.S. college student who vanished on a spring break trip. Now, new surveillance video shows what appears to be her last known location. Jesse Kirsch reports now from the Dominican Republic. One moment, Sudiksha Kunaki was walking with friends, and the next, she was gone. That's Kunaki.

Tonight, the Dominican Republic's national police confirm this surveillance video shows Kunaki just before she disappeared last Thursday. The University of Pittsburgh student was staying at this Punta Cana resort when she was part of a group that headed toward the beachfront around 4.15 a.m. Investigators say the 20-year-old's friends returned to their resort around 40 minutes later. But Kunaki stayed behind with at least one other person. Her friends then spent the day on an excursion. Roughly 12 hours went by before they realized she was missing and told the hotel. Today, the Dominican military scouring the area overhead and underwater. By day, spring break

still on at this resort. People tanning, enjoying a swim. But overnight, police tell us at least twice they've had a team out here watching to see how the water moves to know where a body might have drifted if someone drowned. Dominican Republic's president says one of the last people with Kunaki reported they were both hit by a wave. Investigators also say the last person known to have been with Kunaki on the beach, a 24-year-old man, has changed his story over time. And hours after Kunaki's friends returned to the hotel, he came back alone. Today, police telling us they found no blood or signs of violence on the beach. Meanwhile, Kunaki's family telling NBC News today they're, quote, experiencing a lot of sadness and pain.

The family asking for privacy as the search continues. Lester. OK, Jesse, thank you. In 60 seconds, the plant based substance is popping up everywhere. Why some are saying kratom should be banned, while others say it could change their lives forever. It can be used as a stimulant or a sedative. It is legal in much of the U.S. It's low cost and readily available. But there are growing calls for regulation and concerns over the safety of what's known as Kratom. Stephen Romo explains.

I'll never forget, you know, those words. He's unresponsive, you know. Nearly two years ago, Trish Besson's son, C.J. Holowak, collapsed at work and died at just 33. I'm confident that it was Kratom that killed him. Sold readily at smoke shops, convenience stores, and gas stations, Kratom is derived from a plant from Southeast Asia and often marketed as a supplement to boost energy, manage pain, and even possibly help kick addictions. It can be bought in liquid, tablet, or powder form. Small doses, the DEA says, provide a stimulant effect.

High doses, a sedative effect. And it's big business, forecast to be a nearly $16 billion industry by 2032. Besson says CJ was taking a concentrated liquid form for pain after breaking his arm in 2021. Did he say it was helping or what were your thoughts? He did say it was helping. He wrote in that text, it's helping. An autopsy found CJ died from cardiac arrest due to mixed drug intoxication, including kratom. The other substances in his system, Besson says, were doctor prescribed medications he'd been taking for years. We found, I would say,

hundreds of empty bottles of Kratom. She's now suing the maker of the Kratom her son took and pushing for a bill that would prohibit the sale of Kratom in New Jersey, like in these six states and Washington, D.C. Take it off the shelves. It's as simple as that. But down in Houston, Madeline Sklar credits Kratom with saving her life. She turned to Kratom to deal with chronic back pain after stopping prescription opioids. I have degenerative disc disease in both my neck and back. Taking high-powered opioids, my pain level on a good day would be a six. But when I was using Kratom and first got started with it, my pain level seriously goes to zero.

I wouldn't want my kid going into a gas station, picking up a concentrated extract and chugging the whole thing. Professor Chris McCurdy of the College of Pharmacy at the University of Florida has studied Kratom for years. He says in low doses, it's about as addictive as coffee. But there isn't enough research on these new higher dose products. CDC data from 2023 shows 37 states and Washington, D.C. had 1,151 overdose deaths in which kratom was detected. But kratom's contribution to these deaths is unclear. The FDA doesn't regulate it, but warns the public against the use of Kratom for medical treatment.

The products are on the market because they are treated at this time as a food or a dietary ingredient. The American Kratom Association accuses the FDA of a relentless campaign to keep Kratom off the market rather than ensuring consumer safety. The FDA did not respond to our request for comment. I'm having to share her experience with Kratom. I met her on TikTok. Sklar, who hosts a podcast about Kratom, says she's far from the only success story, but even she agrees more laws are needed. For Trish Besson, my son died and he shouldn't have died. It's just not worth the risk. Stephen Rome, NBC News, Freehold, New Jersey. And still ahead, tariffs making a splash on bourbon sales from the U.S.

with Canadian shells stripped of American spirits. Some distilleries are facing tough decisions. Yes, so you're staying. We're back with a major policy change. If you fly on Southwest Airlines, the company is saying it will start charging most passengers, with some exceptions, to check their bags. It's a major change from what previously set them apart from other airlines after decades of allowing two check bags for free. Returning to President Trump's threats to raise tariffs in Canada, many provinces there have already pulled American liquor from shelves in response. Maggie Vespa reports from Louisville, where distilleries are already feeling

the impact. At Michter's Distillery in Louisville, iconic Kentucky bourbon is distilled, aged, bottled and shipped to more than 80 countries. Their largest foreign market, Canada, where most provinces are now defiantly pulling American liquor from store shelves. It's definitely caused a hit to our business. Andrea Wilson is Mictor's chief operating officer. Orders have been canceled. That's the reality of it. Already orders have been canceled. Yes, we have $115,000 of product sitting. That product is just sitting here in Michter's warehouse with Canada-specific labels on these bottles in English and in French. They don't know what to do with this, and if nothing changes, they fear their losses will grow. The timing couldn't be worse for many American whiskey producers. One study showing the industry recently saw a nearly 2% drop in revenue.

Amid the slowdown, the CEO of Jack Daniels' parent company called Canada's product pull worse than a tariff because it's literally taking your sales away. I don't sleep right now. You don't sleep right now? I don't sleep. At Bro Brothers Distillery, Victor Yarbrough is in the middle of building a massive new tasting room. That expansion, banking on a deal to start selling spirits in Canada. That deal now dead, he's scrambling to find a plan B. Maybe they'll take 5% of that. Maybe India will take 10% of that.

But he worries any export plan feels like a risk in an industry with profits already going down the drain. It could be a country we're speaking with right now until all of a sudden, you guys are going to get hit with tariff snakes, and then that deal falls through. So it's a constant uncertainty. Maggie Vespa, NBC News, Louisville, Kentucky. We'll take a break. Then when we come back, she's iconic, controversial, and 26 feet tall inside the airlift operation to bring a statue of Marilyn Monroe to its new home.

Finally, tonight, a small town fight over a very big statue. Liz Kreutz and how a Hollywood icon found a new home. In the resort town of Palm Springs, it isn't politics dividing the city. It's something much bigger. This 26-foot-tall, 17-ton statue of Marilyn Monroe. Would you ever have thought Marilyn would cause such a stir? No, I don't think very few people thought that. Depending on who you ask, the massive replica of the 1950s star is either a beloved piece of art in photo op.

This is going to be the Eiffel Tower of Palm Springs. Or an eyesore. I don't consider it art. I consider it a tourist attraction. Blocking traffic, according to a lawsuit filed by a group of residents and most notably to fashion designer Trina Turk, ruining the aesthetic outside the Palm Springs Art Museum, where Marilyn has been the last three years. We believe the mid-century modern architecture of Palm Springs Art Museum, where Marilyn has been the last three years. We believe the mid-century modern architecture of Palm Springs is really one of the most important tourist attractions. We don't think it should be blocked by a 26-foot statue on a two-foot plinth. Now, for some of the folks who are against the statue, it's not just that she's blocking the view of the art museum. It's also about the other view. It's absurd that you're going to leave the museum and

see the backside of someone's underpants from any era. Peggy Trott chairs the hotel group that bought the controversial sculpture. If there was a da Vinci there, would people want that covered up? I don't necessarily believe it was ever about underwear. Whatever it is about, a court decision was made. Marilyn must move $500,000 to relocate her to a park less than 100 feet away. I think she finally found her permanent home. Slightly out of sight now, but hopefully more accepted. Liz Kreutz, NBC News, Palm Springs. Well, that is nightly news for this Tuesday. Thank you for watching. I'm Lester Holt. Please take care of yourself and each other. Good night. news for this Tuesday. Thank you for watching. I'm Lester Holt. Please take care of yourself

and each other. Good night.