NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Episode Date: March 20, 2025

Blizzard conditions and string of tornadoes slam Midwest; Trump’s new clashes with federal judges; what the newly released JFK files reveal about assassination; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight we may be done with winter, but winter is not yet done with us. Fierce snow slamming the Midwest tonight. Millions under blizzard warnings as whiteout conditions all but obscure the roads. Semi trucks strewn across an interstate in Nebraska. The dust storm that choked the skies in New Mexico and now mixing into the system. And why Chicago could see severe storms and then intense snow. Our team in the field and Al Roker tracking it for us. Court clash, threats of impeachment, standoffs with judges, the Trump administration at odds with federal judges as they halt parts of their dramatic overhaul of the federal government. He was questioned for days and now the last man believed to have seen a missing college student alive leaves the Dominican Republic.

Our in-depth report, a quarter million women go through treatments like IVF every year. What our analysis finds about the nightmare scenarios some couples face on their journey to parenthood. How deep cuts to the federal workforce are impacting veterans in small towns across the country. The major change coming soon to Social Security for new and existing recipients. The new ID requirements and why there is concern about the impact. And there's good news tonight about one Broadway star defying gravity and inspiring so many fans along the way. This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome.

If you thought we had already seen the worst of the winter season, think again. From strong winds and red flag conditions blasting across parts of New Mexico and West Texas to blizzard conditions and thundersnow reported in Omaha. Winter is throwing everything it has on its way out the door, with the Midwest catching most of it. Right now, winter storm alerts stretching from Kansas to Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where three to nine inches of snow could accumulate through tomorrow. The storm sending semi-trucks out of control near Lincoln, Nebraska. It's all part of a volatile weather system that has seen some wild swings. At least eight tornadoes spotted

across central Illinois today, with parts of the Midwest under tornado watches into this evening. Al Roker is tracking it all for us, but first, Maggie Vespa with the latest from inside the storm zone. Yeah, Lester, good evening. Heavy winds and rain have really been kicking up here in the Chicago area over the last few hours. Our crew just moved under this overpass just to be safe. And then, as you point out, we're also watching a supercell thunderstorm and multiple reported tornadoes downstate. And with tomorrow marking the start of spring, really just severe weather wreaking havoc across the country wow tonight in these final hours of winter dangerous straight line winds and damaging storms roaring across the midwest it's one piece in a brutal patchwork of severe

weather with fierce blizzards slamming kansas semis jackknifing on highways in nebraska and drivers stranded in colorado i mean i've never seen anything like this in florida brush fires closing major roads south of miami the williams family almost trapped amid the flames we will all just say it tell one of my brother floor it floor it you got to get past and do your New York driving. Just go. While the dust storms choking the southwest this week are now getting pulled east with dust visible over St. Louis. There was a lot of dust that was pulled into this thunderstorm from Texas, believe it or not, actually creating kind of a brown snow. This latest round of weather coming on the heels of a deadly week marked by wildfires in

Oklahoma and Texas and a slew of tornadoes across the Midwest and South, leaving combined dozens dead. Destruction, scientists say, worsened by the climate crisis, with one recent study showing an increase in the frequency and intensity of damaging straightline wind events from thunderstorms, especially in the central U.S. What? An area finding itself in the bullseye again tonight. Maggie Vespa, NBC News, Chicago. All right, let's bring in Al Roker. Now, Al, this storm has some more punch left in it. That's right, Lester. 5.01 a.m. is when spring starts, but winter doesn't want to let go. We have all these winter weather advisories from Kansas all the way to the U.P. of Michigan. Tornado watches through this evening. We're punching their way through where you can see some severe thunderstorms. There's a tornado

warning between Chicago and Kankakee right now. This system pushes to the east. The tornado threat lasts until late tonight. Heavy snow blanketing the Midwest. So Chicago from thunderstorms and tornadoes to possible snow and then heavy rain along the I-95 corridor, about a half an inch of rain possible from Augusta to Washington, D.C. and as far to the west. We're talking almost a foot of snow in the U.P. of Michigan. We'll have the latest tomorrow morning on today. Lester. All right, Al, thanks very much.

Now to the clash between President Trump and a growing number of federal judges who have temporarily blocked some of the president's actions. One judge with a new warning to the administration today. Here's Garrett Haig. Tonight, President Trump intensifying his clash with the courts, calling out federal judges he argues are intentionally trying to derail his agenda, including a judge who temporarily blocked Trump's invocation of an 18th century law to deport nearly 300 undocumented migrants and, gang members, gang leaders, that we shouldn't be allowed to take them out of our country. Well, that's a presidential job. That's not for a local judge to be making that determination. Today, that judge granting the administration one more day to respond to questions about those Saturday deportation flights and warning of,

quote, consequences if he learns the government deliberately ignored his order to turn the planes around. I never did defy a court order. And you wouldn't in the future? No, you can't do that. We pressed the White House about those flights. Will those flights to El Salvador continue while this case is being appealed? We don't have any flights planned specifically, but we will continue with the mass deportations. This is an activist judge who is trying to usurp the president's authority. Federal law enforcement says the deported migrants include members of two gangs the president has designated as terrorist organizations, Trend de Aragua and MS-13. In a court filing, a senior ICE agent says, quote, many of the TDA gang members had not

committed crimes in the U.S., but that does not mean they pose a limited threat. It comes as family members of some of those sent to El Salvador argue their loved ones are not gang members. Miraliz Casique recognized her son in a video from the prison. She says he was undocumented, but not in a gang. He has no criminal record. They should send him back to Venezuela, she says. The White House tonight refusing to reveal details about those deported on the flights, including names, saying they trust ICE and Border Patrol investigators.

We are not going to reveal operational details about a counterterrorism operation. They have the highest degree of professionalism and they were 100 percent confident in the individuals that were sent home on these flights. So far, NBC News has tracked 37 rulings from federal judges that have at least temporarily blocked actions taken by President Trump, with a federal judge overnight blocking his executive order banning transgender people from military service. While earlier today, the Trump administration paused $175 million in federal funding to his alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania, for allowing a transgender athlete to compete on the women's swim team. And meanwhile, Garrett, one day after his call with Russian President Putin today, President Trump spoke with Ukraine's President Zelensky. Lester, this was the

first time they've spoken since that Oval Office blow up. President Trump called it a very good telephone call that lasted an hour. And Zelensky, who had already accepted Trump's unconditional ceasefire plan, also said he'll support the limited one that Putin also agreed to. But both nations launched attacks against each other last night, suggesting there's still a long way to go in this process. Lester. All right, Garrett Haig, thank you. In the Dominican Republic, there is late word tonight that Joshua Reby has left the country. Reby is believed to be the last person seen with a college student who has been missing for nearly two weeks. Jesse Kirch is in Putakana. Jesse, what have you learned?

Lester, Joshua Reby is now back on U.S. soil. He just landed on a flight that officially ends what he says was a days-long detainment in the Dominican Republic. NBC News saw the 22-year-old and the man believed to be his father earlier today at the airport in the Dominican capital. They were wearing face masks as they went through security. Reby's departure comes after days of questioning by investigators over the disappearance of Sudeik Shikunanki. Reby was never named as a suspect. At a contentious hearing yesterday, he asked the judge to let him return home, and now he's on his way. Lester. All right, Jesse Kirsch, thanks. President Trump has

delivered on a campaign promise to release thousands of files on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. But do they resolve the questions that have long surrounded the case? With more, here's Andrea Mitchell. The files include documents from the CIA and FBI, illegible handwritten notes, and diplomatic cables, more than tens of thousands of pages in all. And everything will be revealed. Released after an executive order by President Trump, they were highly anticipated by scholars and amateur conspiracy theorists who hoped they'd shed new light on whether Lee Harvey Oswald had help on that fatal day in Dallas. Some of the documents include CIA reports on Oswald's trips to the Soviet Union and Finland

and his months in Mexico City just before the assassination. Scholars say it will take months to go through it all, but they believe most of what's in the files was already known. In 1964, the Warren Commission found that Oswald was the lone assassin. Bottom line, will the release of these documents do anything to resolve the conspiracy theories that have proliferated for decades. I don't think anything that has survived for over 61 years in many cases will reveal much of anything that will solve the problem. One revelation, a massive CIA Cold War operation to open as many as a million letters or packages a month,

mailed to and from the Soviet Union and the U.S., the CIA secretly spying on Americans, none that we know of related to the Kennedy assassination. JFK's grandson, Jack Schlossberg, reacted to the release, posting on social media that President Trump is obsessed with his grandfather but contradicts what he stands for. Lester. Andrea, thanks. As part of its cuts to the federal government, the Trump administration plans to slash up to 80,000 jobs at the VA. Stephanie Gosk reports from Wyoming about the potential impact of the nine million veterans who rely on the agency for critical care.

In a windswept field just outside Cheyenne, Wyoming, there's a small national cemetery, part of the VA's outreach to rural communities. How would you characterize the need here in Cheyenne and in Wyoming? I think we have a lot of needs. Suicide is an issue, especially in Wyoming. I recently lost a friend to suicide. A friend that Justin Tripp served with during his 13 years in the U.S. Navy. Now Tripp is the state commander for the VFW. That transition into the civilian life, that's where we lose a lot of people to suicide. The veteran suicide rate in Wyoming is 50 percent higher than the rest of the country. In Cheyenne, there's a small VA center dedicated just to mental health. On February 24th, the

office manager was fired. A Marine veteran, she was one of the thousands of probationary federal employees fired by email for their performance. But a recent review obtained by NBC News was glowing. Her manager writing, as a veteran herself, she listens with empathy. She is the first person our clients come into contact with. I would be concerned with positions that are frontline positions that touch veterans every day. She was at the front door. Exactly. And that's where I would have concern. The politics in Wyoming are pretty clear cut. 71 percent of the Cowboys state voted for Donald Trump. But the veterans we've been speaking to say they don't want this to be about politics. And with cuts to the VA looming, some of them are feeling a real sense of unease.

Last week, two federal judges ruled the firing of probationary federal employees was unlawful. But the VA has set a goal of cutting 60,000 to 80,000 more jobs. We're going to accomplish this without making cuts to health care or benefits to veterans and VA beneficiaries. Tripp says he would welcome more efficiency, but he hopes decision makers will visit Wyoming first. I think getting that personal touch would make a difference. The government, he says, needs to honor its contract with veterans. Why is it this country's responsibility to take care of those veterans? Because we served when called. We raised our hand when other people wouldn't. Stephanie Gosk, NBC News, Cheyenne,

Wyoming. In 60 seconds, big changes if you collect Social Security. White new and some existing recipients may need to get their identities checked in person. As Doge announces lease cancellations at Social Security Administration offices, more recipients will soon be required to show up in person. Liz Kreutz reports on the change, which some worry will create confusion. A major change coming to Social Security. In an effort to crack down on fraudulent claims, the Trump administration planning to impose stricter measures on how to verify a person's identity. Soon, people will no longer be able to prove their identity over the phone, meaning those who can't do so using the online service have to go in person. The change

comes as the agency plans to close dozens of Social Security offices nationwide and lay off thousands of workers. The tightening measures coming from Doge and Elon Musk, who is using claims of voter fraud and illegal immigration to make the pitch for cuts, allegations for which he hasn't offered evidence and experts say is inaccurate. By using entitlements fraud, the Democrats have been able to attract and retain vast numbers of illegal immigrants. And by voters. And by voters, exactly. While the Trump administration has repeatedly said it isn't cutting benefits, just potential fraud, advocates warn those with mobility issues or limited access to the internet will suffer. How important is the phone service at the Social

Security Administration? Oh, it's extremely important. It's going to make field offices more crowded. It's going to make it more difficult to access the benefits that we have all earned. And the agency says the changes begin March 31st. And Lester, this applies to new Social Security recipients applying for benefits and also current recipients that need to change their direct deposit information, Lester. OK, Liz, thanks very much. Still ahead, hundreds of lawsuits involving fertility clinics, and the nightmare scenario some couples are facing. Next. For millions, the journey to becoming a parent has included

in vitro fertilization, but in rare cases, there are errors. Embryos can be mistakenly destroyed. Storage tanks can malfunction. Allison Barber looked into how often these heartbreaking failures occur. When Marissa Calhoun and Stephen Castaneda started talking about having children, they knew it wouldn't be an easy road. Marissa has stage four endometriosis. And I've had about four surgeries. And as a result of that, have spent a lot of time being told by doctors that I may never get the chance to become a mom. Marissa knew she'd likely have to turn to IVF to conceive. So in 2023, the couple successfully created embryos. But then Marissa's doctor called. He basically said the words that immediately let me know something was wrong,

which is I've never had to make a call like the call I'm making right now. Marissa says the doctor told her that because of a labeling error, all 16 of her embryos had been discarded. We got home and I just cried. So in a week, you went from having discussions about how many children do we want to have to every single embryo is just in the trash. Yeah. Nightmare scenarios like that one are thought to be rare. But an NBC News analysis found that in the last five years, more than 300 lawsuits have been filed over similar claims where fertility

clinics or related companies allegedly lost, destroyed, or even swapped patients' embryos, eggs, or sperm. The vast majority involved some form of product failure, like when a storage tank that keeps eggs and embryos frozen malfunctions. But over a quarter of the lawsuits stemmed from alleged human error, including Marissa's. How do you just throw away the chance for human life? Just toss it like it's the trash. The federal government only tracks clinics' pregnancy success rates, not their mishaps. IVF itself is the medicine of miracles. The problem is we just don't know how often things go well compared with how frequently mistakes happen. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine, a professional association that recommends best practices for the fertility industry,

says IVF is regulated essentially the same way as all medicine in the U.S. and that lawsuits are an important component. I'm speaking out today. Marissa and Stephen are now suing their clinic for negligence. And maybe if enough of us speak out, there will be more protocol put into place. That's my only hope. The clinic declined to comment on an active case, but denied the allegations in a court filing.

As for the couple, they're starting over from scratch at a different clinic. Ellison Barber, NBC News, Los Angeles. That's nightly news for this Wednesday. Thank you for watching. I'm Lester Holt. Please take care of yourself and each other. Good night.