NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Friday, April 3, 2026

Episode Date: April 4, 2026

Exhaustive search underway in Iran to rescue downed F-15 airman; Trump says downed F-15 won’t affect negotiations with Iran in call with NBC News; Surcharges hit consumers in economic fallout from war with Iran; and more on tonight’s broadcast. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tonight, a desperate search and rescue mission deep inside Iran after an American fighter jet is shot down. The scramble to find the airmen before the enemy does. New video of Iranians, look at this, opening fire on U.S. planes as they search for that downed service member. Another American on board rescued and flown out of Iran with chilling new photos now from Iranian State TV showing the smoking wreckage. Iran now offering a bounty for the missing American. at least three other U.S. aircraft also hit as part of the search, the latest on the mission and the injuries. Plus, President Trump on the phone with our correspondent tonight, what he says about how today's strikes affect negotiations to end the war. And the cost of war hitting home,

as we may be heading into the summer of the surcharge, Amazon adding a new fee to most of its shipments, airfares and bag charges also on the rise, where you'll feel it next. possible tornadoes tearing through the Midwest. You see this huge debris cloud filling the sky in Iowa. Pieces of wreckage raining down. Golf ball-sized hail, pelting neighborhoods. The brush fire forcing evacuations in California. And the threat only growing tonight.

The Artemis 2 crew sending back a stunning new look at the Earth as they approach the moon. And now we're hearing from the astronauts themselves. The revealing call to police in the search for a missing Air Force general. what his wife told them with questions now over his past at a base linked to UFO conspiracy theories. A high-stakes rescue at sea gone wrong what happened to these federal agents after their boat flipped over. Nightly News starts right now. This is NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas. Good evening. I'm Halley Jackson in for Tom tonight.

And we begin with that intense search and rescue mission happening right now in Iran with the U.S. military rushing to find an American airman missing after the F-15 fighter jet they were in appears to have been shot down. And now Iran has put a bounty on that service member's head. On the ground in Iran, this video appears to show Iranians. You see it there shooting at a U.S. helicopter as it flies overhead. Apparently, as part of the rescue effort, one airman has already been found and taken to safety. Here, you're seeing pictures published by Iranian state media, unconfirmed photos of what they say is the jet. And late today, we're learning Iran has hit another U.S. war plane, an A-10, with that pilot managing to make it out of enemy airspace before ejecting to safety. Iran also hitting two choppers that were part of a rescue mission with some on board now hurt.

All of it coming less than 48 hours after President Trump told the nation in prime time that Iran had no anti-aircraft equipment. But the focus right now on finding that missing American airmen before the Iranians do. We have team coverage tonight, beginning with Quaritan. Courtney Kubi. Tonight, the U.S. military in a dangerous race against time to find a service member who was in an F-15E strike eagle when it appears to have been shot down by Iran, according to a U.S. official. A second airman, the official says, was rescued alive and taken out of the country for medical

treatment. Iranian state TV says these photos show wreckage of the American fighter jet. Weapons experts confirmed to NBC news the photos appear to show in F-15. It's the first time a manned U.S. aircraft has been shot down behind enemy lines during this war. These videos show U.S. aircraft flying low over the mountainous region, scrambling to find the airmen before Iranian forces do. Three U.S. aircraft involved in the search and rescue operation were also hit by Iranian fire, according to a U.S. official.

A single pilot A10 Wardhaw was struck, the official says, making it to Kuwaiti airspace where the pilot safely ejected and the A10 crashed. This video shows Iranians firing at U.S. helicopters. Two Blackhawks involved in the search were hit, according to the official, who says there were minor injuries to U.S. service members. It all comes just two days after President Trump said this. They have no anti-aircraft equipment. Their radar is 100 percent annihilated. Iran still has air defenses, shoulder fire missiles, and even guns, all of which can threaten aircraft. Today on Iranian State TV, a bounty put on the missing airmen's head.

This anchor saying, if you capture the enemy pilots alive and hand them over to the police, you will receive a precious prize. That prize, roughly $60,000. Four other manned U.S. aircraft have gone down since this conflict began. Friendly fire took out three jets in Kuwait, while six service members died after a fueling plane crashed in Iraq last month. The F-15 is a workhorse of the U.S. military and has been used extensively in Iran. And tonight, it's at the center of a potentially dangerous inflection point in this war. Courtney is joining us here in Washington. And, Cort, it is the middle of the night in Iran now, but they are going to keep searching in the dark.

That's right. And personnel recovery teams are literally risking their lives right now as they continue to search through the night. The missing airman is trained in survival evasion resistance and escape school. It's known as Sear. It's an intensive program where airmen learned to survive behind enemy lines like this airman is facing right now, Hallie. Plenty to watch in the hours to come. Courtney, thank you. Let me get to Garrett Hague, who's live for us at the White House tonight. So, Garrett, what did President Trump tell you when he got him on the phone about this search and

rescue mission? Yeah, Halley, the president declined to discuss the specifics of the ongoing rescue operation as he was monitoring it this afternoon. But he did express frustration that the coverage of the effort could make this missing airman less safe. The president did not appear publicly today and posted just once on social media about the war after the news of the downfighter became public, writing, quote, keep the oil anyone? And it comes to the question. And it comes as Iran's semi-official news agency reported that the Iranian regime has rejected a U.S. proposal for a 48-hour ceasefire. I asked the president if today's events will affect any ongoing negotiations with Iran, and the president told me, quote, no, not at all. No, it's war. Hallie. Garrett Haig at the White House, thank you. The war in Iran setting off a domino effect for the economy here at home.

Our Brian Chung reports on what could be the summer of surcharges connected to spiking oil prices, costing you money. prices today hitting a new high since the war with Iran began. $4.9.9 a gallon as U.S. crude oil has surged to over $111 a barrel. It's outrageous and it hurts in the pocket. The ripple effects of the war now reaching deeper into the U.S. economy. Amazon joining UPS, FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service in announcing shipping surcharges. Amazon saying due to elevated costs in fuel and logistics, it will apply a 3.5 percent surcharge to the independent sellers who make up more than 60% of the retail giant sales. Amazon saying when costs remain elevated, we implement temporary surcharges to partially recover

those costs. Costs are also soaring in the skies. Ticket prices up as much as 15%. Airlines scrambling to deal with the rising price of jet fuel, United now joining JetBlue and bumping up bag fees as much as $10. And with diesel prices nearing all-time highs. But the grocery prices really have, are obviously high. Experts say higher costs are coming for just about everything we buy.

It's starting to come through in a couple of food prices. Obviously, fertilizer has also been impacted in those transportation costs. Tonight, growing concerns that a war half a world away could leave longer lasting scars. Do you think that those price increases are going to be temporary or permanent? We all learned that prices often go up and they are very, very slow to come back down if they ever do come back down. Brian is joining us now. And Brian, the new jobs numbers out today are showing a bit of a rebound, right? But there is more to that story. Yeah, that's right, Halley. The government reported 178,000

jobs added in March, essentially reversing the trend that we saw with a steeper than expected job loss in February. And while that was indeed solid, the report also showed pay bumps slowing, which could be a concern with affordability, especially if the inflationary threats of the war do remain in place. Hallie. Brian Chong, thank you. You. Intense weather tonight is putting 13 million people at risk from Texas to Illinois. That new threat coming after reported tornadoes ripped through the country. Ryan Chandler has those frightening images. Big debris cloud. The likely tornado in Iowa filled the entire horizon. Yep, it's on the ground. Is it? Yep. Look at the spring. This video showing pieces of wreckage

raining across the farmland in Downey, Iowa. Look at all the debris, tornado in progress right in front of us. Oh my gosh, look at the vorticity. In Preston, Iowa, this farm devastated. The roof torn off, pieces of buildings scattered across the land, down trees narrowly avoiding crashing into this house. Strong winds and hail adding to the danger. Golf ball-sized chunks of ice hitting this neighborhood hard.

Look at the top of my window. I got hail damage for sure. And the risk tonight, only growing. 13 million people from North Texas all the way through western. in Illinois, facing severe storms and flood watches. Country music superstar Zach Bryan scheduled to play in Tulsa, Oklahoma tonight, canceling a show for the first time in five years of touring. He said due to the threat of extreme and dangerous weather. Out west, high winds adding to the threat from a new wildfire, the springs fire in Southern California,

prompting evacuation orders, 1,500 acres already burned. And as of this afternoon, the blaze is zero percent contained. And heading into the Easter weekend, we're looking at more severe weather tomorrow across the Ohio Valley and eastern Great Lakes. 18 million people are at risk. Hallie. Ryan Chandler, thank you.

To Space Now and the Artemis crew, taking a big step overnight, setting a course for the moon. And now we're hearing from the crew members themselves. Tom Costello is following it all from mission control in Houston. Tonight, new video of the Orion capsule with the moon off in the distance. No doubt where we are heading right now.

The crew well on their way, leaving Earth's orbit on Thursday, thanks to a six-minute boost, a move called a transluner injection that requires 6,000 pounds of thrust. Early reports that it was a very good burn. The foursome of Artemis II in awe of everything since Wednesday's launch. Sending four humans 250,000 miles away is Herkulean effort, and we are now just realizing the gravity of that. The team also snapping these never-per-recented. before seeing images. I really like it up here. I wish I could have got here sooner. This afternoon, Mission Control woke up the crew within a daydream by the Freddie Jones band.

And there was some minor housekeeping, a question about where to find a much-needed item. We were wondering if we could get some help finding the electric shaver. Orion's lunar fly-by scheduled for Monday afternoon before a massive YouTube. and brings them back home again. This is literally and symbolically our moonshot that we are in the middle of. And lift off. Meanwhile, what may be the best view yet of Wednesday's launch. Good roll pitch.

Roger. Roll pitch. Captured by a NASA plane flying over the space coast. It was a ride where you're trying to be professional, but the kid inside of you wants to break out and just hoot and holler. The kid inside all of us, maybe Tom is with us now. And Tom, for the first time since the launch, the astronauts have been able to talk with their families. That's right. It was on a video conference call today, first time since they actually lifted off.

Tomorrow they're going to be spending more time manually flying the ship as to get even closer to the moon and that Monday lunar flyby. Halie. Tom Costello, thank you. It has been a mystery for weeks now. The disappearance of a retired high-ranking Air Force General in New Mexico. Tonight, a new development audio of his wife calling the police in the moments after his disappearance. Here's Camila Brinnell. My husband is missing.

Tonight, new audio from the wife of a retired Air Force General gone missing in New Mexico. I have some indication that he must have planned not to be found. That's William McCaslin's wife, Susan, during the call to authorities on February 27th. The day her husband disappeared. The call was first obtained by law and crime. and later verified to NBC News by the Sheriff's Department. He's left his phone. He changed his clothes and I don't know what. I think he's on foot.

McCaslin's disappearance generated a lot of speculation due to his past career as a high-ranking military general. McCaslin was retired, but at one point worked inside an Air Force base in Ohio long rumored to house extraterrestrial debris despite repeated Air Force denials. Following his disappearance, authorities confirmed only. Only a few items were missing, including a 38-caliber revolver. Adding McCastland had stated he was experiencing mental fog. His wife telling this to the dispatcher.

Other than saying if his brain and body keeps deteriorating, he didn't want to live like that. But it seemed to me that was just a man, I hate how this is going kind of thing. Camila Burnell, NBC News. We are back in 60 seconds with our series, The Cost of Denial, the couple choosing a faith-based health care option over insurance. Their warning after a night in the ER. Back now with our series, The Cost of Denial, where we focus on the challenges Americans have with insurance providers.

And tonight, a twist in the form of a warning from one couple about the risks of a faith-based alternative to traditional insurance. Here's Andrea Mitchell. I just feel a share. shamed like I should have known better or done better, you know, and didn't get us in this financial trouble. That trouble for Las Vegas couple Anita and Stephen Thornton began nearly two years ago. One night when Stephen was rushed to the hospital. They said I might have to be put into emergency surgery. So it's scary. It was scary. At first he was relieved he didn't need surgery, but then what was the bill? Around $24,000. For one night.

in the hospital. Four one night. A bill they thought they'd have help with. I was under the impression that we had protection. Are you tired of expensive health care costs? Protection through a health care sharing ministry called MediShare. As a community of believers, we share in one another's medical bills in support. These sharing ministries are not regulated the way insurance is.

That's because, as they say up front, they are not insurance. Payments are voluntary among members. The pitch. into a collective fund and then get help with medical bills. But Stephen and Anita say that's not what happened. It just, I'm sorry, it's just. It's okay. Take your time. I'm sorry. It's just, it was so difficult and it was so frustrating that they didn't help us. Medeshire members agree not to use tobacco or abuse alcohol and attest to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Why did you decide to sign up? Well, signed up because the insurance premiums on the open market were too high for us.

They tried working with MediShare for a year, but there was no help with their bill. And then? We got radio silence. You know, that's when Stephen was like, well, let's contact NBC because we saw the segment on the cost of denial. After NBC News asked MediShare about the case, all of a sudden the tune changed. Soon the Thorntons received a call from a Medishare supervisor, which they recorded. I do apologize for the experience that you've had. It's not an experience we want for our members.

Medeshire told us it was grieved by the lengthy and unusual delay. It says was caused by billing errors by the provider, submission errors by the Thorntons, and administrative errors by MediShare. Medeshare says once it learned of the problem, it processed a payment. An ordeal that Thornton's hope others will learn from. What happened to us was very terrifying and nerve-wracking.

I don't want anybody else to go through this. And Andrea is joining us now on set here in Washington. Andrea, for people who aren't familiar with these programs, they're actually pretty popular. They are, Halley. Estimates show that about 1.7 million people belong to health care sharing ministries, and they may work for some people, but it's important to note that they are not covered by the federal and state laws that insurance plans cover. So they don't have to cover the same. Same things.

Howie? Andrea Mitchell, thank you. We are back in a moment with the powerful Good Friday tradition. Pope Leo is bringing back. Plus, the powerful wave hitting just as the Coast Guard goes in for the rescue. We'll tell you how this one ended. Next. New video tonight of a daring rescue off the coast of Puerto Rico, customs and border protection agents.

Look at this, trying to save a couple of boaters after they capsized in 10-foot waves. But then look what happens. One of those waves comes in overturns the rescue. boat throwing everybody into the water, the Coast Guard managed to hoist all five people to safety. To the health scare for Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, the court revealing today that the 76-year-old was treated for dehydration after getting sick during an event in Philadelphia last month. Officials say the justice was admitted to the hospital but released that same night and was back on the bench the following Monday. The first American Pope celebrating his first Good Friday today

by bringing a powerful tradition back to the Coliseum in Rome. Pope Leo personally carrying the wooden cross through all 14 stations of the procession. This is the first time in decades of Pope has carried the cross the whole way. And check out some of these pictures of New Jersey state troopers rescuing, yes, that bear cub. It was stranded all alone in a ditch along the interstate. Troopers brought him to the state's Environmental Protection Department, who are now caring for the bear. That's nightly news for this Friday.

I'm Hallie Jackson for all of us at NBC. Thanks so much for watching and have a great weekend.