NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Friday, December 12, 2025

Episode Date: December 13, 2025

New photos released showing Jeffrey Epstein with powerful men; Race to rescue people trapped in Washington floods; Acid attack hospitalizes woman in Georgia; 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, the new photos from Jeffrey Epstein's estate just released, rocking the rich and powerful, the big names who appear with him in those images. The pictures show Epstein with Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, Woody Allen, and more. The photos released by Democrats as part of a congressional investigation, what the images could reveal and what those captured on camera with the convicted sex offender say about them now. The shocking downfall of Michigan's football coach, court today via Zoom, charged with home invasion, stalking, breaking and entering, what were learning about the threats he made to the staffer he was having an affair with. Dramatic

rescues in Washington State, people trapped on rooftops, thousands forced to evacuate, and the threat is far from over. Terrifying attack in Georgia, a man throwing acid on this woman, seemingly at random, police asking for help in finding the person of interest, and what her family revealed to us about her burns. Alarming new video of a DoorDash driver caught on camera, appearing to pepper spray of food order, how police are responding tonight. And there's good news tonight, the Rockettes, celebrating 100 years. We'll introduce you to one former dancer still kicking at age 93.

Nightly News starts right now. This is NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas. And good evening. We begin tonight with those stunning new images from Jeffrey Epstein's estate. The photos are a glimpse into his high-flying world featuring presidents, billionaires, and celebrities. The pictures were released by congressional Democrats. And President Trump just responded to them moments ago from the Oval Office. One photo shows the president from years ago pictured with six women whose faces have been redacted. Other photos show several high-profile men you see them here, including Bill Gates, Richard Branson, and, Woody Allen, along with this photo of former President Bill Clinton that appears to be signed by

him, showing him with Epstein and Galane Maxwell. The White House blasting the release tonight saying House Democrats are trying to create a false narrative, and we should note these images do not appear to show anything illegal. But it all comes while the clock is ticking ahead of next week's deadline for the Justice Department to release their Epstein files. Ryan Noble starts us off tonight from Capitol Hill. Tonight, a new trove of photos from the estate of Jeffrey Epstein, revealing more proof of the convicted sex offenders' relationship with several powerful men. These pictures, some of these photos, are really disturbing. These images, part of a tranche of more than 95,000 undated photos, handed over to the House Oversight Committee and released by Democrats.

They do not appear to show any illegal activity. One shows Epstein with a younger president Donald Trump and an unidentified woman. Trump also appears in other pictures, without Epstein, but with women whose identities are protected by the committee. Trump has denied knowing anything about Epstein's criminal activity. He has photos with everybody. I mean, almost there are hundreds and hundreds of people that are photos with him. So that's no big deal. I know nothing about it. The committee also releasing this photo of Epstein and a bathtub, and this one, a signed photo of Bill Clinton with Epstein and his partner Galane Maxwell.

Clinton has said in the past that he'd wished he'd never met Epstein. There are also new photos of Epstein with one-time Trump ally Steve Bannon, the two posing for a mirror selfie. In another of the two men, there was a picture on a desk of a woman who appears to be passed out in a bathtub. Other powerful people like billionaires Bill Gates and Richard Branson are in the photos, as his film director, Woody Allen. In one picture, Alan and Epstein are on a movie set. Bannon, Gates, Branson, and Allen did not respond to NBC News requests for comment. These photos are separate from the evidence held by the Department of Justice. Congress voted to force the DOJ to release that material a week from today,

and congressional leaders are warning the administration better comply. This is a new law with criminal implications if they don't follow it. And Ryan, walk our viewers through the timeline now. Should we expect more releases like this in the near future? Yes, Tom, we should expect a steady stream of releases just like this one. The committee, of course, in possession of more than 95,000 Epstein photos. And they also have access to a trove of bank documents, which they expect to release in the very near future. Tom.

Ryan Nobles with those new images, Ryan, thank you. Now to the drama inside of Michigan courtroom, the fired head football coach from the University of Michigan facing home invasion and stocking charges. Prosecutors say he terrorized a staffer who had just broke. up with him. Here's Shaquille Brewster. Tonight, the dramatic downfall. Mr. Moore, did you state your name, please? Jerome Moore. Sharon Moore, just a few days ago, the head coach of one of college football's most

prominent programs, today in court on Zoom, from jail. Yes, Your Honor. Prosecutors describing a stunning whirlwind of events starting Monday, when they say an unidentified woman who Moore had been having a years-long intimate relationship with, broke up with him. There continued to be defendant making numerous phone calls and sending numerous texts from that time moving forward that she did not answer, did not respond to it, did not want. Prosecutors say she told her employers at the University of Michigan,

who fired more Wednesday for engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. That afternoon, they say more barged into her apartment. Immediately then proceeded to a kitchen drawer, grabbed several butter knives, and a pair of kitchen scissors and began to threaten his own life. I'm going to kill myself. I'm going to make you watch. My blood is on your hands. You ruined my life.

The totality of the behavior is highly threatening and highly intubated. She was terrorized. Moore is married with three children, now charged with felony home invasion and misdemeanor stalking and breaking and entering. His attorney telling the judge he had several mental health evaluations and is not a danger to the public. My client's 39 years old, there's zero prior criminal history. Tonight, the former coach is out on a $25,000 bond, order to wear a GPS tracker and to not contact the alleged victim.

Are we understood under no contact and no go-to, sir? Yes, Your Honor. All right, Shaquille joins us now, and Shaq, you were inside that courtroom. So far more has not entered a plea? That's right, Tom. Early in the hearing, most of the conversations centering around setting those bond conditions, even as more faces up to five years behind bars for that charge of felony home invasion. Tonight, prosecutors saying their investigation is still ongoing. Tom?

All right, Shaq, we thank you for that. We have new video tonight showing urgent rescues in the flood zones of western Washington State. Camila Bernal and her team there as those rescues were underway. New drone video shows National Guard trucks plowing through the flooded streets. This rescue captured on camera. all of it unfolding in Burlington, Washington, about an hour north of Seattle. Rescue workers coming in on rafts to save this stranded motorist in the city where the entire community was instructed to evacuate,

as much as 16 inches of rain hitting Western Washington since Monday, with four rivers in major flood stages today. What is it like to see your house like this? It's devastating. Like I... Monica Mendez and her husband, among those who are... who decided to stay. They took these videos this morning as their basement filled with water. We never thought this was going to happen like this. The fast-moving water pouring into her home. You had never seen anything like that. Nothing. I've been here more than 15 years and we have never

had afloat. And take a look at the rushing water there behind me. People in this neighborhood say that is normally completely dry. The water here came in so fast in the middle of the night that some of them did not even have time to move their cars. We're going to be going to go on our rescue somewhere. 20 miles north of Burlington, new video shows the Coast Guard hoisting two people to safety from atop their home submerged in floodwaters. Tonight, officials warning residents that the threat is not over. Please, please follow those orders from your local officials who know the situation on the ground.

Camila joins us now live. Camila, we see those devastating images there right behind. you is there any sign of hope a bit tom i don't think it's going to be easy for a lot of the people in this neighborhood the water came rushing in very quickly and what they're dealing with tonight is what you see here first floors basements entirely flooded first responders of course went door to door making sure that everyone was safe especially those that didn't evacuate but we'll see what happens as this cleanup process continues tom all right camilla bernal we thank you we're tracking a lot of weather tonight and bill karen's joins us now. Bill, one snow system is heading out, but another one is firing back up.

Yeah, a fast-moving storm on a busy weekend. And this one is going to impact roughly about 50 million people. We are already under winter storm warnings in areas like Cincinnati, from Pittsburgh to Charleston, and New York City is even going to get its first snow of the season. So how much snow are we talking? This isn't a blockbuster event, but it is enough to cause slippery roads and travel a narrow strip through Iowa tomorrow during the day in between St. Louis and Chicago. Indianapolis is going to get significant snow out of this. Pittsburgh, enough to be shovel and plows. Same with Cleveland. New York, Philly, D.C. and Boston, roughly about one to three inches. And that's mostly going to be late Saturday night and Sunday morning. And how about this cold on Saturday? Negative 28 wind chill in Fargo, Green Bay, negative 24. Lookout Chicago on Sunday. And that comes to the East Coast, Sunday Monday. Negative 22. All right, Bill, thanks for that. Now to those new images of the oil tanker, the U.S. seized off the Venezuelan coast, headed now to a Texas port as President Trump was pressed late tonight. Will the U.S. go after any other ships? Here's Garrett Hake.

Tonight, new satellite images of that oil tanker seized by the U.S. off the coast of Venezuela, headed to a port in Galveston, Texas, following that dramatic raid by an elite Coast Guard team repelling onto the ship from helicopters after a federal judge signed a warrant to seize it. The DOJ says the ship was part of an illicit oil shipping network supporting terrorist organizations, transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. And it comes as the Wall Street Journal reports, citing U.S. officials that, quote, a U.S. Special Operations Team boarded a ship in the Indian Ocean last month and seized military-related articles heading to Iran from China,

all while the U.S. is escalating pressure against Venezuela's authoritarian leader, Nicolas Maduro, following a series of deadly strikes on alleged drugboats, President Trump considering potential strikes on land as part of his war on drug cartels. It's not only land strikes on Venezuela, it's land strikes on horrible people that are breaking in drugs and killing our people. While overnight, Maria Karina Machado, Venezuela's opposition leader, praised the Trump administration's moves after she received the Nobel Peace Prize. Trump's actions have been decisive to reach the point where we are right now, in which the regime

is weaker than ever. Presley tonight, the president would not rule out seizing additional ships. Maduro's regime has called these actions piracy. Tom. Okay, Garrett, thank you to Georgia now in the shocking acid attack. a popular park that appears to be random. A woman now hospitalized, covered in burns as police search for a person of interest. Here's Aaron Gilchrist.

Tonight, a Georgia woman suffering horrifying chemical burns after being attacked in a popular Savannah Park. Photos from her hospital bed showing bandages around her entire head. We spoke to her son and best friend who've been by her bedside. I don't know that I'll ever be able to unhear just the terror in her voice. Police say the attack happened around eight Wednesday. night as Ashley Wasaluski walked through Forsyth Park after her church program. She felt and could see in the shadow from one of the lamps in the park, somebody very close

to her. And she turned around and went to push them. And then just in that split second was like, why is he pouring water on me? Within seconds, Wasaluski's clothing started disintegrating. She looked down and she could see that her pants were burning off of her. She was later flown to a burn center in Augusta, the FBI now working to identify that chemical that left her so badly scarred. Savannah's mayor posting this photo of what he calls a person of interest, asking the public to help identify him. Forsyth Park is an iconic tourist attraction. Forsyth Park, even featured in films like 1997's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Savannah police now stepping up patrols at parks across the city and saying that based on their

initial investigation, the victim does not know her attacker. We have no evidence that this is part of a larger pattern. Meanwhile, Wasaluski's friends and family are focused. on her mental and physical recovery. Having someone sneak up behind you at random is going to follow her for a while. I mean, it's going to be hard to deal with, and there's going to be some traumatic response to it. Aaron Gilchrist, NBC News, Augusta, Georgia. We're back in a moment with the delivery driver arrested, accused of dowsing food with pepper spray. We're back now with alarming new video of a DoorDash driver appearing to pepper spray of food order earlier this week in front of a doorbell cam.

One of the Indiana homeowners said his wife became severely ill when she ate that food. The driver told officer she was actually spraying a spider, not the food. She has now been arrested and DoorDash says it has permanently removed access for her to the platform. Also tonight, new video showing a close call in Austin, Texas. You see a big vehicle about to pass by the bus on that dash cam. And if you look closely, you see a child about to step off the bus when the vehicle illegally passed by the bus on the passenger side. Thankfully, the student wasn't hurt. All right, when we come back, it's not the holiday season without the Rockettes.

Our Joe Friar sits down with three generations of the incredible dancers who are still kicking 100 years after they start. Finally, there's good news tonight about the Radio City Rockettes, the legendary show, kicking off its 100th holiday season. year. Here's Joe Fryer with a milestone generations in the making. You could say the Rockettes are on their own eras tour inside Radio City Music Hall. The kickline is celebrating 100 years. So we brought together three eras, Kayla Sue, Lynn Sullivan, and Gene Martin. What is it like to be back here and to be on this stage? I love it. I am flooded with memories. I'm honestly fangirling myself. Just being with you two amazing women.

Jean joined the Rockettes in the early 1950s. Today, at age 93, she still teaches tap dancing. It's fair to say that Rockettes gave you a lot, right? Oh, yes. And dancing is still the best part of my life. As a Rockett, she met her husband, a violinist in the orchestra, and her best friend, Joan. I miss her a lot because we work like this. Joan was Lynn's mob.

And I remember being a child and looking up at these women that just seems so glamorous. And I thought, oh, so someday maybe I will be a rockhead. That dream came true for Lynn and her sister Leanne, who were among the many rockhead veterans filling the audience this year on opening night of the Christmas spectacular. And Kayla was on that stage. I was looking out into the audience, seeing all of you incredible women who have paved the way for me to be up there, standing up, cheering. I just broke down while I was kicking. What endures for so many is that sense of sisterhood, even when the sister is your late mom. I have to imagine you've been thinking about your mom?

Yes, my mother would love this. It's just part of who we are, my family. and I think she's with us right now. Part of a century-long legacy of high kicks and deep roots. Joe Fryer, NBC News. And congrats to the Rockettes. We are cheering you on from right across the street. That's nightly news for this Friday.

I'm Tom Yamas. Thanks so much for watching tonight and always. We're here for you. Good night. We're going to be great.