NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Friday, December 5, 2025

Episode Date: December 6, 2025

Emotional 911 calls from deadly Texas flooding released; 13 million facing impacts of winter storm blast; CDC panel votes to recommend delaying Hepatitis B vaccine for babies; 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 for the first time we're hearing the desperate 9-1-1 calls from the night the floodwaters swept into Kerrville. Hundreds of calls pouring in, but there were only two operators trying to handle them all. The calls coming as the waters rose. People heard pleading for their lives, telling dispatchers that if help didn't come, they were going to die. A mom with an infant begging to be saved. I have an infant. She can't hold her breath. Dangerous winter weather sweeping across the east, blasting millions with brutal cold. Hundreds of crashes reported.

Multiple people hospitalized after a 10-vehicle pile-up on a Virginia roadway. The controversial change to vaccine guidance for newborns. Why some pediatricians warn children could now be in danger. The Blockbuster deal sending shockwaves through Hollywood, Netflix announcing it will buy Warner Brothers and HBO Max in a deal worth more than 80, billion dollars. Will the streaming services soon cost more? The major announcement from Waymo after our report that some of the robotaxies drove past stop school buses. New technology helping porch pirates, how thieves are using Wi-Fi jammers to scramble your home security cameras. The urgent rescue deputies pulling an unconscious driver from a burning

truck after a crash. And the inspiring follow-up to a story that touched so many. And Army veterans still working in his 80s, our cameras were there as he received a life-changing surprise. Nightly News starts right now. This is NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas. And good evening, we begin tonight with a terrifying inside look at what happened during one of the worst flood disasters this country has ever seen. Officials in Texas releasing the 911 calls that quickly poured in during those catastrophic floods back in July. You might remember the scale of the destruction here when heavy rains caused the Guadalupe River to overflow, unleashing deadly floodwaters, up to 20 feet high in just 90 minutes. There were dramatic rescues like this one in

Kerrville, Texas. But the police department there only had two 911 operators on duty that night. But the number of calls quickly shot into the hundreds with desperate people begging for help. You remember these images as well. Camp cabins destroyed, 119 people were killed in that tragedy, including 27 girls at Camp Mystic, the all-girls sleepaway camp. We do want to warn you the calls are upsetting to hear, but they're also important. Shedding new light on what happened that night and what may have gone wrong in the emergency response. Our Ryan Chandler is on the ground in Currville with those calls. We're going to die.

We're going to do everything we can to avoid this. I have an infant. He can't hold her breath. Their pleas were desperate as the river rose before dawn. The water is at the windows. It's going to come in all at once. The windows are rattling. Yes, ma'am. I've got everybody out of your direction, but I have other 911 calls I have got to take that way. More than 500 911 calls reveal an emergency response overwhelmed. Okay, I'm going to have to disconnect. We have other 911 calls.

No, please, please, baby, please don't. Please. Please, please, I'm begging you. Please have somebody to talk to me. I'm scared. The Kerrville Police Department staffed just two 911 operators the night of the floods, the police chief said. Between 4 and 5 a.m., perhaps the river's deadliest hour. The two operators fielded an average of more than two calls every minute. My house is flooding. I can't go anywhere. My house is moving. The calls were released after FOIA requests from media organizations.

organizations including NBC News. Here in the epicenter of the flood just outside of Kerrville, the scars of July 4th are still fresh. The calls that came from this area revealed that sense of shock, of desperation. Some people making their last calls to first responders who could not get to them. Yes, the tree that I'm in is starting to lean and it's going to fall. Is there a helicopter close? The last plea from Brad Perry, who was staying at this RV park. I probably got maybe five minutes left and I'm dead.

He was later found among the 119 people in Kerr County who did not survive the morning. Ryan is also tough to hear. You're joining us tonight from Texas Hill Country live for us. And some people you've learned called multiple chimes trying to get help. Tom, we'll listen to four calls from one man. The operator repeatedly alerting him to first responders that had not arrived. So I asked the police department, what does normal staffing look like? Why were there only two operators on duty on a night with severe weather in the forecast?

We're awaiting answers, Tom. Ryan Chandler, there with the memorial of those lives lost. All right, Ryan, now to that brutal blast of winter weather tonight, from record lows in the northeast to snowfall and icy conditions, causing pile-ups and airport delays across the mid-Atlantic. Here's Emily Aketa. The icy winter blast, which already sparked collisions, across New York, including this driver hitting a snowplow truck, wreaking havoc further south

today. This 10 vehicle pile up involving a jackknife tractor trailer, sending four people to the hospital in Virginia. The winter storm bringing the first snowfall of the season to the Washington, D.C. area and its iconic sites and making a mess on the roads. Some parents upset that schools were still open. Our bus was late. I saw three accidents driving my kid to schools. At airports, de-icing causing flight delays, like here at Richmond International. They got us on here, smashed in here like sardines. Bitter-cold record lows reached in Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Connecticut, and New York at both JFK and LaGuardia airports today.

Parts of this famous fountain in Manhattan's Bryant Park, frozen. It's painfully cold, like my skin is cracking. Temps dropped more than 20 degrees in less than 24 hours. in New York City, where bundled up tourists are now braving the cold in the holiday rush. How are you staying warm? I'm not. I'm still shivering. I'm always thinking about what building I'm going to go in next to escape the cold. You can see just how cold it is here at Winter Village at Bryan Park. Look how that ice has formed as 13 million Americans are facing winter weather alerts nationwide tonight. Tom. All right, Emily, thank you. There was a major change to

vaccines for children today. A CDC panel voting to scrap a large. long-standing recommendation that all newborns should be vaccinated for hepatitis B. The change slammed by many in the medical community. Here's Ann Thompson. No, no, I'm sorry. The debate was impassioned. We will see more children and adolescents and adults infected with hepatitis B. And contentious.

We have still not had any information or science presented. This is unconscionable. But Secretary Kennedy's hand-picked committee of vaccine advisors voted to end the recommendation that all infants get the hepatitis B vaccination at birth. Hepatitis B can lead to chronic liver disease, including liver failure and cancer. The vaccines all but eliminated the virus in children. One reason why the American Academy of Pediatrics blasts the change. Children in America are less safe. They are vulnerable when we have a duty to most protect them.

Is there any evidence that the Hep B vaccine poses a danger to infants? None whatsoever. FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty McCarrie says it's an issue of parental choice. There is no scientific evidence that there's a benefit of doing it on the first day of life versus at age 10 or 12. Except the percentage of those cases is drop 99%. Isn't that scientific evidence that it works? It would drop that much if we continue to immunize the subgroup where it's, who benefits from it. The committee still recommends infants born to moms who test positive for Hep B or whose status is unknown get the newborn dose.

Anne joins us now in studio. And let's pick it up there. What about the moms who test negative for Hep B? Will their infants get a chance to get the shot? Yes, they will. In fact, the committee recommends that those parents talk to their health care providers about the risk and benefits before making that decision. And as for the cost, Tom, the vaccines will still be.

be covered by both public and private insurance. All right, Ann, thank you for that. We had to Washington now in the first court appearance for the suspect in the D.C. pipe bomb investigation. Brian Cole Jr. was arrested just 24 hours ago after a five-year-hunt for the bomber. Kelly O'Donnell joins us now live, and Kelly, you have new reporting on what he's already telling investigators? Tom, the accused D.C. pipe bomber, 30-year-old Brian Cole, Jr., Virginia, has confessed, according to three people familiar with the matter, to placing those. pipe bombs outside the Democratic and Republican Party offices in January 2021. Officials say that confession came out during hours of interviews with the FBI, where he also disclosed that he

believed the false claim that the 2020 election had been stolen. That's according to people familiar with the investigation. Prosecutors say they gathered evidence tying him to purchases of pipe bomb components. Cole's family was there in court today. He has not yet entered a plea. Tom? Okay, Kelly. Thank you. Now to the blockbuster deal in Hollywood today that could see the biggest streaming giants swallow up, one of the entertainment industry's most legendary studios. Chloe Malas now on Netflix is offered to buy Warner Brothers. Clifto.

Home. Day we home. For Superman, home could soon be Netflix. As established franchise powerhouses like Harry Potter. You're a wizard, Harry. In Batman. I've seen how it would have to become. Join modern media marvels like Stranger Things and K-pop Demon Hunters under one mega Hollywood heavyweight.

Netflix co-CEO CEO Ted Sarandos announcing today that the streamer will buy Warner Brothers Studios, HBO Max and HBO, and a deal valued at nearly $83 billion. In a world where people have so many choices, more choices than ever, how to spend their time, we can't stand still. We need to keep innovating and investing in stories that. that matter most to audiences. Warner Brothers Board accepting the offer, which beat out competition from NBC parent company Comcast and David Ellison's Paramount Skydance. The deal which will see linear cable channels like Discovery and CNN spun off from Warner Brothers

is expected to take 12 to 18 months to close and will face several regulatory hurdles. Tonight, top Hollywood associations raising concerns, the Writers Guild calling the deal what antitrust laws were designed to prevent. Talent is understandably concerned that this is going to mean fewer buyers and fewer opportunities. While Netflix says the deal will benefit subscribers, some experts say streaming customers could very well see the cost of consolidation. If you have more of what people want, you have more leverage to raise prices. Netflix for years, a disruptor of traditional Hollywood, now on the verge of acquiring classics like Casablanca, hoping today's announcement with Warner Brothers is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

And a Netflix spokesperson told me just minutes ago that they are committed to keeping movies and theaters if the deal goes through. Tom. All right, Chloe, thank you for that. A North Carolina courtroom was packed today to hear from Michael Jordan. The basketball legend testifying as part of his lawsuit against NASCAR. Here's Sam Brock. Tonight, after spending decades dominating the basketball court, the NBA legend Michael Jordan competing in a courtroom, suing NASCAR saying it's abusing its power as a monopoly. All part of a lawsuit brought by Jordan's 23-11 racing team and front row motorsports. Jordan testifying, someone had to step forward to challenge NASCAR. I was a new person. I wasn't afraid.

They gave us an ultimatum that I didn't think was fair. Number 23's been a racing fan since childhood in North Carolina. I grew up in NASCAR. My father used to pack the whole family in. We go to Darlington. We go to Rockingham. He co-founded his racing team with decorated driver Denny Hamlin five years ago. I'm all in.

I'm all in. I love it. You know, it replaces a lot of competitiveness that I had in basketball, but this is even worse, you know, because I have no control. But this new legal showdown could upend the sport with Jordan and the other plaintiffs saying NASCAR tried to force them to sign below market value charter agreements or short-term contracts allowing guaranteed access to races, but no ownership. And some teams say no profitability. But NASCAR responding to the suit, writing, healthy race teams are critical to our sport. We've been true to our word. This is not an antitrust case. Adding the latest agreement delivered over $3 billion in guaranteed payments to the teams. The case continues next week. At one point, the NASCAR attorney told the legend,

my nine-year-old thinks I'm pretty cool today. His response, you're not wearing your Jordans today. Tom? All right, Sam, Brock, for us. Sam, thank you for that one. We're back in 60 seconds with the thieves using Wi-Fi jammers. Look at this, to steal packages and get away with it. Watch as the surveillance cameras are scrambled in real time. We'll show you more of it. How to prevent it next. We're back now with a consumer alert for the holidays. We've told you about Wi-Fi jammer crooks

and how they're using them to get by your cameras and alarm systems. You're about to see exactly how they do it. Adrian brought us with how porch pirates are getting more sophisticated. This doorbell camera video shows what Bel Air, Texas police say are skilled thieves approaching a suburban home. But look what happens as they get closer. The camera starts to glitch, and the picture warps, all because police say the thieves are using a jammer, a small device that disables a home's Wi-Fi. It's something security systems rely on. They're not hard to get. I think they cost about $60 or $70. These jammers usually work for a very short range,

10 to 20 feet. Police say the use of Wi-Fi jammers is growing, ramping up just as the holiday season peaks, with criminals targeting packages left on the doorstep. Police say this thief outside Chicago went low-tech, no Wi-Fi jammer, instead a food delivery bag to disguise his reason for approaching the house. But watch what he does once at the front door, stuffing packages into the bag, and then running when the family returns. They got spooked and the driver warned him, like gave him a couple honks to let him know that we were pulling in, and then he ran. Security experts say to protect your deliveries. The first thing is you can get a hardwired system that is not dependent

on Wi-Fi. Plus, consider a locking parcel box, schedule deliveries for when you're home, and opt for a camera that records on an SD card. In the end, the video thieves hope to distort may be exactly what leads police back to them. Adrian Rottis, NBC News. And we're back in a moment with a dramatic rescue caught on camera, the driver unconscious behind the wheel, as the truck burst into flames. Plus, the new order from a federal judge that could mean more Jeffrey Epstein files will be released. We'll explain. That's next. We're back now with a federal judge in Florida ordering more Jeffrey Epstein files to be released. The judge ordering materials from a grand jury investigation into Epstein from 2005 to 2007 be made public. It comes after

Congress passed a new law calling for the release of unclassified records in that case. And Waymo announcing a major software recall for its fleet of autonomous vehicles. It comes after we reported on incidents like this one. You can see the cars passing a stop school bus with lights flashing. A federal investigation is underway over the close call with those school buses. And look at this dramatic new body cam video of deputies rescuing a driver from a burning truck in Washington State. You see it right here. The truck bursting into flames after it wrapped around a tree.

That driver was unconscious and the deputies broke the. window to get him out. He was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. All right, when we come back tonight here on the broadcast, an update on the 88-year-old Army vet we spotlighted last night. The big surprise he got today just in time for the season of getting. Finally, this holiday season, there's more good news tonight about a man we first told you about yesterday. An 88-year-old Army veteran who today got the surprise of a lifetime just in time for the holiday season. I'd like to share your story and try and, you know, get people to help you retire. Oh, thank you. Of course. This is the moment that resonated with millions of people.

Army veteran Ed Bambis still working full-time in a grocery store at 88, trying to make ends meet after he says his General Motors buyout dried up. I sold the house, and we made it through. My wife died seven years ago. Since then, I've been trying to reestablish myself. His story, inspiring Australian influencer Sam Weidenhofer, to take action. Oh, thank you. And an outpouring of donations followed.

More than $1.7 million raised to help Ed retire. And today, our cameras were there in Michigan when Sam's surprised him with the life-changing check. You're going to be able to retire because we raised you at 1.77 million. Ed, overcome with emotion and move to tears. It feels great, I know, but it's completely real. Thank you very much. Congratulations.

Congratulations. I don't know how I can thank the tent of these people. Thank you. You deserve it. You earned it. The generosity of strangers, changing one man's life forever. Thank you. Ed, enjoy that retirement.

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. Thank you.