NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Friday, January 2, 2026

Episode Date: January 3, 2026

More rain brings more flooding to already drenched California; FBI: ISIS-inspired New Year’s Eve terror attack foiled; Champagne sparklers likely started Swiss bar fire, officials say; 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 unrelenting severe weather threats from coast to coast, California bracing for another round of high-intensity rain, while new bands of dangerous lake-effect snow pummel the northeast. Flood waters overwhelming roads in San Diego, cars submerged, entire blocks covered with water, and more heavy rain is on the way. Millions under alert tonight, and flight delays already stacking up, kicking off one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. The terrifying new details about what caused a deadly New Year's Eve fire, officials blaming sparklers in champagne bottles for an inferno leaving dozens dead. How one survivor made it out alive and the mother still trying to find her missing son. Foyled terror plot, a North Carolina teen charge with planning an ISIS-inspired New Year's Eve attack using hammers and butcher knives, how the FBI says it stopped him. Search for a killer, a A dentist and his wife fatally shot inside their home with their young children nearby, the manhunt tonight.

The chaotic traffic stop, a man trying to flee on foot, tackled by officers, a teen speeding away in a truck, then slamming into a police car. Scary moments, a stunt at a bowl game going off course when a man in a parachute is suddenly caught in the goalpost netting before falling to the ground. Inside NASA's new mission, the astronauts preparing to travel deeper into space than any human ever before. And freezing canine rescue, firefighters breaking through ice to save a yellow lab trapped in a frozen pond. Nightly News starts right now. This is NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas.

Good evening. I'm Laura Jarrett in for Tom. and a new system is on the move tonight, threatening the West Coast after days of downpours. It could bring fresh rounds of heavy rain, adding to scenes like these, roadways covered with floodwaters, entire block submerged, rows of cars surrounded by water, firefighters carrying one person to safety who had become trapped inside a flooded home, and it's not just the West Coast. Powerful snow has been overwhelming parts of the Midwest and Northeast, too. millions remain under weather threat tonight. Camilla Bernal has been tracking it all and starts us off tonight. From whiteouts and treacherous roads in the northeast to more flooding

in already drenched California, which tonight is bracing for yet another round of storms. In the Bay area, roads are still submerged, cars waiting slowly through, businesses completely waterlogged, Some even using buckets to scoop it out. Every year it seems to be worse and worse. In San Diego, water rushing over this road and covering the lower level of a parking garage. This community in Northern California is still waiting for the last flood to recede.

After historic rainfall caused flash flooding, mudslides, and overflowing waterways. While in Altadena, crews are using the brief pause the rain to clean up, anticipating more damage when the rain starts up again this evening. While the west is wet, in parts of the northeast, it's the cold and the snow. Lake effects snow seen here, blanketing roads, creating near whiteout conditions overnight and causing cars to spin out. Several states are grappling with freezing temperatures,

and Boston's Charles River now frozen over. And Camila, you are in Altadena, California, where they are still cleaning up the mud from last week. Yeah, Laura, and this is the mud that flows down from the mountain. While crews were able to clean up today, the concern is that it could get a lot worse over the weekend. Meanwhile, travel already impacted across the country and here in California, the San Diego airport had at least two ground stops because of weather. Camila, thank you. All of this setting up another volatile weekend of weather.

Meteorologist Kevin Jeans is here, and Kevin, somehow, the snow and the rain is not done with us yet. It is. Good evening, Laura. So we have snow continuing across the Great Lakes and the Northeast, more Lake Effect bands. And even outside the lake effect, a good widespread one to three inches of snow will come down across the Great Lakes and the Northeast through the weekend. But heavy rain continues out west. More flood watches that are going to last through Monday evening. You're looking at widespread rain totals three, four, even five inches of rain and big-time heavy snow across the Sierra's. Heavy rain will also continue for Southern California. Another round tomorrow, an additional round of rain expected later on Sunday. But high elevation snowfall above 6,000 feet anywhere from 2 to 5 feet.

Laura. Kevin, thank you. In North Carolina, the FBI saying it foiled a New Year's Eve terror plot. The suspect accused of hoping to unleash an ISIS-inspired rampage at a grocery store and burger King. Sam Brock has late details. Tonight, a potential New Year's Eve terror attack foiled after the FBI arrested 18-year-old Christian Sturdivant, alleging he vowed to use these hammers and knives to kill customers at a Charlotte area grocery store and a Burger King where he worked in what authorities are

calling an ISIS-inspired plot. It was a very well-planned, thoughtful attack. He was preparing for jihad and innocent people were going to die. A U.S. citizen, the Department of Justice, says the suspect, turned his back on his country, consuming ISIS propaganda for years before posting threatening messages onto social media just weeks ago. So Mr. Sertavon started on the internet, making TikTok videos, and eventually reached out to what he thought was a member of ISIS, and reality was an undercover agent with NYPD in New York. When police executed a search warrant at the suspect's house on December 29th, they say they found two knives and two hammers underneath his bed, handwritten documents, one entitled New Year's Attack, 2020.

a Kevlar vest and notes on possible targets. I could tell you from his notes, he was targeting Jews, Christians, and LGBTQ individuals. All after the FBI just weeks ago said it interrupted another New Year's Eve terror plot, this one from Southern California, where they say four people from a far-left anti-government group tested explosives in the desert, planning to use them in the alleged attack. Tonight, the FBI says it's still investigating this latest potential threat. We're all buying the things we need to celebrate. and we could have had a significant, significant loss of life and significant injury here.

And Sam joins me on set here. What is the suspect's attorney telling you? All right. So, Laura, we spoke briefly with his attorney on the phone tonight who says that the servant family reached out to him. This was after he was arrested that same day. The attorney says he only briefly got to review the charges. And he cannot say at this point how his client plans to plead.

But we do know that his next hearing is a detention hearing on Wednesday. Serious case. Sam Brock, thank you. Now to the investigation. into that deadly New Year's Eve inferno at a ski resort in Switzerland. Authorities tonight saying the blaze was likely caused by sparklers in champagne bottles and that ignited the ceiling. Danielle Hammamgen is there for us tonight.

Videos show the flames there on the ceiling spreading quickly through the packed bar. Some desperately trying to put the blaze out, others scrambling to escape. And tonight, investigators say the inferno was likely caused by sparklers, placed in champagne bottles and held too close to the ceiling, igniting the soundproof lining. These photos taken earlier that night show people holding bottles with the sparklers inside them. And those sparklers are seen in this promotional video

for the bar posted online. I heard a big boom and everybody was screaming. 17-year-old Ebenezer Mahari told us how he was pulled to safety by a stranger, saying he saw people on fire. They fall and was burning and they closed burn and I can do anything because I was so choked. Some of his friends never made it out. At least 40 people were killed, 119 injured. Officials describing a bottleneck at the main exit.

All I want is to find my son, says this mother. He's 16 and sent a video an hour before the fire started. It's unimaginable to think your child burned to death on New Year's Eve, she says. Investigators are now looking at that ceiling and whether the bar used foam material that met safety codes. Depending on what they find, there could be criminal charges as Switzerland begins five days of national mourning. Laura? Danielle, Danielle, Danielle, Danielle, a widespread protest against the government are growing. And now President Trump is saying the U.S. is, quote,

locked and loaded and will come to protesters' rescue if Iranian authorities crack down. Here's Gabe Gutierrez. Tonight, with deadly clashes erupting in Iran, President Trump backing those protesting against Iran's government and threatening U.S. intervention. Posting, if Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go. The demonstrations in Iran are widespread.

read. Many outraged over the government's handling of the economy. They appear to be the biggest protests in the country since 2022, following the death of Masa Amni, a 22-year-old who died in police custody after she was arrested for not properly covering her hair with a hijab, which led to a harsh government crackdown. This latest unrest comes and made Iran's increasing tensions with Israel and the West. Six months ago, the U.S. bombed key Iranian nuclear facilities. Earlier this week, President Trump warned Iran not to rebuild its ballistic missile and nuclear programs or we're going to have to knock them down. We'll knock them down. We'll knock the hell out of them. But today's message goes farther, suggesting the U.S. might get involved in Iran's domestic politics beyond its nuclear

ambitions. The head of Iran's parliament posting this open admission makes all American bases and forces across the region legitimate targets at the U.S. intervenes. And a senior Iranian government advisor warning that U.S. interference in this internal matter would mean destabilizing the entire region. Two White House officials say they have nothing to add to the president's post about possible U.S. intervention in Iran, and they would not clarify what he meant by locked and loaded. Laura? Gabe, thank you.

Turning down to a shocking double homicide in Ohio. A dentist and his wife found dead in their home, their two young children found in another room there unharmed, and now police searching for the killer. Here's Maggie Vespa. I'd like to present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Teppy. Tonight, a dentist and his wife mysteriously shot to death in their Columbus, Ohio home, the same one where they were married five years ago. Police say they found the bodies of Spencer and Monique Tepe during a welfare check.

Their children, ages one and four, unharmed in a separate room, family confirm. There's a body. There's a body inside. Yeah. It all started around 9 a.m. Tuesday, when Spencer's boss called 911, concerned he didn't show up to work. He is always on time and he would contact us if there is any issues whatsoever. We're very, very concerned because this is very out of character. Less than an hour later, a 911 call from outside the house.

I can hear kids inside, and I swear I think I heard one yell, but we can't get in. Within minutes, a chilling update. He appears dead. He's blood. Police are investigating the case as a double homicide. finding three spent nine-millimeter casings at the scene, according to the police report. Spencer, what can I say? From day one, I knew you were something special. Tonight, family describing Monique as a loving, patient, and joyful mother whose warmth defined her,

and Spencer as a devoted and proud father, a loving partner, and a friend to everyone he met, adding, we are heartbroken beyond words. Our family is committed to seeing this tragedy fully and fairly brought to justice. Maggie Vespup, NBC News. Also tonight, some violent video from Central Florida where authorities say a traffic stop led to the recovery of a missing child, a high-speed chase, and a sex offender's arrest. Jesse Kirsch has that story. Watch Sheriff's deputies frantically take down one suspect on foot, while another drives off, deliberately ramming a deputy's vehicle and rolling over, according to investigators. The dramatic scene captured on body and dash camera videos released by the Flagler County Sheriff's Office in Florida. It all started during a traffic stop on New Year's Eve after the sheriff says a witness spotted registered sex offender Darnell Hirston driving two boys.

The sheriff says deputies discovered one of the truck's passengers was an 11-year-old boy who had been missing for about three days. Investigators say as they tried to cuff 60-year-old Hirston, he ran off, tripped, and tried grabbing a deputy's gun. Meanwhile, the sheriff says Hirston's other passenger, a 15-year-old boy, fled in the truck driving up to 100 miles per hour before purposely ramming this patrol car. The sheriff says the 11-year-old later told investigators he was lured to a campsite and attacked by Hirsten. He was strangled so severely that there were clearly marks on his neck and he actually passed out and probably came very close to dying. Give me your hands. Investigators say Hirsten and the 15-year-old were both arrested for multiple alleged crimes. NBC News has not been able to determine whether either has a lawyer.

Jesse Kirsch, NBC News. Would we return in 60 seconds the new space race meet the Artemis 2 crew preparing to go deeper into space than any human has ever gone before? That's next. Welcome back. The space race is set to here. heat up again with a crew scheduled to make a return visit around the moon traveling further than any humans ever. NBC's senior correspondent Tom Costello has more from Houston. At the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the dawn of a new era in space exploration,

the Artemis II rocket stacked and ready for a February launch and a very big lunar flyby. Commander Reed Weissman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Cook, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. We are ready for every scenario as we ride this amazing space launch system and the Orion spacecraft 250,000 miles away. It's going to be amazing. Farther than any humans have ever traveled from Earth. Artemis 2 is a 10-day mission slingshoting around the moon with four astronauts on board,

testing all of the crew systems before Artemis 3 is set to land on the moon. The Artemis 2 crew will be the first astronauts to travel so close. close to the moon since Apollo 17 and 1972, and then they'll keep going deeper into space. How do you prepare and practice for that, Christina? How do you literally sit elbow to elbow, shoulder to shoulder, no personal privacy, no private space to prepare for this intensity? I think a big part of preparing for being in a small space together is respect and practice, and we have both of those things. If the Artemis 2 mission goes well, an Artemis 3 crew could land on the moon by the end of the decade.

We have liftoff, go super heavy, go starship. Critical to a lunar landing, SpaceX's mega rocket starship, the biggest ever built. In October, a perfect test flight after several test flights ended in explosions earlier in the year. A future moon landing could happen by the end of the decade, but China already has its sights set on the moon. planning to land its own astronauts by 2030, a further incentive for the White House and NASA. We're looking to be the Artemis Generation, and I'm looking forward to us making history of going back to the moon,

but also a sustained presence on the moon. A moon base would allow NASA to set its sights on a Mars landing, but a lot has to go right before that happens, and it all starts with Artemis II, the mission, launching in the new year. Tom Costello, NBC News, Washington. we return how Tesla's slowdown has costed the title of the world's biggest maker of EVs and the bull game entrance gone wrong, a parachute catching on a goalposts before the game even started next. Welcome back. Tesla's car sales have slowed so much it has lost the title

of the world's biggest EV maker. Tesla sold more than 1.6 million vehicles in 2025, but Chinese rival, B.YD, sold more than 2.2 million. Analysts are blaming the declining sales in part because of backlash to CEO Elon Musk's political work, along with expiring tax credits and more competition. And take a look at this moment before the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, Texas. During a pregame demonstration, a parachutist was briefly tangled in the stadium's net behind the goalpost and then fell to the ground there. Another was caught in winds and landed outside the stadium, according to event organizers. No one was hurt, but quite a scene there, even before kickoff.

And in Rhode Island, a dog was out for a walk when officials say it wandered onto a frozen pond and then fell through the ice. Area firefighters donning protective suits, you can see, eventually managing to pull the yellow lab named Phoenix safely back to shore. It's a good dog. When we come back, the photographer whose civil rights work is inspiring a new, generation. When we return. Finally tonight, photographer Cecil Williams has seen it all and captured much of it with his camera. Now his iconic work is going from his museum in South Carolina to the fashion runway. Here's Marquise Francis. Cecil Williams has captured decades of history.

I remember me begging my mother for a camera that was advertised. in Sears Roebuck that cost $75. The 87-year-old photographer documented the civil rights movement in South Carolina, a tapestry of time, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Coretta Scott King, Jesse Jackson, Thurgood Marshall, his images all displayed here in a museum he opened with his wife in Orangeburg, which he plans to expand soon. Civil rights in the pursuit for freedom, justice, and quality really started much earlier here in South Carolina, and I am an eyewitness to that.

In 1951, Williams photographed Briggs v. Elliott, the first case that challenged segregation in the state's public schools, a precursor to Brown v. Board of Education. And these are the shell casings from the 1968 Orangeburg Massacre, where police officers killed three student protesters on a college campus. What do you feel like is the power of an image and the power of photography? I think that the power of photography is often overlooked. It imitates life to the fullest to see. what an image is all about, and so it has that power and that capacity to tell a story much quickly. William's is also an activist, pictured here in 1956, drinking from a whites-only water fountain when he was 25 years old. This was not the first time that I, you might say, defied the laws and the regulations that were in a small town. That image, resonating with a

new generation, Williams invited to this year's New York Fashion Week, all part of a larger lesson. Whenever hate comes along just in general, period, it's not sustainable. It's something that's against mankind, and it won't last. Meaningful moments, now, forever on display. Marquise Francis, NBC News, Orangeburg, South Carolina. An important legacy that will live on for decades. That's Nightly News for this Friday. Make sure to join me right back here tomorrow morning for Saturday today.

For all of us here at Nightly News, have a good night. Thank you.