NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Friday, June 27, 2025

Episode Date: June 28, 2025

Trump cancels trade talks with Canada; In a win for Trump, Supreme Court limits nationwide injunctions; Inside GOP battle to pass Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, the sudden explosion in the trade war. President Trump drawing battle lines again with Canada. The president abruptly ending all US trade talks with Canada, furious over a new tax on American tech companies. Trump saying we have all the cards. The president also sending a new message to the Ayatollah and threatening to bomb Iran again. Plus the landmark Supreme Court case

limiting federal judges, the impact on their ability to stop presidential executive orders. What happens next with birthright citizenship and why one justice wrote, "'No right is safe in the new regime the court creates.'" We take you inside the battle over the big, beautiful bill, Ryan Nobles on Capitol Hill,

getting answers on what's in, what's out, and why President Trump is now working the phones to get votes. The jury said to get the case in the Sean Diddy Combs trial, the Rapmogles defense team in their closing arguments admitting Combs was abusive and a swinger, but was not guilty of sex trafficking. The subway inferno caught caught on surveillance how a casual

commute rapidly turned into a fiery death trap danger at the beach, a teenage lifeguard just impaled by a beach umbrella it happens more than you think tonight a survivor making it his life mission to make them safer record auction you won't believe how much this Michael Jordan rookie card just sold for. And there's good news tonight, the change of heart that turned three strangers into three amigos. Nightly News starts right now. This is NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamares. And good evening. Tonight a new tech twist in the president's trade war with Canada.

The president announcing he's ending trade talks with Canada, effective immediately. After Canada moved to tax companies like Amazon, Google, Meta and Uber, President Trump riding the move is a direct and blatant attack on our country. All of it as the Supreme Court delivered a big win to the Trump administration, reigning in federal judges power to stop presidential executive orders. Part of that battle over birthright citizenship. Our team is across it tonight

and we start with Gabe Gutierrez at the White House. Tonight, President Trump vowing to expand his trade war, cutting off trade talks with Canada because of a new Canadian tax on American tech companies, calling it a direct and blatant attack on our country. It's not going to work out well for Canada. They were foolish to do it. So I said we're going to stop all negotiations with Canada right now until they straighten

out their act. The president says a new tariff on Canada would be announced within a week. We have all the cards, we have every single one, we don't want to do anything bad, but economically we have such power over Canada. I'd rather not use it. Canada is the second largest US trading partner. It's Prime Minister responding to the president's latest move late today. We'll continue to conduct these complex negotiations in the best interest of Canadians.

It's a negotiation. The president today, in a wide-ranging news conference, also slammed the Iran supreme leader for his first public comment since the U.S. airstrikes on the country's nuclear program, insisting the U.S. achieved nothing. You're a man of great faith, a man who's highly respected in this country. You have to tell the truth, you got beat to hell. And Israel was beat up too. While Iran's foreign minister today

acknowledging US airstrikes had inflicted significant and serious damage to its nuclear sites. President Trump was also asked if Iran tried to enrich uranium again to a concerning level. Would you consider bombing the country again? Sure, without question, absolutely. All right, Gabe Gutierrez joins us now. Gabe, let's go back to that clash with Canada. The threat of new tariffs not stopping Wall Street and some 401ks from reaching record highs today.

Yes, Tom, the S&P 500 closed at a new record high. The tech-heavy NASDAQ also just hit a new all-time high, despite all that trade uncertainty. And today, the Treasury secretary also signaled the administration could push past its self-imposed July 9th deadline for more trade deals. Tom? Okay, Gabe Gutierrez, thanks for that. Now to the big day, the Supreme Court

delivering a major victory to President Trump, limiting the ability of individual federal judges to put the brakes on his executive orders. Laura Jarrett has this one. Tonight, a sweeping victory for the president in his battle with federal judges who blocked key portions of his agenda. This was a big decision. An amazing decision. The justices in a 6 to 3 ruling significantly limiting the power of individual lower court judges to issue decisions with nationwide effect. Those judges handing down more than 2 dozen injunctions blocking Trump

executive actions as of May for military service to federal funding to the focus of the current case a nationwide injunction halting his executive order banning birthright citizenship. We've seen a handful of radical left judges effectively try to overrule the rightful powers of the president to stop the American people from getting the policies that they voted for in record numbers. Just as Amy Coney Barrett writing for the conservative

majority today finding lower court judges have gone too far with their nationwide orders, writing when a court concludes that the executive branch has acted unlawfully, the answer is not for the court to exceed its power to the ruling, sparking a pointed clash between the justices. Liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissenting, saying, today's decision is not just egregiously wrong, it is also a travesty for the rule of law. The high court not asked to rule on the merits of the president's effort to ban the birthright citizenship provided under the Constitution

to the babies of undocumented immigrants. That was meant for the babies of slaves. It wasn't meant for people trying to scam the system and come into the country on a vacation. One of the undocumented pregnant women who originally sued the Trump administration with her baby now due in two weeks, asking to remain anonymous today, telling us she is very sad, not knowing if her child will be granted citizenship. The last question that was the first question that was the event that going to keep fighting. Meantime the high

court also waiting into fresh clashes over the First Amendment. The conservative majority finding Maryland parents are now allowed to withdraw their children from public school on days that books with gay and transgender themes are taught and upholding a Texas law requiring the users of websites with sexually explicit material provide identification verifying they're over 18. And with that Laura Jarrett joins us now in studio.

So Laura, walk our viewers through what happens now with birthright citizenship. Yeah, Tom, we're already seeing some action in the lower courts tonight. People scrambling to try to get judges to agree with them that they still need nationwide relief under this decision, which means this is eventually going to end up right back at the Supreme Court, Tom. All right, Laura, Jerry, first, Laura, thank you.

Also tonight, President Trump tonight making an all out push to pass his big, beautiful bill, canceling his weekend travel to work the phones. But can he convince enough Republican senators to get on board? Ryan Nobles has been tracking the fast-moving developments all day from the Hill. Tonight, new battle lines over what President Trump calls his big, beautiful bill. It seems like there's a lot of thorny issues that you've got to work through. This is called, I think you guys have said, making the sausage. So we're making the sausage right now.

President Trump making a last minute sales pitch for this massive bill that delivers on a slew of his campaign promises it's a great bill. It's a massive tax cut from a 4.5 trillion dollar extension of the Trump tax cuts to hundreds of billions of dollars in funding for his mass deportation plan plus eliminating taxes on tips and overtime. It's a great bill. It's a popular bill but we'll get no Democrats only because they don't want to vote for

Trump they have Trump derangement syndrome at levels never seen before. Democrats slamming the Republican bills cuts to social programs like food stamps and Medicaid, including imposing work requirements for those benefits Democrats say that hurts vulnerable people. Of course Americans hate this bill it steals their Medicaid it jacks up their premiums. But tonight, it's Republicans that cannot get on the same

page North Carolina's Tom Tillis concerned about the impacts on rural hospitals. As we're moving and trying to make changes. Wisconsin's Ron Johnson telling us the bill does not cut enough spending. Is there any one particular thing that you're still fighting for at this point? President Trump said he wanted the Senate to make the bill better. I'd like to make it much better. Whatever the Senate passes must once again pass the House. We press Speaker Mike Johnson.

Could they be surprised by what the Senate sends them back? Well, look, I haven't slept maybe six hours this week because I'm on the phone all the time with members. The vast majority of Republicans support this bill, and President Trump said that he's open to moving the July 4th deadline. The Senate could begin voting as soon as tomorrow. Tom? Brian Nobles for us tonight.

Ryan, we thank you. The jury in the Sean Diddy Combs trial expected to start deliberating on Monday as the defense delivered closing arguments today. Combs, who was charged with sex trafficking and racketeering, could face up to life in prison. Chloe Moloss was inside the courtroom today. Tonight, Sean Combs' defense team making their closing arguments in his criminal trial. As six combs, his children looked on his attorney Mark Agnifilo telling the jury that this is a tale of 2 trials and badly exaggerated combs is charged with 2 counts of

transportation to engage in prostitution 2 counts of sex trafficking and one count of racketeering. Agnifilo trying to discredit allegations of kidnapping briberybery, and arson, but prosecutors painting a different picture over the last seven weeks, calling 34 witnesses, ranging from alleged victims and escorts to Combs' former assistants, and telling jurors in their closing argument that Combs used power, violence, and fear to get what he wanted, alleging he ran a criminal enterprise, calling it Combs' kingdom,

where everyone was there to serve him. And that prosecutors say Combs physically abused and sex trafficked former girlfriends, Cassie Ventura, and another woman, forcing them to take drugs and have sex with male escorts. But Combs' lawyer saying that there is no evidence to support this, and that it was a swinger's lifestyle. Also playing this hotel security video of Combs beating Ventura in 2016, saying if he

was charged with domestic violence, he would have pled guilty, adding it's a state crime. Going on to call Ventura the real winner for walking away from her 2023 civil lawsuit against Combs with a $30 million settlement. They basically said, my client did a lot of bad things, but he's not charged with those bad things. He's charged with these very specific federal crimes and the government can't prove those. Tom, Monday morning, the judge is going to charge the jury

and then they're going to begin deliberations. Chloe Molosfer, Chloe, thank you. In breaking tonight, one of the escaped New Orleans inmates has been captured. Antoine Massey has been on the run for more than a month and is the ninth inmate taken back into custody. You may remember these videos of him surfaced online in the days after his escape.

The Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office says only one more inmate remains on the run. Now to our series, the cost of denial and the dispute between a health care giant and a world-renowned cancer hospital. Erin McLaughlin tonight on the patients now caught in the middle. Diagnosed with a rare incurable stomach cancer, two and a half years ago, Lee Kastler turned to New York-based Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Do you feel like your life depends on being treated here?

Yes. Yes. No question about it. Known as MSK, it's one of the top cancer centers in the country, now mired in a contract dispute with one of the nation's largest health insurers, UnitedHealthcare, one that Kassler says has left him completely confused. If this contract ends, do you know what that means for you? Not yet. The current contract expires Monday. MSK will soon be out of network for thousands

of MSK patients like Kassler. The two sides in a bitter and public feud over reimbursement rates. Quite frankly UHC is prioritizing profits over patients. MSK's chief medical officer officer saying United pays them at rates lower than other major insurers. We're really just asking for sustainable rates that really cover the cost of that quality cancer care that we give. United says its priorities are helping patients access the quality care they need while making health care as affordable as possible. UHC's chief medical officer told us Lee Kastler should not worry.

He will be able to keep his doctor as long as he needs to be treated for his active cancer care diagnosis. New York State law requires continuity of care for patients like Kastler in active treatment for 90 days, but this is why communication is key. Look at this right here on UnitedHealthcare's own website. It says if you are in the middle of treatment with an MSK provider at the time they go out of network, you may qualify for continuity of care. May qualify. The answer is I should, but until I see that in writing officially, you know, it's

uncertain. As recently as yesterday, MSK also said there was no certainty for its patients. Right now there are approximately 19,000 patients who are at risk of having their cancer care disrupted. United says MSK continues to share inaccurate information regarding continuity of care, creating additional fear. Care is not being stopped for patients undergoing cancer treatment.

We do not deny continuity of care requests that are inactive treatment, and we will continue to pay claims throughout their course of treatment. But this was news to Kassler and MSK. Late today, after we pressed for clarification, UnitedHealthcare sent NBC News this new statement, saying after the 90 days required by law for eligible individuals the continuity of care period could be

longer depending on the individual's condition and if they remain in ongoing treatment with their provider. The words could and depending leaving Kastler uncertain and unsettled about his care continuing past the 90 days. I have received no such assurance nothing nothing in writing, absolutely not. You're in the dark. Yes, yes. And that's stressful. You know Tom Lee says United told him it is sending letters to patients by the end of the month. He's hoping that will be the assurance in writing he's been waiting for.

Yeah, so many patients confused tonight. All right, we thank you for that, Erin. Still ahead, how umbrellas can quickly become missiles. Just ask this man his recovery and simple solution about how to keep people safe. That's next. We're back now with an urgent warning for beachgoers this summer after a freak accident left one New Jersey lifeguard hospitalized. Julie circuitkin reports on the new safety standard that could keep your umbrella in the sand and out of the air. Tonight this 18 year old lifeguard is speaking out after a freak accident on a New Jersey beach. Alex, who only wanted us to use her first name to protect her privacy, describing the frightening

moments when she was impaled by a beach umbrella this week was a fever dream. Like it still doesn't feel real. First responders rushed to the scene. They cut the umbrella on both ends so they could remove that part of it. Alex is now out of the hospital and beginning her road to recovery.

I'm just gonna go back and keep living life as normal. It's a story all too familiar for Ed Quigley. An umbrella is a javelin with a sail attached. Ed nearly died after being struck in the eye by a rogue beach umbrella in 2015.

Since then he's made it his mission to improve beach umbrella safety. Now how difficult is it to pull this umbrella out without the anchor? Nothing at all. Pointing beachgoers to a new voluntary safety standard from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Basically what it is, is an anchor device that provides 75 pounds of resistance to lift. This is actually the anchor.

The umbrella goes through the center. It's a little more involved than what you might be used to. We want to take this other loop up here and then we just finish it off a little bit on the sides. The result shade that's much safer. Anybody tries to lift this umbrella.

It's about 120 pounds,, it's about 120 pounds. So it's not going anywhere. Julie Sergin, NBC News, Wildwood, New Jersey. And when we return, the nightmare on a subway, terrifying security video showing a man lighting this subway car on fire. Plus why the University of Virginia's president says he's stepping down. That's why the University of Virginia's president says he's stepping down. That's next. Back now with the University of Virginia's president announcing he's stepping down after

pressure from the Trump administration. James Ryan writing an open letter to the school saying he cannot fight the federal government to save his own job. It comes after the New York Times reported the Trump Justice Department demanded he resign amid investigation into the school's DEI programs, according to three people that were briefed on the matter. Also tonight, a truly terrifying moment on a subway. Look at this.

In the middle of the aisle, a man pouring gasoline all over the subway car in Seoul, South Korea. The people on board scrambling to get out, some people slipping and falling before it goes up in flames. Officials in South Korea say six people were injured and that suspect was charged. And guess how much this card is worth? Two and a half million dollars. That's how much the winning bidder paid at Pharrell Williams Auction House, Jupiter,

to take home this autographed Michael Jordan rookie card from the 86 to 87 season. It's the most expensive Jordan rookie card ever sold and the third most expensive Jordan card sale that is known to the public. Okay, when we come back heart to heart, the three men waiting for heart transplants gaining something else in the meantime, a lifelong friendship. The good news about this unlikely trio. That's next. a long friendship, the good news about this unlikely trio that's next. Finally tonight, there's good news at a San Diego about three men who all needed heart transplants. In their journey to live longer, they found each other.

Here's Priscilla Thompson. We've got some news. It was the news 41 year old, Martine Ortiz had been waiting months to hear. We have a heart for you. Martin shaking his head in disbelief before bursting into tears. What went through your mind?

I couldn't believe it, I just felt excited. And he wasn't the only patient happy to hear it. I ran straight ahead to his room. Congratulations. You see martine Est and Gabriel Casas had be in San Diego since Febuar transplants. The trio af

three amigos with broken all found each other. Did at all? Yes, of course. Y but now you have a like I I want to go see Martin or want to go see him. Yeah. Do you have something else to do besides wait? Then one by one each got their heart. First Esteban in March, then Gabriel in April, and finally Martin ringing the victory bell Thursday. What has this brotherhood meant to you all?

It meant everything because we, we needed each other. Just made me feel alive again. My brothers in heart, no more broken hearts. Finding something perhaps even more rare than a new heart at their age. New friendships to last a lifetime. Priscilla Thompson, NBC News. And that's nightly news for this Friday. I'm Tom Yama.

Thanks so much for watching. Make sure to catch Jose and Hallie this weekend. And remember, tonight and always, we're here for you. Good night.