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

Episode Date: October 3, 2026

Letitia James takes over Cornell rape investigation as special prosecutor; Co-pilot attacker had been banned from flying over his radical views; Newly unsealed police body camera footage shows arrest of Luigi Mangione; 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.

Breaking news tonight, the new special prosecutor taking over the Cornell rape investigation. New York's governor blasting the district attorney and the Ivy League schools police over their handling of the alleged rape, appointing Attorney General Letitia James. The hundreds of pages of evidence NBC News has just obtained. Also breaking new reporting on the fly Dubai attacker, how he was banned from flying in his home country, and the disturbing writings he posted on social. media about Jews, plus the hero pilot speaking out on how he saved everyone on board. Newly unsealed body cam video of Luigi Mangione's arrest, the never-before-seen moments of

the alleged CEO killer getting caught, what he told officers. New details after a death row inmate survived a botched execution, what we've just learned about her condition inside of a hospital. Violent protest erupt across France, a fire set in the shadow of the ice, tower, how student demonstrations quickly spiraled into chaos. Terrifying dash cam video of a school bus filled with children swerving before crashing and flipping. NFL analyst Tony Romo out at CBS, the move coming months after his arrest. Ferris wheels scare a child dangling from a ride, frantic crowd screaming for crews to save him. Holiday airfare soaring tickets for flights reaching a 10-year high when experts say you should book for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Nightly News starts right now. This is NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas. Good evening, and we thank you for joining us on this Friday night. We begin with a major development in the rape accusation, rocking the Ivy League campus of Cornell, with a special prosecutor now taking over the case, calling it an active criminal investigation. New York Governor Kathy Holcomb,

saying today that she believes the former Cornell student who says she was raped by fraternity members back in 2024. And now, Hockel is appointing the state's attorney general, Letitia James, to take over the case. But James, tasked with being an independent prosecutor, being asked about a statement she posted on Facebook that could complicate her role. And tonight, NBC News has obtained hundreds of pages of evidence from the school's investigation. And we have new details tonight about who first brought the case to the authorities, and we're hearing more from the accused men in the weeks that followed about what they say they saw happen inside of the house. We should note this is a very complicated case with a lot of conflicting accounts of exactly

what happened. We begin with Maggie Vespah on the ground at Cornell University in upstate New York. Tonight, the Cornell rape investigation taking a dramatic turn with New York Attorney General Letitia James vowing to pursue criminal charges if the evidence supports. courts them. I know that you want answers. I do too. A comprehensive investigation of this nature takes time, but my office is committed to seeing it through. Governor Kathy Hokel appointing James as special prosecutor saying she's lost faith in the local DA, Matthew Van Houten, who two years ago declined to file charges after a female student, now known as Jane Doe, accused multiple members of the high-five fraternity of assault.

She spoke to the police. She sat for hours and told them exactly what happened to her. In what world does the district attorney not even interview her or anyone else involved or even request the full transcript? James also facing questions about her own comments on the allegations after posting earlier this week that what happened to Jane Doe was horrific and unacceptable. Why did you appoint an official who made a public statement? affirming those allegations as fact as someone who's supposed to be doing an investigation.

I will answer that. I have every confidence in our attorney general. But Hockel, defending her choice. And James, with this response. I will not comment on a Facebook post. Jane Doe's attorney who's representing her in a civil suit against Cornell and seven Kifi members praising the appointment and blasting campus police over their handling of the investigation. They're not dealing with major crimes. They're not dealing with murders. They're dealing with breaking up keg parties, policing footballs, part of the games. NBC News obtaining hundreds of pages of documents from the school's disciplinary proceedings

revealing for the first time that Cordell Police received several tips about a sexual assault at the fraternity house, including from someone identifying themselves as an ex-girlfriend of one of the accused. She said it involved several males, but said her ex was not involved. And included in those documents testimony from months after the end. incident from one of the accused. He says, Girl never cried, never screamed, never asked for help, adding, I asked the complainant if she was okay, to which she responded, yes. Maggie joins us now from Cornell's campus. Maggie, let's go back to that special

prosecutor that's just been appointed. I know you're hearing from an attorney defending one of the accused fraternity members about the special prosecutor. What do they tell you? Yeah, Tom, that's right. The attorney for Scott Kretschmar, one of the seven accused, saying, quote, Scott welcomes a full and thorough investigation into Jane Doe's allegations just as he would have years ago. The attorney also stressing he is not accused of rape. So far, three of the seven accused Khyfi members have spoken out, all of them denying the allegations. Tom. Maggie, we thank you for that. We want to go to a major update we have tonight in the investigation into that co-pilot who tried to fly a jet bound for Israel into the ground in what's now being

called a terror attack. There's new. reporting that he was banned from flying in his home country of Oman over his radical views. And he was vocal on social media about his hatred of Jews, but was still allowed to pilot a commercial jet. Here's Matt Bradley. Tonight, a history of extremism, alarming new details about the co-pilot who stabbed the captain of a flight to Israel and tried to fly the jet into the ground. The Wall Street Journal citing sources familiar with the matter reports that the co-pilot has previously been banned from flying by Oman over concerns he had adopted radical ideological views.

But despite the ban, the pilot, an Omani national, was hired by Fly Dubai. The report saying it could not be determined if Oman ever shared its concerns with other countries or airlines. And tonight, for the first time, a presidential advisor from the United Arab Emirates called the attempted hijacking an act of terrorism. An Israeli official now telling NBC news, investigators have discovered the co-pilot posted on his social media about killing Jews. All as we're hearing for the first time from the heroic Indian captain about those harrowing moments when his co-pilot started stabbing him. I was acting for my own life, Schmidt Machar says, but at the same time, I knew I couldn't let all of them die, telling India's prime minister from his hospital bed how he managed to open

the cockpit door even as he was being attacked. I could sense the aircraft was going down. I could sense the aircraft was going down, I said, Smit, just give one last push. And even while taking hits, I just opened it, he said. Brave passengers then rushing the cockpit, subduing the co-pilot, and taking the aircraft out of the nosedive.

Daniel Schlichter was in the second row and says he could hear Matshar trying to fight off the co-pilot. It felt clearly like it's a fight for their lives. That was a type of sound that sounded like terror attack.

Matt Bradley joins us now live from Tel Aviv. Matt, the co-pilot is now being questioned. And Israel will have a role in this investigation? Yeah, that's right, Tom. We know he was transferred from Saudi Arabia to the UAE, where he's now under arrest. And Israeli officials told me today that Israel has sent representatives

to participate in that investigation. Tom. Matt Bradley for us tonight. Matt, we thank you for that. There is new video that's coming to our newsroom that we want to show you, newly unsealed body camp footage that shows the moment Pennsylvania police approach and arrest Luigi Mangione inside of a local McDonald's.

Here's Stephanie Gosk with that new video. Can you point your mask down real quick for me? New police body cam video released publicly for the first time. It was December 2024. The morning shocked officers in Altoona, Pennsylvania realized the most wanted man in America showed up at their local McDonald's and gave the police a fake ID. What's your real name? Luigi.

Five days after he shot and killed United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan, Luigi Mangione was caught. Are you flying my name? I clearly shouldn't have. Mangione was searched and arrested. At one point, as many as eight police officers were there to assist. The video shown in a pretrial hearing last year was unsealed by the New York state judge, after CNN filed a request.

Now moments like this seen publicly for the first time. Officers searching Mangione's backpack. Surprised to find a magazine wrapped in underwear. It's a damn. 100%. Eventually leading Mangione to the police precinct.

The Ivy League grad was searched again, a gun found in his backpack, along with a silencer. Oh my God. And the Red Notebook where prosecutors alleged Mangione wrote, whack the CEO. In August, Mangione appeared in federal court

admitting he killed Thompson and was guilty of federal stocking charges. His sentencing in federal court is set for December. And with that, Stephanie, Goss, joins us now live in studio. So, Stephanie, we know that Mangione pleaded guilty in the federal case.

So what's going on with the state case? Well, his defense team wants that case tossed. They're calling it double jeopardy. They're going to be in court on December 10th to decide. and then they will be in federal court eight days later for Mangione's sentencing, Tom. All right, Stephanie Goss, good to have you here.

Tonight we're learning new details about the condition of the death row inmate at the center of that failed execution in Tennessee. Attorneys for Krista Pike writing in a new court filing that one of the needles was bent in a 90-degree angle when it was removed and that as of last night, she was intubated on a ventilator and unconscious with hospital staff working to save her life. Okay, we're going to take a turn now because we have a consumer. alert to tell you about September marked an all-time monthly high for jet fuel prices in the U.S., in part because of the war with Iran and refinery disruptions. Those higher prices now impacting the price you can expect to pay for plane tickets this holiday season.

Here's Morgan Chesky. Tonight, ticket sticker shock hitting nationwide with holiday travel prices worrying many. Is anyone else struggling to book a vacation for 2026, 2027? the prices are outrageous. These flight prices are going to be the death of me. I'm going to L.A. next month, and I'm actually sick at how much these flights were going for. Domestic airfare over Thanksgiving is up 31% from last year.

Averaging over $400 round trip, Christmas even higher, up 23%. Many travelers looking for any savings they can find for a cross-country visit. With that sticker shock, it's making the most of every time I am out here to see my family. But yeah, you just know it's going to hurt. The prime driver, months of elevated jet fuel costs tied to the war in Iran, plus steady demand for tickets, pushing holiday airfares to 10-year highs. This will definitely be a holiday season that challenges wallets for many households.

Haley Berg with Hopper says seat cost will remain high for the foreseeable future. We're used to seasonal highs. Any idea how longer this price hike will go? We're expecting prices will stay high for, airfare until there's some relief in jet fuel prices. There will still be deals available for travelers who are a little bit savvier, flexible on when they fly. And it's those higher prices to go home for the holidays that are frustrating for many. For your best chance at savings experts say book those holiday trips by mid-October and also explore various rewards programs, adding that you can also use various AI tools to try to find other deals on those upcoming flights. Tom. Morgan, we thank you.

when we return in 60 seconds, the student protest in France turning violent, what students are fighting for. And what Tony Romo is saying tonight after CBS announced, he's out at the network. That's next. We're back now with a violent protest in France, students blocking access to schools across the country. The students are protesting over classroom conditions. Police using tear gas to break up the crowds. France's education minister said the protest closed more than 400 schools. New video tonight of a school bus crash on a highway in Indianapolis. You see it suddenly swerved to the right to avoid a vehicle that hitting a police truck before it crosses back and overturns, slamming onto its side. Indiana State Police say 24 students were on that bus and that three adults and eight kids were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Also tonight, CBS says Tony Romo is out as an NFL analyst for the network after his arrest back in July on suspicion of drunk driving. CBS saying that the decision was mutual and that they thanked Romo for his contributions to the network. Romo says that he's planning to take a break to focus on his health and his family. And a scary moment in Mexico looked closely after this boy somehow wound up hanging from a ferris wheel, prompting a race to rescue him. You see it there, the workers getting on ladders to ultimately grab him and bring him to safety. He was reunited with his parents and is doing okay. That's nightly news for this Friday. I'm Tom Yamas. We thank you so much for watching tonight. Always, we're here for you.

Good night.