NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Monday, May 26, 2025

Episode Date: May 27, 2025

Car collides with pedestrians celebrating in Liverpool; Severe weather threatens 12 million during Memorial Day travel; Trump marks Memorial Day and lashes out at Harvard; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, the nightmare at a championship parade when a driver plows into a massive crowd. The alarming video showing a minivan striking multiple pedestrians. The driver careening down a street full of soccer fans at a championship parade. That driver under arrest. What authorities are saying tonight? President Trump's growing showdown with Harvard threatening to revoke $3 billion in grants and give it to trade schools instead. Plus the new delay on his EU tariffs and the president's rebuke of Vladimir Putin calling

him absolutely crazy after Russia's latest attacks on Ukraine. The brazen prison escape how a former police chief and convicted murderer disguised himself in order to break out the urgent manhunt. The new video of a tourist racing to find police after escaping the apartment of a crypto millionaire who allegedly kidnapped him and tortured him to get his password. Summer travel deals how you can score major savings including the lowest airfares in years. The battle of the blockbusters Lilo and Stitch versus Mission Impossible, who came out on

top and saluting America's fallen, a Memorial Day homecoming 80 years in the making. This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome. There is breaking news from overseas as we join you tonight. Another vehicle ramming into crowds, leaving numerous people injured. This one in Liverpool, England, many of the victims soccer fans who had been celebrating a title victory. I want to warn you, some of the images and descriptions are graphic.

Local police calling it a major incident after a van collided with the crowd where thousands gathered for a parade celebrating Liverpool's English Premier League victory. Video of the incident captured fans appearing to swarm the vehicle before and after it drove into the crowd. Other images show apparent victims being treated on streets that were littered with debris and belongings. A 53-year-old man was detained by police at the scene, authorities not saying what triggered the tragic incident.

Molly Hunter is in the UK and has late details. Tonight, tens of thousands of people lining the streets of Liverpool for a parade to celebrate their home team's win, when a black van veered into crowds of pedestrians. We didn't see how quick it was coming. We just jumped out the way it was literally like seconds. We felt the swoosh of the car go past and it was millimetres, centimetres away. Just after 6 p.m. chaotic scenes playing out the van then coming to a stop and crowds surrounding the vehicle. We believe this to be an isolated incident. The incident is not being treated as terrorism. Police saying tonight they've arrested a 53 year old white British man from the Liverpool

area. Extensive inquiries ongoing to establish the circumstances leading up to the collision. It was meant to be a joyous day celebrating Liverpool Football Club's trophy win. The club saying in a statement, we will continue to offer our full support to the emergency services. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer calling the scenes appalling, thanking emergency services for their swift response to this shocking incident. And Molly, we're now learning about those who were injured, including some people trapped under the vehicle.

Lester, that's right. Emergency services say four people were underneath the vehicle, including a child. When they arrived, they treated 20 people on the scene with minor injuries. Twenty-seven people were taken to the hospital. And two of those, including one child, had serious injuries. Lester. Molly Hunter, thank you.

We turn now to President Trump marking this Memorial Day, honoring fallen service members at Arlington National Cemetery. But also today, escalating his showdown with Harvard University. Here's Kelly O'Donnell. As the nation remembers, a solemn tradition, President Trump honoring the supreme sacrifice that rests at Arlington National Cemetery. In a ceremony steeped in patriotism the president spoke of courage across history as well as the bravery of fallen

soldiers whose families were there today. All of America shares in your grief and more importantly we share in your pride in your wonderful son. The president who often invokes partisan politics briefly caught himself in this setting. Not for today to discuss, but the republic that is now doing so very well, we're doing so very well right now, considering the circumstances. But he had already woven in criticism of former President Biden.

That was a hard four years we went through. Who would let that happen? People pouring through our borders unchecked. Away from the solemnity of this day, the president reignited his fire on social media aimed at a frequent target, Harvard University. In a new threat, the president writes, I'm considering taking $3 billion of grant money away and giving it to trade schools all across our land. However, some of that funding is authorized for medical and scientific research not done at trade schools.

In another post tied to immigration, the president demanded the foreign student list from Harvard as a means for his administration to limit entry of students he called radicalized lunatics, troublemakers all. Harvard says it has complied with the administration's request for information. The university's president has described the actions as retaliation for our refusal to surrender our academic independence. And Kelly, the president also announcing a change to his plan to place tariffs on imports from the EU.

What's the latest on all this? After a Sunday call with the president of the European Union, President Trump said he would delay for several weeks his planned 50 percent tariff on European goods to give the EU more time to negotiate. Today, their top trade official said that he is staying in constant contact with the Trump administration. Lester? Kelly O'Donnell, thank you. President Trump also taking aim at Vladimir Putin today, saying he's gone absolutely crazy

after Russia carried out a series of large air attacks in Ukraine. Here's Raf Sanchez. Tonight, hopes of a ceasefire in Ukraine are fading fast. After days of deadly Russian airstrikes, President Trump declaring Vladimir Putin has gone absolutely crazy. Update, I'm not happy with what Putin's doing. He's killing a lot of people and I don't know what the hell happened to Putin.

We're in the middle of talking and he's shooting rockets into Kiev and other cities. I don't like it at all. In response, the Kremlin suggesting Trump may be suffering an emotional overload. It's a major shift from last week when Trump said he had an excellent two-hour phone call with Putin and claimed peace talks would begin immediately. Instead, Russia unleashing what Ukraine says are some of the largest attacks of the entire war, firing more than 700 missiles and drones and killing at least 18 civilians, including

several children, according to Ukrainian officials. Let the world wake up and see how long can they bomb children, this to Ukrainian officials. Let the world wake up and see. How long can they bomb children, this woman asks. President Volodymyr Zelensky urging the U.S. to impose further sanctions on Russia, saying America's silence and the silence of others around the world only encourages Putin. And no sign the president's angry words about Putin will be followed by action. He isn't committing to any new sanctions on Russia. Lester Raff Sanchez tonight.

Thank you. Turning now to that brazen prison break in Arkansas, where a former police chief convicted of murder is now on the run. It comes as five escape inmates in Louisiana also remain on the loose. Priscilla Thompson now with the latest. Police in Arkansas on the hunt for thisiscilla Thompson now with the latest. Police in Arkansas on the hunt for this man, Grant Harden, a convicted murderer and rapist. Seen here, the Department of Corrections says escaping from a prison in Calico Rock Sunday

through a Sally port wearing a DOC style uniform, pulling a dolly. He saw an opportunity and he took it. The DOC says it's investigating how Hardin got those materials and if he had help. All it takes is you know, being able to find a way to get out of this area and he could be anywhere in the state. Investigators warn Hardin, a former Arkansas police chief now serving a 30 year sentence is considered extremely

dangerous. Whenever there's an inmate this case, especially someone who carries a term like he does, there's always that thought of they really have nothing to lose. This, the latest in a string of prison breaks. In New Orleans, police are still searching for five fugitives more than a week after this brazen escape. NOPD releasing new video showing teams executing a warrant in tactical gear with rifles as

the net of alleged accomplices grows. At least 12 people have now been arrested in charge with assisting in the escape or helping the inmates once out, per court records and local reports. Tonight, authorities in both states turning to the public to help bring these men back to justice. Priscilla Thompson, NBC News. We're also following new details tonight in that shocking crypto kidnapping case here in New York City.

Court documents describe how the alleged victim escaped the high-end townhouse after weeks of torture. Our Emily Akedanow with new developments and that new video, Emily. Yeah, Lester, that's right. We're getting a look at the alleged kidnapping victim an Italian businessman for the first time seen running barefoot and flagging a police officer for help an exclusive surveillance video obtained by WNBC authorities say the unnamed victim was tortured in a luxury New York City townhouse for weeks by business partners in a

Twisted scheme to steal his Bitcoin the 28 28-year-old escaped after he promised to provide his crypto password, but ran out when the defendant went to retrieve his laptop according to a bail application. Crypto investor John Waltz was arrested Friday and now faces numerous charges, including assault and kidnapping. His attorney declining to comment.

Meantime, law enforcement sources say an accomplice in the brazen crime is expected to turn himself in this week. OK, Emily, thank you. Now to the mission to find out what happened to four Americans kidnapped and killed by ISIS. A group of former FBI agents is now searching for answers. Richard Engel takes us inside Syria.

After a nearly two-hour drive across northern Syria, the team of forensic investigators arrives at a hill on the edge of the village of Dabak and gets to work. This is the intersection. This is the intersection right here. They're searching the hilltop for the long missing remains of ISIS hostages, including American aid workers and journalists, Kayla Mueller, Steven S Sotloff James Foley and Peter Kessig for the first time they're looking on the spot where investigators suspect Isis may have buried them. The search is led by the

Sufan group a private company of mostly former FBI and counterterrorism officers they're working pro bono on behalf of the hostage families in coordination with but independently from the US government. This mission is really one of the most important missions anybody can do. We're doing this for the families. We really want to make sure that the families have proper closure. The expedition was funded and run by the Qatari government. There is a very specific reason why this hill this area was so important to ISIS this is not back and in Islamic tradition

there according to Islamic prophecies this is Armageddon this is where the apocalypse takes place. I says propaganda spoke frequently about the importance of controlling this holy site. After bulldozing a berm they make a grim discovery remains on the exact place where an ISIS executioner made a gruesome video showing the partial remains of American hostage Peter Kessig.

It's too early to tell this year. Another. Western or local good news is we did find someone someone is going to have. The good news is we did find someone. Someone is going to have closure. Over four long days in the sun, they locate at least a dozen victims, now undergoing DNA analysis, as families await closure after more than a decade. Richard Engel, NBC News, Dabak, Syria.

We'll take a short break here with a kickoff to the summer travel season, the big savings you can find on airfare right now. The unofficial start to the summer travel season is here offering some of the cheapest airfares in years. Brian Schung explains. As summer travel heats up, airfares are cooling down. travel heats up airfares are cooling down this summer travel website hopper says the average round trip domestic ticket cost $265 the lowest since 2021 is 2025 the best year for summer travel deals that you've seen in some while

yeah 2025 is definitely the best in the last several years Brian Kelly is the points guy and says he's noticing the same with even hot itineraries like a July 4 trip trending down 10% compared to last year. Airlines and hotels are offering discounts like I've never seen. So if you've been on the sidelines now might be the best time to book the slump in prices. The airline strategy for enticing travelers that are increasingly opting for the gas station over the airport this summer amid concerns over flying and the budget burden of tariffs a recent survey noted that about 70% of travelers this

year are planning on road tripping the highest since at least 2022 drivers are getting a boost from cheaper gas to which triple a saying the average gallon of gas is down over 40 cents compared to a year ago. Deborah Davis in Arkansas was hoping to leave the state this summer but now says she's going to keep this year's vacations within a year ago. Deborah Davis in Arkansas was hoping to lead the state this summer, but now says she's going to keep this year's vacations within a drive's distance. I don't like to go anywhere where I have to worry about

what if I spend this, you know, I may have this bill come up when I get home. And Brian with us right now for people on the computer right now trying to figure out the best way to do this. What's some advice? Yeah, Lester, some protests for people that might be trying to book as we speak right now. First off, use price tracking tools to make sure that you can monitor any drops in fare.

And remember that the best deals tend to be bookings on Wednesdays and Saturdays. And Expedia does say for this summer specifically, the best times to book in terms of both cheap fares and also avoiding crowds would be in late August. All right, Brian, thanks so much. We are back in a moment with a battle of the summer blockbusters, which movie took home the top spot at the box office? At a volcano erupting on Hawaii's Big Island,

we have the incredible images next. ["The Big Island"] Let's turn out of the battle at the box office this holiday weekend at number one, the live action remake of Lilo and Stitch setting a Memorial Day weekend record taking in over $300 million around the world. Mission Impossible came in second. We're getting some amazing images from Hawaii tonight.

The Kilauea volcano erupting on Hawaii's Big Island, setting plumes 5,000 feet into the air. It's one of the most active volcanoes in the world. The eruption lasted for about six hours. And former New York Congressman Charles Rangel has died. He represented Harlem in Congress for nearly five decades and was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, eventually becoming the first black chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, he was 94 years old. When we come back, saluting America's fallen, the soldier recovered decades after he died in battle, laid to rest on Memorial Day in his hometown.

Finally, on this Memorial Day, the story of a homecoming more than 80 years in the making. Aaron Gilchrist has our story. These letters, for years, a family's only connection to the soldier they never knew. I remember when I was six or seven years old, Mom told us that she had an older brother, but he died in the war. Twenty-one-year-old Lieutenant Thomas Kelly Jr. and the crew of the B-24 bomber named Heaven Can Wait shot down in March 1944 off the coast of what's now Papua New Guinea. The military searched for years after World War II.

The crew later classified as missing in action. That all changed in 2013 when Scott Althaus, a cousin of Lieutenant Kelly, started collecting historical records and eyewitness accounts. The narrow goal was just what can we learn about how he died and maybe where he died. Enter Project Recover, a nonprofit that works around the globe to search for and recover America's MIAs for families needing closure. We're going to do everything we can to find out what happened to their loved ones and bring them home. In 2017, Project Recover went to Papua New Guinea with sonar, underwater robots and archaeological tools. 213 feet below the surface, Heaven Can Wait emerged. All of us in the room knew exactly what it was and we had found it.

In 2023, the U.S. military launched a 37-day recovery mission, carefully excavating the wreckage site, finding clues, relics, and most importantly, human remains. DNA testing so far has accounted for four of the missing crew members. Today, a hometown said goodbye to one of those heroes, Army Air Force Bombardier Secondnd Lieutenant Thomas V. Kelly Jr., accounted for September 25, 2024. Eighty-one years after he died in battle, Tommy laid to rest next to his parents and sister. He's coming to where he should be.

Found and finally at peace. Aaron Gilchrist, NBC News, Livermore, California. And that is NBC Nightly News for this Monday. Thank you for watching. I'm Lester Holt. Please take care of yourself and each other. Good night.