NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Monday, September 22, 2025

Episode Date: September 23, 2025

Disney announces Kimmel show will return to air on Tuesday following suspension; Trump links acetaminophen use in pregnancy to autism, without clear evidence; Tens of thousands attend emotional service for Charlie Kirk; 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, Jimmy Kimmel returning to TV. Just days after Disney announced it was pulling him off the air indefinitely. Kimmel's suspension reversed after days of fallout. The company saying it pulled the show because of ill-time comments. But hundreds of stars, including Tom Hanks, and Meryl Streep, called the move a dark moment for freedom of speech. This just in the White House's controversial autism announcement, linking acetaminopin during pregnancy to autism.

The president multiple times saying, don't take Tylenol, though its maker insisting it's safe. Tens of thousands gathering for Charlie Kirk's memorial, the emotional moment his wife said, I forgive him about her husband's killer. But in the next speech, President Trump's saying he hates his opponents, and tonight how he's directing his AG to target political foes. As Israeli strikes blast through Gaza City,

The clash at the United Nations as more than a hundred nations recognize a Palestinian state. Priced out how rising housing prices have forced a growing number of Americans to move into RVs. Tonight will show you life in these cramped spaces. Build a fortune, the surprising stock surge, not from a tech company, but from Build a Bear, how the beloved toy store is crushing economic expectations. And no laughing matter in the middle of a comedy show. show, a man collapses from cardiac arrest, how the crowd worked together to save his life. We reunite them tonight. Nightly News starts right now.

This is NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas. And good evening. It's been nearly a week since Jimmy Kimmel's show was suspended, but starting tomorrow, the late-night comedian will be on the air once again. Disney announcing Kimmel's return after what it calls. thoughtful conversations, saying it pulled the show last week because of comments that were ill-timed and thus insensitive. ABC and Disney faced pressure from the FCC and major station groups after Kimmel made the comments in the wake of Charlie Kirk's killing. But the suspension was met with concerns about freedom of speech. In Hollywood, you see the list here, hundreds

including Merrill Streep and Jennifer Anniston, signed an open letter condemning the suspension. Kimmel himself has been silent so far, but what was the list? he have to say when he comes back. Liz Kreutz starts us off tonight. Tonight, after nearly a week of silence, Disney announcing Jimmy Kimmel will be back on the air Tuesday night. The company says the reversal comes after days of thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, adding Kimmel's show was suspended last week to avoid further inflaming a tense situation, calling his comments in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination, ill-timed and thus insensitive. We hit some new lows over the weekend with the Maga Gang desperately trying to

characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from. Disney and ABC pulled Kimmel off the air after pressure from the FCC chairman and two major television station ownership groups who said they'd stop airing the show following conservative outrage over Kimmel's comments. Sinclair, which owns dozens of ABC stations nationwide, previously said it would not air Jimmy Kimmel live again unless the comedian apologized to the Kirk family and made a donation. to them and Turning Point USA. Tonight, Sinclair saying they do not plan to run tomorrow's show, writing, discussions

with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show's potential return. Free speech is under attack. The decision to put Kimmel back on the air comes as Disney faces mounting backlash, including protests and calls to boycott the company. I'm canceling my Disney Plus. Today, ABC's The View, finally addressing the controversy. The government cannot. cannot apply pressure to force someone to be silenced.

Two days after Kimmel was pulled off the air, police say 64-year-old Annibald Hernandez-Sentana fired shots into an ABC station in Sacramento. Tonight, the district attorney telling NBC news, investigators found anti-Trump notes in his home and that they believe Kimmel's suspension may have been a factor. We're still looking and investigating the case, but he chose a very particular target.

And with the notes that he left behind, I think there's circumstantial evidence there to show that this was politically motivated crime by this individual. Hernandez-Sentana, a retired state lobbyist, was first arrested by local police on Friday, but released on bail. The FBI then stepped in and re-arrested him. His attorney says he plans to plead not guilty

to the number of state and federal charges he now faces. Liz joins us now live, Liz. question, do we know if Kimmel is going to apologize? Tom, we don't know the answer to that, but we do know that Jimmy Kimmel does plan to address his suspension tomorrow night. The other big question is whether other local station groups like Nextstar will follow Sinclair's suit and not air the show. We have reached out to Nextstar for comment so far, have not heard back. Tom. All right, Liz Kreutz with that new reporting tonight, Liz, we thank you. At the White House today, President Trump said pregnant women

should not take acetaminopin, the active ingredient in Tylenol, saying there is a link to autism and children. But doctors say studies going back decades show the medicine is safe during pregnancy. Here's Ann Thompson. Taking Tylenol is not good. All right, I'll say it. It's not good. In a rambling statement, long on opinion, but with little new science, President Donald Trump

said the FDA would tell doctors that the use of acetamination, Minifin or Tylenol in pregnancy can increase the risk of autism. If you're pregnant, don't take Tylenol. FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty McCarrie pointing to several studies, including one from Mount Sinai, that says prenatal exposure may increase the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism, but that further research is needed to confirm these associations and determine causality and mechanisms. Tylenol's makers strongly disagreeing with the White House saying in a statement that a decade of rigorous research

confirms there is no credible evidence linking acetaminopin to autism. And the medical community is not changing its guidance. Tonight, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists still says it is safe to take acetaminopin during pregnancy. We've been studying that medication for over 20 years. There have been numerous, numerous, well-designed trials that have come. out that have showed safety and efficacy. The federal government says it's spending $50 million to look for the cause of autism. Despite decades of research showing no connection between vaccines and autism, today

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. brought it up again. One area that we are closely examining as the president mentioned is vaccines. Camie Schall is a nurse. Show me the science. Show me the good studies. You know, show me, show me, show me repeat studies. Her middle child, Jeffrey, has autism. So adding more uncertainty, especially with something that I can't change, is just makes things more confusing and more frustrating and doesn't actually help our kids or the families. Okay, with that, Anne joins us now live in studio. So, Ann, besides sending this letter to doctors, is the administration taking any other

action? They are. Secretary Kennedy says that they will start the process of a safety label change on acetaminopin products, as well as a national public service campaign. And it will also encourage clinicians to use the lowest dose of acedominin for the shortest period of time if it's necessary for pregnant women, Tom. Okay. And we thank you. President Trump tonight also calling for his attorney general to investigate some of his political opponents. It comes after he joined tens of thousands at that emotional service for Charlie Kirk. Here's Gary. President Trump with another push for Attorney General Pam Bondi. I just want people to act.

After his controversial post, urging her to prosecute three of his political foes. The president's Saturday night posting about former FBI director James Comey, Democratic Senator Adam Schiff, and New York's Democratic Attorney General Letitia James, writing, They impeached me twice and indicted me five times over nothing. Justice must be served now. Nixon had his enemies list, but it wasn't so exhaustive and blatant as this. But the White House tonight insisting, the president is not weaponizing the DOJ. He wants accountability for these corrupt fraudsters who

abuse their power. It comes after tens of thousands packed the memorial service for conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The gun was pointed at him, but the bullet was aimed at all of us. With the president embracing Kirk's widow, Erica. After Charlie's assassination, we didn't see violence. We didn't see rioting. We didn't see revolution. Instead, we saw what my husband always prayed he would see in this country. We saw revival. In one of the most poignant moments of the night, just 11 days after her husband's murder,

Erica Kirk forgiving her husband's alleged assassin. I forgive him. I forgive him because it was what Christ did. and is what Charlie would do. It was a sentiment the president did not echo as he celebrated Charlie Kirk. He did not hate his opponents. He wanted the best for them. That's where I disagreed with Charlie.

I hate my opponent. And I don't want the best for them. I'm sorry. I am sorry, Erica. All right, Garrett joins us now in studio. So, Garrett, we saw it there. The president has ordered the AG on social media to go after his political foes. Is she actually doing it?

It's hard to know for sure. But just this afternoon, the Attorney General appears to have followed another order from the same social media post and sworn in a new interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. That's where the Letitia James inquiry had been based. So we'll be watching to see if it rames back up, Tom. All right, Garrett, great to see you in New York. New report involving President Trump's border czar and allegations he took $50,000 from undercover FBI agents. The White House strongly denying that report tonight.

Here's Kelly O'Donnell. One of the president's toughest voices on illegal immigration. It's not okay to enter the country. It's a crime. Borders are Tom Homan. There are consequences for violating our laws. Is under scrutiny himself, tied to an undercover FBI operation last year that recorded Homan accepting $50,000 in cash from agents posing his businessmen seeking government contracts in a future Trump administration. That's according to MSNBC. citing multiple people familiar with the probe and internal documents.

Today, the White House went further than its initial weekend statement and flatly denied that Homan accepted cash. Mr. Homan never took the $50,000 that you're referring to, so you should get your facts straight. According to the report, the investigation stalled after Mr. Trump returned to office and was officially closed in recent weeks. A joint, FBI, and DOJ statement said, after a review, they found no credible evidence of any criminal wrongdoing.

The White House called the investigation begun by the Biden Justice Department, blatantly political. You had FBI agents going undercover to try and trap one of the president's top allies and supporters. The White House and the president stand by Tom Homan 100%. A White House official says Homan's role to be seen and heard on immigration policy won't change. So far, Homan has not commented publicly about the report. Tom? Kelly O'Donnell, our thanks to you. Now to that major headline from the UN tonight, as more countries say they plan to recognize

a Palestinian state. Andrea Mitchell joins us in studio, and Andrea, the U.S. and Israel both strongly opposed that move. Exactly, Tom. Israel and the U.S. stand largely isolated on the world stage opposing a Palestinian state, they say, because of the Hamas October 7th attack. Israel's Prime Minister, Netanyahu, says a state would reward terrorism, and today he escalated his war against Hamas, striking Gaza City. At the UN here in New York, Francis

President Macron and Saudi Arabia led 150 other nations supporting statehood. It's a goal that has been U.S. foreign policy for decades until now. The Palestinian leader for the first time could not address the General Assembly in person, appearing virtually because the State Department denied his visa. All of this before President Trump's big address tomorrow to the end tomorrow morning. Tom? All right, Andrea, we thank you. Now to our series priced out and the surge of people living full time in RVs as the cost of owning a home rises. By one measure, twice as many people are living in RVs than four years ago. Our Ellison Barber traveled to Tennessee to learn more.

Get this outside light on. It actually has a queen-sized bed, which is hard to believe. For Gus Francis, this is home. A 20-year-old camper he bought for $5,000, parked in an RV lot in Graysville, Tennessee, just north of Chattanooga. I got all my rosaries for protection everywhere. Books, books, books. Now retired, he worked for decades as a commercial diver and hoped to live closer to his widowed mother. But when he sought a more conventional home...

I just can't see how people were in a normal job, making 15. box an hour can afford an apartment without multiple roommates. Are you able to use this for now or no? No, I don't use it at all. I ate a lot of soup. Yeah, soup is great. Meals are made in the microwave, the stove unused for fear of a gas leak. Right next door is Debbie Williams. Welcome to my house. Over here's the grand kids. See? Oh, cute. Yeah. And that's sevens. The littlest one. Yeah. She sold her house in Kentucky to be closer to her grandchildren. But housing prices near Chattanooga increased by almost 50 percent since 2020. Apartments are like about 1,200 a month, but then you got your utilities to pay. This is

permanent. Plus it includes, it's like 550 a month includes electric water. So you're saving over 50 percent. Everything. It includes everything. Debbie works nights, helping adults with disabilities and says she likes her setup, even if the exercise bike doesn't fit inside. Bathroom, yeah. Okay. I like my shower. It's really nice. And then my bedroom. Debbie and Gus now among the nearly half a million people in the U.S. living in RVs full time. I sometimes thought, man, if I could have saved more money in the past, but what it was is I don't blame myself either because I raised four kids with no child support. Despite the tight quarters, plenty of room to build a community that matters.

Ellison Barber, NBC News, Grazeville, Tennessee. All right, we'll be right back. Soft, cuddly, and crushing it on the stock market. Why Bill DeBarre is suddenly one of the hottest stocks on the street when we return in 60 seconds. A big day for many 401Ks in part driven by chipmaker Navidia, gaining on news that it was investing up to $100 billion in Open AI, But among the few companies doing even better than NVIDIA this year,

Build a Bear Workshop. Ryan Chung explains. Call it a bear market on a bull run. The stock has went from $2 to $67. What is going on? Build a Bear Workshop, adored by kids for their personalized stuffed animals, You can choose your own new furry friends, is one of the best performers in the stock market this year,

rising over 50% since the beginning of the year, and over 2,000% in the last five years. Builder Bear Workshop not only owing its success to the iconic bear in that classic box, but also to collaborations appealing to millennials like Pikachu with Pokemon and, of course, Hello Kitty. CEO Sharon Price-John calls it Kid Dulting. The kids who first came to Build a Bear way back in 1997 were having kids of their own that were the right age for Build a Bear.

John says in the face of tariffs, the company is trying to offer affordable price points, starting with small pre-stuffed animals around $10. And with declining foot traffic at the mall, positioning itself in cruise ships and amusement parks too. Malls had been the epicenter where families went for fun and entertainment. That's evolved a bit. And the brand and the company has to change with the consumer.

The experience of stuffing and loving, tugging at Buildabair's customers' heartstrings, and investors too. Brian Chung, NBC News, The Workshop. All right, when we returned the intense flooding in one of the most popular tourist spots in Italy. That's next on Nightly News. We're back now with an update in the case of Robert Brooks, an inmate who died in upstate New York last winter. Today, four former corrections officers pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

It comes after body camp footage showed guards beating Brooks while he was handcuffed in a medical exam room a day before he died. They're among ten guards and died it in Brooks' death. Turning overseas now to northern Italy, where look at the... heavy rainfall triggered severe flooding. Video shows streets in the historic city of Como submerged in cars completely underwater with firefighters working to rescue people stranded in their vehicles. And today, NASA introduced its new class of 10 astronauts who will embark on a two-year training program for missions to the moon and Mars.

The candidates were chosen for more than 8,000 applicants. When we come back after this break, a stand-up act like you've never seen the comedian noticing an audience member collapse the moment the crowd came together to save a life. That's next. Finally, stand-up comedians are usually ready for anything from the crowd. But when an audience member went into cardiac arrest in the middle of a set, the joke stopped, and the crowd in Spokane jumped into action. Here's Aaron McLaughlin with the video and the story.

Comedian Drew Lynch was just a few minutes into his set in Spokane. When he saw someone collapse. Oh, hey, everything okay? Oh, no. 83-year-old Dick Wendy's heart stopped. CPR started. You see the entire club leap into action, including two ER nurses sitting nearby. Hey, guys, can we give some space to the people who aren't, aren't performance?

the CPR please. They perform CPR for five minutes. The paramedics arrive and then you guys all really just came together in a really cool way dude. You saved that guy's life man. Everyone in that room really did seem like they were connected. It's unlike anything I've ever seen. It just reminded me maybe of a time like a long, long time ago where it was like you helped out a neighbor. Wendy woke up in the hospital and tells us he's okay. The very next day, Lynch visited him to finish the show. Have you made a lifelong friend? I have the rest of my life.

I'm an old guy, but I'm the rest of my life, he will be a friend of mine. Aaron McLaughlin, NBC News. All right, that's nightly news for this Monday. I'm Tom Yamas. We thank you so much for watching. tonight and always we're here for you. Good night.