NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Saturday, June 21, 2025

Episode Date: June 22, 2025

Trump meets with national security team as B-2 bombers head to Guam; Israel-Iran conflict escalates with new strikes; Dangerous heat wave threatens Colorado to Maine; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

This is NBC Nightly News with Jose Diaz-Balart. Good evening. We begin tonight with new questions about a potential U.S. strike on Iran. Two defense officials tell NBC News that B-2 stealth bombers have been moved to the Pacific. As of now, their mission remains unclear, but the timing is raising eyebrows as President Trump meets with his national security team weighing whether to strike iran those b2 bombers are capable of dropping bunker buster bombs which are believed to be one of the few weapons in the world that could destroy a critical iranian nuclear facility buried deep inside a mountain all of this comes at a very tense moment. Now nine days into this conflict, Israel and Iran are ramping up.

Back and forth strikes, and tonight there is still no diplomatic breakthrough and no sign of de-escalation. We begin with Vaughn Hilliard traveling with the president. Tonight, the Pentagon deploying multiple B-2 stealth bombers from a Missouri airbase to Guam, according to two defense officials. Their mission unclear. But the movement comes as the president returns to the White House tonight for an intelligence briefing from his National Security Council, with potential U.S. attacks in Iran on the

line. The president, though, also seemingly giving Iran an opening to restarting nuclear talks. I'm giving them a period of time, and I would say two weeks would be the maximum. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week suggested that Israel has the capabilities to remove Iran's nuclear facilities itself. President Trump particularly talking about Iran's Fordow nuclear site, a half mile underground, disputing that. They really have a very limited capacity.

They could break through a little section, but they can't go down very deep. The U.S., the only country with B-2 bombers, which have the capacity to drop 30,000 pound bunker buster bombs. Iran's next steps are uncertain. While U.S. intelligence says that Iran has quickly amassed large stockpiles of highly enriched uranium in the last months, there is still questionable intelligence about just how close Iran could be to building a nuclear weapon. The IC continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon.

Your intelligence community has said they have no evidence that they are at this point. Well, then my intelligence community is wrong. Who in the intelligence community is wrong. Who in the intelligence community said that? You're director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard. She's wrong. The Democratic ranking member on the Senate Intelligence Committee this week also saying the White House has not

provided Congress with such intelligence. This is not the way our system is supposed to work. Tonight, despite the threats, a line of communication between the US ands. And Iran remains open Vaughn Hilliard NBC News Washington the Israeli military is escalating attacks on Iran saying it has hit critical locations deep Inside Iran using 60 fighter jets guided by precise intelligence Matt Bradley reports tonight from Tel Aviv Tonight Israel's attacks on Iran continue. I was hurled against the wall, said this Tehran resident.

When I woke up, I was covered in blood. Iran's Ministry of Health said more than 400 people have been killed in more than a week of Israeli strikes, most of them civilians. Israel's military said it struck a nuclear enrichment facility at Isfahan for the second time. We targeted again with a deeper blow," said Israel's military spokesman. The IDF also said it killed three Iranian senior commanders and then tonight conducted a strike deep in Iran, taking out three F-14 fighter jets. But Iran is still hitting back.

A volley of missiles and drones set off alarms late last night. One drone breached Israel's air defenses, striking an apartment building in northern Israel. Others, as shown in this video, intercepted this morning and blown out of the sky. Despite a week of Iranian bombardments, Israel's fatalities have held steady at 24 for several days. You see this kind of damage all over Tel Aviv. Not only do these Iranian missiles

pierce Israel's missile defenses, but also its feeling of invulnerability. And it's sent some Americans in Israel rushing home. American ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said the US is now arranging assisted departure flights from Israel for US citizens. But with Israeli airspace closed, 2,800 young Jews visiting the country

as part of the Birthright Israel program have taken to the seas in order to leave. Setting off on two ships from Israel's Ashdod port to Cyprus. I heard the first siren. We were up in the north of Israel and in my head I was kind of like the war with Iran has begun and I was really unsure of what to do. Among them was Sam Kagan, an NYU business student from New Jersey. And how are your folks back home taking all of this?

I have a Jewish mom and she acted the way every Jewish mom does. She was quite nervous. She was pretty scared. Matt Bradley joins me now from Tel Aviv. Matt, what's the mood there as the war escalates? Well, it's a great question, Jose. I can tell you that the sirens have become less frequent. The number of missiles in each salvo fired by the Iranians has decreased, but there's still barely anybody on the streets.

This place is still very much on lockdown. Jose? Matt Bradley in Tel Aviv, thank you. And don't miss Meet the Press tomorrow when Kristen Welker interviews Senators Lindsey Graham and Mark Kelly along with Bob Costas. That's tomorrow morning right here on NBC. Back here in the US, dangerous weather is threatening much of the country

with deadly tornadoes in North Dakota and life-threatening heat waves from Colorado to Maine. Adrienne Broaddus reports. These videos show funnel clouds tearing through America's heartland. This dark twister in North Dakota barely visible through pounding rain. It's one of at least 13 reported tornadoes tearing through the state Friday night. This is insane! Wow!

The devastating storms turning deadly. We have a total of three individuals that have been deceased from the storm. Two males and one female, all adult victims. The state's governor declaring a statewide disaster. In Minnesota, severe winds uprooting trees along roads. And out west, these jaw-dropping videos show wildfires burning out of control. Authorities say the Forsyth Fire in southern Utah has destroyed at least 18 buildings, with hundreds more threatened given the 50 mile per hour wind gust.

Tonight, 12 million remain under fire alerts from Las Vegas to Bakersfield and Flagstaff. Really hot! And dangerous temperatures are soaring across the country. Nearly 151 million people under heat alerts from Colorado to Maine, New York, Washington, D.C., Denver and Chicago in the bullseye. Three days of this extreme heat. Are you ready? We don't have air conditioning.

So to say I'm ready, probably not. No, but we have lots of fans and we live in the basement, so that helps. City leaders reminding people how dangerous the heat can be, almost 30 years after a heat wave killed hundreds in Chicago. We lost more than 700 Chicagoans. Most of them were the elderly and the poor. It really challenged the city to recognize the danger of extreme heat so that we never see a tragedy like that occur again.

Adrian joins me now from Chicago. Adrian, what are cities doing to help people deal with these dangerous heat conditions? Jose, cities like New York and Boston have open cooling centers. Chicago is doing the same. And some of those centers are next to public pools like this one and because of the extreme heat They've extended hours Jose Adrian brought us in Chicago. Thank you after more than three months in ice custody pro-palestinian Activist and Columbia grad student Mahmood Khalil is back home tonight a day after judge ordered his release

Maya Eaglin has the details a day after a judge ordered his release. Maya Eaglin has the details. Mahmoud Khalil back home in New York tonight after being reunited with his newborn son and family upon landing at Norak Liberty Airport. Not only if they threatened me with detention, even if they would kill me,

I would still speak up for Palestine released from detention by a federal judge late Friday. The pro-Palestinian activist was a key figure in Columbia University's protest against the war in Gaza during the spring of last year. The U.S. government is funding this genocide and Columbia University is investing in this genocide. He's not resisting.

Khalil is a legal U.S. resident with a green card and married to a U.S. citizen. diversity is investing in this genocide. We'll is a legal us resident with a green card and married to a U.S. citizen never charged with a crime he was detained by immigration agents in March and held for 104 days in the Louisiana detention center. His arrest triggering nationwide demonstrations against the Trump administration's crackdown on campus protests. They're agitators. They don't love our country.

We ought to get them the hell out. The Trump administration filed a notice of appeal just minutes after Khalil's release. The 30-year-old missed the birth of his son while in detention in Louisiana and says for now he will be spending time with his family and then continuing to protest. Whether you are a citizen, an immigrant, anyone on this land, you're not illegal. That doesn't make you less of a human. Maya Eaglin joins me now from outside Columbia University. Maya, what does Khalil's legal team say comes next for them?

Jose, Mahmoud Khalil remains at risk of deportation, given the powers an immigration law gives the Secretary of State. A judge's previous ruling said he cannot be deported, but the Trump administration is now appealing that decision as well. Jose. Maya Eaglin in New York, thank you. A shocking tragedy in Brazil where a hot air balloon burst into flames midair.

Several people were killed, but as Ryan Chandler reports, several people also managed to survive. Jesus Christ. Terror in the skies above Brazil Saturday as a hot air balloon carrying 21 people bursts into a fireball, crashing to the ground in a streak of smoke. The state's governor reports eight people died.

This video showing a smoking carriage nearing the ground. Police telling local media that some people got out before the flames lifted trapped passengers back into the air. Some later seen falling hundreds of feet. First responders searching the wreckage. Santa Catarina Governor Giorgino Mello saying they're in mourning and we'll find out what happened. First, the investigators are going to gather evidence. They're going to go look at the basket.

They're most importantly going to look at the nozzles in where the flames actually created and controlled. It's at least the second hot air balloon disaster in Brazil this week. On Sunday, another balloon crashed in the state of Sao Paulo, killing a 27 year old woman, according to local media. Are hot air balloons safe? Hot air balloons are safe. Having a fire of this magnitude is quite rare, but there have been other unfortunate hot air balloon air tour accidents. The tour company in today's crash says they have indefinitely suspended operations, noting they have no previous record of crashes.

Ryan Chandler, NBC News. Still ahead tonight, new video of this sunken super yacht raised from the seafloor months after it sank in a deadly tragedy. Plus the new evidence about the suspect accused of shooting and killing a Minnesota lawmaker and injuring another. What it means for the investigation, next. Back now with an update on that super yacht that sunk off the coast of Sicily last year. Take a look at this recovery cruise raising it up from the seafloor today. Brought it back to shore for further investigation.

It comes nearly a year after it sunk last summer, killing UK tech mogul Mike Lynch and six others. Here at home, investigators are revealing new evidence about the suspect charged in a shooting rampage last weekend, killing a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband and injuring two others. Aaron Gilchrist has the details. New details emerging about the case being built against Vance Belter,

the man accused of murdering a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband one week ago. In newly unsealed court documents, investigators called Belter and his wife preppers, a term used for survivalists who prepare for catastrophic incidents, adding he had given his wife a bailout plan. Investigators tracked down Belter's wife, who's not currently a suspect in the case, just after the attacks, according to court documents.

She let them search her car, finding handguns and at least $10,000 in cash, and going through her cell phone to find a family chat with a message from her husband saying, dad went to war last night. I don't want to say more because I don't want to implicate anybody. In the hours after Belter allegedly shot and killed former state house speaker Melissa Hortman

and her husband and injured state Senator John Hoffman and his wife, police searched a storage locker Belter rented. According to evidence documents, officers found a duffel with five body bags and gun cleaning supplies. Court documents also showing they searched his home and recovered dozens of guns and rifles, a note card with names of public officials and nearly $18,000 in cash. To tell you it's hard to find light in this moment. Last night, Governor Tim Walz calling the acts

a grievous wound on Minnesotans. Minnesotans have done this. We've been there and we've come through it. Belter faces multiple murder charges and is expected back in federal court next Friday. Aaron Gilchrist, NBC News. There's good news tonight. So often the good news doesn't get as much attention as the bad. So every Saturday we highlight the many people who spread joy and love.

And these are just some of those stories this week. This was the walk-off decades in the making. That's John Wentworth, a longtime crossing guard and hometown hero at Upper Providence elementary school in Pennsylvania. Mister John has been doing this for the last 22 years helping other kids after his own grew up. But now time to retire he's taking a step back on his last day it wasn't just current students but former students too who wouldn't miss it for the world the crosswalk

He protected for so many years now lined with police officers and firefighters saluting. Mr. John a surprise to thank him for his service Miss you guys all thanks for being such good. A round of applause for a job well done. Welcome to the mound, World War II veteran, Bernie Miller. In Milwaukee, the crowd went wild. That's Bernie Miller, a World War II veteran, throwing the first pitch at this Milwaukee Brewers game to celebrate his 100th birthday. Thank you Bernie, great job!

He was nominated by his granddaughter and on the mound he kept them guessing. I had all kinds of people in the stands, clapping for me. My treatments are done, this course has run, and now I'm on my way. And this is the sound of victory. That 16-year-old Brady Cohn, walking the end of his radiation treatments. Last summer he was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor that doctors could not operate on. But after months of therapy at Mass General Brigham Hospital, he showed that tumor who's boss.

What did the bell ringing mean to you? I can't even put into words how much it meant to me. They were ready to just rally for me. They really were. I think it reflected that I had an impact on all these people and it was just overwhelming. Along with his family and friends, Brady's baseball teammates were there to cheer him on too.

I just, I don't know where I'd be, you know, without them they motivate me every day. They give me a reason to really keep going. You seem to have overcome all of the hurdles with flying colors. I couldn't help but smile because I thought the 16 years I've been given just full of compassion and love and peace and it was all because of the support from my baseball team, my parents, my siblings. It was just amazing. One, two, three, Brady! Go Brady! That's NBC Nightly News for this Saturday. Hallie Jackson will be here tomorrow night.

I'm Jose D. Azbalart. Thank you for the privilege of your time. And good night.