NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Saturday, May 31, 2025

Episode Date: June 1, 2025

Canadian wildfire smoke threatens air quality across Midwest; Trump announces 50% tariffs on steel, aluminum imports; 500,000 immigrants at risk for deportation after Supreme Court ruling; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, millions of people on alert as wildfire smoke sweeps through much of the country. Smoky skies, prompting air quality concerns across the upper Midwest as more than a dozen wildfires burn in Canada. The smoke expected to reach deep into the United States all the way down to Florida. Meanwhile, out West, cities like Las Vegas and Sacramento are racing for record heat. In the South, millions at risk for dangerous storms and possibly tornadoes. We're tracking it all. President Trump now threatening to double tariffs on steel and aluminum imports

and a growing mystery at the White House. Who's impersonating the president's chief of staff? Hundreds of thousands of immigrants now at risk of being deported. The latest fallout from the major Supreme Court ruling. Hamas responds to the latest Gaza ceasefire proposal. The latest on peace efforts in the region tonight. The stark warning from the defense secretary. A Chinese invasion of Taiwan could be imminent.

Our team with a rare look at how it's preparing for war. The new travel alert about measles, cases surging, the CDC sounding the alarm. What you need to know before you fly this summer. A home run in the sports world. How Japanese baseball superstars are captivating fans. And there's good news tonight about the next chapter right here at NBC Nightly News. This is NBC Nightly News

with José Díaz-Balart. Good evening. We begin tonight with the dangerous air conditions in parts of the Midwest. Dense smoke like this is sweeping down from wildfires burning in Canada,

where it's so bad the US is sending in help to get them under control. But now the smoke is extending deep into the US. Take a look at this map. That's the smoke and it's spreading past the Mississippi all the way down to the Gulf Coast, threatening a repeat of the hazy and toxic conditions we saw in major cities two summers ago.

And at the same time, millions of people in the South are at risk for severe storms tonight, and possibly tornadoes. Our Aaron Gilchrist is tracking it all. Tonight, smoky skies still threatening air quality for millions in the upper Midwest. That wildfire smoke continues to hover over the state. We do have a air quality alert out for the entire state of Minnesota until Monday. Warnings going out to primarily

people with sensitive breathing conditions as smoke and haze are carried across the border from Canada's Manitoba province. More than a dozen wildfires have been burning there for days. The smoke coming from Canada reaching all the way to the Georgia Florida border. North Dakota environmental officials warning residents as forecasts show their air could hit the very unhealthy range, dangerous for all groups. And so when there's wildfires burning there, we feel it here. It just makes life more difficult. Also this weekend, 14 million people in the West under heat alerts. Temps could reach 110 degrees, possibly hitting records in places like Las Vegas, Reno, and Sacramento.

And tonight, 4 million people in the nation's midsection at risk for severe weather, including Kansas and Oklahoma, with forecasters expecting thunderstorms, hail, and potentially tornadoes. This, following Friday night's storms in the East, setting off tornado warnings from North Carolina all the way up to the D.C. region. A Maryland man capturing time lapse video of a funnel cloud forming in the eastern part of the state. Meanwhile in Kentucky, a massive cleanup effort moves forward after an EF2 surprise tornado Friday morning winds up to 125 miles an hour, demolishing homes and killing one person in Washington

County that as the peak of spring severe weather season ends today and hurricane season starts tomorrow. Aaron joins me now from Chicago. Aaron, Illinois also facing the possibility of bad air from those fires in Canada. Yeah, Jose, the air quality here finally reached the good range this afternoon, but tomorrow more smoke from those wildfires is anticipated in this area and the larger region with the air finally clearing out possibly around midweek. Jose.

Aaron Gilchrist in Chicago, thank you. And now to politics and an escalation in President Trump's trade war. President now threatening to double tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. It comes as the mystery grows around who impersonated his chief of staff. Von Hilliard reports. Already deep into his second term trade wars,

President Trump now doubling his punch on steel and aluminum tariffs. We're going to bring it from 25% to 50% the tariffs on steel into the United States of America. Currently, U.S. manufacturers import about a quarter of their steel from overseas. With this new tariff threat, they would pay more for production costs to build cars, home appliances, furniture, and tools. Already, the price of steel in the U.S US is substantially higher than in other major manufacturing nations.

The European Union today, saying it's 27 countries, strongly regret the announced increase, asserting it undermines ongoing efforts to reach a negotiated solution. The president also indicating he's close to approving a major and controversial partnership between US Steel and Japan-based Nippon Steel. President also indicating he's close to approving a major and controversial partnership between U.S. Steel and Japan-based Nippon Steel. Both Mr. Trump and former President Joe Biden had previously opposed any foreign ownership of it. I rejected this about four times now, and when they finally got it right, I liked it

a lot. The details, though, not yet finalized. The U.S. Steelworkers Union says it did not participate in the discussions at all, but adding, "...our members know from decades of negotiating contracts, trust nothing until you see it in writing." Also late Friday night, the president commented for the first time on the investigation into messages impersonating his chief of staff.

They tried to impersonate her. Nobody can impersonate Suzie. Nobody. There's only one Suzie. This week a White House official confirmed to NBC News that senators, governors, and business executives received text messages and phone calls from someone pretending to be Wiles, but was not her. And Vaughn, we're also learning the president's pick for NASA chief is expected to be replaced.

That's right, Jose. The White House polling the nomination of Jared Isaacman today and says it will announce a replacement pick soon. Now, the president's decision less than 24 hours after Isaacman's friend and business ally Elon Musk formally departed his role here in Washington. Jose? Von Hilliard at the White House, thank you. And now to the fallout from the Supreme Court decision allowing the Trump administration

to revoke the legal status of more than half a million newly arrived immigrants and subject them to possible deportation. Ryan Chandler has more. At a health fair for the Haitian community in Miami today, we met Harold Renard just one day after a Supreme Court decision upended his legal status. Harold fled Haiti in 2023 desperate to save his own life and start a new one in Florida.

Because of the gang violence there, he told us through an interpreter he can never go home. Would you be in danger? That's what happened to me. Yes? Did he say yes? No. He said before I came, I was already in danger before I left.

Yeah. before I came there was I was already in danger before I left. I was wanting and hiding because I couldn't stay in my neighborhood. He's one of more than half a million people afforded temporary legal status under a Biden era program known as CHNV offering migrants from Cuba Haiti Nicaragua in Venezuela, the chance live and work in the us because of their country's violence and poverty. We know that there is a there is tremendous trepidation. You know, there is there's fear.

But now an uncertain future after the Supreme Court on Friday allowed the Trump administration to revoke that legal status migrants in the us under CHNV might still find other legal pathways, but now face the risk of deportation. I don't care about when it's a time. So now I don't know what would happen to me if I ever have to go back. And Ryan, we also have news today about a judge's ruling on a different group of immigrants. Yeah, Jose, a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from invalidating work permits

for some 5,000 Venezuelans here under temporary protected status. It's a small portion of those here under TPS and another step in the ongoing fight between the White House and the courts over immigration. Jose? Ryan Chandler in Miami, thank you. Emergency crews responded to an explosion that destroyed a home in Missouri. This is all that's left of the house outside Kansas City, just a pile of rubble. Unclear at this hour what caused the explosion.

There were no reports of any injuries and the fire department says they are investigating. There are new developments in the Middle East tonight where Hamas said it responded to the Trump administration's proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza. Danielle Hamamjian has the very latest on where peace efforts stand at this hour. Danielle. Yeah, Jose. U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff described the response as unacceptable. Hamas says it has not rejected

the deal but it wants to change some of the terms, including the timeline. It said it would release 10 living hostages and 18 bodies in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. According to the outline of the proposal Hamas shared with NBC earlier, the deal would include a 60-day pause in the fighting on Friday President Trump said the deal was quote very close and Jose the Israeli government Echoing Witcoff's remarks tonight saying Hamas's response only takes us backwards Danielle Haman Jin, thank you also tonight defense secretary Pete Hegseth issuing a new warning about what he says is the growing threat of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

Our team got rare inside access to how Taiwan is preparing for a potential conflict. Janice MacEfrayer reports. A new warning from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth about a potential war in Asia. At a conference in Singapore, Hegseth said China was quote, credibly preparing for an invasion of Taiwan. Here on the self-ruled island, Beijing claims as its own, a race to overhaul defenses. Mandatory military service and reservist training have been extended. There's a sense of responsibility, this reservist says.

Tension with Taiwan is ramping up, with Chinese forces staging regular drills around the island. And the use of force has not been ruled out. Fundamental to defenses here, billions of dollars in US weapons, including missiles and upgraded aircraft, as well as US intelligence. The biggest step yet, US-made High Mars, or high mobility artillery rocket systems purchased by Taiwan, that can strike beyond China's coast. The High Mars systems are known for being mobile and precise. These are the same systems Ukrainian soldiers have been using to target Russian positions. Less clear is whether the US would intervene to defend Taiwan. President Trump has said Taiwan should pay us for defense. It's why reservists like Alex Su are teaching civilians to defend themselves. It's all about the training, because we're training stuck in the 1980s.

Much of Taiwan's military revamp is being influenced by the war in Ukraine. Tony Liu fought there as a volunteer and says the biggest challenge here is denial. No one wants war. I don't want it either, he says. But we may not have a choice. Officials in Taipei are looking to Washington for clues, while across the Taiwan Strait, China is watching. Janice Mackie for NBC News, Taipei. Still ahead tonight, the new CDC travel warning about measles just in time for some. Back now with the CDC warning for travelers about the spread of measles as cases soar across the country. My Eaglin has

details. Tonight, a new travel warning from the Centers for Disease Control as measles cases surge around the globe. The agency saying if you're traveling abroad make sure you're vaccinated or consider postponing your trip. The updated guidelines reflect that this is a global infection. Cases popping up at airports even on airplanes, Colorado health officials say 3 people with confirmed cases took a

Turkish airline flight to Denver earlier this month. And there are other reported exposures at Newark Chicago and Seattle airports raising alarms from health departments there. This is the largest measles outbreak we've had since 2019. Over 1100 cases have been reported in the U.S. so far this year according to our NBC News count. Common symptoms include rashes runny noses and fevers which often pose a

higher threat to young children and pregnant women. Measles can be severe no matter what your age you can have an infection of the lungs swelling of the brain that is encephalitis and pregnant women. Measles can be severe no matter what your age you can have an infection of the lungs swelling of the brain that is encephalitis and unfortunately death. Measles spreads by someone infected coughing or sneezing if you have been exposed and you have been vaccinated you should still present to a health care professional just to make sure that we can monitor you if you have not

had a vaccine they can actually do what's called post-exposure vaccination. The CDC says getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself. Maya Eaglin, NBC News. Tonight, a closer look at the players bringing a lot of excitement to Major League Baseball. Japanese superstars are captivating fans on the field and they're also bringing in new ones. As Emily Ketta reports these players are home run for the league. The Tokyo series earlier this year signaled the start of a new baseball season.

And in many ways a new era with a growing group of Japanese superstars sliding into the Major League. From the biggest name in baseball to the New York Mets Kodai Senga and on the Chicago Cubs. Pitching phenom showed it in the Naga and outfielder say a Suzuki we talked to them at the historic Wrigley field through a translator what has been most fun about playing here at the call on the one I see every year there's phenomenal, whether it's a position player or a pitcher.

Just facing them gives me the motivation that I need to do better. This week, Suzuki became the first player this season to reach 50 RBIs, as America's pastime hits new levels of international acclaim. When I talk to my relatives and friends in Japan, they're always asking about how the Cubs are doing, not how I'm doing. Last year marked the most watched MLB regular season in Japan and the fourth straight year of viewership increases. Jed Hoyer is the Cubs president of baseball operations.

I think this has lifted up the profile of Major League Baseball internationally so well that I think that, you know, Shohei deserves a lot of credit for that, but these players do as well. And the hope is that they only continue to come over and it's better for everybody. Fans showing their support for the Japanese standouts,

the most popular jersey for the Cubs this season, Imanaga. And the love is mutual. Imanaga embracing his new home. Hey Chicago, where do you stay? The so-called throwing philosopher says he never could have imagined such an opportunity as a kid, but hopes his success inspires young athletes around the world. If they can just continue to play, they might have the opportunity like this to potentially play them on B.

So just continue chasing their dreams. As this trans-pacific field of dreams becomes reality. Emily Ketta, NBC News, Chicago. Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! 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.

Here's my boy. Now, this is what love looks like. Here's my buddy. That's Army Specialist Cameron Markert and his six year old German Shepherd Attila. But this isn't their first meeting they're actually army buddies who served together when Attila was a bomb sniffing dog and now he has a forever home with his forever friend. He just brings like a level of calmness my life and

I'm really happy to bring home for that reason and to give a good home. I will maintain respect due to the courts. Talk about hard work paying off. That's David Braxton Jr., a new attorney in Detroit, being sworn in by his own dad. After years looking up to his dad, his dream come true,

getting nearly a million views on social media. Y'all really envisioned it, like, it like I really want him to be the one to swear me he's like my best friend. And this is the moment the hair family has been waiting for that brave little boy is 4 year-old Austin marking a huge milestone. Boy, his 4 year-old Austin marking a huge milestone. Ringing the bell with his family to celebrate the end of

his cancer treatments. He conquered what some might think that is the impossible Austin celebrating with his care team of children's health care of Atlanta along with his friends from the Cherokee County Fire Department where he's an honorary firefighter. He's resilient. He's impressive. We're lucky to be his parents for sure, because I don't think a lot of adults could have gone through what he did with the attitude he kept.

And we've got more good news tonight. With a big change about to take place on Monday, Tom Yamas will be leading the new era of NBC Nightly News. Next week, a new era for NBC Nightly News. Good evening, we are coming on the air tonight with breaking news. Tom Yamas taking over as anchor and managing editor. The new developments from our interview with the... I caught up with my friend of 20 years, whom I deeply admire as he prepares.

I've seen you study so much work so hard to prepare so intensely with such passion and compassion. How do you bring that drive to nightly news starting Monday. I'm going to be up early and to be working late and I'm going to be dedicated to 2 things in my life was a my family and that show and I think I have to be up early, I'm gonna be working late, and I'm gonna be dedicated to two things in my life, Jose, my family and that show. And I think I have to be because even though we work for NBC, we really work for the viewers. I just want the viewers to know that I believe

this great country exists because you have a fair and strong press every day. We're gonna be working for them. If we're in the White House, we're asking questions for them, if we're questioning CEOs, we're asking those questions for the viewers at home. They can turn to nightly news, and at the end of the show,

they understand what's going on. You are the son of exiles, of immigrants, of patriots who left their country searching for freedom and found it in the United States. How does that reality inform you, and how much of their experience gave you this vocation of service to be a journalist? My parents taught me to love America and I do.

I think this is the greatest place in the world. They also taught me hard work. That in this country you can achieve your dreams if you work really hard. And I think that to say that my parents came here with nothing and now their son is going to be the anchor of nightly news for me and I've said this a lot because I believe it. To me that means the American dream is still alive and I know that because I'm living it. Living the American dream with passion, compassion, a servant's heart and a vocation of service. Starting Monday, Tom Yamos will be leading NBC Nightly News, the new beginning of a new

era. Make sure to record NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamos. Add it to your favorites so you can watch it whenever you wish. You'll also be getting weekend nightly news as well. I'm Jose Diaz-Ballart. Thank you for the privilege of your time.