NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Saturday, November 29, 2025

Episode Date: November 30, 2025

Powerful winter blast threatens post-Thanksgiving travel; Holiday shopping blitz set to break records;  Trump to airlines: Venezuela’s airspace is ‘closed in its entirety’; 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.

This is NBC Nightly News with Jose Diaz Ballard. Good evening. We begin tonight with a powerful winter blast, putting millions of us on alert and causing major headaches during the busiest travel weekend of the year. Much of the Midwest is getting hit with several inches of snow, in some cases, a foot or more. On the roads, dangerous near whiteout conditions like this video out of Ohio are making the drive home tricky. And this is Indiana, a massive chain reaction crash on a highway because of the treacherous conditions there. There's basically no movement at some airports with the storm cancelling more than a thousand flights and causing long lines in Chicago. We have team coverage tonight and we begin with Valerie Castro at Chicago's O'Hare Airport. Winter weather hitting at the heart of the holiday travel rush as many start heading home.

A winter chill settling in for 50 million. million people from Utah to upstate New York. The Chicago area hit with several inches of snow. Weather there bringing airports to a standstill with ground stops and delays lasting hours. It's stressful. More than 1,000 cancellations at O'Hare Airport. This family trying to get to Miami in time for a cruise, a surprise for their mother's birthday. It's been terrible. We woke up. The flight has been delayed three times. We're just going to be stuck here and wait. We've taken a chance. And adding to the chaos, Airbus announcing its family of A320 aircrafts were found to have a software issue affecting critical flight control systems. It's going to require an inspection and software update.

The operators, the airlines are scrambling to get that done. The FAA calling on U.S. airlines to implement fixes by Sunday. On the road's treacherous driving conditions with crews cleaning up after this Indiana semi-rolled over. Elsewhere in the state, authorities. advising drivers to stay home while responding to this crash. This is about a 20 to 30 car pile up right here that's unnecessary. People just need to drive smart when the snow starts falling. Reduce your speed, make sure you're buckled up.

In Nebraska today, transportation officials sharing these images of crashes throughout the state, at times closing highways, and drivers in Ohio dealing with snowpack roads and low visibility. For those staring down travel troubles, some words of wisdom. You'll get to where you're going eventually. Valerie Castro joins me now from Chicago's O'Hare Airport. And Valerie, this wintry mess is coming at a really bad time. Yeah, Jose, Sunday was already expected to be the busiest travel day of the year. Now people will be playing catch-up after this snowy Saturday slowdown.

And according to the FAA, some delays here already extend into early tomorrow morning. Jose. Valerie Castro at Chicago's O'Hare Airport. Thank you. Let's bring in meteorologist Matt Brickman from our end. NBC, New York station for the latest forecast. And Matt, there's more on the way. Yeah, Jose, that's right. There's plenty of this storm still left. Heavy snow throughout the Great Lakes and strong storms down through the southeast. These aren't quite blizzard conditions,

but they're not far off. Greatly reduced visibility from one to two inch an hour snowfall rates in gust to 35 miles an hour. By tomorrow, it's more of a rain concern throughout the northeast and down to the southeast with some gusty winds coming and impacting travel on Sunday. Those snowfall All totals, heaviest through the upper Midwest, where you can see another six to eight inches of snow in parts of Michigan and into western New York. And then for tomorrow, I would expect delays at our airports up and down the northeast, along with some snow delays back towards the Rockies. Jose. Matt Prickman, thank you. The holiday shopping weekend is off to a strong start tonight.

The numbers don't lie. It might be one for the record books. Alison Barber reports. The holiday shopping blitz is officially in full swing. What are you hoping to get for the holidays? A robot toy. It's been good. I'm hoping to get maybe like an Apple Watch.

And shoppers are poised to break records. Sales were up 4.1% on Black Friday compared to last year. The popular purchases, jewelry and apparel. Well, the Super Bowl, as we like to call it, was very strong yesterday. We saw a lot of traffic, but more important than traffic, I think, are bags. And this holiday season, retail sales are expected to pass one trillion. for the first time ever. Definitely clothes. I feel like I'm a big, like, I like buying clothes for my loved ones.

But with looming economic concerns, including tariffs bringing higher prices, some are shopping with caution. Are you budgeting a little more carefully or differently this year? Not necessarily. I guess, I guess more frugal is the way I'm going about it. There is no doubt in-person shopping is still incredibly popular, but a lot of us, we also like to shop on our phones. Shopping online is a little bit more convenient, just a little bit. Yesterday, consumers spent a record $11.8 billion online for Black Friday. And Cyber Monday is projected to be the biggest online shopping day of the holiday season,

with analysts expecting sales to pass $14 billion. I really just shop online. There are certain stores that I'm, like, dedicated to, and I follow them throughout the year waiting for the sale. Online or in person. I like being in person because sizes are different. So when you order online, you're kind of just taking a gamble. Everyone wants a deal.

Ellison Barber, NBC News, Long Island, New York. A shooting in a mall on Black Friday created some chaotic moments for shoppers in the San Francisco Bay Area. Police say it started with an argument among a group of people at the Westfield Valley Fair Mall in San Jose. And someone started firing a gun. That set off a panic as people ran for cover. Three people were injured, the mall, back open for shopping this afternoon. There are new developments in the growing tensions with Venezuela. Today, President Trump warning airlines to consider that country's airspace to be closed.

The big question tonight is the U.S. preparing to carry out a strike. Kelly O'Donnell was traveling with the president. Escalating the pressure on Venezuela over its drug trade. American military might and personnel positioned in the Caribbean. And President Trump posting a menacing message today. To all airlines, pilots, drug dealers, and human traffickers, please consider the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela to be closed in its entirety. The Venezuelan government said today it will not accept orders, threats, or interference from any foreign power.

President Nicholas Maduro, who makes frequent TV. addresses has not appeared publicly this weekend. Mr. Trump has also warned of potential land strikes to combat illegal drugs. And we'll be starting to stop them by land also. The land is easier, but that's going to start very soon. Since September, the U.S. has carried out 21 boat attacks that killed at least 80, claiming, without providing evidence, those vessels carry illegal drugs. But tonight, new scrutiny over the first such attack, after the Washington Post reports that a follow-on strike was ordered to kill injured survivors spotted after the initial bombing, according to two sources with direct knowledge,

renewing questions about the legality of that action. Defense Secretary Hegseth called the report fabricated inflammatory and derogatory while defending the operation as lawful and approved by the best military and civilian lawyers. However, the top Republican and Democratic senators on the Armed Services Committee are concerned enough to pledge their own vigorous oversight to determine the facts. And Kelly joins you now from West Palm Beach. Kelly, we're seeing some pushback to the president's post tonight.

That's right. The Senate's top Democrat, Chuck Schumer, is calling the president's escalation against Venezuela reckless and risking another foreign war. He points out that the Constitution grants Congress, not the president, the power to declare war, and Congress has not authorized the use of military force against Venezuela. Jose? Kelly O'Donnell, traveling with the president in Florida, thank you. And don't miss Kristen Welker's big lineup on Meet the Press tomorrow, including Secretary of Homeland Security, Christy Noem.

That's tomorrow morning, right here on NBC. And now to the war in Ukraine and stunning new video of Russian oil tankers bursting into flames after they were targeted by Ukrainian sea drone. That attack raising new questions tonight about the future of a peace deal. Ralph Sanchez has the latest. This was the moment Ukrainian sea drones launched their attack on a pair of oil tankers in the Black Sea, tracking their targets to the icy waters before slamming into them and self-destructed in a ball of flame. This distress call shared with NBC News by a Turkish maritime tracking site.

No crew members were. harm, Turkish authorities say. The drones are called sea babies, and they're the size of small speed boats. Ukraine says both tankers are part of Russia's so-called shadow fleet, merchant ships secretly used by the Kremlin to evade Western oil sanctions. Earlier this year, we joined NATO warships tracking the shadow fleet. Just to give you a sense of how complicated this waterway is, We're departing from the northern coast of Poland to NATO ally, but just a couple of miles that way is the Russian territory of Kaliningrad. Russia striking back overnight with a massive aerial bombardment of Kiev, killing three people

according to Ukrainian authorities and leaving around 600,000 without power as winter sets in. The escalating strikes complicating U.S. efforts to reach a deal to end the war. President Trump's top diplomatic advisors will meet Ukrainian negotiators in Florida on Sunday, a U.S. official says. Before special envoy, Steve Wickoff, heads to Russia for meetings at the Kremlin next week. And President Zelensky's chief of staff was leading Ukraine's negotiating team, but he was forced to resign this week amid a $100 million corruption scandal. Still ahead tonight. Why, the FDA says big changes are coming for vaccines, including for flu and COVID. Plus, the new images have accused CEO killer Luigi Mangione from the moment he was tracked down and arrested.

Next. Back now with newly released images of Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The photos are from body cam video recorded when police tracked him down and arrested him at a Pennsylvania McDonald. You see him there sitting in the corner wearing a mask. And Joni was pleaded not guilty and is due back in court on Monday. Also, tonight, an important health alert. The FDA is looking to overhaul the rules when it comes to vaccines. This after the agency released new information about what it calls COVID-related deaths in some kids.

Ryan Chandler reports. Tonight, the FDA claiming without evidence that COVID shots are linked to at least 10 children's deaths and vowing new vaccine rules because of it. In an internal memo obtained by NBC News, the director of the FDA's vaccine division, Dr. Vene Prasad, alleges no fewer than 10 deaths reported to the agency between 2021 and 2024 were related to the COVID vaccine. It appears 10 deaths of children from the COVID shot.

We're going to make that information available that those cases were reviewed. The memo did not include the children's ages or medical history. did not identify the vaccine manufacturer. And these findings have not been published in a peer-reviewed journal. An HHS spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Experts maintain COVID vaccines are safe. Parents can be confident in the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines. But now Dr. Prasad says the agency will change how it evaluates vaccines,

including revising the annual flu vaccine framework. The memo says pneumonia vaccine makers will have to show their products reduce pneumonia rather than create antibodies alone. They can just make it not a very good business proposition, and people will stop making vaccines. The American Academy of Pediatrics telling us tonight, they are concerned that the newly proposed requirements could limit children's access to safe, proven vaccines. More than a million Americans have died from COVID-19, including more than 2,000 children.

The memo becoming public just before the CDC Vaccine Advisory Panel is set to discuss. the childhood vaccine schedule and hepatitis B shot. Ryan Chandler, 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. Just listen to those strings.

That's director Christopher Selby getting a huge surprise from his students at Charleston County School of the Arts in South Carolina. His students showing their love and their talent to celebrate his 55th birthday. I'm rarely fun. At this firehouse in Florida, a reunion these heroes have been waiting for. That's Bandit, who was rescued by Clearwater Fire and Rescue when he was home alone. Luckily, Bandit made it out okay. And his owner, Brian Rogers, got to thank the heroes who saved him. They saved me too when they saved my dog.

I mean, he's truly my best friend. Speaking of heroes, for Zippora Washington, hugs for the care team that saved her life. At just 34 years old, Zippora battled a rare invasive heart tumor while she finished school to be a nurse herself, while also raising two kids. But then, she beat it and got started with the next chapter of her career and her life. Zipora thanking the nurses who had her heart in their hands, and now they're inspired. hiring her to take the same care for her patients. And talk about a homecoming.

And where my father's at. At this Kemp Elementary School Assembly near Atlanta. We would like to share a special message from the father of one of our students. That's fourth grader, Mari Gore, watching his dad on the screen while he's deployed overseas. But then? I'd like to welcome. Amari's dad, Air Force Master Sergeant, Jose Gore, was actually there in person. Amari so happy to see his dad, he burst into tears.

What was going through your mind when you were, in a sense, sharing tears? Steen Teal on his face actually made me cry even more. I just could not believe that he really felt my absence. And get this, his older son, Jaden, got his own surprise in the music class. The whole school and everybody that was in on this, it says a lot about community, wouldn't you say? It was like, oh, we would love to give you that wonderful memory for you and your kids. What it tells me, at least, is that if you think you're alone, you're more than likely not. More than maybe there's someone who is looking at you and they want to look out for you.

That's NBC Nightly News for this Saturday. The great Halley Jackson will be here tomorrow night. I'm Jose Diazbollard. Thank you for the privilege of your time and good night.