NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Saturday, October 25, 2025

Episode Date: October 25, 2025

Hurricane Melissa takes aim at Jamaica; Trump raises Canada tariffs amid high-stakes Asia trip; Trump threatens military action in Venezuela, escalates Colombia tensions; and more on tonight’s episode. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tonight, the deadly hurricane barreling through the Caribbean. Hurricane Melissa slowly closing in on Jamaica. People on the island on edge, some locations bracing for more than two feet of rain. The storm already flooding out the Dominican Republic and leaving at least three people dead in Haiti, where the storm is heading next. President Trump raising tariffs on Canada because of a TV ad about tariffs. Plus, what to expect as he kicks off his high-stakes trip to Asia. The president now threatening military action inside Venezuela as the administration sends the clearest message yet to the Maduro regime. Former Vice President Harris leaving the door open, suggesting she might run for president again.

The government shutdown fueling growing headaches for travelers around the country and why they could get even worse this week. Take a look at this, a plane just barely missing this car during a crash landing on a high-eshoe. way. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver speaking out for the first time about the federal gambling case, allegedly involving big names in the league and members of the mob. And now Congress is demanding answers. The best-selling book that's striking a court across the country and sparking recovery for the opioid crisis. And there's good news tonight about hard work paying off in a special surprise that moved this teacher to tears. This is NBC Nightly News with Jose Diaz Ballard.

Good evening. We begin tonight with a dangerous situation unfolding in the Caribbean. Right now, Hurricane Melissa is slowly churning through the region. Jamaica, bracing for a direct hit, with a storm now forecast to become a major hurricane. This was a scene in the Dominican Republic, where the storm has already flooded out entire neighborhoods. And in Haiti, the storm turned deadly. killing at least three people. Here at home, extreme weather from a different system battering parts of Texas. Take a look at these cars submerged.

Our team is covering it all, and George Solis starts us off tonight. Tonight in Jamaica's capital of Kingston, people are stocking up on supplies, officials bracing for impact. Safety is priority, and being smart helps a lot. Don't make foolish decisions. Already announcing they will close down the nation's airports this evening as Hurricane Melissa barrels towards the Caribbean island. We met these students from St. Kitts. Their government paid for a charter flight to take them home. We're just trying to get home so that we are safe.

In flood-prone neighborhoods, growing concern that some may choose to ride out Melissa's dangerous storm surge. One, two, three, four hurricane passes here. Nothing happened, so we have the confident that we feel safe. As Hurricane Melissa approaches the concern of deadly storm surge increases, as do roaring waves near the coastline. Melissa already wreaking havoc across the Caribbean. The storm flooding portions of the Dominican Republic killing one, and at least three deaths have been reported in Haiti. Extreme weather unrelated to Melissa, also battering parts of Fort Worth, Texas, where roads turned into rivers. Some cars submerged and stranded in water up to their headlights.

NBC's Ryan Chandler is there. Severe thunderstorms ripping across Texas overnight here in Fort Worth, strong winds knocking down signs and trees, heavy rain flooding some roads, hundreds of thousands of Texans out of power from Dallas to Houston. Back in Jamaica, the country hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. We are in a very, very serious time over the next few days, and we need all Jamaica to bond together, bond together. George Solis joins me now from Kingston, Jamaica, where officials warn George, time for preparing for the storm is running out. Yeah, that's right, Jose. Jamaican officials asking store owners to stay open as long as they can so residents can buy what they need to weather the storm. But officials say that window is shortening by the hour because soon it'll simply be too dangerous to go outside. Jose.

George Solis in Kingston, Jamaica, thank you. Meteorologist Matt Brickman from our NBC, New York station, is here now. Good evening. Melissa is about to get even stronger. Yeah, Jose, that's right. The storm expected to rapidly intensify overnight. So to go from a category one to a category three or four by tomorrow and maintain that strength by the time it reaches Jamaica early on Tuesday morning. From there on, it heads into Cuba and maintains strength as a cat three or four and then on through the Bahamas. This has the potential to be the most devastating hurricane Jamaica has ever seen.

And that's more because of the rain that this storm. will produce. It's a slow mover capable of producing 15 to 25, maybe as much as 40 inches of rain across Jamaica and through southern Haiti as well. That'll be made worse by those strong offshore winds, sending nine to 13 feet of storm storage on land for the early part of next week. Jose. Matt Brickman, thank you. President Trump is on his way to Asia tonight, where he is expected to hold a high-stakes trade meeting with China's leader. But an escalating feud with Canada is also looming over the trip after he raised his Canada tariff on the way there. Gabe Gutierrez reports. Tonight, President Trump kicking off a whirlwind trip to Asia,

but tensions with one ally closer home are ramping up. Well, Canada lied. I mean, what they did was terrible. The president aboard Air Force One posting on social media that he's increasing the tariff on Canadian imports to the U.S. by another 10%. After Ontario's provincial government began running this TV ad. America's jobs and growth are at stake. It features a 1987 radio address by President Reagan, edited to criticize Trump's trade policy. High tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries

and the triggering of fierce trade wars. That prompted Trump to abruptly pull out of trade talks with Canada. Ontario's premier then said he'd pull the ad on Monday. It's still aired during last night's World Series. The president calling that a hostile act. They made up a fake statement by President Reagan. Reagan was a big supporter of tariffs. On this trip, the president says he does not plan to meet with Canada's prime minister,

but he will see Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea. Trump, sounding optimistic, they'll strike a deal on trade. If not, he's threatening to slap an extra 100% tariff on China. They have to make good sessions. I guess we would do. And while Trump was not expected to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during this trip, now he's not ruling it out. If he'd like to meet, I'm open to it, certainly. If you want to put out the word, I'm open to it.

You know, they don't have a lot of telephone service. They have a lot of nuclear weapons, but not a lot of telephone service. And Gabe joins me now from Kuala Lumpur. Gabe, the president, met with another world leader today on his way to Malaysia. Yes, Jose, the president met with Amir and prime minister of Qatar during a refueling stop, praising the Middle East ceasefire deal, but also blaming Hamas if it does not hold. And he's ramping a pressure on Hamas tonight, threatening action if the group does not return bodies of deceased hostages quickly. Jose.

Gabe Gutierrez in Malaysia, thank you. And Kristen Welker's got a big lineup tomorrow on Meet the Press, including Treasury Secretary Scott Best. That's tomorrow morning right here on NBC. And now to South America and a massive show of military force as the U.S. campaign against the Maduro regime in Venezuela reaches a new high. Tonight, President Trump with a clear message of force in the Caribbean. We stop all drugs virtually from coming in by sea. And we'll stop all drugs from coming in by land very shortly.

The Pentagon now sending the Navy's largest aircraft carrier, group to the region, the USS Gerald R. Ford, nearly doubling the number of U.S. forces there and adding to the B-1 bombers flown near Venezuela's coast this week. The Trump administration has accused Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro of heading up the Cartel de los Solis and facilitating the flow of drugs into the U.S. An allegation Maduro has denied. This is a central hub of terrorist activity across the Western Hemisphere. The Pentagon says 43. people were killed from at least 10 strikes on vessels they say were carrying drugs, releasing these videos, but not providing further evidence.

The opposition leader Maria Corina Machado expressed support for the Trump administration's approach. The position of President Trump and his administration to address this as a national security issue is the correct one. Maduro now saying his regime has more than 5,000 Russian missiles. along Venezuela's coast, tensions also spiking between the U.S. and Venezuela's neighbor, Colombia. The president of Colombia is a drug war. The U.S. sanctioning Colombian president Gustavo Petro and his family, with Treasury Secretary Scott Besant accusing him of flooding the United States with drugs

and poisoning Americans. Petro responding, saying his government has worked hard to fight drug trafficking. And Petro is now on a short list of leaders, U.S. sanctions, including Russian leader Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Here at home, former Vice President Harris is appearing to keep her options open, suggesting that she might run for president again in the future. Yamish Al-Sindor reports. Tonight, in a new interview, former Vice President Kamala Harris, still keeping the door open to running for president again, telling the BBC she believes the U.S. would elect a woman leader in her young grand nieces' lifetimes.

Could it be you? Possibly. I am not done. I have lived my entire career a life of service, and it's in my bones. Harris is promoting her latest book, 107 days, which chronicles her historic run for the White House. Earlier this year, she made headlines when she decided not to run for governor of California, leading many to question whether she was preparing for another presidential bid in 28. something she hasn't ruled out in several interviews.

Harris also telling the BBC she believes some business leaders and institutions have given in too easily to President Trump's demands. There are many that have capitulated since day one who are bending the knee at the foot of a tyrant. This week, longtime Trump ally Stephen Bannon, claiming there is a plan for President Trump to run for a third term in 2008. Trump is going to be president of 28, and people just sort of get accommodated. with that. We'll lay out what the plan is, but there's a plan. President Trump has also repeatedly said he may run in 28, despite the fact that such a move would violate the U.S. Constitution, which limits presidents to two terms. Yamish al-Sendor, NBC News, the White House.

Today marks day 25 of the government shutdown and the first day after more than a million federal employees failed to receive their full paycheck. And now, air travelers are feeling the impact. Stephen Romo is at Newark International Airport tonight. Stephen, good evening. What's the situation looking like there? Yeah, Jose, we're seeing here at Newark, the flights originating here, about a third of them, are delayed. Meanwhile, across the country, about 4,000 flights have already been delayed today.

And it's something we've been seeing at major airports across the country issues ticking up all week. Travelers are angry that government gridlock is causing problems. but we spoke to the National Air Traffic Controllers Association President telling us workers are angry too. They were already understaffed and without pay, more are likely to miswork, which the Department of Transportation says will only lead to more problems until this shutdown is resolved. Jose? Stephen Romo at Newark, thank you. Still ahead tonight, the new fallout from the major gambling scandal that allegedly involves big names in the NBA.

Back now with stunning dash cam video out of Oklahoma. Take a look at this plane coming out of nowhere, just barely missing these cars on the road. Have you rewracked that video? I mean, it happened. Police say when an Oklahoma National Guard plane making an emergency landing due to an engine failure happened to pass right by this road.

No injuries were reported. Also tonight, we're learning more about the sports betting scandal that rocked the NBA this week. Steve Patterson, how's the latest? Tonight, the high-stakes scandal upping the ante to the very top of the league. My initial reaction was I was deeply disturbed. Commissioner Adam Silver speaking out for the first time since gambling fraud charges shook the NBA. There's nothing more important to the league and its fans and the integrity of the competition. And so I had a pit my stomach.

So far, more than 30 people charged with money laundering and wire fraud, including accusations of luring wealthy players to join high-stakes poker games fixed with high-tech devices, from rigged shuffling machines to specialized contact lenses, and an x-ray table that reads cards face down. The federal probe includes former Cleveland Cavaliers Guard, Damon Jones, and Hall of Fame Portland Trailblazers head coach Chauncey Billups, released on Bond Thursday. Mr. Billips, you have a comment?

More threatening to the league's legitimacy, a separate case. Miami Heat Guard Terry Rozier charged in an alleged criminal betting scheme for trading insider information about NBA players and teams. It's just all around a nasty look for the game. Billips and Rozier are now on immediate leave as the league reviews the incidents. Lawyers for both men have denied the allegations. As several stars now reckon with the new reality of professional sports, more intertwined with gambling than ever before.

I think on the whole, everybody is very mindful of, you know, what to do, what not to do. This is a new territory for everybody. And now Congress getting involved with a bipartisan letter asking Adam Silver to come to Capitol Hill for a briefing on the scandal by next week. Jose. Steve Patterson, thank you. When we come back, the best-selling book that helped a region hit hard by the opioid crisis. Get back on the road to recover. We're back with a remarkable story in the battle against the opioid crisis.

An author's best-selling book, inspiring readers across the country and sparking a real-life change in one hard-hit region. Kathy Park went there to see it for herself. The natural beauty of Lee County, Virginia is undeniable. But there's a dark side, too. The drugs has just made it go downhill a lot. Overdosed deaths here in Appalachia are more than 50, percent higher than the national average. And with major gaps in treatment options, Crystal Evans was pulled deep into the crisis. By the age of 18, I was hooked on opiates. It's a storyline

we've seen before. Award-winning novelist Barbara Kingsolver saw it too. In her book, Demon Copperhead, the fictional character, Demon navigates poverty, foster care, and addiction. The story struck a nerve and soared to best-selling lists, even winning the Pulitzer Prize. If a windfall like this comes from a story, that's a chance for me to help set the story straight. So she came back to Lee County, the same place she studied while writing her book. This time fiction became action. What everyone agreed on was that we need recovery homes, especially for women. That's how higher ground was born. It's a temporary residents for recovering addicts purchased using royalties from the book where would you be without

this house right now I would be dead I wouldn't probably be dead somewhere with a needle sticking out of my neck Nikki Dockery says her path toward addiction started at age eight when she was introduced to pain medications since then life only revolved around drugs how easy was it to get fentanyl very easy like it was easier to get fentany than it was food today she's choosing here healing over habit. A new chapter for Nikki and Crystal. I have hope that it's getting better, and this house is just one way. Proving their stories can be rewritten, just like the book's main character. What would demons say about the work that you've done? If his mother had had a place like this to go, she would have survived. His story would have been very different. Not a great novel.

But a good life. Kathy Park, NBC News, Pennington Gap, Virginia. When we come back, there's good news tonight about the unbreakable bond between these two educators and why she was the answer to his prayers. 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. For this third grade teacher's aide, a brand new car wasn't on her bingo car.

The Ron Kane needed a car to get to and from work. And to her amazement, her school community at Harvey K.A., in Manatee County, Florida, delivered. I was literally in shock. And get this, Loran has only been working at the school for two months, proving that it doesn't take long to go from colleagues to family. To have the approval of my community to say, we got your back. We're going to be here. That, to me, just made way more than the car.

At George Washington University, a performance these students will never forget. Those kids are from Washington, D.C.'s school without walls. Playing in an event everyone thinks is to honor their school. Music teacher Christopher Alberts was watching them play, but then... The 2026 D.C. teacher of the year is Christopher Alberts. After teaching for more than two decades, he had no idea he was about to be named Teacher of the Year. Albert's overcome with emotion as 500 students cheer him on. It was overwhelming to hear everybody cheering for me and it was something I'll never forget.

Master Sergeant Johnson is in the house. For this family in Florida, a reunion to remember. That's Briley, Dakota, and Scott Johnson surprised and overjoyed to see their hero. Their dad, Air Force Sergeant Shane Johnson, back home a month early from his deployment. And an unbreakable bond between this North Carolina theater teacher and her assistant principal.

That's Kristen Lumber, revealing to Ernest Devon that she's about to be the answer to his prayers by donating her kidney after two years of waiting. What was that moment like, Ernest? The feeling that went through my body was like a feeling of relief. joy, just grateful, blessed, excited, happiness. They've been a long-time colleagues, but also close friends.

It makes my heart feel good because, I mean, he's like a brother to me. Guided by faith. I feel like God made this call, and I had to pick it up. With the school community showing up to show them just how love they are. What's the bigger message you think? Words are just words, but when you put action behind it, that makes the difference. Being able to say, not just say I love you, but being able to act on it and really mean that through their actions, we are here to shine the light for others. That's NBC Nightly News for this Saturday. The great Hallie Jackson will be here tomorrow night.

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