NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Sunday, August 24, 2025

Episode Date: August 25, 2025

Massive dust storm rips through ‘Burning Man’ festival in Nevada; Epstein accuser’s family blasts Ghislaine Maxwell testimony release; Kilmar Abrego Garcia notified by ICE that he may be deported to Uganda; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, dramatic and dangerous scenes of fire and dust out west. At the Burning Man Festival, you see it here, a huge dust storm whipping through. Visibility near zero, tense torn down. People covered head to toe in dirt with warnings of a monsoon, maybe next. Oh my God, something just picked up and blew into our RV. And in California's wine country, wildfires burning thousands of acres. threatening some of the state's celebrated vineyards. We're covering it all.

The family of Epstein accuser Virginia Joufrey blasting the Justice Department for releasing Yelaine Maxwell's testimony why the family says Maxwell's trying to rewrite history and what else we're learning tonight. The man whose case became a flashpoint in the Trump administration's deportation crackdown facing a deadline to maybe be sent to Uganda,

his emotional reunion with his family and what's ahead. As Ukraine celebrates Independence Day, why the push for peace seems to be stalling. Chicago, bracing for National Guard troops after President Trump floated the idea, signaling Baltimore and New York could be next. Our reporter, one-on-one with Chicago's mayor, now pushing back. What Uber is saying about this video of a driver assaulting a passenger. New concerns, a deadly disease outbreak, making dozens sick in New York, could threaten other parts of the country,

Thanks to some industrial ACs running full blast. This is NBC Nightly News with Hallie Jackson. Good evening. We begin tonight with extreme weather, potentially putting millions in danger, including some at the popular Burning Man Festival. Look at that, apocalyptic scenes there in Nevada. Savage wind whipping up dust.

People clinging to those tent poles to keep them from flying. You can barely see through the haze. And now a flood watch ahead of possible thursday. thunderstorms that could turn that festival into a muddy mess, like what we saw two years ago. Farther west in California, it's the wildfires ripping through some 6,000 acres, coming dangerously close to Napa Valley's famous vineyards. And from Washington State to Southern California, record high temperatures for the start of the week. Our Liz Kreutz reports.

Tonight, fires, wind, and heat causing extreme weather conditions across the west. Oh, my God. Something just picked up and blew into it. In northern Nevada, this is the scene at Burning Man. Wing us up to more than 50 miles per hour, causing a freak dust storm, wiping out some camps and severely limiting visibility at the start of the week-long festival. Videos showing some people head to toe covered in dust and clinging to poles trying to save their tents. Traffic to get inside the makeshift Black Rock City backing up for hours. the National Weather Service also warning of possible monsoon thunderstorms.

The scary conditions reminiscent of the disastrous mudpocalypse two years ago when heavy storms left tens of thousands of attendees stranded. And in California, firefighters still battling that massive blaze in Napa County, now nearly 7,000 acres, crews using aircrafts and dozers to gain control. It's extremely rough territory, some of it's clipped out. Burning since Thursday, the picket fire now 11% contained and moving away from the town of Calistoga. The flames still threatening multiple homes, properties, and vineyards. We do have some evacuation orders.

We hope to get those folks home as soon as possible. The fire, one of several across the region. In central Oregon, the flat fire now exploding to more than 20,000 acres with 0% containment. Another concern out west, the heat. 29 million people remain under heat alerts from Washington to Arizona. all of it fueling those dangerous fire conditions not expected to let up anytime soon. Liz joins us now from Los Angeles and Liz some spots out west could set records for how hot it'll get in the next couple days. Yeah, that's right. Hally, Spokane, Washington and Portland, Oregon

are all forecast to hit daily record highs in the 90s. Medford, Oregon could even reach up to 105 degrees by the end of the day. Hallie, Liz Kreutz in L.A., thank you. Also tonight, new reaction now from the family of one of Jeffrey Epstein's most vocal accusers, blasting the Justice Department after it released Galane Maxwell's testimony. Melanie Zanona is at the White House. Tonight, the family of Virginia Roberts Duffray, one of Epstein's most prominent survivors, blasting the DOJ for an interview with Epstein's top accomplice Galane Maxwell. Dufre died by suicide in April. Her family saying the DOJ provided Maxwell a platform to quote, rewrite history.

adding, this travesty of justice entirely invalidates the experiences of the many brave survivors who put their safety, security, and lives on the line to ensure her conviction, including our sister. The DOJ pointing to an earlier statement saying it will continue to seek transparency while protecting victims. The interview also drawing sharp criticism from Democrats. Maxwell goes into this interview, undoubtedly told by her attorney, unless you completely exonerate the president, you're going to spend most of the rest of your life in prison. So she wants a pardon. It all stinks to high heaven. Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking. Her attorney says she's not guilty

and called Senator Schiff flat out wrong. On Friday, the agency released audio and transcripts from its July interview with Maxwell. By you meeting with us today, we're really just meeting. I'm not promising to do anything. During the two-day sit-down, Maxwell praised Trump and distanced the president from Epstein. I never witnessed the president in any inappropriate setting in any way. She also denied the existence of a so-called client list and rejected the DOJ's assessment that Epstein died by suicide while awaiting trial in 2019.

I do not believe he died by suicide. The DOJ transferred Maxwell from a Florida prison to a lower security camp in Texas after her interview, which the Joufrey family says sends a disturbing message. Melanie joins us now from the White House. And Mel, we are also learning more now about Virginia Joufrey's memoir set to be published. Yeah, a memoir from Joufrey will be published this fall. And according to the publisher, she completed the book before she died and said it was her heartfelt wish that the memoir be published regardless of her circumstances, Hallie. Melanie's anona at the White House, thank you.

A big deportation fight is entering a new phase tonight with the Trump administration, now saying a man at the center of its immigration crackdown could be sent to Uganda. Gary Grumbach is joining us now, and Gary feels like tomorrow might be a pivotal day in this case, right? Hallie, Kilmorrow Obrigo Garcia has to make a critical decision tomorrow that could decide his future. Obrigo was reunited with his family in Maryland this weekend after being released from federal custody on Friday.

He has become the face of the Trump administration's crackdown in immigration after he was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March. Tomorrow morning, he must check in with immigration officials in Baltimore, where it's possible he will be taken in. into ICE custody. He and his attorneys are being given two options by the Trump administration. Obrigo could plead guilty to federal smuggling charges and then be deported to Costa Rica, who has said they will accept him as a refugee, or he could avoid a plea and be deported to Uganda as early as Wednesday, a country that has agreed to take in deported migrants

as long as they don't have criminal records. The government wants an answer from Abrago's team on this by tomorrow morning. Hally? Gary Grumbach, thank you. To the war in Ukraine. And new concerns, a peace deal could be slipping further out of reach a week after historic meetings aimed at ending the fighting. Here's Matt Bradley. Tonight, Ukrainians celebrating 34 years of independence as their independence faces its gravest threat. With every step of this war, with pressure on Russia, with their real losses, said Ukraine's president, we know that peace for Ukraine is getting closer.

Only hours earlier, Russia launched another round of attacks at Ukraine. infrastructure, ending a week of some of the heaviest Russian bombardments of the war. Even as President Trump made an ambitious push for peace, meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska nine days ago, then with Zelensky and European leaders and an extraordinary summit at the White House days later. Since then, the president has pushed Zelensky and Putin to meet in person. But Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov told NBC NBC News as Kristen Welker, that meeting hasn't been agreed to. You're saying there's no meeting plan right now. There is no meeting planned. Putin is ready to meet with Zelensky when the agenda

would be ready for a summit. And this agenda is not ready at all. Now the president faces a critical choice. It's going to be a very important decision. And that's whether or not it's massive sanctions or massive tariffs or both. Or do we do nothing and say it's your fire. But as the White House's diplomacy waivers, Russia and Ukraine staged yet another prisoner exchange, swapping 164 prisoners of war from each side, and showing that peace may still be possible. Matt Bradley, NBC News. To the Middle East now, where Israel said it struck targets from Iran-backed rebels in Yemen. You can see the plumes of smoke and the destruction in Yemen's capital.

The IDF, the Israeli military, said the target, was a power station. The Houthis say two people were killed and five more hurt. Here at home, new pushback from cities, including Chicago, after President Trump's threats to deploy the National Guard to their streets. Now, Chicago's mayor telling our Shaquille Brewster, he's taking those threats seriously and his team plans to stand firm. Tonight, National Guard troops will be armed while patrolling the streets of Washington, D.C. A DOD official telling NBC News, they're officially authorized for self-protection. It's a scene Chicago is hoping to avoid. Their mayor, Brandon Johnson, tonight, pushing back on President Trump's threat to send the National Guard to more American

cities. We don't need cities across America occupied by our military. They don't have policing powers. They don't have arresting powers. The president, also suggesting on social media this morning, I will send in the troops to Baltimore after targeting New York and Chicago in the Oval Office Friday. well, straight down Chicago, just like we did D.C. Chicago is very dangerous. According to Chicago police statistics, murders, robberies, and shootings are all down more than 30% this year. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker accusing Trump of abusing his power and saying in a statement that there is no emergency that warrants deploying the National Guard. Chicago has been a frequent focus of Trump's criticism going back to his first term

when he set hundreds of federal agents in 2020 to target violent crime. is on its way. But the latest threats come after the president mobilized D.C.'s National Guard this month and took over the California National Guard in July over the objections of state and local leaders. As Illinois leaders in the ACLU vow a swift legal response. There's a higher barrier for the president to send National Guard into Chicago. He's going to have to articulate a reason for doing it. Shigil Brewster joins us now from Chicago. And Shaq, the Trump administration may have a harder time getting National Guard boots on the ground where you are in Chicago compared to here in D.C. Absolutely, Halley. Leaders here are raising constitutional and

states' rights concerns suggesting that legal pushback would come almost instantly. It's a similar line of messaging that you're hearing from Maryland's governor, West Moore, who's calling Trump's use of a national guard a scare tactic. Hallie? Shaquille Brewster, thank you. Also tonight, a critical test for Elon Musk's SpaceX and its Starship Test Flight after some bumpy rides to this point. Marissa Parra reports. Ahead of its biggest test yet, SpaceX Starship Test Flight 10 scrubbed less than an hour before liftoff.

SpaceX posting they were standing down from their original Sunday night launch time to quote, allow time to troubleshoot an issue with ground systems. The world's largest rocket, which Elon Musk hopes to use one day to bring humans to Mars, seen moving into position. this weekend. When Flight 10 does finally lift off, it'll be a critical trial for the vehicle's heat shield and overall reusability. But so far, it's been a bumpy ride this year for Starship. Test Flight 7 in January, scattering pieces of the ship over Turks and Caicos. Test Flight 8 in March breaking up over the Bahamas. We had lost attitude control of the ship and entered into a spin.

Test Flight 9 in late May saw Starship breaking up 46 minutes into flight upon re-entry. And in June, an explosion during a static fire test on the ground. Whoa! Whoa! That's not good. Starship grounded by the FAA each time until investigations and tweaks were made. SpaceX riding ahead of test flight 10 that hardware and operational changes have been made to increase reliability. And for Elon Musk, there's a lot riding on the hope that big risks will pay off soon as the stakes for Starship and its test flights grow higher. Marisipara, NBC News. Still ahead tonight, the new warning about a deadly disease outbreak in New York that could surface in other cities.

And what Uber is now saying about this video of a passenger punched allegedly by a driver. Back now with this startling video of an Uber driver, apparently headbutting and then punching a passenger. The video from the passenger's attorney, as they are now suing, they say the driver denied a request to bring a service dog along for the ride. Uber says it cannot comment on the lawsuit, but that there's no place for violence on its platform. To a new warning now about the spread of a deadly disease that has killed at least six people in New York and made more than 100 others sick. And now concerns this threat could spread to other states, thanks to some industrial air conditioners running full blast. Priscilla Thompson has more. With hotter temperatures striking cities nationwide, a deadly bacteria is on the rise.

I started feeling a little lethargic. I couldn't do basic things. Legionaire's disease, a severe form of pneumonia, has killed at least six people in New York City since late July and sickened 112 more. Nunesio Quinto says he was hospitalized for days. I was out five days later and with no energy and unable to do anything. This is the largest outbreak that the city has seen since 2015. How did it happen? This is the time of year when, unfortunately, the type of bacteria that we are worried about, Legionella, grows very quickly. It grows in warm water and spreads through mist containing the bacteria that people inhale. The New York City Health Department has found Legionella in 12 cooling towers, which convert warm water into cold air for large buildings.

How many more cases are we seeing today compared to, say, 20 years ago? Yeah, so we're really seeing an alarming increase of this disease within the past, 20 years, cases have increased 10-fold in the United States. Cities in the Northeast and Midwest are reporting more cases as older infrastructure meets hotter weather due in part to climate change. A lot of people and a lot of buildings that maybe didn't traditionally have air conditioning units might be putting in these cooling towers. That would make a lot more people susceptible.

People over 50, smokers, and the immunocompromised are the most vulnerable. Symptoms include cough, fever, head, and muscle aches that it. if caught early, can be treated, helping save lives. Priscilla Thompson, NBC News. There is good news tonight about getting your head in the game and winning even before the finish line. There is good news tonight about getting off the sidelines, going for gold, and the best team of all, family. The finish line, thrilling for any athlete. But this team is unlike any you've ever seen before.

Way to go, Mom. Where to go! That's Texas mom, Maddie Harrison, and her son, Keegan, representing Team USA as a push-assist team in the World Transplant Games in Germany. How did it go, Keegan? Great. The games, celebrating the gift of organ donation. Keegan was born with a congenital heart condition and became a heart transplant. recipient at just six days old. Since then, the Harrisons have made it their goal to promote

disability awareness. Their method of choice, racing as a family, with Maddie pushing and pulling Keegan in 5Ks and triathlons. We caught up with them right before their big adventure. How did you and Keegan become this dynamic duo? I had been racing triathlons for many years, and Keegan loved watching and cheering on. We decided that there would be, no more sidelines for him. Before they left, Keegan's school, giving him a send-off fit for a champion. I was completely floored and so excited that everybody came out and just made sure that we felt so

much love and support. It means more than we can say. Well, winning may not have been the point. Is it about coming in first for you? I hope not. They ran. Oh, my island, James the curve. swam

and bite their way to gold anyway with fun and family at the forefront can you talk a little bit about what that's like for you emotionally we become our best selves as we're going through this I hope people see there are doors that are open no matter what your situation is

there is a way that we can make sure that you feel included that you're allowed to participate and that you are supported in whatever that you want to do. And a big congratulations to them. That's nightly news for this Sunday. Tom will be back tomorrow. I'm Hallie Jackson.

For all of us here at NBC, thanks for watching and have a great week. Deegan! Deegan! Begin! Begin! Begin! Begin!

Begin! Begin! Begin!