NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Sunday, December 28, 2025

Episode Date: December 29, 2025

Thousands of flights delayed amid last-minute holiday travel surge; 1 person killed in midair helicopter crash in New Jersey; Trump, Zelenskyy project optimism about Ukraine peace deal; 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.

Tonight, the Arctic slam snarling travel and triggering headaches during the rush home from the holidays. Tens of millions of us under winter alerts tonight, with dangerous conditions already on the roads and in the sky. Thousands of flights already delayed as another storm barrels straight for the northeast. We're tracking it all. Breaking tonight, two helicopters crashing into each other, one of them spinning out of control. At least one person dead. The crumpled wreckage on the ground. the NTSB now investigating.

We're live at the scene. The president's peace push, the high-stakes meeting behind closed doors with Ukraine's leader today, pledging a deal will get done and what to expect from a separate second summit set for tomorrow

with Israel's leader. Chaos in California, after a gas leak, shut down a major highway, forcing people nearby to shelter in place. What's behind the new push more than a decade later

to finally try to track down that Malaysian Airlines flight that vanished without a, trace along with 239 people on board. The truly wild saga for one man whose crawl space is now home to this 500-pound bear that won't leave. It's a nightmare. It's like a carnival house of war. The noises, the smells, and why wildlife officials haven't been able to get it out. The future of food that looks, spreads, even apparently tastes like butter, why this carbon copy could mean a big boost to the environment. And there's good news tonight about our hopes and dreams for

2026 hidden in all that confetti set to rain down on Times Square. This is NBC Nightly News with Hallie Jackson. Good evening. We are coming on the air with a holiday travel mess, a dangerous winter blast, blanketing roads and delaying flights as millions of Americans face tough trips home this week. Some folks facing conditions like these. You see that near whiteout in Minnesota, with the snow getting so bad in some spots they had to call in bulldozers to clear the streets. And at airports, you see these long lines with thousands of flights pushed back. And now this storm system is taking another swing, this time at the northeast, which is bracing for more snow and freezing rain. Ryan Chandler begins our coverage tonight.

Tonight, the rush home from the holidays, turning treacherous for millions hitting the highways and skies. Winter storms battering several. States. Heavy snow over Minnesota, making driving hazardous, bulldozers trying to clear the streets, the Twin Cities expecting between six and nine inches of snow. Belizzards in Iowa blanketing roads, leaving visibility dangerously low. And in L.A., a massive pile up involving a semi-truck, one car engulfed in flames, causing this scene early Sunday morning. There's been a significant accident behind us, fire department not involved. Big rig just planted a passenger vehicle that's now on fire.

Authorities say one person was killed as they investigate the cause. The wintry weather also leaving passengers frustrated at airports as ground stops keep flights grounded at Minneapolis and Chicago. Thousands of flights delayed today. I hear you're trying to get to Chicago today. Yes. How's that been? It's been a hassle, you know.

We're delayed, but we'll make it through. Now, this system taking aim at the northeast, bringing freezing rain and snow to the region. A holiday headache for so many, trying to ring in the new year safe and home. Ryan is joining us now. And Ryan, those winter weather warnings are intensifying, even into the night for a lot of folks. Hallie, that's right. Some 64 million Americans are under winter weather alerts tonight as that storm system continues to sweep east. One big concern, ice is likely to accumulate from pennsyllies.

Pennsylvania to Maine. They can travel more dangerous for millions up and down the northeast. Hallie. Ryan Chandler, thank you. We are following breaking news in New Jersey tonight, where two helicopters crashed in midair, killing at least one person. Our Stephen Romo is on the scene. A terrifying sight in the skies over South Jersey. Two helicopters colliding with this one appearing to lose control before going down. My person will respond to out in the area of 100 feet in road for two helicopters crashing. A witness describing the scene. First I heard a big explosion like a crash.

I saw the orange, red helicopter spinning. Both aircraft crashed in a field near Hamilton, New Jersey, around 11.30 a.m. local time. The FAA releasing a preliminary statement saying in part an Enstrom F-28A helicopter and Endstrom 280 C helicopter collided. Only the pilots were on board each aircraft. One helicopter engulfed in flames after the crash. Got one helicopter fully involved. I'm looking for the second one.

Emergency crews racing to put out the fire. Witness video showing the plume of black smoke billowing into the air. The planes took off from the Hamilton Municipal Airport. That's Airport N-81. and it was probably just a moment or two after their flight started that they collided. A spokesperson for Hamilton's municipal government telling NBC News one person was killed in the crash and another was taken to the hospital with critical life-threatening injuries. Stephen is joining us now from near the scene and Stephen still no word on what caused the crash yet.

Yeah, Holly, that's right. We still have crews out here right now securing this scene. The NTSB is leading this investigation and that, agency can release a preliminary report, typically in a matter of weeks. But a full report from them usually takes a year or more. And, Hallie, so many people in this town witness this crash. There's a lot of people who want to know exactly what went wrong. Hally. And that may take some time. Stephen Romo. Thank you. To the president's push for peace this week, holding a high-stakes Mar-Lago meeting with the Ukrainian president today ahead of a visit from Israel's prime minister tomorrow. We're covering all the angles tonight, starting with Julie Circuit, who's

traveling with President Trump in South Florida. Tonight, Ukrainian President Volodem Herzlinsky potentially one step closer to ending the war, tearing his country apart for the last four years. I do think we're getting a lot closer, maybe very close. After a high-stakes meeting with President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago. 20-point peace plan, 90% agreed, and U.S.-Ukraine security guarantees 100% agreed.

U.S.-European security guarantees almost agreed. The president and the Ukrainian leader seated face to face with other high-ranking officials. Their meeting went on for nearly three hours and included joint calls to European nations. They're all great leaders and we had a great talk with them. President Trump cautioning afterwards that the thornyest issues including territory remain. Some of that land is maybe up for grabs, but it may be taken over the next period of a number of months. And are you better off making a deal now? In recent days, Zelensky signaling willingness to compromise on control of the key Donbass region, Ukraine's industrial heartland.

If Moscow pulls back forces from the region, Zelensky says, he would be open to a demilitarized zone, but only if Ukrainians vote for it. Europe's largest power plant in Zaporizia, Ukraine, under Russian control since 2022, also a sticking point. And President Putin's actually working with Ukraine on getting it open. President Trump, claiming Russian President Vladimir Putin, is serious about peace after the two spoke for more than two hours this morning. I saw a very interesting President Putin today. I mean, he wants to see it happen. Even as the Kremlin continues to hammer Ukraine. Russian strikes pounding Kiv night after night. Julie is joining us now from West Palm Beach. And Julie, to the point there, it's an

open question on whether the Kremlin will get behind a deal. But we may get an answer on that as soon as tonight, right? That's the biggest question, Halley. President Trump said he was going to speak to Putin again at some point, potentially this evening, and that talks will continue with all sides over the next few weeks, hopefully ending with peace between Ukraine and Russia. Hallie? Julie Serkin, thank you. For more on the president's next round of peace talks related to a different region. Danielle Hamamjan is joining us. And Danielle, this is a key moment for the right? Yeah, Halley, they're set to talk about Iran and the future of Gaza. The United States wants to push ahead with phase two of the ceasefire deal, which should see a further withdrawal of

Israeli forces from Gaza. Netanyahu is also preparing to make the case to Trump that Iran is once again expanding its ballistic missile program posing a threat that could require another attack. That's according to a person with direct knowledge of the plans and four former U.S. briefed on those plans. Now, yesterday, the Iranian president says he considers his country in a full-scale war with the United States, Israel and Europe. Ali? Danielle Hamamjin, thank you for that. To a chaotic scene in California today, after a gas pipeline rupture, we'll show it to you here, forcing state officials to shut down a major highway with neighbors forced to shelter in place. That leak has been sealed, and the highway is now back open. Also tonight, an expanded.

search for a missing woman in Texas where officials are scouring the area near where the 19-year-old disappeared on Christmas Eve. Law enforcement officials say they have video appearing to show her looking in her car for something before that footage ends. Texas officials are now out with a new alert saying she may be in danger. Also tonight, more than a decade after the mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, the search for that plane and the 200-plus people on board is set to pick back up this week. Our Janice McAfrayer has more on why now? The hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 will resume in the Southern Indian Ocean,

targeting 5,800 square miles of seabed off the coast of Western Australia, believed to have the highest likelihood of finding something. Ocean Infinity, an American company, will use underwater robots, deep-sea drones, and advanced scanning. It isn't clear whether there is any new evidence driving the search, the company being paid only if it's successful. Whatever need to be done must be done. The Boeing 777 plane took off March 8, 2014, from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, with 239 passengers and crew.

Malaysian 370, contact with 1-20-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-11-0-370. Less than an hour later, MH370 vanished without any distress call or warning. A multinational search in 2017 across a 46,000 square mile zone, failed to turn up any clues. Some fragments have washed ashore as far away as France's reunion island. But where the plane disappeared and why remains one of aviation's greatest mysteries. There's reason to be hopeful. They're using the newest technology. They're at a good time of year.

And they know where they have searched previously. For relatives of the missing, including Americans, it's been more than a decade of disappointment. More than two-thirds of MH370s passengers were Chinese. Only this month did a Beijing court order Malaysia Airlines to pay compensation to settle a handful of lawsuits. But a payoff isn't what Jiang Hui has waited for. Haunted by losing his mother, he has campaigned for a full investigation. Only by finding the plane and our relatives will it ever be resolved, he says. Otherwise, it will always weigh on everyone's hearts. The new search for 55 days and up to six miles down to find any missing piece of the puzzle. Janice Mackeyfrae, NBC News, Beijing. Just into us tonight, the suspect accused of planting pipe bombs in Washington, D.C. the night before the January 6th Capitol riot has confessed, according to a new gun.

government filing released late today. The Justice Department says that suspect, Brian Cole, denied to investigators that he was targeting Congress or those proceedings to certify the 2020 election on January 6th after he was arrested. He's accused of planting pipe bombs at the RNC and DNC headquarters on January 5th, 2021, and faces more than a decade in prison if convicted. Still ahead tonight, you'll hear from the California homeowner forced to live with a 500-pound bear in his basement for weeks. New numbers show flu cases spiking across the country, with more than a dozen states reporting a high or very high number of people with the flu, according to the CDC. New York state health officials say they saw a record number of cases there in the week before Christmas.

In California tonight, a truly wild situation for a homeowner who's had to live with a 500-pound bear squatting in his crawl space for weeks. Here's Dana Griffin. I think he's more comfortable here. Ken Johnson is at his wits-end over an unwanted house guest over staying its welcome. It's a nightmare. It's like a carnival house of horrors. That guest, this 500-pound black bear. It's like 5 o'clock in the morning when I wake up and I hear him banging around.

And I could smell him. It moved into Ken's crawl space more than a month ago. This is the side of the house where the bear comes and goes from a crawl space that is hidden from public view. The last time it came out was Christmas Day. He comes out, walks around, shakes off the rainwater, and crawls back inside. Caught on camera multiple times over weeks, getting stuck, and it's now destroying gas lines. So I had to turn the gas mean off. So no hot water.

No hot water. Just the noises, the bumps. Wildlife officials have even set out a trap hoping to release it back into the wild. It worked, but officials captured the wrong bear, leaving Kinn, stuck with his obnoxious squatter during Christmas. It's kind of like a poltergeist, polter bear. Ken has tried everything. I rattled metal. I put the sound of barking dogs on each vent.

Anything work? Nothing worked. We've reached out to California Fish and Wildlife and have not heard back. It's been a tough year for Ken. He lives in Altadena where the deadly eaten fire devastated the area. His home remains standing, but now it's being wrecked by this unwanted roommate. What would be the happy ending for you here? Well, I'd be happy if he would go back to the mountains.

Dana Griffin, NBC News, Altadena, California. We are back in a moment with a closer look at the future of food that could change how we eat, including this carbon copy, literally, of butter next. To the future of food and what experts call a major breakthrough that could change how and what we eat with new environmentally friendly synthetic foods. And as Shaquille Brewster shows us, some of it, seems pretty close to the real thing. This looks just like butter.

So I'm going to cut this. It spreads and tastes like it. This was made using that butter. Exactly. And cooks like it. Light, airy. Again, really good. But it's actually a butter alternative made by the company's savor in the suburban Chicago factory.

Can we look inside? We can. Here, they're turning carbon dioxide, methane, and water into fats and oils. We take this kind of form of energy that we can then convert into energy that your body can use. And they're making butter without using a single cow or acre of farmland. It's really about sustainability and transforming the food system that we have today. A transformation extending to the kitchen of San Francisco pastry chef Clement Croufone, who uses savor butter to make dairy-free chocolate bonbons.

It's one of the best set out right now. Really? Yeah. It's very surprising I was like food. It's all part of a growing trend of synthetic foods. Researchers looking to build on the popularity of plant-based alternatives. Companies now able to manufacture everything from foie gras to salmon and even cocoa. Biomedical engineering professor David Kaplan says the foods are practically indistinguishable.

These products are very safe and very nutritious. The challenge is how to scale up these processes to make these products advanced. to the wider consumer. And it's a trend that could cut the strain on the environment. The EPA says the agricultural sector accounts for 11% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. But the response hasn't been positive for all food innovations, with states like Florida and Alabama passing laws to ban so-called lab-grown meats.

What do you say to that person who sees this as Frankenfood, so to speak? No one's here to tell you what to eat. What we're doing is trying to create a new way to make the food that will, be better for you, healthier for you. At Saver, CEO Kathleen Alexander says this is the future of food. We can make fats and oils on 1,000th the footprint of traditional agriculture. Early steps in a food transformation that's happening one bite at a time. Shaquille Brewster, NBC News, Batavia, Illinois. When we come back, there is good news tonight about the hidden messages of hope written on the confetti you'll see falling in Times Square on New Year's.

Eve. There is good news tonight about the hidden hopes and dreams for 2026, set to be shared in the confetti that will rain down on Times Square this week. When the clock strikes midnight on 2026, millions of tiny pieces of confetti swirling through the sky will each hold big dreams and big hopes for the future. year ahead. I wish for more love and kindness in 2026. I wish for everyone to be happy. My wish for 2026 is abundant blessings for my family and for humanity. People from all over putting pen to paper at New York City's wishing wall. I wish for a happy, healthy and safe year for everyone.

Committing to each piece their dreams for a brighter future. We hope to achieve our dreams. Some with eyes on the prize and opportunities. In 2026, I want to score high on the LSAT and get into law school. My wish this year is to finish writing my book and have it change at least one person's life. I wish to be able to play volleyball at an Olympic level. My wish is a successful season for my football team. New adventures.

My wish is to study abroad and travel more. We wish for more adventures together. We wish you peace, love, prosperity. Peace, love, prosperity, and endless world travels. Connections with loved ones. My wish this year is to spend as much time as a family together as possible. I wish to be with friends. I wish for a good year with good people.

Hearts set on romance, too. My wish is to fall in love. I wish for happy engagement. My New Year's wish is to get married to my best friend. I wish for a wedding in Rome. For others, peace and contentment. I wish to love harder, be more patient, and listen better. My wish is to continue to chase my dreams and never lose sight of who I want to be.

My wish this year is to continue going to church. To be truly happy with my life and decisions and plans for my future. Thank you very much. Many inspired by the next generation. I wish for husbands for my two daughters. Wishing for a kind of peaceful world for my grandchildren to live in. with dreams of a better world for all. I wish that AI doesn't take over the world.

My wish for 2026 is stability in the world. I wish for a cure for type 1 diabetes. I wish for life to get a little bit lighter for all of us. I wish for a world without feud and security for all. I wish for an end to the divisions in our world. Wishes of love, light, and hope for a fresh start with brighter days ahead. My wish is that you get everything you've ever dreamed of. And our hope is that all those wishes come true in 2026.

That is nightly news for this Sunday. Stick around. We've got Sunday night football up next with the Bears at the Niners. I'm Hallie Jackson. For all of us here at NBC, thanks for watching. And have a great New Year's week.