NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Sunday, November 23, 2025

Episode Date: November 24, 2025

Thanksgiving holiday travel rush expected to hit record high; U.S. lawmakers, allies voice concern over Trump’s Ukraine peace proposal; New fallout after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene announces plans to resign; 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, a bumpy start to kick off what could be the busiest Thanksgiving travel week we've ever seen. Big crowds at New York's JFK Airport after an outage shut down operations for multiple airlines. There's just no place to maneuver. It was pretty crazy. Passengers frustrated with millions more set to fly or hit the road this week, the messy forecast for the peak of the holiday rush that could throw a wrench in your plans. The push for peace in Ukraine talks over. overseas going into the night and a sharp response from a top Trump official to lawmakers who say it gives too much to Russia. So can a deal get done by Thanksgiving? Growing fallout

as Trump ally Marjorie Taylor Green says she's resigning after her public feud with President Trump, what he's saying in an NBC News exclusive and what she's sharing about a possible run for the White House. JFK's granddaughter and mom of two revealing a terminal cancer diagnosis, how she found out and the new words of encouragement from her relatives. The new revelation in a teen's death on a cruise ship, what her family is sharing in court documents. Just in tonight, the urgent search for a woman who escaped, now on the run, convicted of stabbing her classmate in the so-called Slender Man case. The holiday shopping sprint set to begin, maybe one for the record books, our one-on-one with the head of Macy's ahead of Black Friday, why he believes it could be a very

merry season and what punishing tariffs could mean for you. And there's good news tonight about Turkey's tradition and two towns' decades-long rivalry. This is NBC Nightly News with Hallie Jackson. Good evening. We are coming on the air with new headaches already to kick off what's expected to be a record-setting Thanksgiving travel week. Look at this, huge crowds and long lines at New York's JFK Airport today. An outage there, shutting down multiple airlines at one of the East Coast's busiest airports, and it's only about to get more packed on planes and on the highways with what could be the busiest Thanksgiving week ever for drivers. 82 million of us set to hit the road. And for many, maybe a messy ride, rain, storms,

and snow set to move in over the course of the next 48 hours. We've got it covered tonight with Shaquille Brewster in Chicago. Tonight, large crowds and frustrated passengers marking the start of the Thanksgiving travel rush. A system outage temporarily shutting down operations for multiple airlines at New York's JFK airport. Officials not explaining what caused the issue. It was madness. There was just no place to maneuver. It was pretty crazy.

Airport headaches kicking off what's expected to be record-setting holiday travel. Nearly 82 million people are projected to get out Thanksgiving week. And almost 18 million passengers set to go through TSA checkpoints, with the agency this weekend announcing new funding. We will be putting over $1 billion into new scanning equipment, new X-ray equipment. A surge after officers worked without pay for six weeks during the government shut down. Rico Walker got a $10,000 bonus for his perfect attendance. Does that bonus make this travel rush period any better for you?

It makes it better, but I think, you know, we would have all been ready for it regardless. While some drivers today were getting an early start. We were hoped it would be light traffic on Sunday. You were trying to beat the traffic? Yes, and it turned out to be correct. Others hoping to avoid weather delays, with multiple systems moving across the country, bringing widespread rain, thunderstorms, even some snow tomorrow into Wednesday night. Messy weather potentially clashing with peak road travel, AAA projecting the worst times to drive

pre- Thanksgiving Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons. Shaq is joining us now from Chicago's O'Hare Airport. And, Shaq, if there is some good news here, it's that that messy weather is expected to clear out just in time for Thanksgiving Day itself. That's right, Halley. Those weather systems are expected to move from coast to coast, but be mostly cleared out by Wednesday evening. Experts saying, if you are traveling before then to make sure you download those airline apps and consider rerouting any connections around that messy weather. Hallie? Shaquille Brewster in Chicago, thank you. Late developments tonight in the push to end the war in Ukraine.

The U.S. and Ukraine now saying discussions today led to what they're calling an updated and refined framework for peace. Our Mali Hunter is tracking it all. Tonight, after racing to Geneva to meet with a high-level Ukrainian delegation, Secretary of State Marco Rubio sounding optimistic. It is probably the most productive day we have had on this issue. And the Ukrainians publicly agree. We are moving forward to the just and lasting peace. Secretary Rubio repeating President Trump's Thanksgiving deadline. get this done as soon as possible.

The 28 point peace plan crosses many of Kiev's stated red lines. Calling for Ukraine to give up one-fifth of its territory, some of which is not occupied by Russia, shrink its military by about a third, and blocks its path to NATO membership.

President Trump was asked about it yesterday. Is this your final offer to Ukraine? No, not by the way. And if President Zelensky doesn't agree, then he can continue to fight his Late tonight, the leaders of the UK, Germany, and France drafted a more comprehensive counterproposal seen by Reuters and the Washington Post. In a statement, the European Commission

President says, Europe must be at the table, highlighting perhaps the most sensitive issue for Ukrainians in any peace talks. A crucial element that must be part of any agreement, the return of each and every Ukrainian child abducted by Russia. Russia has denied abducting children, but the the Ukrainian government puts the number close to 20,000. At just 12 years old, Veronica Vlasova says she was forced into Russia. She survived 15 months of interrogations, even a gynecological exam, held captive in an orphanage. I was lucky, she says, I was able to escape from Russian captivity, but other children are still there. Back in Geneva, Secretary Rubio assured reporters that even the thornyest issues could be tackled.

open are not insurmountable. Now, today's negotiations were only with the Ukrainian. Secretary Rubio says they now take the work they did today to the Russian side. He said multiple times they still have work to do, but he thinks he's very optimistic. They can get a deal done. Halley? In the Middle East

tonight, an Israeli airstrike hit Beirut for the first time in several months. The Israeli military says it killed the chief of staff for Hezbollah, that Iran-backed militant group in Lebanon that has a lot of control and influence in that country. You're looking here at all the damage from what appears to be and apartment building.

Here at home, President Trump late today is insisting the Republican Party has never been so united, even after a now former top ally of his, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green said she would resign from Congress. Julie Circon has more on this moment for the MAGA movement. One of the MAGA movement's most vocal defenders now on her way out. I'll be resigning from office with my last day being January 5th, 2026. And today, Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green, writing online that she is not running for president in 2028, adding she never said I wanted to.

I just disagreed with her philosophy. The president telling NBC News in an exclusive interview, it's not going to be easy for her to bring back her political career. Trump claiming credit for his former friend turned foe's decision. Once I left her, she resigned because she would never have survived a primary. But I think she's a nice person. Mr. Trump had a bitter public falling out with green. Green, that came to a head over her support for releasing the Epstein files, an issue that split the MAGA base.

Standing up for American women who were raped at 14 years old, trafficked in use by rich, powerful men should not result in me being called a traitor and threatened by the president of the United States, whom I fought for. Green also citing the president's ties to foreign leaders, saying his policies are not America first. If I am cast aside by the president and the MAGA political machine, then many common Americans have been cast aside and replaced as well. Today, blasting what she calls the political industrial complex for having destroyed our country. And as the president splits with a longtime supporter, he appeared to reach out to the opposite side of the aisle.

New York City mayor-elect Zoham Namdani. I feel very confident that he can do a very good job. Mamdani reflecting on that meeting with Kristen Welker on Meet the Press this morning. We don't shy away from where we have disagreements, but we understand what it is that brings us to that table. Julie is joining us now from the White House. And Julie, we're also learning tonight that one of the more controversial initiatives of this Trump term is coming to an end early with Elon Musk's Doge, now done. Yeah, Halley, it was supposed to operate until July of next year. But the Department of Government Efficiency is no more.

the government's chief human resources officer telling NBC news, it'll be up to individual agencies to carry out Doja's cost-cutting mission. Hallie? Julie Sarkin at the White House Force tonight, thank you. To the devastating news for the Kennedy family, with John F. Kennedy's 35-year-old granddaughter, revealing she has only about a year to live because of her terminal cancer diagnosis. Here's Valerie Castro.

Tonight, the latest tragedy to strike the famed Kennedy family, Tatiana Schlossberg, former President John F. Kennedy's grandkids, granddaughter revealing a devastating diagnosis, terminal cancer. In an essay in The New Yorker, the married mother of two, describing how doctors discovered an abnormally high white blood cell count just hours after giving birth to her daughter in May of 2024, writing, I didn't feel sick. I was actually one of the healthiest people I knew. The 35-year-old battling acute myloid leukemia, an aggressive blood and bone marrow disorder. It is a rare case of a rare disease and makes it, unfortunately, one of the hardest to treat forms of leukemia. Schlossberg writing, her doctor told her after her last clinical trial he could keep her alive for maybe a year, saying, my first thought was that my kids whose faces live permanently on the inside of my eyelids wouldn't remember me.

Schlossberg also bringing attention to her cousin, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his cuts to health care research and funding, calling him, quote, an embarrassing. to me and the rest of my immediate family. The daughter of Caroline Kennedy, Schlossberg, has largely avoided the family spotlight, working as an environmental journalist and sharing her work on today in 2019. I think climate change is, you know, the biggest story in the world, and if I could, you know, help communicate about it,

that that, you know, might inspire other people to get involved and work on the issue. This morning, Caroline Kennedy's cousin, Maria Shriver, encouraging others to read the essay, writing on Instagram, let it be a reminder to be grateful for the life you are living today. Valerie Castro, NBC News, New York. Still ahead tonight, the search for an escaped woman on the run

years after being convicted of stabbing her classmate to please the character, Slender Man. Back now with an update on a shocking case after an 18-year-old was found dead on a carnival cruise ship. In new court documents filed by Anna Kepner's family, they refer to her death as a suspected murder. The FBI, now investigating her. teenage stepbrother as a suspect in the case after he shared a room with her on the cruise,

according to his father's attorney. To the Manhattan tonight in Wisconsin, where police are trying to find a woman on the run convicted in the violent stabbing of her classmate to please the fictional character known as Slender Man. Ryan Chandler reports. Tonight, the urgent search in Madison, Wisconsin for a 23-year-old woman on the run. Morgan Geyser, an attacker behind the 2014 Slender Man stabbing. Madison police say Geiser cut off her ankle monitor and escaped a group home Saturday night, last seen around 8 o'clock with an adult acquaintance. Authorities urging the public to alert them if they see her, sharing this recent image caught on security footage last month. Geiser's lawyer urging her to turn herself in tonight.

Do not continue to remain on the run like this. It is not in your best interest. In 2014, Geiser and a friend lured 12-year-old Peyton Lightner into the woods near Waukesha. stabbed her at least 19 times, nearly killing her, hoping in their minds to please the fictional character known as Slender Man. Geyser recounting the attack years ago. I stabbed her with the knife. And what part of her body did you stab her? Everywhere. Do you know how many times you did it?

19. Prosecutors said the girls plotted the stabbing for months and hoped to live with Slender Man in the woods. Geyser was found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. She was sentenced to 40 years in a mental institution. But in July, a judge approved her conditional release to a group home. Now police are investigating, as they say they don't know where she is tonight. Ryan Chandler, NBC News. We are back in a moment with a big week ahead as the holiday shopping sprint is set to kick off

and what may be the first trillion dollar spending season next. We're back with a big week ahead for holiday shopping, expected to set a new record, even with the economy, feeling uncertain for a lot of folks. And with those new tariffs put in place by the Trump administration predicted to cost customers more this year. Tonight, the Macy's CEO in an exclusive interview responding to some of those challenges with optimism for what could be a very merry season ahead for some retailers. More people than ever expected to shop this Thanksgiving week. For many customers, sales day, and for many companies, payday. Ahead of what the National Retail Federation predicts will be a shopping season that tops a trillion dollars for the first time. The average customer spending nearly 900 bucks.

They might be doing what makes sense for their family to make ends meet. We also know that consumers, they're prioritizing this, but they're doing what makes sense elsewhere. Still, this year, tariffs could trim what ends up under the tree. about $130 to the average Americans' holiday bill, according to one estimate. It's definitely going to have an impact on shopping. Has that been a hassle for Macy's navigating this tariff environment? Well, we'd rather have not had it, but you know, you don't get to control, but you don't get to control.

What are you seeing from these tariffs? Look, we've had to adjust some places we've not bought as much, other places we've changed countries of production. We've tried to make sure that our assortments offer a level of variety, so the consumer can choose. We met Macy's CEO Tony Spring at the company's parade studio. Do you feel like this is your Super Bowl? It is our Super Bowl. Artists working on finishing touches for the floats and balloons for this week's parade.

And here, of course, we're at the Pop Mart float, which includes our favorite Laboo-Buland, right? The parade kicking off a shopping sprint ahead of Black Friday, even as consumer confidence keeps dropping. And the trend line, the wealthiest shoppers spending, everyone else cutting back. Spring says Macy's, which also owns Bloomingdale's and Blue Mercury, delivers a variety of price points. Hopefully people are feeling like they have an opportunity to invest in gifts this season. And if they're having to be frugal, if they're having to be careful, if they're having to make choices, we've got options.

Do you get a little pit in your stomach when you look at the headwinds that this economy is facing right now? Well, you can either kind of pull the covers over your head in the morning and not get out of bed or you can say, you know what, we have every opportunity today to make it better. This week, new warning bells for some, with Target seeing stagnant sales as shoppers look for value, turning to places like T.J. Max, Amazon, and Walmart, which reported strong sales and raised its profit expectations. You want to make you have a good holiday for your family, but then it builds off. So you're like, okay, how do you balance out both?

Macy's hoping to lure customers like him with one-stop shopping. What is the department store of the next era of the next chapter really look like? love the question, because I believe the department store is the modern marketplace. If you could buy for everybody on your list in one place, that's what the department store is. I think people have in their mind that it was built for a different era. And I think, frankly, it was built for the era we're in right now. And for Macy's, part of the era that we're in right now also includes closing dozens of stores, it says, are not as productive and earlier this year raising its profit outlook.

Much more when we come back, including, of course, the good news tonight about the longtime Turkey rivalry on and off the football field. There is good news tonight about a different kind of turkey trot and the team spirit that's kept one small town hyped up for decades. In southwest Texas, turkeys are tough as nails. Here in Quero, this is gobbler country. Not just for Thanksgiving, but all year long. Let's go, gozzles, let's go!

Under these Friday night lights, a big chunk of this tiny town fills these stands for their home team, the gobblers. It's supposed to be a big game. Once a gobbler, always a gobbler. For the team, it's all about the game. We would lead to freedom. You feel heartbeat if your brother sit next to you. That heartbeat going through the town, too.

The support felt well beyond the stadium. Cuero takes pride as the self-proclaimed Turkey Capital of the World. With its gobbler mascot, Toby the Turkey, Quiro's pride also rooted in tradition. A friendly decades-long rivalry with Worthington, Minnesota, a town that also calls itself the turkey capital. Each year, turkeys from each town race to win a coveted champion title, fastest turkey. Not just for bragging rights, but to keep these gobbler's heads in the game.

Being a gobbler is everything, you know. We do everything we can to support the football team and the band. And in the fourth quarter, Good vibes from the crowd. Lifting the goblers to a huge comeback win. I'm grateful for these kids and these coaches in this community. Special to call yourself a quero goblin. Family on three.

One, two, three, family. A good week for gobblers there. Maybe not so much for turkeys on Thanksgiving. That is nightly news for this Sunday. But stick around. Sunday night football is up next with the Buccaneers at the Rams. Tom will be back tomorrow. I'm Hallie Jackson.

For all of us here. at NBC. Thanks for watching and have a great week.