NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Sunday, November 30, 2025

Episode Date: December 1, 2025

Winter blast threatens busiest travel day of the year; 4 killed, 11 injured in shooting during California birthday party; Congressional committees launch inquiries into second strike on alleged drug boat; 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 winter weather mess colliding with the rush to get home on the busiest travel day of the holiday weekend. Heavy snow and ice hammering the Midwest causing crashes look like that one, cars and trucks sliding off the road. At the airport, long lines and the major scare for one flight. And tonight more snow in the forecast. The search for a suspect after a deadly shooting at a child birthday party. We have a nine-year-old that was shot. Four people killed, three of them, kids, bullet holes across this garage, we're live at the scene. Pressure building on the Pentagon over this boat strike in the Caribbean.

Now, Republican lawmakers launching inquiries into whether the military broke the law. And tonight, President Trump speaking out for the first time about it. But he says the defense secretary told him about the strike, plus his conversation with Venezuela's leader. Progress in peace talks as U.S. and Ukraine officials. meet in Florida, why a deal to end the war could be in reach with the catch. Accused CEO killer Luigi Mangione back in court tomorrow. The evidence his lawyers say should be thrown out. A massive factory explosion.

Look at this. The building bursting into flames, turning chunks of concrete into projectiles. There is good news tonight about the Denver Broncos linebacker who didn't let cancer keep him off the field for long. This is NBC Nightly News with Hallie Jackson. Good evening. We begin tonight with the heaviest travel day of the year and an intense winter storm system making a mess for folks trying to head home in time for the work week. Look at these snow-covered roads in Chicago, sending this car out of control and right off the highway. In Indiana, you see this wreckage from a 45-car pile-up and scary moments for passengers who recorded this video from on board a plane that skidded. off the runway in Iowa. At airports, like Chicago's O'Hare, flight delays and cancellations,

as travelers try to get where they're going. We have a look at the next winter blast on the way for millions coast to coast in just a moment. But we begin with Valerie Castro in Chicago. Tonight, weary travelers making their way home on the busiest travel day of the year, after winter weather hammered airports and covered roads in the Midwest. Millions waking up to winter alerts, clearing snow in places like with Wisconsin. I do the sidewalks and the edges. He can concentrate on the bulk of it in the middle. Icy condition Saturday leading to several accidents in Iowa. State troopers dealing with cars and semi-trucks off the side of the road. In Des Moines, a scare for Delta passengers after a plane

slid off the runway. Thankfully, no one was hurt. In Illinois, this driver sliding across three lanes of interstate traffic before ending up in a ditch. O'Hare setting a record for the snowiest November day with more than eight inches of snow after more than a thousand canceled flights travelers today dealing with long security lines trying to rebound from the chaos our flight got postponed twice and then outright canceled so we're stuck in the snow so we had to go to a hotel and now we're going to try again more than three million people expected to pass through TSA today potentially setting records We expect the numbers to be pretty significant.

Seeing travel continue to increase 3 to 4% annually, we're expecting this to be a significant travel day. And with more snow and rain on the way, Thanksgiving's leftover travel troubles not drying out just yet. Valerie is joining us now from O'Hare. And Valerie, for some folks, these holiday travel headaches may linger into tomorrow, too. Yeah, Hallie, there have been hundreds of flights canceled here at O'Hare today, so the travel rush is sure to continue. into tomorrow, though the TSA says things should ease up throughout the day. Hallie? Valerie Castro at O'Hara Airport.

Thank you. Let's bring in our NBC News meteorologist Angie Lastman. And Angie, there is more messy weather on the way. Indeed, just as one system moves out, Hallie, we've got to gear up and look at our next system that's going to arrive for parts of the country as we get into the beginning of our work week. Here's a look at Monday. Some more rounds of this snow, blanketing across parts of the plains.

We'll also see the heavy rain stretched across parts of the mid-south. And we could see some wintory precept with that as well. well. The Great Lakes, the Northeast, the Mid-Atlantic, and really up and down the eastern seaboard starts to get active on Tuesday. This brings rain and snow across those regions, and we'll see some accumulating snow, especially across parts of the interior northeast. When it comes to totals, anywhere from three to six inches for the widespread amounts across the northeast, localized higher amounts up to nine inches, and we'll likely see flurries to a dusting along the I-95 corridor, Halley. Angie Lastman, thank you. In the West tonight, the urgent search to try to catch the

person who officials say opened fire at a child's birthday party killing four people. Steve Patterson is there. Tonight, the urgent manhunt coursing through Central California aimed at a suspected shooter authorities say brought violence and death to a day of joy for children. I have run down the CPR has already been started on. More than 100 people were gathered inside this banquet hall for a child's birthday party, according to authorities, when shots rang out. I have one QSW. This is to this. It's four people were killed with at least 11 others wounded among the lives lost three children eight nine and 14 years old along with a 21 year old devastating our hearts go out to the families to the victims to this community the sheriff's office doesn't believe there's an

ongoing threat to the community preliminary investigation is we do not believe that this was a random incident that we believe that it was a targeted incident a targeted shooting the mayor interfering gang ties may be a factor. I have been told by individuals who were invited to this event that there were people there who had ties in the gang community. Do we think this instance of violence was directly because of that gang affiliation? From what I understand, it was due to a beef between individuals and they wanted to send a message. Tonight, a town shaken by a stunning act of violence.

Those individuals that attacked these children at a birthday party, there are no words. Steve Patterson is joining us now from a vigil to remember those young victims. And Steve, we saw you with the mayor there. What else did you tell you? Yeah, I spoke to her just moments ago. She says there's about 100 gangs that operate out of this part of California. She also says the sheriff's department has leaves but haven't made any arrest yet. And she says anybody with any information needs to step forward immediately.

Hally. Steve Patterson at that vigil in Stockton. Thank you. Here in Washington late tonight, President Trump, responding after word Congress is launching new inquiries into a boat strike in the Caribbean, ramping up pressure on the Pentagon and the White House. Kelly O'Donnell is traveling with the president. A new demand for answers on U.S. boat strikes off Venezuela and whether American actions

could constitute a war crime. We're going to have an investigation. We're going to have a public hearing. We're going to put these folks under oath. Under scrutiny is the September 2nd attack. The Pentagon conducted a second strike on a boat, they allege, carried illegal drugs, because the first hit had failed to kill all crew members, a U.S. official and a source familiar with the actions tell NBC News.

The Washington Post was first to report that follow-on strike was done to comply with Defense Secretary Hegseth's order to kill all on board, according to two sources. Tonight on Air Force One, the president told reporters Hegseth says he did not give that kill order. He said he did not say that, and I believe it. But lawmakers, including some Republicans, want to know if survivors were killed intentionally. Obviously, if that occurred, that would be very serious. And I agree that that would be an illegal act.

That is a violation of the law of war. When people want to surrender, you don't kill them. and they have to pose an imminent threat. It's hard to believe that two people on a raft trying to survive would pose an imminent threat. In a rare break with the president, Republican leaders of the Senate and House Armed Services Committee pledge rigorous oversight and a full accounting of the operation. However, Homeland Security Secretary Christy Noem disputes the account. I would not put any credibility to that story.

While Hegseth posted, our current operations in the Caribbean are lawful. Kelly is joining us now from West Palm Beach. And Kelly, the president also says he's spoken recently with the leader of Venezuela, right? He acknowledged that phone call with Venezuelan leader Nicholas Maduro, but he would not share details of their conversation. As the U.S. ramps up military assets near Venezuela, and the president warned their airspace should be considered closed, Mr. Trump said don't read anything. into that when asked if military strikes are imminent. Hallie? Kelly O'Donnell, traveling with the president in Florida. Thank you. Also in Florida, today's high-stakes meeting between top American and Ukrainian officials. Raf Sanchez is following this for us, and Raf sounds like a step closer to peace

in that region, but certainly no done deal yet. Yeah, that's right, Halley. Secretary of State Rubio said this was a very productive meeting, and it does seem that the U.S. and Ukrainian positions are much closer together now than they were at the start of this process. You'll remember the original proposal President Trump wanted Ukraine to accept read a lot like Vladimir Putin's wish list. It called on Ukraine to surrender territory to limit the size of its army. The big question now is will Russia accept this modified proposal? And we may get an answer to that next week when special envoy Steve Whitkoff is in Moscow

for meetings. But Putin has made it very clear. If he does not get an offer he likes, he's prepared to fight on. Howley. Ralph Sanchez, thank you. The Israeli prime minister is asking that country's president for a pardon tonight stemming from the years-long corruption trial Benjamin Netanyahu's facing. It comes just a few weeks after President Trump wrote a letter requesting just such a pardon for the prime minister

who has denied wrongdoing related to the charges of bribery, fraud, and more. Also in the Middle East tonight, Pope Leo is making a big push for peace, with huge crowds greeting him in Beirut during his first foreign trip as Pope. You see it there. On the plane from Turkey, he reiterated the Vatican's support for a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians. Here at home, in less than 24 hours from now, accused CEO killer Luigi Mangione will appear in court for a hearing that could be pivotal in the case against him. Ellison Barber reports.

Nearly one year after accused killer Luigi Mangione allegedly took his fatal shot, he's heading back to court ahead of what could be one of the most closely watched trials in decades so closely watched that even a routine pretrial hearing is capturing attention. At the center of it, evidence from the moments he was captured inside a Pennsylvania McDonald's. The defense team arguing that Mangione was not read his Miranda rights right away and that anything police learned in the roughly 17 minutes before then should not be allowed in court. They're also arguing that the evidence collected from his backpack, including what police described as a 3D printed gun and a so-called manifest should be thrown out since police didn't have a search warrant.

If you're a part of Luigi Mangione's defense team, is this a make or break moment for your case? This is huge. And if you're part of Mangione's defense team, you need to try and get anything thrown out that is possible. A judge approved a request for Mangione's legal team allowing him to appear in court in civilian clothing. Part of the argument is that there is so much publicity that if he's in prison clothes, even during the pretrial hearings, that could taint the jury pool. He'll be given two suits, three shirts, three pairs of pants, five pairs of socks, and one pair of shoes without laces. It's a far cry from his early court appearances in shackles and a subtle reminder of the extraordinary public interest in the 27-year-old's

murder trial. Ellison Barber, NBC News, New York. Looking ahead now to Cyber Monday sales tomorrow with retailers hoping they could keep up the momentum from what's already been a record setting holiday shopping weekend. Here's Brian Chum. After a record-breaking Black Friday, shoppers are filling their carts for the king of the online shopping season. Cyber Monday expected to bring in over $14 billion in sales this year. What experts say you'll find the best deals on apparel and computers? And retailers are hoping to add a new spin to their sales events, leaning into artificial intelligence. In the weeks leading up to peak holiday spending,

ChatGPT maker Open AI partnered with Walmart and Target. Let's say I'm a little bit overwhelmed at which plushy I want to get my 10-year-old nephew. Well, I can ask ChatGPT and say, hey, I'm looking to buy a really cute toy for my 10-year-old nephew, and it's going to give me some suggestions. At the very bottom, it'll even say Target, and you can shop right in the app on ChatGPT. Over half of shoppers said in a recent survey they plan to use AI this year.

Some saying they're using it already. I talk to chat GPT, like the human being, and they respond to me the same way. Others unsure about testing the tech. AI does not know my family as well as I do. This year, Amazon's offering its own chatbot called Rufus, where you can take a screenshot of a shopping list and automatically add those items to your cart. AI is making the shopping experience more simple and easy and automated for our customers. Cyber Monday this year, getting an AI upgrade.

Ryan Chung, NBC News. Look at this here, a huge explosion and fireball shaking a neighborhood near Sydney, Australia overnight. You can see the smoke and the flames rising into the sky, wow, from a waste facility with chunks of concrete raining down. Fire officials say they've never seen an explosion like it. They're trying to figure out what set it off. You've got to see this wild video, literally, out of California. Look at this bear making itself at home underneath this home, squeeze it. its way into that crawl space. You see it on the security camera there. At one point, almost

getting stuck when it tried to get out. The homeowner is now working with the Sheriff's Department and state officials to help that very big bear find another spot to call home. When we come back, there is good news tonight about a Denver Broncos comeback. This linebacker never saw coming. There is good news tonight about a comeback on and off the field for an NFL star. Alex Singleton there for the Broncos. On the field, Broncos linebacker, Alex Singleton looks unstoppable. Singleton battled the big tide in. He's the team's co-captain and leading tackler.

Singleton ripped up through the catch. But just weeks ago, a surprise setback took him out of the game. Singleton telling reporters in a conference call, It's been a whirlwind. It started with a letter left in his locker. A routine NFL drug test, finding elevated levels of a home. hormone called HCG, which makes testosterone, an indication of either a banned substance or, as his doctor told him, just before a big game, cancer.

The first thing I said was, I still want to play Thursday. The biggest thing for me was, you know, how to get my mind off of it. Singleton kept going, suiting up, and helping to propel his team to a win. And the very next day, surgery to remove the tumor. Now, number 49, pivoting from defense to offense, sharing his testicular cancer diagnosis to raise awareness, writing, if it helps one person decide to pay closer attention to their body, then it is well worth it. Less than a month later, Singleton is cancer-free, saying he couldn't have tackled this opponent without his teammates, his wife, and nine-month-old

daughter, who inspired him at every step. Cancer is a scary word. It still is. It still freaks me out. Even just saying it, attacking it with a positive mindset is, you know, the best way to do it. And he will make his comeback at tonight's Broncos game before he turns 32 next Sunday with so much to celebrate. And that game up next, Denver versus Washington right here on Sunday night football. That's nightly news for us. Tom will be back tomorrow. I'm Hallie Jackson. For all of us here at NBC, thanks for watching and have a great week.