NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Sunday, October 4, 2026

Episode Date: October 4, 2026

U.S. bombers scrambled out of U.K. airbase after threats; Cornell University police made drug arrest hours before alleged sexual assault; Early indications suggest Flydubai co-pilot acted alone in attack, officials say; 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.

Breaking news tonight, the Pentagon pulling all its Air Force bombers from the British base at the center of a suspected thwarted terror plot. Officials describing the move as rushed telling NBC several of those bombers had just arrived at that base. The new information our team is just getting. New revelations about what happened in the hours before that explosive alleged sexual assault at Cornell University. What we're learning about a drug-related arrest at the frat house on the same day. Plus, Jane Doe's attorney on the threats he says, his client is now facing. Chaotic new video from that fly Dubai attack, passengers, scrambling to help the hero captain, and the new reporting suggesting this may have been a lone wolf attack.

What we're learning about the U.S. Marine arrested after a woman was found dead in a Japanese hotel. Happening now debris recovered from a medical jet crash off the coast of Massachusetts, and the urgent push tonight to find six passengers still missing. Dangerous October heat wave, tens of millions in the West facing extreme heat, with temperatures into the triple digits and no relief for days. New developments after that botched execution of a death row inmate, her lawyer, telling NBC she's now being guarded around the clock. Startling new dash cam video of a huge bear attacking a car. Look at that. The driver trapped inside. A major diabetes breakthrough, the groundbreaking new treatment that could lead to a cure for millions. inside the most expensive college football stadium ever and the big money schools are paying to try to get fans in the stands.

And there's good news tonight about stepping up to the plate and the women inspiring a new generation. Nightly News starts right now. This is NBC Nightly News with Hallie Jackson. Good evening. We are coming on the air with breaking news just into us tonight. NBC News is learning the Pentagon rush to withdraw. all its Air Force bombers from the U.K. military base at the center of a suspected, thwarted terror plot just days ago. We're talking about bombers like these rushed out of the British base used by the U.S. to facilitate strikes against Iran. Officials say some of those planes are already

back here in the U.S. tonight. It's happening just days after this when a bomb squad searched those white fans you see there and British police arrested five men near the base's perimeter on suspicion of terrorism. Julie Cirkin is at the White House for us tonight. And Julie, any indication of a new threat at the base? Hally, no. Two Pentagon officials say they aren't aware of any new threats that are different from what they were already monitoring. But clearly the situation is significant enough, Halley, that the defense department made this urgent decision. The officials say it's fair to say the withdrawal of all 12 B-1 bombers was quick and rushed. In a new statement, a Pentagon official says they weren't able to confirm the movement of assets in real time due to operational

security. The official ads, they can now say the bombers redeployed, as you mentioned, to their home stations here in the U.S. Remember, Halley, these specific bombers are used for long-range strikes. They've launched missiles deep inside Iran targeting the country's ballistic missile facilities. Hallie? Julie Sirkin, tracking it all live for us on the North Lawn. Julie, thank you. To our new reporting now on what happened in the hours before the alleged sexual assault at Cornell University that has rocked campus and reverberated around the country. NBC News has learned Cornell police made a drug-related arrest at the fraternity house just hours before Jane Doe says she was raped there. Valerie Castro has more. Tonight, new details emerging about the hours leading

up to the alleged sexual assault of a Cornell student in 2024. Cornell police made a drug-related arrest at the Chi Phi fraternity in the early morning hours of October 19th, according to a campus Daily Crime Log reviewed by NBC News. Later, that same day, the alleged victim, now known as Jane Doe, says she was sexually assaulted by several men at the fraternity while under the influence of drugs. The log does not identify the drugs involved or establish any connection between the incidents. I'm not even sure we have everybody who participated in this assault because my client was blacked out during periods of time. If you ask me, I believe there were more. So you think it's more than seven? I think so, but we'll never know.

Thomas Jufra is representing Jane Doe in a civil lawsuit against the school and seven Kifai members. Speaking to CNN about what he says was a failure by campus police to properly investigate. You had a complaining witness, you had evidence of a crime, and they didn't follow up on it. Are you not, like, embarrassed to be here? This, says video shows a dramatic confrontation with Jillio Lopes, one of the men named in Jane Doe's lawsuit. Everyone in Cornell is a shame of you. Like, that group chat is disgusting.

Loebts denying his involvement. I'm just disgusted by you. I just wanted to let you know personally. I'm ashamed to be on the same campus as you and you're a gross person. The accused student's attorney responding in a statement in part, plaintiff's counsel has masterfully manipulated the media narrative and the consequences are now very real. Mr. Lopes was publicly accosted and is being condemned before the evidence has been fully heard. Meanwhile, Cornell's president speaking out,

What happened to Jane Doe in 2024 is deeply disturbing and will weigh heavily on our community for years to come. My heart aches when I think of what she experienced. Vowing the university will do better. Valerie is joining us now. And Valerie, Jane Doe's attorney also says his client is now getting threats. Yeah, Halley, her attorney says she's received threats calling on her to drop the lawsuit, some even saying they'll do something to hurt her even more. Her attorney also said other women have been wrongly identified as his client. Hallie? Valerie Castro, thank you. New video tonight

of passengers trying to help the captain fighting off his co-pilot in the cockpit on a flight bound for Israel with U.S. officials now telling NBC news that appeared to have been a lone wolf attack. Raf Sanchez reports. Tonight, new footage shows the chaotic scene outside the cockpit of the fly Dubai 730.3. moments after the attempted hijack it. No sleep. Don't sleep. Passengers urging the wounded captain not to fall asleep, while just inches away the co-pilot and alleged attacker is bloodied and bound.

Multiple U.S. officials briefed on the investigation and a former Israeli security official tell NBC news, the suspect, Hamam al-Hamami, appears to be a lone wolf, who operated on his own, not as part of a larger network. Though they stress, the investigation is still. at an early stage. President Trump said this week the attack was possibly linked to Iran, but so far no evidence has emerged to support that theory. Hamami is in custody in the UAE. Amaradi prosecutors say he used an axe, part of the flight's emergency equipment to attack

Captain Schmidt-Machar, who recounted the assault in a phone call with Israel's prime minister. There was, my first thought was that there was a catastrophic damage to the aircraft. Ayel at Epstein and her 14-year-old daughter Tamar were flying home to Tel Aviv. The plane just started falling. Like, probably that was the scariest part. I think she asked me, are we going to die? When the plane leveled out, her daughter said she wanted to remember their brush with death,

writing in this diary while they were still mid-air. The plane is quiet except for crying and prayer. At that point, the plane is starting to drop down and we're getting closer and closer to Earth. Raf is joining us now live from Tel Aviv. Raff, tell us more about the controversy where you are when it comes to pilot screening, considering the red flags raised by all this. Yeah, Hallie, so under Israeli law, airlines have to provide the names of crew members before they land. But the Israeli government is saying it's just not possible to do a thorough background check of everyone.

the Prime Minister now ordering an urgent review of that system. Howley. More to watch on that. Raf Sanchez, thank you. New video tonight of a Russian drone exploding as it hits a bridge in Kiev in Ukraine. You can see that huge fireball there as cars were trying to get by under that bridge. Russia's defense ministry said it was targeting a route used to transport troops and military cargo. Russia has been attacking Kiev's bridges since last week in a push to try to disrupt key routes.

It's not clear if anyone was hurt in this attack. Also tonight, a U.S. Marine is under arrest in Japan in connection with the death of a woman there, reigniting tensions over the American military presence in the country. Dana Griffin reports. Japanese police have a U.S. Marine in custody in connection with a woman's death. They say he's 20-year-old Lance Corporal Devin Jacob Ballard, based in Okinawa, according to Reuters who spoke with local police. He's suspected of killing 39-year-old Anayaji inside this hotel in Naha, adding police say security video shows the two entering the hotel together Saturday and later Ballard leaving alone, taking her wallet and backpack. He was arrested around 1 a.m. Sunday.

Police have not said exactly how she died, but Ballard has denied the allegations. The case drawing a forceful response from Japan's government, the prime minister calling the incident extremely brutal and vicious. The Ministry of Defense saying, we are deeply outraged and have lodged a strong protest. with the U.S. side and have made a firm demand for stricter discipline. The Marine Corps says it is actively cooperating with Japanese authorities. However, the incident is reopening decades-long resentment on Okinawa, where crimes involving American service members have repeatedly sparked outrage. Tens of thousands protested after the abduction and rape of a 12-year-old girl by three American

service members in 1995. The incident forced discussions between the U.S. and Japan on ways to reduce America's military presence on the island. The Marine group based in Okinawa posted on X. It expects every Marine to meet the highest standards of behavior, adding Ballard remains in custody as the investigation continues. Howley? Dana Griffin, thank you. So the latest now on the race to find six missing passengers on a medical jet after the Coast Guard said have found debris from that plane off the coast of Massachusetts. You're looking at new images of that search.

here. Air traffic controllers lost contact with the flight Saturday as it was headed from Bermuda to Boston. Also tonight, tens of millions of people are on alert for dangerous extreme heat in the West where triple-digit temperatures are gripping parts of California with hardly any relief inside. Temperatures are expected to be 10 to 25 degrees above average through Thursday. And in Tennessee, a new update now on the condition of the death row inmate whose execution was botched as the state now launches an investigation into what happened. Here's just a Kersh. Tonight, Krista Pike is still unconscious on a ventilator and guarded around the clock in a Tennessee

hospital, according to her attorney. She was sincerely ready to go. I can't imagine what it's going to be like when she comes out of this and realizes what happened and what results may be permanent. Pike's medical and legal future remain unclear after the state of Tennessee attempted and failed to execute her Wednesday night. facing mounting questions on Saturday, the governor's office announced that the State Department of Corrections Commissioner, who oversees executions, will be stepping down. The governor's office also says a former U.S. attorney will conduct an independent review of the state's lethal injection protocol.

It's hard. I broke down in tears. The mother of Colleen Slammer, the 19-year-old murdered by Pike in 1995, describing what it was like to witness the failed execution. She was laying on a table talking, still laughing, picking up her head. I think that the state owes me in big polity. And I also think that the governor and the Supreme Court, she gets their act together. And as a mother, I felt her. For now, Tennessee, halting all executions. And Pike's legal team keeps pushing for her death sentence to be reversed.

An 18-year-old who has been suffering constant physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, is not the same person as a mature adult who decides to do the wrong thing. Jesse Kirsch, NBC News. Also tonight, with one month to go into the midterms, President Trump is hinting at a big surprise, he says, insisting Republicans will maintain power in Congress, even as the party faces headwins. A new NBC news poll shows the Latino votes swinging to Democrats compared to the last election where the GOP saw historic gains among that demographic. Still ahead for us tonight, wild new video of a bear attacking a car with the driver trapped inside.

Plus, a medical breakthrough that experts say could lead to a cure for type 1 diabetes. That's next. Back now with wild video of, look at this, a bear attacking a car. You see it. It comes out of nowhere. It jumps onto the hood in Japan. The driver was reportedly not hurt. The bear is believed to be a mother with her cub and both ran away not long after.

Also tonight, the new potential game changer for millions of Americans with type 1 diabetes. Ann Thompson has more on the breakthrough research that could lead to a cure. For 13 years, Katie Beth Hand's life was dictated by type 1 diabetes. How did it change your life? Type 1 changed everything for me, having to calculate everything that I ate. I couldn't walk out of the house without this huge bag of medical supplies and snacks. Tracking blood sugar levels and injecting insulin her body didn't make to control those levels. Through marriage to Blake, raising four children and managing a law firm in Little Rock.

It sounds exhausting. It is exhausting. On top of it, Katie Beth also had no symptoms when her blood sugar plummeted. If your blood sugar drops too low, it can actually kill you instantly. A glucose monitor alerted Katie Beth and her fireman husband Blake to danger. We have an old saying at the fire department, if it can go wrong at home, it will when you're at work. So I would usually have to panic, call or text her to make sure she was okay in eating something. How often did that happen?

It varied, once or twice a week, probably. No more. Katie Beth is one of a dozen type one diabetics now potentially cured after a transplant of islet cells, part of a clinical trial in Chicago. It feels like a miracle every day. Here's how it works. Islet cells from a cadaver are transplanted into the liver to make insulin. To keep their immune systems from attacking the transplanted cells, Katie Beth and the others get the anti-rejection drug Tigo Prubart every three weeks.

So what do you think of the results of this trial? Well, I think they're really exciting. Diabetes expert, Dr. Michael Via of Mount Sinai Hospital, is not involved in the clinical trial. He says this is one of several exciting treatments being studied. Do you think in your lifetime you will see a cure for type one diving? This kind of study makes me really hopeful. We've kind of talked about when they've done a study 10 years from now, we'll see the cure.

But this one really makes us hopeful. Until then, Katie Beth gladly makes the 1,300-mile round trip for her treatment. Do you have any side effects at all? Being able to eat everything that I want and being able to sleep through the night are the two big side effects we've had so far. A price she and Blake are more than willing to pay. is Amanda Thompson, NBC News, Little Rock. Certainly sounds pretty promising.

We are back in a moment with the inside look at this nearly $900 million college football stadium and why some schools are spending so big to keep fans in the stands. Next. We're back with an inside look at one of the newest football stadiums in the country and the most expensive, nearly $900 million, as our Shaquille Brewster explains. It's the latest big money bet college teams are making. to try and score with fans. It's being called a college football game changer.

The new Ryan Field, home of the Northwestern Wildcats, making its highly anticipated debut Friday. So you're still putting these final touches on? We are. We toured the stadium in the final days of construction with Patrick Ryan Jr., who's leading its design and development. It will be the best place to watch a football game, soccer match, or concert.

Any stadium in America is not the world. You're right there. I mean, look how close you are. His family paying for most of the university's privately funded stadium that trimmed the number of seats now with capacity for 35,000 fans. This was an $875 million project, the most expensive college football stadium ever built, boasting premium amenities, hoping to reinvent the fan experience. Including everything from the fanciest meals to the $5 food menu, with pre-game festival grounds filling out the complex.

Village at Ryan Field is going to feature five of the top restaurants or chefs in Chicago. World class, Michelin Star Award winners. The stadium itself, using unique engineering. Our willingness to get rid of the bad seats allowed us to put everybody forward. To bring fans up high. Ready to go see the worst seats? Let's do it. Closer to the on-field action.

You're covered by a canopy protected from weather. You have armrests in a cup holder. Northwestern, one of the latest to spend big on a college football home with an eye. on fans with the deepest pockets. Ohio State dropping millions on upgrades, like building on-field boxes, now selling for more than $142,000 a season. At Mizzou, a $250 million renovation, adding capacity and premium seating to its century-old building, and Penn State opening its $700 million Beaver Stadium next year. College football has always cared about money, but it cares about money more than ever before. Nicole Auerbach

with NBC Sports says in the age of NIL in national broadcasting deals, teams are fighting an uphill battle for cash. It's not just selling season tickets. It's about the people who are going to be paying for the suites and those experiences because you know you can charge more for it. The high dollar

upgrades here earning mixed reactions. We're attracting more people different from everywhere else. Everything nowadays is like premium. It's all for like the premium customers. Do you want to go to watch the game and it's not really about a premium? experience. With the record-breaking stadium now open, a new test of what fans are really looking for. Shaquille Brewster, NBC News, Evanston, Illinois. When we come back, there's good news tonight

about the home run for these pro baseball players inspiring the next generation. There is good news tonight about the love of the game and the women making the big plays across generations. In full swing tonight, the historic return of the women's pro baseball league after 70 years. These women stepping up to the plate and already inspiring the next generation. I want to be a second baseman. I won't be a sure stop. I want to be a catcher.

I want to be a pitcher. For 14-year-old Evelyn, there's the thrill of firing off of fastball. And she's got an arm, too. Only thing better than a perfect pitch? Good, good. Pitching with the pro. Now let's see it, drive through it. These young players, learning from the trailblazers in Springfield, Illinois,

with baseball for all, the largest girls' baseball organization in the country. Perfect. Like that? Yeah. You're going to come here? Okay. Playing with pros, something these women could only dream of when they were little leaguer. We were once those little girls playing with the boys and having no clear path forward.

I'm living my little girl dream. That dream, now reality. Whether it's fielding, pitching, or catching, both generations of athletes seeing themselves in each other. You can put this foot here. Proving playing like a girl knocks it out of the park. There is a place for them to aspire to be. Being able to see something is so important to actually being able to do something. They really are in a league of their own.

That's nightly news for this Sunday. But stick around. Sunday night football is up next. Lions at the Panthers tonight. I'm Hallie Jackson. For all of us here at NBC, thanks so much for watching. And have a great week.