NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Sunday, September 13, 2026

Episode Date: September 13, 2026

Heavy rains prompt flash floods and water rescues; Top AI chief executives publicly agree on slowing AI development; Fuel prices rise as fighting expands in the Middle East; 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, dozens of water rescues from flash flooding with severe storms sweeping across the country. Heavy rain, washing out roads, dramatic rescues like this one in New Jersey. These cars submerged and outless hundreds of firefighters battling new flames in California. We're tracking it all. The new warning from tech titans calling for a slowdown in the AI race. And ahead of the midterms, former President Obama's message to Democrats to push for change. Gas prices rising here at home as new attacks in Saudi Arabia threatened to escalate the war in the Middle East. Overseas President Trump's controversial call for a United Ireland and the growing fallout in the UK.

Terrifying moments for passengers on two different flights from intense turbulence trying to land in a storm to unruly passengers zip tied and handcuffed after making threats. Just in the harrowing moments for a candidate for governor surviving a plane. crash and then swimming to safety. Measles cases surging in Pennsylvania as health officials announce a third death related to the outbreak there. And Megan sharing their first glimpse at their family's new life in the UK. And there's good news tonight about this football fan winning a chance to make the play of a lifetime.

Nightly News starts right now. This is NBC Nightly News with Hallie Jackson. Good evening. We are coming on the air tonight with. dangerous conditions and dozens of water rescues across several states because of intense storms pounding much of the northeast today, heavy rain flooding out roads and leading to rescues like this one here in New Jersey. Look at this. Cruise using that boat to get to those folks trapped on top of their submerged car. Parts of Connecticut were also hit hard with roads there washed out.

Cars trapped in that rising water. And then there's this, these people wading through water up to their wastes. Those are runners from a half marathon, caught off guard when the flooding began. Our Steve Patterson is tracking it all tonight. Tonight, parts of the Northeast pounded by a deluge of heavy rain this weekend. Leading to washouts, widespread flooding, and a spade of swift water rescues sweeping across several states. In New Jersey, floodwaters raced over roads, transforming streets in major thoroughfares into steady streams, leaving little islands of half-submerged cars in its wake. So when it's heavy rains, this is what happens. Stop raining. This is, stop raining, please.

Police in Patterson, reporting at least 15 water rescues in the area this weekend, and take a look at this. This is nuts. Runners at a half marathon in the Garden State bracing to stay upright after being submerged in waste-deep water, while cars in Connecticut were forced to a crawl, after the flooding spurred an accident on a major freeway. In Westport, Connecticut, emergency responders reporting over a dozen rescues of people trapped in their vehicles. Watch police in New York pulling stranded motorists from the top of their car after flooding swept over this road near the Connecticut border. Tonight, $8 million under alert for the possibility of more severe storms from Vermont down to Ohio.

Down south, the oppressive heat set nearly 20 record highs this weekend, with 40 million from Texas to Indiana still under some form of heat alert. Out west, red flag warnings spurred by hot dry winds, now in effect for parts of central and northern California. Where the flames of the Lukash fire have now spread to more than 4,000 acres, hundreds of firefighters on the front lines hoping to gain an advantage as containment there grows. Steve is joining us now from L.A. where Steve, this bad stretch of storms is now affecting some big names who'd been set to perform at a festival.

Yeah, Hallie, organizers of the Ocean Way music festival in Santa Monica, which is set to have headliners like Olivia Dean and Jack White, said that due to the impact left behind by Hurricane Marie and rapid coastal erosion last week, it is no longer safe to host the event. And they're now looking at 2027 to reschedule. Halle. Okay, Steve Patterson. Thank you. Fallout growing now over those apocalyptic AI warnings from some insiders and new calls to slow down the race to develop the technology. with leaders from President Trump to former President Obama now sharing their strategies. Here's Ali Kanao.

Tonight, a growing chorus of warnings from some of the biggest leaders in artificial intelligence, spurred by a viral social media post from Jacob Coxon, a former employee at leading AI Fermanthropic, who warned the tech's rapid development could lead to the extinction of humankind by the end of the decade. Coxon, speaking to our Kristen Walker this morning. You're building a human level or superhuman level mind without understanding what it wants or thinks or the way it thinks. And I think that intrinsically should be quite scary. Anthropic CEO Dario Amadeh, writing in a new essay, we must slow the pace at which we improve the capabilities of AI models.

Amade, expanding on that warning in an interview with CBS Sunday morning. It doesn't mean we need to panic today. It doesn't mean we need to shut it all down. What I would say, it's a warning sign. It's a warning sign that we need to slow down. He's not the only one. Open AI CEO Sam Altman publicly agreeing with his competitor. Tech mogul Elon Musk also on board. And ahead of the midterms, former President Obama last week,

saying AI could be dangerous if more isn't done. He urged Democrats to prioritize AI controls, something he said he'd make a central part of his campaign if he were running for president. Today, President Trump weighing in. We can put guardrails. We can do this and that. But I think you have a lot of negative forces that are bringing it up. That shouldn't be bringing it up.

One of the biggest obstacles to slowing down, the AI race with China. A lot of my worry was that I feel we need international coordination or else we risk running the same race with China, which could be equally dangerous. Although Amadee isn't calling for a full halt to AI development, he does want tighter U.S. restrictions on China's access. to advanced AI chips and foreign data centers, whether that slows China enough remains to be seen. Hallie?

Allie, Canal, thank you. To the startling moments now, captured on camera for travelers on one flight dealing with intense turbulence and passengers on a different plane ending up zip-tied and handcuffed because of threats. Our Aaron Gilchrist is tracking the mid-air scares. Severe turbulence turning to sheer terror

for passengers on a Turkish airline's flight. We were there! One flyer posting her perspective on this flight from Istanbul to Tunisia this past week, saying the plane tried to land three times before dropping. The stormy weather eventually forcing the pilot to land at a different airport. We're also learning about a safety threat on a Qatar Airways plane on Friday. You can see flight attendants working to restrain two men. The airline says they were involved in a physical altercation on a flight from Australia to Qatar.

A witness telling our partners at 7 News Australia at least one. of the men headbutted and spat on a crew member and claimed to have a gun. It took at least half a dozen people to finally restrain the pair with handcuffs and zip ties. Qatar Airways saying in a statement to NBC News, the safety and well-being of our crew and passengers remain our highest priority. The incident coming just days after this scary moment on an American Airlines flight from Dallas to Newark, diverted to BWI Airport. TMZ sharing video of a man being duct taped to his seat.

said the man yelled racial and homophobic slurs before getting physical with other passengers. Maryland authorities charging Arthur Lundeen with second-degree assault and disorderly conduct. Flight crews and passengers teaming up to respond to a growing number of scares in the skies. Aaron Gilchrist, NBC News. New escalations tonight in the war in the Middle East, now sending fuel prices soaring once again, as our Kyr Simmons reports. A new front in the Iran conflict. putting pressure on oil and gas prices this weekend.

The average gas price for a gallon, $4.31, with diesel at a record high. Despite fears that will fuel inflation, President Trump insisting it will not last. The country is booming. Iran will end right after the meant before, but it'll end right after the midterms. Gasoline's going to drop like a rock. These images tell a different story. In recent days, Iran-backed militia storming across. the desert occupying territory and deploying drones, allowing them to close another vital

shipping lane, the Babal Mandep. And even seizing U.S. manufactured equipment like this armored vehicle as they defeated forces supported by American ally Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Saudi shutting down a crucial oil pipeline that was circumventing the Strait of Homoos after it was attacked, the aftermath visible in these satellite pictures. Today, President Trump's saying he still has the upper upper-up. a hand over Iran. Iran wants to make a deal so bad. They're calling constantly. They want to make a deal. They got to make the right now. I'm not going to make a deal that's no good. The Trump administration

so far resisting pressure to bomb the Houthis to try to slow their advance, despite multiple calls from Saudi Arabia's crown prince, according to a person familiar with the matter. The Houthis called us, and they don't want to fight with us. Meanwhile, U.S. Central Command this week targeting Iranian assets near the Strait of Hormuz, an effort to keep some ships from passing through. Kyr is joining us now. And Kyr, we're learning of what sounds like a setback with a key meeting that was supposed to happen tomorrow. Now called off. That's right, Hali. Just today, President Trump said he was, quote, fine with Gulf countries and Iran working out their own deal for the Strait of Hamos. Now tonight we're hearing a key meeting between those countries set for

tomorrow has been postponed. Hallie? Keir Simmons, thank you. And President Trump is heading back here to Washington tonight after a closely watched trip to Ireland, but not before a new controversy over his position on Irish reunification. Kelly O'Donnell is on the ground in Dublin for us tonight. And Kelly, this has really seemed to touch a nerve there. And it has been a head scratcher, Halley.

The president's weekend here in Ireland was focused on golf. The Irish Open held it a course he owns. But the president went off into the rough, so to speak, by commenting on a very sensitive diplomatic issue. He repeatedly said he wants to see the unification of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, which is governed separately by Britain's United Kingdom. A highly controversial position given American presidents have long stayed neutral. The UK government says there are no plans to make this change.

Still, the president did not back down and separately announced he's dropping tariffs on Irish whiskey. Halley? Lots to watch. Thank you. In Wisconsin, new developments after the small plane carrying a candidate for governor went down in a lake, forcing those on board to swim to safety. Look here, you can see the plane and the water there, Republican Congressman Tom Tiffany, explaining the plane appeared to lose power, but fortunately, both he and the pilot are expected to be okay. Tiffany's recovering from only minor injuries. And a third person has died from complications from measles in Pennsylvania, according to health officials there. Nearly 700 cases have been confirmed in that state this year as the U.S. overall grapples with its worst measles outbreak in 35 years. We're back in a moment with our first look at Harry and Megan's New Life now that they're back in the UK.

We're back with our first glimpse at Harry and Megan's new life in the UK. The Sussex is posting this video online earlier today. You can see them there with their children, Archie and Lilibin, along with their dogs. coming just a few weeks after they returned to the UK. When we come back, there is good news tonight about the football fan helping to lead his team to victory. With the turnover. There is good news tonight about winning a chance to make the play and one team giving back to one of its biggest fans. Marty Wims is in the zone.

There he is leading the University of Akron's football team onto the field for their home opener. Feeling good. For him, being here is like winning the lottery. Definitely a dream come true for me. That's because he did, with Marty winning a huge contest to be the offensive coordinator of the game for the Akron Zips. Maybe we got a better chance here. The prize? To have one lucky season ticket holder designed the opening drive by creating plays with the coach.

An Akron alum himself, Marty went from the stands to the sideline, spending the game with the best view in the house. watching his plays come to life. Double, double, right? I felt the guys were playing hard for me and for themselves and moved the ball successfully in almost every play. That hard work, earning the Zips

their first win of the season. And when the clock ran out, he got the glory too. The star of the sidelines, earning some fans of his own. Even getting the game ball. The team Marty spent years cheering for giving him

a chance to shine. It's been truly a thrill. Outside of having children and getting married, I don't know if there's been anything more exciting. Yeah, it's something I'm going to remember forever. Party, party, party, party, party. Meeting the moment, indeed. That is nightly news for this Sunday. But stick around. Sunday night

football is up next. Cowboys versus the Giants. I'm Hallie Jackson. For all of us here at NBC, thanks for watching and have a great week. Thank you.