NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Thursday, April 16, 2026

Episode Date: April 17, 2026

Trump announces ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon; Deadly weather slams Midwest; Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax kills wife and dies by suicide, police 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.

Tonight, the breakthrough in the Middle East, the ceasefire that just began moments ago between Israel and Lebanon, which could be a major step towards a peace deal for Iran and the U.S. The two sides attacking each other up until the last moment. President Trump announcing the deal today and saying peace talks with Iran will restart this weekend. Are they any closer to a lasting deal now that the fighting on all sides has paused? Dangerous floodwaters and heavy winds prompting urgent evacuations in the Midwest. Trees toppled, power lines tangled, one man killed after he was struck by lightning, and the fans stranded at one baseball game.

While on the east, the record-setting heatwave were tracking it all. Tragedy in Virginia, police say a former rising star in politics. Once the state's lieutenant governor killed his wife, then himself, what we're learning tonight. The Artemis Heroes doing their first interview without our roger since returning to Earth, what they told them about the fire they saw outside their window upon re-entry, and the moment the capsule was opened on Earth. Spirit Airlines reportedly at risk of collapse as fuel prices skyrocket.

What happens if you already booked a ticket? And why Europe is warning it's set to run out of jet fuel in six weeks. AI takes Hollywood the first clips of a new movie, using the technology to bring the actor Val Kilmer back to life a year after his death. Will this change movies forever? Dramatic new video of a police chase with cops on horseback taking down a suspected thief. And would you pay half a million bucks for this? We'll explain what it is and its connection to the Titanic.

And there's good news tonight we showed you last night this moment of a lifetime for one young hockey fan. But today, it got even better for. for him. Nightly news starts right now. This is NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas. And good evening. We begin tonight with a breakthrough in the Middle East. It had been some of the fiercest fighting of the past month. Israel's pounding of the Iran-back group Hezbollah in Lebanon. And tonight, just a short time ago, both sides stopped the beginning of a 10-day ceasefire there. Israel and Hezbollah did sneak in some final attacks. You see them here up until the deadline with Israel. destroying this bridge in Lebanon. The ceasefire is major news for the Middle East, but it also

could pave the way for a lasting peace deal between the U.S. and Iran. For weeks, Iran had been insisting that no deal could be reached with the U.S. while Israel continued to strike Lebanon, that hurdle to peace seemingly gone now. President Trump also signaling optimism about reaching a deal with Iran saying today that a new round of talks could happen as soon as this weekend. Our Richard Engel is in Tel Aviv for us tonight and starts us off. The fighting continued to the last moments. Israel firing at what it called Hezbollah targets in Lebanon

and destroying the last bridge connecting the north and south of the country. And Hezbollah launching rockets into northern Israel. Both sides getting in last licks. Then, at midnight local time, the 10-day ceasefire went into effect.

President Trump announced the breakthrough negotiated with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Lebanese president Joseph Aoun. We have a ceasefire with Israel and Lebanon, and that'll be great. And they'll be meeting probably coming to the White House over the next four or five days. Netanyahu tonight called it historic, but added that thousands of Israeli troops will remain in Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed, increasing the risk of renewed fighting. A Hezbollah official tonight said the group will abolish. by the ceasefire, but added it has the right to resist Israel's presence of the country.

The ceasefire, if it holds, could help secure a lasting peace deal with Iran, open the Strait of Hormuz, and lower gas prices. Iran has insisted that any peace deal with Washington also include a truce in Lebanon. To pressure Iran, the U.S. military is enforcing a partial naval blockade, so far stopping more than a dozen ships from docking in or departing first. Iranian ports. President Trump said a new round of negotiations with Iran could take place this weekend, expected once again to be held in Pakistan. We're close to a deal. We're getting along very well with the new Iranian leaders. It really is its regime change. All right, Richard joins us now live. Richard, that ceasefire just began. Do we know how people in Lebanon are reacting tonight?

Oh, we're seeing it immediately. There are celebrations right now in Beirut, and thousands and thousands of people are getting in the their cars, even though it's in the middle of the night there, and they are heading south to see what, if anything, is left of their homes. Tom. Richard Engle leading us off tonight, back here at home, the urgent evacuations in the Midwest. Intense flooding, destroying roads and damaging cars, as cities in the Northeast reach record highs. Emily Aketa has a story. Tonight, families evacuating neighborhoods as floodwaters in and deep parts of the Midwest, collapsed roadways, swallowing this car today. I looked outside and there was heavy rain and then all of a sudden it was up to the doors of cars.

You can hear rain and hail pelting vehicles in Kansas. Powerful winds toppling tree after tree there and tangling power lines. Cameras captured floodwaters in and outside of the Milwaukee Brewers game, stranding baseball fans leaving Wednesday. I'm about calf high. Claire Peterson from our NBC affiliate in Green Bay is on the ground and hard. hit Wisconsin. People are putting sandbags around their businesses as more rain is expected in this area come Friday. Dams in Michigan have been overwhelmed by unrelenting rain and snowmelt.

These waves are huge, man. The water level is just inches from topping the Sheboygan Dam, indicating a high probability of a need to evacuate. Authorities in Wisconsin say a man was struck by lightning while walking through the parking lot last night, later dying at the hospital. while a fast-moving storm brought a rare water spout outside of Seattle. And for tens of millions out east today, in early heat waves, sending temperatures up to 30 degrees above average, reaching record highs today in Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Norfolk. Baseball fans showing how they're getting by. A lot of water today. sunscreen and water.

You got to stay hydrated. Emily Aketa joins us now live, and Emily, it's hot now for tens of millions, but there's going to be some serious whiplash. Yeah, Tom, that's absolutely right. You can see New Yorkers taking advantage of the cool breeze off of the Hudson River here in this early blast of summer. But don't put away those winter jackets yet because next week you can expect some weather whiplash. Temperatures expected to approach freezing in parts of the northeast, Tom. Enjoy it while at last. All right, Emily, thank you to the tragedy now involving a one-time rising star in politics.

Virginia's former lieutenant governor. He's being accused of killing his wife and then himself. Ryan Nobles is near the scene in Virginia with the latest. Tonight, Virginia's former lieutenant governor, Justin Fairfax, a one-time rising Democratic star, dead, accused of shooting and killing his wife and then turning the gun on himself. Self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Police say Fairfax and his wife Serena were found dead from apparent gunshot wounds. The shootings reported by their teenage son. One of the children was the 911 caller just after midnight. This tragedy comes amidst a contentious divorce. Court records show Fairfax was ordered to vacate the family home, where the murder took place by April 30th.

The court had also awarded Serena full custody of their children, as she showed the court evidence that her husband had become a detached alcoholic. They were scheduled to appear in court on Monday for a trial to divide their assets. Former Lieutenant Governor Fairfax was recently served some paperwork associated with an upcoming court proceeding. That apparently led to this incident last night. According to court documents, Fairfax's struggles with mental health and alcohol abuse started when he was accused of sexual assault in 2019. At that time, Fairfax was in the midst of a bright political career. But then a scandal broke.

A photo with a caption attributed to then Governor Ralph Northam showed a man dressed in blackface, the other in a Ku Klux Klan robe. Northam considered resigning, which would have led to Fairfax taking over. But then two different women accused the lieutenant governor of sexual assault, leading to calls for his resignation. Fairfax never left office and vehemently denied the accusations, but never recovered politically. How disappointing is it to see it come to an end this way? You never know what's going on in any family. It was an enormous talent, and I just can't imagine when his family's going through.

Ryan joins us now, and Ryan, police say Serena Fairfax recently had cameras installed in their house? That's right, Tom. And police say they use the footage from those cameras to refute claims from earlier this year by Justin Fairfax that his wife had assaulted him. Tom. All right, Ryan Nobles for us. We are also watching a possible major shakeup in the airline industry with reports that Spirit Airlines could suddenly shut down within days. So what happens if you already booked a flight with the Budget Airline? Here's Christine Romans.

Growing concerns tonight's struggling budget airline spirit may see. soon be gone for good. Bloomberg News and CNBC reporting the company could be liquidated as soon as this week. Unfortunately, it's looking as if the time is running out for Spirit. Spirit tonight telling NBC news, quote, we don't comment on market rumors and speculation. The budget airline is in bankruptcy for the second time in a year and a half. And now skyrocketing jet fuel prices pose a new challenge. Today, oil prices are 41% higher than they were when the war in Iran began, and jet fuel prices have nearly doubled. For airlines, fuel is typically the second biggest cost after labor. Now, a warning Europe could run out in just six weeks.

Delta, United, JetBlue, and Southwest have already raised their fees for check baggage. United and Delta also cut some flights from their schedule. And airfares are already rising into the busy summer travel season. Travel experts say without Spirit, they could go even higher. Even if you've never flown on Spirit, you want them in the market to help put pressure on those other larger carriers. It actually helps keep prices cheap. Spirit tonight, still booking tickets and operating flights. Our expert says if you already have a ticket, don't cancel it.

That could forfeit a potential refund if the company is liquidated. Christine Romans, NBC News. And we are seeing the first clips of a new movie that is bringing Val Kilmer back to screens a year after his death, but this Kilmer is entirely AI generated, and that's raising questions about the future of AI in Hollywood. Here's Chloe Malas. Don't fear the dead and don't fear me. Deny a new role for the late Val Kilmer, brought to life with cutting-edge technology. The first trailer for as deep as the grave, showing an AI-generated version of the actor, at a lot. different ages, playing a priest and spiritual guide in the American Southwest.

Filmmakers say the project was years in the making and that Kilmer himself signed on before his death last year. Before he passed, he conferred this blessing directly to his children to continue this storytelling that he wanted to do. Hi, my name's Val. The film built from archival footage. The photographs, recordings, imagery. That's part of the reason that the realism is so good. In 2022's Top Gun Maverick, filmmakers used AI to help recreate his voice after it was damaged by throat cancer treatment. One last thing. Who's the better pilot?

It comes as Hollywood is increasingly divided over the use of AI. What is your take on this generative AI version of Val Kilmer? I think it's unsettling. I think there's all kinds of possibilities of abuse with this. And I think the industry is going to have to be vigilant about it. The filmmakers say their goal to set a standard as AI rapidly changes the industry. AI can be destructive if it's not used properly. I would say AI is an ally, not an adversary, and you're in control of it.

A familiar face in a completely new era of filmmaking. Chloe Malas, NBC News, New York. And when we return in 60 seconds, the first sit-down since Splashdown, the Artemis astronauts back from the moon and talking with Al Roker in their first interview, What they told us about the moment Orion became a fireball punching through the Earth's atmosphere. That's next. For the first time since the Artemis crew splashed down back on Earth after their historic mission to moon, the astronauts are speaking out. They described to Al Roker living together in those tight quarters and what they saw when they broke through Earth's atmosphere as their capsule hit 5,000 degrees.

From the launch at Kennedy Space Center. The crew of Artemis 2 now bound for the moon. To splash down off San Diego. We launched as friends, and we came back as best friends. A stellar mission for Reed Weissman, Victor Glover, Christina Cook, and Jeremy Hanson. Astronauts becoming household names here on Earth. The crew describing how it felt coming home, breaking through Earth's atmosphere, the capsule's heat shield, protecting them from 5,000-degree temperatures.

We were all holding our breath, weight. heard about the heat shield. And so this moment is coming. And it happens. What was happening as we were watching you come through? I haven't spent a lot of time processing all of this. So I could tell that we were inside a fireball. But Reed and I had panoramic. And we really did. And the very first thing I thought was, is it supposed to be that big? And it was a lot of fire out there. But then there was a red glow in the orange, a very distinct red and bigger plume. I was hyper sensitive to everything, every noise, every sensation. That hatch opens up. What was that like? It was visceral. I was completely overcome and I just screamed. I was so happy and just a visceral emotional reaction

to not only being home, but people there coming to us and bringing us out. Just unspeakable joy. Their trip, the first to take in the full expanse of the moon's far side, sharing spectacular snapshots of the blue marble that's our home, like this one, just peeking over the cratered face of the lunar surface. To me, the most profound moment seeing the moon wasn't necessarily when we were on the full far side. We were so close that the whole thing was just incredible in your face, just dramatic. It was the first real evidence that we were somewhere completely different than where we had started. It wasn't just our own. It was its own, and we were seeing it in a new way. The crew in close quarters aboard their integrity capsule seem to have grown even closer.

Looking at the video, you guys seem pretty comfortable climbing over all over each other. Yeah, especially for you, Jeremy, you're the biggest one of the group. Yeah, I'm sort of like a ladder for the capsule that you help them to get around. We got really effective and efficient at it, you know, just announcing where we were heading and, you know, I'm going to be down here by your feet. I don't need you to move. Yep. Or can you move?

A poignant moment, naming a new crater for Commander Reid Weissman's late wife Carol. She was an amazing human being and she's the mother of my two daughters and like what what man on this planet deserves a gift like that to have your crew be so thoughtful and to do something so caring. The crew bringing back lessons learned for the next trip. We really wanted this to be about humanity going on this journey with us and that idea about togetherness it's just amazing that people resonated with that. A historic moon mission now complete. Al Roker, NBC News. Houston. An incredible trip. All right, we are back in a moment with

the horseback pursuit through the busiest city in the country, how they caught that purse natch. And this artifact from the Titanic could fetch a half a million dollars at auction. Can you tell what it is? We'll tell you about it after this break. We were back

now with President Trump nominating a new CDC director, the president tapping Dr. Erica Schwartz to lead the agency after she served as deputy surgeon general during the president's first term. She has publicly supported vaccines in the past. The CDC has been without a permanent director since Susan Monars was pushed out last summer over a dispute over vaccine policy. In the sports world tonight, former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones is expected

to plead guilty to federal charges over allegations. He provided non-public information to gamblers. That according to a new court filing, Jones was accused last year when federal officials revealed charges in a wide-ranging illegal sports betting scheme that involved current and former NBA players. Jones previously pleaded not guilty to federal charges. And look at this dramatic new video of an NYPD officer chasing down an alleged purse snatcher. You can see the body cam video here with that horse galloping down the street to New York City to chase the suspect down. They eventually caught up with her near this truck. Police say they got the purse back and took the suspect into custody. And a life jacket worn by a survivor of the Titanic is set to go up for

auction. It belonged to a first-class passenger who made it alive off the luxury liner. Laura Frankatelli and other survivors on her lifeboat later signed it. It's expected to fetch up to half a million dollars. Okay, just ahead, the hero on ice. Last night we introduced you to the superfan who was moved to tears when his favorite player gave him his stick. When we return, what happened when they finally had a face off. That's next. I appreciate that. Finally, there's more good news tonight for a young hockey fan we first introduced you to last night. He went viral for his incredible reaction after his favorite player gifted him a stick.

Well, today, he got a chance to thank him face-to-face. TV timeout. Dustin Wolf saw the sign that the little boy was holding. It said, Wolf, you are my idol. His name is Cade Heisler. He's 10 years old. Cade Heisler is having a whirlwind week. The 10-year-old went viral for this incredible reaction after his favorite hockey player, Dustin Wolf, sent his stick into the stands for Cade to keep. This organization does it better than anybody else. Today, with that stick in hand, Kate arrived at the Calgary Flames rink, excited and maybe a little nervous, ready to meet his favorite player face to face. What's up, buddy?

How are you? Oh, thank you so much. Wolf turning 25 today and taking time on his birthday to say hello and sign that stick. Thank you. A dream come true for this young hockey goalie who has faced bullying on the ice before. I'm a smaller goalie too and he proves that size doesn't matter. If you're short and tall, you can still cover the same amount. Those skills on display the night that Wolf first connected with Cave.

But Wolf was so focused on the game. That's awesome. It wasn't until he came back into the locker room that he got to see Cade's reaction in the moment that had gone viral. It's just the pure emotionally love and the happiness. It goes a long way. To take him a couple seconds out of your day to make someone else's better, that's what we want to do.

What a great week for Cade. All right, that's nightly news for this Thursday. I'm Tom Yamas. Thanks so much for watching. night and always we're here for you. Good night. How are you? Oh, thank you so much. I appreciate that.