NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Thursday, August 6, 2026

Episode Date: August 6, 2026

Serial arson suspect in Spokane charged with igniting multiple fires; Senate Republicans vote to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress; Trump’s new executive orders restrict birthright citizenship; 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, authorities say the man accused of igniting one of the most destructive wildfires in Washington state history has now admitted he's a serial arsonist. Firefighters still battling the wildfire from the air and the ground. As this man, detectives say, admits he set more than two dozen fires across the region, how they say he plotted for weeks to set this one. Republican senators holding Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt for refusing to answer questions about the pandemic. Will he face criminal charges? Also breaking tonight the president targeting birthright citizenship and cracking down on birth tourism with executive orders after his previous attempts were shut down by the Supreme Court. Senator Mitch McConnell released from a rehab facility months after his hospitalization.

Will he return to work? Puerto Rico water emergency. The island running dry. American cities and towns forced to go days without water, are reporter and his team on the ground there. New details on the Salmonella outbreak linked to Chipotle, where the suspected tainted peppers came from. Master of disguise, thief caught.

Police say this man dressed in costumes, including a construction worker, hospital scrubs, and others to carry out multiple armed. armed robberies. Suspended in mid-air, the amusement park ride malfunctioned, leaving riders dangling upside down. JetBlue break-in, a man arrested after he allegedly snuck onto a parked plane and took a nap. How was he able to get on board? And there's good news tonight, a Wendy's employee now heading to Yale, how his bosses made his college dreams a reality. Nightly news starts right now.

This is NBC Nightly News with Tom Yomas. And good evening. It's great to be with you on this Thursday. We begin tonight with some breaking news and stunning new details about that suspect and now accused serial arsonist, allegedly behind one of the most destructive wildfires in Washington state's history. The suspect 37-year-old Aaron Farinacci, you see him here, appearing in court today, to face a slew of new arson charges dating back to July of last year. He was already charged with first-degree arson in connection to that huge fire burning near Spokane. But now, authorities say he's admitting to setting two dozen more fires.

And the consequence is still raging with firefighters working around the clock to stop that historic blaze. Hundreds of homes were destroyed. Entire neighborhoods just wiped out entirely. You see them right here. And authorities are warning that new flames could be on the way. Morgan Chesky is in the middle of all that destruction in Washington night. And Morgan, that court appearance just wrapping up. Yeah, Tom, that's right.

And 37-year-old Aaron Farinacci did not enter a plea. He's now being held on a $2 million bond as his defense request a mental evaluation. And all of this happening as fire crews work tirelessly against multiple wildfires. Tonight, as firefighters continue to battle the flames around Spokane and homeowners face utter destruction, stunning new charges depicting a serial arsonist in 37-year-old Aaron Fairnacci. Ferranachi now charged with intentionally starting the most destructive fire in Spokane's history and four other counts of first-degree arson, dating back to July of last year. Aaron Forrest Farinacchi.

Detective Shering Farnachi initially denied responsibility, but then gave a detailed description of Spokane's Old Trails Fire that destroyed hundreds of homes in Saturday's fast-moving inferno. Investigators say he shared how he planned and executed his plan to start fires and maximize the spread, confessing he planned it two weeks earlier, even researching the weather to ensure a dangerously hot and windy day. Adding the 37-year-old admitted he feels fire is powerful, beautiful, and said arson is an easy crime to get away from. Court documents going on to say, Farnachi claims to have ignited 25 fires near his home between July and August of last year, and was questioned by police multiple times, but never arrested. You believe you have the sole person responsible in custody.

Yes, we do. Sheriff John Knowles speaking to the challenge of proving arson cases, why were charges not filed against him last year? Back to when those investigations happen, you have to have people who can reasonably put a suspect in a certain place at a certain time. And in the old trails fire, authorities have just that. eyewitnesses who contacted police after spotting Farinacci acting suspiciously near where that massive fire began. Morgan joins us again now live from Spokane and Morgan, there's been some success in getting these fires contained,

but you're being told tonight there's a new risk in the days ahead? Yeah, Tom, that's right. 100 degree temperatures and the return of those gusty winds leave the sheriff saying even the smallest spark could start an entirely new blazier. Tom? Morgan Chesky for us. head to Washington now because the Justice Department will now decide whether to prosecute Anthony Fauci following a vote by Senate Republicans to hold them in contempt of Congress for taking the fifth over 100 times during a hearing about the pandemic. Ryan Noble says the details.

Tonight's Senate Republicans voting to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress for refusing to answer questions about his response to the pandemic. Seeking the truth is not a witch hunt. accountability is not vengeance. On the advice of counsel, I respectfully the client to answer. Republicans blasting Fauci for invoking his Fifth Amendment rights more than 100 times in last week's hearing.

Well, nothing says honesty like taking the fifth, huh, Doc? Democrats tonight defending Fauci. This investigation has been one-sided from the beginning. Fauci accused Senator Rand Paul of trying to entrap him into perjury, which was not covered in a preemptive pardon he received from former

President Biden. Any reasonable person who has followed his unhinged obsession with me would readily come to the same conclusion. In the hearing, Republicans grilled Fauci over his diary, including where Fauci wrote that he called local officials convincing them to close down schools. Who the fuck do you think you were for doing that? It is a total disgrace what you did to this country. The contempt resolution will not be voted on by the entire Senate and carries no legal weight. A reality, Paul conceded, but said he still wants answers. That the Department of Justice has no legal responsibility to do it. You know, a million Americans died, and I think a lot of people feel like that the origins

came from U.S. funding, and everybody would like some answers. Fauci's attorney calling the vote a crude political stunt. The Justice Department will now decide whether to prosecute. Ryan joins us now live. Ryan, explained to our viewers, even though Fauci was granted a pardon by President Biden, he could still be prosecuted? That's right, Tom. The pardon only covers Fauci's past work with the administration. It does not cover his current cooperation with Congress at this stage of his life. Tom. And then, Ryan, there's also another headline while we have you from the Capitol. Republican Senator Mitch McConnell has faced calls to resign over his health. And now he's giving an update. Yeah, that's right, Tom. In a statement

released tonight, the senator says that he has been released from a rehab facility. and will continue his treatment at home. He's been absent from the Senate since mid-June. That statement offers up no timeline as to when he may return here to Capitol Hill. Tom. Ryan, thank you. Staying in Washington, President Trump with a new push tonight to restrict birthright citizenship following his defeat at the Supreme Court.

The president announced a crackdown on birth tourism, including denying visas to some pregnant women. Gabe Gutierrez is at the White House. Tonight, President, Trump is trying a new way to restrict birthright citizenship and crack down on so-called birth tourism by denying visas to some pregnant women. Very big, big crackdowns, and this will give us the right to do it in a much more forceful manner.

In June, the Supreme Court narrowly shot down the president's previous attempt to deny automatic citizenship to children of non-citizens born in the U.S., ruling the broader executive order he signed that the beginning of his second term was unconstitutional, because it violated the 14th Amendment. It was close, but a very, very unfortunate decision. So we're making adjustments because it's very unfair. These new executive orders are more narrow, including applying to children born of foreign diplomatic staff

working on behalf of another government while in the U.S., children of people who belong to federally declared terrorist groups, and children born of mothers who enter the U.S. solely for the purpose of having a child on U.S. U.S. soil, known as birth tourism. They've taken birthright citizenship and they've made a joke out of it. They're buying their way in, and we're not going to let it happen. The White House calling it a broken system, allowing foreigners access to U.S. government

benefits. If you're telling a consular officer you're here as a tourist, but your true purpose and intent is to go to a baby mill, give birth, and try to mint an American citizen while you're here, then you're committing a fraud against the American government. But tonight, Lulak, responding, The 14th Amendment is not a policy preference. And, Gabe, tonight we're already hearing from potential legal challengers to the president's actions. Yes, Tom, several groups are looking through these executive orders tonight.

The ACLU tells us, no matter how many executive orders, President Trump, signs, birthright, remains the law of the land. Tom. Gabe Gutierrez for us, we are also tracking tonight a major humanitarian crisis unfolding in an American city right now. Hundreds of thousands of people in and around San Juan, Puerto Rico are set to go without water for days. It's part of rolling water shutoffs brought on by a historic drought. Our Gorsolice and his team are on the ground there tonight. Tonight, growing desperation as drastic water rationing measures in Puerto Rico are just hours away from taking effect. Starting tomorrow, families will be without water on a rotating basis for two days at a time.

People here are now racing to prepare. In San Juan, we met a woman named Anna, filling up her water bottles. How bad is the water crisis right now? It's extremely bad. It's something really hard to handle. We shouldn't be living like this. At neighborhood wells like this one in rural San Juan, the flow offering a lifeline as residents now forced to make decisions like taking a shower or flushing toilets. The water restrictions come as more than one-third of the U.S. territory is facing severe drought or worse.

In San Juan, it was the driest July on record. Puerto Ricans already facing water shortages for months, complicated further by aging infrastructure. The drought, only adding insult to injury. Many here feel they're caught in the middle of government infighting. San Juan's mayor lashing out during a special hearing in June, calling the situation a disgrace. And just today, a top member of the water utility resigning over the rationing plan. In Louisa, water trucks are refilling home water tanks. This woman saying it's harder to live without water than without electricity.

When school starts, washing uniforms is going to be very hard. And business owners say it's costing them money because they now have to buy water from private sources. This man says it costs as much as $500 a day to fill their water tank. Tom, and you can see people are lined up here to get water, bringing containers of all sizes. some of them so heavy for the elderly to carry, officials saying they're not sure how long this rationing will need to last. And while there has been some rain here, it has not been nearly enough to provide any relief.

Tom? George Salis for us tonight. George, thank you. We have new details tonight about the jalapeno pepper recall linked to Chipotle. The FDA now believes they found the source, and Thompson has more. The salmonella tainted jalapeno peppers driving this latest outbreak are being recalled tonight. FDA says San Diego-based co-citrous distributors agreed to the action. It supplied the hot peppers to Chipotle and Kudoba restaurant chains. The companies say they are no longer serving

those items. Like the lettuce linked to the cyclospora outbreak, the recalled jalapenos come from Mexico, where some 63% of all our imported vegetables are grown. But the government says the FDA only inspects a tiny fraction of the food. They only inspect 2% of all imported products. Only 2%. Barbara Kowalchek leads George Washington University's Institute for Food Safety. So how do we know the other 98% is safe? Well, and that's not tested. That's just inspected.

FDA doesn't have the resources to go out to those establishments. and check to make sure that their food safety systems are working. Even here in the United States, they only inspect facilities once every five to seven years. Now come the lawsuits. A Minnesota woman is taking Chipotle to court after she got sick from eating a burrito bowl and was hospitalized with salmonella that triggered sepsis in June.

While this outbreak may be ramping up, signs tonight the cyclosporic contamination is waning. Michigan, the epicenter, with more than 12,000 cases, says illnesses are on the decline, and it's lifted its warning to avoid bagged salads. Ann Thompson joins us now in studio, and there's going to be a lot of questions for people that love jalapenos. Should they worry about the ones they buy at the grocery store? The FDA says no. It appears that none of these jalapenos were sent to grocery stores.

They were sent to food service companies and to restaurants. But if you have jalapenos at home, Tom, you need to know that you can. can't completely wash off salmonella washing helps. Cooking is the only way to kill it, and if in doubt, throw it out. Cooking is always best. All right, Anne, we thank you for that. When we return in 60 seconds here on nightly news, Master of Disguise, the man accused of robbing store after store in elaborate costumes for months,

how they finally caught him. Plus, the amusement park ride that left these thrill seekers look closely, stuck upside down. And there's good news tonight how this young man's boss is at Wendy's, helped him get into Yale, we'll explain. We're back down with a thief nicknamed the Master of Disguise, finally caught near Atlanta. Authorities say for months he robbed store employees at gunpoint, always dressed up. Aaron Gilchrist has more on how they finally tracked him down.

The feds called him a master of disguise carrying out armed robberies in the outskirts of Atlanta. The FBI says the man in these disguises is 33-year-old Tracy Darrell Mingo. a rain today accused of robbing 10 businesses at gunpoint between October 2025 and January of this year. Mingo would dress as a construction worker, a security guard, even in hospital scrubs to avoid being recognized according to authorities. Department of Justice officials say Mingo struck multiple locations of Circle K, subway, and family dollar stores. This is one of the locations the suspect allegedly robbed. He would enter each store late at night after nearly all the customers were going. gone, and authorities say that's when he would rob the employees at gunpoint.

Law enforcement found and arrested him just as it appeared he was putting on the same security guard disguise used during a robbery the night before. Today, officials say they stopped him before anyone was hurt. Mingo now faces a range of charges, including robbery and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He could face up to 63 years behind bars. Aaron Gilchrist, NBC News, Union City, Georgia. We're back at a moment with a wild one, a man who broke into an airport, then snuck aboard a jet blue plane. What he was doing when authorities finally caught him.

That's next. Back now with new video of an amusement park ride malfunctioned, leaving these riders hanging upside down. It happened at the Ocean City Boardwalk in New Jersey in July, and you can see those people dangling in the air, heels overhead on a ride called Wipeout. The amusement park says those people were brought back down within minutes and that all the riders made it off safely. Also tonight, a man was caught sleeping on board a JetBlue flight that was parked for maintenance at Fort Lauderdale's airport. Investigators say airline staff discovered 32-year-old Samuel Lackey on board when they arrived to inspect the plane before moving it.

Lackey is now facing misdemeanor charges. It's not clear how he got into the airport, but surveillance video shows him using portable stairs to get right into that. Park Jet. When we come back tonight, there is good news how one teenager's determination took him from the Wendy's drive-thru to Yale with a little help from some friends. Stay with us. And finally, there's good news tonight. A teenager who came to America looking for a better life took a job at a Wendy's, and when he needed more money for college, his bosses said, we got you, and it all just paid off. Watch as 23-year-old Tallest Azusa's life, is about to change.

For a seat. An acceptance letter to Yale University. A dream that once felt impossible. He was always college. He has always been. Desuzza escaped extreme violence in one of Rio de Janeiro's poorest neighborhoods, moving from Brazil to the U.S. 10 years ago.

I don't think a lot of people really saw potential in myself, and I don't think I saw potential in myself. In high school, he learned English and worked full-time at a Wendy's in Cape Cod. He wanted to save for college, but the pay wasn't great, so he decided to pursue another job. But his bosses at Wendy's had another idea. Continue working with us, and we will help you to go to college and pay for him. For every hour, DeSuzza worked, they set aside extra money for him, a college scholarship fund.

It was a wonderful opportunity with a kid who has all the potential in the world. With their help, he enrolled in community college and excelled. His sights set on Yale. So he applied, leading to this moment. Embraced by his mother and sister. And showered with champagne by his friend. I changed the whole perspective of my life. And I think that.

That's the point, right? You only takes one person to believe in you. And I am a leaving proof of that. All right, that does it for us tonight. That's nightly news for this Thursday. I'm Tom Yamas. Thanks so much for watching tonight. And always, we're here for you.

Good night.