NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Thursday January 8 2026

Episode Date: January 11, 2026

Protests and clashes grow following deadly ICE encounter; NASA set to return Crew-11 from International Space Station; Protests escalating across Iran 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 protest and clashes in Minneapolis intensifying over that ice involved shooting as tensions rise there and across the country. The new clashes with law enforcement tonight after the killing of a woman accused of using her car to block ice. What were learning from new videos of the shooting and about the woman who was killed. Plus new details on the ice officer, the video of a previous incident where he was dragged by a car as politicians on both sides dig in. Also breaking the medical scare in space, NASA announcing late today, they're taking the unprecedented step of rushing the space station crew home as an astronaut deals with a medical issue, the plan to get them back to Earth. Massive protests erupting in Iran, a car ramming into security forces,

a bank set on fire. Demonstrators hit with water cannons as the nation plunges into an internet blackout. Are we at a tipping point? The wild video as a man steals a bulldozer attempting to mow down police officers, even crushing a cruiser, how it came to a chaotic end. Tornadoes ripping across the south, roofs ripped apart, semi-trucks flipped over, the new threat in the hours ahead. A portable phone charger exploding engulfing this man in flames, what happened next?

Our series, The Cost of Denial, what a college student told me about being denied the prosthetic foot she needed to walk at graduation. What happened after we investigated? And there's good news tonight. The proposal gone wrong, putting a whole new meaning to falling in love. Nightly News starts right now. This is NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas. And good evening.

We begin tonight with the growing outrage and growing division in Minneapolis and across the country after a woman was killed by an ICE officer yesterday. There were protests across the city today and clashes with law enforcement with officers detaining demonstrators and deploying tear gas. You see that right here. And there was fierce pushback from the Trump administration, the vice president taking the rare step of holding a news conference to say that the killing was a tragedy, but when brought on by the driver, each side here ratcheting up the rhetoric with one Democratic congresswoman calling her death a quote murder. Today we're seeing new videos of the incident. We'll walk you through all of them. And we're learning more about the ICE officer who pulled the trigger, who was injured in a previous arrest attempt that you see here.

This video shows the suspect speeding off, dragging that same officer on the other side. We're going to get to all of it. And we begin with Maggie Vespah on the ground in Minneapolis. And Maggie, people are taking to the streets once again tonight. Yeah, Tom, that's exactly right. We have hundreds out here at the scene, kind of up and down this block here. which is now effectively closed, and a lot of them gathering in front of this growing memorial for the driver killed here yesterday, Renee Good. This as divisions over exactly what happened here grow, and tonight the officer now identified.

Tonight in Minneapolis, new clashes between protesters and police after a driver's deadly encounter with ICE. City officials canceling school. There's anger and there's fear, and people are on edge. When I saw the video, I saw a woman who was very scared. And there's new focus on those videos of the incident. Police say the driver, 37-year-old U.S. citizen Renee Nicole Good was blocking ICE officers from using the road. You can see officers walk up to her SUV ordering her to get out. One officer grabs the door handle, but instead, Good reverses, then accelerates as an officer stands in front of her car.

He opens fire. And here, that other angle, the ice officer standing in front of Good's vehicle when she accelerates forward and he fires. The divide over what the videos show only deepening, Democrats condemning the ICE officer. State sanction, execution that we all saw. That has tragically led to this murder that we all watched on TV. While Vice President Bans tonight strongly defending him. You have a woman who aimed her car at a law enforcement officer and pressed on the accelerator.

Nobody debates that. I can believe that her death is a tragedy while also recognizing that it's a tragedy of her own making in a tragedy of the far left who has marshaled an entire movement, a lunatic fringe against our law enforcement officers. Homeland Security Secretary, Christy Noam, says the officer made the right decision as a car moved towards him. This officer took action to protect himself. We asked the Minneapolis police chief if he agrees. When you see him stepping in front of the vehicle, how does that strike you? Well, we train to avoid that whenever possible. However, the way things unfold on the street, nothing's ever 100%.

And tonight we're learning new details about the ICE officer. DHS telling us he was injured by a suspect's car just six months ago when at a traffic stop he tried to arrest an undocumented convicted sex offender who slammed on the gas while the officer's arm was still in the vehicle. This video showing the officer being dragged for 100 yards down the street. The officer seriously injured, court documents, identifying him as Jonathan Ross. NBC News reached out to DHS requesting comment from Ross. And there's also new focus on this moment when a person who says he's a doctor offers to help at the scene.

Can I go check a pole? No. Back up. Now. I'm a physician. I don't care. An ICE agent said I do not care. That lack of humanity was chilling to me. Minnesota's governor tonight. Leave Minnesota alone. None of this is accomplished. either his mission or making us any safer. So just give us a pause. Let us breathe. This relentless assault on Minnesota for whatever reason is just cruel now. It has reached cruelness. As these crowds remember, Renee Nicole Good, a mother of three. And tonight, another shooting at the hands of federal agents this time in Portland, Oregon. Police in that

city saying two people were shot, the Department of Homeland Security saying it happened as Customs and Border Protection agents conducted a traffic stop targeting a person who they believed to be a Venezuelan gang member. And they say that person drove their car toward the agents and one fired a defensive shot. Police in Portland saying a man and a woman were hospitalized and tonight their conditions are unknown. Tom. Maggie Vespa for us tonight. Maggie, thank you. We're also following some other breaking news, a medical scare on board the International Space Station. And late today, NASA announcing they're doing something they've never done before, ending a mission early to race a sick astronaut home.

Tom Costello has the details. It's happening 250 miles above the earth. For the first time ever, NASA is ending a mission early to medically evacuate an astronaut, bringing the four-person crew 11 home early because of a medical situation involving one of them. It's in the best interest of our astronauts to return crew 11 ahead of their planned departure. The crew expected back on Earth in the coming days. Because of medical privacy rules, NASA won't identify the astronaut or the medical concern, but describes the astronaut as stable. A spacewalk scheduled for today canceled.

Yesterday, a Japanese astronaut, Camilla Yui, called for a medical consult. The crew 11 astronauts launched last August, set to return in February. Commander Zena Hardman, Station Commander Michael Fink, Japanese astronaut Kimia Ui and Russian Oleg Platonov. We talked to them before their six-month assignment. We're actually hoping to stay longer, but we'll see what NASA comes up with. We want to work together as a team rather than four individuals. Every astronaut candidate goes through extensive, physical and psychological screening,

laboratory and diagnostic tests, everything from breast and prostate exams to neck, heart, and lungs. Because the astronaut is absolutely stable, this is not an emergent evacuation. NASA says there is a lingering risk to leaving the astronaut on station, now a plan to bring them back for necessary treatment on the ground. Tom? All right, Tom, thank you for that. We turn now to Iran where protests are escalating across the country. And tonight appear to be posing what could be the most serious challenge to the Islamic Revolution government in power since 1979. Richard Engel has the latest.

Iranian activists tell NBC News hundreds of thousands of anti-government demonstrators are on the streets in multiple cities, including the capital Tehran. And they're pushing hard, tearing up Iranian flags, setting fires, and in some cases confronting the feared security forces. One video appears to show a protester driving into a group of officers. Why now? The economy is collapsing. With inflation and occurrence. crisis. Look at this market. None of the shops have customers. Why? Because people don't have any money, said this man. Also, Iran was significantly weakened after last summer's 12-day war launched by Israel and the United States. And the destruction of Iran's backers, the Lebanese militia Hezbollah, and the former Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad. So far, no main opposition

leader in Iran, at least 20 demonstrators reportedly killed in the last two weeks. But tonight it's unclear if the protesters have the strength to topple the government, which has crushed challenges before. And tonight the Internet appears to have been completely blacked out across large parts of Iran, a sign of how seriously the government is taking this. Tom? All right, Richard Engel, Richard, thank you. To Venezuela now where the Trump administration is ramping up efforts to control the country's oil. Gutierrez is in neighboring Colombia for us. And Gabe, today there was a surprising move by the Venezuelan government releasing political prisoners? Yes, Tom, less than a week after the U.S.

captured authoritarian leader Nicolas Maduro in that dramatic raid. The remaining members of the regime today began to release those political prisoners. Spain says at least five have already been released. And also, in an interview with the New York Times, President Trump was asked whether the U.S. would oversee Venezuela and its oil for months, a year or longer. The president replied, I would say much longer. Still, in a rare rebuke, today, five Republicans joined Democrats to advance a resolution to block Trump from using military force in Venezuela without congressional approval. It is unlikely to become lost since it would need to pass the House, but it sends a message. Tom. Gabe Gutierrez for us, Gabe, we thank you. Neto our series, the cost of denial,

where we investigate the challenges so many Americans have when it comes to insurance coverage. Tonight, the young woman with one goal to walk across the stage at her. her graduation, but she had to battle her insurance company for a life-changing prosthetic first. I'm 15, one week into summer. I hear that I'm losing my entire foot. Like, I was hysterical. Go to the chair. For Gabby Guerrero. Now 21, that moment changed her life. She had been off-roading with her siblings when the vehicle flipped. Her left foot, trapped. I hit the puddle and it hydroplained, got off balance, flipped. When it flipped, it captured my foot and slid 50 feet.

When I looked down, I saw not my foot. I saw a bunch of blood. Do you remember when the doctors told you you've lost your foot? The first surgeon said, I pieced it back together, but we're probably going to have to amputate from the ankle. Gabby was in shock. She would now have to learn how to walk with a prosthesis. This was her new foot and one that was fully covered by insurance.

Prostetic feet typically last three to five years. Gabby made hers last even longer. So I made it last six years. The back was starting to rip, which affected how it fit. To be clear, by all accounts, you needed a new prosthetic. Absolutely. 100%. It did not fit me, and it was literally disintegrating.

But now, just ahead of her graduation from Texas A&M, insurance denied coverage. I just want to live the life that I've had the pleasure to live the last six years. And now that my prostate like doesn't fit anymore, they want to tell me that that life is not important. Her insurance said the new prosthesis was not medically necessary. And you thought that wasn't the case? Absolutely not.

Like comfort and convenience are very important in a lifestyle. And for them to say that that's not considered medically necessary, it just makes me angry. Through her mother's job, Gabby has an insurance plan administered by Etna. Etna told us that the silicone-based device requested did not meet the criteria to improve and restore function and mobility and may slip off the anatomical heel and may cause a trip or fall hazard. Etna also said the prostitists who applied for Gabby's new foot didn't provide sufficient information. Feels like we're playing a game.

Gabby's mother, Lynn Polson, was furious. The out-of-pocket cost for the prosthesis would be $7,500. With nine kids in total, that's money she didn't have. That's the whole reason we have insurance. And to judge and to tell me what my daughter needs when they don't really know, it's very frustrating. Orthopedic experts and advocates tell NBC News that denials for coverage of prostheses are extremely common. and that while half of states have some sort of law governing coverage, laws across the country very widely. Gabby appealed her denial, but one week before her graduation, coverage was denied

again. Does it hurt that they're telling you no for $7,500? Absolutely. $7,500 to them is probably nothing. $7,500 on a credit card for my mom. It's a lot more. It means a lot more to us. And so My mom never questioned it. She pulled out her credit card and said, put it on this. And it's just, I don't know. It breaks my heart that my mom had to cough up $7,500 when that means a lot more to her than the insurance company. But her mother insisted and put it on the credit card. Gabby got her prosthesis and donned open toe heels, just like her friends at graduation.

Gabrielle Marie Barrero. Picking up her degree in public health. But her story doesn't end here. Since we last spoke, I have had about four phone calls with the insurance. Five days after our interview, Etna told NBC News it had more critical information about Gabby's needs and that her planned sponsor agreed to grant coverage of the prosthetic. The insurance finally got the override to reverse the claim and reimburse my mom for the full amount. And Gabby tells us, after this experience, she's pursuing a career in health care,

where she says she wants to make sure patience needs come first. When we come back in 60 seconds, the wild video of a suspect stealing a bulldozer, then trying to run over the police. That's next. We're back now with a wild scene in Nevada, a man stealing a bulldozer, and then allegedly going after police. Steve Patterson has the video. Tonight, police standing off against 20 tons.

It started at this construction. site in Henderson, Nevada. Sunday morning and I witness spotting a man hopping a fence and police say hot wiring heavy machinery. I have a guy trying to feel like a bulldozer. Moments later, an officer arrives on scene, but with the bulldozer now barreling toward her squad car, that 911 caller looking on in disbelief. Oh my God, my morning. The officer opening fire.

But this aspect identified as 33-year-old. called Juan Rincon Carreño keeps going. And he just, yep, he just destroyed a three cars. As Rincon Carreño crushes the cruiser, another unit arrives on scene, opening fire. Two officers take him down, falling with the suspect some seven feet before making an arrest. Brincon Carrino was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries after being shot twice. Now facing multiple charges, including two counts of attempted murder. NBC News reached out to local public defenders, but is not heard back yet.

The two responding officers placed on administrative leave per department policy. And thankfully, unscathed from the dangers of heavy machinery on the job. Steve Patterson, NBC News. All right, we're back in a moment with a shocking video of a man bursting into flames. You see him right there after a portable charger he was carrying exploded. Stay with us. Back now with a. severe weather for millions tonight. You can see the heavy damage after a tornado ripped through Purcell,

Oklahoma this morning. That twister ripping off roofs and tearing homes apart. Nine million people are at risk for severe storms and tornadoes tomorrow from Louisiana to Alabama. Also tonight, look at this alarming video of phone charging brick exploding in this man's pocket while entering a subway, according to Chinese media. Workers nearby eventually put that fire out pretty wild. And two-time Olympic gold medalist snowboarder Chloe Kim revealed that she dislocated her shoulder ahead of the Milan Cortina Winter Games. Kim posted video of her fall on the hot pipe during training. Oh, you see it right there. She says she's trying to stay optimistic. When we come back tonight, a story with a certain ring to it. The Michigan man who dropped an engagement ring from a suspended bridge as he proposed

you'll see it, the snowy search party to find it. That's next. Finally, there's good news tonight for a newly engaged couple whose proposal didn't quite go as planned. When a man dropped down on one knee at a resort in northern Michigan, he dropped something else too. Take a look. Trevor Van Camp had the ring ready for a picture perfect proposal to his girlfriend, Danielle Jenkins, high atop a suspension bridge in Michigan. But seconds later, the ring slipping away, falling 100,000, 18 feet into the snow below. I looked through the grates and saw how high I was. Then immediate panic and nerves went completely through my body.

They went down into the snow searching for hours, but they couldn't find it in the dark. I reassured Trevor up and down that no matter what I loved him, I was always going to say yes, and we would figure it out when we got home. That's when the mountain snowmaking supervisor stepped in, determined. to find that ring. I searched a really good area for it. I dug the snow down and then the edge of the ring stuck out. And I kind of sat there for a minute and I was like,

there's no way you just found that. Our hero. Absolutely. Finally, Trevor was able to put the ring on Danielle's finger. He looked at me and I said, you don't have to do it all over again, but put it on my hand this time. And Trevor has some advice for those looking to pop the question. Just do it on flat ground. It's the smartest place. A happy ending, giving a whole new meaning to falling in love.

And get this, they plan to head back to the mountain for their wedding next year. Hold on to those rings. All right, 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.