NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Thursday, July 2, 2026

Episode Date: July 3, 2026

Life-threatening heat emergency; 72 million expected in holiday travel crush; Olympian charged with damaging reflecting pool; 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 dangerous holiday heat emergency as record-breaking temperatures scorch much of the country. Scary scenes in Pennsylvania. Look at this. People collapsing. Firefighters hosing down others to help cool them off. In Minnesota, this young fan fainting on the field. New York City feeling like 110, the brutal temperatures, throwing a wrench into Fourth of July plans. Plus, the popular East Coast beach shut down after multiple shark sightings. Holiday travel crusts. flight delays spiking, record crowds hitting TSA lines, the police chase leading to this bumper-to-bumper backup on the way to Cape Cod. Terrifying close call, a giant panel, almost crashing into dancers at a July 4th rehearsal on the Washington Mall. A former Olympian, indicted for allegedly damaging the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool. Team USA's historic victory overshadowed by a controversial

call that bans a star player from the next game, the new fallout, and the latest from the team's coach. A deadly dispute over a parking spot caught on camera with a woman shooting and killing a man, so will she face charges? The Daredevil duo caught climbing the Empire State Building, making yet another scene as they're released from jail today, how they managed to get past security at the iconic landmark. Taylor Swift's wedding weekend, beginning as we speak, the fleet of SUVs that just pulled in. Fire breaking out at Disney's Small World Ride, how a cell phone charger sparked it all. Miraculous rescue eight days after those devastating Venezuela earthquakes, a man pulled out alive. And our series, Great Americans, tonight the first woman to pilot

and command a U.S. Space Shuttle mission, how her American dream took flight. Nightly News starts right now. This is NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas. Good evening. I'm Hallie Jackson in for Tom tonight. And as we come on the air, a dangerous, potentially deadly heat wave is baking nearly half the country. And as Fourth of July celebrations ramp up, new concern about scenes like this one here in Pennsylvania today, multiple people collapsing at the historic train show that's part of the America 250 celebration. Some wheeled off in stretchers, firefighters hosing down others to try to cool them off. The temperatures brutal today with numbers we basically never see in cities like Boston,

Philly, and D.C., where it's feeling like 110 degrees. And as if that weren't bad enough, in New York, little relief at the city's biggest beach forced to close at one point because of multiple shark sightings. This heat so extreme, it's affecting holiday travel, triggering delays for trains and planes. The system already pushed to the break with today the busiest travel day of the holiday week. We have two reports tonight, starting with Stephanie Goss in a dangerously hot New York. Tonight, a scary scene in Berks County, Pennsylvania, multiple heat-related emergencies as people gathered to watch an historic train, according to officials, EMTs racing to help

people in brutal temperatures. I couldn't give you even close to an accurate count because it was that busy we just lost count here. Heat-related illness can strike fast. In upstate New York, the air conditioner broke on a bus carrying junior ROTC cadets. that are in and out of conscience. More than a dozen were taken to the hospital for treatment, according to the military, all now recovering at home.

Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and New York City have all declared heat emergencies. You're already seeing calls go up? Yeah, we see as soon as the heat starts to rise, so does our call volume. FDMI's chief of EMS operations says 911 calls jumped from an average 4,300 to nearly 5,000 on Wednesday. If somebody has an altered mental status, they're confused. or perhaps they're not responding, that's a real critical emergency. Central Park just hit 100 degrees, the hottest temperature in over a decade, and with this humidity, it feels like 110.

Still, there are some brave sunbaters out here. The heat dome will sit over the region for days through the 4th of July. In Minnesota, a young fan nearly fainted on the field just before a minor league game, one of the players carrying him to the dugout to get help. The team later posted that he was okay. Back on the East Coast, we're now bracing for even hotter temperatures tomorrow. And no relief to be found for New York City area beachgoers. Multiple shark sightings shutting down some beaches, including the city's largest.

Stephanie's joining us now from Central Park. And Steph, part of the problem for millions is that it's not like it's going to get much cooler at night. Yeah, Halle, absolutely no break here in New York City. The temperatures are going to drop, but only into the 80s. And then tomorrow they are going to skyrocket once again, Halley. Stephanie Goss, thank you. That heat also creating some big travel problems today. The busiest travel day of the holiday stretch.

Here's Maggie Vespah. Tonight, a booming July 4th travel surge hitting its peak. Airport officials bracing for an estimated 3 million passengers just today. This is all Super Bowl. Problems already stacking up. Storms down south forcing a ground stop at Houston Hobby Airport. and flight delays nationwide soaring into the thousands. The record-breaking heat wave also wreaking havoc.

Some trains delayed or canceled due to overheated tracks. Out east, one of two bridges to Cape Cod backed up for hours. Authorities say a driver hit a state trooper. Chicago O'Hare bracing for record crowds. Meanwhile, in a coast-to-coast surge boosted by both World Cup fever and excitement for America's 250th birthday, AAA estimates more than 72 million Americans. will travel for the holiday. That's despite rising airfare costs with domestic tickets averaging $517. Still, for many Americans like Bunny and Steve Heftman, July 4th trips are a priority.

Fourth of July has always been my favorite holiday. Your favorite holiday? After flying from Chicago to Denver, the couple plans to drive another hour. You're going to make some sacrifices to spend time with family and friends. Some 61 million people are hitting the highways, with today marking the busiest day for rental car pickups, according to Hertz. And in a boost for drivers, gas prices keep falling, now down to an average of $3.79 a gallon nationwide. And in many southern and Midwestern states, it's even lower, with Indiana's average just $3.10 a gallon. Maggie is joining us from a very busy Chicago O'Hare Airport.

And Maggie, this extreme heat is slowing things down in a lot of places, right? Yeah, Hallie, that's right. Delta Airlines actually. says these high temperatures could slow things down at New York's LaGuardia airport because basically extreme heat makes it difficult for planes' engines to take off. Meanwhile, here in Chicago, we're expecting storms through the weekend. Hally, much to watch. Maggie Vespa, thank you. Tonight, a former Olympian has been indicted by a grand jury for allegedly damaging Washington's newly renovated reflecting pool. His attorney calling the charges outrageous. Gabe Gutierrez explains. tonight the former u.s. Olympic canoeists arrested for allegedly vandalizing the reflecting pool

outside the lincoln memorial has been indicted by a grand jury this is not the way of a civilized society it is anarchy david herne now faces a felony charge of destruction of property our evidence further shows that the national park service employees observed herne actually forcefully and violently pulling up and removing the bottom liner with both hands. Earn's attorney says he's innocent, calling the charges outrageous. Hearn said this after his arrest last month. I didn't think I'd done anything wrong. All after President Trump had the pool renovated, painting the bottom a darker shade of blue.

But algae returned and the paint peeled. The president says someone used a knife to cut along gash. When do these people come up with this and they threw a little fertilizer in the water, which is not good? U.S. Park Police released this video of an unknown woman they're also looking for reaching into the pool. So far, no other charges have been made public. Well, tonight, a scary incident during rehearsals for this weekend's Freedom 250 celebrations. A piece of the set falling and nearly hitting performers. An organizer telling NBC News, no one was hurt.

Meanwhile, the president says this pool will be at least partially drained again for repairs after the 4th of July. Halley? Gabe Gutierrez here in Washington. Thank you. To the new fallout tonight over that controversial call, one of the star players on the U.S. men's soccer team getting hit with the red card and forced to skip next week's big game. Steve Patterson has more on what his coach and teammates are saying tonight. Tonight, the fallout growing from this controversial call, leading scorer Fallor and Balligan, given a red card for a hard foul.

The stars and stripes defeating Bosnia-Herzegovina, now advancing to the next round of the World Cup. The rest, reviewing the moment Balligan, appeared to go for the ball, but ended up stomping his cleat down on the opponent's ankle. The high-level penalty, resulting in the player's immediate ejection from the current game and suspension from the very next game they play.

The team's coach, saying Baligan, is disappointed. For me, never is a red card. That was a normal action in football that happened because by accident and it's never intentional. According to FIFA rules, there's no way to appeal. Fans outraged. The worst red card there ever was. Others pointing to the goat, Leonel Messi, making a similar foul earlier in the tournament, walking away with a slap on the wrist.

No matter what, Balagan will have to sit out Monday's big game against Belgium. I definitely think it'll keep up. stronger. No, one man's down, the next guy steps up. Despite the frustration, the boys in red, white and blue. Hopefully we can make some more history next round. Already proving they're up to the challenge. Steve Patterson, NBC News. It's a dramatic new video now of a deadly confrontation outside of Florida Walmart where investigators say an argument over a parking space ended in a deadly shooting. Here's Aaron Gilchrist. A deadly confrontation in a Florida Walmart parking lot caught on camera. The Broward County Sheriff's Office says it all began with an argument over a parking space.

This dash camera recording the moments leading up to the shooting. A man can be seen approaching a woman who appears to have a gun in one hand and a cell phone in the other. You can see her back away as the man walks toward her and follows her around a vehicle. She keeps her arm extended with what seems to be a weapon. A second angle of the incident appears to show the woman telling him to walk away before firing a single shot. Oh, the man falls to the ground, bleeding near a stomach. The woman then sets the gun on the roof of the car and paces around him. A deputy arrives minutes later, the woman gestures to the weapon before he puts her hands behind her back.

There was police officers everywhere, and I did hear a woman screaming and crying. The shooting happened midday on Tuesday. Authorities have not named the woman, who they say told investigators she fired in self-defense. They identified the man as 62-year-old Bart de Guglielmo. He was taken to the hospital with a single gunshot wound, they add, where he later died. Oh, oh, the sheriff's office says once its investigation is complete, prosecutors will decide whether to file criminal charges in this deadly parking lot dispute. Aaron Gilchrist, NBC News. Also tonight, the daredevil climbers who pulled off that alarming stunt at the Empire State Building, facing a judge in court today on felony charges with new reporting now about how they made it past security.

Here's Valerie Castro. Tonight, we're learning new details about that alarming security breach, those two climbers with a jaw-dropping, death-defying stunt at the Empire State Building. Is he proposing to her? The couple seemed leaving court this morning, apparently still wearing the same outfits they scaled the spire in. It was very cold last night. Angelina Nikolaoan, and Ivan Kuznetsov, now charged with several felonies, including reckless endangerment for trespassing overnight in a restricted area. according to the criminal complaint. Sources telling NBC News,

investigators are looking into whether the pair may have used a separate tenant entrance to the building to avoid security screening and whether the pair may have been scouting the building prior and even left some tools in advance of the operation. We just need to relax now. At one point, photographers asking them to recreate their kiss more than 1,400 feet in the air.

A kiss, a kiss. A kiss. All right, all right. Their attorney speaking after their court appearance. I will say, you know, it's nice to have somebody wearing black masks doing a message of peace. But the NYPD says their actions won't go unpunished. Unacceptable and there's going to be consequences. After that stunt at the top of the building, the pair faces up to seven years in prison if convicted on all of the charges. They're due back in court in late August.

Hallie? Valerie Castro, thank you. We are back in just 60 seconds. With the wedding, it seems everyone's been. waiting for. The celebration happening right now. What we're seeing going into Madison Square Garden for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey. And in Venezuela, the incredible rescue. The man pulled to safety after being trapped for more than a week. Plus, the fire at the Disney ride, it's a small world. Next. We are back with what feels like the celebrity wedding of the decade, beginning right now.

The rehearsal dinner for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey, believed to be happening as we speak. speak, and our Chloe Malas is watching all the action outside Madison Square Garden. Tonight, the wedding festivities for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey officially kicking off. Black SUV seen pulling up to New York's Madison Square Garden ahead of what is expected to be their rehearsal dinner at the venue's emphasis theater, according to an NYPD memo. Right here behind me is a white tent that has been erected to protect the privacy of guests when they arrive. How are you feeling today, Ms. Kelsey?

Just hours earlier, photographers catching Kelsey's mom after landing in New York. A source to MSG telling NBC news, MSG employees are not allowed back on premises until Sunday. Also saying the couple is playing on the venue's name with a garden theme for tonight's event. Adding that inside, the space has been transformed with drapery and chandeliers hung, and more than 1,000 guests are expected to attend Friday's Big Bash and enjoy performance. performances from artists like Stevie Nix. Outside, road closures and ramped up security around the arena. For those still skeptical about the impending nuptials, earlier officers were spotted with folders marked Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey Wedding.

This is normal for Taylor Swift to have people speculate because she loves keeping her fans on edge. It's part of the thrill. It's part of the fun of being a Swifty. Chloe is in the thick of it outside the garden. And Chloe, although a lot of couples get gifts when they get married, these two are the ones doing the giving right now. Absolutely, Halley. Well, first I just want to tell you that right here behind me on West 31st Street and 7th Avenue is where guests are attending or entering MSG.

They are exiting their black SUVs to attend the wedding festivities. And like you said, Trailer Swift and Travis Kelsey, their representative telling NBC News today the early. Earlier this week, they made a donation of $26 million to 20 charities across the United States. Hallie. Chloe Malas, thank you. We are back in a moment with the Miracle Rescue. The man pulled out alive in Venezuela after being buried for more than a week in the rubble.

And the building explosion in Missouri, what set it off? Back now with a miracle rescue from the rubble in Venezuela, a security guard who was trapped for days under a collapsed mall was freed today. Look at this. A full eight days after the catastrophic earthquakes there. You can hear people cheering and clapping as he's pulled out. The man who was rescued is on that stretcher surrounded by those crowds. The deadly back-to-back earthquakes in Venezuela have left more than 2,000 people dead, with tens of thousands still missing. Also tonight, a building explosion in Missouri today.

Look at this here, captured on nearby security cameras, ripping off a garage door. A local fire official says that caused a building to partially collapse. A man working nearby tells our team at least one person has been hurt. A ride at Disney World had to be shut down after a phone charger caught fire in the boarding area. Look at this. Shows a fire extinguisher cloud at the well-known ride. It's a small world.

Walt Disney World says the whole thing was resolved before the fire department arrived and that no guests or employees were hurt. And you got to see this one. An ape at a zoo in Albuquerque taking matters into her own hands when a baby bird landed in her habitat. had. Look, she's shown off her motherly instincts here. She's, can you see holding the baby bird? She's trying to comfort it. At times, she was even keeping it away from the other apes. She eventually did hand over the bird to the park staff who helped bring it back to its own mother. When we come back, tonight's Great American, she shattered the glass ceiling as she blasted into space as the first woman to command the space shuttle. That's next.

As we approach the 250th anniversary of America, we are ending our broadcast this. week with our series Great Americans. Tonight, Tom introduces us to the astronaut who made history as the first woman to pilot a space shuttle mission. The path there not easy, but her dream, ultimately, taking flight. Our great American tonight, Eileen Collins. Long before legendary astronaut, Eileen Collins became the first woman to command a space shuttle. The seven pressure is dropping. She dreamed of taking flight.

flight, watching gliders take off and land at this airfield near her hometown of Elmira, New York. And I always wondered what it would be like up there. But she kept those sky-high goals to herself. I never told anyone that I wanted to be an astronaut because I knew they would say, you can do that. You're a girl. There's no women astronauts. Collins was determined, though.

She followed the blueprint of the first male astronauts who started out as a daring test pilots in the Air Force. It took a decade of service in uniform, thousands of hours in the cockpit, finally, a call from NASA. Collins was not just going to be an astronaut, but a pilot and eventually a commander. I'm proud to be here to congratulate Colonel Eileen Collins on becoming the first woman to command a space shuttle mission. She flew multiple missions.

Then in 2005, her biggest test yet. Commanding America's return to space after the Columbia disaster took the lives of seven fellow astronauts. And why should we keep flying this spacecraft that is so dangerous is what some people thought? One of the things I learned, do not run away from your problems. Face problems as challenges. Three, RPM start in two, one. During the high-stakes mission, she pulled off this bold move, a backflip in space, and a critical safety check of the heat shield to make sure the shuttle could safely return.

We did something that hadn't been done before and made the program safer, but also it made the flying a little more fun. A woman who put her stamp on space by changing the spaces she was in. You think about the American spirit, I think that we are explorers, and I think people that live in this country are descendants of explorers. And maybe that spirit has passed on. it's my hope that all children, boys and girls will see this mission and be inspired to reach for their dreams too, because dreams do come true. Defining the American spirit and the American dream. That's nightly news for this Thursday. I'm Hallie Jackson. For all of us here at NBC, thanks for watching and have a great night.