NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Thursday, June 25, 2026

Episode Date: June 26, 2026

Deadly double earthquakes hit Venezuela; Mangione’s defense team held plea talks with federal prosecutors, sources say; Supreme Court allows Trump admin to remove deportation protections from thousands; 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 urgent race to rescue survivors after back-to-back earthquakes in Venezuela. The devastating scenes, hundreds dead and injured. Violence shaking, building after building, crumbling to the ground. People screaming, scrambling for cover. The airport roof collapsing in. This child, look at this, miraculously pulled from the rubble. Families desperately looking for loved ones. Our reporters on the ground.

Right now, Americans rushing in to help in the search and rescue missions. the teams on their way as we speak. Also breaking tonight, plea deal talks in the works for accused CEO killer Luigi Mangione. Our new reporting just in tonight. Breaking Supreme Court ruling, hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers who have lived here for years stripped of their protected status. Are they set to be deported? NFL standout arrested.

The Detroit Lions player accused of orchestrating a kidnapping and robbery plot. Startling video of WNBA star Caitlin Clark taking a fist of. to the throat, but no foul was called, how the league's finally taking action today. The man arrested decades after his wife plunged to her death in a national park. Now, on the day he was set to appear in court, found dead in police custody. Our series, The Cost of Denial and the military program this family says is denying the autism therapy their child desperately needs. Tennis Hall of Famer Chris Ever, revealing her cancer has returned.

Onstage scare for singing legend Lionel Richie, the moment he's saying, suddenly cut his concert short. Nightly News starts right now. This is NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas. Good evening. I'm Halley Jackson in for Tom tonight, and we are coming on the air with a desperate race against time to pull survivors from the wreckage of not one, but two back-to-back earthquakes that rocked Venezuela, killing more than 180 people and leaving more than 1,500 hurt. Take a look at some of the images we're seeing here. Look, look at this. Children, being hold from the rubble. Just one of many rescues happening as we speak. You can see here first responders

trying to save a woman who they say is trapped there, but alive. It all comes after this. The terrifying scene near the Caracas airport when those earthquakes initially hit. You see people running for cover when those buildings went down. The clouds of debris you can barely see through the street. Inside the terminal, the roof caving in, travelers running for their lives. Tonight, Buildings there have been flattened or left in ruins. Look at this satellite image we're showing you here in the middle of that big brown building. But after those quakes, most of the ones around it, gone. We'll have more on what the U.S. is doing to help. Plus, our reporter on the ground in Venezuela's capital. But we begin with our George Solis on the devastation and the urgent searches tonight. The massive earthquake sending this building crumbling to the ground. People holding on to each other as a growing cloud of dust fills the street. Others scrambling to get outdoors.

Mass confusion with debris pouring onto the sidewalk. And this scary scene inside the Caracas airport. The travelers running for cover as the building starts to shake. And the roof caving in, the powerful quakes devastating the terminal. while tonight the urgent search for survivors including this incredible rescue airing on Venezuelan state TV there are three of us the girl says as these children climb out of a pile of rubble in la guayda here a man is pulled from the rubble giving a thumbs up as he's taken away all of it from a rare doublet earthquake two earthquakes caused by tectonic plates shifting within

moments of each other the first a magnitude 7.2 struck striking in northern Venezuela at 6.04 p.m. The second and even stronger magnitude 7.5 hitting just 39 seconds later. Sparking panic, shaking streets. Even stadiums, you can see those light poles swaying as the ground move. This woman says she was inside her apartment when the quake hit. The walls were cracking and we managed to open the door. When we got downstairs, it was like a horror movie, she says.

Tonight, the destruction is staggering. Satellite images showing before and after. Many survivors who got out, also going back inside to try and rescue others. We found three bodies. My brother died in my hands, this man says. Online tonight, Venezuelans posting photos of their loved ones, desperate to find the missing. Tonight, we spoke to Alessia Santa Groche, who was near the epicenter and survived.

My sister called me and told me like, you have to look for a safe place. And I was telling her, like, there is no safe place here. It's burning. The buildings are burning. How lucky do you feel to be alive? I'm blessed. I'm blessed. Our house is not in a good condition.

Everything is broken. I mean, everything fell down. And now Americans are rushing to assist. search and rescue teams from Fairfax, Virginia, prepping to deploy. The airport there is badly damaged, so we'll have to rely on the Department of War to deploy assets there. Venezuela's interim president, Delci Rodriguez, thanking President Trump and his administration, who she says has been in constant contact. President Trump posting, we will be there for our new and great friends.

Early reports are not good. And here in South Florida, they're putting together aid packages at the Global Empowerment Missions Donation Center. so many eager to help. You know, I'm a U.S. citizen, but I will always be Venezuelan. George is joining us from that donation site in Florida. A lot happening there, George. And now we know the Pentagon is getting involved tonight. Yeah, that's absolutely right, Halley.

And this is just day one of donations. You can see them here. You can see some clothes, some food, essentials, volunteers saying they just feel compelled to help. And now U.S. Southcom saying that they're going to use the U.S. military to airlift some of that crucial, desperately needed aid into Venezuela. Hally? George Solis, thank you. Ana Vanessa Arrero is in Venezuela tonight at one of the places where they're looking for survivors.

And Ana Vanessa, it is a gut punch to see this kind of damage. And officials still don't have a handle of the full scope of this disaster yet, right? That's right, Halle. Searching efforts are still ongoing here in one of the cycle was affected. Right behind me in this building, fighter fighters, are trying to look and hear anyone that might be alive under the concrete. This is one of the many sites around the city, and people are just desperate for information. A woman even telling me that her mom is inside, but she's quickly losing hope that she might still alive.

Now, there is a problem with resources. So authorities are asking civilians to bring them even flashlights, masks to accelerate rescue efforts. Ali? Anna Vanessa Arirero, thank you. Breaking news tonight. case against accused CEO killer Luigi Mangione, with sources telling us his lawyers have been in talks with federal prosecutors about a possible plea deal. Jonathan Deans is joining us now. So Jonathan, tell us more about what you're learning. Hally, sources familiar with the matter say the plea talks

in the federal case appear to be getting closer earlier this week, but have since fallen aside. It comes just weeks after Mangione's defense team said it planned to pursue a psychiatric defense in the state murder case before abruptly withdrawing it. Mangione faces both federal and state charges in the December 24th shooting death of United Health Care CEO Brian Thompson. The U.S. attorney, FBI, and Manhattan DA all declined to comment. One of Mangione's lawyers saying, in part, this information attributed to anonymous sources is part of a troubling, deliberate pattern by prosecutors and law enforcement, took prejudice Luigi. Every defendant in America's presumed innocent until proven guilty. Mangione is due in federal court on Monday.

He has pleaded not guilty. Hallie? One to watch. Jonathan Deans, thank you. Here in Washington, a new landmark Supreme Court ruling comes down in favor of President Trump's immigration policies and sets the stage for a possible wave of new deportations. Laura Jared explains. I want to call up. Tonight, immigration advocates on edge.

The court's conservative majority clearing the way for the administration to now strip hundreds of thousands of Haitian and Syrian refugees. of the legal protections that have allowed them and others to live and work in the United States for years. For many of us, this ruling is not just about policy. It is about our homes, our families, our future. Congress created the program known as temporary protected status or TPS in 1990 to help those fleeing armed conflict or natural disasters. Over 300,000 Haitians and over 6,000 Syrians in the U.S. are estimated currently to have TPS protection.

But Homeland Security under President Trump has moved to in protections for several countries, prompting immigrant rights groups to sue, pointing to Trump's past derogatory statements about Haitian immigrants. In Springfield, they're eating the dogs, the people that came in, they're eating the cats. In a divided ruling, the conservative majority today, finding, the courts generally barred from second-guessing DHS's decision-making and the president's statements not overtly racial. Administration officials praising the decision. Temporary means temporary. When the condition that country gets better, they need to go home. Laura is joining us now. And Laura, this is not the only immigration win that the court

handed the president today. Hally, that's right. The justices have now given the president the green light to turn away scores of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. Obviously, part of his larger border crackdown. We've seen asylum seekers trying to actually make those claims on foreign soil. But today, the justices agreeing with the Trump administration that they can, in fact, turn migrants away. But this case, Halley, quite fiery. It prompted a very heated dissent from Justice Sotomayor on the liberal side to which then Justice Alito responded issuing his own rebuttal of sorts. Hallie, this is something you never see on the bench as opinions are handed down as this term comes to a close here in just the coming days, Halley.

And more to come. Laura Jared, thank you very much. To stunning developments now in an NFL star's arrest with a standout Detroit Lions player behind bars accused of leading a brutal kidnapping and armed robbery plot. Jesse Kirsch has the latest. Detroit Lions cornerback, Terry on Arnold, appearing in a Tampa courtroom today, facing the possibility of life in prison. Police say the NFL standout plotted an attack on three-te- teenagers, including two he suspected stole from him earlier this year, even though they were cleared

by investigators. Officials say the victims were battered, held at gunpoint, and pistol-wipped before their personal property was stolen, while one of the attackers streamed the incident to Arnold and others. Investigators also discovering a group chat where Arnold and another defendant allegedly gave directions during the assault. Six people were arrested months ago. Two have pleaded guilty. Just days ago, Arnold was asked about the allegation. I just want to focus on football. Then Wednesday, Arnold turned himself in. His representative telling NBC News in part, he maintains his innocence, adding the government

appears to be relying on testimony from people who may have substantial incentives to shift blame. Arnold faces kidnapping and armed robbery charges. Prosecutors say he will remain behind bars at least until a pretrial detention hearing on Monday. Hallie? Jesse Kirsch, thank you. We are back in 60 seconds with our series, The Cost of Denial. why this military family says they're being denied coverage for the autism therapy,

their son desperately needs. And legendary singer Lionel Richie cuts his concert short on the first night of his tour after a health scare. His status tonight. Plus, the fan frenzy over tonight's U.S. men's World Cup game, what the team has to do to make history. Back with our series, The Cost of Denial. We've brought you the story of widespread denials in recent weeks in the Pentagon's health care program, for active duty and retired military personnel.

Well, tonight, Aaron McLaughlin reports on how the same program does not cover certain therapies for autism that most insurance plans do, and one family's fight to change that. I know. 10-year-old Logan Cabiao has severe autism and is nonverbal. Close the door. Normal everyday activities are a struggle. It's okay. It's okay.

Like getting dressed. Here, can I do it? And using the bathroom. Even a simple trip to the grocery store can be an ordeal. You can't sit in the middle of the road. Growing up in Florida's panhandle, Logan requires constant attention from his mom, Christy. A physician turned stay-at-home parent and his dad Mario, a retired Air Force pilot. He requires an intensive therapy called applied behavior analysis.

D. D. Good. Yeah. Aimed at helping children with autism build essential life skills. How important are ABA services to families like ours? It's like life-changing because when he started, I had a lot of like guilt because I felt like I couldn't help him and to have somebody.

Why are you emotional? Because I felt like I couldn't help him. And then when our therapist came in, finally she's like, it's not your fault. And she helped us. But several years ago, they say TRICARE, the health care coverage program for active duty and retired military families cut back on that highly focused therapy. While Logan still receives coverage for some ABA therapy at a nearby center, the Pentagon's Defense Health Agency, which oversees TRICARE, stopped covering the therapy

that teaches basic activities of daily living. They said that's babysitting. and it was really offensive. And then they said they shouldn't be coming to your medical appointments or your dental appointments. And how did your life change? So I stopped going to the grocery store. We didn't go to church for a long while. Oh, yeah.

We did not go out to eat. So all that social contact. It just stopped. NBC News found that most major health insurance plans in the U.S. cover these specialized autism treatments. But the Department of Defense said in a report to Congress, ABA services do not meet the tricare hierarchy of reliable evidence standard for proven medical care. Logan's mom, Christy, founded a group to fight that decision.

This is the report? That's the report. She lobbied the U.S. Congress to commission an independent study exploring the issue. Last year, the committee found the scientific evidence supporting ABA therapy is robust and meets the Department of Defense's own criteria of reliable evidence. The report also recommended the DOD authorized. coverage of ABA as a basic benefit and ensure its policies align with current generally accepted standards of care, including activities of daily living. So we wrote a letter to the Defense

Health Agency and said, these results are outstanding and we're still waiting. The Defense Health Agency did not reply to our request for comment. Logan's parents believe with more services, he'd have a better chance at a more independent future. For me, As a military member, you know, I take a lot of pride in what we do. I'm mad on behalf of the family, but we're an organization that is excellence, and it makes me mad that we can't be excellent in this realm. It makes me mad. Yeah, makes me emotional, makes me mad. I'm proud of you. We don't leave other families behind. Not in the military. Aaron McLaughlin, NBC News, Niceville, Florida. We are back in a moment with an update to a story we told you about.

last night, the former youth pastor accused of killing his wife 20 years ago was supposed to be in court today. The reason the judge says he wasn't there. And the deeply personal news shared today by tennis legend Chris Ever, her health battle. Next. Back now with a shocking update to a story we just told you about last night. We reported a former youth pastor was charged with murdering his wife 20 years after she fell to her death while they were hiking in Zion National Park. David Vandermere was set to appear in court today for the first time, but a judge revealed he died in jail overnight. Police said an inmate matching his description died after being transported to a hospital for what they called self-sustained injuries. Also tonight, Lionel Richie cutting the opening night of his tour short after saying

he felt dizzy on stage. It happened in St. Paul, Minnesota, on the first stop of his tour with earthwind and fire. So in the middle of the song dancing on the ceiling, he suddenly sits down. You see him there on stage. A man later walked out saying Richie wasn't feeling well. and wouldn't continue the show. NBC News reached out to Richie's team, but we have not heard back. Some sad news in the sports world tonight, tennis legend Chris Everett, revealing her ovarian cancer has returned for a third time. The 71-year-old says she learned about it after she had scans last weekend, adding she's already had surgery and we'll start chemo soon. Everett called the cancer relentless, but she says she's staying optimistic. And an apparent about-faced from the WMBA

tonight, after this viral moment when Indiana fever super stark Caitlin Clark went down. So here, you can see Phoenix Mercury forward, Alyssa Thomas's knee, landing in Clark's groin, and then her closed fists right here going into Clark's throat. The refs didn't call it a foul last night, but today the league is calling it a type of flagrant foul, suspending Thomas for one game. That is nightly news for this Thursday. I'm Hallie Jackson. For all of us at NBC, thanks for watching and have a great night.