NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Thursday, October 22, 2026

Episode Date: October 23, 2026

Midterms reach boiling point with 12 days to go; DOJ Investigates allegations against Lewandowski; 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, dangerous conditions as flash floods rage across the western half of the country. The rescues in the middle of Los Angeles, people pulled from raging waters, a whirlwind tearing up debris in California. The flooding swamping roads in Utah and devastation in Arizona after a likely tornado ripped through giant hail crashing down into this yard. The battle for the midterms gets ugly, punches thrown at President Trump's rally, as the president, Backs this controversial ad in Ohio, featuring the mother of the Democratic candidate that even many Republicans say goes too far. Plus, developing now why the Justice Department is investigating allegations against Corey Lewandowski, a longtime confidant of President Trump. Emergency landing on a highway, this small plane falling from the sky onto a busy road and smashing into a guardrail, how the pilot's doing tonight. The self-driving crash caught on camera, the driver asleep behind the wheel with the Tesla on autopilot, as a pedestrian is hit and killed overnight by another self-driving car.

The new images tonight, a Jewish man stabbed by a woman with a syringe in the middle of New York City. Was it a hate crime? This just in, New York City banning those iconic and controversial horse-drawn carriages in Central Park, the fiery protest from both sides. incredible rescue a hero TV reporter jumping into floodwaters to save a man from a sinking car just moments before it went under. Is the end of those annoying Airbnb rules finally happening, the company pulling back on chores for guests like washing dishes and removing bed sheets? And there's good news tonight, the wish this daughter made on a genie lamp suddenly coming true. The magical homecoming tonight. Nightly news starts right now. News with Tom Yamas.

And good evening. We thank you for joining us on this Thursday night. We begin with a dangerous situation unfolding across the west with powerful storms sweeping through the region. The L.A. River raging today. Take a look, sweeping multiple people away, a helicopter having to pull one person from the water. And these are the floodwaters washing through southern Utah, inundating this neighborhood. We also saw dangerous conditions in Arizona after a rare, likely tornado touchdown, tree snap, power lines down. And then there was this huge golf ball-sized hail, pummeling roofs, shattering windows and crashing down onto this car, smashing the windshield with people still inside.

And the storms are not over yet with millions of people still facing tornado and flash flood threats. Our Liz Kreutz is tracking all of it tonight, and she starts us off. Tonight, the dramatic rescues in Southern California. First responders pulling multiple people from the waters of the raging L.A. River, a powerful storm system bringing heavy rain and severe thunderstorms across the southwest. In southern Utah, dramatic flash flooding. In this neighborhood, homes and cars partially submerged. This, after a likely tornado touched down northeast of Phoenix

and Navajo County, Arizona Wednesday night. That is a massive tree snapped off right there. images of the aftermath show fallen trees and twisted power lines. As I say, it sounded like a furry train. This man says he hungered down in his bathroom as it tore through his neighborhood. Down the carpools, it's gone. It pulled the anchors right out of the ground. Daylight revealing the scope of the destruction, at least 20 structures damage, sheds, flipped and tossed into homes.

The storm also bringing golf ball-sized hail around Phoenix Wednesday. Here, you can hear those powerful wind gusts reaching around 70 miles. per hour in the Flagstaff area. The storm making for dangerous conditions on the roads. West of Flagstaff, first responders rescuing a woman and seven dogs after officials say her car got trapped in four feet of fast-moving water. Back here in California, crews building these massive sand berms along L.A. County beaches hoping to protect beach facilities.

They're doing it some six weeks earlier than normal because of the looming threat of storms in the months ahead. And let's pick it up right there. Liz Croyd joins us now live. from Los Angeles. We see that berm there behind you. And Cruz plan to make it even bigger? Yeah, Tom, that's right. The city here plans to make this more than four football fields longer to try to protect the infrastructure here along the coast. Meanwhile, east of us in Arizona and New Mexico, a tornado watch remains in effect through tonight. And from here to Colorado, millions of people

also still face the threat of flash flooding. So a long night ahead. Tom. Liz Kreutz leading us off. Now to the countdown to the midterms, less than two weeks away, and it's getting ugly out there. With punch is thrown at a Trump rally and a new controversy over an incendiary ad. Here's Maggie Vespah. Tonight with 12 days till the midterms, tensions boiling over. Punch is thrown at a protester tossed from the president's rally in South Carolina. Who is the guy that threw that punch? Now this from Vice President Vance.

We have a party of people who talk about men and women's sports. We have a party of people who look down on the Mary Joes and the billy bobs of this state. This Democrat party, ladies and gentlemen, it needs an ass kicking. Excuse my language. And in Ohio, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, facing bipartisan backlash. It's just wrong. Ohio's Republican governor, Mike DeWine, calling on him to take down this attack ad, featuring the estranged mother of Democratic gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton.

Amy has a serious problem. She is a liar. Acton's campaign condemning the ad as despicable, saying Acton's birth mother stayed married to the man who sexually abused her. I'd hoped he wouldn't sink this low, but of course he did. But President Trump tonight backing the ad. If my mother said that about me, it would be you would have hit gold. You would have been very happy about it.

If it's even a little bit true, you don't want her as governor. While in Michigan, a fiery society, Senate debate between Democrat Abdul Al-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers. With the New York Times reporting, Al-Sahed signed a 2012 open letter to the Muslim Brotherhood politician elected president of Egypt asking him to purge the media and police. Al-Sahed says he has no connections to the group. We need to know, are you for America or are you for these terrorist groups overseas? It's really quite beneath you.

It's not, to call in a question, my loyalty to the Constitution, I'm talking. I'm talking. Here in Iowa, voters telling us the toxic campaigns have become too much. I don't even want to vote. I don't care. You're over it. I'm over it. Maggie joins us now live from the president's rally in Iowa. And Maggie, back to that controversial ad in Ohio, a top Republican there in Iowa is also condemning it tonight. Yeah, Tom, that's right. GOP Senate candidate Ashley Hinson calling that ad quote absolutely terrible and calling on Ramoswami to take it down. his campaign is going to do that, Tom.

Maggie, thank you. There is an investigation tonight. We have some new reporting on it. A longtime member of President Trump's orbit, his former campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, now being looked at. And our Chief White House correspondent, Garrett Hake, moments ago, pressing the president about that investigation. Tonight, a person familiar with the investigation tells NBC News, the Department of Justice is investigating allegations against Corey Lewandowski, a former senior Homeland Security official and Trump campaign manager. Another source telling us the Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security

had been reviewing Lewandowski's handling of contracts, including the awarding of a $220 million advertising campaign featuring former Secretary Kristy Noem, for whom Lewandowski was the top advisor, recently referring their findings to the DOJ. Lewandowski rose to political prominence as candidate Trump's first campaign manager, and long remained in the president's orbit. Corey Lewandowski, great guy.

Tremendous guy, tremendous help. Lewandowski left the Department of Homeland Security after Nome's ouster in March. Tonight, I pressed the president about the investigation. Do you have any reaction to the reports that the DOJ is looking at Corey Lewandowski now? I don't know about it. I mean, I heard something about it, but specifically. Lewandowski's attorney telling NBC News, he, quote, denies any wrongdoing when he was proudly serving his country in a voluntary capacity and has not been contacted by the DOJ. More developments on this story tonight, and Garrett joins us now live. I know you're learning

whether President Trump has now formally been briefed about the investigation. Yeah, Tom, the President was asked that today. He said he's not spoken to the Attorney General about the matter, but he added, I want my people to be honest. If he's honest, that's good. If he's not honest, you have to pay a price. Tom? Garrett Hake for us. Garrett, thank you. And for more of NBC's political reporting and exclusives, you can scan the QR code on your screen and subscribe now. All right, outside Reno, Nevada, where a small plane suddenly fell from the sky, crashing onto a busy highway during rush hour today, incredibly the pilot somehow survived. Andres Gutierrez tonight with the story and that video.

Tonight, a stunning scene on a busy Nevada interstate, a plane crash landing in the middle of the morning rush hour, captured here falling from the sky and hitting the ground. Oh my God, we didn't see them? Its nose smashed against a guardrail, one of its wings mangled. The dramatic scene unfolding on Interstate 80 outside of Reno just as drivers were heading to work. You're too low for radar coverage, radar contact loss. Flight tracking data shows the plane took off from Reno at 742 this morning. Just seven minutes later, it landed.

Despite the damage, authorities say no one was heard, including the pilot who the FAA says was the only one on board. The aircraft hoisted away today is a sea wind 3,000. It can carry up to four people and can land on both runways and water. The local sheriff's office says travel lanes were closed for a portion of the day. The cause of the crash is still under investigation. Tom. Andres Gutierrez for us tonight. Andres, thank you.

There is a new report on a deadly collision between a Tesla vehicle said to be operating in full self-driving autonomous mode and a pedestrian on a California freeway early this morning. Aaron McLaughlin with that video. Tonight, at least two dangerous accidents involving Tesla vehicles in self-driving mode. Video shows the moment a Tesla slams into the back of a patrol vehicle earlier this month on Interstate 80 in Solano County, California, seriously injuring two officers, despite flares, cones, and flashing emergency lights. According to California Highway Patrol, the driver said he fell asleep while the Tesla was in driver-assist mode. Footage from the officer's body camera shows the moment of impact and the officer's scrans.

rambling to get out of the vehicle. Also in Salano County, California, overnight a 71-year-old pedestrian was killed, according to the CHP, after being struck by a 26-year-old driving a Tesla. The driver stated the vehicle was being operated in full self-driving autonomous mode at the time of the crash, according to the CHP statement. The CHP says preliminary review of video from the Tesla's dashboard camera shows the vehicle had been traveling at 70 miles per hour when the pedestrian entered the freeway and stepped directly into the path of the Tesla. According to the statement, videos showed the Tesla's brakes being applied as the vehicle steered to the left in an effort to avoid the pedestrian, but struck the pedestrian anyway. Tesla did not respond to our request

for comment on either incident, but says in its owner's manual, full self-driving requires a fully attentive driver. You must remain attentive and be ready to take over at all times while full self-driving is engaged. Authorities tonight, reminding drivers, technology does not relieve them of their responsibility on the road. Aaron McLaughlin, NBC News. And when we return in 60 seconds, this just in those iconic horse-drawn carriages in New York now banned why this century's old tradition is coming to an end. Plus, the reporter rescuing a man nearly drowning in his truck as it sinks in floodwaters. We'll show you more of this video. And sick of having to do the dishes or stripped the bed when you rent an Airbnb.

The new rules rolling them back tonight. We're back now with one of the most popular attractions in New York City, now coming to an end. The city today banning those horse-drawn carriages that delighted tourists and outraged activists. Valley Castro has more. New York City's horse-drawn carriage rides are soon to be no more. The City Council today passing a ban on the attraction popular with visitors in Central Park, romanticized on television. Bargy ride in Central Park.

Very corny. Nope. The bill named for Romance Mahajan, an 18-year-old tourist, killed in June when he was thrown from a carriage. This isn't just a piece of legislation. This is a sacred vow written in the tears of a family whose world was shattered in a million pieces. President Trump weighing in, posting the carriage is a quintessential New York experience, so sad that for political reasons, we will see it go. The deadly crash following years of high-profile incidents, dramatic video capturing horses collapsing in extreme heat, prompting animal rights groups to call for an end to the practice.

Opponents also argued times have changed and the park is just too crowded with pedestrians, cyclists, and petty cabs to safely accommodate the carriage rides. But the union representing driver says the attraction provides a critical livelihood. This is not simply just an attack on carriage horses. This is an attack on the war. working class of New York. The ban now scheduled to go into effect in June of 2028. The union representing drivers and owners previously said it would immediately file a lawsuit calling the ban unconstitutional, leaving drivers and carriage workers financially crushed. Tom.

Valerie, thank you. We're back in a moment with the Jewish man attacked with a syringe in broad daylight in a popular tourist area. Was it a hate crime police investigating tonight? There's a search tonight for a war. woman accused of stabbing a Jewish man in broad daylight with a syringe. This happened in the heart of Manhattan in the famed Diamond District. This neighborhood watch video shows a woman appearing to follow this 26-year-old man around a car, then allegedly injecting him with a syringe. The suspect is at large

tonight. Investigators think this could be an anti-Semitic attack. The city's hate crimes task force is now working it. And take a look at this video from Brisbane, Australia, a reporter jumping in to save a driver with floodwaters rising. Will Murray was reporting on the floods when this truck started sinking in a matter of seconds. He and another man, you see them there, pry the door open to get the driver, wow, who was up to his shoulders in water,

the three of them, make it out okay. And if you're a traveler, a big change to Airbnb rules, the home rental company updating their policy so that host can no longer ask guests to make beds or clean those dishes. They can only set, quote, reasonable housing duties for guests,

dishwashing and stripping beds will now be the sole responsibility of the homeowner. Airbnb bookings have always included a cleaning fee, but there was no universal policy on what hosts could ask renters to complete. Okay, good to know. When we come back tonight, the military reunion they'd been wishing for. The surprise genie lamp that made one little girl's mother reappear. Finally, there's good news tonight. A magical surprise for one military mom and her daughter. After months apart, it turns out they didn't need three wishes to make their dream come true.

Just one. Second grader Bella Myers wasn't sure what to expect when she was called to the front office at her elementary school in Greensboro, North Carolina. And presented with a gift. Inside the box, a genie lamp. A nod to the movie Aladdin, one of Bella's favorites to watch with her mom, Kiana Kiroz. Mom's a staff sergeant in the Air Force and has been standing. overseas since March.

I miss my mom really, really much. I say what I really, really want. It'll give me the wish. You're going to make a wish. And with a little magic from that lamp, Bella's wish came true. The moment she opened the door, I was so surprised.

Staff Sergeant Kiroz only found out she'd be coming home two weeks ago. Seeing how. she had grown so much, how she's missing two front teeth, that all just came like flooding and rushing back. She was home for a few days, and they're already looking forward to that next hug. All the work for her that she needed to do for me, she gave it me. And if I have a daughter, I'll pass it on to her. It's very reassuring to hear, you know, the impact that you have on your child.

She wants to do the same thing for her daughter one day. I mean, you know, kind of just melts my heart. A wish come true. That's nightly news for this Thursday. I'm Tom Yamas. As we leave you tonight, we want to remember our longtime colleague Judy Fairne. She was a trailblazing associate director on nightly news for nearly half a century who inspired so many along the way.

we will miss her. Thanks so much for watching tonight and always we're here for you. Good night.