NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Thursday, October 8, 2026

Episode Date: October 9, 2026

Hurricane Isaias set to slam Gulf Coast; Execution of Fort Hood shooter to be livestreamed; Guilfoyle accused by Trump donor of $100k request for credit card bill; 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 powerful hurricane upgraded to a cat two. Now closing in on the Gulf, mandatory evacuations just ordered. Right now, the hurricane growing stronger. Highways backed up for miles as families rushed to get out. Businesses boarding up, grocery store shelves empty, alert stretching from Louisiana to Georgia, and now the threat, it may spin-off tornadoes. This just did Defense Secretary Pete Higgseth, vowing to live-stream the first firing squad execution in decades of the man who killed 13 at Fort Hood. The growing scandal prompting

calls for President Trump to fire his ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle. Why did she allegedly ask a top Trump donor to pay off her $100,000 amex bill? New violent clashes in Paris as thousands protest conditions in schools, officers firing water cannons are Richard Engel is there as tear gas fills the streets. Is there a sense? serial killer in Michigan. Five men discovered dead. This man in custody is irresponsible for their murders. A fugitive wanted in a violent kidnapping found working as a popular chef, even doing TV interviews after more than a decade on the run. The man who broke onto a California tarmac and stole this vehicle, plus the anger boiling over in Atlanta after passengers were left without air conditioning

in the sweltering heat inside of a plane. Wild video capture. an officer clinging to the roof of a speeding car, how this 25-mile chase came to an end. And the heartwarming reunion as thousands of sailors on the USS Lincoln finally come home. The hugs these families so badly waited for. Nightly News starts right now. This is NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas. And good evening. We thank you for joining us on this Thursday night.

We want to begin with Hurricane Isayas. just upgraded to a category two storm as it pushes towards the Gulf Coast. Here's a live look at East IES right now with winds heating 100 miles per hour. You can see the size. It's tracked much clearer tonight with landfall expected somewhere along the western Florida panhandle near Pensacola, but the threat doesn't end there. Millions are under flood alerts tonight, including basically the entire state of Alabama, as you can see, and as far north as Tennessee.

There are new evacuations at this hour with officials warning people to get out before it's too late, fearing storm surge up to seven feet in some parts, along with damaging winds and flooding even tornadoes. Bill Cairns is standing by to time it all out, but we want to start with Jesse Kirsch in the storm zone tonight. Tonight, the race to get ready. On Florida's Gulf Coast residents filling sandbags stocking up on supplies and some even ordered to evacuate. as Hurricane Isayas charges toward land. And in Alabama, all non-residents in parts of two counties being told to leave immediately. The storm rapidly intensifying its maximum sustained wind speeds doubling in just 24 hours.

So I think people should take it seriously. There will be impacts all across the Florida panhandle. Hurricane Isayas is going to act like a bulldozer, pushing seawater onto shore as it makes its way toward the coastline. And here in Pensacola Beach, that's a thing. storm surge could be over my head. Across the Pensacola area, residents racing to protect their homes. What are you most worried about with this storm? Flooding and trees. So I'm mostly flooding right now. Some grocery store shelves nearly empty. Even bread shelves are becoming empty. Gas also running low. Even the military securing or evacuating aircraft at Air Force bases across the storm zone.

Duffel bags, put them in the rope packs. This is multiple urban search and rescue teams are now moving in. These teams deploying from South Florida. We're anxious, but we're ready. We've prepared for this. All right, with that, Jesse Kirste joins us now live from Pensacola Beach. Officials are urging people to leave barrier islands like the one you're on right now because of that potentially life-threatening condition ahead.

That's right, Tom. Officials say they're even pulling their firefighters tomorrow. And when conditions get bad enough, the bridges will show. shutdown too. That means people riding out the storm will be on their own until conditions improve. Tom. All right, Jesse Kirsch for us. And Bill Karens joins us now live. Bill, take us through the timing of how this category storm two is going to hit it. What's going to happen as it gets closer to landfall? Yeah, Tom, we're only 18 hours away from the tropical storm forest winds arriving, and then the hurricane forest winds will arrive a little after 24 hours from right now. It did strengthen as expected

today. Landfall is expected right around after sunset, sometime in about 7 to 11 p.m. Central time time zone. Anywhere between Pensacola and maybe Destin, they have to watch out Panama City to the right of the center. So important, that is where the worst of the storm surge will be. As far as winds, look at the prediction for Pensacola, 102 mile per hour winds. That's significant tree damage. That's roof damage. And these high winds could have power out just all the way through central portions of Alabama. And then on top of this, late tomorrow night into early Saturday, tornadoes are possible all the way through areas of Georgia. It's going to be a very difficult next 24 to 36 hours.

A multi-day event there. Okay, Bill, we thank you. This is also breaking tonight. The Pentagon saying the execution of the shooter and the deadly attack on Fort Hood will now be live streamed. Kelly O'Donnell joins us down. Kelly, this comes after we earlier learned President Trump ordered that execution will be a firing squad.

Tom, that's right. Defense Secretary Pete Higgsath recommended to the president using a firing squad for the execution of former Army Major Nadal Hassan. That method has not been used by the military since the 1940s. Heggseth said today the American people should be able to see this for themselves. And a defense official said the Pentagon plans to transmit the December execution by live stream. Hassan, you'll remember, was convicted of premeditated murder for a 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood, Texas. He killed 13 and injured more than 30 others. Evidence showed he'd been radicalized. for jihad. Hassan represented himself and would have the right to appeal in federal court. Tom.

Kelly O'Donnell for us, Kelly, thank you. Now, to those new calls from Democrats for President Trump to fire his ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoil, following allegations from a Trump donor that she asked for $100,000 to pay off her credit card bill. Garrett Hake is at the White House. Tonight, new demands for President Trump's ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Gilfoyle, to be fired over growing ethics questions. A star in the MAGA world for years, she's the ex-fiance of his son, Don Jr. Tonight, a top Trump donor alleging she asked him to pay off her $100,000 American Express balance days before her 2025 confirmation hearing, offering to help the donor access senior administration officials. He said to me, she would be my ride or die. I mean, she was begging,

And she was pleading that I pay that $100,000. Legal consultant Eric Dieters said he had offered her a million dollars for help drawing the administration's attention to a legal case he was involved in. Deeters shared hundreds of text and signal messages with NBC News that he says were with Gilfoyle. He says in this message, Gilfoyle sent payment instructions, writing, it won't show up anywhere if you wire money to American Express, but that he did not send it. She was so desperate for that $100,000. Gilfoyle's attorney has not responded to a request for comment from NBC News, but told the Wall Street Journal the ambassador, quote, disputed the authenticity of the messages without providing specifics. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on a diplomatic visit to Athens, where he spent the day with Gilfoyle,

dodging questions about her conduct. I don't even know what you're reporting is true. You guys somehow walk around thinking that because some source told you something and you reported it, it's the gospel. It's not the gospel. But Democrats demanding Gilfoyle be fired. She is not qualified to be ambassador to Greece, and she should be removed. And it comes amid ethics concerns surrounding others in the president's orbit. A Russian oligarch with ties to Vladimir Putin's inner circle,

saying this week Donald Trump Jr. paid him back after backlash following a report that the Russian had bankrolled Don Jr's wedding party in the Bahamas. And the New York Times, citing two sources familiar, reporting the president's top two campaign advisors were paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to travel to and advise a pro-Russian regional government in the Balkans last weekend. President Trump yesterday publicly distanced himself from the two advisors, Chris Lasavita and James Blair, over the trip. Both have declined to comment. Tom? Garrett, thank you. We head overseas because anger is boiling in France tonight,

with thousands taken to the streets demanding more money for schools. Our Richard Engel was in the middle of the chaos in Paris as police fired tear gas into the crowd. French students aren't giving up, demanding their government spend more on their education. Thousands of protesters are here in Bastille Square, where the French revolution began in 1789. And people here say they are continuing that same spirit of resistance and revolution. Where do you think this is going? I don't know. I mean, honestly, I think all the students want to get, like, heard. Demonstrators say the only response they've seen so far,

is a heavy-handed police crackdown. The police here have now just given what they say is their last warning for people to clear out of this entire area. Many didn't budge. The police charges were quick and violent. Officers swinging clubs with full force and knocking demonstrators to the ground. Tear gas is now just falling right around us. Some of the demonstrators, Some of the demonstrators are trying to kick it away, to throw it away.

This is the heaviest volume of tear gas that we've seen so far today. The gas kept coming, making the air feel like it was on fire. As we moved away, a police stun grenade exploded next to us. The crowds ultimately dispersed, but they vow to keep coming out until the government fixes what they say are France's broken schools. Richard Engle, NBC News, Paris. Back here at home, and this is also developing the urgent investigation into a possible serial killer after five men were killed in Lansing, Michigan,

under similar circumstances. Shaquille Brewster has this one. Tonight, police are urgently investigating the possible connection between five deaths along this river trail in Lansing, Michigan. One question that we are being asked is, do we have a serial killer in Lansing? The string of deaths all in the last year targeting men who were homeless. Most of the victims, they say, suffering blunt force trauma to the head. We believe that our victims in this case were lying down, potentially even sleeping.

Last October, police finding 54-year-old Gino Chenard, months later on July 9th, 70-year-old Dennis Dunaback. Just four days later, 57-year-old Robert Smith also found injured and unresponsive. Then in August, 22-year-old Daniel Lusk, 10 days later, 57-year-old Lewis Woodruff, all attacked along the same trail. But unlike the others, Lusk was stabbed to death, police identifying Edward Smith as the suspect in his death and charging Smith with murder. And I'll tell you the difference between the solved case is camera surveillance. Police say they're still investigating if there's a connection, recently starting a tip line for the public and deploying cameras and overnight patrols. It was a nice person. He was a great athlete. A move coming a year too late for Gino Schnard's family.

Somebody needs to pay for this crime that he did not deserve. Nobody, none of those people really deserve it. As they and the Lansing community ask who's behind these troubling deaths. Shaquille Brewster, NBC News. Now to the fugitive caught after 14 years on the run, but he wasn't hiding in some remote corner of the country. He was working as a well-known chef in Cincinnati. San Diego, even making TV appearances. Liz Kreutz with how authorities finally found him.

Tonight, a stunning case of double identity. Authorities say this man, a popular San Diego chef who went by the name Troy Williams, is actually a wanted fugitive from Iowa, 50-year-old Brian Anthony Williams. The U.S. Marshal Service says he's been living a secret life for nearly 15 years after going on the run, following his involvement in a violent kidnapping. This is so wild. like Netflix style wild. Eddie Gerardo is Williams' former roommate and the general manager of Miss Bees Coconut Club,

the restaurant where Williams is head chef and has worked for more than a decade. Troy's always popping off. It's where authorities arrested Williams this week. Troy, we knew was a vegan, straight edge. He was a good guy here, loved by everybody. Authorities say Williams has been wanted since 2012, when he and co-conspirators allegedly kidnapped, assaulted, and shot away. woman, then left her in a field outside Davenport, Iowa. According to the U.S. Marshals, in September,

officials determined he was living in San Diego under the identity Troy Williams, where he worked as a chef and was appearing in TV segments like this one. We're just like family. All of us are really good friends. Williams was even the subject of this local Black History Month profile earlier this year and described growing up poor in the projects of New York. Clearly not from New York. There's a whole other person that we don't know. And that's what's, honestly, that scares me a little bit, man, or a lot. Authorities tell NBC News his media appearances and interviews help lead them to Williams, who was now expected to be extradited back to Iowa.

Liz Croyd's NBC News. All right. When we return in 60 seconds, the man breaching airport security to do this, taking off on a tarmac vehicle, how they finally stopped him. Plus, chaos aboard a frontier jet. on the ground as passengers fought to get off why they were kept on there so long. And after 322 days at sea, the emotional return were aboard the USS Lincoln with thousands of sailors coming home and meeting some beautiful babies for the first time.

Back down with the passengers physically fighting back after they were stuck on a frontier airline's plane in Atlanta without air conditioning. Tom Costello has this one. frustration and anger boiling over on a Frontier Airlines plane stuck at the gate in Atlanta as passengers tried to rush the exit, blocked by a flight attendant. Passengers claim they were stuck on board for an hour with no AC after the jet bridge failed and electricity went out. Flight attendants worried that without the jet bridge, someone could have fallen 15 feet to the airport ramp below.

Frontier tells NBC News it's looking into how long passengers were stuck, but a mechanical issue caused the jet bridge to become misaligned with the cabin door, thus precluding a full deplaining until maintenance personnel could address the issue. Meanwhile, in California, cell phone video captured the moment that John Wayne Airport police say a Delta airline passenger tried to steal an airline tug, driving erratically before crashing into another airport vehicle. Pilots on the ground forced to sit and wait. Security breached the airport. Someone stole a tug. so they pretty much shut down

the ground seven effect. The airport says the suspect also tried to drive off in a truck that empties aircraft toilets. The Orange County Sheriff's Department says deputies arrested 26-year-old Skylar J. Barr of Everett, Washington. On charges of vehicle theft, trespassing, and vandalism, he was taken to a hospital for evaluation. The airport says Barr walked through a door at Gate 12,

then made his way down to the ramp. If the door was also a fire door, it could not be deadbolted. Tom? Okay, Tom, thank you. We're back in a moment with the wild police chase on the roof of a getaway car that lasted miles and miles. Look at that. We're back now with the Ronback Houthis in Yemen appearing to escalate attacks on Saudi Arabia with the militant group saying it struck Riyadh's airport. You can see flames and that thick plume of smoke rising from a plane on the tarmac. No passengers were believed to have been on that aircraft. And in Western India, look at this video of a police officer.

He is clinging to the roof of a car during a high-speed chase over 25 miles. You see him there as three suspected contraband smugglers are inside that SUV, and they attempted to flee the scene after police tried to stop them. The officer reportedly clung onto that roof for the entire time. The car eventually stopped and the suspects were taken into custody. When we come back tonight, the moment 322 days in the making, thousands of sailors from the USS Lincoln, finally on dry land in America,

and some of them meeting their babies for the first time. We're there with them. That's next. Finally, there's good news tonight. Thousands of sailors and Marines aboard the USS Lincoln returning home after a record long deployment and finally getting a chance to hug their loved ones, and for some new dads, the chance to hold their babies

for the very first time. Our Courtney Cube is there. These are the moments. These families have waited nearly a year for. Homecoming for the USS Abraham Lincoln. We were on board as the ship dock near San Diego today after a historic deployment, 322 days away from home. Their time at sea was brutal.

The conditions often challenging amid an ongoing war. On board as they pulled in today, the excitement was palpable, especially for sailor Brent Ledbetter, just days. days after he deployed last November, his wife Jessica gave birth to their first child. And he's about to meet his 10-month-old baby Nathan for the first time. Really? I just want to hold him. I play with him. You know, he's crawling around now, so I'm excited to chase him around the house and, you know, just give him all the love. On land, tears of joy as the anticipation builds. Jessica waits with baby Nathan as the ship pulls in.

Just seeing the ship from the bridge, it's like, I'm almost in tears. Then, finally, this incredible moment. Their family of three together for the first time. It's surreal, yeah. It's unreal. It hit me that like, we're family. A reunion ten months in the making. And a family ready to begin a new chapter together.

Courtney QB, NBC News, aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. Off duty, but now on Daddy Duty. all those brave sailors and Marines and their families for their service and sacrifice. That's nightly news for this Thursday. I'm Tom Yamis. We thank you so much for watching. Tonight and always we're here for you. Good night.