NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Tuesday, August 4, 2026

Episode Date: August 5, 2026

Armed suspect arrested at Trump golf course; Markets surge to record highs; Suspect arrested in connection to devastating Spokane wildfire; 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 right now, the security threat at President Trump's golf course ahead of his visit there tonight. The president on his way to the club right now, a person armed with a pistol and an AR-15-style rifle arrested, appearing to case the president's golf course in California before his event there, what we're learning. Stunning Wall Street rally, the S&P 500 and the Dow hitting a new all-time record. What's driving the surge, even as fears grow over an air? AI bubble, what it could mean for your 401k. Also tonight, a man charged with setting one of the most destructive wildfires in Washington state's history, entire neighborhoods in Spokane wiped out. Police accusing this man of igniting the inferno and the weather risk right now that could restart

the fires. Also breaking a salmonella outbreak at Chipotle, Halapeno's there suspected of making hundreds of people sick. Is the guac safe? What you need to know? The battle for the future of the Democratic Party, the key primary test in Michigan tonight, will the progressive wave overtake the establishment? Are Steve Kornacki standing by? Terrifying drone chase, a Ukrainian man, stalked by a drone, and then it explodes. Russia accused of turning war into a game. Rumba getting sucked into a U.S. ban on foreign-made robots.

Could it drive up prices for smart vacuums? Volcano eruption warning, lava and ash spewing out, families in Guatemala fleeing their homes. And there's good news tonight, the six-year-old, joining his favorite football team, his touchdown moment, proving why you should always dream big. Nightly News starts right now. This is NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas. And good evening. We are coming on the air following two breaking stories, a record-setting surge on Wall Street, fueled by tech stocks and optimism around a possible deal to end the war in Iran. And we're also tracking a security threat at a Trump golf course in California.

Just hours ago, police arresting a suspect, they say, was acting suspiciously on that property, taking photos and monitoring security federal agents, later finding deadly hollow point ammunition as well as a loaded pistol in the suspect's car. And a search at the suspect's home turning up several suspicious items, including an assault rifle, body armor, and a notebook containing what officials called concerning statements. Liz Kreutz is following this developing story. And Liz, what are we learning tonight? Yeah, hi, Tom. So the L.A. County Sheriff's Department says that this happened on Saturday afternoon. The man they say they arrested is 38-year-old Janine John Taley from Downey, California.

Officials say playing closed federal agents noticed him acting suspiciously at the Trump National Golf Course here in Rancho Palis Verdes, taking photographs and videos, and appearing to monitor security planning activities ahead of President Trump's plan visit to the golf course tonight. Police say deputies approached him, and that is when they determined that he was being investigated for a prior local robbery. They detained him, and then they say they found a number of concerning items in his car and later at his home, including an illegally modified AR platform rifle, a pistol, body armor,

high-capacity magazines, two radio signal devices, and those multiple numbers. notebooks containing concerning statements. Now, authorities say he is currently in custody right now and facing multiple felony charges, including several that are weapons related, Tom. Yeah, he allegedly had an arsenal on him. All right, Liz Croyd's leading us off. Now to the record day on Wall Street, the Dow and the S&P closing at new record highs, markets driven by good news coming from major U.S. companies and optimism that the price of oil is coming down. Allie Canal is here, and Allie, walk us through which driving these trends. Yeah, Tom, take a look at the yearly performance of the

S&P, closing today above 7,700 for the first time ever. Now, what's driving this, corporate earnings. Caterpillar up today, more than $46 a share, thanks to the construction of AI data centers, and defense contractor Palantir had what its CEO described as otherworldly earnings. Its shares up $37. Also, take a look at Microsoft, now up more than $100 a share, since that company reported quarterly earnings just last week. Also, fueling markets today was the drop in U.S. crude oil prices down more than five bucks a barrel to about $75 that drop, thanks in part to Treasury Secretary Bessent this morning, saying the Strait of Vermeuse could reopen by tomorrow. Tom. Great day for 401ks. All right, All right, All right, All right, Allie, thank you. In Washington State today, police say one man is responsible for starting the wildfire that has destroyed hundreds of homes and forced tens of thousands to evacuate. Morgan Chesky is on the ground in Spokane. Tonight, the men authorities say is responsible for the most destructive fire in Spokane, Washington's history, under arrest and in court.

Yes, Your Honor. The sheriff releasing this image of officers arresting Aaron Fairnacci, tying the 37-year-old to the old Trails fire, which aerial footage shows decimated entire neighborhoods and turned hundreds of homes to ash. He was found in to be in possession of some waterproof matches and a butane lighter. Fairnachi has a prior conviction of manslaughter, found guilty in Arizona for killing his own father in 2010. Released from prison six years ago, he's now being held on a $1 million bond, charged with one count of first-degree arson. The Spokane fires forcing nearly 70,000 people to evacuate, many of them taking refuge at the city's convention center, including Jocelyn Beaumont, who says the flames are now walking distance from her home. We're waiting to see where the fire is going. I understood that the wind had changed.

North, it's going to hit us. South, it's going to go back over itself. Last night, we met the Andersons. That's our house. Who lost their home. Today, we met their daughter, Lindsay Sabo, her husband, Chris, and two children, Colin, and little sister, Leah. All my friend's house burnt down, so that was Mormon. The Sabo's telling us they just paid off their home five weeks ago.

All of our things are gone. We have nothing. It, too, like her parents' home, reduced to rubble. To hear all of this may have been the work of an arsonist. Yeah, I mean, I think to say we're mad and upset are a vast understatement. It feels impossible that one person could cause this much damage to people and to property and to a community. You feel for all those families there. Morgan Chesky joins us now live from the fire zone in Spokane.

Morgan has that suspect said anything about the... fires? Yeah, Tom, upon being arrested, Farnachi did not having any involvement with this fire, but he has yet to issue a formal plea that will likely come as an arraignment set for Thursday. Tom. Morgan Chesky for us. We have another major fast food outbreak to tell you about. Chipotle, saying it has removed jalapeno's from its restaurants after hundreds of people were sicken with salmonella, and we have some new reporting on more cases in that illness linked to lettuce. And Thompson has the details. Now it's jalapenos. Tonight's suspected as the source of a salmonella outbreak in Minnesota.

State officials say most of the 110 people who've gotten six since mid-June, eight at Chipotle. The rest dined at other Mexican-style restaurants. Chipotle reports halapenos are used in guacamole, pico de gallo, chili corn salsa, and other items at its 4,100 restaurants. Tonight, Chipotle says it's cooperating with the investigation and has proactive remove the jalapenos from its restaurants and replace them with product from different growers. A spokesperson says the jalapenos in question were sent to several food service retailers across multiple states, but there is no information on where else the suspected peppers were sold.

The FDA says it's conducting its own traceback investigation, which began July 22nd. Salmonella, now on top of the cyclospora outbreak in more than 40 states. What's the difference between salmonella and cyclosporiasis? Cyclospiriasis is from a parasite, and people tend to recover very slowly, but they do recover. With salmonella, we see 400 deaths a year, so it can be much more dangerous. Tonight, the cyclospor number is skyrocketing. The CDC says it's confirmed more than 10,000 cases and is looking into another 12,000, some of which federal officials say are linked to the recalled iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms

and sold a Taco Bell. All right, Ann Thompson joins us now live in studio. And let's go back to Chipotle and the jalapenos. Could it be bigger than just jalapenos and just in the state of Minnesota? It certainly could, Tom. In fact, the FDA says it's investigating multiple ingredients. And it hasn't identified a single source at this point. But the other thing to keep in mind is the FDA says it's looking into 212 cases.

That's almost 100 more than what Minnesota has. Wow, 22012. Okay. we thank you for that, Ann. Now to the high-stakes primary night across five states with all eyes on Michigan. Will it be part of that recent wave of progressive candidates defeating establishment-back Democrats? All as we're seeing that deep divide among Democrats nationwide. Shaquille Brewster is there for us tonight. Tonight, a test for Democrats deeply divided over the direction of their party. A critical Senate primary in Michigan, pitting establishment-backed Congresswoman Haley Stevens

against the progressive, former health director Abdul El-Sayed, endorsed by Bernie Sanders and AOC. What got you out here today, then? Abdul specifically. This is the first time that I've actually gotten to vote for a candidate that excites me. El-Sayed campaigning on Medicare for all and abolishing ICE. In the past, he's expressed support for defunding the police, though he's since backtracked. What do you say to someone who's skeptical, that someone as progressive as you can win statewide in a state that's as purple as Michigan is. People are so

sick and tired of establishments on both sides of the aisle that are bought off by the corporations. He's also intensely critical of Israel. The difference between us is $46 million of APAC spending. Stevens calls herself a proud pro-Israel Democrat with major backing from APAC, the American lobbying group focusing on supporting the Jewish state. I very much believe in a two-state solution. My Democratic opponent doesn't. She spoke with NBC's Julie Serkin. record. Michiganers are going to be able to look at it and see that I was chief of staff

on the U.S. auto rescue, that I've stood up to Donald Trump. This Democrat telling us she's voting for Stevens. I'm worried that Abdul al-Isayad cannot win in the general election. And that's your top priority? Yes. And while neither identifies as a Democratic socialist, President Trump blasting both. You have a communist versus a socialist. That's the way I look at. All right, Shaquille Brewster joins us live from Detroit. And Shaq, anytime you have a bruising primary like this one,

the big question is, can Democrats unite? That's right, Tom. And both candidates are insisting that they will support the other if they lose tonight. But some voters telling me it will not be that easy for them, which could be a boost for Republican Mike Rogers. Tom? Jack Brewster on the campaign trail. I want to bring in Steve Cornacky now on the big test for Democrats

over what direction they'll take for the midterm. So, Steve, on this issue of socialism, very different views by Americans on how they view it. Yeah, Tom, a number of Democratic candidates we've seen embrace this label. And within the Democratic Party, it's actually more popular, 52% favorable than not. But take one step outside the Democratic Party and things change quickly. Look at this among independents, more than three out of four, 77% with a negative view of socialism. And we should point this out, both parties go into the midterms with their own set of challenges. Yeah, for Republicans all across the,

country running this year. The baggage is the president, a Republican with a low approval rating. This is an average of the recent polls. Lower still specifically on the issue voters say they care most about the economy and 36% approval, the ongoing war in Iran. For Democrats, meanwhile, it may have something to do with that label of socialism. We just talked about the image of the party among Americans here. Look at this. Less than one in three, 30% of voters say they've got a positive view of the Democratic Party, a very low number, Tom. Midterms, be tough for both parties. All right, Steve, we thank you for that. And watch Steve, Hallie Jackson, and Kristen Welker's coverage of the midterms tonight starting at 9 p.m.

Eastern on our streaming channel NBC News Now. And for in-depth analysis, you can subscribe to the data dive with Steve Kornacki's newsletter, find it at NBCNews.com. Okay, we want to head overseers now to that terrifying video from Ukraine, a civilian chased down by a suspected Russian drone that even explodes. Ukraine's president Zelensky is comparing the attack. to a hunter on safari and it was all captured on video. Here's Keir Simmons. The sound of a drone, a scream, and then a terrifying game of cat and mouse.

You can see in this video, released by the Ukrainian military, a frightened Ukrainian vegetable vendor trying to get away from that drone. It appears to hunt him down, then this. Yuri, shrapnel in his back, says, I was trying to get away, but it kept coming at.

me. Many would hardly know this small drone, which Ukraine says is Russian, carried such powerful explosives. President Zelensky calls it drone safari, Ukraine accusing Russian forces of hunting civilians. Here, a woman on a bike is pursued. She was wounded in the leg. While Ukraine has been using AI drones to help reach long distances into Russia, like this attack that hit the Kremlin's bomber fleet, and Russian civilians have been killed and wounded, this suspected Ukrainian drone hitting a packed Russian beach Monday. Three children were killed, according to Russia. Now, this Ukrainian man, who says he cannot understand

why he would be in the crosshairs of a killer drone. A new era in warfare and a new phase in this brutal war in which the UN says 16,000 civilians have been killed. Tom? Keir Simmons for us, when we return in 60 seconds, the battle with China over the future of robots, Why it will make it harder to get Roomba-style vacuums that clean your homes here in the U.S. Plus the stunning images of a volcano erupting in Central America, the race to escape the lava.

That's next. We're back down with a new ban on cutting-edge robots. The U.S. government banning foreign-made robotic devices, so many of them made in China, from those humanoid ones you've likely seen to vacuums like the Rumba. Brian Chung explains. The U.S. now going America first. on robots, from humanoids to your Roomba. Their Roomba is made from challenges like this.

As the Federal Communications Commission moved to ban new foreign-made mobile robots, citing unacceptable risks they pose to economic and national security. This is about mitigating our dependency and vulnerabilities going forward. The ban affects all foreign tech, but most heavily impacts China, a robotics juggernaut that's estimated to control about 85% of the global market for humanoid robots. Tom, on a recent trip to China, seeing the robots for himself. You're going to put these faces, these heads on the robots?

Yeah, like in the future. The ban doesn't affect existing products already sold here, but would include new mobile mechanical devices over a certain weight, meaning humanoid, dog-like robots with four legs, but also swept up in the ban any new version of smart vacuums, including Roombas. They can create maps of our houses, they have cameras on them, They can be sending data back to whatever companies they're made from. So that's where the real concern, I think, can be with the robot vacuums.

NBC News chief tech analyst Joanna Stern has tested both American-made and Chinese-made vacuums and says the ban is going to cost customers. It means that some of the most affordable robo vacuums that they could get, they might not be able to get soon. Beijing now threatening to retaliate as the robot race hits a new stride. Brian Chung, NBC News. All right, we're back in a moment. here on nightly news, the giant volcano eruption, raining lava down, hundreds fleeing their homes

to get out alive. Plus, the new answer tonight about what sparked one of the deadliest wildfires in California history. That's next. We're back now with stunning images out of Guatemala tonight. Take a look at the Fuego Volcano erupting. You see that fountain of lava right there, ash blasting high into the sky. Authorities say the eruption is currently in a critical and explosive phase and are ordering more than 1,000 people in nearby villages to evacuate. Also tonight, Los Angeles County fire investigators revealing power lines are to blame for the deadly eaten fire that tore across Altadena in January of last year. Investigators determining a tower managed by Southern California Edison was at a service when it sparked. That fire left 19 people dead and damaged more than

thousand homes and businesses. All right, when we come back tonight, the touchdown of a lifetime, a six-year-old born with a heart condition, joins his favorite NFL team, and watch what he does. That's next. Finally, there's good news tonight. The Carolina Panthers have a brand new running back, a young NFL superfan who just got a chance to play with the pros, even scoring a touchdown. Helmet on standing exactly four feet tall and surrounded by NFL giants.

Six-year-old Asher Harvey grabbed the ball and ran straight into the end zone. Scoring a touchdown for his favorite team, the Carolina Panthers. This moment, a special one for Asher, who was born with a heart anomaly. His mom explaining he essentially only has half a heart. I love you so much. It sometimes makes life a little harder, but it hasn't stopped him from dreaming big. So when Make-A-Wish reached out, right away Asher thought of the Panthers. The team inviting him onto the roster for the day.

Asher even signing a contract. He got a fat signing bonus. And even touring the locker room. There it is. Meeting his new teammates. This guy's the one that's going to bring the play in for. You know he is? My God.

Great to see. Thanks so much for coming. But the day wasn't over yet. All right. Are you ready to go? We're going to head out in a second. You ready? Please welcome Asher.

Asher taking the field with the team during a fan fest scrimmage, scoring on the final play. Touchdown! His mom has never been proud. He's taught me that... Sorry. Asher has taught me that it doesn't matter what happens to you. What matters is how you move through life because that kid is unstoppable. We'll be cheering for number six next season.

All right, that's nightly news for this Tuesday. I'm Tom Yamas. We thank you so much for watching. Tonight and always, we're here for you. Good night.