NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Tuesday, September 22, 2026

Episode Date: September 23, 2026

Hackers say they breached the FBI and stole data; U.S. negotiators meet with Iranian officials at U.N.; Two students dead in Mississippi; 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, breaking news as we come on the air, what could be one of the biggest hacks of the FBI ever. Hackers reportedly claiming they now have information on almost every single FBI agent, how the agency is responding tonight. Historic weather threats, a monster Category 5 hurricane off Mexico, and the rare September noreaster set to lash the Northeast. President Trump at the UN telling leaders, he may annihilate Iran. Plus, his threat to Cuba, prompting that delegation to suddenly walk out. New video of what witnesses claim was a brutal interaction with ICE, this American citizen sent to the hospital after a case of mistaken identity. Actress Hayden Paneteer's cause of death revealed the fentanyl and other drugs found in her system

and this just in. She had just left rehab weeks before. Also breaking tonight, two students at Ole Miss found dead. The legal drug, some call gas station heroin, they may have taken. The parents of Nolan Wells speaking out after the DA said there will be no criminal charges after their son was found dead, while they're demanding a new investigation. The Six Flags roller coaster accused of causing catastrophic brain injuries. The parents who say their daughter still can't breathe on her own.

Trapped in the flames, two firefighters escaping this house fire, one of them. head first. Man versus robot, the Terminator-looking humanoid, taking down a fighter in a cage match. Are robot soldiers next? Olympian Simone Biles revealing three masked men broke into her home what they stole. Lionel Richie hospitalized once again the heart issues forcing the singing legend to postpone his tour. And there's good news tonight, the kindergartners pulling off a special birthday surprise for this volunteer's 93rd birthday. Nightly News starts right now. This is NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas. And good evening. We thank you for joining us on this Tuesday night. We want to begin with that breaking news, a hack at the FBI that could have

potentially devastating implications. The hackers reportedly claiming they got their hands on personal info for every single one of the Bureau's agents. News outlet, Roy, Roy, said they spoke directly with these hackers claiming the breach, showing them a screen grab of stolen data. The hackers said they made off with the names, addresses, and phone numbers of every agent, as well as people who just applied for a job at the FBI. Kelly O'Donnell is following this one for us and starts us off tonight. Kelly, what do we know? Good evening, Tom. The scope and implications of this remain key questions tonight. What we know right now is this. Journalists from an independent technology company, 404 Media, report they have communicated.

with hackers who claimed they breached the FBI's internal data system and website, a site where current and prospective employees apply for jobs. And as you'd imagine, that contains sensitive personal information about federal agents. Tonight, officials at the bureau tell us the FBI is aware of claims regarding unauthorized activity affecting FBIjobs.gov and is currently investigating. Experts say a government data breach can expose agents to doxing and the data can be misused by criminal networks or foreign intelligence. Officials tell me it's still too early to know more. Tom? Kelly O'Donnell, on that breaking news, Kelly, thank you.

We are also tracking a monster hurricane in the Pacific, one of the biggest ever, plus a potentially devastating nor'easter taking aim at the east coast. Bill Cairns is live here tonight for us, and Bill, what are you seen on the radar? This is one of the most powerful storm you'll ever see on our planet. It's just off the west coast of Mexico. from a tropical storm to a category 5 and 24 hours, 180 mile per hour winds. The good news, it's going to stay just off the coast for the next four to five days. It'll slowly begin to weekend, but it will make that curve up towards the Baja of California and Mexico

as we go through the weekend into early next week. Now for the East Coast, this is going to be a long-duration event. We already have coastal flood warnings up. The winds are going to howl. The beach erosion is going to happen each and every high tide cycle, and this will be plaguing us all the way out through at least Saturday and Sunday with the Nor'easter, which is really rare for September. Leaves are on the tree, scattered power outages,

but the beaches will take the worst of it. We'll stay tracking both those systems. All right, Bill, thank you for that. Here in New York, President Trump with a high-stakes speech at the UN, saying he's weighing whether to make a deal with Iran or to annihilate it. Also revealing U.S. negotiators spoke with the Iranians today. Here's Gabe Gutierrez. Tonight, President Trump's dire warning.

I have a big decision to make. With the world watching here, the president speaking bluntly to Iran's delegation at the UN General Assembly. Will a deal be made with Iran, or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic, and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again? The president now says his team met with Iranian officials today for three hours, even though he thinks Iran is stalling, hoping Democrats win the midterms. I gave absolutely no credence and will not give credence to the election when it comes to Iran. It doesn't even enter my mind. The only thing that does is that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon. In his wide-ranging address, the president also saying Cuba's communist regime will fall,

prompting the country's delegation to walk out. Communism will never be coming to America, but freedom will be coming. to Cuba. Today's video footage largely provided by the UN itself after the president bans CNN, MS now, and political from the White House, prompting the TV pool to suspend its coverage. Secretary Marco Rubio, who has not banned those outlets from the State Department, is still defending the president's move. The president feels very strongly that why should I have people working in my building and in my office that I believe are not honestly covering my administration. Gabe joins us now live from the UN and Gabe. President Trump also set to meet with Venezuela's leader Delci

Rodriguez for the first time tonight and a bigger meeting later this week. Yeah, that's right, Tom. It's their first face-to-face meeting since the U.S. arrested her predecessor, Nicholas Maduro, and then the president pivots to another high-stakes meeting. This one with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who he's hosting through Friday back in Washington. Tom. Gabe Gutierrez at the U.N. Gabe, thank you. Now to that new video showing ICE officers detaining a man who turned out to be a U.S. citizen. Maggie Vespa joins us from the scene outside of Chicago. And Maggie, local police say that man was sent to the hospital after the violent confrontation. Yeah, Tom, that's right. And they say this simply was a case of ICE just trying to arrest the wrong guy. Now, the witness who shot this video said ICE officers got rough, pinning that unnamed man to the ground on Sunday.

And you hear that man in the video repeatedly yelling, I'm a U.S. citizen. DHS tells NBC news that he, quote, resembled the target ICE officers were looking for and that he at first was not cooperative and refused to ID himself, but that officers left when they confirmed his identity and that he was a U.S. citizen. Now, Evanston police say the man was hospitalized with injuries to his head, neck, and teeth. This as immigration arrests hit record highs nationwide numbers that President Trump is touting amid a pledge to crack. down on illegal immigration. Tom. Maggie Vespa for us, Maggie, thank you. We have a major update tonight in the death of actress Hayden Panetteer. Today, a South Carolina coroner revealing the star died from an overdose due to a dangerous mix of drugs, including fentanyl. Here's Liz Croix.

Tonight, the Greenville County Coroner's Office revealing the official cause of death of actress Hayden Penitier, saying the 36-year-old died due to the toxic effects of multiple substances, including fentanyl, El Prasolam. commonly known as Xanax, a muscle relaxer, and an antipsychotic medication. Part of that mixture is what former DEA agent Bill Bodner tells NBC News is often referred to as the Holy Trinity. How dangerous is this concoction of drugs? It's incredibly dangerous, which really leads me to believe that this is not something that was prescribed by a doctor. The coroner's report says there were no signs of trauma and the matter of death has been ruled accident. According to the AP, it also

states the star's death happened just weeks after she had been released from a rehab facility. Overdose. CPR's in progress. Police say Penitier, who had spoken publicly about her battle with substance abuse, was discovered unresponsive and in cardiac arrest in her South Carolina apartment. How likely is it, do you think, that this becomes a criminal investigation now? Yeah, I'm certain. I'm certain that this will be a criminal investigation. But nurse says investigators are likely now trying to piece together Paneteer's final days to identify who may have supplied her with illicit drugs. And Greenville police have not called this a criminal investigation, but they tell NBC News the case

is still active and ongoing. We've reached out to Reps for Penitier and not heard back. Tom. Liz, thank you. We're also following breaking news tonight involving a pair of possible overdoses. This time at Ole Miss, two students found dead and a common gas station drug they may have taken could have played a role. George Solis picks it up from there. Tonight, two University of Mississippi College students found dead.

What a possible OD. They do not believe the subject's breathing, trying to start CPR over the phone. Police rushing to the Ole Miss campus in Oxford just after 1.30 p.m. on Monday for a report of a possible overdose. What's the mood been like on campus right now? Honestly, really frantic. So I think people are just really shocked. Authorities say packaged cratum sold from a retail store was discovered during both investigations,

and there's no evidence connecting the deaths, but urging the public to avoid Kratum and any other medication that is not prescribed. Kratum, a synthetic opioid, comes from a plant in Southeast Asia. It's often sold in liquid or tablet form and found in gas station, smoke shops, and even some health food stores. The DEA calling it a drug of concern, and poison control calls involving Kratom reached a staggering 3,400 cases last year. Police say Kratum has been banned by local laws in Oxford, Mississippi, but can be bought in surrounding counties. Tonight, the university says it's heartbroken by the recent loss of two students,

and they remain in contact with local and state law enforcement. George Solis, NBC News. We're going to stay in Mississippi because the family of Nolan Wells, the college student found dead after a July 4th boating trip, speaking out today, demanding answers after the DA said there was no evidence of criminal misconduct in his death. Here's Kate Snow. A Jackson County, Mississippi grand jury unanimously finding,

no criminal wrongdoing in the death of Nolan Wells. Today, his parents demanding a more thorough investigation. Nolan deserved to live. He deserved to be here. There is only one victim. Her son, Nolan, Xavier Wells. Late Monday, the district attorney released a video. This is and has always been a search for the truth.

The grand jury finding Wells' cause of death was undetermined, but consistent with drowning. also saying an injury on the back of Wells's head was not fatal. The family's attorney wants more information. The cause of those injuries and their contribution to Nolan Wells' death remain unexplained. An outcry on social media today. You know we ain't buying it. It makes zero sense that Nolan Wells just up and drowned. The DA criticized the family's attorney, Ben Crump,

and said outsiders and influencers exploited Wells' death. to divide and create chaos. There is absolutely no evidence to support the allegations that Nolan's disappearance and death were racially motivated. Nolan's friends love Nolan, and Nolan loved them. But the grieving family still has so many questions. The only thing we have asked for since day one is an honest, transparent, fair investigation.

Kate Snow joins us now live in studio. The back and forth continues tonight. What else did the DA say? So the DA says that she asked the family's attorneys for any information they might want to give to the grand jury. Also, she says the grand jury issued 132 subpoenas. They had 43 witnesses and seven people testified. Kate Snow, with that update, Kate, we thank you for that. We have new allegations tonight that a hugely popular roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain outside of L.A.

may have been so intense it injured riders. Morgan Chesky has the latest. Tonight, a Six Flags roller coaster billed as a ride of passage for the ultimate daredevil facing multiple lawsuits, accused of causing severe brain injuries. These people went to Magic Mountain for some entertainment,

for some family fun, and they suffered catastrophic brain damage. Attorneys unveiling three lawsuits against Six Flags on behalf of clients, they say, were injured after riding the X2 coaster at the Magic Mountain Park north of Los Angeles, stating none of the victims had preexisting conditions and more than 100 other victims' plan to follow suit. It's the design of this ride that makes it inherently dangerous. Six Flags bills the X-2's 360-degree rotating seats and headfirst face-down drops as downright scary. She said, my head feels funny, and she fell over.

26-year-old Naomi Greer Wilkinson still can't breathe on her own. Parents Artemis and Josh telling us their daughter fell into a coma shortly after writing The X-2. She can't tell us if she's in pain. And as a father, that's extremely difficult to witness. In 2022, Christopher Hawley died one day after his parents say he rode the X-2. The L.A. County Medical Examiner ruling his death resulted from accidental blunt head trauma. Holly's family reaching a confidential settlement with Magic Mountain just weeks ago. And a ride safety page on their website.

Six Flags riding, our safety program includes multiple layers of review and oversight. And telling us today the ride has been closed since the evening of July 12th, adding they don't comment on pending litigation. Morgan Chesky, NBC News. All right, when we return in 60 seconds, Robot in the Ring, have you seen this? who came out on top in the man versus machine matchup. Plus, Simone Biles robbed the Olympian revealing how mass men broke into her home, what they stole. Plus how firefighters battling a house fire just barely escaped the flames.

That's coming up. We are back down with the Terminator-like scene going viral, a man taking on a robot inside the ring, and the fight raising the question, could these machines someday become soldiers? Stephen Romo takes a closer look. For the first time in history, tonight a fight straight out of science fiction brought to life in the ring and raising new questions about the future of fighting on the battlefield. Social media influencer Frankie Lepena fighting a six-foot tall 200-pound robot designed by a company called Wreck and controlled by a human operator.

You can see Lepena land some punches. The robot kicking right back, at times knocking Lepena to the ground. Rex says bites like this are just for entertainment. We are going to create something relatively similar to robot UFC. Another company, Foundation Future Industries, posting this video of its humanoid robot, firing a mortar. It's not as much capability limitation as like an ethical and policy, legal consideration when it comes to using robots in a weaponized way. This summer, Tom, a robotics plan in Beijing.

It looks aggressive. It's marching. Should it be seen as something that is going to be maybe part of your military one day? No, yeah, no. Yeah, we don't want the robots to do that. Yeah, we want a robot to help people. With technology moving fast and drones already being used in war, this bout could offer a glimpse into the future of fighting machines.

Stephen Romer, NBC News. Scary stuff. All right, we're back in a moment with Simone Biles' break-in, the Olympian, revealing how multiple mass men made off with a luxury item worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Plus, Lionel Richie postponing shows after a medical procedure. What we're learning tonight, that's next. Back now with Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, revealing she was robbed. The seven-time gold medalist sharing on TikTok that three masked intruders broke into her Chicago home and stole her Porsche. She says the break-in prompted her to get a guard dog, adding the stolen car, was eventually,

recovered. Now to a scary scene out of Queens in New York, firefighters battling this massive house fire look closely getting trapped in the flames. One escapes head first as the fighter shoots out the window. Four firefighters were injured but are expected to be okay. And as we look at the challenges people face with affording America and the colder weather just around the corner, on average heating costs are expected to rise 8.3% this winter. And if you use heating oil, you're looking at a 50% raising cost compared to last year. Economists say the increase, are due to the wars in Iran and Ukraine. Also tonight, Lionel Richie postponing more shows after undergoing a heart procedure.

A representative for the 77-year-old says he's doing great but will take some time off. The news comes weeks after the four-time Grammy winner checked himself into the hospital for dehydration. All right, when we come back here in Nightly News, birthday bond, the epic surprise for a beloved volunteer from the kindergartner, she reads to. That's next. Finally, there's good news tonight. Nothing gets kindergartners going like a classroom birthday party. And in Kansas City, the kids went nuts for someone they cherish so much, turning 93 years young. It was a birthday surprise, a chorus of tiny voices celebrating classroom volunteer Eileen McKeown.

The 93-year-old reads to these Kansas City kindergartners twice a month. So on her big day, the teachers and students knew they had a game. give back to a woman who gives them so much. The class celebrating with signs, singing, snacks, and even some happy tears. I walked in and I saw this and it got to me. For nearly 20 years, Eileen has been working with kids, volunteering as a part of the Kansas City Organization Operation Breakthrough. Kelly Phelps has worked with Eileen for 13 years and help the kids pull off the

surprise party. It was just really special to be able to do something small for Eileen to show her how much we really do love her. It wasn't small. And don't worry, the kids still got the reading time in two, birthday cupcakes in hand, this bond across generations. It's an environment of love. You don't see that too much anymore. It's an environment of love. So much love in that classroom. 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.