NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Wednesday, April 15, 2026

Episode Date: April 16, 2026

Dangerous tornadoes rip across Midwest; Jury finds concert giant Live Nation acted as an illegal monopoly; First images of U.S. blockade of Iran; 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, life-threatening storm stretching from Texas to New York as tornadoes tear across the Midwest, the areas now bracing for the worst. Monster twisters charging across several states, sending debris flying and winds ripping off the siding of this arena. Fast-moving waters leaving drivers stranded. Neighborhoods reeling as they sort through the devastation. The historic verdict against Live Nation, owner of Ticketmaster, the jury finding the company, ran in a legal monopoly. Will concert tickets now be cheaper? The first images of the U.S.'s naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, and you'll hear the actual warning the U.S. military is giving to boats trying to come through. Wall Street's record closed, the S&P 500, and the NASDAQ soaring to new highs. What's driving the market and will it last? Horrific back-to-back school

shootings in Turkey, kids jumping out of the second-story window to escape the gunfire, of a gunman entering another school just a day before. Attempted kidnapping at Walmart, chilling images of a woman wielding a massive knife after snatching a child in the store, how officers saved the toddler. NBC News exclusive, the husband of the woman who went missing in the Bahamas,

now leaving that country. Our series, the cost of denial and the health care CEO speaking out, his blunt explanation as to why insurers have to limit their coverage of weight, lost drugs. The wild video capturing a car coming within inches of a shopper after barreling into a store what went wrong. And there's good news tonight the young hockey superfan brought to tears after his idol tossed him his stick showing that love of the game goes beyond the ring.

Nightly News starts right now. This is NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas. And good evening. we begin tonight with the severe weather threatening tens of millions across the country right now. Nearly 50 million people from Texas all the way to New York and the potential path of dangerous thunderstorms, tornadoes, and near hurricane force winds. Some parts still reeling. Look at this. After getting hit hard last night, like from this monster tornado churning its way through Iowa, ripping up dust and debris. And look at this one out of Kansas. Homes totally leveled by tornadoes, walls torn away, and bedrooms. You'll see them missing roofs entirely. You'll also hear from one man who told us he lost everything there,

but that he's just grateful to be alive tonight. In other parts, the rain has been unrelenting. In Wisconsin, you can see the downpours leaving drivers stranded in knee-high water. And forecasters warned the worst could be to come with another severe weather outbreak set for the end of this week. We start with the latest on all of this from Shaquille Brewster in Hardhit Kansas. Across the Midwest. Oh, my God.

A new round of dangerous tornadoes. This twister tearing through a field in Iowa. The powerful winds whipping dirt into the sky. Onlookers stopping to watch Mother Nature's wrath. Rising waters leading to urgent evacuations in Wisconsin. One official warning, if you do not evacuate, we will likely not be able to assist you. Throughout the state, heavy rain washing out roads and stranding these vehicles overnight. This woman rescued from her tracks.

wrapped car. Power flash? Hey, power flash. That was a power flash. In Michigan, powerful storms lighting up the night sky. This road completely destroyed as water rushes through. Strong winds ripping the roof off this ice arena. While in hard hit Kansas, the cleanup continues after tornadoes ravaged several towns. The National Weather Service says the tornado that did this damage was on the ground for more than seven miles wind speeds, 125 miles an hour. Now crews working to restore power all along the path. My camper is upside down right over here. That's it right there. Right there. Totally destroyed. Josh Hudson and his wife in Hisdale are now sifting through the devastation. Are the tears in your eyes of reflection of what did it happen to you? Yeah. I mean,

there's always what is. And I'm just so grateful that I'm even able to stand here. All right, Shaq joins us now live once again, this time from hard hit Hillsdale, Kansas, where Shaq, you're finding even more scenes of devastation? Yeah, Tom, the power of the tornado on full display. That's an RV behind me. It is now toppled over. You see this? These used to be storage units. They now look like piles of metal. And then follow me this way. This used to be a structure. Now it is completely gone. This area now under a tornado watch going into tonight. Tom. Shaq, we thank you for that. The other big headline tonight, a major loss for Concert Giant Live Nation, the owner of Ticketmaster. A jury finding the company has operated. as a monopoly and overcharged fans. Here's Emily Aketa. Tonight, a major blow to concert behemoth Live Nation, which owns Ticket Master,

often blasted for its high ticket prices. I went to a concert lately at a Live Nation venue, and the prices were kind of crazy. A jury sided with more than 30 states that argued the company is a monopolistic bully, illegally dominating the industry in one of the most high-profile antitrust cases in decades. A day for antitrust law,

It's a great day for consumers and fans, and it's a great day for the 34 states and District of Columbia who I've been honored to work for on this matter. The verdict followed four days of deliberations. Lawyers for the states presenting these messages from a Live Nation executive, joking, I almost feel bad taking advantage of them and robbing them blind, baby. The jury also found fans were overcharged by Ticketmaster, the target of years of complaints over prices and technological melt. sounds like head of Taylor Swift's Erez tour. The judge will determine what happens next. The judge now imposes a remedy. That could be anything from breaking up the company to monetary penalties and anything in between. Live Nation has vehemently denied acting as a monopoly and in court argued success is not against the law, instead saying, quote, we are fierce competitors.

The verdict comes after the Department of Justice struck a surprise settlement days into the highly anticipated trial. But critics said it did not go far enough. And many states pressed ahead with the lawsuit tonight walking away with a victory that could have a far-reaching impact in the music industry. All right. We are joined now live by Emily Akeda. Emily, we heard that word there, the remedy. So what does that mean for fans who have bought tickets in the past or now in the future? So there is the chance that some music fans could get some money out of this because the jury found that Ticketmaster overcharged about $1.72 per ticket. But it would be a very small amount. The bigger impacts, according to experts, would actually come down the line, as the judge could

determine to restructure live nation, which would increase competition and in turn, potentially lower those ticket prices. Some tickets are so high. All right, Emily, we thank you for that. Now to the latest on peace talks to end the war in Iran, President Trump says the war could be over soon, but it's unclear when another round of formal negotiations will begin. Here's Richard Engel. Our first images tonight of what the U.S. naval blockade of Iran looks like up close. We do not comply with this blockade. We will use warships today, broadcast warnings to vessels near the Strait of Hormuz not to dock in or depart from Iran. The U.S. is attempting to strangle Iran's economy, preventing it from exporting its main commodity, oil. Iran's Revolutionary Guard

responded that if the blockade continues, Iran will disrupt traffic in another vital shipping lane, the Red Sea. President Trump insists all of this will be over soon and that negotiations with Iran could restart by the end of the week, likely again in Pakistan. I think it's close to OVIA. But Israel today insisted any peace deal won't apply to Lebanon, where thousands of Israeli troops are fighting Hezbollah and carving out a buffer zone. Today I went to the Israeli-Lebanese border and met with a senior Israeli military officials. How long do Israeli forces plan to stay in Lebanon? I think we've been fighting since October 7, 2023,

and we're committed to continuing doing so as much as needed. I think that was outgoing. That was outgoing, but that's because something is incoming usually. Is Israel doing to Lebanon what it did to Gaza? Israel is going village by village, house by house, to dismantle Chisbalah. It's nearly the same rationale that Israel used to extend its war on Hamas in Gaza. Tom?

Richard Engel for us, despite the tensions with Iran on Wall Street tonight, the S&P take a look and NASDAQ both searching to record highs. Our chief business correspondent, Christine Romans, is here. And Christine, this is good news for Americans who were looking at their 401ks and seeing some big dips. It is, Tom. These record highs for the S&P for the NASDAQ reflect optimism that the war with Iran could end soon. This was a dramatic bounce back after big drops when the war started. The S&P is up 11%. The NASDAQ up 16% from their lows after the war began. The market's shrugging off

concern that high oil prices will slow the economy. It's a reminder to stay invested in your 401k during market turbulence. Still, gas prices are 38% higher than before the war. The Treasury Secretary tonight insisting they'll come back down to the $3 range sometime this summer, though all of that time depends on when this war ends. An important point. All right, Christine Romans, we thank you for that. Now do those horrific shootings just 24 hours apart at two schools in Turkey, both captured on video, including this morning when police say a 14-year-old opened fire on his classmates.

Here's Raf Sanchez. This horrific video taken as the massacre unfolds. You can hear gunshots. School children fleeing in terror, jumping from second-story windows, as they race to escape from Turkey's second school shooting in just two days. A bunch of kids were shot, this woman says outside. In all, authorities say eight children and one teacher were killed at this middle school after a 14-year-old student opened fire on his classmates.

The worst school massacre ever committed in a country where, until this week, such violence was rare. The local governor saying today's killer was the son of of a former police officer, armed with five weapons taken from his father, adding he killed himself at the scene. And all of it, just 24 hours after a rampage at another Turkish school. This chilling footage shows an 18-year-old rounding the corner of his former high school and opening fire, wounding 16 people with a pump-action shotgun, before taking his own life,

according to authorities. He burst in, pulled down. trigger and fired four or five shots. We threw ourselves out the window, this injured boy says. And it's not clear if there's any connection between the two shootings. Authorities are saying today's massacre was a personal act, not an act of terrorism. Tom. Ralph Sanchez first, Raf, we thank you for that. Back at home now to the new chilling images of a woman accused of trying to abduct a child at knife point in a Walmart parking lot. Aaron McLaughlin has more on the attack and how police stopped her.

tonight heart-stopping stills of a random attack at an Omaha Walmart. In the images pulled from the police body camera footage, you see the suspect identified by police as 31-year-old Noemmy Guzman, pointing a large knife at a small child, moments before slashing the boy's face. According to investigators, she shoplifted the weapon from the Walmart Tuesday morning and used it to snatch the child away from his caretaker. Got one party shots, another party cut. Police confronted Guzman, guns drawn. There is video that shows the suspect swiping the knife at the child, cutting him across the face. Officers at that time, at least one officer fired their weapon. Killing Guzman on site.

Today, the boy's family is speaking out. Life is precious, and hold them tight because you never know how it can turn out. Court documents show Guzman suffered from schizophrenia. Police tell NBC News that day, she'd been admitted to the hospital for alleged domestic violence-related injuries and let go, hours before these chilling final moments. Aaron McLaughlin, NBC News. And when we return in 60 seconds, the health care CEO speaking out on one of the most controversial topics for insurers, weight loss trucks. Why he says his companies covering them led to mass layoffs. Our series, The Cost of Denial, is next.

We're back now with our series The Cost of Denial, where we investigate the challenges people face with insurance coverage. Tonight, should insurers cover weight loss drugs? One CEO is speaking out to our Ann Thompson, saying they cost so much he had to lay off hundreds of employees. Joe Cashone is CEO of the largest health system in the Philadelphia region. Jefferson has 33 hospitals, 700 care sites, a university and prestigious medical school, its own insurance plan, and 65,000

employees. But after a big financial loss last fiscal year, Cashone had to cut jobs. About $180 million of our loss was in the insurance plan last year. And how much of that $180 million is attributable to GLP ones? The pharmacy costs were a huge part of that. And I would say probably about a third of that 180 million were relative to the GLP ones. Wow. Yeah. That roughly $60 million loss, part of the hard reality. As more and more Americans use GLP1 drugs to lose weight, some companies like Joe Kachones

that cover the cost of them are losing money. As a doctor, I mean, we understand that these are an important breakthrough in medicine, but they are expensive. as the CEO of 65,000 employees, we've seen a dramatic increase on the number of employees that have gone on this. So it's added to our expensive. Isn't it ironic that you have a health care system

that knows these drugs work, but doesn't want to pay for them because they're so expensive? Yeah, I think the system wants to pay for them is just that we can't afford to pay for them right now. Last year, Jefferson covered the cost of GLP-1s for employees and members of its insurance plan. You had to lay off over 600 people.

Can you draw a direct line from the explosion in the use of GLP-1s to those layoffs? You know, I think all these things impact. I will say that the GLP-1s in our health plan last year had a huge impact. I don't know if it's one-for-one, but it has definitely had a significant impact. So like many other CEOs, Cashone, a cardiologist by training, decided to dramatically reduce coverage of these popular drugs. This year, employees have to take new steps to qualify for care. They have to actually go through a stepwise progression of diet, exercise, and then only if they

fail those, will they be able to get us to pay for their GLP ones? Restrictions that he says have saved Jefferson $20 million so far. There are many that argue that the cost of GLP ones, ones is actually lower than the long-term costs of treating cardiovascular issues, cancer issues. What do you say to that? There's no question that they will have a return on investment. But who pays for them in the year that you deliver them? So let's just say it costs $15,000 for the year. Who pays that $15,000 so I can save money 10 years from now? And Ann joins us now live from our Washington Bureau. And this is not an isolated case. So many companies are making changes like this now.

So what's the solution? Well, Tom, Jefferson is just one of many companies that are limiting their coverage of GLP ones. And while top manufacturers have taken some steps to bring those prices down, Cashone says it's not enough to cover them the way he was. Tom? And Thompson for us. And we thank you. And we're back in a moment tonight with the husband of the woman missing the Bahamas.

And he just left the country, despite saying he would stay in search for her. So what's going on? Plus, the wild moment a car barreled through a store nearly plowing into a shopper. That's next. Back now with reporting first on NBC News, the husband suspected in his wife's disappearance in the Bahamas has now left that country. A lawyer for Brian Hooker tells NBC News he left because his mother is ill, but that he intends to return. Just yesterday, Hooker told our Jesse Kirsch that his only plan was to stay to keep searching for his wife. Hooker was released from custody on Monday.

In Oklahoma, surveillance video capturing a car barreling through a thrift store in Oklahoma City, narrowly missing a shopper. You can see the sedan plowing into the store, sending wood, glass, and clothes flying everywhere. No word yet on what caused that crash. Also tonight, two commercial airline pilots were overheard making meowing and barking sounds over an emergency radio. The bizarre exchange unfolding near Reagan National Airport before air traffic control steps in. Take a close listen. You need to be professional time. The FAA prohibits non-essential conversations below 10,000 feet and is now investigating what happened there.

And the Smithsonian National Zoo is marking the arrival of an adorable new member. This is Lynn Mai, a rare Asian elephant calf and the first of her kind born there in 25 years. She's been enjoying a quiet space to bond with her herd and the elephant care team. She will make her public debut on April 22nd in celebration of Earth Day. wait to meet her. All right, when we come back, the moment of a lifetime for this young hockey fan. There's good news tonight right after this. Finally, there's good news tonight. The incredible moment going viral, a pro hockey player passing a stick to a young fan whose reaction you just have to see. Watch as this hockey stick is passed. Dustin Wolf saw the sign that the

little boy was holding. It said, Wolf, you are my idol. And right into the hands of 10-year-old Kate Heisland. And that says it all. The young hockey super fan instantly overcome with emotion. Dustin Wolf is the goaltender for the Calgary Flames. And Cade, who plays goalie too, couldn't look up to him more. Take a peek over at him, give him a thumbs up. As soon as I saw the thumbs up, I started having little tears. Then the surprise of a lifetime, Wolf passing his stick into the crowd and up to Cade.

And then when it came to me, I just started ball. I don't think it gets any better than that. The moment especially emotional for Cade, who sometimes gets picked on for his small size. The wolf doesn't let his size hold him back. He turns it into motivation. It was also full circle for Wolf. Not long ago, the hockey pro was gifted a stick from his childhood idol. NHL great Jonathan Quicks, inspiring him to pay it forward. That's what the game's all about. It's neat to be able to make a kid's day like that. receiving that acknowledgement from Wolf and then getting a stick with just above and beyond anything

that we could ever imagine. Such an incredible moment. That's nightly news for this Wednesday. I'm Tom Yamas. Thanks so much for watching. Tonight and always, we're here for you. Good night.