NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Wednesday, August 19, 2026

Episode Date: August 20, 2026

Safari helicopter crash in Kenya kills 7, including Telemundo executive; Two college cyclists killed in Tennessee crash; Harry and Meghan set to return to UK; 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 deadly chopper crash that killed five American tourists overseas. Smoke rising from the wreckage after everyone on board was killed. Search and rescue teams racing to the site. The group traveling between safari locations. Among those killed, a veteran of our NBC News and Telemundo family, how he's being remembered tonight. Also breaking Prince Harry and Megan moving back to Britain, the new report just out, why they're going back now. Back home, the all-out manhunt for this woman, in connection with the death of her police officer husband, she's considered armed and dangerous.

Thunderstorms pounding the planes, ripping the roof off this apartment complex, millions on alert for floods tonight, and tens of millions for extreme heat were tracking it all. New images in connection to the death of actress Hayden Panetteer, police at the door of her boyfriend, who was with her when she died, the latest on that investigation. Just in tonight, the U.S. national debt officially hitting the $40 trillion mark what it means to you. Major twist in the case of Carmelo Anthony, the teen convicted of killing another teen at a high school track meet, why the judge was just removed from the case. Skin cancer breakthrough, the experimental new vaccine showing huge improvements in melanoma patients.

Could it be a game changer? And the heroes stepping in to lift up a car to save someone pinned underneath it. News starts right now. This is NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas. And good evening. We thank you for joining us on this Wednesday night. We begin with a deadly helicopter crash in Kenya that has left five Americans dead, including someone very close to many of us here at NBC News. It was a dream safari vacation for those on board that ended in tragedy with all seven

on board killed, including the pilot. images from the ground show Kenyan search and rescue teams who said they were slowed down by the difficult terrain and active fire at the crash site. The helicopter was carrying the group between two safari locations when it suddenly went down. And tonight we're learning about those on board, including Roger Duarte, a food entrepreneur from Miami, and Jose Suarez, a 20-year veteran of NBC News and Telemundo. I'll have more later in the broadcast on Jose's impact on this news organization. and on me personally. But we begin with George Elise on that fatal crash. Tonight, a helicopter carrying tourists on safari, ending in a horrific crash, killing seven

people, including five Americans. New videos showing the search and recovery operation alongside charred debris in the mountainous terrain. Here, you can see the tail rotor warped from the crash, and these images from the Kenya Red Cross, smoke rising from the crash site, and part of the helicopter wreckage visible on the ground. Among the Americans killed, Jose Suarez, a Telemundo executive who led stations in Orlando, Tampa, and Fort Myers. Also on board, prominent South Florida restaurante, Broder Duarte, Ecuadorian intelligence official, Michale Sense Contugi, and his wife Stephanie, and married South

Florida couple, Henry Parra and Adam Levate, who loved to travel, their friends tell NBC News. The aircraft went down around 9-13 this morning local time near Mount Ololocque and Semphi Borough County, a pilot and all six passengers killed. Kenyan authorities say it was flying between two Safari Conservancies when it crashed. What is your first assessment of what you've seen so far? Well, the investigators are going to look at the debris field. I think they'll look at the weather. I think they will look at any work, mechanical work that had been done on the helicopter.

I think they will look at the pilot's training. The terrain is making the recovery effort difficult, with an active fire also reported at the crash site. Tonight, colleagues remembering Suarez, a more than 20-year veteran of NBC Universal News Group, Chairman Caesar Condi, saying in a statement, we are heartbroken by Swares's death, adding he was an exceptional colleague who cared deeply about his teams. An incredibly sad day here and for all those families affected in this crash. George Solis joins us now, and George, we're now hearing more from some of the victim's families. Yeah, that's right, Tom. The family of Roger Duarte telling us that the

magnitude of this tragedy is impossible to comprehend and that there are no words to express the depth of our pain. Meanwhile, the cause of the crash remains under investigation. Tom. All right, we're going to have much more later on the broadcast on what happened there. Now to that breaking royal news, Prince Harry and Megan now expected to return to the UK years after they left. The move would make the UK their primary residence. Danielle Hamamian reports from London. Tonight, a royal bombshell nobody saw coming. The Telegraph newspaper reporting that six years after they stepped down as working royals, Prince Harry and his wife Megan are moving back to the UK, along with their two children.

The move, the paper says, will make the UK their primary base with Archie and Lilibet, 7 and 5, to be enrolled in British schools starting in September. When asked by NBC, a spokesperson for the couple did not deny the reports. India, quite the bombshell tonight. How surprised were you and other royal insiders? I think it's fair to say that it has caught everybody off guard. I think it's very important for Prince Harry for his children to understand his own British heritage, his upbringing,

the family that they are a part of on this side of the Atlantic. For now, the Telegraph reports the couple will not be reprising their roles as working royals, will not live in a royal residence, and their security arrangements still unclear. The couple left the UK for California in part because of what they said was unbearable treatment by the tabloids. Prince Harry's memoir later frayed tensions describing the breakdown in the relationship

with his brother and father. Last month, Harry was joined by Megan and their children for a visit with the king and Camilla. It was the first time Charles who's still receiving cancer treatment had seen his grandchildren in four years. Danielle joins us now.

Danielle, have we heard anything from the palace tonight? Yeah, no official statement from Buckingham Palace, Tom, but a source familiar with couple's plans, tells NBC news tonight that the King found out on Sunday and welcomes the opportunity to spend more time with the Sussex family in a private capacity. Tom? Danielle, thank you. Now to a breaking news and a stunning number. The U.S. debt now topping $40 trillion in counting. Garrett Hake joins me from the White House, and Garrett, the debt has exploded over the last decade. It really has, Tom. The debt has more than doubled in the last 10 years. Now passing the $40 trillion

threshold for the first time, the Treasury Department says. President Biden and President Trump in his first term each accounted for roughly $8 trillion in new debt, largely for borrowing to spend big on pandemic response, but also to pay for things like infrastructure investments and for tax cuts. Budget watchdogs have long warned that all of this could soon provoke a debt crisis, with the U.S. now spending more taxpayer money paying interest on our national debt than on Medicare or on the Pentagon budget. The debt is a debt is. accumulating so quickly, Tom, that just in the time we have been discussing this, it's gone up by more than $3 million. Tom? An incredible number. Okay, Garrett, thank you for that. In Massachusetts,

an all-out manhunt for a woman wanted in the death of her husband, a police officer. The suspect had been a prominent advocate for police officer's mental health for years. Valerie Castro has this one. Tonight, new surveillance video released by police as a manhunt intensifies for this woman, 58-year-old Karen Solomon. Police in Massachusetts say she's wanted in connection with the death of her husband, Kurt Solomon, a Worcester police officer. She's a suspect. We want her for questioning. The 31-year veteran of the force was found dead at the couple's home early Tuesday morning.

Residents stated there's a male laid out in her backyard, unknown breathing. First responders making the grim discovery when they arrived. We have blood on the back door, and he's covered completely in blood looks like a laceration of the neck. Investigators have not confirmed how Solomon died. Today, police releasing that video of their suspect, appearing to have been recorded about 10 minutes after the first 911 call, while warning the public she's presumed to be armed and dangerous. The large-scale search covering ground by helicopter,

law enforcement teams scouring bodies of water by boat, and officers combing nearby wooded areas. Karen Solomon co-founded First Help, an organization that raises awareness about suicide and mental health among law enforcement, seen here previously speaking to NBC Boston about her work. After hearing one story from a widow, I just decided we need to do something. Her whereabouts now high priority for police while they mourn the loss of a fellow officer. Kurt was a loved and respected member of our department with 31 years. Today we lost a member of

our family. Valerie Castro, NBC News. We're also following some tragic news out of Tennessee. where two members of a college cycling team were struck and killed by a driver. Seven of their teammates were rushed to the hospital. Aaron Gilcrest picks it up from there. Tonight at Tennessee College campus in shock at the tragic deaths of two sophomores, Halen Ingall and Braden Rogers were members of the Milligan University cycling team. They were among 11 student athletes on a training ride in Hampton, Tennessee, when they were struck by a car early this morning.

Witnesses described seeing mangled bicycles across the road as victims were being treated. Some of them had to be flown to a nearby hospital. The driver now in custody and facing charges. John Benfield, age 69 of Newland, North Carolina, has been charged with vehicular homicide by recklessness, two counts. Milligan University is a private Christian college in Northeast Tennessee, its president sharing an emotional message on social media, asking for prayers. Lord Jesus, we need you. Have mercy. Tonight, four of the surviving students are in critical condition in the intensive care unit. Aaron Gilchrist, NBC News.

So many of us today feeling that unrelenting summer heat bringing new storms to millions, and with many students now back in class, schools are working to keep them safe. Priscilla Thompson is in Texas tonight. Tonight, heat-fueled thunderstorms drenching parts of the heartland. It comes after severe weather overnight, rip the roof off this apartment, complex in Kansas City, Missouri, displacing dozens of residents. Pretty inconvenient, especially since our cars are buried under the debris we can't drive anywhere. West of Houston, the combination of extreme heat and stifling humidity has made it feel as hot as 107 degrees this week.

This team has been practicing since before sunrise trying to beat that dangerous heat. How concerning is the heat that we're seeing this week? Very concerned. Schools in Katie taking multiple extra precautions to, protect students. If the normal time for recess is 30 minutes, or perhaps it goes down to 15 minutes to limit the time that the students are in the heat. Across Houston, firefighters responding to more than 150 heat emergencies already this month. This is not normal heat. No, this is triple digit, and then you throw it in the humidity. That's tough on the body, no matter what age you are. And tragically,

north of here in Dallas County, police say a five-year-old girl died after she was left in a vehicle after returning home from school Tuesday. Priscilla Thompson joins us now live. Priscilla, we know it's at least 95 where you are in Houston. And officials there are warning families, they might not realize how much that heat is affecting them. That's right, Tom. Because this is a days-long heat wave,

so they're urging people to make sure you're hydrating and minimizing time outdoors. Look at this map. You have more than 80 million people under heat alerts, so many people affected, and for some, no end in sight. Tom. All right, you and the team try to stay cool out there. Priscilla, thank you.

We have new images in tonight showing police at the family home of two men who were with Hayden Penitier when she died. Steve Patterson has the latest on that investigation. Tonight, new images of police at the doorstep of the men who were with Hayden Panetier when she died. Taken this morning, you can see Greenville Police outside the home of Brian Hickerson and his brother. Two squad cars are parked out front as officers can be seen walking up to the porch. Greenville police telling people that officers responded to a call for a welfare check at the home

and that it was unrelated to the Hayden Panettiare death investigation. And new tonight, we're seeing Hickerson and Greenville for the first time since Panetteer's death. Meanwhile, the actress's mother telling NBC News that police are investigating her daughter's death and that a narcotics investigator has been brought in. Either Greenville Police nor Hickerson have responded to NBC News's request for comment. Greenville Police have said a preliminary investigation did not show evidence of file play or suspicious circumstances. Penitier wrote about her relationship with Hickerson in a recent memoir describing abuse she

says she suffered. Shortly after, Hickerson admitting to some of the allegations in an interview with TMZ. I had a lot to drink and I got physical with her and I got arrested spent night in jail. Meanwhile, the coroner's office tells us Panetier's remains are now with her family. They say a full autopsy and toxicology report could take anywhere from six to ten weeks. Tom? Steve, thank you. We have a major development in the Carmelo Anthony Burger case.

You'll remember he's the Texas teenager convicted of stabbing another teen at a high school track meet. The judge in that case now removed. Aaron McLaughlin joins us now and Aaron, this happened the day before a key hearing. Yeah, that's right, Tom. Today, in court, the defense pointed to a local interview given by Judge John Roach days after the guilty verdict in which Roach said he thought the jury got it right. Today, Roach was taken off the case after the presiding judge ruled that an outside person would have concerns about his impartiality. Outside the court, Anthony supporters cheered the decision while Metcalf's father said

this does not change the facts of the case. Legal experts say today's ruling could help the defense's motion for a new trial. That motion is set for tomorrow. Okay, we're going to have to wait and see what happens there. We thank you, Aaron. When we return in 60 seconds, a landmark vaccine for skin cancer that could be a game changer for those battling melanoma. Plus, new salmonella cases from jalapenos exploding as new states report their cases. We're back now with a potential breakthrough cancer vaccine that could prevent melanoma from returning in patients. The results so promising they sent the company stock soaring today.

Ann Thompson has that story for us. A potentially pivotal moment in the fight against high-risk melanoma. A new MRNA vaccine combined with the immunotherapy drug, Ketruda, showing clinically meaningful improvements, keeping the cancer from coming back in a large-scale trial. Melanoma is a serious form of skin cancer that kills more than 8,000 people a year. Dr. Michael Postau at Memorial Sloan Kettering worked on the trial. Other types of cancer vaccines in general have been approved, but this is the first personalized cancer vaccine that's shown a benefit in a phase. three studies so far. Gary Keblish got the vaccine in 2019 after his difficult diagnosis. Not very good. A 75% chance, if I remember correctly, of the melanoma returning within a five-year

period of time. Now with his wife and daughter, the public school teacher says he is cancer-free. Happy and healthy. Here's how it works. First, doctors surgically remove the melanoma tumor. The patient starts on Ketruda while the tumor and patient's blood are analyzed for their unique mutations to make a vaccine. The process takes about six weeks. Moderna and Merck, developers of the experimental treatment saw their stock prices jump on the news. More specifics on the trial outcomes are expected later this year. All right, with that, Ann Thompson joins us now live. And Anne, an earlier phase of this trial showed promising results. It did. In phase two of the trial, which was the phase that Gary was in Tom, when they did that combination of the vaccine and the

Ketruda, it cut recurrence in half compared to just Ketruda alone. So that's one thing to look for when we get more information about the phase three trial later this year. Great. He's doing well. I'm sure so many others are as well. Thanks for that. And we're back in a moment with the Good Samaritans that came together. Watch this to lift this car to free someone pin below it. We're back now with a major update in the Salmonella outbreak linked to jalapenos. New data just in from the CDC shows the illness has now spread to five more states with dozens of new cases reported. The CDC cautioning the true number of people with Salmonella is likely higher than reported. And in Los Angeles, teamwork saving lives, body cam video capturing people, jumping into helping an officer lift a car to reach a man trapped underneath after a crash last month.

Together they flipped the several thousand pound vehicle. The fire department quickly stepping in to bring the man to the hospital and to reach a man. he survived. When we come back tonight, in the face of tragedy, we remember a dear friend who left his warm mark on news that millions of you watch every night. Stay with us. Before we say goodnight, we want to say goodbye to a colleague who had a hand in the success of many of the producers, reporters, and anchors here at NBC and Telemundo, and this is not an easy goodbye. Earlier tonight, we told you about that deadly helicopter crash in Kenya. Seven people died. including our good friend Jose Suarez. Growing up in Miami, Jose saw another Jose, Jose Diaz-Balart on TV,

and was inspired to become a journalist. And Jose Suarez did. Making sure people were informed and heard in dozens of local newsrooms from California to Texas to Florida in English and in Spanish. Starting as a reporter and most recently, rising to president and general manager running three different stations at the same time. But that was his resume, and he was so much more, a loving and funny guy in a tough and unforgiving business. Some of your favorite local anchors from Roxanne Vargas in Miami to Adam Cooperstein here in New York have Jose to thank for guiding them. Jose was not only a mentor to me, but also a good friend. I and we will miss him so much, but we know his legacy will live on in all those newsrooms, big and small that he touched.

That's nightly news for this Wednesday. I'm Tom Yamas. Tonight and always, we're here for you. Good night.