NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Episode Date: January 1, 2026

Security concerns ahead of New Year’s Eve celebrations; Dangerous storm leaves millions under winter alerts; DOJ scrambling to review more than 5 million Epstein documents; 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, the final countdown to 2026, massive crowds gathering in Times Square right now with the NYPD on high alert, the entire force on duty, with a million people expected for tonight's celebrations. Plus, security ramped up across the country, the National Guard deployed to New Orleans, one year after an ISIS-inspired terror attack there, and cities around the world already ringing in the new year. Plus the winter wallop, 20 million people now under storm alerts, some areas bracing for as much as three feet of snow, and the new rain bringing a mudslide threat to California. We're tracking the New Year's forecast. The Justice Department's scrabbling to review and release millions more pages of the Epstein files and the new report, what an 18-year-old Marlago employee said that prompted President Trump to ban Jeffrey Epstein from his Palm Beach club.

Trump administration halting all federal child care payments to Minnesota after new allegations of fraud, this time at Somali-run daycare centers. The new comments from that state's Democratic governor and the White House tonight. A second Patriot star now facing assault charges, what the teams coach just said, will they be on the field for the playoffs? Daring rescue, the officer rushing him to save the driver trapped inside a burning car. And there is good news tonight about our wishes for the new year, hidden in the confetti that will rain down in Times Square when the clock strikes midnight. This is NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas.

Good evening. I'm Peter Alexander in tonight for Tom. It is the final and perhaps most festive night of the year. But for law enforcement, it's also one of the most challenging. As cities across the country prepare for those New Year's celebrations, local, state and federal authorities are all on the lookout for potential threats in the wake of that recent anti-Semitic rampage in Australia and last New Year's deadly terror attack in New Orleans where tonight the National Guard is on patrol. Ahead of the biggest party of them all in Times Square authorities say there are no specific threats and much of the world is already enjoying 2026 with fireworks spectaculars in Sydney and Bangkok and Dubai all going off without a hitch.

We begin tonight with Emily Aketa in Times Square. Before the flurry of confetti comes the surge of security as Times Square welcomes some one million people to witness its famed New Year's Eve ball drop. This is the biggest event of the year. While the NYPD says there are no specific credible threats to tonight's festivities,

the department has beefed up its police presence at the crossroads of the world amid a heightened threat environment, deploying more officers, pickpocket patrols, helicopters and drones, canines, and bomb squads. Not only do revelers

have to pass through access points like this, but for the first time, the NYPD will also have mobile screening teams patrolling within Times Square. If we see anything that looks suspicious, we will have teams in place

to do appropriate screening. Other major cities taking similar measures, Philadelphia unveiling vehicle barriers. And in New Orleans, the National Guard is on the ground. One year after, the FBI says a truck ramming terror attack killed 14 on Bourbon Street. You were going to see an incredible visual presence in the French quarter. We're going to have close to 800 law enforcement downtown. Earlier this month, the FBI revealed it thwarted a New Year's Eve bombing plot in Los Angeles. While around the world, some officials have pulled the plug on celebrations over crowd size and security concerns, including a live concert on the Chanselise in Paris, and a countdown event in Tokyo, according to local reports. Sydney held a moment of silence for the 15 people killed in the horrific shooting at a Hanukkah event on Bondi Beach before it welcomed the new year with fireworks. Back in

New York, I've seen a police everywhere. They've had the barricades up way earlier than I thought they would. Visitors are feeling reassured by the city's massive police presence. and undeterred by an arctic blast. For me, this is like a dream come true, and honestly, it is worth it. Emily is all bundled up in the very cold time square right now. Emily, tell us about those security measures that we cannot see. Well, Peter, there's a vast array of security cameras, officers in plain clothes, and even an intelligence team scanning social media,

looking for any possible signs of threats ahead of tonight's ball drop, which, by the way, comes with a bonus celebration at 12. four, the constellation ball will sparkle red, white, and blue in honor of America's 250th birthday, Peter. Emily, have fun. Be safe tonight. I appreciate it. Now to that winter weather, slamming much of the country's snow, still pounding parts of the

Midwest and Northeast as 20 million people remain under winter alerts. And out west, heavy rain is soaking Southern California. And Maggie Vespa has the very latest. Tonight, a New Year's Eve wide out, blinding drivers in western New York. With heavy snow, pummeling parts of the Midwest and Northeast. There's like two feet of snow right now. Some areas along the Great Lakes bracing for up to three feet over the next couple days. In northeastern Ohio, multiple semis and cars stranded along highways.

Go to your store, get the supplies you need, but stay off the roadstake. People in Syracuse can't find their cars anyway. What? It's the latest. This severe weather wrench thrown into a hectic holiday week, with brutal storms causing a slew of crashes across the Midwest. Flight delays and cancellations nationwide soaring into the thousands for days on end. Meanwhile, in L.A., evacuation warnings issued today with rain raising fears about more mudslides. This has crew's cleanup debris in Ritewood hit hard by storms last week.

Tonight, some 18 million people there under flood alerts, with 2026 soon getting off to a wild wintry start. Maggie Vespa, NBC News. Let's bring in Bill Karens now with the latest on your holiday forecast. Bill, what's it looking like? Peter, we're tracking some light snow that is now over areas from Detroit to Cleveland and Pittsburgh, and all indications are at the stroke of midnight, this could be right over Times Square. Could look very festive with the snowflakes mixed in with the confetti. So this lary of light snow will make it for some treacherous travel this evening, especially in areas of Pennsylvania and then later tonight in areas of southern New England. It's not a lot of snow, but it will be a coating to an inch or two, Hartford, Providence, to Boston.

Then we will get higher totals than that coming off the lakes over the next couple days. We also have a very rainy New Year's Eve, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, everywhere in between. It's a very wet, wet forecast through the next couple days, too. We could easily see maybe six inches in the mountains. The mountains outside of Los Angeles also could have some flat. flooding problems. So, Peter, we have some good, but we also have some bad to worry about as we head into the new year. All right, Bill, we appreciate it. Thank you very much. There are new developments tonight in the Epstein Files investigation. We're learning there are many more

documents to review than previously known, according to a source familiar with that process. More than five million in all. Here's Gabe Gutierrez. Tonight, the Justice Department is scrambling to review roughly 5.2 million documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to a source familiar with the operation. That's a number much higher than previously known. Two sources familiar with the plan tell NBC News the DOJ is trying to enlist about 400 employees for the effort, which is expected to run until January 20th. That's a month after the deadline set by bipartisan law Congress passed to release all Epstein files. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche

posting today required redactions to protect victims take time, but they will not stop these materials from being released. The DOJ has already publicly released tens of thousands of documents. President Trump, who's never been accused of wrongdoing related to Epstein, has long said he cut off contact with his one-time friend in the early 2000s. He stole people that worked for me. I said, don't ever do that again. He did it again. And I threw him out of the place, persona on Grata. Now, the Wall Street Journal citing former Mar-a-Lago and Epstein employees is reporting on an incident, it says, led Trump to ban Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago spa. According to the journal, in 2003, an 18-year-old beautician returned to the club from a house call to Epstein and

reported to managers that he had pressured her for sex. When a manager sent a fax to Trump relaying the allegations to journal rights, Trump told the manager it was a good letter and said to kick him out. Police and former employees told the journal the incident was not reported to Palm Beach police. Tonight, the White House calling the reporting fallacies an innuendo, adding no matter how many times his story is told and retold, the truth remains. President Trump did nothing wrong, and he kicked Jeffrey Epstein out of Marlago for being a creep. And Gabe, late tonight, we also have some new developments about National Guard deployments. Yes, Peter. President Trump just announced he's removing National Guard troops from Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, Oregon. The move comes after the

Supreme Court last week rejected the Trump administration's claim the situation in Illinois met the criteria for the deployment. Peter? Gabe Gutierrez in Palm Beach tonight, Gabe. Thank you. The Trump administration tonight says it's also halting federal funding for child care providers in Minnesota. Prosecutors have already charged some members of the Somali community there for allegedly stealing hundreds of millions of dollars from low-income meal programs. And now a viral video from a conservative on YouTube is sparking a new class. over fraud claims at daycare centers there.

Here's Julia Ainsley. Tonight, the White House slamming Minnesota and its governor, claiming the state has failed to crack down on rampant fraud. People will be in handcuffs as a result of the fraud that Governor Walls has allowed to occur. And now the Trump administration says it is freezing federal funding for child care in the state and will require justification and a receipt or photo evidence from all providers who receive the funding nationwide. Any dollar stolen by fraudsters is stolen from those children. Governor Tim Walts pushing back, posting, we've spent years cracking down on fraudsters. Adding the president is

politicizing the issue to defund programs that help Minnesotans. The Justice Department investigation into fraud in Minnesota dates back years, beginning in the Biden administration. But this video posted by right-wing YouTuber Nick Shirley recently went viral, sparking renewed interest in the issue. Where are the children at? Shirley alleging some Somali daycare providers are fraudulently receiving taxpayer dollars. After he says he visited 10 daycares and didn't see children at any of them. Shirley has not responded to NBC News request for information about when the videos were taken.

There's their classroom. They eat here. At least two of the daycares now denying the fraud allegations. The director of ABC Learning Center says it's open every day, including the day Shirley visited. A lot of people are not feeling safe, you know. Some people believe him. The Minnesota Agency overseeing daycare says it is now revisiting all of the centers in Shirley's video. One closed years ago.

The House Oversight Committee announced today it will begin hearings about fraud in Minnesota next week and have invited Governor Walts to testify in February. Peter? Julia Ainslie, thank you. Less than 24 hours after NFL star Stefan Diggs was charged with a felony, other New England Patriots player is facing an assault charge. Morgan Chaskey joins us now. Morgan, what more do we know about these latest allegations? Yeah, Peter, Barmore's case stems from an alleged incident back in August when 26-year-old Christian Barmore is now charged with misdemeanor

assault and battery on a family member. Now, these court documents state that the victim, who is the mother of Barmore's child, claims an argument over air conditioning and food turned physical when Barmore threw her to the ground, then grabbed her by the shirt, the woman also telling police she was seven weeks pregnant. Now, today, Patriot's head coach Mike Brable stresses that these remain allegations. Both Barmore and teammates, Stefan Diggs, who's accused of trying to strangle his private chef, now she had the same attorney who strongly denies the allegations against Diggs and calls Barmore accusations a personal matter, and the evidence will show no criminal conduct took place. Tonight, still unclear if either player will end up on the NFL's

exemplist, which could sideline them during the upcoming playoffs. Peter? another challenge for the NFL and for the Patriots there. Morgan Chesky, thank you. Now to the economy as we head into 2026. Gas prices plummeting to four-year lows, but the price of a car is going in the opposite direction as so many Americans worry about their bottom line. Here's Christine Romans. The $300 monthly car payment, virtually a thing of the past. Car shoppers are stretching the length of the loan as long as they can to afford new car prices, reaching a record $150,000 on average. The typical new car payment topping $750 this year with loans typically stretching 84 months and even longer. Cars are costing more. Some of that is tariffs and supply chain

issues. Some of that's all the technology that's built into cars now. Like even replacing a side view mirror can be a lot more expensive than it used to be because of all the lane assist technology and the cameras. Of course, stretching out these loans adds thousands of dollars. of interest to the ultimate cost of the car. And for some drivers who want to trade in the vehicle before the loan is paid, they could find themselves underwater on the car, meaning they still owe more than it's worth. Maybe you save $100 or $200 a month, but you end up paying $5,000 or $7,000 more over the life of the loan. So what should you aim for? It's generally recommended to finance no longer than about four years for a used car or about five years for a new car.

experts say when considering a purchase also remember that insurance rates have risen as well and car repairs and labor are also more expensive too it might make more sense to drive that old car for another year peter christine romans we appreciate it thank you we're back in a moment with the dramatic rescue an officer saving a driver trapped inside a burning vehicle plus the stunning video a car crashing into a 7-11 that's next back now with a daring rest of This body camp video shows the harrowing moments after officers in Ohio arrived on the scene of a car flipped over and on fire. The driver trapped inside. One officer breaks the sunroof to pull the man out while another uses a fire extinguisher on the flames.

Their heroism likely saving the driver who was treated for significant injuries. Also in Ohio, video captures the moment this car barreled into a 7-Eleven sending items in all directions. Fire officials rescue that driver who was stuck in the car. and injured in the crash. And for decades, it had a home inside almost every New York tourist and residence wallet. But now, the Metro card has taken its last ride. Starting tomorrow, subway riders will have to tap their phone or credit card to pass through those turnstiles.

And to mark the occasion, New Yorkers gather to hold a funeral for the iconic card, sending it into retirement with a final farewell. When we come back, there is good news tonight about the special messages scribbled onto the confetti. will drop into Times Square tonight. Another look at Times Square as the countdown is on to the new year. And ahead of tonight's festivities, thousands of people used special confetti to write out their wishes for 2026. These are the faces behind more than 100,000 wishes.

In 2026, I hope to be on track to commission as an Army officer. I wish for an end to the divisions in our world. I wish to be with France. Handwritten on small pieces of confetti that will rain down on revelers in New York City tonight. We wish to become parents. I wish to find love. At the New Year's Eve wishing wall in Times Square, anyone was welcome to add their own. My wish is for my dogs to never die.

Happiness, good health, prosperity. Donna Otmani collected wishes for more than a dozen members of her family. I just love that my family's energy is going to be part of that. A chance to spread joy and to think big. My wish is to study abroad and travel more. My wish is to graduate college. Calm chaos for the Carson's. That's Eileen Carson's wish as her son, fresh out of the Navy,

gets set to marry his longtime sweetheart. For Jalisa Alcide, the new year is a chance to turn the page. I'm wishing for spiritual growth A reason to celebrate those who lift you up I wish for my mom to have a very good retirement this year A healthy and happy year for my parents in 2026 That I just want them to have the best year ever And those who need our love

I wish for Mr. Roder to be cured And that my family is safe, happy and healthy I wish for harmony in my family A reminder that while we can't predict all of what 2026 will bring I wish to buy a home for my daughter and I to call our own. With a little effort and luck, those wishes can come true. What a great tradition. That's nightly news for the final time this year.

For all of us at NBC News, we wish you a very happy and healthy 2026. Of course, a safe night. We'll see you next year. Good night. You're going to be able to be.