NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Wednesday, July 1, 2026

Episode Date: July 2, 2026

Two arrested after scaling Empire State Building in daring stunt; Heat emergency forces cities to rework plans for holiday weekend; Trump makes first trip on new Air Force One; 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 daring and illegal stunt captivating New York City and beyond. Two people climbing to the top of the Empire State Building. Look at this jaw-dropping video, a couple dodging security, scrambling to the top of one of the country's most iconic landmarks. The bizarre moment, this man appears to propose 1,400 feet up. Dramatic body cam capturing their arrests. And the question tonight, how could a security failure like this happen in the heart of New York? So tonight, growing heat emergency, dangerous temperatures from New Orleans to Boston, nearly 170 million at risk, with many spots forced to rework Fourth of July celebrations, our

Al Roker with the stifling forecast. The urge in search for a missing Navy crew member after a military chopper crashed in the Arabian Sea. President Trump's first flight on the new Air Force won, an expensive gift from Qatar's government, the first look inside the lavish and controversial plane. new body camera video of an NFL star's arrest, the Falcons player caught on camera running from police before this dramatic takedown. Team USA's make-or-break moment at the World Cup tonight, will they make history with a win? The newly revealed police planning memo on Taylor Swift's

wedding, what it says about the Madison Square Garden celebration. Remembering the village people's founder and lead singer behind hits like YMCA and macho man. Iconic actor Danny Glover opening up to Lester Holt about living with Alzheimer's, his powerful message. And our series, Great Americans, the longest serving ranger at Yellowstone, how his dedication to one of the country's greatest wonders is inspiring generations. Nightly News starts right now. This is NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas. Good evening. I'm Hallie Jackson in for Tom tonight. And we begin with the shocking stunt, sparking questions about security at one of the nation's most iconic landmarks. Look at this, a pair of daredevils, you see him here, scaling the Empire State Building,

clinging to the very tip of its spire nearly 1,500 feet in the air. And now this new video we're just getting in, showing the tense moments when those climbers were taken into custody on what's basically the roof of the building. Just minutes before, the two unfurling a banner, waving to the crowds gathering. And to top it all off, what was apparently a mayor, marriage proposal. Looks like she said yes. Down below, New Yorkers and tourists alike, getting more than they bargained for on a Wednesday. Now, the climbers have been the subjects of a Netflix documentary, and they're notorious for stunts like these, scaling buildings, bridges, and

towers in cities across the world. All of it, raising major questions. How did they manage to get up there in the first place? And is this all just one big marketing stunt? Valerie Castro was at the Empire State Building as it all played out and starts us off tonight. Tonight, two climbers under arrest after an alarming security breach at the Empire State Building. Oh my God. A jaw-dropping midday stunt happening at one of America's most famous landmarks. Law enforcement sources say Angelina Nikolao and Ivan Kutznoff were first spotted climbing to the spire around noon, sparking a flurry of 911 calls, even alerts to air traffic control from pilots. Two geniuses climbed to the top of the Empire State Building.

Later, over 1,400 feet in the... the pair unfurling a banner with a message about love and peace and then it looks like the man is is he proposing to her in a bizarre twist one of the climbers apparently getting down on one knee the pair posting these images from the top of the building down below police responding and people gathering to watch this all happening on a hot summer day in the city but not stopping the crowds from gathering here to watch the spectacle up above how you doing it all lasted about 30 minutes. Well, you can't be up here. NYPD releasing this blurred body cam of officers having to climb up to detain them. All right. Yeah, I'm okay. What language do you guys speak? The couple now

charged with multiple felonies, including reckless endangerment and burglary. Still unclear how they managed to gain access to such a heavily restricted area with masks and gear. Empire State building officials only calling the incident unauthorized with visitors quickly evacuated. I look over and I see that someone's on top of the building, and that's a little scary, you know. The couple well known for their gravity-defying stunts, which were part of a documentary. Now we were more than just dear devils. Tonight, they're in NYPD custody. Valerie is at the Empire State Building tonight, and Valerie, with so many people wondering

how these climbers manage to get past security, you have new reporting on that tonight? Yeah, Hallie witnesses telling NBC, New York, they saw the couple breach of barricade on the 100 second floor of the building. then they were able to make their way to the very top of that spire. That's more than 1,400 feet above from where I'm standing. Hallie. Valerie Castro in New York, thank you. Tonight, nearly half the country is battling dangerously high temperatures,

and it's getting even hotter, as many cities have busy schedules in the days ahead with World Cup and July 4th celebrations. Sam Brock has more on how officials are getting ready. Tonight, a brutal heat wave is baking residents in some of the biggest cities in America, with Boston, Philadelphia, and New York. York declaring heat emergencies, all expecting to hit record highs. At one of New York City's busiest transportation hubs, Penn Station, portable coolers working overtime to keep travelers comfortable. Amtrak says its trains may even have to slow down due to the blistering tracks.

Many with no choice but to be out in the scorching heat. It's very humid, so for my laborers and for myself, it is extremely hot for them, unbearable. This, says cities experiencing this jolt of extreme, heat prepare for a crush of activities from World Cup festivities to holiday weekend parades, like in Philadelphia, where the July 4th route has been shortened. Doctors sounding the alarm about the signs of heat stroke. When temperatures are above 100, you really shouldn't be outside for more than 15 to 30 minutes at a time. The unrelenting heat smothering much of the country with the worst yet to come.

Sam is joining us now from Manhattan, and Sam, you heard it there. These kinds of temperatures can be not just dangerous, but potentially deadly. Hallie, every single year, there are thousands of deaths in the United States were linked to excessive heat just in New York City as an example. It's about 500 every single summer with howley heat exhaustion and concern at 90 degrees and above and heat stroke at 100 and above. Hallie. Sam Brock, thank you.

Let's get right to Al Roker. And Al, this heat dome isn't going anywhere until after the fourth, it seems. Absolutely, Hallie. 168 million of us from Boston all the way down to New Orleans and out to Des Moines and Kansas City under heat advisory, heat warnings. We could be looking at record highs through Saturday from Caribou, Maine to Atlanta, Georgia. You can see that heat dome. It is slowly moving to the east, but the heat indexes, it'll feel like 110 tomorrow in Philadelphia,

111 in Nashville, and then Friday, New York's heat index about 106, 103 in St. Louis. And you'll see over the next few days going into Sunday and Monday, temperatures actually do start to cool down. That's the good news. But, again, the heat indexes, big problems for St. Louis, Nashville. Raleigh and Washington, D.C. Plus, Hallie, we've got air quality advisories stretching from Boston down to Philadelphia over the next 24 hours. Hallie?

Al, a lot to track. Thank you very much. We're also following some breaking news overseas. The race to rescue an American service member missing after a Navy helicopter went down in the Middle East. Our Courtney Kuby is joining us now. In court, sounds like so far there's no indication that this chopper was shot down, right? Yeah, that's right, Hallie. The U.S. military says the helicopter was not brought down by hostile action.

But tonight, there's still an urgent search and rescue effort underway to find that crew member from this U.S. Navy Seahawk helicopter that made an emergency landing in the Arabian Sea earlier this morning. Three other crew members were recovered and they're in stable condition on the USS George H.W. Bush, that's the aircraft carrier they were operating from. While talks are still ongoing with Iran, the U.S. has more than two dozen ships in the area with aircraft and helicopters flying every single day, doing things like ship-to-ship transfers, replenishments at sea, even training missions. Holly? Courtney Kuby, thank you. President Trump making his first trip today on a new Air Force One, praising a plane that's both opulent and controversial.

Gabe Gutierrez explains. Tonight, President Trump returning to Washington aboard the new Air Force One, a Boeing 747 luxury jet gifted to the U.S. by Qatar, now painted red-white and a darker shade of glue. This is a plane that the United States of America should have. White House staffers posting images inside the lavish aircraft. It's majestic. Which will be used until Boeing delivers two long-delayed new presidential planes.

It's controversial in part because President Trump is expected to keep it after he leaves office for his presidential library. This was a gift from a country that's treated us very well. The president's trip to North Dakota celebrating America's 250th birthday and touring the new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. He was really a great he man. He's also defending newly released financial disclosure forms that reveal he earned $2.2 billion in 2025, 1.4 billion of which came from crypto and meme coin related businesses. You know why I'm property because the stock market's going up. Everybody's profiting.

The president today insisting financial managers invest his money, and he does not speak to them. Halley. Gutierrez, thank you. Dramatic new body cam video shows the chaotic around. rest of an NFL player who crashed his Lamborghini before running from police. Here's Jesse Kirsch. Hey, get on the floor! I'm not moving nowhere.

Get on here. This is the moment a police officer gun drawn orders NFL star James Pierce Jr. Out of a Lamborghini in Doral, Florida. Newly released body camera video from police shows the Atlanta Falcons linebacker refusing to comply, shutting the car door. Then Pierce, feeds away through the Miami suburb. Police say the 22-year-old eventually crashed the Lamborghini,

taking off on foot before this dramatic takedown. The standoff came after Pierce's ex-girlfriend. WNBA star Rakia Jackson reported that Pierce was following her in a Lamborghini, according to an arrest affidavit. Why are you guys ramming into each other? Jackson telling police, Pierce intentionally crashed his SUV into her vehicle and stopped her from getting to a police station.

Pierce has since entered a pretrial diversion program. His attorney did not respond to our request for comment about the newly released body camera video, while the NFL says that this matter is still being reviewed. Hallie? Jesse Kirsch, thank you. Also tonight, the countdown is on to Team USA's Maker Break game in tonight's World Cup knockout match

with both the team and fans hoping they make history. Steve Patterson is there. It's knockout time, and Team USA is gearing up for their big match. Coming at his favorites against Bosnia-Herzegovina, performing in front of the home crowd. USA! Hungary for a big win.

It's the USA. We can do it. This is going to be easy pickings. I would think like 80% chance of winning for sure. It would be the first World Cup knockout win for the U.S. men since 2002. Thankfully, the squad's star player Christian Pulisic, known as Captain America, is back from injury. But we believe in our team. just give it everything that we have. We're going to lay it all in the line.

But Bosnia is big and physical. Their coach saying they don't have a problem being an underdog, beating four-time World Cup winner, Italy, just to make it into the tournament. And we already made history, you know, just by making it to the knockout rounds. This World Cup is filled with memorable moments. Mexico shut out Ecuador for their first knockout win in 40 years, leading to massive celebrations last night. Now it's up to the U.S. squad for a chance at glory.

Steve is joining us now from San Jose. And listen, Steve, the U.S. on paper looks like the favorite to win. But as we've seen, anything can happen. Howley, the last 10 times the U.S. is faced a European opponent. They have not won the match. So while there's a lot of energy in the air, there's a lot of electricity in the air, there's also a lot of tension in the air because we don't know how this thing is going to go. We'll find out in just a few hours.

It's the joy of sports. Back to you. Can't wait for that one. Steve, thank you for all the action. You can watch the games in Spanish on Telemundo and Peacock. We are back in 60 seconds with the NYPD planning memo and what it reveals about Taylor Swift's Madison Square Garden wedding celebrations. Plus, the new video showing just how dramatic that deadly earthquake in Venezuela really was. And Lester Holt's moving interview with Danny Glover,

but the legendary actor sharing now about being diagnosed with Alzheimer's. We are back with a newly revealed. NYPD planning memo with new details about Taylor Swift's wedding celebrations starting tomorrow. Chloe Malas reports. Tonight, a new NYPD memo laying out details for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey's major celebration, according to a person familiar with the matter. About 100 people will attend a rehearsal dinner at a venue inside the garden Thursday around 6 p.m. The wedding and reception beginning around 5.30 p.m. Friday. The event expected to end around 2 a.m. with a.m.

many as a thousand guests in attendance. The New York Times reporting the memo was titled Taylor Swift Wedding at Madison Square Garden, also citing interviews saying hundreds of police officers are expected to be on patrol. Today, the arena bustling with preparation for the celebration. As you can see right here behind me, really large items such as this one are being unloaded off of these trucks and being taken into the loading dock here at Madison Square Garden. NBC News has reached out to Swift Kelsey and MSG for comment, but if not heard that. Today, the NYPD Commissioner not giving any specifics on the big day. I would be remiss not to mention an event that we are tracking at Madison Square Garden on Friday night.

The NYPD will, of course, have a detail in place. I've seen people walking around and there's just a buzz sort of in the air. And Hallie, a source at Madison Square Garden telling me tonight that Thursday is a garden theme. And for Friday, they're actually erecting a castle right now inside the arena. Hallie? The buzz is building, Chloe Malas. Thank you. We are back in a moment with actor Danny Glover opening up about his battle with Alzheimer's,

what he's telling our Lester Holt. Plus, remembering the founder of the village people, the voice behind the YMCA and so much more. Next. Back now with new video. of the devastating earthquakes hitting Venezuela exactly one week ago. Surveillance cameras, capturing the ground shaking. Look at that. Rocking cars on the road. The quake sending people scrambling here before they're being tossed to the ground. And look in the background. You saw that building collapsing. Officials say more than 2,200 people have died and tens of thousands

are believed to still be missing. Venezuela's acting leader has declared a week of morning beginning tonight. Also tonight, we're remembering the co-founder and lead singer of the village people. YMCA It's time to stay in the Victor Willis wrote that song YMCA and other hits like macho man and in the Navy. He has died. He was often dressed as the police officer

in the disco band's iconic performances. His wife, sharing the 74-year-old died of a short but aggressive illness. And beloved actor Danny Glover revealing to NBC News, he's been battling Alzheimer's disease. The 79-year-old, famous for movies like lethal weapon

and the color purple, of course, sat down with Lester Hold, who opened up. about his fears, Glover did, as he fights this disease. Danny, tell me what your joys are in life right now. What brings a smile to your face? You know, you see my daughter and being a mother. Do you fear losing your memories?

Is that hard? I'm sure as in advance, things are going to be different and changing. But through it all, Glover says his family has his back. He is one of more than 7 million Americans over age 65 with Alzheimer's. So many people thinking about him and his family. When we come back, much more to get to, including tonight's Great American, how this park ranger is making history and memories for so many at our nation's most iconic national park. Every night this week as we approach the 250th anniversary of America,

we are ending our broadcast with our series Great Americans. Tonight, Tom takes you to one of the most awe-inspiring places in the country, Yellowstone National Park, where one man's setting records for his commitment to the job. Our great American tonight, Park Ranger Harlan Credit. By the time Harlan Credit first suited up as a ranger at Yellowstone National Park in the summer of 71, he was already hooked. I saw the size of this particular lake and that beautiful mountain behind it and the animals around it. It was just a sense of awe, and we need to take care of this place for other generations. It felt important to me.

Wow, isn't that a beautiful view? That summer job quickly turned into a life of service. The first summer became the second summer and the third summer. You just kind of a part of your DNA. That's what do you do in the summertime? You come to Yellowstone. Now, more than five decades later, he's believed to be the longest serving ranger in the park's history. A fixture here on the banks of Lake Yellowstone, drawn back by that enduring mission.

This belongs to all of us. We've got to take care of this place. He's worn many hats over the years, including nearly four decades with the fire department. And the moment that's seared in his memory most, a night in 1993 when a call came over the radio of a missing toddler. I thought at three o'clock in the morning, my goodness, there's no way that his child's still alive. Seven hours into a grueling, all-out search with hope running out. Harlan remembers hesitating briefly as he walked past a small cluster of trees. I came back and kicked my feet underneath there and there that baby was there. And I'm holding that baby.

And I realize God and I are the only ones to know that child is even alive. That's a high point. And that's what shooting, the guys are shooting up through there. Today, even though he's 86 years old, you won't find Harlan behind a desk. He's still out there doing what he loves. spending time with people, teaching them about the natural wonders of this stunning place. The unique part of this as far as the American idea is we own it together. We the people. We the people own this. Not somebody else. This belongs to us. That's a uniquely American idea.

He's passed that passion for this part of our country's story to his family, with three generations now working or volunteering here, including two granddaughters and his grandson. Colin. It's crazy that he's been here for so long. He has just touched like tens of thousands of lives. He's the embodiment of a great American. He stands for, I think, what America should be about. His impact, as vast as Yellowstone. I want you kids to remember what a special place that says. And he's got no plans of slowing down. Okay, see everybody. Harlan and Yellowstone, both national treasures. That's nightly news for this Wednesday. I'm For all of us here at NBC, thanks for watching and have a great night.