NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025

Episode Date: September 4, 2025

At least 15 killed after tram derails and crashes; Wildfires scorch thousands of acres in California; Florida announces plans to eliminate vaccine mandates in state; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, as we come on the air, the deadly tram derailment, more than a dozen killed. A streetcar popular with tourists crashing off its tracks, killing at least 15 people in the center of Lisbon. The rush to save people trapped. What went wrong in the popular summer tourist destination? Florida's vaccine battle, state officials working to eliminate all vaccine requirements despite urgent warnings from doctors. Wildfires breaking out across California, lightning strikes sparking new, fast-moving fires. The historic gold rush town destroyed and the battle to contain those flames. The growing bipartisan calls on Capitol Hill for the Epstein files,

as survivors speak out in a powerful news conference with MAGA Republicans joining Democrats pushing for answers. The massive show of force in China, nuclear missiles, and underwater drones on display with the leaders of North Korea, Russia, and China looking on. And the hot mic moment catching Putin and Xi seeming to talk about how to live forever. NBC Nightly News starts right now. This is NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas. Reporting tonight from Philadelphia. And good evening.

We begin with that deadly disaster involving a popular streetcar for tourists in Portugal. It came off its tracks and smashed right into a building. Tonight, at least 15 people are dead, that according to officials, with more than a dozen others injured. These videos from the scene show the rush to help save people from the twisted metal and crushed remains of that streetcar. First responders, you see them here, appearing to carry someone out of that rubble. Firefighters say a loose cable may have caused the crash, but there are a growing questions tonight about how something like this could have happened. Our chief international correspondent, Keir Simmons, starts us off tonight. Tonight, the twisted remains of a terrifying and deadly crash,

a tram popular with tourists, destroyed, after careering down a steep street in Lisbon, Portugal. This video shows the minutes after the crash, dust clouds in the air, frightened passengers fill the streets. The tram that collapsed on impact, visible as others run to help. When I looked back, I saw the crash, this witness says, because of the curve, it tipped over and crashed into the building. It made a huge crash. It was packed. Here, desperate people tried to help, pulling it debris from the deadly accident.

Officials say at least 15 were killed, 18 injured. Another tram arriving a short time later, people rushing to jump out of it. Firefighters say it appears a cable came loose, sending the tram hurtling down. a hill before slamming into the building. The timing could not have been worse, 6 p.m., the middle of rush hour, as people headed out to enjoy a late summer evening. Police say those killed and injured include international travelers. Tonight, people who were trapped have been freed, and we've learned among those injured, a child, Tom. Here's Simmons leading us off with that deadly disaster. We head now to Florida where officials today announced they plan to eliminate all vaccine

mandates. It's the first day to make that move. And tonight, many in the medical community are warning it could have a dangerous impact on public health. Here's Ann Thompson. The battle lines over vaccines tonight drawn along state borders. Florida now planning to eliminate all vaccine mandates, even for schools, although shots will still be available. State Surgeon General Joseph Latipo. Every last one of them is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery. Who am I as a government or anyone else? Or who am I as a man standing here now to tell you what you should put in your body? Among the vaccine mandates that could be erased, measles, chicken pox, polio, and hepatitis B.

Medical experts are alarmed. I will continue to accumulate more and more unvaccinated people. living in Florida, who are under age five, who will over time become a walking time bomb in terms of a potential outbreak. Three other states, California, Oregon and Washington, are forming a health alliance to provide their own vaccine recommendations. Citing the recent firings of experts at the CDC, they say the agency has become a political tool that increasingly peddles ideology instead of science. The Department of Health and Human Services, objecting that claim, saying policy will be based on rigorous evidence. Now even Republicans

on Capitol Hill doubt if HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. can rebuild trust. There's just been too much chaos. It's a goat rodeo over there. We'll hear from Secretary Kennedy tomorrow when he goes before Senate committee. Ann Thompson, NBC News. Across California tonight, active wildfires are raging over thousands of acres and forcing evacuations. NBC's Liz Croyd's joins us tonight live from the fire zone. And Liz, some of the fires sparked after lightning strikes and the dry weather. Still a major concern there.

Yeah, Tom, that's right. It was a lightning storm that sparked the fire that tore through this town that we're in now, that historic gold rush town. The fire burned multiple homes and buildings like this one built in the 1800s. The entire town evacuated tonight and remains evacuated with no power and more fires burning across the region. Tonight's central California, the center of multiple active wildfires.

At one point, 22 burning all at once. So many that officials have dubbed it the TCU Lightning Complex and are using numbers to identify the individual fires instead of names. The mega blaze now scorching more than 13,000 acres with no containment.

The vegetation this time of year is pretty dry, right? It's just a very combustible environment. The most destructive of the fires, the so-called 6-5 fire, which ignited late Tuesday near Yosemite National Park after a lightning storm and quickly spread through Twolomey County, forcing evacuations as it tore through Chinese camp, a small historical gold rush town that was settled around 1850 by Chinese miners. It's gone. This is what you have, you know, what's left. Images showing the aftermath, a post office among several structures destroyed. The Beale family owns the Chinese camp store

and had to get out within minutes. While their home and business survived, they're worried about the recovery. What is it like to see so much of the town destroyed? I just feel so bad when I see on the new, it's a really want to cry. I just, it's all my fan. The fire among dozens of blazes

burning across the state amid dry, hot, and in some places, stormy conditions that prompted 10,000 different lightning strikes Tuesday. In Los Angeles, firefighters last night rushing to stop a brush fire, threatening homes in the Hollywood Hills, water drops helping to knock it down. Meanwhile, in Washington State, the rattlesnake fire burning over 4,000 acres. This, the stunning view from a U.S. Air Force plane dropping retardant over the flames as fire danger continues across the west.

Liz Croyd's NBC News, Chinese Camp, California. Our thanks to Liz and her team there. Al Roker joins our coverage here in Philadelphia, and Al, let's talk about those conditions out west. Yeah, they're not going to get any better anytime soon, Tom. for the next 48 hours in the Pacific Northwest, we do have record-breaking heat that's going to be hanging around for 48 more hours. But on the other side of that jet stream, you've got temperatures 10 to 20 degrees cooler than average, and those will start to move east. In the meantime, we're also looking at this line of thunderstorms, great lakes bringing severe storms later tonight, parts of Missouri on into Kansas, tornadoes possible, but wind gusts and damaging hail a big problem. And we've

got active tropics, both in the Pacific, where we've got Hurricane Kiko, 130-mile-per-hour winds moving west at nine. It may affect Honolulu and Hawaii in the next week or so. And out east, we're looking at a system that's developing that may bring bringing problems to Bermuda and possibly the Caribbean later on next week. All right, for now, we stay tracking Hurricane Kiko. Al, we thank you for that. Today, another twist in the battle of the Epstein documents. Democrats and even some Trump allies are now joining together in an effort to push for all of the documents to be made public. Here's Hallie Jackson. A rally tonight and a rallying cry. We will never be silenced again. On Capitol Hill, pressure building on GOP leadership to back the release of more Epstein

documents in a rare alliance between MAGA allies and Trump foes. What if this was your sister? What if this was your daughter? Republican Thomas Massey and Democrat Rokana leading the effort to get enough signatures to force a vote to compel the DOJ to release all files. Three Republican women splitting with the rest of their parties so far to back it. One, leaving a meeting with survivors visibly emotional. Nancy Mace, who shared her own story of sexual assault, later saying she had a panic attack after listening to their stories. Despite the White House calling any support a very hostile act toward the administration,

Kana nodding to those Republicans backing. They won't be part of a stunt or hostile act. This is about standing with survivors. If all Democrats sign on, as expected, only two more Republicans would be needed to force a vote. And as survivors called on members to do so, GOP lawmaker Victoria Sparts watched alongside us, after, still undecided. This is an issue that's important for a lot of American people, so I need to learn a little bit more. President Trump today, trying to downplay the spotlight on it all. This is a Democrat hoax that never ends.

Thousands of pages of documents have been given. but it's really a Democrat hoax. Mr. President Donald J. Trump, I am a registered Republican. There is no hoax. The abuse was real. Survivors now pledging to compile their own so-called list of people they saw in Epstein's circles, as one told us yesterday. We'll compile our own list and seek justice for, you know, on our own. I mean, I think that's what's going to happen next.

House leaders and the White House say this particular congressional effort is basically redundant, pointing to a parallel push for documents by the Oversight Committee, that investigation, receiving a symbolic seal of approval from the House today. Tom? Hallie Jackson for us tonight. Hallie, we thank you. Now to that lavish military parade with leaders from China, Russia, and North Korea, together for the first time, and the conversation picked up on a hot mic about how organ transplants

could allow humans to live for 150 years. Janice Mackey Freyer on the spectator. Tonight, a choreographed show of force. China's biggest military parade showing off new generation weapons, including nuclear missiles, huge underwater drones, and powerful lasers capped off with doves and balloons. From where we are, six square miles are in complete lockdown, with the country and the world watching not only the show, but who's watching it.

On the balcony, China's President Xi Jinping, flagged by Russia's Vladimir Putin, and North Korea's Kim Jong-un, a first to see the Western adversaries together. At one point, a hot mic picking up a conversation between Putin and Xi. Putin appearing to say human organs can be continuously transplanted. You can achieve immortality. She appearing to muse that this century, humans may live up to 150 years. Asked about it later, Putin saying there is hope human lifespan can increase considerably. The parade highlight.

shifting alliances, China and economic lifeline to both Russia and North Korea. Kim, now a partner in Russia's war against Ukraine. President Trump posting, please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un as you conspire against the United States of America. I thought it was very, very impressive, but I understood the reason they were doing it, and they were hoping I was watching, and I was watching. Kim Jong-un grabbed the spotlight here, arriving on a bulletproof training. with his daughter, tapped as a possible successor.

This lavish parade happening as China's economy is struggling. Still in this speech, she insisted China's rise is unstoppable. And Janice joins us now live from Beijing. Janice, we heard President Trump suggesting China was trying to send him a message? Clearly they were, Tom. China is eager to project itself as the leader of this group seeking an alternative to a world dominated by the U.S. and they're warning the U.S. and the West not to challenge them. Tom.

Janice Mackey Freyer, our thanks to you. And when we return on Nightly News live from Philly, ahead of the big NFL kickoff, the major ruling just in over the Trump administration's funding freeze for Harvard. Stay with us. We are back now with breaking news. A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to unfreeze nearly $2.2 billion in federal grants to Harvard University. The judge said there was little connection between anti-Semitism on Harvard's campus and the research affected by those terminated grants. The White House says the ruling was

from an activist judge, and it will appeal. And it was a luxury yacht ready to set sail and said it tipped over and sunk. Video shows the moment this massive boat capsized just minutes after it was launched. You can see someone fleeing the boat as it sinks on its maiden voyage off the shores of Turkey. And who wants to be a billionaire? The powerball jackpot is now a staggering. $1.4 billion. Your odds of winning are pretty slim.

In fact, experts say you're more likely to get struck by lightning. That sounds fun. But if you win the top prize tonight, you'll be one of the richest winners in lottery history. That's nightly news for this Wednesday. I'm Tom Yamas, reporting from Philadelphia.

Thanks so much for watching. Tonight and always. We're here for you. Good night. No. No. No. No.

Thank you.