ABC World News Tonight with David Muir Full Broadcast - April 6, 2026

David Muir, ABC's World News Tonight, America's most watched newscast. Now streaming same day with all the breaking news of the day on Disney Plus. Most watched, most trusted now on Disney Plus every night.

Tonight, the breaking news just as we come on here, what astronauts are now seeing as they pass by the moon and we'll show it to you right here. Also tonight, President Trump's new threat to Iran, demanding a deal in hours or every bridge in Iran, every power plant will be burning, exploding. Tonight, President Trump is asked, are you winding down the war or are you escalating it?

He said, I don't know, saying there must be a deal to open the Strait of Hormuz by 8 p.m. Eastern, saying the entire country can be taken out in one night. Also new tonight, what we did not know about that wounded American colonel rescued after that American F-15 shot down over Iran. That wounded airman climbing thousands of feet up treacherous terrain, how he signaled for help. Martha Raddatz is here with what she's learned. Also

breaking at this hour, the history now being made. The astronauts on Artemis II, right now becoming the first to see much of the far side of the moon with their own eyes. Communications with them going dark, silence. Gio Benitez here on the reason why. Back home tonight, the urgent search and rescue operation

underway at this hour for an American woman in the Bahamas. Her husband says she fell off a boat with the key to the boat and was swept out to sea. He says he had to paddle back for help tonight. The abc news exclusive little house on the prairie actress, Melissa Gilbert, right here fiercely defending her husband, actor director Timothy Busfield, arrested and accused of criminal sexual contact with a minor. What she now says tonight, the tragedy on a family vacation, a father

of three drowning after saving two of his Children. That father caught in a rip current tonight, a passenger giving birth on a plane flying to JFK Airport. You have to hear what they say to air traffic control and what they say back the alarming moments at an Easter event. Look at this. Children pulled away.

A bit of massive Easter egg drop. How this went wrong. And America strong tonight. The Eagles have landed. Jackie and Shadow and their two new Eagles right here tonight. From ABC News World Headquarters in New York, this is World News Tonight with David Muir.

Good evening. As we come on the air in the West tonight, we do begin with breaking news on multiple fronts. President Trump's new threat tonight to Iran, demanding a deal or he will blow up their bridges and power plants tomorrow night. But we do begin tonight with the history being made right now.

The four astronauts on board the Artemis two seeing the far side of the moon. Take a look tonight. Images coming in from NASA. Four astronauts making history flying further from the earth than any humans before them. And this evening seeing much of the far side of the moon with their own eyes for the first time communications with them going dark for a time and tonight here the reason why,

as they now make history. Gio Benitez leading us off.

Tonight, the long-awaited flyby of the moon is underway, and another historic milestone achieved, 56 years after the Apollo 13 astronauts set the record. The crew of Artemis II has smashed it, going farther than any humans have gone before. Mission Control marking the moment at 1.57 p.m. Eastern.

Integrity crew, on April 15, 1970, during the Apollo 13 mission, three explorers set the record for the farthest distance humans have ever traveled from our home planet. Today, for all humanity, you're pushing beyond that frontier.

Artemis 2 Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen. We do so in honoring the extraordinary efforts and feats of our predecessors in human space exploration. But we most importantly choose this moment to challenge this generation and the next to make sure this record is not long lived. In an emotional moment,

the team embracing after suggesting naming one of the unnamed craters on the moon in memory of Commander Reed Weissman's wife, Carol, who died of

cancer. It's a bright spot on the moon

and we would like to call it Carol

and you spell that C. A. R. R. O. L. L. Hello. Before they made history, NASA woke up the astronauts with the voice of the old record holder, the late Apollo eight and 13 veteran Jim Lovell, who recorded this message before he

died last summer. It's a historic day and I know how busy you'll be, but don't forget to enjoy the view.

At 2.45 p.m. Eastern, the astronauts began the long-awaited lunar flyby, where they will be the first humans to ever see many of the features of the far side of the moon, taking as many high-resolution photos and videos as they can while narrating what they are

seeing.

We can actually see the moon and Earth at the same time right now.

All the while, the spacecraft sending back live images of the moon from cameras mounted on the Orion solar array wings. Around 6.45 p.m., as expected, Mission Control lost contact with the spacecraft as it passed behind the moon. And around 7 p.m., the Integrity spacecraft marked its farthest point from Earth finally around 7.30PM Eastern contact between the crew and mission control was

reestablished. David so much excitement so many milestones here so much emotion and we should tell you that these astronauts are actually taking photos for National Geographic so we await those as well and they splash down back on Earth this Friday.

David. So they will take a look at the moon tonight, the far side of the moon in silence up there. And boy, we can't wait for them to report back. Gio Benitez leading us off on a Monday night. Gio, thank you.

The other major news this Monday evening, President Trump's new threat to Iran, demanding a deal by tomorrow night at 8 p.m. Eastern, or every bridge in Iran, every power plant, he says, will be burning and exploding. The president vowing if a deal is not reached to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. will launch a massive four-hour attack on Iran. Mary Bruce asking the questions at the White House.

Tonight, President Trump's dire threat to Iran. Make a deal by 8 p.m. tomorrow or the United States will launch its fiercest attack yet, saying, quote, the entire country can be taken out in one night.

We have a plan because of the power of our military where every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o'clock tomorrow night, where every power plant in Iran will be out of business, burning, exploding, and never to be used again.

It comes after the president's profanity-laced Easter Sunday message to Iran, posting Tuesday will be power plant day and bridge day all wrapped up in one, adding, open the expletive straight, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in hell, and ending with praise be to Allah. Bombing these civilian targets could have devastating consequences for the Iranian people, but the president insists they would be angry if America backed off.

You've said Iranians would be mad if you stopped these attacks, but why would they want you to blow up their infrastructure, to cut off their power? Wouldn't that be punishing Iranians for the actions of the regime?

They would be willing to, and it's suffering, they would be willing to suffer that in order to have freedom.

He says he's not concerned bombing power plants and bridges could amount to war crimes.

So just to clarify, in order for Iran to successfully meet your deadline tomorrow, do they have to make a deal, open the strait, or both?

We have to have a deal that's acceptable to me. And part of that deal is going to be we want free traffic of oil and everything else.

The president has repeatedly moved his deadline and shifted his timeline for how long the war will last. Your messaging on the war has moved from the war is coming to an end to war going to be

bombing Iran to the Stone Age. So which is it? Are you winding this down?

I can't tell you.

Are you escalating it?

I can't tell you. I don't know. I can't tell you. It depends what they do. This is a critical

period. its sixth week, taking a toll on American families. The average price of gas now $4.11 a gallon, up $1.17 since the war began. Crude rising to nearly $113 a barrel. Airlines, including JetBlue and United, raising fees for checked baggage, $10 a bag for United. Amazon adding a 3.5 percent fuel surcharge for businesses whose products they sell.

Today reporters asking the president what he says to Americans who don't support the

war.

They're foolish because the war is about one thing.

Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.

Now Iran has offered its own ceasefire proposal, the president today calling it a significant step. But Iran tonight is blasting the president's threats, calling them, quote, rude, arrogant and baseless and giving no indication, David, that they are willing

to reopen the street. All right, Mary Bruce tonight, Mary. Thank you. Meantime, what we've now learned about that dramatic rescue of that downed U. S. Airmen missing for 48 hours after that F 15 was shot down over Iran. That wounded airman climbing thousands of feet up treacherous terrain and how he then signaled for help. Here's Martha Raddatz tonight.

Tonight remarkable new details about the 48-hour mission to rescue that American Air Force colonel and the pilot before him trapped deep behind enemy lines in Iran. The nightmare began at 10.10 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, 5.40 a.m. local time over southwest Iran, when the president said a shoulder-fired missile struck the American F-15 fighter jet, forcing the pilot and the weapons systems officer,

that colonel, to eject, both airmen armed only with pistols. A search and rescue mission was launched immediately, aircraft refueling midair, searching in broad daylight for the F-15, call sign Dude 44. U.S. warplanes flying low and slow into hostile airspace. C-130 transport planes and helicopters facing withering fire at close

range. All these videos circulating on social media. An A-10 Warthog attack aircraft hit and badly damaged, the pilot making it to Kuwait, ejecting safely before his A-10 crashed in flames. But despite it all, just seven hours after that F-15 was shot down, the president got good news.

This first wave of search and rescue forces successfully located the pilot of the F-15. And he was extracted from enemy territory.

But that second F-15 crew member, the colonel, was missing, bloodied and miles away from where the pilot had been found.

He was injured quite badly and stranded in an area teeming with terrorists.

Officials say that the colonel was likely injured during the ejection or landing, but kept going in treacherous terrain, climbing thousands of feet up a mountain ridge, repeatedly hiding from Iranians trying to capture him.

He scaled cliff faces, bleeding rather profusely, treated his own wounds and contacted American forces to transmit his location.

The colonel communicating only sporadically so as not to alert enemy

forces finally activating his emergency beacon on saturday morning. We achieved our primary objective by finding and providing confirmation that one of America's best and bravest was alive and concealed in a mountain crevice still invisible to the enemy but not to the CIA. Then the

U.S. launching a second even larger rescue mission involving 150 warplanes to bring that colonel home. Elite special operations forces aboard two C-130s near the location on a makeshift airfield. A farm, the president called it, using MH-6 Little Bird helicopters to reach the rugged mountains where he was hiding. But the weight of the C-130s

left them stuck in the wet, sandy airfield, forcing the troops to deliberately destroy the aircraft and having smaller aircraft evacuate the colonel and rescuers. And, David, there is word tonight that that injured colonel who courageously evaded capture by climbing thousands of feet up a mountainside is doing well and is expected to recover.

David. Just an incredible story of survival and rescue. Martha Radice tonight. Thank you. To other news now, the urgent search and rescue operation underway for an American woman in the Bahamas.

Her husband says she fell off a boat with the key to the boat, and he says she was then swept out to sea. He says he had to paddle back for help, and here's Victor Akendo.

Tonight, an urgent search underway for a 56-year-old Michigan woman who vanished at sea in the Bahamas after falling off a small boat. Authorities say Lynette hooker was with her husband Brian when they left Abaco in on elbow key around 0730PM on Saturday riding in an 8 and a half foot long dinghy back to their yacht. Her husband telling police that due to poor weather Lynette fell overboard and was swept away by the strong currents

taking the boat's engine key with her the forecast for that evening showing some scattered storms with the boat's engine key with her. The forecast for that evening showing some scattered storms with the boat's engine shut off. Her husband telling police he had to paddle back to shore to get help reporting her disappearance around four a.m. The next day. Lynette seen in this video just days before she went missing for hours yesterday, authorities combing the waters for Lynette, joined by the Coast Guard.

They say it's unclear if she was wearing a life vest at the time. David, for Americans visiting the Bahamas, the State Department cautions boating is not well regulated there, and Americans should always follow local weather and marine alerts.

David. Victor Akendo reporting. Victor, thanks. Tonight, Little House on the Prairie actress Melissa Gilbert fiercely defending her husband actor director Timothy Busfield arrested and accused of criminal sexual contact with a minor. Here's Trevor Alt now. Tonight actress Melissa Gilbert is speaking out with our George Stephanopoulos in her first interview since her husband actor

and director Timothy Busfield was accused of criminal sexual conduct with a minor. Why speak out now?

It's time. We've been hearing and reading too much untruth and we felt that the time was right to speak out. Also, honestly, I wasn't capable until now. It's been a very traumatic time.

Busfield has pleaded not guilty. He's accused of inappropriately touching a young child on the set of The Cleaning Lady, a show Busfield was directing. His attorneys allege the parents of twin child actors blame Busfield when their sons were recast in 2024,

claiming they wanted revenge and were seeking financial gain.

So is your contention just that the parents and the boys

are just making this all up?

Absolutely. The father, the boys are victims

in this case. They're victims of the parents, not victims of Tim. The parents did not respond to our request for comment, but prosecutors allege the abuse was first reported by a therapist, not the parents. In a statement to ABC News, the Bernalillo County District Attorney says a neutral grand jury indicted the defendant. This office follows our ethical duty to only proceed on cases where a good faith basis exists to prosecute. The criminal complaint points to past sexual assault allegations.

Busfield faced from women in 1994 and 2012. In both cases, Busfield denied any wrongdoing and no criminal charges were brought.

He settled one of the cases. Were you aware of these cases before the criminal complaint?

I got this one. I need to make something really abundantly clear. These allegations have been out in the ether for a very long time.

And that means you knew about them.

When Tim and I got together, the Internet existed. I didn't go into my relationship with him blind. I am neither naive nor am I complicit. I talked to him about it. I asked him questions about it. I heard his side of the story, which no one has ever heard, which is the truth.

And when the time is right, and that is not now, Tim will tell the truth of all of these past allegations when he needs to.

Gilbert says she's 100 percent confident her husband will be exonerated, but their lives

are forever changed. For Tim, it's done. He's cancelled. And this will never, even if he's exonerated, he will always be that guy, the last person in the world who would hurt a child. And believe me, if I thought for a second that Tim Busfield hurt a child, he'd have a lot more to worry about than prison. No moments of doubt? Not for a second. I know this man in my bones. No one knows him better than I do. I trust him with my children's lives, with my grandchildren's

lives, my nieces and nephews. He is an honorable, caring, generous human being.

David Timothy Busfield has been released without bail. His trial's been set for next May.

David. All right, Trevor Alt tonight and George Stephanopoulos with the interview. Thanks to you both. When we come back, here the tragedy on a family vacation, a father of three drowning after saving two of his children in a rip current where this played out. Also tonight, the alarming moments at an Easter event.

Children suddenly pulled away. Look at that massive Easter egg drop and then a passenger giving birth on a plane flying to JFK. What they say to air traffic control and you have to hear what they say back tonight in a moment tonight, a father of three has died while saving his own Children from a rip current at Juno Beach in South Florida. Ryan Jennings saw two of his Children struggling. Authorities say he swam out to them saving the Children

but then drowning moments later. Tonight, a mother has given birth on a flight coming into JFK Airport, air traffic control, making sure mother and baby were okay, and then suggesting a name.

Is it out yet? Yes, sir. All right, tell her she's got a name at Kennedy.

Ah, Kennedy, will do.

Tonight, we're told mother and baby are doing well. When we come back here, that alarming moment during an Easter egg drop and then the eaglets born this weekend, you'll see them. They were the most watched eggs this Easter. Tonight, that close call during an Easter egg drop in Tallahassee. A little boy and girl running out of that field just as the crane dropped

hundreds of plastic eggs. Two adults rushing in to pull the children back. When we come back here tonight, the Easter eggs that hatched the baby eagles this Easter. In a moment here, you'll see it. Tonight, the Easter eggs that hatched.

Tonight, the eagles have landed, or shall we say hatched, the most watched eggs this Easter weekend. That famous family of bald eagles in the San Bernardino National Forest. Mom and dad Jackie and shadow capturing the world's attention. It was last year last March their babies hatching at the same time 3 months later those 2 siblings taking flight

leaving the nest. Then this year late January Jackie laying 2 more eggs. It was over this Easter weekend, you could see the eggs starting to crack. By Saturday morning, the eaglet's head just beginning to peek out.

Then late Saturday night, the first egg hatching. And by Easter morning, the second egg hatching. Tonight, that mom feeding her newborns. No official names just yet. For now, calling them Chick One and Chick chick to perhaps they'll be asking for your help as Jackie and shadow grow their nest once again.

Jackie and shadow grow their nest once again. So cute see tomorrow. Good night.