“Horrifying” midair emergency: ABC World News Tonight with David Muir - June 24, 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+.Most -watched, most -trusted.Now on Disney +, every night.

Tonight we have breaking news.The pilot on a passenger plane suffering a violent seizure in midair.The passenger plane out of Newark.Passengers say at least five people had to hold that pilot down.The seizure lasting up to 40 minutes in the air.The co -pilot forced to land the plane in Boston.

Also breaking, there has been a strong earthquake in California tonight.The earthquake rattling homes, items thrown from shelves, multiple injuries and aftershocks now reported.And what scientists are saying about this.Also breaking as we come on the air in the west, news of a major earthquake in Venezuela.The images coming in right now.This evening, the severe storms we're watching right now as we come on the air and a tornado watch just issued across several states tonight.

Also, the fires and the extreme heat on the move headed to the east and across Europe.Europe tonight, the deadly heat wave there.James Longman in Paris, where people are jumping into a canal.And Lee Goldberg back here in the U .S.with the forecast right here at home.

Tonight, the shouting match.President Trump meeting behind closed doors with Republicans when the meeting erupts in chaos.What was behind it?In New York City tonight, a woman seen at the Knicks championship parade appearing to want to keep a Knicks painted trash can.dumping the trash onto a city street and taking the garbage can.Tonight that woman identified and losing her job.

JP Morgan says she no longer works there.Tonight, a 12 -year -old boy from the U .S.has been attacked in a shark attack.Also tonight, singer Daryl Hall from Hall & Oates, revealing he has just undergone a transplant.We have news on his condition.

Tonight, there's an urgent search for a missing giraffe in the U .S., how she disappeared, and why they're so concerned tonight for her safety.The frenzy over the World Cup in the U .S., the fans from Scotland loving the U .

their famous bagpipes. And it's notAnd it's not just the Scottish fans, so many international visitors.And what's the fascination with ranch dressing?

From ABC News World Headquarters in New York, this is World News Tonight.

with David Muir.Good evening.We have several breaking stories as we come on the air tonight.There's been a strong earthquake in California, rattling homes, multiple injuries.The image is coming in now.Also severe storms across the country.

A tornado watch just issued multiple states.But we do begin tonight with this scare in the cockpit, a pilot on a passenger plane out of Newark suffering a violent seizure while in midair.Multiple passengers had to hold the pilot down during the flight, that seizure lasting up to 40 minutes.They say the plane suddenly jolting.That's when they knew the the pilot was in trouble.The co -pilot forced to land the plane, the emergency landing in Boston, with emergency teams waiting.

Gio Benitez leads us off.Tonight, a harrowing scene on board a packed passenger plane forced to land at Boston's Logan Airport after one of the pilots suffered a medical emergency mid -flight.

Pilot is incapacitated.Aircraft is being flown by the co -pilot.

Rodney McDonald among 61 passengers on the Air Canada flight today from Newark International to Halifax, Nova Scotia, making that emergency landing in Boston.

The plane started swerving violently.Within a few moments, one of the flight attendants entered the cockpit frantically.and a few moments later he was dragging one of the pilots out of the cockpit.

McDonald says the pilot appeared to have a seizure.He and other passengers jumping in to help the crew.

Yeah, it was really horrifying.Myself and about four others worked to get him under control.It was a fairly strenuous 40 minutes of keeping him down.

The co -pilot taking over, diverting the plane to Boston where the plane landed.Passengers video from our affiliate responders removing the p Authorities say he was tr where he is receiving me thought goes through your praying.

My boys instantl I'm told I was I was at t but we're just grateful, And David, this is exactly why planes have two pilots on the flight deck, so that one pilot can take over if there's an issue like this.

And of course, the airline is now trying to get those passengers to their destinations tonight.

David.Well, thank goodness for that co -pilot staying so calm.And of course, those passengers, too.And we wish the pilot well.Geo, thanks.Tonight there are also reports of a major earthquake in Venezuela.

A magnitude 7 .1 reports of heavy damage coming in and we have just learned of a major quake off northern Japan as well.Here's ABC's Melissa Adan with the images coming in tonight.

Tonight, late breaking word of back -to -back major earthquakes jolting the Venezuelan capital of Caracas.The first one measuring 7 .2, the second 7 .5.

An earthquake just It shook the entire building minutes ago.It's the heaviest quake I have felt in Venezuela.Authorities reporting multiple people injured.

Emergency crews descending on this mountain of rubble to search for survivors.The airport now closed and all flights suspended after suffering serious damage.And tonight, halfway around the world in Japan, yet another quake.This one measuring 6 .9 off the northern coast in an area where there have been recent strong quakes.Officials say there is no danger of a tsunami.David, back to that earthquake in Venezuela tonight.

Tsunami warnings are up along the coast for southern Caribbean islands.David?

All right, Melissa Adan on the breaking news tonight.Melissa, thanks so much.Also breaking tonight, a strong earthquake rocking northern California.The magnitude 5 .6 quake rattling homes and businesses there.Power knocked out tonight for thousands.That quake centered near Redwood Valley, California, well north of San Francisco.

Tonight, reports of multiple injuries and aftershocks now being reported and what scientists are now saying about this.Trevor Ault from California.

This is the moment of 5 .6 magnitude earthquake rocked rural northern California, causing injuries and sending groceries and bottles off shelves, smashing onto the floor.

I started hearing like glass clicking together and I'm like, what is that?

Renee Everode heard the earthquake alert on her phone inside the store just before the shaking started.

I was like shaking from head to toe.My hands were shaking.I was watching wine bottles drop and just break and the wine go everywhere.It felt like it lasted for 20 minutes.

The quake was captured on home security cameras like this one, miles from the epicenter near the town of Willits.

Is everyone okay?

Rattled residents then surveying the damage, power knocked out for thousands.

I've never been in an earthquake this big and I've been in a lot of earthquakes.This was bad.

The shaking lasted a full 30 seconds.and was felt as far away as San Jose, 180 miles to the south.And the epicenter is not along a major fault line.

This is somewhat inland from it, but it's still part of the San Andreas system.In that region, this is the strongest earthquake that they've seen in at least the last 100 years.

David, California's governor says more than a million people got those earthquake alerts on their phone before the shaking even began.

Officials are now surveying the damage.David, it is always alarming.Trevor, all tonight, Trevor, thank you.Tonight, we're also tracking severe storms as we're on the air here.There's now a new tornado watch across several states at this hour.Torrential rain, flash flood alerts across the state.

Denver bracing for yet another round of storms.Also tonight, the extreme heat headed to the east next and across Europe this evening.The deadly heat wave there.Here's our senior meteorologist lee Goldberg with the images tonight and the forecast right here at home tonight.

Millions again in the path of life threatening storms, torrential downpours and wind gusts up to 80 MPH.Drivers battling blinding rain on Highway 287 in Childress County, Texas.In Colorado Springs, large hail pummeling cars.Extreme heat fueling more than 30 wildfires in the West.The Cottonwood fire exploding in Utah, nearly doubling in size in just 24 hours, scorching more than 59 ,000 acres, and it's 0 % contained.A home security camera capturing the flames, closing in on a family's cabin before burning it down.

Extreme heat fueling those fires, amid all -time record heat overseas.Much of Europe in the grips of a brutal heat wave, where many homes and businesses have no air conditioning.France reporting its hottest day on record, Paris hitting 105 degrees.Hundreds escaping the heat in local waterways.Our James Longman is there.

It looks like fun, but it is dangerous too.These waterways are unsupervised, and across France, at least 40 people have died drowning, trying to cool off in rivers and lakes.

That punishing heat dome also causing power outages, disrupting train service and shutting down schools across Europe.

Those pictures along the Senate, those canals really stunning.The crowds gathered there with James Longman.In the meantime, back here at home, lead back with us tonight, tracking the forecast right here at home.Highly.

Hey, David and brand new tornado warnings now across northeastern Colorado.That's northeast of Denver and also across Wisconsin, not far from Oshkosh.Those tornado watches are out for parts of Wyoming and Nebraska and into Colorado.That's a fifth ofa r for the front range of t thunderstorm watches, Ne to Wisconsin.Big hail, d concern.

In the middle, y from Kansas, Louisiana.seen a half foot of rain flooding and severe storm same areas tomorrow, Denv storms and heavy downbo night, maybe into friday the west, we also have th watches are out from frid extreme heat warnings in Arizona.That comes to the east next week.David?

It's been unsettled all week.Lee Goldberg with us tonight.Lee, thanks so much.We turn now to the closed door meeting erupting into chaos.President Trump meeting with Republicans on Capitol Hill suddenly erupting into a shouting match.The president had suddenly refused to sign a bill supported by Republicans and Democrats that would have helped Americans with housing and affordability.

Rachel Scott at the Capitol tonight.

Tonight, chaos in the Capitol, a closed -door meeting between President Trump and Senate Republicans descending into a shouting match.It came after President Trump abruptly canceled plans to sign a major housing bill, a rare moment of cooperation between Republicans and Democrats on a key issue of affordability.

We just passed something that we're all proud of, 85 votes in the Senate, 385 votes in the House.to make housing more available to Americans.We all need that.In red states and blue states, Trump blew it up.

The stage was set for the bill signing when President Trump fired off a post, dismissing the legislation as a matter of minor importance, saying he would not sign it until the Senate passed his own top priority, tough new voting restrictions.Republicans blindsided.What did you think of that?

I was disappointed because I thought that this would become a priority.

Soon after, the president arriving to meet Senate Republicans.

Are you going to sign the housing bill, sir?

Behind closed doors, sources tell us President Trump unloaded on another topic, Iran.lashing out at several Republicans who have voted to limit his war powers.One of them, Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, firing right back.

He asked, why would anybody vote for the War Powers Act?As he continued, I said, is that a rhetorical question or would you like to really hear it?He said, I'd like to know.I stood and said, you have not told the American people what's going on.

Cassidy acknowledges he lost his temper.

Voices were raised.

Any regrets on anything you said?

No.I'm not going to be bullied when I'm trying to get answers from the American people.Right now, there's just like, hmm, it seems we're being told different things by different people.

Publicly, the president brushing it off.

I think we had a really great meeting.And we're very proud of the party.We like our leader.We like everybody, really, in the room.I don't like a few people, but that's okay.

And David, late today, the president was adamant that he is not signing that housing bill.He is holding firm on his demands.This is something that Democrats and Republicans spent months working on.They know that this issue is important to voters and that affordability will be front and center in the midterm elections.David.

All right.Rachel Scott live up on Capitol Hill tonight for us.Rachel, thank you.In New York City tonight, a woman seen at the Knicks championship parade appearing to want to keep a Knicks painted trash can.They were all over New York dumping the trash onto a city street and taking the garbage can.Well, tonight, that woman identified And her employer, J .

P.Morgan Chase, says she no longer works there.Here's Aaron Kaczorski.

It was during the euphoria over the Knicks NBA championship, New York City even painted the trash cans blue and orange.This woman decided she wanted one for a souvenir.On the day of the Knicks parade, the woman unceremoniously dumped an overflowing public wastebasket onto the sidewalk, grabbed both ends, and walked off.And tonight, her employer, J .P.Morgan Chase, says she's no longer with the company.

The bank did not say what her job was, but added she was not attending the parade in an official capacity.The sanitation department issued her two summonses, 75 bucks for littering and $100 for impeding operations.The woman returned the trash can, and city sanitation posted a photo of it with the caption, Home Sweet Home.David, there are now replicas of this Knicks -themed garbage can for sale online for less than $200.Because one man's trash is another's treasure.

David Aaron Guterski.Aaron, thanks.Tonight, the top U .S.Army commander in Europe and Africa suddenly stepping down.General Christopher Donahue was the last American soldier to leave Afghanistan in 2021.

His four star command is going to be downgraded to a three star command.Nearly two dozen senior military leaders have been removed or sidelined by Secretary Pete Hegseth.Tonight in Texas, Camp Mystic, the girls camp at the center of that horrific tragedy in Hill Country, is now filing for bankruptcy.Court records show the camp is more than $10 million in debt.five girls and two counsel deadly floodwaters swept 4th of july.In april, t to reopen this summer.

Fa called on the state to blo When we come back here ton crash landing, take a loo on Youtube, the harrowing the plane as it was comin boy from the U. S. Has bee rushed to the hospital ne Also after news of his ar ski champion Bodie Miller now saying tonight and th search for a missing gira they're looking and how s they're so concerned for we'll be right back tonigh of a small plane crash la posting this video on You all 10 people bracing fo taking off from Fairbankand stopping in Coldfoot to refuel.After taking off again, the passengers said the plane made a loud noise.The engine appeared to be losing power.The pilot then announcing he was looking for a spot to land before crashing right there in the field.No one was hurt.

A 12 -year -old boy from the U .S.was attacked by a shark in the Bahamas.Police say the attack happened Tuesday, while the boy and his brother were swimming during a tour in Exuma.The boy was rushed to the hospital with injuries.No word on the extent.

We're told he's in stable condition tonight.Tonight, an attorney for former Olympic ski champion Bode Miller saying the drug charges against him are now being dropped.Miller's lawyer telling ABC News no drugs were found on Miller when he was arrested in Idaho.Miller wrote on Instagram, a friend riding in his car had a small amount of cannabis and a pipe that he did not know about.An affidavit obtained by affiliate KIVI claims Miller had a dispensary bag with four grams of psychedelic mushrooms.Miller pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor drug charges.

When we come back here tonight, singer Daryl Hall from Hall and Oates revealing he has just undergone a transplant.We do have news on his condition, plus that urgent search for a missing giraffe tonight, how she disappeared, and why they're so concerned about her safety.To the index of other news tonight, country music star Bailey Zimmerman is apologizing now after being accused of trashing a hotel room.An arrest warrant claims Zimmerman caused $16 ,000 in damages at Sandia Resort in New Mexico last month.A criminal complaint also alleges Zimmerman shoved a band member, kicked instruments on stage, and spit out water toward a security officer.In a statement, Zimmerman tonight saying he is deeply sorry for his actions and takes, quote, full accountability.

Tonight's singer Daryl Hall from Hall & Oates revealing he recently had a kidney transplant.Hall telling fans on social media he underwent the transplant a few weeks ago.He says the kidney came from a living donor and doctors described the procedure as quote, a complete success.He went on to write he is now recovering and should be back to normal in a few months.Well tonight there's an active search for a missing giraffe outside San Antonio, Texas.Workers at the Cedar Hollow Ranch say that Gracie the giraffe wandered off the property last week.

Authorities sayshe could be in danger due to the rugged terrain, as well as mountain lions and coyotes in the area.A $5 ,000 reward is now being offered for tips leading to Gracie's safe return.When we come back here tonight, the World Cup frenzy here in the U .S., what Scottish fans are doing from Boston all the way down to Miami, and the international visitors who are obsessed with our ranch dressing.

Finally tonight here, World Cup fever in the U .S., the Scottish kilts taking over Miami.And what's with this fascination with our ranch dressing?

Here's Victor Aquendo.Tonight, the World Cup frenzy sweeping across America.Here in Miami, thousands of Scotland fans, many wearing tartan kilts, marching through the streets, cheering on Scotland ahead of tonight's clash against five -time World Cup winners, Brazil.The tartan army has taken over South Beach.I have never seen Ocean Drive look like this before.Brazil versus Scotland, who's gonna win?

Yes!They're enjoying Scotland's first World Cup in 28 years, and their time here in America.Last week, Boston's famous pubs, sync bands from Scotland, nearly drank their taps dry.

We're gonna come here, we're gonna drink your beer, and we're gonna have a right good time while we're doing it.

At Fenway Park, playing bagpipes as they march in for the Red Sox Rangers game.Inside the stadium, singing American songs.

in the pubs, singing the Star Spangled Banner.

So many international fans discovering things they love about the U .S.American foods, even ranch dressing.So popular, the TSA joking on social media, please avoid chugging your ranch outside security.The airlines will check it for you.And there's something else new for them, too, here.

The scorching Miami heat.

It's so hot.We're not used to this back home, but this is an incredible place.What a party vibe.

Tomorrow, the focus will shift to Los Angeles, where the U .S.men's team will face Turkey in the final game of the group stage.

David?All right, Victor Akenda, thanks so much.Ranch dressing.I'll see you right here tomorrow.

Good night.David Muir, the most trusted, most watched newscast in America.And now, World News Tonight has won the Emmy for Best Live News Program for the fourth year in a row.