NBC Nightly News Full Episode - Dec. 3

Tonight, the growing pressure on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The new internal investigation finding he could have put troops at risk when he used a group chat for war plans as questions mount about those strikes in the Caribbean. The president late today saying he's going to release more video of that controversial second strike on an alleged drug boat. What the video could reveal, and the new focus

on what Hegseth previously told soldiers about ignoring legal advice about the rules of engagement. Never before seen video of Jeffrey Epstein's island home, a chalkboard with writings, masks on the wall. What the new images reveal. The immigration raids launching in two states today,

and our reporter with the community on edge after President Trump lashed out over Somalis in America. Emergency in the sky, an Air Force F-16 jet erupting into a fireball, the pilot ejecting and parachuting down. The new Arctic blast sweeping south set to bring record-setting cold to much of the country. Al Roker is here tracking it all a campus attack foiled a man arrested allegedly found with a gun hundreds of

rounds of ammo and a notebook filled with plans for a college attack. The first person sentenced in connection with Matthew Perry's death, the emotional letter from the stars family to the doctor accused of selling him drugs and what is your music taste say about your age, the 20 somethings across the country today shocked to learn they have the same taste as 80 year-olds the raccoon

going viral for busting into a liquor store and then passing out after drinking too much the new video just in and the countdown to Christmas is on. The little boy and his mother, their tree set to light up Rockefeller Center. Wait till you hear their story. Nightly News starts right now.

This is NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas.

And good evening. Two major stories are developing tonight, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is at the center of them both. Questions about U.S. military strikes against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean are growing increasingly urgent, especially the incident that followed this strike on a boat in September. Two people surviving, later killed by a second strike. Lawmakers now questioning whether that was legal.

And just moments ago, President Trump announced in the Oval Office that he's prepared to release video of that controversial second strike. And it comes amid a major update in another controversy involving the defense secretary. A new internal investigation finding Hegseth may have put troops at risk when he shared secret information about war plans in a Signal Group chat. Gabe Gutierrez is at the White House,

starts us off tonight.

Facing calls from Democrats to release more video of this controversial strike against an alleged cartel boat smuggling drugs into the US, tonight President Trump saying his administration would.

I don't know what they have, but whatever they have we'd certainly release, no problem.

It comes amid bipartisan backlash to that double-tap airstrike near Venezuela on September 2nd. Two people survived the initial attack but Defense Secretary Pete Hexeth yesterday told me he did not personally see the survivors and then moved on to another meeting while Admiral Frank Bradley ordered a second strike that killed all on board. President Trump tonight.

So to be clear, do you support the decision to kill survivors after the initial strike?

No, I support the decision to knock out the boats and whoever's piloting those boats, most of them are gone, but whoever are piloting those boats, they're guilty of trying to kill people in our country.

Also tonight, there's new scrutiny on a passage in Hegseth's 2024 book, where he described a briefing from lawyers to his troops in Iraq, afterwards telling his platoon to ignore legal advice that they could not shoot and kill an enemy combatant with a rocket-propelled grenade

unless it was pointed at them. Hegseth says he told them, I will not allow that nonsense to filter into your brains. Men, if you see an enemy who you believe is a threat, you engage and destroy the threat. Meanwhile, a new Pentagon inspector general report finding the information Hexath shared on a group signal chat in March about a pending military operation in Yemen was considered

secret. Two people who have read the report tell NBC News, adding that had the information been intercepted by a foreign adversary, it would have imperiled American troops. The watchdog report delivered to Congress also concluded Hexeth violated military regulations by using his personal phone for office business, though saying Hexeth had the power to declassify intelligence, according to the sources who read the findings.

Gabe, the Trump administration is responding to that watchdog report?

Yes, Tom, they have a different interpretation. A Pentagon spokesman calling it a total exoneration. The White House also saying it affirms no classified information was leaked and operational security was not compromised, adding the president stands by Secretary Hexhep.

Tom.

All right, Gabe. Tonight, we're getting an inside look at Jeffrey Epstein's infamous home in the Virgin Islands. Today, House Democrats released the never-before-seen photos and video. Here's Ryan Nobles.

Tonight, newly revealed video and photos providing an inside look at the infamous Epstein Island, the state and the Virgin Islands where sex offender Jeffrey Epstein allegedly took many of his victims. The images do not show any people but do provide a detailed view of some of the rooms inside one furnished with a dentist chair and the walls adorned with masks. Another shows a library power, music and deception can

be seen written on a blackboard, but other words have been blacked out. The photos and video released by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee, who also redacted parts of the images, also show bathrooms, bedrooms, and a pool area.

Steve Scully worked there and spoke to NBC News in 2019, but said he had no idea if underage girls

were on the island.

I have no way of knowing that, truly, but they appeared to be young to me.

The new image is part of a slow trickle

of information related to the late financier. These are just disturbing images. I've never seen before images of what Jeffrey's island and the estate actually look like. The oversight committee says it has received bank records

related to Epstein and expect to release that information soon. But Congress is still waiting for the Department of Justice to release its investigative files after Congress overwhelmingly passed a bill despite pushback from the White House

to force their release.

The president ultimately signed the bill into law. All right, Ryan Nobles joins us now live in studio. Ryan, Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's former girlfriend, is also making a push to get out of prison. Yeah, that's right, Tom. Lawyers for Epstein's partner, Maxwell,

who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence, filed a letter notifying the court that she plans to file a petition seeking her release. Tom. her release. Tom? All right, Ryan, great to see you here in New York. Now to the new ICE enforcement operations in Minneapolis, coming just as President Trump is doubling down on his inflammatory comments about the large Somali community in that city. Maggie Vespa is there

for us tonight. Tonight, a senior law enforcement official telling NBC News ICE has begun enforcement operations in Minneapolis, all as President Trump is doubling down on his comments, railing against the Somali community here, the largest in the US.

The Somalians should be out of here. They've destroyed our country.

Minneapolis City Councilman Jamal Osman was born in Somalia. How did it hit you when you heard

what the president had to say?

You know, the saddest part for me was just trying to answer my daughters and saying that why are we being singled out?

I won't answer any more questions.

OK. Can you put handcuffs on him, please?

While Border Patrol tonight is also launching a crackdown on illegal immigration in New Orleans, administration officials say ICE in Minneapolis is not targeting the Somali community but just enforcing deportation orders already issued by judges.

We're going to enforce the laws of this country without apology, including in the Twin Cities. Focus is on those Twin Cities more because of the criminal activities been uncovered by DOJ and DHS.

Federal prosecutors have charged dozens of people in Minnesota's Somali community for allegedly stealing hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer money, including from government programs meant to give meals to low-income children.

This beautiful place, and I see these people ripping it off. We don't want them in our country.

Let them go back to where they came from and fix it.

But this son of Somali immigrants who doesn't want to give his name says the president is creating fear and unfairly blaming the whole community.

Other people hearing that, you know, they're going to really use that to come at us. That's what I'm really scared of.

All right, Maggie joins us live tonight from Minneapolis. And Maggie, the city's police chief had a pointed message to residents there.

Yeah, Tom, that's right. The chief of police telling people here to call 911 if they come into contact with masked agents saying people have said they're scared because they can't tell if those agents are law enforcement. Borders are

Tom Homan responding, calling it shameful to call 911 on officers. Tom.

Okay, Maggie Vespa for us tonight. Maggie, thank you. And we have incredible new pictures out of California tonight we want to show you. An F-16 Thunderbirds pilot ejecting from the aircraft, which then plunges to the ground. Morgan Chesky is covering this one first. Morgan, what else do we know?

Yeah, Tom, you can see in this video captured by a witness that the fireball from the jets impact happens then the pilot parachutes out after safely ejecting from that f-16 fighting Falcon. Now tonight the Air Force tells us this incident took place around 1045 local time this morning during a training mission over controlled airspace about three hours north of us here in Los Angeles. Now the pilots part of the Air Force's Thunderbird aerobatic demonstration squadron and officials say the pilots currently in

stable condition with non life threatening injuries crews also reported a fire stemming from that damned aircraft, but said there was no threat to the surrounding community. As for the potential cause tonight,

the Air Force says that incident remains under investigation.

Tom great news that he survived. Alright Morgan, we thank you. Tonight we're also tracking the first deep freeze of the season set to send temperatures plummeting across much of the country. Al Roker joins me from the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree set tonight and now parts of the

Midwest could feel 10 even 30 degrees colder than normal.

Yeah, absolutely top and in fact we're about to get this Arctic blast take a look cold front is about to push through this Arctic front, it's bringing some light snow to the Great Lakes, but what it's really going to do is usher in brutally cold temperatures. Potential record lows through Friday morning, stretching from Iowa all the way to the northeast. This is the coldest air of the season. Some of these temperatures anywhere we're talking the big chill tomorrow with temperatures in the teens and low 20's then Friday morning, that's going to be the coldest air the season with temperatures air temperatures that are in single digits to low double digits and then as we move into the weekend, Tom

that cold air hangs out from the Great Lakes to the Northeast.

All right, you the team trying to stay warm tonight in Delaware, potentially violent attack on a college thwarted after police say they confronted a man and found rounds of ammunition in his car and detailed plans for an attack in his home. Sam Brock has more on the police work

that appears to have saved lives.

Police in Delaware may have prevented catastrophe after finding this University of Delaware student, Luqman Khan, inside his truck in a park after hours last week. Officers patrolling the area initiated a traffic stop. Khan was uncooperative and armed, they say,

with a loaded Glock handgun, more than 100 rounds of ammunition, and an armored ballistic plate, as well as a notebook that, according to the federal complaint, states his desire to be a, quote, martyr,

naming a member of the University of Delaware Police Department as a target. Battle efficiency, kill all, martyrdom, all combatants, he wrote. The fact that martyrdom was invoked,

does that add another chilling dimension to the story?

I'll tell you, as you peel back every layer of this, it gets more and more chilling. What I truly believe is a cold individual with no regret for human life.

The FBI says Khan is a naturalized American citizen from Pakistan, with Newcastle police telling NBC News he traveled back and forth recently. His notebook also contained a drawing of a University of Delaware building with entry and exit points,

prompting the FBI to search Khan's home where they say they uncovered more weaponry and a device that converts handguns to machine guns. Stunning neighbors.

It scared the bejeebies out of me.

The 25-year-old, now facing state and federal charges, he has not yet entered a plea, as the Wilmington community is grateful.

This is the type of work that law enforcement across the country does every day.

Sam Brock, NBC News. All right, when we return in 60 seconds, the emotional day in court and the doctor. Now, the first person sentenced in the death of Friends star Matthew Perry, his apology to the actor's family. That's next. We're back now with an emotional day in court in Los Angeles.

Matthew Perry's family coming face-to-face with a doctor who prescribed him ketamine before his fatal overdose. Today that doctor was sentenced to two and a half years behind bars. Camila Bernal was in the courtroom.

In court today, prosecutors called former Dr. Salvador Plascencia a drug dealer in a white coat. Then, a judge sentenced him to two and a half years in prison after he pleaded guilty to illegally selling beloved Friends star Matthew Perry large amounts of ketamine in the weeks leading up to his overdose.

Perry's mother today addressed Placencia saying he failed to keep the oath he took as a doctor. She also asked him to look at her as a mother. "'It's a bad thing you did,' she said. He looked at her and nodded." Placencia also spoke today

acknowledging he failed Mr. Perry, failed his family, failed the community. Eventually turning around to look at Perry's family, saying, I'm just so sorry. During sentencing, the judge pointed to previously released text messages

between Placencia and another doctor. I wonder how much this moron will pay, he wrote. And let's find out. In a letter to the court, Perry's mom and stepfather, Dateline's Keith Morrison, slammed Grady Jackals, who took advantage of the actor, calling the doctor the most culpable of all. Perry spoke openly about his addiction and his family

discussed it with NBC News last year. I have found a huge amount of meaning in thinking about the fact that this isn't our tragedy.

This happens to people every day.

And there are four others charged in this case that have also accepted plea deals. That includes another doctor and the so-called ketamine queen. They'll all be sentenced in the coming months.

Tom?

Alright, Camila, thank you. We're back in a moment with the massive cheese recall impacting some of the biggest retailers in the coming months. Tom? All right, Camila, thank you. We're back in a moment with the massive cheese recall impacting some of the biggest retailers in the country. We'll tell you about it. And later, the raccoon on a rampage. What happened when this wild animal

got loose in a liquor store and started drinking? That's next. We're back now with an update on the push for a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. President Trump saying today that he believes Vladimir Putin would like to make a deal to end the war.

Russians cast doubt on the U.S. proposed plan late yesterday after a marathon meeting between Putin and Special Envoy Steve Whitkoff and Trump advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner. Negotiations continue with a Ukrainian official in Miami tomorrow. Now to a major recall, more than 250,000 cases of shredded cheese from Great Lakes cheese were pulled from store shelves over possible metal fragments. That according to the FDA. The recall spans at least 30 states and impacts brands from major retailers including Target and Walmart. And in Virginia, a

raccoon went on a drunken rampage inside of a liquor store. Look at this surveillance video showing it roaming the aisles after falling through the store ceiling, leaving behind smashed bottles all over the floor. He was later found passed out drunk

after drinking some rum, some peanut butter whiskey, even some moonshine. We're not making this up. Animal control said they took it into custody to sober it up before releasing it back into the wild.

That's a wild night. Alright, it's the biggest music streaming service in the country, and today Spotify blew many of its users minds by revealing to them not only their most listened to songs,

but what their music tastes may say about their age. Here's Emily, a cat.

Rico. This is much more than just a concert.

as fans are turning up their soundtracks to 2025 Emily Kedah NBC News.

donated for all of us to admire that's next. And we're back now with one of the biggest stars of the holiday season and certainly the biggest star of the night right there behind me the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and as our Joe fryer reports when it's lit up tonight, it will be an emotional moment for one family. The holiday season is one of many things

worth celebrating around the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.

I think it's just like iconic.

It is fitting the tree attracts visitors from all over. After all, this Norway spruce is also a tourist from upstate New York, the home of Judy Russ and her seven-year-old son, Liam.

I'm excited that it's, that the whole world can see it.

What's it gonna be like for you when the tree is lit?

Well, I cry at home in my living room when the tree is lit, so I'm probably gonna be inconsolable, but it's gonna be great.

Their donation is a tribute to her husband, Dan, who died in 2020.

I know he would have loved to have been here for this moment. We always talked about it being the tree. So I'm just, it's so special that my family's tree gets to be America, if not the world's Christmas tree.

The 75-footer pulled into Manhattan last month. As we turn into 30 Rock here, this is the final leg of a journey. With this bedazzled journalist along for the ride, Cruz topped it with a 900-pound Swarovski star and wrapped it in strings of LEDs. Did you hear how many lights

they're gonna put on this tree?

No.

50,000 lights. Mind-boggling, right?

He's speechless.

Three, two, one!

If last year's lighting is any indication, many more jaws will drop tonight. Joe Fryer, NBC News. Liam, we're right there with you and Joe. It is jaw dropping. The party gets underway here at

Rockefeller Center starting at 8-7 Central as Reba McEntire host the tree lighting on NBC and Peacock. That's nightly news for this Wednesday.

I'm Tom Yamas.

Thanks so much for watching. Tonight and always, we're here for you. Tonight and always, we're here for you. Good night.