ABC World News Tonight with David Muir Full Broadcast - Aug. 26, 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, at least 47 Americans. missing at this hour. The horrific emergency playing out. The flash flood catastrophe, the devastating images coming in. Entire buildings and bridges swept away by a massive. wall of water, possibly up to 160 feet high.

Chilling video tonight showing people trying. to outrun the disaster. American tourists among the hundreds of people. missing in Nepal. Also tonight, the outpouring of affection for Dolly Parton. what we're now learning about her brief battle with cancer, the service ahead, and the tributes from around the world. The Kings Guard playing nine to five. outside Buckingham Palace, the Empire State Building in. New York City lit up in pink, and tonight the. emotional message from her goddaughter,

Miley Cyrus. Remembering actor Tim Curry, best known for his roles in. the Rocky Horror Picture Show, Clue, and It, and Home Alone 2, what he once told us. Just in tonight, another emergency at. Chicago's O'Hare Airport for the third time in a matter of days, a passenger jet blowing tires. What we've learned the Delta flight from L.A. to Boston, the emergency declared the. pilot then telling passengers he was the one who was ill. The breaking headline tonight with the 25th anniversary. of 9/11 approaching.

The alleged mastermind behind the attacks will. now face a military trial. Tonight, MEDA, the parent company of Facebook and. Instagram, agreeing to pay nearly $18 billion. over claims of trying to entice children to social media. The major changes now coming for teenagers on Instagram. The wildfires exploding in multiple states in Texas, a sky. high wall of smoke and flames. And tonight we're also tracking severe storms. moving into the Northeast. News tonight about the suspect wearing a frightening Halloween.

style mask, accused of chasing, terrorizing more than a dozen. people, asking them if they're ready to die and what we've. learned. We have news coming in on. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tonight on this move. And a personal note here, something Dolly. Parton once sent me. I've carried it on my phone ever since. From ABC News World Headquarters in New York, this. is World News Tonight with David Muir. Good evening.

And it's great to have you with us here on a Wednesday night. We begin tonight with the breaking news, the catastrophic. scene unfolding overseas. At least 47 Americans are missing following horrific. flooding and a massive of landslide in Nepal. The images are difficult to watch. Surveillance videos showing an unstoppable wall of water, mud and debris, possibly up to 160 feet high, destroying. everything in its path, buildings and bridges swept. away. People can be seen trying to outrun the water. Hundreds of people are missing tonight. Many of them are Americans. Police in Nepal helping victims covered in mud, taken from.

their homes to safety. Houses and buildings submerged in. the mud and water, rescuers searching for any signs of. life. ABC's chief international correspondent, James Longman, and leading us off tonight. Apocalyptic scenes tonight showing crowds desperately. running for their lives as a catastrophic mountain. of water comes crashing in, sweeping away entire. villages in Nepal, near the border with. Tibet in the Himalayas. Hundreds vanishing in seconds. Nepalese officials say at least 47 American tourists among.

scores still missing tonight. ABC News confirming 22 Americans on a pilgrimage from Tennessee. were inside this building when the unstoppable wall of mud and. debris blasted through, wiping away everything in its path. Screams of horror as this car full of people looks. out the rear window, that 160-foot torrent. of water chasing them down at 40 miles per hour. Buildings toppled, this suspension bridge. washed away. Tonight, officials say more than 155 people have.

been killed, but that death toll only expected to soar. The impacted region popular for. hiking. The urgent rescue effort right now. Watch as this man trapped on a roof waves down. a helicopter, dangerously climbing aboard the. raging rapids below. Rescuers using a front loader to carry this. elderly victim to safety, survivors forming a human. chain, this man covered in mud, clinging to the back. of a rescue worker. Tonight, experts say this horrific tragedy was triggered.

by a massive landslide barreling down the Himalayas, hitting a glacier and melting a ton of ice along the way. When all this rock comes down, has a lot of energy, it warms up. that ice, creates more waters. And David, experts tell us this wall of water. unleashed as much energy as a 5.2 magnitude earthquake. Some estimates put it as high as 160 feet. It's left behind a trail of destruction, the mud and. the debris, now complicating search and rescue efforts. David. All right, James Longman. leading us off on this horrific emergency playing out.

James, thank you. In the meantime tonight, back here in the US. and around the world, the outpouring of. affection for Dolly Parton. Her family revealing that Dolly Parton died. after a brief battle with cancer and what we're learning tonight. about the private service ahead. And this evening, the tributes now from Dollywood. to the Empire State Building here in New York City, to Buckingham Palace with the Kings Guard performed. It's going viral tonight. ABC's Will Reeve at Dollywood in Tennessee. Around the world tonight, an outpouring of love and.

gratitude for Dolly Parton. Look at what they did for her at Buckingham Palace. King Charles' Guard with their own rendition of. Dolly's hit song "9 to 5.". The Royal Family saying Dolly brought joy, comfort. and inspiration to so many.

A British production of 9 to 5 the musical last. night announcing Dolly's passing to the audience. We would like to take a moment to remember the. remarkable Dolly Parton who has sadly passed away today. There were gasps in the crowd as the cast then. dedicated the show to Dolly. As we begin, we dedicate tonight's performance. to Dolly Parton. In New York City at precisely 9.25 last night, a nod to her song 9 to 5, the Empire State Building.

turning pink to honor Dolly. Tonight, for the first time, we're hearing from Dolly's. goddaughter, Miley Cyrus. Cyrus saying, "I have an angel by my side. I always have. And to all of us, we're in this loss together.". Taylor Swift thanking Dolly, who paved the way for so many. other artists, saying, "For the tightropes she walked so. that young girls like me could grow up dreaming of joining. the circus too.".

Across the country, fans turning out to honor. Dolly, from her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, to the gates of her Nashville home, to the. stage of the Grand Ole Opry. ♪ In my coat of many colors, my mama made for me ♪. In her hometown of Sevierville, Tennessee, a moment of silence. [train whistle]. Down the road at her beloved theme park, Dollywood, in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, where she created thousands of jobs and hometown pride,

the loss feels personal. She felt like family. You just feel like you've lost a part of your family. Her genuine heart, her genuine spirit. She never pretended to be somebody she wasn't. It was just a few years back. I sat down with Dolly right here at Dollywood, and she had. a message for her fans and for those who believe in her. I just want people to be their better self. So I just like to kind of bring a little sunshine if I can. And tonight it's clear Dolly Parton is already.

inspiring the next generation. How can we all be a little bit more like Dolly Parton? Trying to give back and not trying to just take. it all for yourself. Making sure that everyone feels good about themselves. Make sure that everyone has a little bit of. uniqueness in their lives. And Dolly Parton's team revealed last night that she died after. a brief battle with cancer, and she'll be laid to rest.

alongside her late husband, Carl Dean, after a small private. service in Nashville, David. All right, Will Reeve reporting from Dollywood in Tennessee. tonight. Will, we appreciate it. Tonight, we've also learned that actor Tim Curry has died, best known for his roles in the Rocky Horror Picture Show, Clue, It, and Home Alone 2. a master of portraying villains and over-the-top characters. And here's Trevor Alt now. Tim Curry rocketed to fame as the gender-bending mad scientist.

Dr. Frankenfurter in the Rocky Horror Picture Show. His career spanning five decades on stage and screen, the terrifying Pennywise the Clown and Stephen King's It, "Oh yes, they float, Georgie.". the fast-talking Butler Wadsworth in Clue, and he brought his mischievous charm to classic family movies. as the con man Rooster in Annie and the exasperated. concierge in Home Alone 2.

"There's an insane guest with a gun!". Curry suffered a stroke in 2012 and Pablo Health. issues for years after. But that defining Rocky Horror role lives on. Theatres still hosting midnight screenings of the cult classic. A tradition started back in the 70s with audiences dressing. up to watch over and over. Don't treat me like this. Be here. Curry told ABC back in 1978 why he felt that film.

resonated with so many. Well, I think if it has a message at all, it's don't. dream it, be it, which is one of the songs in the movie. You know, get on with your fantasies. David, Tim Curry said his career went beyond his wildest dreams. He said, quote, "I've had an amazing life, and I know it.". He was 80 years old. David. Trevor Ault reporting. from Los Angeles tonight. Trevor, thanks. Just in tonight here, another emergency. at Chicago's O'Hare Airport for the third time. in just a matter of days, a passenger jet blowing tires.

Here's Morgan Norwood. Tonight, the third incident in recent days. at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. An American Airlines passenger jet. pushing back from the gate, blowing two tires. We understand that you've got, I can see two blown right. tires on your main gear. Emergency vehicles swarming the aircraft. initially bound for Charlotte, North Carolina. Passengers deplaning on the taxiway using stairs, later bused to the terminal. It comes just days after two different planes,

landing just hours apart, suffered blown tires. while landing at O'Hare. An American Airlines flight arriving from New York. forced to deplane on the taxiway. Later, a United plane out of Nebraska. damaging a tire while landing. No one was injured in either incidents. And David, no one was injured in this latest incident. the FAA investigating tonight. David. All right, Morgan Norwood reporting tonight. Morgan, thank you. The breaking headline this evening with. the 25th anniversary of 9 11 now approaching the alleged. mastermind behind the attacks will now face a military trial.

Let's get right to Aaron Katersky. Aaron, what have you learned? David, with that 25th anniversary now just days away. tonight, a military judge is finally setting a trial date for. the accused mastermind of the attacks. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has been locked up at Guantanamo. Bay for the last two decades. Aaron Katersky with late reporting here for us. Aaron, thank you. Tonight, Meta, the parent company of Facebook. and Instagram, agreeing to pay nearly $18 billion over. claims of sexual assault, is now facing a $1.5 billion fine.

Tonight, the military judge has set a trial date for. June 2028, certainly a relief for the families of the. nearly 3,000 people killed in the terrorist attacks a. quarter century ago, David. All right, Aaron Katersky with late reporting here for us. Aaron, thank you. Tonight, Meta, the parent company of. Facebook and Instagram, agreeing to pay nearly. $18 billion over claims of trying to entice. children to social media. And now the major change is coming. for teenagers on Instagram. Here's Elizabeth Schulze. Tonight, social media giant Meta agreeing to pay. up to $18 billion in a landmark deal.

that will make sweeping changes is to how young people use. Instagram and Facebook. Meta reaching a settlement with 48 states, ending a federal case claiming the company. used its technology and social media platforms. to entice, engage, and ultimately ensnare. youth and teens. - This is a major moment to clean up an industry. that has been hurting our kids. - As part of the agreement for users under age 18, Instagram and Facebook will set two-hour daily time limits,

blocked the apps from midnight to 6 a.m., hide like counts and ban some beauty filters. - Finally something was done. - Outside the California courtroom, Victoria. Hinks emotional. She says her 16 year old daughter, Alexandra, took her own life after getting addicted to social media. - No amount of money is ever gonna bring. my beautiful daughter back. - Metta denies any wrongdoing saying in a statement tonight, We want to get this right for parents and teens, and calling. on TikTok and YouTube to make similar changes right away.

Metta still faces thousands of ongoing lawsuits from. school districts and families. The company tonight vowing to keep fighting in court. David. Elizabeth Schulze in Washington. Elizabeth, thank you. When we come back here, the emergency declared on a Delta. flight with the pilot radioed in about his health, and. you'll hear him in a moment. Also, severe storm set to move into the northeast, Philadelphia, New York City. So Lee Goldberg is standing by. And a personal note here tonight, something Dolly Parton once sent me. I've carried it on my phone ever since, in a moment.

Tonight, a Delta flight from LA declaring an emergency. and diverting to Detroit after the captain. reported a medical issue involving himself. - This is the captain. I'm the one that's still, I'm gonna taxi the. jet to the gate and then I need to. go to the hospital. - The plane did land safely. The captain was rushed to the hospital. another crew came on board the flight and flew the 147. passengers on to Boston. In Philadelphia, the suspect police say was seen wearing a. chilling Halloween-style mask and allegedly chasing. more than a dozen people. It's now under arrest tonight.

Authorities say Zymir Hughes was arrested by. U.S. Marshals in Las Vegas. He's accused of chasing and harassing at least 15 people, allegedly asking some of them, are you ready to die? Authorities say he was in Philadelphia for several. weeks where he has family. When we come back here tonight, we're tracking. severe storms moving into the Northeast, New York and. Philly, and the watch is now up. So Lee Goldberg is standing by in a moment here. To the index of other news tonight, severe storms in. the Midwest moving into the Northeast, watch is already. up in Philadelphia and New York, and the wildfires,

this is the Ross Fire near Fort Worth burning. across 80,000 acres. Let's get right to senior meteorologist Lee. Goldberg with us tonight. Lee? Hey David, good evening. Pockets of severe storms from Little Rock to Denver. over to Indianapolis. The storms over Indiana approach the northeast tomorrow. We have flood watches here in New York down to Philly for. three inches of rain possible through Thursday night. The extreme heat in the southwest, that goes all week. long, fueling the fire. Some relief early next week. David? Lee Goldberg with. us, Lee. Thank you. Tonight, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are. reportedly back in the UK. The BBC now reporting the couple arrived with.

their two children, Prince Archie and Princess. Lillibet, who are expected to start school soon. When we come back here tonight, the quiet generosity of Dolly. Parton, some of the moments you've never heard. about, including something she sent to me. Finally, tonight here, Dolly Parton, her gratitude. and the quiet gifts and lessons for so many. She touched. It was always Dolly Parton's way. I have come a long way from the hills of Tennessee, and I've worked hard to make the folks back.

home real proud of me. Her kindness, her love of home, her gratitude from the start. Thank you, Johnny Carson. This way, I went from pop beats. So many connections, how she made others feel.

Look at Kenny Rogers' face when he hears her voice. There were the quiet moments too. Her gifts, her lessons for others along the way. And Steel Magnolias, Julia Roberts once. remembering the lesson taught by Dolly off screen.

I remember it was like, you know, it's hot, could I get some water? And Dolly never said anything. And I finally just had to say, Dolly, I mean, you've got a. wig and you're doing the thing and the wool and I mean, come on, just, it's hot. I'm gonna sign a little, you know, but just like say, just. say I'm hot, you know, this is a drag. And she said, do you remember this? We're sitting on the porch. And she said to me, when I was a little girl, I wanted to be famous and I wanted to be rich.

And now I'm both those things. I'm not gonna complain about it. And I thought, okay, I'm gonna be. quiet for the rest of the day. She inspired so many singers and songwriters too, performing. here with Brandi Carlile at the Newport Folk Festival in 2019. I hope life will treat you real kind.

[Music]. Overnight, Randy Carlisle posting a tribute to. Dolly, saying Dolly traded in her butterfly wings. today and shared this about Dolly. She took my face in her hands and prayed over me once.

I've never been the same since. Her prayers were maybe more powerful than. mine or anyone else's, because that prayer has had a. very long rainbow-colored halo, and I hope it lasts. me my whole life. [Music]. Dolly always connecting. And there was the time just a few years back when she. sent me a little message.

I've carried it on my phone ever since. Hey, David, I just have one thing to say to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear David. We will always love you. Happy birthday to you. I will hold that message close. And even in that moment, I knew that this is what Dolly does. She lifts us all and we are grateful.

By the way, our special Dolly Parton and American Original. now streaming on Disney Plus and Hulu. I'm David Muir. 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.