ABC World News Tonight with David Muir Full Broadcast - May 26, 2025

Tonight breaking news, a car slams into a. massive crowd at a parade. severe storm threatened record holiday travel. And the urgent manhunt for a former police chief. convicted of murder, how can we say he. escaped from prison? First, that breaking news horrific video. shows the moment a car rammed into scores of soccer. fans during a victory parade. The crowd then smashing that car's windows. What authorities are now saying about the driver. Also tonight, storms are impacting millions heading home. from the long holiday weekend.

Lightning striking a packed plane, a tornado watch for parts. of Texas tonight after multiple reports of twisters. across several states. A dangerous weather set to sweep east, our team has. stand by to time it all out. The urgent search for a former police chief convicted of murder. and rape, how investigators say he managed to. escape from prison. The investigation tonight into an American man. accused of plotting a fire bomb the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, what authorities. say he had in his backpack? On this Memorial Day, President Trump honors the fall in it,

Arlington National Cemetery. In a rare rebuke, the President blasted Vladimir Putin, calling him "absolutely crazy" after Russia's biggest. bombardment on Ukraine since the start of the war. And what Trump is now saying about a new tariff threat. on the European Union. New reporting tonight in a shocking crypto kidnapping. investigation in New York City. One man accused of kidnapping and torturing an. Italian tourist for weeks. The second suspect set to surrender this week. Investigators say it was a twisted scheme to obtain a.

victim's Bitcoin password. The video seen around the world showing the moment French. president of manual Macron's wife appears to shove. him in the face. I'm a cron is responding tonight. Billy Dore's wife speaks out after the music icon revealed. a major health scare forcing him to cancel all his concerts. And as the nation pauses to honor our fallen war. heroes, a story of honor, hope, and heartbreak. in Vietnam after decades of searching. How one family hears their father's voice for the. first time in decades.

It's tonight's America Strong. >> You see cash is. >> From ABC News, World Headquarters in New York. This is World News Tonight with David New York. >> Good evening everyone and thanks so much for joining. us on this Memorial Day. I'm Lindsay Davis and for David. We begin tonight with breaking news, a car slamming into. a huge crowd at a parade as tens of thousands of people. celebrated a soccer team's championship overseas.

This video, circuilating online, shows the moment a minivan. plowed into the pedestrians. It's now part of the investigation in. Liverpool, England. Angry bystanders immediately started attacking the vehicle, smashing a rear window. Amulets is rushing to the scene to treat the. nearly 50 people injured. witnesses say they could hear their cries and screams. Late today, police provided an update on the investigation. and the suspected driver is now in custody. ABC's Ian panel leads us off.

[MUSIC]. Tonight, a massive street celebration turns. into chaos and panic as a car plows into soccer. fans in Liverpool, England. >> Oh, my! >> Video circulating online, now part of the. police investigation, showing the moment the vehicle. swerves into the crowd, knocking multiple. people to the ground. First responders treating victims at the scene, rushing them away on stretches. At least 47 people injured, including four children. The streets packed with tens of thousands of Liverpool.

football club fans at the time, celebrating their team's. historically victory. Oh! No! But moments later, tragedy. Angry bystanders attacking the vehicle after it hit the crowd, smashing its rear window as police struggled to. contain the situation. A 53-year-old man was detained at the scene later arrested, police forcing the suspect into an ambulance, fending off an angry mob. Late today, police saying they don't believe.

this was terrorism. We believe this to be an isolated incident, and. we are not currently looking for anyone else. in relation to it. Lindsey, British Prime Minister Kierstama closely monitoring. this situation, describing the events in Liverpool as. appalling meanwhile, the club itself offering its thoughts and. prayers to all those affected. As we all are, Ian, thank you. back here at home to severe weather, threatening. millions returning from the long holiday weekend. Much of central Texas is under a tornado watch.

Twisters hail and flooding, slamming parts of the. south and the plains. A swift water rescue saving a mother and toddler trapped in. flood waters in Tulsa, Oklahoma and this tornado touching. down in New Mexico. It's been our record setting holiday weekend. Here's ABC's Geobani Test. Tonight, severe storms and flooding rains. threatening millions headed home from the holiday. after a weekend of wild weather. Over night, six reported tornadoes, five in Texas, north. of Abelene, multiple funnels touching down off Highway.

277 near Stamford. Another massive tornado churning up the dirt. in Portalis, New Mexico. In Afton, Texas, massive hail. the. says they screened more than 3 million people. Friday making it the third busiest day of all time. But there were multiple incidents. Lates Sunday night, a packed Southwest flight 168. bound for Denver, reporting a lightning strike.

"I was just born with that radio. We got a lightning strike.". Megan Quinlan was in a window seat. "It was just this big "It was just this big. flash that flashed outside of the window. side of the window. We could feel the electricity. coming on the floor of the cabin into our feet. At a passenger on board, this flight from Tokyo to. Houston had to be restrained with zip ties by two. Marines on board after he tried to open an emergency exit door. The flight diverting to Seattle, both planes landing safely.

- And Lindsay, the worst time to drive. is right about now, especially in major cities, of course, if you can, try waiting till later tonight. and you should have the roads all to yourself, Lindsay. - Some good advice, Jio, thank you. Let's get right to meet a relative Danny Bextrom. from our station, WABC here in New York. Hi, Danny, can you time out the severe weather for us? - Storms firing up as we speak, Lindsay, with more than 20 million Americans. under alerts tonight in the south. Tornado watches and effect in central Texas, severe thunderstorm watches from New Mexico.

and West Texas to Mississippi and Alabama, while flooding remains a big concern in the entire region. These strong storms track east into the overnight hours, impacting Austin, a Dallas by 9 p.m. local time, with damaging wind, very large hail, and a few tornadoes. possible throughout the lower Mississippi. Valley into early Tuesday. By midweek, the system moves into the mid-Atlantic, rain arrives to the I-95 corridor. by Wednesday afternoon, Lindsay. - Quite a mixed bag there, Danny. Thank you now to the urgent search for a former police chief. convicted of murder and rape. Police say he escaped from a prison in Arkansas.

over the weekend. And the new details tonight about that brazen. jailbreak in New Orleans. 10 inmates escaping the latest from ABC's federal. Tonight, the urgent search for a former police chief. turned escaped convict. Grant Hardin broke out of an Arkansas prison this weekend. The 56 year old had been locked up since 2017. for murder and rape. An official say Sunday he disguised himself in a. makeshift officers uniform taking off through a secure. entryway. Authorities now closing roads.

and scouring the area, warning Hardin could. be armed and dangerous. It comes amidst a growing search for several inmates who. escaped jail in New Orleans more than a week and a half ago. Lake today three more escapees captured with. two still on the run. At least nine people have now been arrested for allegedly. helping these inmates, including another inmate accused of giving. them a blanket and shirts to climb over the facility's razor. wire. They're going to make a mistake. or get tired of running. And when they do that, if you're there or close by,

you'll be able to pick them up. And Lindsay asked for that escaped Arkansas murderer. He previously worked as the police chief in a small town. not far away and admitted to killing a fellow. government employee. Authorities say he is extremely dangerous. Lindsay? Trevor, thank you. Now to an American man accused of plotting to fire bomb. the US Embassy in Tel Aviv. Investigators say they found three multiple. cocktails in his backpack. And what he posted on social media. or now from ABC Stephanie Ramos.

Tonight, a man from Colorado is now behind bars, charged with trying to fire bomb the US Embassy in Tel Aviv. and making threats against President Trump. According to a criminal complaint, Joseph Newmeyer, seen here on Facebook, went to the branch office of the US Embassy in Tel Aviv. a week ago, carrying a backpack. There, the dual American German citizen allegedly. spit on a guard outside and then walked away. when the guard tried to stop him, new Meyer allegedly repeated profanities and fled, leaving that backpack behind.

The complaint says when the guards opened the backpack, they smelled pure alcohol. An Israeli bomb squad also called to the scene. Later recovering three Molotov cocktails. that contained flammable liquid, namely ethanol. Earlier that day, the 28-year-old allegedly. posting on Facebook, "Join me this. afternoon in Tel Aviv. We are burning down the U.S. Embassy and death to America, death to Americans. Prosecutors say they also found multiple online posts. by New Meyer threatening the lives of Trump and Elon Musk.

- Lindsey authorities say New Meyer arrived in Israel. in April. He was deported to the U.S. and arrested by the FBI at JFK Airport this weekend. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. Lindsey. - Stephanie Ramos. for us, thank you. Next night, President Trump honoring the fall. laying a wreath at the tomb of the unknown. soldier. The president is now blasting Vladimir. Putin, calling him absolutely crazy. And what Trump's now saying about a new tariff. threat on the European Union? Maybe see your White House correspondent Selena Wang has.

more. Today, President Trump marking Memorial Day at Arlington. National Cemetery laying a the unknown soldier to. honor America's fallen. "We share in the sorrow of their beloved families, and as one. nation we give thanks for the ultimate gift they have so. selflessly given to all of us.". But the president also using his Memorial Day message on. social media to lash out at federal judges who blocked his. agenda and blast his political opponents, calling them.

quote scum. A republic that I am fixing after a long and hard. four years. That was a hard four years we went through. Who would let that happen? People pouring through our borders unchecked. And just days after a federal judge temporarily. blocked the administration's ban on international. students at Harvard, Trump is now threatening. to take $3 billion in grants away from Harvard.

and redirect the money to trade schools. "Part of the problem with Harvard is that there are about. 31 percent, almost 31 percent of foreigners coming to Harvard. We have Americans that want to go there and to other places. The White House claims Harvard has become a hotbed of. anti-American, anti-Semitic, pro-terrorist agitators. Allegations Harvard denies. A hearing is now set for Thursday, but until then, the fate of nearly 7,000 international.

students at Harvard hangs in the balance. We're all panicking. We're all overwhelmed. Time of uncertainty. Literally, like, like, it's, I've never. experienced it before. And tonight the president also turning his frustration towards. Vladimir Putin just hours after Russia unleashed its. biggest bombardment of Ukraine since the start of the war. An rare rebuke of the Russian leader Trump saying Putin. has gone absolutely crazy. I'm not happy with what Putin's doing.

He's killing a lot of people and I don't know what. the hell happened to Putin. I've known him a long time, always gotten along with him, but he's sending rockets into cities and killing people. and I don't like it at all. But the Kremlin pushing back tonight, suggesting. Trump's comments might be due to emotional overload. Selina Wang joined us now from the White House. Selina, why does President Trump say that he's now giving. the European Union more time to reach a deal before. imposing that major new tariff?

Well, Lindsay is to allow for more time for negotiation. So President Trump had threatened 50% tariffs. on European goods, but he's now delaying. that by a month. But President Trump, he is keeping the pressure up on Apple. warning that they'll get hit with 25% terrorists if. they don't make the iPhone here in the US, something that. analysts say is unrealistic. Lindsey Selina Wang for us, thank you. The stunning details emerging in that alleged. crypto kidnapping plot. One man is charged with abducting and torturing. and Italian tourists.

A second suspect is expected to surrender later this week. Here's ABC's Janay Norman. Tonight, a second suspect in a horrific alleged. crypto kidnapping and torture case. set to turn himself in to New York police any day now. Police already arresting this man, John Woltz, a crypto executive. Woltz charged with assault and kidnapping. Police say the suspects held in Italian man and Woltz's. rental home for weeks, shocking him with electrical. wires and beating him, even dangling him off a ledge.

and threatening to drop him, trying to get him to reveal. his Bitcoin password, which would give them access to. his millions in cryptocurrency. Walt remains in jail scheduled to appear again. in court on Wednesday. This is just the latest in a string of suspected crimes. in high-profile crypto cases. This month in Paris would be kidnappers attempted. to abduct the daughter and grandson of a crypto. executive in broad daylight. A shopkeeper armed with a fire extinguisher helped fend off.

the attackers who got away. An expert say crypto is becoming more and more attractive. to would-be thieves because its transactions are designed. to be instantaneous and hard to trace, Lindsey. "Jane, thank you. Charles Rangel once the dean of New York's Congressional. Delegation has died. Wrangles spent 46 years in the House becoming the first. black chair of the Powerful Ways and Means Committee. A tax-related ethics scandal caused him that post. He was also a founding member of the Congressional. Black Caucus, along with fellow New York political.

giant Shirley Chisholm. A political force for decades. Charles Wrangles was 94. Still much more ahead on World News tonight, this. Memorial Day, the family of a fallen Vietnam War hero. receives a precious gift decades after he died in combat. And the controversy surrounding this viral video, what French President Macron says really happened. Next night, the search for suspects in a mass shooting. Eleven people were injured, at least one critically,

when gunfire erupted on a charter boat in the beach town. of Little River, South Carolina last night. Police say it was an isolated incident, a shooting sparked. by some sort of argument during a private holiday event, so far, no arrests. And the buzz over what French President Emmanuel Macron. called "joking with my wife.". Video shows Macron taking hands to the faces he's about. to get off a plane in Vietnam yesterday. Moments later, we see those hands belong. to his wife Brigitte. The scene prompted one French newspaper to. ask, "Slap or squabble?".

Macron says the couple was play fighting. When we come back, the emotional message from Billy Joel's. wife after he revealed a major health scare. To the index now, nature's power on display again in Hawaii. Visitors to Killaway of Alcano got to see this lava shooting. nearly 1,000 feet in the air yesterday. The U.S. Geological Survey says this was of. Alcano's 23rd episode during its latest eruptive. phase which began in December. Next a note of thanks from Billie Jolm,

the piano man fighting a congidition which leads. to a fluid build up in the brain thanking fans. for their kindness today. On Instagram his wife Alexis wrote thank you. for the outpouring of love and support adding. we look forward to seeing you all in the future. And record breaking movie earnings, Lilo and Stitch, the live action remake from. ABC's parent company Disney, holding a massive. $183 million this weekend, leaving the way on Hollywood's. best ever memorial day. At number 277 million from Mission Impossible,

the final reckoning, overall domestic industry. earnings are expected to hit $325 million for. all films this weekend. When we come back, Amanda discovers his father's voice. decades after the war hero's death. Finally tonight, America's strong. One fallen hero's voice silenced when his children were too. young to remember until now. Here's Byron Pits. This is Captain Riley Lee Roy Pits, company commander of Charlie Company, second battalion,

27th Infantry in Vietnam. The first black officer in American history to. receive the Medal of Honor. But just weeks before he was set to go home to be with. his family, wife Yuleme, son Mark and daughter Stacy on. Thanksgiving of 1967, Captain Pitts was killed by enemy fire. He was 30 years old. His son Mark told us he did not remember the sound of his. father's voice until one day when his mother set. down to watch TV. - The story started with my mother was watching.

the Ken Burns documentary on Muhammad Ali. - No, I will not go. - And she starts telling me, "Hey, I just saw your dad.". They interviewed him in this Muhammad Ali series. - That clip, a short snippet of a camber crew in Vietnam. talking to soldiers about Muhammad Ali. refusing to be drafted to fight in Vietnam. And there he was, Captain Pits. - Simply because Muhammad Ali has these beliefs, there's no reason why people should go against him.

- That footage, Attorney Dow, came from the vast depths. of the ABC News archives. Our team then finding more than 40 minutes. of unaired footage. - So he found the original sequence of interviews, But he also found some other stuff. V.C. Cash's V.C. themselves is still here. This is called a search and destroy mission. I'm watching his mannerisms and that's the first time I've. obviously remember his facial expressions, his body language.

Every member of the PITS family teared up. emotional as they watched. So one more to show you. Because he made such an impression on the team from ABC. News, they went back again and they interviewed his soldiers. who were with them when he died. -Lie Roy Pits was more than an inspiration and a leader of his. men. He was a man among men. -Without his leadership, everybody would have. completely fell apart. -Clearly the respect that they had for him and the. appreciation for his leadership and just probably more.

personal than it is, anything that I saw in the video. - Sexist is Charlie, sexist. - I'm seeing more than I expected. And I don't know that I was quite. I love me. - I'm much. - I told you I worked. (laughing). - It's a lot, it's a whole lot more. - Yeah, I just know that. that I'm this style, something special. I mean, I really do. - Captain Pitts, a leader and hero are thanks to Byron.

You can see the full story later tonight on Nightline. Thanks so much for watching. I'm Lindsay Davis. David Mirabach here tomorrow. Goodnight.