ABC World News Tonight with David Muir Full Broadcast - April 16, 2026

[0:00] David Muir, ABC's World News Tonight. America's most watched newscast. Now streaming same day [0:07] with all the breaking news of the day on Disney Plus. Most watched, most trusted. Now on Disney [0:13] Plus every night. Tonight the breaking news right now. Authorities at this hour warning of a [0:19] significant new weather threat. Multiple states. This line of severe storms from the Midwest right [0:24] into the Northeast. Also tonight my interview this evening with all four astronauts just back [0:30] from space. First tonight the severe storms on the move right now. States of emergency and they're [0:35] warning tonight and tomorrow that these storms could be even more severe. Already multiple tornadoes. [0:40] A 41 year old man killed after being struck by lightning. Millions bracing for these storms [0:45] tonight this evening right through tomorrow right into the east. Lee Goldberg standing by with the [0:50] storm forecast. Also breaking news tonight on the war in Iran. What President Trump is now saying [0:55] about new talks and the president's ceasefire with Iran set to end in days. Will he extend [1:01] it? What he's now saying. And tonight what the president is also saying about Pope Leo. Also [1:06] the horrific scene tonight. Authorities say a former lieutenant governor shooting and killing [1:11] his wife in the basement of their home and then taking his own life. Their teenage son and daughter [1:16] both home. Tonight we have just learned of a plane forced to abort its landing because of another [1:22] plane. Tonight my interview with all four astronauts just back from space making history on the [1:28] Artemis 2 mission. Tonight for the first time they described to us those moments inside the capsule [1:33] as it re-entered the earth's atmosphere facing temperatures of 5,000 degrees. What it was like [1:40] inside the capsule. What we had not heard before. Also the moment that moved them all. And tonight [1:46] the question that suddenly had all of the astronauts laughing. And we loved their answer. The other news [1:51] tonight in New York City. The police chase on horseback right down 72nd Street on the Upper [1:56] West Side. Tonight the pole smashing through the windshield of an airport bus. And they might [2:01] be the most watched eaglets in the world. And they need names tonight. With your help. From ABC News [2:11] World Headquarters in New York. This is World News Tonight with David Muir. Good evening. We begin [2:18] tonight here with multiple breaking stories. Also tonight my interview with those four astronauts just back from [2:24] space. They're standing by here in a moment. But we begin tonight with the weather and authorities right now are [2:29] warning of what they're calling a significant new weather threat. Multiple states. The line of severe storms from the [2:34] Midwest right into the northeast. Damaging winds and news tonight. A 41 year old man was killed struck by lightning in a [2:41] parking lot. Multiple tornadoes reported already including one spotted over Clinton, Missouri. Homes, schools and [2:47] buildings damaged. Tonight severe storm alerts up across multiple states. And this is all moving east. [2:52] Lee Goldberg has the storm forecast and Alex Perez tonight leading us off from the storm zone. [2:57] Tonight hail, wind and rain now targeting the northeast after powerful spring storms hit the Midwest again overnight. [3:06] Hail pummeling cars around the Cleveland area. This driver helpless as the massive hailstones batter their vehicle. In Milwaukee, workers used rakes to clear clogged storm drains after floodwaters inundated and closed roads across the area. Officials say as much as a month's worth of rain fell in a matter of hours. [3:28] As stranding Brewers fans trying to leave the game. Multiple drivers near the stadium had to be rescued. Authorities in Waukesha County, Wisconsin say a 41 year old was struck by lightning in a parking lot and died. Outside Grand Rapids, Michigan deputies and firefighters went door to door along the fast rising Muskegon River evacuating families in Nwaygo County. The rain combined with melting snow sending multiple rivers into major flood stage tonight. [3:56] And David, flooding remains a big problem here in the Milwaukee area. Many roads like this one is still closed and now a new storm taking aim at many of the same areas again tomorrow. David, Alex Perez in the storm zone again tonight. Alex, thank you. Let's get right to ABC senior meteorologist Lee Goldberg tracking it all again tonight for us. Hi, Lee. Hey, David, after one day break, we're right back at it tomorrow. We even have some storms tonight, not as severe. They're working through central New York state. Some storm warnings northeast of Syracuse right now and also across Kentucky and Tennessee. But tomorrow, the enhanced storm storm storm storm storm storm storm storm storm storm storm storm storm storm storm storm storm storm storm storm storm storm storm storm storm storm storm storm storm storm storm storm storm storm storm storm storm storm storm storm [4:27] And then, the greatest risk for very large hail tornadoes as well from Oklahoma all the way to Wisconsin. Yes, the same places we've been talking about all week. The greatest tornado risk from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, maybe to Miss Madison, Wisconsin, and then straight line winds. Maybe 80 mile per hour gusts not far from Kansas City and baseball size hail. The timing is from about four o'clock tomorrow afternoon to about 10 o'clock tonight into the nighttime hours. Maybe some flooding rain into the Great Lakes. Then it turns cooler in northeast over the weekend. Be in the 50s here in New York by Sunday. David. [4:57] The president of the war in Iran. The president is now saying about new talks. Will they happen this weekend? Our Rachel Scott asked the president about his ceasefire with Iran now set to expire in days. Will he extend it? How he answered and what he also said tonight about Pope Leo? Here's Rachel. Tonight, president Trump says the second round of talks with Iran could take place as soon as this weekend, insisting they are very close to making a deal. I asked the president if he would extend the ceasefire set to expire in six days. [5:26] If there's no deal, would you be willing to extend the ceasefire? [5:30] I would say the fighting, if there's no deal, fighting resume. [5:34] But five minutes later, the president's saying he would be willing to extend the ceasefire after all. [5:38] If we need to, I would do that. [5:40] Reporters also pressing President Trump about his ongoing attacks on Pope Leo. [5:45] The president now claiming the Pope is fine with Iran having a nuclear weapon. [5:48] I'm not fighting with him. The Pope made a statement. [5:52] He says Iran can have a nuclear weapon. I say Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. [5:57] But the Pope has never said that. [5:59] He has criticized the president for threatening to destroy Iranian civilization. [6:04] And he has focused on peace, including today while in war-torn Cameroon. [6:09] The masters of war pretend not to know that it takes only a moment to destroy. [6:15] Yet often, a lifetime is often not enough to rebuild. [6:21] The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has defended Pope Leo, saying he is preaching the gospel. [6:26] Because there was a group of bishops that did put out a statement saying the Pope isn't merely exercising his opinion. [6:31] He's preaching the gospel. I mean, what do you say to people that do that? [6:34] Well, I want him to preach the gospel. I'm all about the gospel. [6:37] But I also know that you cannot let a certain country, which is a very mean-spirited country, have a nuclear weapon. [6:44] I'm all about the gospel. I'm about it as much as anybody can be. [6:48] I also asked the president how long Americans will continue to see high gas prices. [6:53] The president told me they're, quote, not very high. [6:56] David, the average price of gas right now is more than $4 a gallon. [6:59] That's up $1.11 since this war began. [7:02] David. [7:03] Rachel Scott at the White House tonight. [7:04] Rachel, thanks. [7:05] We turned out of the horrific scene inside a home in Virginia. [7:08] Authorities say a former lieutenant governor shooting and killing his wife in the basement of their home [7:12] and then taking his own life, their teenage son and daughter, both home at the time. [7:17] Here's Pierre Thomas now. [7:18] He was once a rising Democratic star in Virginia politics, but tonight, a tragic and violent ending for Justin Fairfax and his wife. [7:32] Police say the former lieutenant governor shot his wife, Serena, multiple times and then turned the gun on himself in a murder-suicide. [7:40] Their teenage daughter and son were inside the home at the time. [7:44] Horrible news for the family. Certainly a traumatic event for those children to live through. [7:49] Their son calling 911 after finding his mother in the basement. [7:54] Justin Fairfax discovered in an upstairs bedroom. [7:58] With himself inflicted gunshot wound to the head. [8:04] Police say Fairfax and attorney and his wife, Serena, a dentist, were going through a messy divorce, but still living in the same home. [8:12] They say Justin Fairfax had recently been served paperwork about an upcoming court date. [8:17] That may have been a spark, and detectives will figure that out, that led to this tragedy here. [8:25] David, domestic violence remains a huge challenge in this country. [8:29] Between 2020 and 2024, there were more than 11,000 murders involving domestic relationships. [8:36] David. [8:36] Pierre Thomas, live in Washington tonight. [8:38] Pierre, thank you. [8:39] Tonight, an ICE agent facing felony assault charges linked to the immigration crackdown in Minnesota. [8:44] The Hennepin County attorney filing an arrest warrant today for Gregory Morgan Jr., [8:48] accusing him of pointing his gun at two people in a car while he was illegally driving on the shoulder of the road in an unmarked vehicle. [8:55] The agent claiming they cut him off and that he feared for his life. [8:59] The prosecutor says the alleged victims recorded the incident. [9:02] We turn next tonight here to my interview with all four astronauts just back from space. [9:06] Tonight, for the first time, they described to us those moments inside the capsule as it re-entered the Earth's atmosphere, [9:12] facing temperatures of 5,000 degrees, what it was like inside that capsule, what we had not heard before. [9:19] Also, the decision that moved them all. [9:21] And tonight, the question that suddenly had all of the astronauts laughing, and we loved their answer. [9:26] My interview with the astronauts just a short time ago. [9:29] Well, thank you all for joining us. [9:31] It hasn't even been a week yet. [9:32] I'm sure you're all still working to grasp the full scope of what it is you've witnessed, the history you've made. [9:37] I just wanted to thank you all, because you gave us all a gift, a moment of real unity, and we're just grateful for what you've done. [9:44] Commander Weissman, I wanted to start with you about the history made, going farther than any human has gone before. [9:49] You saw the far side of the moon. [9:51] Communication went dark for a time. [9:53] Can you describe the silence and those moments witnessing the far side of the moon? [9:57] What was it like? [9:57] When you see, I mean, you get to see so many amazing things, and you see your home planet. [10:04] You see Earth eclipsing behind the moon, and it's just such a neat thing to see as a human being. [10:13] And then once the Earth is out of sight, we know we can't talk to home anymore. [10:19] And as the four crew members, that is when the science was actually getting the hottest and the heaviest for us. [10:24] The far side of the moon is never seen by humans on Earth, and so we had a chance to see it. [10:29] And we were seeing areas of the moon that had never been lit up during the Apollo era. [10:33] So this was the first time four humans have set their eyes on the far side of the moon. [10:37] And to be quite honest, we did take a minute, just a few seconds. [10:41] We shared some maple cream cookies that Jeremy had brought outside of contact with all of Earth. [10:46] And then it was right back to the cameras, right back to the science notes, and we were just documenting every single thing that we could see on the far side. [10:52] And we were the best vantage point you could ever wish for. [10:56] Victor, did it hit you in that moment, that moment of silence, other than the four of you, when you went further than any humans gone before? [11:03] You know, in the moment, I couldn't process because I said a quick prayer and went right back to, you know, describing what I was seeing on the surface. [11:09] And I'm still processing it all, but I say the thing that wells to the surface right now is just immense gratitude for the trust in us. [11:17] The gratitude from all of us, too. [11:19] Hey, Christina, you spoke of looking back at Earth at one point, and we loved hearing you say that you could see the coastline of the continent. [11:25] You could see the rivers. [11:26] You said you look beautiful. [11:28] But you've also said since that you noticed something else, the blackness around Earth, our place in the universe. [11:35] I'm wondering what that impact had on you in that moment. [11:39] It wasn't something I expected to notice. [11:41] I think that Earth is the most beautiful thing you can possibly witness from space. [11:46] But it is what I took in was how much not Earth there was. [11:53] We were just a lifeboat. [11:56] Victor said it before. [11:57] The Earth was no different than our spaceship in that moment. [12:00] We were just two different things keeping humans alive in the universe. [12:04] You all said just today that you launched as friends, but you landed as best friends. [12:10] And I've got to say, we could all tell back here on Earth just watching you. [12:13] Commander Weissman, I wanted to ask you about that moment during the mission when your crewmate, Jeremy Hansen, said that all of you wanted to name one of the craters in the backside of the moon after your late wife, Carol, who died of cancer. [12:25] We could hear it in Jeremy's voice. [12:26] It's a bright spot. [12:40] Commander, I wonder what that moment was like for you. [12:42] I said it's the pinnacle of my entire life to be able to do something like that on this crew, to honor a woman who was so amazing. [12:50] And the mother of my two daughters, Ellie and Katie, there are no words. [12:55] I cannot express how I felt in that moment. [12:58] And as Jeremy was going through, when the crew decided to do this right before flight, I just said, I cannot be the one who talks about this because I won't make it through. [13:08] And I know for my two daughters, who had to watch their dad hurl himself around the moon with three of his best friends, that was a gift that can never be repaid. [13:19] And Jeremy, we could hear it in your voice, too. [13:21] We could all see in that moment the connection the four of you have. [13:25] We didn't really know how we would do it or when, when that would feel right. [13:29] Or it's just, I mean, we've never done it before. [13:31] And when we got up there, we were getting close to the moon and we started to see, we could see it with our own eyes. [13:37] And that's where it just kind of, we just felt it. [13:39] It just felt right. [13:40] And, but that was tough to get through. [13:43] Christina, we were all on the air live here, watching reentry. [13:46] Millions of Americans back home here on Earth were watching. [13:50] We were told integrity of the capsule would face temperatures of 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit. [13:55] Can you take us inside the capsule in that moment? [13:57] What could you sense in that moment of reentry into the Earth's atmosphere? [14:00] What could you see? [14:02] What could you sense? [14:05] Well, what people might not know is that reentry is at least 10 times wilder of an experience than any rocket launch. [14:12] It is the most phenomenal part, the grand finale of any spaceflight. [14:16] Coming back to a planet is no joke. [14:18] It's not like landing a plane. [14:20] You come through the atmosphere and you know it as soon as you start to hit those air particles. [14:25] You start to feel the rumbling. [14:27] And then when that plasma comes, it's like nothing you can believe. [14:30] We saw the plasma out the windows the entire time. [14:33] I was sitting right by the side hatch, which has a window. [14:36] Jeremy and I could also see out the docking hatch. [14:38] And the fireball that we were in got so bright that it was like an arc welder. [14:42] You almost couldn't even look at it. [14:45] And just the intensity of that, the G's coming on, Victor calling them out, hearing in their voices that they couldn't speak normally because of the weight on their chest. [14:54] It was amazing. And then I think the best part was at the end when we were just no longer, when we were sort of just falling straight down instead of using our roll vector to give us lift and actually direct our path in. [15:06] We started rumbling a lot because we were basically just a bell falling through the atmosphere. [15:11] And that rumbling was not something we could have ever practiced on Earth. [15:15] And Reid said, this is nominal. Everything's nominal. [15:18] And I thought to myself, he has no idea if this is nominal. [15:21] But I'm glad he just said that because I feel better now. [15:24] Nominal to reassure all of you inside that capsule. [15:27] You know, obviously you were aware of the six minutes. [15:29] For people watching us, we had the six minutes of silence as you all were going through that. [15:34] I mean, are you just hard at work? [15:35] Are you focused? [15:36] Or were you sort of nervous wrecks like the rest of us watching here back on Earth? [15:41] I want to start, and then Victor's definitely going to talk about that. [15:46] But I just want to tell you, this man is the real deal. [15:49] So we were under four Gs for about 13 minutes, and the entire time he had a cadence of altitudes and speeds, and he never missed a beat. [15:58] Like, it was the most impressive operational experience I have been through watching him go through entry. [16:04] That's too kind. I will just say it was intense. [16:08] I think it was intense. The heat, I mean, literally and figuratively intense. [16:12] And we, you know, in that blackout, not only do we lose the ability to communicate, [16:17] we lose the ability for, you know, mission control to command to the vehicle. [16:21] And so if something were to go wrong, one of the reasons that cadence was so important is we know when things should happen. [16:28] And if they don't happen automatically, we have to get involved and make sure that the forward bay cover comes off, [16:33] the drogue and pilot and mains come out. [16:35] And so we just had to be on it. [16:37] But when we hit the water, it was a spiritual moment. [16:40] It was so nice to splash down. [16:42] And I think I don't remember exactly. [16:44] I think I just said, welcome back to Earth. [16:45] It was so such a good moment. [16:47] I can't even imagine what that splashdown moment must have been like for all of you. [16:50] When you see the images of the capsule now and what you all faced at those temperatures of what, 5000 degrees Fahrenheit, [16:56] does it drive home the danger you faced? [16:59] And really for the rest of us, the bravery of the four of you sitting right there. [17:03] Seeing the capsule on the ship the morning after we landed, just before we got on the helicopters to fly back to San Diego, [17:10] I just had like this immense feeling of gratitude for that ship because it went through a lot. [17:15] And it kept four humans alive. [17:17] We're glad you're all home, that you're all safe. [17:20] One last question. [17:21] And whose Nutella was that that was floating by you in space? [17:26] That was ours. [17:28] That was ours. [17:30] You do everything as a four-person crew in space. [17:33] I love that. [17:33] Very diplomatic. [17:35] Well, thank you all. [17:36] And thank you all for the gift of unity you gave all of us back here on Earth. [17:39] It was a moment beyond ourselves here and something we could all rally behind. [17:43] And it was a wonderful thing. [17:44] We're glad you're home safe. [17:47] Thank you. [17:47] Thank you. [17:48] Thank you. [17:48] Thank you. [17:48] The four astronauts who made history, their bravery, and I just have to say tonight, they just seem like great human beings. [17:55] Our interview late today with them, and I thank them. [17:57] When we come back tonight, we have just learned of a plane forced to abort its landing at the last minute because of another plane. [18:03] We'll have more in a moment. [18:04] Also in New York City, the police chase on horseback where this played out and who they were after. [18:09] The pole smashing through the windshield of an airport bus where this played out. [18:14] And they might be the most watched eaglets in the world right here in the U.S. tonight, and they need names. [18:19] They're asking for your help right after the break. [18:22] Tonight, we have learned a U.S. plane was forced to abort its landing in Louisville after a small plane nearly went out of the runway as that U.S. plane was about to land. [18:30] We're told this played out on Tuesday. [18:32] Air traffic controllers shouting at the pilot of that small plane. [18:37] Skylab 2-5, stop. [18:38] Skylab 2-5, what are you doing? [18:47] That U.S. plane conducted a go-around and did land safely. [18:51] The FAA is investigating yet another close call. [18:53] In New York City, a dramatic police chase on horseback. [18:56] An officer and his horse named Kelly galloping down the streets of the Upper West Side, 72nd Street, in pursuit of an alleged purse snatcher. [19:04] We're told the officer did apprehend the suspect. [19:07] Well done to the horse, too. [19:08] When we come back here tonight, the pole smashing right through the windshield of an airport bus. [19:12] And they might be the most watched eaglets in the world. [19:15] They're right here in the U.S. and they need names tonight. [19:18] They're asking for your help in a moment. [19:19] To the index, the airport bus slamming into a pole at Atlanta's airport. [19:24] Authorities say a charter bus slammed into a height barrier. [19:27] The pole impaling the bus's windshield, going right through the passenger seat. [19:32] Only the driver was on the bus at the time. [19:33] He wasn't hurt. [19:34] Authorities say the driver said he did not see that barrier. [19:37] Tonight, California's famous eaglets need names. [19:40] Jackie and Shadow's eaglets are growing fast. [19:42] Friends of Big Bear Valley, the group that runs those nest cams, accepting ideas on their website. [19:48] Big Bear third graders will then vote on the submissions. [19:51] When we come back tonight, there was one more thing astronaut Christina Koch told us about that mission. [19:56] We loved it. [19:56] We'll share it with you in a minute. [19:59] Before we go, we all knew it watching. [20:01] The unity, the gift that those astronauts gave the rest of us. [20:03] But astronaut Christina Koch revealed that her whole family had been talking about the impact of that moon mission. [20:09] But it was her husband who told her, you really did have an impact. [20:12] She said it brought her to tears when she got home. [20:14] History made. [20:16] I'm David Muir. [20:16] I'll see you tomorrow. [20:17] Good night. [20:17] David Muir, the most trusted anchor in America, the most watched anchor in America. [20:24] Thank you for making World News Tonight with David Muir, the number one newscast in America.