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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.
ABC World News Tonight covers a daring Empire State Building stunt, extreme heat wave, and major breaking news stories across the US and world.
Key Takeaways
- The Empire State Building stunt was a major security breach and drew nationwide attention.
- Extreme heat poses a serious health risk for millions, prompting emergency measures.
- Significant political and social news includes Trump's financial disclosures and major rescue operations.
- Ongoing natural disaster responses and aviation safety investigations are critical current events.
- Celebrity news and personal health revelations add human interest to the broadcast.
What the video covers
- Two masked climbers scaled the Empire State Building spire, unfurled a banner promoting peace, and one proposed marriage at 1,454 feet without safety gear.
- The NYPD arrested the couple, identified as Russian nationals Angela Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov, raising serious security concerns.
- A life-threatening heat wave affects 160 million Americans across 30 states with triple-digit temperatures and heat emergencies declared in major cities.
- New York City and other cities opened cooling centers and deployed cooling vans to help residents cope with the extreme heat.
- President Trump flew for the first time in his new Air Force One, a $400 million gift from Qatar, and disclosed earning $2.2 billion last year.
- Authorities rescued 16 children living in dangerous conditions in a small home, highlighting a severe child welfare case.
- Rescue efforts continue in Venezuela after back-to-back earthquakes, including a survivor trapped under rubble for seven days.
- A US Navy helicopter went down, prompting an urgent search for a missing crew member.
- The FAA is investigating a taxiway collision between a truck and a jet at Madison Square Garden, where Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are set to wed.
- Actor Danny Glover revealed his personal battle with Alzheimer's disease.
Chapters
- 00:00Introduction and Empire State Building Stunt
- 01:01Heat Emergencies Across the US
- 01:51Venezuela Earthquake Rescue Efforts
- 02:37Upcoming Statue of Liberty Event
- 03:23NYPD Arrest of Empire State Climbers
- 04:14Live Report from Empire State Building Scene
- 05:16Heat Wave Impact and City Responses
- 07:49President Trump's Air Force One and Finances
- 10:53Child Rescue and Venezuela Earthquake Updates
- 15:29US Navy Helicopter Crash and FAA Investigation
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
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Most watched, most trusted, now on Disney Plus every night. Tonight, the breaking news here, the brazen stunt at the top of the Empire State Building.
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The dramatic images tonight, high above New York City. Two people dressed in black, wearing masks, getting past security, climbing to the top of the spire of the Empire State Building.
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More than 1,454 feet up, in searing heat, millions watching on live TV. The couple unfurling a banner, what it said and what they did next.
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Tonight, under arrest, facing charges. At just in, the dramatic NYPD body camera video, officers making the climb to arrest them.
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Our chief investigative correspondent Aaron Katersky, live with the images. Also breaking tonight, the life-threatening heat for 160 million Americans across 30 states.
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Major cities declaring heat emergencies tonight. Triple-digit temperatures and feel-like readings well above 100.
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New York City expected to feel like 110 degrees. Philadelphia 112. Washington D.C. 113. The Midwest baking tonight.
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Lee Goldberg with the forecast right into the 4th of July weekend. Tonight, President Trump flying for the first time in his new Air Force One.
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You'll see it, a $400 million gift from Qatar. And the new disclosure tonight, President Trump made $2.2 billion last year, and why he says he's profiting.
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A horrific scene unfolding tonight, 16 children rescued from a home with authorities say they were living in.
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Tonight, chilling new videos showing the moment back-to-back earthquakes struck Venezuela. A trapped survivor, seven days later, seen waving his hand from beneath the rubble.
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They're still trying to get him tonight. James Longman on the scene with the rescues.
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Breaking news, a US Navy helicopter going down. The urgent search at this hour for a missing crew member, what the Navy is now saying tonight.
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The AP tonight and what they're reporting, what they've been told by a law enforcement official about Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, and Madison Square Garden.
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What's happening Friday night? The FAA is investigating a collision on the taxiway between a truck and a jet.
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The woman rescued after falling 1,500 feet. Actor Danny Glover revealing his very personal health battle, remembering the lead singer of the Village People.
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With Johnson tonight at the World Cup, the U.S. Men's Team and the big match, it's win or go home.
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And news tonight on our big show at the Statue of Liberty Friday night. What we have planned for 10 p.m. Eastern Friday evening.
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From ABC News World Headquarters in New York, this is World News Tonight with David Muir.
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Good evening, everyone. We begin tonight here with that brazen stunt right here in New York City on top of the Empire State Building, on top of the antenna, 1,454 feet up, millions watching it all unfold on live TV.
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Two people dressed in black and wearing masks climbing to the top of the spire of the Empire State Building.
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Helicopters circling there. The couple then unfurling a banner and will show you what it said, their apparent message.
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And then one of the climbers appearing to propose, getting down on one knee and pulling out a ring.
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All of this without harnesses in searing heat and wind. And just in tonight, take a look at this NYPD body camera video, officers making the climb to arrest them.
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Tonight, the two climbers have been identified. They face charges. And of course, the questions surrounding how they got past security.
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Here's our chief investigative correspondent, Aaron Katersky, leading us off tonight. Meet this jaw-dropping, death-defying climb in the heart of New York City captivating the country.
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High anxiety at high noon as two masked daredevils scaled the very tip of the Empire State Building, nearly 1,500 feet in the air.
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Two geniuses climb to the top of the Empire State Building, the top of the spire.
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Oh, that's awesome. It's a little hot for that, isn't it? The audacious stunt more than a hundred stories above the sweltering streets of midtown Manhattan caught by circling news helicopters.
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Our New York station WABC live on the air with reporter Tom Kaminsky. We're just getting onto the scene here now, but I am just a little bit queasy looking at two people that have climbed to the very top of the antenna of the Empire State Building
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and they are holding a banner. The man and woman dressed in black and wearing masks casually balanced at the top of that. No tethers, no net, just a gusty wind and a dizzying drop.
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Those climbers came with a message, unfurling a banner reading, "When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace." On the ground, police rushing in, closing streets and ordering the observation deck evacuated.
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Witnesses left wondering, was this a protest? A threat? It's very scary, super concerning. I was thinking, how did they get through security?
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The two who had scaled the building getting past security, then one proposing to the other.
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Oh dear God, Shira, this guy is getting down on a knee, perhaps proposing to this individual.
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Oh my gosh. The two shared a dramatic kiss. Another kissing, Kimberly. I'm sorry to share this with you as as bizarre a New York City moment as I've ever seen.
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I love this city. Police identifying that couple as Angela Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov, Russian nationals who documented the whole thing, posting this breathtaking view, not for the faint of heart.
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In these close-ups, Kuznetsov on bended knee, Nikolau showing off the ring, their fingers intertwined with all of New York City below.
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And tonight, the NYPD releasing this video. Hello. How you doing? Can you just stay where you are?
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Showing specially trained officers with helmets and harnesses meeting the couple on their—you can't be up here.
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And taking them into custody. Yeah, I'm OK. The couple has done this before, as seen in the 2024 Netflix documentary Skywalkers, a love story.
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Love is like heights. The fear never goes away. You just get better at facing it.
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Tonight, authorities are investigating how they reached the spire of the country's most iconic building, a stunning breach of security.
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The two climbers from the Empire State Building just behind me here, David, are facing multiple charges tonight.
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They broke into a secure area, squirreled up that spire, endangered themselves and others, and raised alarms in a city already on high alert.
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It was quite the spectacle, David. It also broke the law. David, we were all watching closely here in the newsroom today.
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Aaron Katersky leading us off tonight. Aaron, thank you. Now to the life-threatening heat for 160 million Americans across 30 states tonight.
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The Midwest baking, of course, the East sweltering too, and now preparing for temperatures that will feel like well above 100-degree temperatures for days here.
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Major cities declaring heat emergencies tonight, triple-digit temperatures, those feel-like readings on the way.
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New York City will feel like 110, Philly 112, Washington D.C. 113. The Midwest and the South sweltering tonight, Lee Goldberg with the forecast.
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This lasts right into the 4th of July, and Rhiannon Ally tonight with the warnings from authorities.
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Tonight, more than half the country feeling like a furnace as the scorching heat dome spreads over the East Coast ahead of what will likely be the hottest Fourth of July holiday in more than 15 years.
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D.C. feeling like 110, Philly 107, and Syracuse feeling like 111 degrees. New York City's heat index 102 degrees today and tomorrow will be even hotter.
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In New York City, some 500 people a year die from high temperatures, but in a city like this, it can be unavoidable to be outside in this heat, including for utility workers like these.
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The city has opened hundreds of cooling centers across the five boroughs. We have also launched a fleet of more than a dozen cool vans.
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Just north of New York City. We have about 15 here, five that are in and out of conscious.
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A grou
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Many taking refuge at the beach. Lifeguards on Long Island keeping a close eye amid rip current warnings.
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And that's not all. This hammerhead shark spotted swimming off the Long Island shore this week, not far from swimmers.
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David, the massive Jacob Javits Center behind me is one of 600 cooling centers the city has open, but it's not just the daytime temperatures that are concerning to people here in New York City.
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It will stay in the 80s overnight, offering little relief. David, really, that's the incredible thing.
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Rhiannon Ally with us on the weather tonight. And thank you. Let's get right to senior meteorologist Lee Goldberg back with us this evening.
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Without the suit jacket, rarely see that from Lee Goldberg, but we know it's serious and this is going to last for days, right Lee?
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Yes, no jacket required in this stretch for sure. We're starting to broil here in New York.
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Feels like 101. The air is unhealthy and this is just the beginning. The heat warnings have expanded from the Midwest into the Northeast and tomorrow.
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Look at the huge Lee Goldberg back with us tonight. We sure do appreciate it.
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Thanks Lee. Tonight, President Trump flying for the first time in his new Air Force One, a $400 million gift from Qatar.
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A rare level four for extreme heat risk across the I-95 corridor on Friday, kicking off the holiday weekend.
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It'll feel like 110 in New York, 112 in Philly, and 113 in D.C. A little less extreme on the fourth, but still super hot and a risk of thunderstorms.
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David? Lee Goldberg back with us tonight. We sure do appreciate it. Thanks Lee. Tonight, President Trump flying for the first time in his new Air Force One, a $400 million gift from Qatar.
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Hundreds of millions in U.S. taxpayer money then spent to retrofit the Qatari plane. And tonight here, also the new disclosure.
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President Trump made $2.2 billion last year. Tonight why he says he's profiting. Here's Rachel Scott.
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Tonight, President Trump taking off for the first time in his brand new Air Force One, an unprecedented $400 million gift from the government of Qatar, retrofitted by the Pentagon with hundreds of millions of American tax dollars.
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So this will be the first flight of what I think is maybe the greatest commercial plane ever built.
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White House staffers posting pictures inside, spacious rooms gleaming fixtures. And when President Trump leaves the White House, it all goes with him.
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A highly unusual arrangement that transfers ownership of the plane to his presidential library. It comes as the president's mandatory financial disclosure forms show that in his first year back in office, President Trump pulled in a stunning $2.2 billion in income, three times more than what he
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made the year before. Our Mary Bruce asking the president. What message does this send to average Americans, especially those who may be struggling right now financially?
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I don't get involved in my personal. We have funds that run my money. Unlike past presidents, President Trump has not put his business into a blind trust.
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It's being run by his sons, Don Jr. and Eric, who accompanied him on today's flight.
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$1.4 billion of the money he made last year came from his family's crypto business, which boomed as his administration loosened regulations on the industry.
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We're going to be the undisputed crypto capital and Bitcoin superpower of the world. Bitcoin's very powerful.
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The Trump family's crypto company, World Liberty Financial, getting a major investment from a firm closely tied to the United Arab Emirates.
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Democrats on the attack. Obviously, Trump has been engaging in an all-you-can-eat corruption buffet. President Trump with his reason for why he's profiting.
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To critics who say you're profiting off the presidency, Mr. Smith. You know why I'm profiting?
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Because the stock market's going up. Everybody's profiting. And David, there are also questions tonight about the president's sons, Eric and Don They have deep investments in defense contracts and prediction markets.
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Democrats call it corruption, plain and simple. David Rachel Scott, live at the White House tonight.
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Rachel, thanks so much. We turn to a horrific scene unfolding in Hamden, Ohio. Sixteen children have been rescued.
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Here's Matt Rivers tonight. Tonight, the disturbing discovery inside this Ohio home, 16 children rescued from deplorable conditions.
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Authorities saying they had been held in a 12 by 12 foot area for much of the past four years, the youngest just 18 months old.
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This is pure evil. What we saw down here today is pure evil. Law enforcement officers executing a search warrant yesterday, finding 20 members of the Ciders family living inside this 1,300-square-foot home in the village of Hamden, about 80 miles
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south of Columbus. The children's mother, father, grandmother and grandfather placed under arrest, arraigned today on 16 charges of child endangerment, all pleading not guilty.
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Most of our livestock was kept in better conditions than the children. It was extremely high presence, I'm sure, of bacterial and human feces.
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Tonight, authorities say the kids who range in age from 18 months to 18 years are safe.
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Seven of the children were treated overnight at the hospital. Two were life flighted in serious condition.
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David, the parents and grandparents are each being held on a 300000 dollar bond. David Matt Rivers reporting tonight.
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Thanks Matt. Tonight in Venezuela, seven days after those earthquakes, you will see the man who is still alive waving his hand from underneath the rubble.
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They are still trying to get to him tonight. James Longman in Venezuela. Haunting new images tonight of the moment back-to-back earthquakes rocked Venezuela, sending people scrambling and buildings collapsing to the ground.
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Exactly one week ago, the death toll today jumped to nearly 2,300. But under the staggering devastation, there are signs of life.
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This man desperately waving a hand from beneath the rubble. International rescue teams are now racing to free him.
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And he's not alone. I'm at the scene of an ongoing rescue. You can see this building here.
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They got signs of life from a man at four o'clock in the morning, and they have not stopped digging below.
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At another site, you can faintly hear the voice of a man trapped behind this tiny hole.
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Rescuers are keeping him alive by pouring Gatorade through a flexible straw. There's almost no government help here.
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So many families are digging with their own hands to find loved ones. Fernando is looking for his 19-year-old niece, saying, "We have to keep fighting because we have to find her." Twelve-year-old Carlos was rescued after five days. His family in Miami calls it a miracle.
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Here we are, day seven, and they're still finding people. And, you know, hope is still there and hope is still alive.
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David, no one is giving up hope here. This rescue team has been working through the night To free a man stuck below the building, but there are still thousands missing.
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David. And they are not giving up hope. James Longman again tonight. Thank you, James.
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Tonight, there's also an urgent search underway for a missing crew member after a U.S.
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Navy helicopter went down in the Arabian Sea. Navy officials say Seahawk conducted an emergency water landing for crew members on board.
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Three have been recovered. They are in stable condition tonight. The Navy says there is no indication hostile action was involved.
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Again, three crew members rescued in stable condition, one still missing. We turn now to this mystery involving Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey.
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Tonight, the Associated Press is now reporting a law enforcement official says the wedding is happening, and tonight what New York City's police commissioner is now saying.
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Here's Morgan Norwood. Under a cloud of secrecy, crews at New York's iconic Madison Square Garden are intensely unloading equipment and erecting black tarps tonight in anticipation for the event of the Last summer, a law enforcement official briefed on the matter telling the Associated Press
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global superstar Taylor Swift and Super Bowl champion Travis Kelce will have their wedding Friday night in that arena.
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Since the announcement of their engagement last summer, fans have not calmed down. Boxes labeled "garden parties" spotted near the loading dock, workers testing out a red carpet.
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Those invited inside should expect no unauthorized photos. The source is telling ABC News everyone from guests to vendors to security guards will not be allowed to take out their phones.
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The first event taking place tomorrow evening for about 100 people. The second is for about 1,000 people and is a 12-hour party beginning with a cocktail The wedding will take place on Friday, though the couple has not confirmed.
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But in true Taylor Swift fashion, there's always a possibility the real love story could be unfolding elsewhere, or maybe in another era.
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All right, we'll see. Morgan Norwood, thanks. When we come back tonight, the collision at the airport, this time a truck and a jet, the airport closed for a time and how this all happened.
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Also, the woman rescued after falling some 1500 feet. Actor Danny Glover tonight revealing his very personal health battle.
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And Whit Johnson standing by at the World Cup tonight. The U.S. men's team, it's win or go home.
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We'll be right back. Tonight, a collision between a truck and a business jet at Raleigh-Durham Airport.
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Authorities say the truck was crossing the taxiway on a service road. No one was hurt.
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The airport was shut down for a time. Tonight, a climber rescued after falling 1,500 feet on California's Mount Shasta.
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A 31-year-old woman flown to the hospital suffering fractures. When we come back tonight, what actor Danny Glover has revealed and our big plans for the Statue of Liberty Friday night.
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It's something. To the index of other news, actor Danny Glover tonight, revealing he has Alzheimer's.
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The 79-year-old, known for the color purple and lethal weapon, was diagnosed in 2023. He says he still doesn't fully accept this, but says his family has his back and we're pulling for him.
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Victor Willis, the lead singer of the Village People, has died. ♪ It's fun to stay at the YMCA ♪ So many lasting hits, including YMCA.
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Victor Willis was 74. When we come back tonight, Whit Johnson at the World Cup, it's win or go home and our plans for the Statue of Liberty.
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Finally, tonight, here we go, the World Cup, the U.S. Men's team, it's win or go home.
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Whit Johnson standing by at the match tonight for us. Hey Whit. David, this U.S.
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Men's World Cup team is trying to advance out of a knockout round game for the first time since 2002.
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The Americans are heavily favored in this must win match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, but have not beaten a team from Europe in five years.
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All eyes are on star forward Christian Pulisic, who left the opening match against Paraguay with a calf injury, but returned to the pitch in the third match against Turkey.
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And David, this FIFA World Cup has already set a new record with more than 5 million people attending the matches, and I can tell you the energy here in the Bay Area has been electric for this critical game tonight.
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David? All right, thanks so much. We had a big match underway tonight. Before we go though, a note about our big plan for Friday night.
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We start at 10 p.m. Eastern at the Statue of Liberty. I'll be taking you right up to the torch, a major light show at the Statue of Liberty.
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This is all part of our 24 hours of coverage. We are then on the air all day Saturday.
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I'll be here first sunrise over the United States Saturday morning, 5 a.m. Where will it be as we celebrate the great wonders of this country?
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So here's a preview. We start Friday night, 10 p.m. Eastern. Take a look. Good night.
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It's never been done before. Now, Friday night from the people who illuminated the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris in spectacular laser light shows.
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What will they do with Lady Liberty for America's historic birthday? And what sensational Grammy winning star will perform under the lights?
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And David Muir climbs to the top of the torch. Lady Liberty as you've never seen her before.
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Sunday night on ABC and across the Disney networks as Disney celebrates America 250. David Muir, the most trusted, most watched newscast in America.
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And now, World News Tonight has won the Emmy for Best Live News Program for the fourth year in a row.
Topics:Empire State Buildingheat wave 2026NYPD arrestPresident Trump Air Force OneVenezuela earthquakechild rescueUS Navy helicopter crashTaylor Swift weddingDanny Glover Alzheimer'sABC World News Tonight
