Top Story with Tom Llamas - Friday, July 17, 2026

Episode Date: July 18, 2026

Tonight's Top Story has the latest breaking news, political headlines, news from overseas and the best NBC News reporting from across the country and around the world Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tonight, that dangerous smoke emergency on the move, blanketing tens of millions across the country, from Chicago to New York to Washington, skylines blotted out. D.C.'s iconic monuments barely visible. This time lapse shows the smoke making Pittsburgh just disappear. The major league baseball game just postponed. Plus, President Trump's new threat to Canada

if they don't stop the smoke. Texas flood emergency, the urgent rescues of trapped families and our first look at the total devastation. This bridge completely washed out, cars and RVs flipped, and now crews bringing food to children stranded in camps. Gas prices rising again as the U.S. military ramps up strikes in Iran. New video showing the surveillance tower destroyed as U.S. forces rappeled down onto a tanker in the region. New details about that parasite outbreak, the lettuce supplier now recalling some of its products,

but is iceberg lettuce the only concern what experts are now saying? Severe weather sweeping through Europe, a tornado in France and wildfires in Spain. Plus, Chipotle opening its first location in Mexico. Can the burrito giant take a bite out of the market there? Everything you need to know about FIFA's first ever World Cup halftime show, the big names headlining and why it has some worried about player safety. Plus the new research on weight loss drugs, why some are not gaining the weight back after going off GLP wants.

Top story starts right now. And good evening. We begin tonight with that air quality emergency gripping so much of the country. 100 million Americans breathing unhealthy air tonight as smoke from those Canadian wildfires smother city after city and town after town. Time lapse video shows the Pittsburgh skyline completely disappearing as that smoke settles in. And these shocking orange skies in Rochester, look at that. New York, this is Rochester, New York, as planes take off into the haze. Unrecognizable skies from D.C. to New York as President Trump tonight threatens to levy more tariffs on Canada over the smoke pouring over the border. We're tracking where that haze is heading next along with another severe weather threat. Catastrophic floods in Texas.

This town fully submerged. You see it right here. Look how bad that is. The heroin rescue missions are still underway. The damage coming to focus, this bridge in Yuvaldi destroyed by the rush of the water. Our reporters in the smoke and flood zones tonight, we begin with Tom Costello. who leads us off from Washington. 100 million Americans from Minnesota to South Carolina facing dangerous smoke from the Canadian wildfires. The Washington Monuments surrounded by smoke, a haze over downtown Baltimore,

people masking up in Philadelphia. It's really hard to breathe, especially in the afternoon, it becomes even worse. In Cleveland, they postponed tonight's Guardians Pirates baseball game because of it. The D.C. government, canceling its outdoor activities and closing outdoor pools.

I shot this video as I landed at Washington Reagan this morning. Canadian smoke hanging low. The president's helicopter lifting off in a haze. The air quality here considered unhealthy. My eyes have been red and itchy all day. I've been coughing. Health experts say if you're outside for any period of time, you should wear an N95 mask.

Chicago and Detroit both choking on smoke that put air quality readings in the hazardous range. EMS respiratory distress calls surging. Look, this is pretty unprecedented. We shattered records yesterday. Georgetown meds Dr. Helen Dakota telling me, so this is a red alert air quality situation, which means that everyone can feel symptoms of the poor air quality. And this includes shortness of breath, chest tightness, weasing. With nearly 200 fires now burning in Ontario alone. Toronto silhouetted against an orange sky with predictions the fire.

fires could burn into the fall. With that, Tom joins us tonight from Smoky, Washington, D.C. Tom, you got to wear the mask out there because it is so dangerous. Talk to us about the other folks around D.C. Are people heating these warnings? They appear to be many people are wearing masks, not that many people out, candidly. People are staying inside. And meanwhile, Tom, the president threatening tariffs against Canada, for, in his view, not doing a better job of maintaining their force. His words there. Now, listen, there are more than 800 fires burning in Canada right now. And climate experts say part of it is climate change. But let's not forget, Canada has always sent their firefighters to the United States to help fire fires here, including the devastating Palisades fire last year in L.A. Tom. Okay, Tom Costello for us there with some new reporting. Tom, we thank you for that. NBC News meteorologist Bill Carrons is here. He's tracking the smoke and all the clouds out there. So the big question, Bill, I guess, is what's going to happen? this weekend. Will this eventually clear out? It will, and it's going to clear out in a hurry.

And also some thunderstorms will mix in with it. It's going to be a wild weekend in the Northeast. So we have these fires that are still burning here in Ontario, and the officials up there told us today, they're not going to go out until either it rains and pours enough to put them out or until it snows this winter. So we're going to be dealing with these smoke plumes periodically for the next couple months. The worst air quality right now is just in Grand Rapids. But look at Chicago, finally in the yellow. We're changing the wind direction. and we're blowing the smoke back up into Canada. Areas in the Mid-Atlantic, not so lucky.

Still very high in Pittsburgh. D.C. has come down a little bit. Philadelphia is at 216, so you're still pretty high. So the smoke tomorrow moves to the north back up through New England. We get these thunderstorms with it, but look on the backside. The winds are coming out of the north again. The smoke returns to areas that's going to clear out today, Green Bay, Northern Michigan. So it just all depends on which wind direction is.

Those thunderstorms, by the way, are going to have a pack of punch. We could see isolated tornadoes, wind damage, maybe 65-mile-per-hour winds all through the mid-Atlantic back into the Ohio Valley. So that's going to be tomorrow afternoon. Then by the time we get to Sunday, that whole system exit, the sun returns, but with it, some of that smoke I mentioned. As of the World Cup game, a lot of people are going to have eyes on this. We're not going to see the incredible images like we've seen that in New York with all the smoke. But there will be some smoke in the air, mostly high, not down at the ground. so I don't think it'll interfere with the match at all, Tom, but it will be there.

Yeah, tough to play, though, in those conditions. Bill, we thank you for that. We know it's going to be a very sort of wild weekend. Now to the historic flooding leaving a path of devastation across Texas Hill country, communities that were just beginning to recover, hit by deadly floodwaters again. NBC's Priscilla Thompson and her team are there tonight. Tonight, unrelenting rain, submerging new communities in Texas. Authorities making high water rescues, bringing families and pets to safety. Rain falling as fast as four inches per hour in Crockett County.

And we're seeing new images that show the power of those floodwaters. The Nuasas River tearing apart this bridge in Uvaldi County. We made our way into hard hit Kerr County today, meeting a man named Andy, showing us how high the water rose. I woke up and opened the door and there was water flowing pitch black and raining very hard. and you just knew that something bad was coming. Narrowly escaping his RV. His girlfriend was nearly swept away, saved by a neighbor just in time.

She came out of the rig and the current kind of took her down and they were just there. And back in Uvaldi County. Never had an issue where I have lost everything. A woman named Brevet telling R. Ryan Chandler she's desperately searching for cherished items that can never be replaced. My grandparents are no longer with me, so there's things that they gave me that I'm trying to find. And tonight we're learning the identity of one of the people killed in these floods. Mark Stewart lived in Kerrville, his wife Jenny, posting, Mark, my love, I will forever be grateful for the beautiful years we shared together.

It's all so sad. Priscilla Thompson joins us now from Kerr County, Texas. Priscilla, we see that damage there behind you. These people need help, and it sounds like. Some federal help is on the way, according to the governor. Yeah, Tom, help on the way. And it is because of damage like this. You have this RV completely on its side, the picnic table going through the window of it. And all in just this area, you have this car turned on its side.

And this SUV landing on top of the guardrail. The roads here still close. And so the governor has issued a major disaster declaration to try to get more of that federal funding coming in. Tom? Okay. Priscilla Thompson for us there with all that destruction. We want to turn now to politics and President Trump's prime time address to the nation. The president making some bold claims of foreign election interference and making his case for greater security reform.

But today his critics saying he offered little to no proof. Garrett Hake reports from the White House. In his prime time address to the nation, President Trump castigating America's election system, saying it's rife with what he called shocking vulnerability. with the White House posting hundreds of pages of declassified but highly redacted documents. These disclosures reveal an election system so broken and so vulnerable that no one can possibly defend it. The president accusing China of illicitly acquiring 220 million American voter files beginning in 2020, though much of that information is available publicly.

They fought like hell not to have it Donald Trump to win. China's foreign ministry calling those. claims, quote, entirely fabricated and a malicious smear. The president also pointing to a review of state voter rolls and public records by the Department of Homeland Security. They identified approximately 278,000 non-citizens who are registered to vote in federal elections. But election experts say the database that may have been used for that analysis often flags newly naturalized citizens as non-citizen voters. The DHS Secretary today warning state election officials to accept new federal involvement in their election security processes or else.

Those individuals can also be held accountable by fines, by penalties, and even depending on how far it goes, prison time. Democrats today blasting the president's speech. What we also saw last night was a clear signal of this president's intent to unconstitutionally wield federal power, to attack this election, and to undermine voting rights. Garrett Hake joins us now. Garrett, the president is pointing the finger at China, right? But he's doing this while he's also welcoming the leader of that country to the White House for a fall visit. Yeah, Tom, if there are to be consequences for China, we've not seen any evidence of them yet.

The White House confirmed today that the president does still plan to host Chinese leader Xi Jinping for an official state visit this fall, the red carpet treatment there. And just a short time ago this evening, the president joked about hosting a joint world cup. tournament with China in the future. Tom? Garrett Hayk at the White House for us on this Friday. Another challenge for President Trump, gas prices rising again. Now back to nearly $4 a gallon nationwide as the renewed military strikes between the U.S. and Iran are rapidly escalating.

Kier-S. reports tonight from inside that region. Tonight, the destruction of a surveillance tower said to be used by Iran to track targets in the Strait of Hormuz, the new video from U.S. Central Command, hours after releasing dramatic footage of U.S. Marines repelling onto a tanker. As gas prices in the U.S. rise and traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell to a three-week low, the U.S. again attempting to force Iran to back down. President Trump promising results. You will see the fruits of that labor very, very shortly.

But Iranian state media releasing video of its own, saying this footage shows a drone attack on a Thailand-flag tanker in the strait. accusing the US of killing civilians in the bombing of this bridge near the strait. Tonight, Iran releasing this poster of seven people, it says, were killed in strikes on bridges, including three women and a child. Their funerals announced for tomorrow. And Iran said these drones were launched at US targets in Kuwait, a desalination and energy plant were hit. In 24 hours, Iran targeting seven US partners and allies in the region. Here, an ammunition depot in Iraq kids.

Keir Simmons joins us tonight live from Qatar and Keir fighting is still underway even right now. That's right, Tom. U.S. Central Command just saying that it has launched another wave of strikes against Iran. It is escalating. It is expanding, Tom. We have seen the numbers of strikes, as I mentioned in my report, that spread across this region. And only overnight we heard loud explosions. They shook the windows, Tom.

And then in the morning, Qatar here saying that those explosions were the result of interceptions of flying Iranian munitions and that a child was injured by debris falling. So civilians are in the crossfire on both sides. And just tonight, two, Tom, we've heard that in Saudi Arabia there was an alert for a possible attack. That alert has now been, is now over. But it just goes to show just how this is continuing to. to build the tension building. And Tom, it's difficult to see how there is an off-ramp for either side at this stage. Tom.

Keir Simmons for us, Keir, thank you. Back here at home, we have new details on that growing stomach illness. Health officials now reporting cases in at least 34 states from the outbreak and a major supplier now saying they are pulling all iceberg lettuce coming from a particular farm. The question tonight, could other produce also be contaminated? Here's Ann Thompson. Tonight, Taylor Farms voluntarily removing from the U.S. market all its iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico.

This after the FDA and CDC warned Americans not to eat shredded iceberg lettuce from Mexico served at Taco Bell restaurants in five states. Today, Taco Bell said it's removed all that lettuce from its supply chain nationwide. The government says more than 1,644 people infected with cyclospora. The foodborne parasite causing severe intestinal illness. But with cases in 29 other states, experts say iceberg lettuce may not be the only problem. Is it likely it could even be just one type of produce? Given that we have multiple outbreaks going on, at least according to the FDA, we just don't know at this point.

Cyclospora spreads when human feces get into food or water. It can enter the food supply anywhere from irrigation in the fields to the production line. In this case, Taylor Farm's parent company says the FDA traceback investigation identified a specific Mexican farm. Tonight, the FDA says be cautious with pre-washed produce and cooking is the safest option. All right, Ann Thompson joins us now live on set. Taylor Farms, they've been linked to other outbreaks, right? So what happens now and do they eventually get fined or, I don't know about banned, but I mean watched? Well, what happens is they get a whole lot of bad publicity. There are lawsuits that will be filed.

There have been in the past. There have been two very famous cases that Taylor Farms was involved in. One, you remember two years ago, remember McDonald's had that outbreak of E. coli contamination on its burgers. The slivered onions were traced back to Taylor Farm. Remember those?

And then in 2013, there was another cyclospora outbreak. That involved salad mixes from Taylor Farms. Again, bad publicity, lawsuits. federal fines. I know this is important. We could find. Yeah, I know this is important because you said it in your report, but let's say it again. Explain to our viewers real quickly how they think this happens. It's contaminated water that's been sprayed on the produce possibly? It could be. It is basically this parasite comes when human feces get into either food or water. And so it could happen anywhere along the production

line. It could happen in the irrigation field if the water's contaminated. It could be some, a worker doesn't wash their hands and they're handling food. That, it could happen there. So that's the problem. And then when it gets inside you, it takes two to 14 days to incubate before you get sick. So all of that causes a problem in trying to trace it because I don't know about you. I can't remember what I ate yesterday, let alone 14 days beforehand. So it's really, it's very, very difficult for federal and state officials to trace this. Okay, and Thompson, thanks for explaining all that to us. We appreciate it. We're going to be back in a moment with the alleged ambush caught on camera, deputies shot while responding to a reported hostage situation, the dramatic new

video will play it all for you. Plus an update on the troubling series of cancer cases impacting several children in the same community, why the feds are now calling for investigations and environmental links. And the Daring Highway Rescue and officer rushing to save a driver trapped inside a burning car will show you that moment. Ahead on Top Story. We're back now with some intense body cam video. We're going to show you a gunman opening fire on deputies in Florida. That suspect killed in a shootout after allegedly holding his ex-girlfriend hostage. We do want to warn you some of this video is disturbing. Moment 3V. I'm here. I'm hit. I'm in my car. I got hit today. Tonight, these newly released

videos taking us inside an alleged ambush on sheriff's deputies near Tampa, Florida. The edited footage released by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office shows this deputy getting out of his SUV, then falling to the ground as he shot. Another deputy hit before he even gets out of his car. I'm hit, I'm hit! Then watch as the third deputy returns fire. The gunman falling over. Hey, get us ambulance, get an ambulance.

An officer then races to help one of the injured deputies away from his bullet-ridden SUV. Hey, bullets in my hand. The hand of God was with our deputies here today. The Hillsborough County Sheriff says the gunman was 34-year-old Chris Machowski, a convicted felon who had a allegedly held his ex-girlfriend hostage Wednesday night. He tells her as he's holding her at gunpoint that he's going to kill her. Then as deputies moved in on Machowski yesterday, he allegedly opened fire. The injured officers medevac to the hospital.

The sheriff sharing this x-ray image showing bullet fragments in one deputy's hand. And tonight, both injured officers are recovering from a frightening close call. The sheriff says the suspect was also taken to the hospital where he, was pronounced dead. Tom, Jesse Kirsch on that one first. Coming up, how patients can actually keep weight off when they go off GLP ones, what the new research is showing. And our great American this week, John Leguizamo, his trailblazing journey from Colombia to the big screen and the important lessons he learned along the way. But first, top story's top moment and another big star. Comedian Adam Sandler was on vacation in Nantucket over the 4th of July weekend, looking for an outdoor court

to shoot some poops. So he called the local police station's non-emergency line to ask for some help. Take a listen to this audio just released. Man, talk at public safety. This line is recorded. Hi. How are you? I'm visiting your island right now. And I was wondering if you could answer a question. I like to play basketball. Is there any outdoor courts where people play? Off the top of my head, there's only one I can think of. It's behind the muse on Backus Lane. Okay. Thank you. I'll check it out. All right, Sandler made his way to the court playing a quick game of pickup.

You can see him right here. All that happening less than 48 hours after he officiated the wedding of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey. Stay with us. More Top Story on the way. We're back now with Top Stories News Feed. We start with the lesionnaires outbreak here in New York City. Health officials just reported the first death linked to the cluster of cases. So far more than 60 people have been diagnosed and a dozen are still in the hospital.

The disease is a form of pneumonia, and it can grow in warm water and spread in buildings, cooling systems, but investigators still have an identified a specific source of the outbreak. Now to an update on a story we brought you earlier this week, the concerning series of cancer cases in Southern California. Our NBC Los Angeles station first reported that around a dozen children in one community were diagnosed with a rare bone and soft tissue cancer. Now federal officials, they are calling for an EPA investigation, saying they want to look into possible environmental causes and whether any laws have been broken. And a heart-pounding rescue caught on camera in Texas.

An officer rushing up to save a driver trapped in a burning car. You've got to watch this, breaking the window to get him out. Sir, come out to the window. Now, give me your hand. Give me your hand. Give me your hand. Give me your hand. Now, I got you. Give me out.

All right, you okay? Anybody else in the car? No one? You can see the officer able to get that man out safely. Luckily, they say he wasn't seriously hurt. And tributes pouring in for award-winning actress Brenda Fricker, Her agent says she died last night after a period of bad health. No word yet on what happened.

Fricker was the first Irish woman to win an Oscar earning for a performance in My Left Foot. She was also known for her iconic role as The Pigeon Lady and Home Alone 2. She was 81. Got a Top Stories Health Check and the new research casting doubt on a long-held assumption about weight loss drugs. Three studies finding that up to 70% of patients were actually able to maintain their weight loss after they stopped taking GLP once. I want to bring an NBC News medical contributor, Dr. John Torres, for more on this. And Dr. John, this is a headline.

The reason why we're doing it is because these findings are way different than what the original clinical trials found. How big of a deal is this and how much stock should we put into this? And Tom, I think both the answers is yes to both of them. Yes, it's a big deal. And yes, you should put a lot of stock into this. Because what these studies have shown us is what happens in real life when people take these GLP-1 medications. And more importantly, when they stop these medications. Now, when you go back to the original studies and semi-glutide and Tuzepetide have been approved

for a couple of years, in the original studies, not only did they do weight loss studies, but they actually did what are called discontinuation studies. In other words, they put people on the weight loss medication, and in some of them, they actually switched them over to a placebo. That's a cold turkey, but it's a cold turkey without them knowing they were going cold turkey because of the way the studies are built. And so people, in those instances, ended up rebounding back to their original weight. Well, push forward to 2026, and what we're finding out from the studies in real life is that people don't cold turkey necessarily.

They do other things, and they end up not gaining that weight back. As a matter of fact, six months to two years after stopping these medications, 45 to 70 percent of people ended up keeping their same weight. And like you mentioned, Tom, that is a big deal. Yeah, so is the headline then maybe a little deceiving? Because it's not that they stop cold turkey. they were doing other healthy habits as well. And that's exactly what the headline, and exactly what the studies are showing us.

What people do in real life is a few different things. Number one, they typically don't go cold turkey. They end up either tapering it off themselves or with their physicians help tapering it off. They stop and then they go back on it. But the important thing is, and that's what we think is happening here to a big extent, is people in that time period when they're on these GLP-1s,

they learn lifestyle modifications, and those lifestyle modifications carry them through and continue that weight loss. What we don't know is what's going to happen 5, 10, 20 years down the road, Tom. Dr. John, any danger for the people that get off and get on, like sort of the back and forth, the whiplash with the body, is that unhealthy or we don't see any red flags yet? Yeah, at this point, we don't have enough information to understand what happens when people do that rebounding from one GLP1, stopping it and then going back on another one, or going on a separate GLP1.

The concern is, we know GLP1s help you with weight loss, but we're also finding out, we've known they help you with diabetes, we're finding out they help you with cardiovascular issues, inflammation issues, those types of things. And if you stop, start, stop, start, we don't know what stress that's going to put on the body. And so you definitely want to work with your physician. You definitely want to work with your team to make sure that if you do end up stopping,

you end up tapering down, and you end up doing other things, lifestyle modifications, to keep that weight off, because that is an important step, but also these other things add to it as well. And so, again, there's hardly any medicines out there. You want a cold turkey. And this is definitely one of those you typically don't want a cold turkey. You want to make sure you do it appropriately, Tom.

All right, Dr. John, for us. John, always great to see you. Thank you. You bet, Tom. Now to our weekly series, Great Americans, where we talk with those who have achieved so much about their life and this country. Tonight, one of the stars of the new epic, The Odyssey, on his own journey through Hollywood

to blaze a trail for others. Our great American tonight, John Leguizamo. What do you love about America? The fact that, you know, it gave me so many opportunities. I'm grateful for all that. Remember me? Benny Blanco from the Bronx. John Leguizamo has been captivating audiences for decades.

No, I'm not supposed to put you out of your misery. From the screen, I didn't ask him on this trip, did I? No. I don't think so. To the stage. Born in Colombia, his family moved to the U.S. when he was just two and a half years old. Even at an early age, Leguizamo liked to make people laugh.

I knew I had this ability, but I was disruptive. And my math teacher said, why don't you use your comedy for good? Why don't you become a comedian? So I did start looking up in the yellow page. That's how old I am. And I found an acting school, and I was 17. And that class changed my life.

Today, he has more than 100 screen credits. A hundred, that's a big number. And you've been so successful, but it is rejection. It's auditioning, not getting a role, telling people telling you, we're not into you or whatever. You're too lying, you're not lying enough. How did you deal with that? Absolutely.

You have to have tough skin. But luckily for me, coming from the ghetto and underprivileged, I felt everything was a success. Every crumb, every tiny molecule of success was a huge win for me. And his biggest success could happen this weekend, starring in The Odyssey, produced by NBC Universal and made by Oscar-winning director Christopher Nolan. We spent two hours at lunch. He told me about his life, his career, which was incredible. And then he told me, I'm doing the Odyssey, and he got this character, Eumaeus.

He goes, he's the most loyal character in Western literature. And I was like, oh, that's a heavy list. I like it. And then at the dessert time, you said, you have the role. And I was like, excuse me? Because I thought I misunderstood it. You got the role. Oh, wow. Do you say yes, or do you have to kind of wait?

Oh, yeah, no, I say yes. Of course I said yes. As soon as he left, I ran home, you know, hug my wife, kissed my children, called my friends, because it was the most exciting thing ever. But even with all his success, Leguizamo has never forgotten where he's come from, delivering this message to Hollywood at the 2020- For years, I didn't complain about the limited roles my people were offered. The spicy sex pot, the Latin lover, the maid, the gangbanger.

Turns out not complaining doesn't change anything. So you're up on the podium, you're behind that mic, and you light the place on fire. Oh, yeah. Why? Because look what we're living in, man. I see myself as an artist, an artist, are political. Artists take risks. But I think you have to risk things in life to get more things, especially for your people.

And for Leguizamo, that's all part of being an American. What is an American? An American is a person who is considerate, respectful, who believes in others, who protects the vulnerable, who helps others achieve their dreams, who unites, who saves the world and keeps peace. John Loizamo, our thanks to you, still to come tonight, the wild weather overseas from fast-moving wildfires to a devastating landslide and a powerful

twister. We're tracking it all. Plus, the American chain Chipotle setting up shop for the first time in Mexico, but will locals actually buy in or will the burrito joint be a bust? Stay with us. Back now with Top Stories Global Watch and a check of what's happening around the world. We start in China where a deadly landslide slammed a city in the southwest part of the country. Dashcam captured the moment it hit. You could see that mass. A massive cloud of dust, sending people scrambling in the streets, entire buildings buried, more than 1100 people forced to evacuate. Local officials in state media are reporting at least eight were killed and more than 30 others

are missing. And another round of extreme weather sweeping across Europe. In eastern France, had reported tornado touching down near this highway. The powerful winds flipping over this tractor trailer and sending debris flying through the air. In Spain, crews are racing to get a fast-moving wildfire under control. authorities say more than 1,000 people have been evacuated. It's one of several fires burning across the country right now. And a team of researchers in South Korea showing off some new high-tech robot gear.

The purpose to help people get dressed. Check it out. No hands at all. The suit uses these flexible vines powered by air pressure. It helps the fabric climb up the person's body. Only takes about 10 seconds to suit up. They say it could help a variety of people, including the elderly and emergency workers. All right.

Let's turn out of the World Cup final where defending champions Argentina will face off against Powerhouse Spain, Sunday in New Jersey. The Blockbuster event is also making headlines in the entertainment world because it's set to feature a halftime show for the first time in FIFA's history. Headliners include Shakira, Madonna, Justin Bieber, BTS, and Coldplay with the band's frontman Chris Martin tasked with curating the show. He's been busy promoting the event and listing the help of Elmo. Take a listen. Well, this year for the first time, there's a halftime show at the World Cup final. Yeah. No.

A halftime show? Yeah, half-time show. A halftime show? A halftime show. A halftime show. And we like Elmo. Also have a lot of questions about the halftime show. For more on the match and the historic performance, I want to bring in our panel.

Marisa Doe, he's an analyst and former professional soccer player, an NBC entertainment correspondent, a good friend of Top Story over here, over here. Hi. Chloe Malas, who we always love. Chloe, we're going to start with you. This is the first time FIFA has put on a show like this, right? And here's the confusing part. They want to do this like in 15 minutes.

There's like a million great acts. Okay, so not 15 minutes. It's going to be more like 25, 30 minutes. And I mean, my mind is blown as to how are they going to fit all of this in. I mean, star-studded, Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber. Let's hope he doesn't do what he did at Coachella, where he just plays YouTube music videos of himself on stage.

Let's hope it's a little bit more action-packed. But this is the first time that they are doing it and it's like 96 year history. And a lot of fans are divided over it. Many say let's just focus on football. Let's not distract. Others are saying it might not be good for actually the player's physical health. But at the end of the day, Chris Martin, this is his brainchild. He came up with it four years ago.

He approached FIFA with this idea to curate a halftime show. And it feels like the Super Bowl. It feels very American. Yeah, there's some very big acts. So, I mean, look, are they going to be able to get it all in? We don't know. I had to be reminded the Bebes is Canadian, so. Very true.

And then you got BTS. But, okay, Maurice, there's a concern that if it goes past 15 minutes, it could be violating the rules of the game. I mean, and I'm being honest here, will people that love soccer be sort of offended by this? Will they find it annoying? And will it impact the game since players aren't used to this? Well, I agree. I bet that fans are going to be divided, of course.

There's going to be the purists who are like, why are we introducing this? We've never had it before. We don't need it. And then there's the others that are, I guess, maybe a little bit more progressive who were like, Justin Bieber, Madonna, Shakira? Like, yeah, yeah, Coldplay, let's introduce this.

Why not? To your question about the player safety, this is where it's interesting, because typically you have 15 minutes. And that 15 minutes, it's just enough for the players to get a little bit of rest and recovery, but you don't feel like you become almost cold again, almost decondition.

And so I'll be intrigued to see if they give the players a little bit of, of time to get almost a second warm-up in because, you know, you've got to get your, you got to get your heart rate back up, get your body and your muscles back fired up and ready for the second half. I'm sure the haters are going to be saying Messi likes it because he can chill even more, but we'll get to the game in a second. Chloe, I want to talk about some bling, right? Because this is the first time that the winners of the tournament will receive a ring. What? That's basketball. That's football. What is this? Saffires and diamonds, which are a girl's

best friend. Well, guess what, Tom? You too can own one of these rings. They're making 2036 of them. 30 go to these players. They're going to get temporary rings in the beginning, and whoever wins, they will have their logo and stride on the side. But then the rest will be sold to fans. So you soon can be wearing sapphires and diamonds if you would like to. And it's, again, very American to have this championship ring.

Some people are saying it's gaudy and it's tacky and that they shouldn't be doing it. Will they do it again? We don't know. But again, it's all. It's like a new era for FIFA, it feels like, with the halftime show, the rings. And let me tell you, it's going to be a who's who this weekend in the stadium. You might as well just watch just to see who's going to be there. Do we have any idea how much the rings will cost, or they're going to give them away to people like fans and people that are dedicated to teams?

It looks as though you can buy them. I don't know how much they cost, but they are going to be expensive. And that is a very American thing. If you like ever anywhere in someone has a giant ring, you know, like they've won some great championship. Maurice, let's preview the big game. Okay, what are you watching in the showdown between Argentina and Spain? I'm not going to lie here. I will be rooting for Argentina and Messi.

I want to see them go back to back and see Messi finish as the greatest ever. Does Argentina have a chance here because Spain looks so strong? Well, of course. Of course Argentina have a chance. You mentioned the name of the greatest player this sport has ever produced in Lionel Messi. So with that guy on the pitch, you always have a chance. If you look at Argentina's run through the knockout rounds, literally every game has been competitive,

but because they have a difference maker in Messi, they found a way to win games. Now, that being said, you have the best attacking team in the competition. Argentina has scored 19 goals. And then Spain, they've only conceded one goal this whole tournament, right? It's a record number.

And, you know, the cliche, offense wins you games, defense wins you championships, where the edge maybe tilts towards Argentina, it's the experience. Yeah, I was going to ask you about that. Who's been there and who's sort of been together for the longer. Yes.

So they have 17 players that were part of their championship team in 2002. But as much as we celebrate Messi being the star and the galvanizing factor for his team, Spain, it's not about the individual star. Yes, they have Laminia Mall. He's had an okay tournament, but their strength really relies on how collected they are as a team. Their best asset is how collected they are in the team spirit. So, yes, I would say the favorite going into the game in Spain, and if you ask me to choose,

I just find it very difficult to bet against the goat. Yeah, oh, I love it. I love it. Okay, good. What about you, Chloe, before we go? Messy. Yes, all right. Three for Argentina, and you're wearing blue. I love it.

All right, Maurice and Chloe, thank you so much. We're so excited for Sunday. This next one, it might make you hungry. Chipotle is taking a bite out of the Mexican market. You heard us right. It's opening its first ever location south of the border. It may not surprise you. It's already cooking up some controversy.

George Salis has a story and a taste test. Tastes. The hottest new restaurant in Mexico is Chipotle. You heard that right. Provando the burrito chippo the burrito bow giant is serving up its Americanized version of Mexican cuisine in the country that inspired it, and almost immediately.

Did you guys hear that Chipotle is opening up a restaurant in Mexico? The commentary has been anything but mild. Why are people so up in arms about Chipotle opening up in Mexico? Ahead of the official opening, local food content creators like Carosamora got an early taste. It was amazing. Tipotle has finally arrived in Mexico. But it's not the first American fast food chain

to test local tastes. Taco Bell famously struggled to win over Mexican diners before its last location shut down in the early 2000s. Overseas, Domino's exited Italy in 2022 after Italian said, no grazi to their pizzas. It's like Panda Express opening up

in a Cantonese province. Mexican American chef Claudette Cepeda understands a skepticism. but says Chipotle may prove to be the exception. Can you call it Mexican food? I wouldn't. I would call it American Mexican food or Mexican American food. Zepeda says it's an important distinction,

which could make it easier for Mexican customers to embrace. I think as long as they keep their ethos of using really good ingredients, cooking everything from scratch. I think it'll do actually really well. Chipotle said it chose its location in Monterey because of its strong economy, growing population and status is one of the country's leading business and innovation hubs. Still, social media appears to be split. The reception has been divided.

A lot of people are saying they want to try it and some others are telling that I don't like that. Only time will tell, though, if Chipotle becomes a permanent craving or just a culinary curiosity. George Salis joins us now with a burrito in hand. He's got that great company expense account. So, George, we know if the ingredients and menu in this New Mexican Chipotle,

will be any different than the U.S. locations? I mean, you know, they are in Mexico. Well, Tom, we didn't have to go south of the border for this because it's going to be the same menu, the same ingredients. But get this. The company telling Reuters, they plan on opening six to eight new restaurants within the next year and a half. It's actually cheaper on the wallet, too, right now, a bowl in Mexico, about 15 to 20 percent cheaper than here in the U.S. So it's really food for thoughter. In this case, some food to mouth. Okay. Oh, yeah. Not good, Tom.

George so leaves with the burrito ball. I was hoping for a burrito, but I know we're trying to be healthy here. Hope there's not too much lettuce in there. I know it's Taco Bell, but still, be careful. All right, George, thank you. When we come back, everything to binge watch and listen to this weekend, including a new documentary about the Real Life Wolf of Wall Street, plus Will Ferrell and Molly Shannon reunite in a comedy series about golf.

And Lil Baby, out with a new song. That's next. All right, it is Friday, which means it is time for binge-worthy. Our look at the best things to watch and listen to this weekend. joining us tonight, USA Today, Senior Entertainment Correspondent, good friend of Top Story, diehard Yankees fan, man about town, ask him about The Odyssey, he's seen it. Ralphie Oursa, Ralph, what's up, buddy?

Not streaming that yet, but I'm sure you will on Peacock at some point, but not right now. That's not what we're talking about now. You got to catch it in IMAX. Good to see you, bro. We're going to talk about a new docu-series that is called The Real Wolf of Wall Street. You may remember that incredible movie by Martin Scorsese

about one of the most controversial investors in American history and the lifestyle he was living. Now there's a documentary all about that. Let's watch the clip, and I want to talk to you about it after. Leonardo DiCaprio playing you. I'd prefer him than Danny DeVito playing me. A lot of the movie was Boone. The Wolf of Wall Street doesn't even accurately portray the level of insanity that occurred.

So Wolf of Wall Street was crazy. I can't imagine if it's crazier than that. Jordan Belfort, of course, the investor we were talking about here. And there's a lot of home videos. Talk to me about this documentary, is it good? Yeah, I think a lot of people are going to watch this, and their eyes are definitely going to be open about Jordan's character because they obviously know what they saw Leonardo DiCaprio portray in the aforementioned film.

He's not as likable as Leo might have been. I think that's one of the takeaways that's going to happen from this three-part doc streaming on Paramount Plus. I mean, to be the wolf of Wall Street, you kind of have to be a shady character and somewhat, I don't know, slimy. It's funny. Theo Vaughn, the comedian, who's got a very... popular podcast, like he says that one of the guests that he didn't like was Jordan for that reason. It's interesting because Jordan's all over social media given investment advice. He's kind of reinvented himself since the film. All right, so we'll watch that Paramount Plus. Next up, this one's

on Hulu, Ralphie. This is the one I'm most excited about. I think I can watch this with the entire family. I think you can as well. It's based on a true story of a formerly incarcerated boxing coach who works with a group of teens to change their life and put together a great team. Here's a clip. you to help me train him. Coach, I ain't no damn babysitter. I know who you are. You got no home. Now where to go.

But this gym keeps calling you. Let me say it used to be great. Nobody remembers the corner man just to fight it. It's called They Fight. A lot of great actors in it. And a lot of new actors as well. What do you know about it? Is it worth it?

Yes. So Wendell Pierce in this actually ran into him at the Espies on Wednesday he was promoting. Of course, ABC, Hulu, ESPN, and everything else going on there. You remember him from the wire, obviously. Yeah, and so many other things. He's actually a good friend of this show, too.

He's a great guy. Yeah, there you go. So, yeah, so that's, and again, a feel-good story about this coach who kind of helps these young kids maybe achieve their dreams streaming on Hulu this weekend. Okay, and family-friendly, right? I just want to make sure that right recommendation. You did have that right recommendation. All right.

Next up, and this is the one that Ralphie says you've got to watch. This is his top pick. The Hawk, Will Farrell. It's on Netflix. It's about a golfer, trying to do a comeback. Yes. Sounds kind of familiar. All right.

Let's watch. You had a chance at completing the Grand Slam a long time ago. What will be going through your mind when you tee off tomorrow? I won't my baby, baby, baby, bag, baby, bag, baby, bag. Chili's, baby, baby, bakery. Bobby sauce. Can we repeat the question? Is this happy Gilmore meets Talladega nights?

I mean, what is this? Well, let me tell you, you hope it's not happy go more, too. Right. That's what that's really. Netflix doesn't want, nobody wants that. This is getting rated. reviews and I think one of the reasons why is seeing Will Farrell on screen with Molly Shannon the big SNL reunion will do a lot of press for this a lot of

he's out yeah yeah and and saying that Molly was his first choice obviously to play his wife in this and he kind of you know goes at it with her a little bit but he's funny he's very very funny will feral top three I'd say funniest ever in American cinema I will say that I'll stand by that but here's my point he's had hasn't been like a lot of great Will Ferrell flicks in a while, right? He's had kind of a little bit of a slow period, right, where things are just like, oh, my God, I'll watch that over and over again. Is this sort of one that you're like, okay, that's a classic Will Ferrell?

I think it can be. Okay. I think this can be extended into that. And, you know, when I talk to filmmakers and people that do TV, they love working with streamers like Netflix because of all of the flexibility they have, and I think you'll see some of this on the hawk. Love Will Ferrell. Hope it's awesome.

I will definitely be watching. Next one on the Mothership. Peacock, you've heard of this movie, Obsession. It was the talk of, like, the last three or four months. People were obsessed with this film. You can now stream it on Peacock. Let's watch a clip. Oh, so much.

Only the branch of a willow tree could conjure. It's weird how you two are dating all of a sudden. Like super dating. All right. This movie made a ton of money. People love this. It's a horror film. It's a different type of horror film, so you know, explain.

It's a thriller about a guy who's got an obsession with a girl, basically, and there's the whole kind of social media aspect to it as well. But then when he finally kind of gets to his desire, he realizes, hey, you've got to be careful what you wish for. Curry Barker is the filmmaker. He's a YouTuber turned filmmaker. And a lot of money's an understatement. The budget for this film was $750,000. It made in box offices about a half a billion dollars. That is unheard of, period, especially in this day and age. Part of this YouTube generation of directors, right?

Yeah, it's, you know what? That doesn't always work. People, if you got 8 million, 10 million subscribers, they don't always follow you to the theater or to Peacock or to anywhere else. But in this instance, they did, and I'm sure this will be a top stream this weekend. What's the secret sauce on this film? Like, what is it? Is it just like a really compelling story or is it really scary?

I think people are into the actors and actresses for it, and I do think they're interested in the storyline. All right, obsession. If you want to watch it, it's on Peacock. As we said, next up, Ralphie, I'm going to give you the wheel. I'm going to let you drive this one because I'm getting tired. It's a long week. It's Friday.

I'm ready to go home. No, but Ralphie, I know you know this one pretty well, so set it up for us on Apple TV. Yeah, Apple TV series, Anya Taylor, Joy, is in this one. Lucky. It's a crime thriller about a con artist on the run. Why is she on the run? Well, let's take a look. As dangerous as she is, every person's got a rhythm.

They learn to play. You can make them dance. Excuse me, sir. Can you help me? We'll get you somewhere safe. Thank you. Thank you. If you love books, you may remember this was a best-selling novel as well.

Lucky, people loved it. This, we should also mention, co-produced by Reese Witherspoon. She's in on this one. So people will like this. You told me watch it. It's good. Yeah, this is really, really good. Anya Taylor Joy plays her and her husband are both con artists,

and they have a huge rip, a huge rip. And so what do they do? Well, they go to Vegas to celebrate. Of course, why not? But when Anya's character wakes up the next morning, The husband's gone, the money's gone, and the chase is on. First two episodes, Apple TV Plus. Now, we'll get a third episode on Wednesday, about 45 minutes.

Not too bad, each. All right, pretty cool. Great. Let's talk music now. Gracie Abrams, if you love her, you're going to love this new track. It is called, it's off her third album, Daughter from Hell. Let's listen to the track. A different video there.

Maybe we should have given a warning. Maybe not. Depends. It's the weekend, right? So I love the song. I think it's great. Lyrics are great. Music's great.

And the whole album is good. It's her third studio album. She covers a lot on the album. The title track is kind of an apology to her mom. She's got a track that she co-writes on here with Paul Mezcal, her boyfriend. And they're not always so public about the relationship. I didn't know that. It's super interesting.

And the track we just played about breaking a lover's heart, Gracie Abrams's album, Daughter From Hell. Okay, great. I'm definitely going to be listening to that this weekend. Also, finally, Grammy winning rapper, Lil Baby, not The Baby. Little Baby. He's got a new one. This is produced by Farrell.

Let's take a listen. This is, he has said it there, he just said it there, dead fresh car to dead fish. Little baby's always colliding with so many people. They always have him on because he's so great. Yeah, and look, the rule I think should be from this song moving forward. If you're going to rap about Louis Vuitton, you could only do so if Farrell Williams, who of course is the head of bass. Design at Louis Vuitton produces your song. By the way, I got to see Skateboard P live.

I was at Jay-Z over the weekend. Oh, nice. Got to see Farrell do all of his big hits with Jay-Z. Mr. Craig Melvin was there as well. That's pretty incredible. Got to say hi to him. We were wondering where you were. Did you got?

And I didn't go. It's funny because I've actually gone to see Jay Z with Craig, but it was a long time ago. So you went to the show that every. one came out on? That big one? Saturday night one. No, I was not there. Thank goodness. I was.

For the craziness. So many great guests. Yeah. I was count my lucky stars. I was not there on Sunday. I'm sorry. Four hour delay. Yankees Dodgers this weekend.

Who wins? Oh, geez. The Yankees got, you know what? Both teams are beat up right now. You don't have the two big stars there. I'll give you two out of three. Come on, buddy. Two out of three.

All right. We thank you for being here, man. Tom, thanks, but always great. We thank you for watching Top Story. I'm Tom Yamis in York. Stay right there. More news on the way.