Top Story with Tom Llamas - Friday, June 26, 2026

Episode Date: June 27, 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.

Breaking news tonight, the miraculous rescues in the rubble. Even as we've learned, hundreds more have died after the earthquakes in Venezuela. The incredible rescues. Look at this. A baby pulled from the debris. You see it there. You see the baby there in the pink blanket. An entire family saved after hours trapped in mangled concrete.

New images from above of the widespread devastation. Tens of thousands still missing. Also breaking late tonight, the U.S. striking sites in Iran. The first attacks since that agreement was reached. by the U.S. says it's retaliation. Wildfire emergency, the worst wildfire ever in Utah, burning out of control, and Bill Karens has more on the major heat wave on the way.

Dramatic house explosions, a doorbell cam, capturing the moment when 700 pounds of fireworks inside a house gets set off, and this neighborhood there, leveled in Ohio. Reality TV controversies, the Love Island star, kicked off the show after video of her using a racial slur came to light. Plus, the disturbing video, a former Vanderpump Rules star pushing his girlfriend's father into a lit fire pit.

Terrifying bear standoff, a woman and her dog coming face to face with a grizzly, how they managed to get away. And the unexpected World Cup reunion. The Games bringing together a man with the Peace Corps volunteer who taught him English 30 years ago. Plus, an updated rendering of the America 250 passport just shared by the White House. We'll show you the new portrait of President Trump inside of it. Top story starts right now. Hi there, I'm Hallie Jackson in for Tom. And as we come on the air, it is a race against time in the urgent search for the survivors of those catastrophic earthquakes in Venezuela.

The government says nearly a thousand people have been killed. It is a staggering number with their loved ones, desperately looking for tens of thousands of others reported missing. Miraculously, incredibly, days later, rescuers are still finding more people alive. You hear that applause there. That's his cruise pulled a baby, just 18 days old, in that pink blanket there from the wreckage. Everybody clapping as a child has returned to the arms of dad and the sheer relief on his face. Even more stunning images of people rescued from the rubble, including this family found after seven floors came crashing down on them. The kids emerging from the air, you can see the staggering scale of the devastation buildings,

whole neighborhoods just totally crumbled. and new video of the terrifying moments that these earthquakes hit. Look inside this mall, swarms of people running for cover as the buildings started to shake. And here at a festival, the panicked moments that the crowd realizes what's happening. You see people starting to push, people screaming. Here, buildings on fire in the moments after the shaking began.

Rescue teams from the United States and all around the world are mobilizing now in full force to try to help families find their loved ones in the critical and agonizing hours ahead. George Solis has more on the desperate search. Tonight, the incredible rescues inside that pink blanket. A baby pulled out of the rubble and the emotional reunion. Getting a kiss from her dad. 48 hours after those deadly earthquakes, amazingly, they're still finding people alive in Venezuela.

Watch as this boy is rescued from a collapsed building. and then what appears to be his parents, first his mom, and then his dad. Elsewhere, this four-year-old rushed to an ambulance after he was rescued. And the survival stories are astounding. I held onto the doorframe as the floor collapsed. I clung so tightly I broke my finger, this woman says. And cheers, as this man is pulled from a pile of twisted concrete and steel. From the air, the destruction here is staggering.

So many high rises now flattened. And tonight, we're seeing new images of those frightening moments when the back-to-back earthquakes hit, crowds rushing for the exits. Pandemonium at this street party, which was taking place as the ground began to shake. And in this dance studio, they scrambled for cover. All his search efforts are ongoing, and the death toll keeps rising. near the epicenter in La Guida. This woman says she had to bury several family members.

And tonight we spoke with Rick and Adriana Prague. Their 18-year-old nephew Diego was just rescued, but their 14-year-old niece, Sophia, is still missing. We were prepared for her 15 birthday party, so we're hoping to find her. You have to hold on to hope and imagine that there is a chance she could still be alive in that rubble. We would think so. Hopes until we find her body, you know, are still high, right? You just got to keep hoping. George is joining us now from a crowded donation site in South Florida.

Your heartbreaks when you hear these stories from people who are hoping and praying. And so many of the people where you are, these volunteers, these people who are coming to donate, you've seen a big spike in the number of people who are turning out to try to help. Yeah, that's absolutely right, Hall. This crowd is very emotional. They cheer every time someone brings a large donation, just like this one. This has been outside the global empowerment mission all day. This crowd has been working in the rain and the heat, just getting all of this material

and good inside of this warehouse. And officials here now tell me, Halley, that the U.S. State Department has actually greenlit all of these goods to get to Venezuela as soon as this weekend. Hallie. So many people looking to help. George Solis, thank you. Let's get now to that breaking news on Iran late tonight with President Trump, during retaliatory airstrikes after Iran attacked a commercial ship in the Strait of Hormuz.

Let me bring in Courtney Kubi, who's following this one for us tonight. She's joining us here in Washington. Court, what are we learning so far? So we know that this was, as you said, in response to this Iranian drone strike against a commercial ship. So the military has been, when they've had these sorts of retaliatory strikes, so they call them self-defense, though. They tend to make them somewhat limited and proportional. So what we saw here was because it was a drone attack on the commercial ship, the military went after some drone stockpiles, also some military. missile stockpiles and then coastal radar sites. And why that's important is those are the radars that are able to direct the drones and potentially direct the missiles. So that's why the

military considers it proportional and self-defense because then they are potentially stopping another future attack. I think the real big question right now is where does this go from here? We watched these escalate over weeks and weeks during the war and even before the memorandum understanding was signed last week where Iran would launch off some drones, the U.S. would shoot them down and it would keep going until the U.S. would take strikes inside Iran. Is this the end or is this going to continue going? Well, one potential clue on what the answer to that is could be the response from Iran, right? What do we know on that front?

They're already threatening to respond. We haven't seen anything yet. But, you know, the IRGC, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has been making threats in the last several days, specifically against any ships going through that, that corridor that's along the southern side of the Strait of Hormuz, down by Oman. Haley, that's where that ship was going. So now it's also a big question about whether if more ships try to transit through that route, will Iran retaliate or strike them again? Courtney, Cueby, much to watch on this front court.

Thank you very much. Appreciate you being here. So that's state of emergency in Utah now with Cruz battling the worst wildfire in the state's history, some 70,000 acres just incinerated. And now a new warning tonight that this situation could get worse soon. Here's Dana Griffin. Tonight, devastating wildfires creating a state of emergency in Utah, thick smoke and an orange glow seen for miles. This is likely the most destructive and costly fire in terms of property damage that the state has ever seen. The Cottonwood Fire now more than 70,000 acres, turning building after building like Evan Stapley's cabin to ashes.

I cried. I've got too many memories. The National Weather Service issuing Salt Lake City's first particularly dangerous situation. A red flag warning similar to the one given before last year's deadly L.A. wildfires. Utah's governor now banning most fireworks ahead of July 4th. He says the current drought combined with a forecast for high winds make conditions ripe for disaster. Those trees there, they look the same as they've looked every other year. But they're not. They're dying inside. They're Roman candles just waiting to be lit.

In Arizona this week, a vehicle fire turning explosive, forcing officials to shut down the highway in both directions as flames ravaged 30 acres nearby. Extreme heat is also on the radar heading into next week where some cities across the upper Midwest and Great Lakes are expected to hit the upper 90s. While back in Utah, dismayed residents are reckoning with the destruction, with new fires now growing around the state. Dana Griffin for that important reporting. I want to bring in meteorologist Bill Karens now. I mean, you heard it there, Bill, from Dana. It is very serious. It is likely going to get a lot worse. Crews are dealing with just very difficult conditions. Can they be hopeful for any kind of relief? Not a lot, especially not tomorrow. On the ground, they're just getting the firefighters out of the way. The airdrops aren't even effective because of the high winds. So we got red flag warnings that are up.

The humidity is like as low as the driest desert out there that you can imagine. And the winds have been gusting all day in the cities in the 20s, but the higher elevations, we've seen 40 to 50 mile per hour gusts. Do you imagine a water drop from an aircraft and the big 40 mile per where gust comes? They can't even hit the target that they're aiming for, the flames on the ground. And an example of that, here's the cottonwood fire. This is the huge fire. This is pictures from outer space showing the visible satellite imagery. This is the smoke. Watch this morning, not that big. Then this afternoon, it explodes. That cottonwood fire, and when we get the new update for acreage, it is running through the mountainside right now. So it's a very scary situation,

and we have numerous new fire starts too. Now tomorrow's map, this is ugly from Grand Junction, right along the Colorado, Utah border, all the way down through the border of New Mexico and Arizona. Once again, tomorrow, another extreme fire risk. Okay, that's what's happening for folks in the Utah area and in the West. But there's also, as we look ahead to the next few days next week, this massive heat wave, just brutal and intense.

Listen, we always say, Bill, it's summer. It's going to be hot, but not like this. Yeah, this is a long-duration event once again. And it's going to last right through the 4th of July. So the 100s start to show up in Texas as we go through Saturday. By the time we get the Sunday, they spread up through Oklahoma and into Kansas. And then along with it, it's going to come some pretty high humidity. So this is the forecast leading up to the 4th of July.

Eastern 2 thirds of the country, a high probability, much warmer than it should be. And here's an example. Just if you're planning ahead from a week from right now, from Friday into Saturday for the 4th of July, look at Raleigh. 103 on Friday, Saturday, 99. There's a big birthday party going on in Washington, D.C., 98 degrees. That heat index will likely be up to 105 to 110. And there's a good chance that Raleigh on Thursday could be about 106 degrees. Why is that important, Halley?

That's the hottest temperature they've ever recorded in their history. And they could reach that next week. This isn't going to be just your normal heat wave. This one could be historic. And that's when it gets dangerous is when it lasts for a long time. Bill Cairns, I imagine we'll be talking again next week. Appreciate you. Next tonight to the dramatic video of two separate home explosions.

One in Washington State, which appears to have been started by a cigarette, and hundreds of pounds of fireworks. The other in Ohio damaging more than a dozen homes. Maggie Vespa has a closer look. Caught on camera. A stunning home explosion in Washington State. You see debris and smoke filling the air. Watch again, that ring camera video? Capturing the critical moment Wednesday when authorities believe a lit cigarette ignited some 700. pounds of fireworks stored in the home. It was like a warrantsome anger that there was somebody that close.

Here's another view of the blast. Authorities in Whidbey Island say three firefighters were injured, two homes destroyed, and a third belonging to Tanya Hernandez damaged. They were exploding over and over and over. Yeah, it was bad. Authorities not yet IDing those responsible. The Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms is investigating. Meanwhile, in Ohio, drone video shows the aftermath of another home explosion near Cleveland,

after authorities say utility crews accidentally struck a gas line Thursday. We have a gas exploded into the house. This time, 20 homes damaged and three destroyed. There is a working fire for the house that exploded in two adjacent homes right next to it on either side or currently in golf. In Ohio, two people injured. in both states grateful no one was killed. This is a miracle in itself. Maggie's joining us now. Man, Maggie, you look at that and you just think, yes, it could

have, you know, as bad as it was, thank goodness it wasn't worse. But what's interesting is that there's now, we're now learning of two other instances in the state of Ohio separately where crews also hit gas lines. Right, Halley, three in the last 24 hours. This is just into our newsroom. We're bringing it here on top story first. So the first gas line hit was the one in our piece, the explosion that you saw. The second gas line was this morning in a town called New Franklin. No damage there.

We have video, though, of damage from number three. This one happened this afternoon. Look at that, that charred truck, firefires spraying it down. This is in Lake County, Ohio. Again, crews, officials say, hitting a gas line. They say two homes had to be evacuated. Those homes, though, thankfully, we're not damaged. So keep in mind, three separate communities, three separate crews,

different sets of circumstances, but all of those communities within about 90 minutes of each other. So just an insane 24 hours for people in that part of the state, really to put it lightly, Halley. Yeah, no kidding. Maggie Vesma, Maggie, thank you for bringing us all that. Appreciate it. Stay at California now, where there was a big defeat for federal prosecutors, a mistrial in the case against the man accused of starting the devastating and deadly palisades fire. Camila Bernal is tracking this for us tonight. So the jurors couldn't come to an agreement here, Camilla. And we had talked through this. We're now hearing from one of them about the deliberations, right?

Yeah, Hallie, and that juror just reiterated that they just could not come to an agreement. She said there were people that voted on not guilty, others that voted guilty, and that none of them, or essentially some of them, who were very set on those two different sides, could not come to the middle or could not be swayed one way or the other. She also said that she was one of the not guilty votes and said that she just did not think there was enough evidence to blame one person for this whole entire Palisades fire. So, of course, like you mentioned, this is a setback for the prosecution. The defense attorney came out after court today, and he said that his client is being used as a

scapegoat and instead is blaming the city's response, the firefighter's response for the death and the devastation caused by this fire. The prosecution, though, they say they're not giving up. they believe that Jonathan Renderkynch is still responsible for the Palisades fire, Halley. So does this mean that they're going to try to bring a case against him again? Yeah, so immediately after the judge declared the mistrial, we heard from the government saying we are going to retry this case with a new jury. We believe that he is still responsible and we will bring that to a jury again.

And so the two sides later met and agreed that they will retry this case on a court. October 19th. That's what it's scheduled for. And then the judge also decided that the defendant is going to remain in prison while he waits for this new trial. His attorney tried to say that, you know, they've essentially already had 10 people saying he wasn't guilty, let him out. But the prosecution said he could be a flight risk. He is a French national. He could cross over the border to Mexico. And so the judge agreed he will remain in prison. And now we'll all just have. have to wait for this October trial, Halley. Okay, Camilla Bernal. I know you'll be tracking that for us as well. Thank you, Camilla. We're back in a moment now with the violent brawl that landed a pastor behind bars. So what started it? Plus, tensions erupting on Capitol Hill over the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.

Lawmakers pressing billionaire Leon Black. The news subpoenas just issued tonight. And a terrifying close encounter. Look at this. A woman and her dog coming face to face with a huge grizzly. We'll show you how they managed to fend it off next. We are back with the dramatic video of a pastor attacking a man who he says was threatening his family, that pastor arrested and then released, going in front of his congregation to share his side of the story.

Ryan Chandler has more. This is the brawl that put a pastor behind bars. Pastor Tony Spell of Central Louisiana's Life Tabernacle Church running from his church bus slot into a fight with a 20-year-old man. Eventually, Spell throws him to the ground, punching him again and again. bashing his head as he holds him by the hair. The minute-long melee ending with a kick as the pastor releases him. Spell was arrested on a second-degree battery charge. Pastor Spell is speaking out, saying the man had been harassing his congregation for years

and even threatened him and his family. He's shouting vulgarities, profanities, and very nasty words towards my person or myself. Police confirmed Spell's family had for. filed a previous police report about the man. I just want to say thank God for a church that stands. Spells congregation standing by his side, cheering as he addressed the fight in a sermon right after bonding out of jail. I fulfilled the scripture. I laid hands on the sick.

I don't know how much recovery they're going to have, but I laid hands on the sick. Ryan is joining us now from Dallas. I mean, the video is really something to see here. Any word tonight from the 20-year-old man that the pastor punched? Nothing yet? No word yet, Halley. It's worth mentioning. We only played a bit of it there, the most palatable parts. But the pastor did make some very heinous allegations about the kind of rhetoric. He says that 20-year-old man was using to harass his congregation. Some of the other congregates online had described that man as the antagonist in this situation. But we haven't heard from that man yet. We did get in touch with the 20-year-old's father. He didn't want to talk about it at all. And the police are still not releasing any more details. So very murky details about what led up to this, but it's certainly splitting this town in two, Halley. Ryan Chandler, thank you.

To a disturbing new kind of politically motivated personal attack now, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says he was separated from his children, his two young kids. After somebody called child protective services on his family to make an anonymous report that turned out to be false. John Allen is reporting on this one. Buttigieg compared it to, you know, swatting, John. People know that when you like call the cops on somebody's house just to give him a hard time, basically. that this was almost the equivalent of that, but through CPS, through Child Protective Services, and Buttigieg laid out in detail in a post how he was separated from his kids, how they had to be interviewed, how he had to be interviewed, and he calls it basically this new and very disturbing kind of attack.

Yeah, he wrote about how terrifying this was for him and, of course, for his four-year-old children. Basically, to your point, swatting, as folks know, somebody calls the police on you with a false report. In this case, child protective services were called. With an anonymous report, as it turned out, according to Buttigieg, the claim was that a woman in Alabama had said that Buttigieg had said to her that he had done violent things. He had never been to the town in Alabama that this came from. The police concluded that this was completely fabricated. He wasn't being prosecuted. But he talks about the terror of child services and the police coming to his house and telling him.

he cannot talk to his own children, cannot stay with his own children, has to find a place to stay for the night or a place for them to stay for the night so then they can be interrogated effectively by protective services, which, you know, is a great protection for children who are actually being abused. But in this case, as Buttigieg said, that the police were able to conclude pretty quickly that this was a politically motivated attack. And so what he's saying is that this has gone, you know, sort of jumped from that realm of a very dangerous thing of calling the police and saying, that there's a hostage situation or something like that, to a different realm of protective services. And I think it's worth mentioning that it really plays on some of the tropes. He and his husband, obviously, are gay, and that there have been, you know, tropes about gay couples for a long time

that this touches on. The other piece of this, too, Peter Judge is saying, hey, we can all agree. Kids should be off limits. We should all agree on this, that kids should be nowhere near any of this kind of thing when it comes to these false reports, by the way, illegal, right? Calling in a false report like that. And Buttigieg makes clear

he plans to prosecute to the fullest extent he possibly can if they can ever find out who called this in. Yeah, it is absolutely illegal. And at the same time, these two four-year-olds have to deal with this traumatic experience. He and his husband, Chaston, have to deal with this traumatic experience. So it can't be undone, even if it's prosecuted. And again, if they're able to figure out who the anonymous tipster was. John Allen, thank you very much. Appreciate you bringing us that story. Just ahead, much more to get to, including our series Great Americans. Tom sits down with the barrier-breaking ballet dancer Misty Copeland, what she told him about living out the American dream, her rise to the top, and how she's giving back. Plus, Gracie the giraffe finally found

weeks after escaping from a ranch, the drone footage that helped spot her next. Back now with Top Story's news feeds, starting with a new rendering of a special edition passport featuring President Trump. You can see it here. President posted this picture. This is what it looks like. He's putting his fists on the desk. Writing on social media, welcome, but be good. To be clear, the State Department has not confirmed that this is the final version. It's different from the original one right here that the agency released back in April, all part of the country's 250th anniversary celebrations. In Texas, more than 5 million public school students are now going to be required to read Bible passages in class. The State Board of Education signed off

on this new reading list today. Again, mandatory. It includes certain Bible stories, as well as some classic literature like Dickens and Shakespeare. Supporters say the readings are necessary because they're a part of the nation's founding, but critics argue they lack diversity and blur the separation of church and state. Also tonight, some super scary new video of like a very close call with a grizzly bear in Canada. Look at this. This bear is trailing. This dog you see and the woman behind the camera. Then it starts kind of running around them. It starts doing circles. It's not far at all. you to listen to this. This is a woman kind of standing up trying to get the bear to go away. Dead! Bad! The bear did eventually go. Somehow, she managed to keep her phone in her hand the

whole time. Film the whole thing. Very scary, but fortunately, no human or animal was hurt. Also, tonight that missing giraffe, we told you about a few days ago. Gracie has now been spotted. Get it? She's hearing this drone video in Texas. She was on the loose for a couple of weeks, but A local sheriff says she was finally found just four miles from the ranch that she escaped from. We're told her owner is now getting a veterinarian and a whole team together to help bring her back home safely. To new tensions now in the Epstein investigation on Capitol Hill, Epstein's billionaire business associate Leon Black, whose name appears hundreds of times in the DOJ's files, testifying and what the oversight committee chair, James Comer has said could be the most groundbreaking deposition yet.

But the interview was apparently cut short. left within less than an hour after the committee gave him subpoenas. He'd been there voluntarily ended up leaving subpoenas in hand. Lawmakers say he wasn't answering their questions, but Black's legal team is calling a political theater. There's no question that as soon as this interview started, that the witness was not going to answer critical questions. He made a premeditated political decision to serve him with subpoenas after less than an hour of questioning. This was nothing more than a planned political stunt. I want to bring in Julie Serkin, who's following this one for us, really some drama here

on this one. Leon Black's testimony, he may not be the most familiar name to people around the country, but to those who are investigating the Epstein case, he's certainly, you know, somebody they want to talk to. That's why he was brought in. But after, I guess what, 30, 45, 50 minutes, the chairman of the Oversight Committee, the Republican chair, had subpoenas ready to go, already prepared and gave him to him. Yeah, it seems, Hallie, like the Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer was prepared that Leon Black would stonewall to the committee because what he really wanted to hear from Leon Black, and it's not just him. You heard Robert Garcia, too. There's bipartisan agreement that they wanted Leon Black to provide the receipts to disclose exactly what he knew when. He started paying Epstein for financial advice after 2013. That was four years after Jeffrey Epstein already served a year in jail. He was first arrested and first put in jail. for some of his crimes. So Leon Black refusing to shed any daylight on that. And I also want to say that his lawyer actually said that those non-disclosure agreements that Black refused to talk about.

That's subpoena number one. Subpoena number two is for Black to actually come in and testify under oath on July 16th. His lawyer had said that Epstein was not involved with those alleged subpoenas saying, quote, whether they exist or not. I thought that was extremely notable. Black, along with Les Wexner, probably the two most prominent figures that at least backed Epstein financially. Black paid Epstein almost $160 million to help him out with some estate troubles that he was in. So this is a big name for the committee to hear from. Robert Garcia, the top Democrats, said that he applauds Comer's move here and said that all of these interviews should really be conducted under oath, which we know many of them are not. The committee has shown, Hallie, they are very serious when it comes to these subpoenas.

We saw this with the Clintons earlier this year. We saw this to some extent with Pam Bondi and even Gleine Maxwell. And so if Black decides not to show for his subpoena on July 16 and decides not to reveal those NDAs, reveal some of this information that they want to see, potentially he could be held in criminal contempt by Congress. And this matter could escalate all the way to the Department of Justice. So the committee had shown Halley for months, if not more than that, that they are very serious to running to the bottom of this, particularly when it comes to hearing from these key men, these key figures, not all of them, of course, some women as well that were extremely passionate. powerful, that were involved with Epstein, that were very close to him, and they want to know what they knew when, and they will not stop until they get that information. Holly. Julie Sirkin, thank you. To our series now, Great Americans, where we talk with those who have achieved so much and helped so many about their lives in this country. Tonight, Tom sits down with a legend of American dance, the first and only black principal dancer in the history of the American ballet theater.

Our great American this week, Misty Copeland. What do you love about America? The ability to be whoever you want to be, to become more than your circumstances, to have dreams that can truly be fulfilled. She's a once-in-a-lifetime ballerina, a trailblazer and a role model. It's something Misty Copeland never dreamed of growing up in poverty. It was at 13 years old at the Boys and Girls Club that I was introduced through this free. ballet program to the local ballet teacher. And in that first class, she said to me, I think you're a prodigy. Dancing on point, or on your toes, normally takes years to master. Copeland was doing it

within months. Did you realize at that point, I have a gift? I was being told, but it was not something that I was really paying attention to. I grew up in a household where, you know, there's a single parent. We were houseless for most of my upbringing. At the time that I started ballet, me and my five siblings were living in a one-bedroom motel. Do you think there was a part of you that thought maybe these ballet shoes are my ticket out of this life? Eventually, yes, that definitely became something that pushed me. You know, this feeling that I could be part of something that's bigger than myself. I could leave the circumstances that I'm in. Copeland's rapid rise at the world-renowned American ballet theater wasn't easy.

Partly because there was nobody who looked like her. I'm in a company of over 90 dancers, and I'm the only black woman. She says she was told she didn't have the typical ballerina body. When I became a professional, there was a shift in the conversation. And I'm like, how did I go from being a prodigy to no longer having the ideal body? body. What I've kind of deciphered in the language is like this is, this is an acceptable way of saying you don't belong in this art form. You don't have the right skin color. But her performances quickly redefined who ballet was for in America. What was like the first big accomplishment

that you're like, oh wow, I'm on my way? Being cast as the firebird to see the turnout on that first night in New York City, the house of muchfault and opera was sold out and it was full of black and brown people and a lot of young people. It was the first time we saw something like that. It was a cultural shift in the way that I think people looked at what ballet means to America and that it can be inclusive when people see themselves reflected.

Missy, take a bow. She became the first and is still the only African-American female principal dancer in American ballet theater's 85-year history. inspiring leagues of young ballerinas. She took her final bow last year and is now giving back to the community that gave so much to her. One, two, up, three, four. The Misty Copeland Foundation offers free dance classes to kids in underserved communities and includes a pathway to formal training at prestigious dance schools.

We have free ballet programs in the Bronx and in Harlem. That's how you, I mean, that's how I was given an opportunity. and we're going into community centers and spaces where people never would have imagined they could take a ballet class. What would you say to a little girl who's out there who is maybe going through something very tough, and she wants to do something that is very hard to do, like become a ballerina? What would you say? It's so important to trust your instincts and to know that this is truly something you want to do. It's so important to have a support system and build that.

and how people to turn to, especially on those days when it's tough and maybe you feel like you can't do it. That truly has been the power behind me and my success. Just incredible to see. Coming up here on the show, the Love Island star booted from the hit series after video of her using a racial slur resurfaced. And the unexpected reunion, how the World Cup brought together this Peace Corps volunteer with her student decades later. Guess who's joining us next? Both of them. Stick with us.

Back now with Top Story's Global Watch, starting in Beijing, where a small plane has crashed into the city's tallest building. Look at this. Video shows the debris falling into the streets below. Somebody in another tower capturing what looks to be a hole right there in the side of the building. Right now, we still don't know what caused the crash and no word yet on whether anybody has been hurt. And a huge fire erupting in Myanmar. But this one intentionally set by officials. Look at those flames, that thick smoke. It's a 50-ton pile of drugs up in flames. Apparently about $600 million worth of heroin and opium and meth and some other stuff. It's part of a broader push by officials in Myanmar to crack down on the drug trade there. It sends shipments all across south and southeast Asia. Some new video out of the UK shows an officer getting a big lift from a stranger while trying to chase down somebody on foot, a suspect. Look at this, armed police running down the street. Then a van driver pulls up and offers to help.

Get the back. Get the back. Go, go, go. Go, go. Go, go. Go, go. She's, buddy, follow that police officer. So they drive up the road for a while. Look at that. Then the officer jumps out, arrest the suspect. Police say they were wanted for a reported assault. The whole thing with the van driver coming to an end with a friendly handshake between the officer and the man behind the wheel.

Now, we got to take you over to Love Island USA to the villa a little early tonight because a newly added contestant has already left the show, not because she was voted off. Instead, a resurfaced video from her past has led to her ouster. And as our Stephen Romo reports, it's not the only scandal rocking the reality TV world right now. Next, we have Alana. Tonight, a bombshell booted out of the Love Island USA Villa. Hi, boy.

Alana Kaiser first strutted onto the screen Sunday, but last night, she was dropped from the smash-hit Peacock show over racist language. Alana has left Casa Moore. Following her debut, an old social media post resurfaced, appearing to show the now 21-year-old using the N-word, which is part of the lyrics to Roddy Rich's song, The Box. Peacock, which shares the same parent company as NBC News, says Kaiser won't be back on the show. We've learned the material came from private accounts and wasn't available to be viewed during the casting process. We have not yet been able to reach Kaiser for comment. Love Island is a streaming reality dating competition known for being risque and dramatic. But it's the off-camera plot that keeps making headlines.

This is the second time a contestant has been removed this season over resurfaced racist language. Vassana Montgomery was kicked off the show before the new season even started after videos surfaced showing her use the same slur. Montgomery apologizing in a post writing, there is no excuse for it. and I am deeply sorry. Last season, two other contestants were also sent packing after using racist language. Honestly, so sorry. Both involved later issued apologies of their own. I'm deeply sorry again, and I thank anyone who's listening.

The developments highlighting criticism over bad behavior by reality stars. Like Bravo's Vanderpump rules. This newly released video from TMZ shows star Tom Sandoval appearing to shove his girlfriend's father into a lit fire pit during an argument. The incident took place earlier this month, and it comes as family members are involved in competing legal claims surrounding allegations of domestic violence. NBC News reached out to Sandoval for comment and has not yet heard back. I didn't know she was that sensitive.

Drama and reality TV go hand in hand, but once again, it's the off-screen drama that's proving too hot for TV. Stephen is joining us now. So Stephen, this bombshell had only entered the villa a few days before she was, you know, taken out of it, basically. How did this unravel so quickly? Yeah, the timing is really interesting here, Halley. It looks like this was a screen recording of an old Snapchat story that someone waited to post until Alana actually made her way onto the show. It's an interesting development that's come through here. I've talked to a couple other people who've been cast on national reality shows. And they say, The background checks are extensive. They're psychological tests and talking to ex-partners. And, of course, the social media scrubbing goes without saying. But we understand during this process for Ms. Kaiser, that was not publicly posted in a viewable way at the time, which made this all sort of play out in a very public way, Hallie.

Stephen Romo, plenty to watch. Thank you very much for that. Now to one of the best stories to come out of this year's World Cup so far. And a reminder, it really is a small world after all. So listen to this. When former Peace Corps volunteer Jill Tucker went to go cheer on Cape Verde, where she lived and taught decades ago, she introduced herself to the man who had organized this event, a man named Ivan Silva.

She didn't realize at the time. She had no clue that he was one of the teenagers that she taught on the country's southern coast more than 30 years ago. He said to her, I think you were my teacher. And now all these decades later, they have been reunited. Guess who is joining us right here now on Top Story. We've got Jill and Yvonne with us. Thank you both so much for being here.

Thank you for having us. So, Jill, to be clear, when you walked into this event, you were just going to cheer on Cape Verde. You didn't have any idea who the organizer was, right? Oh, gosh, no, no, no. I was going because I wanted to be with people that were cheering for Cape Verde and love the country as much as I did. And there would have been no thought that I would have

anyone there. Cape Verde is so small and there aren't very many Cape Verdeans in California in the Bay Area. So for me, it was, I wanted, I had a new Cape Verde shirt and I wanted to go and cheer with other people. So, yeah, no clue. So, Yvonne, you see Jill walk in. Did it click right away or did it take you a second to kind of realize like, wait a second? She looks kind of familiar. Walk us through that. Yeah, yeah, it didn't click right away. Just a few questions. What do you work? How was your connection to Cape Verdi? But also, I had been looking for her for a long time, so my mind was prime to find her.

Tell me why. Why'd you been looking for her? Because she was our English teacher. She had taught her so much. We are so grateful for her service in the islands, and we wanted to connect because I know she was in the Bay Area. And like Jill said, there's not a lot of people in the Bay Area with Cape Verdean connection. So it would have been really special to connect with her. And then it happened like this.

Jill, it has really gone viral. Did you expect it when you shared the story? Did you expect it to take it like everybody around the world knows about you too now? No, not at all. You know, the World Cup has been so special and you're hearing stories everywhere about people connecting and people from different countries, dancing and laughing and getting to know each other. And, and I, you know, our story was, was just part of that. And, and when I posted it, I thought, oh, it's, you know, another World Cup story, but it has, it's gone crazy.

And, you know, for Yvonne and I, it is, it's so special. It's surreal. I think when he said, I'm your student, I think I blacked out for a moment, because it just didn't seem possible. And, but, you know, I think people are really wanting. these stories right now. They want to feel like the world is a beautiful, lovely, magical place where two people, you know, after 35 years and 6,000 miles can bump into each other. And even though my face has 35 extra years on it, you know, we can still hug and feel like, you know, we've known each other all our lives. Yvonne, why do you think it's touched so many people?

I think it's the spirit of the World Cup, maybe. Yeah, it's reaching out. It's the whole point of the whole tournament, bringing people together. We've got to talk about the soccer then, the World Cup, because Cape Verde, kind of the underdogs, Ivan, what do you think? Do they win tonight? Give me your prediction, Yvonne. What do you think?

How are they going to do? 2-1 win today. A humble prediction. That would be amazing. You'd go insane. Everybody would go bananas. Exactly. Exactly.

Jill, you got money on Cape Verde? Well, journalists don't have a lot of money, so no money. But I will say they have to win because Yvonne and I have to watch all the rest of the games together once he gets back. Oh, man, yes. I love it. So you do have plans to hang out again then, right? Oh, absolutely.

He's not getting away for me now. Yeah, no. I love it so much. Yeah, we're going to have some Kachupa together. Yeah. Yeah. We're going to have Kachupa, which is the traditional student. from Cape Verde, which I haven't had in 35 years, so I'm very excited.

Yvonne and Jill, your story has really, I think, underlined what the World Cup is about for so many people. Jill and Yvonne, as you say, sort of the magical moment. People coming together, even after so many years, so many miles and so many decades apart. Thank you so much to the both of you. I'm rooting on Cape Verde tonight. How can you not? Thank you very much for being with us. Appreciate it. Thank you. That's so cool. We've got a lot more to get to on top story, including just ahead after the game. you can listen to and watch this weekend, including the new sketch comedy series from Larry David with a star-studded cast. Plus, John Cena and Eric Andre team up in a new movie, and Phoebe Bridgers is dropping a new song. Stay with us.

We are back now with Bingeworthy, our look at the best stuff to watch and listen to this weekend. Joining us tonight is NBC News Entertainment contributor and CEO of pop viewers Chris Witherspoon, Chris, greetings friend. Hey, Holly, TGIF, we made it. We did it. And you know what? The next time that we talk or the next time you're on top, it'll be right before the 4th of July. So let's talk about America's 250th birthday. I know. Larry David is marking the moment.

He's got this new historical sketch comedy show. Life, Larry, and the Pursuit of Unhappiness on HBO Max. Here's a clip. What a pleasure to be a part of such a historic occasion. What a party! This is a declaration of common sense. No sharing dessert. It's unsanitary.

Sometimes I don't want a whole slice of pie. I just want a taste of pie. Get your own damn piece of pie! I won this one, Chris. I mean, the vibe is vibing. First off, can we give Larry David equity in HBO? Because he has brought so many gems to HBO. This is a seven-part limited series, though,

so there will be a second season of this. And to your point, it's kind of looking back at America's 250-year history. He's kind of interjecting Larry David or himself into different moments in history. We have guest stars like Jerry Seinfeld, Catherine Hahn, Sean Hayes. And a point to note here is executive produced also by the Obama's Higher Ground. So an actual president of the United States, former president is involved in producing this.

If you're looking for something that is more heavy on the historical and less on the comedy, you've got Tom Hanks taking on this role, EP, executive producing a docu-series about the founding of the U.S. And it features a whole bunch of influential American voices. This is a look at the American experiment on Netflix. How do you understand the nation? If you don't look at all the challenges the nation's face, a great nation doesn't hide for its past, but looks at it, learns from it,

and has been made better by that past. The American Revolution was really a key turning point for all of human history. That sounds interesting if you're looking to lock in on some American history stuff. For real. This one's for like the actual OG history. And I love that it's kind of raw and honest. Tom Hanks, as you mentioned, is the EP, but it looks back on America's history and looks back at the good, the bad, the not so time,

the sometimes not so great, and kind of looks at America as an experiment. It didn't always get it right. But I think it like this sound like you played is to look at it and exhume what worked and figure out how to make it better. You have people like Kamala Harris, Mike Pence, Hillary Clinton all joined to give sound bites for this. Yeah, a real range of voices there. If you're looking to switch gears entirely, let's talk about the bear. Last, season and you know I mean we've been talking about the bear since it burst out of the gate in its first season it's on Hulu here's a clip Chef you good listen to the pan you hear the music It's our last day

We're out of time I'm not giving up we're gonna keep operating Richard I am selling the building Chris how does it end you know first of all I can't believe that we've even got five seasons for this show it is so rare in the air of streaming to get five And they got 21 Emmys. They've already accumulated. We don't know how it ends yet. I didn't watch it, but all eight episodes are out right now. So many cliffhangers. But I love that this show, Hallie, it made Jeremy Alvin Wright a household name. Also, Ayo, a Debris, also a household name. So the show has done its thing and there's fandom everywhere for it. Oh, yeah. Rocketed those two in particular into stardom. How about on Peacock, this psychological thriller about a violin player who becomes a music tutor for a gifted student. But the family has some sense. secrets, right? This is strung. Let's take a look. We need somebody. A full-time live-in music tutor for my granddaughter.

Let's meet your potential student. Sorry. I love it when the music tells you this is about to get real creepy. I mean, I jumped just now. This was executive produced by Tyler Perry, also Jason Blum, of Blum House, who's given us all those movies like Get Out, The Purge, etc. It takes place in this very opulent home where Chloe Bailey plays a violinist who comes to tutor the entire family. And the entire family is kind of crazy. Also, you have Lynn Whitfield in this, who's a friend of mine.

I love Lynn Whitfield. And you have someone else is in this. Coco Jones. Coco Jones is in this as well. What about if you're looking for something like a little more on the comedic side? There's this comedy out with John Sina and Eric Andre, the comedian, Little Brother. It's out on Netflix. Here's that.

Oh, my God. My brother was in a car accident. Is he okay? You will be. It was quite an accident. He was very lucky. I don't believe it, but I think that's my little brother from a charity thing in high school. I barely remember.

Brother? Is that you? Maybe you can stay with us for a night or two. What? That's a setup. That's a setup. First off, it starts out very serious, but it's not serious. It is not a drama.

John Cena's giving us comedy. Also, Eric Andre. And I think that this is one of the most unique and genius concepts we've all heard of like big brother, big sisters. This is big brother, big sisters gone wrong. This is a little from like decades ago who comes back to find his big and he's just messy and kind of unravels this perfect real estate broker life. I have to tell you, this, I love this segment because, you know, I'm not like the biggest

necessary. I don't have like a million hours to watch. I'm making this my summer of movies. I'm really, I'm really committed to it. Movies and you got your guy. I'm going to put you on. I'm going to put you on always, Hallie. No, I'm ready.

I'm ready. So I'm going to watch those two. And then for people who like to listen to music, and we'll have it on the background at our house, Phoebe Bridgers is out with a new one. This is Lost Boys, her latest song. Let's listen. Phoebe Bridgers fans, Chris, seem to be all about this one. I mean, what in the medieval times?

Okay, she's transformed into an elf. I love this video, though, Phoebe, I love this video. And this is her first album in six years. It's called Lost Weekend, and it comes out August 14. She has crazy fandom. And this video is just sell. It's just selling this album to me. I need the rest of your recommendations.

Chris Ruther Spoon. I'm going to text you if that's okay. We'll text me. I'll text you. I got you. Thank you, Chris. Appreciate you. Thank you for being on for binge-worthy tonight.

Have a great Friday. And I hope you all get a chance to enjoy your Friday and the weekend ahead. Thank you for watching Top Story. I'm Hallie Jackson in Washington. Stick around. We've got more news on the way.