Top Story with Tom Llamas - Friday, May 22, 2026

Episode Date: May 23, 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, new details in the shocking and sudden death of NASCAR great Kyle Bush. The 911 call just released saying the famed driver was coughing up blood. Our new reporting on the moments leading up to the 41-year-old racing star's death, that alarming 911 call and how he collapsed in a racing simulator before being rushed to a hospital. And the moment on the tracks just weeks ago where Bush radioed for a doctor. Plus the tribute at the racetrack today. Also, tonight, Tulsi Gabbard resigns, the director of national intelligence stepping down in the middle of a war. She says, for family reasons, what we're hearing tonight.

Also breaking the explosion on Staten Island in New York City, more than a dozen firefighters injured. What set it off? Right now, violent storms upending Memorial Day travel a possible twister crossing a highway, power line sparking delays and cancellations piling up at airports. Plus the mid-air scare, a passenger trying to open up a plane door at 36,000 feet. We're tracking it all. Scary video of a teen sideswiped by a car while boarding her school bus, how she walked away, and the punishment that driver faces. Is the future of exercise here?

The new AI-powered exoskeleton giving hikers a robotic boost. We speak with someone who put it to the test. SpaceX takeoff. The launch of the world's biggest rocket just moments ago after a last minute scrub last night will take you to space. Plus, the Ebola risk elevated and the new measures being taken to stop the outbreak. Top story starts right now. Good evening. I'm Ellison Barber in for Tom. Tonight we are learning more about the shocking and sudden death of NASCAR legend Kyle Bush.

A newly released 911 call revealing Bush was coughing up blood, lying on the bathroom floor at a training facility in North Carolina. The AP reporting the star fell unresponsive in a racing simulator before he was rushed to the hospital. You'll hear some of that 911 audio in a moment. We also know the 41-year-old was dealing with health issues in the days leading up to his death, radioing for a doctor during a race earlier this month. As the cause of death remains a mystery, tonight Bush is being remembered as a champion. Tributes pouring in from friends and rivals from across the racing world. Kevin Harvick describing a fierce competition between the two that turned into mutual respect. Brad Keselowski saying that he feels like the coyote with no more roadrunner to chase.

And Dale Earnhardt, Jr., thankful they found a way to become friends. And this was the scene today at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, where Bush was scheduled to race this weekend, a giant billboard over the track in his honor. Our Jesse Kirsch leads us off with more on where the investigation goes from here. We are mourning the loss. As memorials grow on America's racetracks, tonight mounting questions about why NASCAR superstar Kyle Bush suddenly died at age 41. I've got an individual that shortness of breath coughing up someone. This newly released 911 call shedding light on a medical scare, apparently involving Bush one day before he died. Bush becoming unresponsive in a North Carolina racing simulator Wednesday before going to the hospital.

according to the Associated Press citing several sources. He's awake. He's on the bathroom floor right now. NBC News has confirmed Bush was in a simulator Wednesday. Is there any kind of investigation NASCAR is doing to see if his death may have been in any way related to racing or training activities? Yeah, I know we're not aware at this time of any correlation, but certainly we'll wait on results and do what we can to ensure that everyone has the answers. On May 10th, Bush radioed for a doctor. I'm going to need a shot. Copy.

He later said he'd been dealing with a substantial cough. You can kind of still hear it. I'm still not great. Then yesterday, Bush's family writing he was hospitalized with a severe illness. Hours later, they announced his death, coming just days after his son's 11th birthday. I'm just heartbroken. Tributes pouring in from fans and fellow drivers, like NASCAR icon Jimmy Johnson. What was Kyle Bush like when the cameras weren't? rolling when he wasn't behind the wheel.

Behind the wheel, fierce competitor off the track, you know, a dad and husband and business owner really is rocked us all in many different layers and levels. Bush had more wins than anyone in NASCAR National Series history. He was nicknamed Rowdy, known for brawling, but also for philanthropy. He said this after what would be his final win last week. Why do these moments never get old, Kyle? Because you never know when the last one is. And Jesse Kirsch joins us now.

Jesse, we are learning more about tributes to Kyle Bush. Yeah, that's right, Ellison. North Carolina's governor has ordered flags at half staff for tomorrow. Meanwhile, Bush's racing team is suspending the use of his number eight, saying it is reserved for Bush's son Brexton for whenever he's ready to race. Ellison. Jesse Kirsch, thank you. For more on Bush's sudden death, I want to bring an NBC News medical contributor, Dr. John Torres.

Dr. Torres, thank you for joining us. We should note that you were not Kyle Bush's doctor and that we do not at this point know the details of this case. But given what we do know at this point and based on your medical experience, what do you make of it? Any indication, any idea in terms of what could have caused this? You know, Allison, like you mentioned, there aren't a lot of things we don't know, but there are a few things we do know. And what we do know is that last week he had that sinus infection or maybe a couple weeks ago, and he continued to race beyond that. And he asked for medical help at the time, ended up, I presume getting that medical help, but continuing to race and then had those issues that went on Wednesday, Thursday,

and then unfortunately passed away. But what we do know, too, is that because he continued, he was racing. And when he is racing, that is a lot of physical, emotional, psychological stress on his body. and that stress complicated with the sinus infection that he was referring to earlier could have complicated things and could have actually led to this, Ellison. Dr. Torres Bush had been racing for 28 years. We know that he was in a racing simulator shortly before he died. I have an old friend who was a NASCAR driver and he would talk about the physical stress that his body went through when he was racing, the way he would sweat the numbers he would see on like his Apple Watch in terms of his elevated heart rate when he was at like, the highest rate of speed. For people who don't know, talk to us about some of the risks and the factors that go into racing, particularly for someone who is doing it for almost three decades.

And, Alison, this is not me, you or I driving down the road or even going on a long road trip. This is in a race car. The race cars are made for speed, and so they're very aggressive, they're not very comfortable. And when the driver's in there, they're going through a lot of different physical things to keep that car on the track and to race. You know, first and foremost, They have these G forces, up to four times the amount of normal gravity that we feel is on them. It mainly affects their head and their neck, which with the helmet weighs around 14 pounds. And so you can imagine if it is four times that weight and they're trying to keep it upright and keep on the track, that is going to cause some issues, especially muscle issues.

They have a lot of bone fractures, particularly in their arms and in their back. And on top of that, the heat in the car. It can get up to 110, 120, 130 degrees. They're sustaining that for hours on end. causes severe dehydration. So with all these cumulative factors going on here, they can have a lot of health issues with this. Now, they do tend to recover, and then once they start again, they go through those health issues. But one of the things we do know that when you're doing this when you're 20, it's different than when you're doing it and you're 41, you don't recover quite as quickly.

And if you end up racing quick after that, that could cause more issues, Ellison. You know, oftentimes, Dr. Torres, in moments where things happen in sports, there become all of these questions about safety, what should happen moving forward? We've seen a lot of changes in football in terms of safety reforms in recent years. Do you think we could see something like that happening here? Are there health reforms that need to happen in the racing world? And Alison, I think it's going to depend on what they find out was the cause behind this. And if the cause behind this was racing or the cumulative effects of racing,

I think what they need to do is take a step back and take a look at this and say, you know, how do we balance the aggressiveness of racing, the athletes wanting to win and wanting to push that aggressiveness with the safety, in the health of the athletes. How do we balance that? And we've seen since back in the 50s and 40s when they're racing, the safety factors we have now in 2026 are dramatically more improved than they were back then. And so again, this is one of those things that as we find out what happened, they should look at it. They'll see what they need to do. And if they need to take more safety measures, hopefully they will, Ellison. Dr. John Torres, thank you. Now to our other major headline tonight, National Intelligence Chief Tulsi Gabbard announcing she is resigning. It is the first.

fourth cabinet departure of President Trump's second term. It comes as the president considers new strikes against Iran. NBC's Garrett Haig has this one. Tonight, as the president weighs resuming the U.S. war with Iran, his top intelligence official says she is resigning. Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, writing her husband, quote, has recently been diagnosed with an extremely rare form of bone cancer, saying, I must step away from public service to be by his side and fully support him through this battle. The president posting that Gabbard has done an incredible job, and we will miss her. An Army veteran and former Democratic Congresswoman, Gabbard broke with her party to endorse Trump

in 2024. I invite you to join me in doing all that we can to save our country and elect President Donald J. Trump. But as his director of national intelligence, Gabbard never fully mated into the president's inner circle, clashing with administration officials, including the CIA director, and often absent at pivotal decision points. For years, an outspoken opponent of American wars in the Middle East, going to war with Iran would make the war in Iraq and even Afghanistan look like a picnic. Recently, Gabbard struggled to defend the president's attack on Iran. Do you still believe that war with Iran would be so costly and devastating

that it would make our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan look like a picnic? Once again, in this role, it is essential that I do, not allow any of my personal views on any issues to color or bias the intelligence reporting. A person familiar with the discussions telling NBC News that Gabbard's allies had pushed her to resign over the war with Iran, but she declined. Earlier this year, the president was asked about his confidence in Gabbard. I would say that I'm very strong in the fact that I don't want Iran to have a nuclear weapon. I think she's probably a little bit softer on that issue, but that's okay. Some people are. Most people are.

And Garrett Haake joins us now from the White House. Garrett, all of this, as President Trump has said, he is considering new strikes against Iran. Yeah, Alison, he's been considering those strikes for quite some time. And earlier this week, he set another one of these loose deadlines suggesting that he would re-evaluate that question by this weekend. There are another other bits of sort of circumstantial evidence that have those of us working at the White House thinking he's at least keeping those options open. He is not traveling to his son Don Jr.'s wedding this weekend out of the country, saying that he needs to stay in the United States because of sort of important national security or presidential duties. He's also not even going to New Jersey. He was originally planned to go up to his club there,

but this morning pulled that travel down. You can see the SUVs behind me. He just returned to the White House a few minutes ago. I tried to shout a question out about Iran as he was coming back. But it is unusual that the president would choose to stay here. for a weekend where he doesn't have anything else on the calendar. There requires him to be anywhere else. I'll just add one other sort of counterfactual here, though, Alison. The president has shown no aversion to launching strikes or making big national security decisions from his clubs at Maralago. He did that with Venezuela. He did that with the first Iran strike. So I don't think it's necessarily determinative that he's back here at the White House, but the fact that we're going into this long

holiday weekend with the president with nothing on his schedule and that looming pseudo-de-dustrake. has a lot of people watching that region in the Middle East and this building behind me very closely. NBC's Chief White House correspondent Garrett Haake. Thank you. And we are following breaking news out of New York City. More than a dozen firefighters injured after an explosion on Staten Island prompting a massive emergency response. Aaron McLaughlin has more. The scene on New York Staten Island tonight frightening. Gurney after Gurney after Gurney with injured firefighters wheeled.

down of a shipyard. There's a confined space. Firefighters responded to reports of workers trapped by a fire in the basement of a metal structure in the rear of the shipping docks. And then minutes later, an explosion, according to fire department officials. Witnesses say the explosion shook the homes in the area. There was a massive explosion which was like, boom, everything shook. I said, what the heck was that?

Initial reports say at least 16 people sustained injuries, 13 of them firefighters. Two of those firefighters and one civilian suffering serious injuries, according to the FDNY. The emergency response to the scene, massive, including more than 200 fire and emergency personnel, fire trucks lining the surrounding streets. It was some kind of accident, I hope. We'll have to wait and see. The injured tonight, we're all transferred to area hospitals as the investigation into what caused the fire and the explosion is now underway. Ellison.

Erin McLaughlin, thank you. Also tonight, a messy start to the holiday weekend. Travelers making that last-minute dash before Memorial Day dealing with long lines at security. Airport delays as well. All of it making matters worse are the relentless storms, including a tornado crossing a highway. Our Emily Ikeda is tracking it all. On this busy holiday weekend, a tornado tearing across Alabama, turning by a highway near Tuscaloosa, and sparks seen. flying on another roadway in the state. In Texas, heavy rain pounding some areas. I'm just like

don't rain, don't rain. The travel rush already bogged down by days of thunderstorms flooding and hail. Ford hammering homes. Long lines of weary travelers up and down the East Coast as airports try to recover from more than 22,000 flight cancellations and delays since Wednesday. A last-minute flight diversion with 151 people on board adding to the chaos. What door deep did that happen? You tried to open. Door 2L at 36,000 feet and then assaulted a fellow passenger. United says an unruly passenger forced a plane heading from Newark to Guatemala to land Thursday at Washington Dulles where law enforcement met them.

Compounding travel woes, one of LaGuardia's runways closed for a third straight day over a sinkhole. We're hoping that this experience today is better than yesterday because we get our plate got canceled. So this is try number two. Still, some are grateful for the soggy forecast. We're lucky that the weather is just horrendous, so I'm not driving this weekend. Avoiding pain at the pump driven by the war in Iran. Gas prices are at their highest levels in four years. Despite more expensive travel, nearly 40 million are still driving to their Memorial Day destinations, clogging major thoroughfares. We did have holiday weekend plans, but the traffic has been so bad. will just stay locally. And Emily Aketa joins us now from New York's LaGuardia Airport.

Emily, there's some indication delays there could be getting better and possibly soon. Yeah, Alison, that's right. And it certainly will be welcome relief for travelers because right now, you look at the flight board behind me and the vast majority of the flights are still delayed. But that critical runway with a sinkhole that was initially supposed to reopen today. But then the crews of engineers, they decided to conduct further inspections on the area around the sinkhole of the runway. Now it should reopen tomorrow morning, at least fortunately in time for those millions of flyers return home from the holiday weekend. Ellison. Emilia Kedah, thank you. Now let's get right to NBC News meteorologist Bill Karens for

more on this. Bill, I mean, the holiday weekend off to a rough start. Timeout the rest of the weekend for us. Is it going to get better? No. It's already rough and it's going to get worse. Earlier today, we did have one tornado report in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. This is Interstate 20. You kind of see it dancing around in the background a little bit there. It doesn't have a lot of debris with it. We didn't get reports of any injuries or anything like that, but definitely driving down the interstate,

you don't see something like that very often. So we still have a couple other concerns with severe weather. We do have a severe thunderstorm watch with some isolated strong storms in areas of West Texas. And I just noticed two new tornado warnings right on the border there of Nebraska heading into Iowa, kind of splitting Omaha. just to the south of Omaha. We do have one tornado warning, and there's another one just to the southeast of Sioux City. So we do have isolated severe storms we have to worry about today, but it

doesn't look at it's going to be widespread. We did have a ground stop at Atlanta. We had another thunderstorm today. The airports are now trying to play catch up in that region, but all of these storms are now moving in between Atlanta and Columbia. So right along the Georgia, South Carolina, border, some of the worst weather in the country. Now, as we go through the holiday weekend, we're going to start to see some thunderstorms repeating in rounds, especially from Houston towards New Orleans. And also we have some strong storms expected over the next day or two right along the Ohio River from Cincinnati heading into West Virginia. Isolated totals up to six inches of rain. So as far as the forecast goes, tomorrow I'm really pinpointing the worst drive going across Pennsylvania from New York all the way down to D.C.

That's going to be probably some of the worst of it. In Ellison, as I mentioned, it does not get a lot better. Monday in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. All right. I'm sorry. We'll hold our breath. Bill Cairns, thank you. We appreciate it.

And we are back in a moment with the major milestone for SpaceX, launching its most powerful rocket yet. Splashdown is just minutes away. We'll bring it to you live. Plus, a rough ride for Waymo. The company pulling its robo taxis off some city streets will explain. And caught on camera, an out-of-control car hitting a young student as she was walking to her school bus.

That scary scene and how she's doing tonight. It's all ahead on Top Story. Back now with the new roadblock for Waymo, a company pressing pause on its self-driving car service in several major cities. NBC's Steve Patterson explains why. Tonight, Waymo hitting the brakes on its driverless taxis, temporarily pulling its fleet in select cities. The pause comes after a deluge dumping on Atlanta this week, led to one of its vehicles getting stuck in rising floodwaters. can see it there. Tires totally submerged. The car stalled out and left stranded. A spokesperson for Waymo saying the vehicle encountered a flooded roadway during what it described as a period of

intense rain in Atlanta. No passengers were inside and no injuries reported. Waymo also pulling its fleet in Houston and Nashville ahead of a major storm system headed for the south. This isn't the first time Waymo has had its hands full handling bad weather. Video from a few months ago shows one of its cars stranded at a busy intersection in L.A. Or last month, where another was recorded holding up traffic after getting stuck in Austin. And today, Waymo announcing another big pause, suspending its huge push into freeway service across the country, blocking highway access in major cities from San Francisco to Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Miami. The reason, a big safety performance update aiming to improve driving around construction zones.

They want to be very safe. Once you up the speed of these cars, it clearly can make things more dangerous. It can make the possibility of injury or fatality much higher. And so Waymo has taken many steps to do this slowly and to do it safely. The company noting its dedication to safety, citing 92% fewer serious injury crashes compared to human drivers. Today's announcement from Waymo, the latest in a series of safety speed bumps, adding a little more time to the company's ambition of ruling the roads. And Steve Patterson joins us now. Steve, any idea how many cars are off the roads and when they're expected to come back? You know, Alison, we spoke to a Waymo spokesperson. They say there are about 3,000 vehicles in their total commercial fleet. They would not say how many are exactly sidelined due to those updates or to the weather, only that they plan to resume full strength, complete service pretty soon.

Alison. Steve Patterson, thank you. And coming up, Mysteries in the sky, the Pentagon releasing another batch of UFO files, what they reveal. Stay with us. We are back now with Top Stories News Feed and an update on the Ebola outbreak in Congo. The World Health Organization just upgraded its risk assessment there, moving it from high to very high. But the head of the agency still insists the risk of global spread remains low. This, as authorities and parts of Congo are now banning funeral wakes and big gatherings in an effort to try.

and slow the disease from spreading. In Florida, a shocking new video of a car hitting a 14-year-old as she was walking to her school bus. Video shows the car losing control before slamming into the girl. It happened back in March, just south of Fort Myers. You can see the driver of the car gets out quickly to check on her. The girl's grandmother told our local station she got treated for whiplash, but that she is doing well. That driver was cited for careless driving and had to pay a fine. And sad news out of the music world.

The rapper Rob Bass has died. He was best known for this iconic 1988 hit It Takes 2. He was one half of the hip-hop duo Rob Bass and DJ Easy Rock. In a post on his social media, they said he died today after a private battle with cancer. He was 59 years old. A new batch of UFO files released by the Pentagon today, including video of U.S. military jet shooting down. an unknown object over the state of Michigan. NBC's Courtney Kubi has more. Tonight, newly released UFO files, like this one in Kazakhstan, a mysterious object lighting up

the night sky. Other videos showing pulsing balls of light, flying erratically and seeming to defy laws of physics. Some even appearing to fly in formations. Part of the Pentagon's release of more than 50 declassified videos and firsthand accounts following President Trump's directive to release government UFO files. The files include audio of astronauts decades ago describing mysterious bright lights and particles. There's a whole bunch of big ones on my window, then. Just bright.

Looks like the 4th July I'd run with them. And this report from last year, in an encounter that lasted over an hour, a U.S. intelligence officer reported oval-shaped orange orbs coming within 10 feet of a U.S. helicopter, splitting in two and speeding away, leaving military and intelligence professionals speechless. Other videos may have an explanation.

Here a U.S. F-16 fighter jet shoots down an object over Michigan's Lake Huron in 2023. The same day the Pentagon said it shot down a possible Chinese spy balloon over that lake. Experts tell us no video released so far proves any extraterrestrial visit. There's nothing in any of these that proves anything about alien life. All it shows you is that there's stuff in the sky that initially, can't be explained. And Courtney Qubey joins us now from Washington, D.C. OK, no proof of aliens in these files.

But did we learn anything else of note? Yeah, there's no alien autopsies in these files this time, Ellis. And I will say that this is the second. There's expected to be at least one more batch of these files released, so we could get something in there. You know, one thing that I was really struck by was the release of that video that we saw there at the very end. And that was the U.S. F-16.

shooting down one of these unexplained aerial phenomena, UAPs, as the military calls them, over Lake Huron in February of 2023. Now, the Pentagon put this out as part of this release of these UFO documents, but we know from covering it at the time that that was suspected to be some sort of a balloon, maybe a research or a weather balloon. So the fact that that's included in this tranche of videos and documents released today, I mean, candidly, it calls into question whether a lot of the other videos here could also be explained with a little bit of digging, Allison.

All right, NBC's Courtney Cube, thank you. Now are our weekly series, Great Americans, where we talk with those who have achieved so much and helped so many about their lives in this country. Tonight, as we enter Memorial Day weekend, we bring you Tom's conversation with a decorated military veteran who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery in Afghanistan. Our Great American this week, Lieutenant Colonel William Swenson.

What do you love about America? The indelible, most important thing about this country is our freedom to choose who we are. It's our nation's most prestigious military decoration, the Medal of Honor, recognizing the bravery of American war heroes. Bravery that Army Lieutenant Colonel William Swenson showed in September of 2009, serving in Afghanistan. He and his unit were ambushed, and while under direct enemy fire, Swenson administered life-saving aid to a sergeant. He responded to the Taliban's demands for surrender by throwing a hand grenade, then repeatedly returned to the enemy's kill zone to rescue members of his unit and recover the fallen. One of the men he went back to save, Sergeant First Class Kenneth Westbrook. He was my direct soldier. He and I had been working for the better part.

of that year. He was deeply involved in the mission. He loved being with the troop. He loved training soldiers. He loved passing on his experience. Were you guys friends too? Absolutely. I mean, we had such a close working relationship. And the most important thing about it was he didn't need to be there. He had done a full career. He had a proud family that had all served. There was nothing more he needed to do for this country. But he believed in the mission. The powerful moment he got Westbrook and put him into a Medevac helicopter captured on camera. That Swenson, kissing the forehead of his wounded comrade, a symbol of brotherhood that would inspire the world. Do you know why he did that?

You know, looking back, I would say to some degree, Westbrook didn't want to leave the battlefield. He wanted to stay. And getting him onto that helicopter at that point, he had lost so much blood, the wounds were catastrophic. I think that at some point, I just had to say, thank you, you've done your job. Love ya, get in. And the next act was to push him in the helicopter, and off they went. Westbrook died a month later. In 2013, Swenson was awarded the Medal of Honor.

I had the families of the fallen there, which is why it was so emotional. And I think one of the proudest things that I get to do in the position that I have as a Medal of Honor recipient is I get to tell their stories. I get to tell their names. I get to say on Memorial Day that Westbrook, Kennefic, Layton, Johnson, and Johnson, and, Johnson are not forgotten, that their stories will never be forgotten as long as I can help it. The most important thing for me that day was the families of the fallen. My story is their story. And I cannot speak for them, but the reason I wanted them to be there was because they owned

a portion of that. They owned a portion of that ceremony. They needed that recognition. And to have them in front of the president, that's a very powerful statement. An American patriot determined to share the stories of those who made the biggest sacrifice. Out of the corner of our eyes, there's an American flag waving right now. When you see the flag, yeah, pretty incredible. When you see the flag, what do you think?

You know, here we are 250 years on. Nobody would have guessed it. But when you look at that flag, this is something that has been a remarkable testament to what a group of people from around the world, immigrants, natives, can come together to do as a team. A beacon of hope representing the best of America and uniting us all. We have so much more in common than we have a part. And still, we have this core identity as Americans, no matter where you go. That's what I love most about this country.

Our thanks to Lieutenant Colonel William Swenson and all those who serve. And right now, we are moments away from splashdown of the world's biggest and most powerful rocket. This is a live look at the Space X Starship V3. It is an unmanned rocket. It's about to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere. flash down in the Indian Ocean. It's been in space for about an hour now after launching from SpaceX Star Base in Texas. And a reminder, Starship is the rocket, Elon Musk and Space X, hope will one day take humans back to the moon. Joining us now as we watch this moment is former

NASA astronaut Steve Robinson. Steve, as we're watching some of these images, a collection of them from earlier and things that we've seen in the past, talk to us about how this mission has gone thus far. We mentioned that this is the biggest starship we've seen take off, right? We know this was an uncrewed test flight. It was carrying something like 20 MOX Starlink satellites, also some test satellites that are intended to study the heat shield. How has it gone thus far? And why is this mission so important? Well, first of all, it's been exciting. You know, the human race has never lost a rocket like this before. 400 feet tall, 18 million pounds of thrust. The first half, the bottom of the rocket, came away and lost some engines on that and did not have the planned descent that was hoped for.

But the most important part is the top half of the rocket is called the starship. That's what we see in the video right now. And it is just about to land in a controlled way in the ocean. You know, we call it the landing. It's actually a splashdown. It won't be recovered. So far, it's been gone pretty well. When we do see that splashdown take place, people have probably.

heard that term, but when we're talking about SpaceX, they often use chopsticks, right? They've used those in the past to catch rockets once they come back down. This time they are doing a splash down in the ocean instead. Why is that? Because the chopsticks will be used to catch that first stage, the bottom half of the rocket, as it comes back to the launch pad. This is the second stage, the top half of the rocket. This is the part that does the work.

And so it is very much a test light right now, and it's going to land using engines. Unlike the Artemis capsule that came down on parachutes, this will use rocket engines to slow its own and land in ocean. We are coming up on final approach now. Let's take a moment. Steve, if you'll stay with us and we will just listen in and then we'll talk to you in just a moment. We'll like a skydiver, full belly flop on the way down, using those flaps similar to arms to help change the path of the air over you. Coming up real soon. Again, going for landing burn trying to light two of these Raptor sea level engines.

Landing burn startup. Landing burn startup. Two engines. But we can. Starship is the market. It is the truth. Absolutely wild. We, you know at the beginning of the show.

Just watched the splashdown moment of the world's biggest and most powerful rocket, the SpaceX Starship V3. with us as former NASA astronaut Steve Robinson. Steve, there was that moment when it splashed down, and for a second it looked like it was just water, and then we had that big, robust flame. You could hear people cheering as it happened, and then we heard the person there speaking say,

that is what we wanted to see. I have to tell you, as someone who does not watch and do this every day, I was not expecting to hear the cheers continue. This is an uncrewd rocket. So in terms of safety to people, I knew that wasn't an issue. But take us through that, that big fireball and explosion at the end. Was that what was supposed to happen? And why is everyone so happy?

Believe it or not, that was exactly this planned. And you know that it landed where it should have because those cameras were on little floating autonomous rafts. And they were out pre-positioned. So the rocket actually came back and down right where it should. And you saw it for a moment, dancing on the wild. It was hovering on rocket engine power there, and that is when it would normally land on land or the moon. And at that point, the mission is over. It fell over. The excess fuel exploded, and that was the grand dramatic finale of this rocket ship.

You mentioned the moon. This is the rocket that Elon Musk and SpaceX say will one day take people back to the moon. How significant is this moment? And what will you take from seeing it here tonight? I think we saw a lot of success here today. This hour-long mission here that we've watched, hour in five minutes, has proven just a huge amount of engineering bit by bit, software, hardware, lots of thermodynamics, as you can tell. And, you know, the whole point of this, the mission was to generate tons of data.

That data will be analyzed. from the outside looking in real time. It looked like it was quite successful. And it needs to be to be able to land on the moon within in 2028. It's the hope. Really interesting stuff. Former NASA astronaut Steve Robinson. Thank you so much for being with us tonight.

We really appreciate it. You bet. And still to come tonight, the high-tech gear hitting the trails, how it could transform the way you hike, walk, and work out. That's next. And we are back now with new. technology that could change the way we work out. A bionic fitness assistant strapped to your hips promising to take you farther and faster while saving you energy. Is it the future of exercise?

Ryan Chandler shows us more. Tonight, the future of outdoor fitness could be strapped to your hips and powered by AI. A new wave of exoskeletons are moving out of the research labs and into the real world. There are the latest devices from a company called HyperShell. touted as a digital muscle engine to push your body beyond its natural limits during walks, runs and hikes. In this promotional video, the company even says it was used to climb Mount Everest. Hypershell says one of their newest models can provide up to 1,000 watts of assisted power, enough to carry an extra 88 pounds with a breeze, and that their system uses AI-powered

sensors to read your movements in real time and deliver motor assistance as needed. The company says it's not FDA approved or classified as a medical device and is designed to support everyday movement. But is it the future or a fad? Come hike with me with bionic legs. We spoke with Wall Street Journal tech columnist Nicole Wynn, who got to try it for herself. It can kind of feel like you're the puppet of, you know, a robotic puppet master. It really helps. Wynne says she tried the device across two weeks.

For the downhill, I was disappointed. And while it wasn't always personal. She says it did make her test hikes feel easier overall. This is definitely an example of more physical AI entering the real world, and it'll probably start with a lot of personal use, fitness-oriented gadgetry like this. You think the industry is going to scale to make this more accessible? I think in the next year or so, it'll probably be at a more reasonable price point. I wouldn't be surprised if one of these exoskeletons eventually costs as much as, um, a low-end Apple Watch. But with the whopping price tag of $2,000 right now, we may not see bionic hikers

taking over our favorite trails anytime soon. And Ryan Chandler joins us now. Ryan, some first responders are even testing out this tech. Tell us more. They are, Alison, this is fascinating. Seattle Mountain Rescue says they're now testing out the hyper shell to see how it could help them in search and rescue operations. Think about these very hard-to-reach wilderness areas where you can't use a bike or a helicopter. If you have to go on it by foot, this could make all the difference when timing is everything. It could help you ascend mountain faces quicker, move faster to find stranded hikers. They say it could help save lives in the future, Ellison. Fascinating stuff. Ryan Chandler,

thank you. And when we come back, it is time for bingeworthy. A new documentary about the legendary chef no boo. Plus a new hockey romance called Off Campus. Stay with us. We are back now with Bingeworthy, our look at the best things to watch and listen to this weekend. Joining us tonight is David Correa, Entertainment Correspondent and host of Husbander, the podcast. Thank you so much for being here. It's so good to see you. It's Friday. So many things we can watch. The first one is all about a culinary legend, right? No boo on Apple TV. Let's take a look. sushi chic and he made it the thing that everybody wanted to eat we're going to have our 30 year anniversary it's not about fees we're talking bigger picture no who created his own world

oh my god comes up with an idea like this I have been to a nobu once loved it but I was today years old when I found out it's named after someone yes like this is pretty extraordinary Matsushia. I mean, he is a celebrity chef. Do not watch this one on an empty stomach. I'll say that. I bet. Oh my gosh. Yeah. It is so moving, though, beyond the food. It's his story of his life from Japan to Peru to creating one of the most incredible luxury restaurant brands in the world with his friend, Robert De Niro. Like, how incredible is that? Yeah, I mean, that was like a casual thing when I saw. I was like, man, where here's Robert DeNiro. Just a little fun. Just casually chatting. But what I really, really found was really interesting was his relationship with his wife, Yoko, and how she supported him and got him to get his dream and bring it to life.

It was so beautiful to watch. It really is an inspiring documentary. Definitely something folks should binge this weekend. Sounds like it has a lot of layers, too, which is such a treat. Okay, the next one that we have is Prime Video. We're talking about Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, Ghost War, an international co-competes. overt mission that unravels a deadly conspiracy. Casually, take a look.

Whatever it is, I'm not doing it. I just need you to meet a guy. No. God, I missed this. Missed what? You're down the field. Don't look directly at me. Sorry.

Might as well just touch your earpiece. Your friend's saying you because he's scared. It's right to be. I mean, people are obsessed with all the Jack Ryan iterations. Yes. Where does this fall? in the Jack Ryan world. Is it like a follow or standalone?

It is a continuation from the final season, which ended in 2023. There was four seasons. But I will say you can jump directly into this film. It stands alone. If you love espionage, if you love political thrillers, this is great. And you don't need to have watched the whole series in order to know what's happening here. But if you're like, oh, I'm unsure, Prime did a good job. They put out a 10-minute recap.

of the entire series. So folks that maybe knew watch that, then get into it. Okay. Also, you don't have to necessarily watch the office before you watch that, but just give in the star, maybe you can set it out one too, right? Okay. So the next one that we have is on Netflix.

This is called The Burroughs, and it follows a group of eclectic, lovable retirees in a desert, monsters, all sorts of things. Take a look. Why is everyone so old? Because, honey, this is a special town just for grownups. Since I moved to the boroughs, I started to see things.

Un for the shadows in this golden year. Impossible things. I know how it sounds like you've lost your mind. That's what I'm afraid of. I mean, this is a Duffer Brothers production special, right? So if you like Stranger Things, this might be a good, a good one to hop to. Exactly. I mean, the Duffer Brothers are at it again, the creators of Stranger Things.

This is like Stranger Things, but in a retirement community and a great cast a great cast Alfred Molina Gina Davis who I'm obsessed with yes I mean it is incredible acting incredible story and no one does this universe better than the Duffer brothers so like this is definitely bingeworthy all eight episodes are out now on Netflix okay the next one that we have prime video off campus and if you're looking for a we met in college I was a music student he was a star hockey player this is for you. Take a look. This is the most absolutely unhinged plan and I'm obsessed with it.

5 p.m. Tuesday. Rehearsal 7 a.m. Tuesday? Practice. This is why I told you I can't help you. Whoa, easy. We're going to be fake dating. There needs to be real kissing. I just met you. What are we going to do?

Hold hands. Can't you see I'm flicking? Same, bro. Pretend you like that. I mean, hockey series are where it's at right now. Like heated rivalry. Maybe this is a pool for those fans. What do you make of this one? seen it. It is also binge-worthy. All-ed episodes are out on Prime right now. I have seen a few of the episodes. It's super cute. It's exactly what we want from these types of shows, right? Like,

it's all those tropes, the fake romance, the two opposites attract. They become friends, they're frenemies, then they're in love, then they're not in love. It's so good. And Prime is just picking off of that success that they had with the summer I turned pretty. Yes, okay. They're so good at And what's great about this one, I know it's going to be a success. They already picked up season two. Oh, wow. That's great. Good for them. I mean, that sounds, so there's going to be some sort of cliffhanger coming when you get to the end of this bingeable series. Okay, the next one that we have, this is called Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed. It is on Apple TV. Let's just take a look. I'm already laughing.

This could be fake, a scam. Hello? I know it's a scam. I know it's a scam. I mean, we're talking about a divorce mom who falls into a rabbit hole of all sorts of questions, conspiracies, murder, and youth soccer. Like, what is this about? It is about Tatiana Maslani plays a divorced mom who gets into a little bit of trouble on the internet, maybe doing some things that she should or shouldn't be doing. Don't watch this with the kids or mom. Okay, good, good tip.

And she ends up in a murder conspiracy and blackmail, but she still has. to juggle being a soccer mom all at the same time. It's kooky, it's weird, it's funny, it's a thriller. Two episodes are out already. New episodes come out on Wednesday. Easy binge for this weekend so you can catch up. I definitely would check this one out. Apple TV.

Seems so interesting. We have some pretty notable music coming out, right? Charlie X-C-X. This is SS-26. It's a music video, a new one. Take a look. It's not a brat summer anymore. new era, like the music's very different.

Yeah, it's her fashion girly era. She just became a muse for YSL. Even the creative director of Saint Laurent is in this, Anthony Veclero. She is growing up. It's what we see in these pop divas. We saw it with Gaga. And this is spring, summer, 2026, SS 26.

She becomes runway roadkill at one point. It is chaos and couture all at once. It's exactly who Charlie XX is. And like funny little thing, my husband is actually on the YSL team that is helping to produce all these looks. So I may. So you're having to censor yourself not to accidentally say something that you overheard at home. I don't listen to any phone calls. I listen to nothing.

He's like, get out. And you're like, I live here. Yes, that's amazing. That is so cool. So now we can watch for him in all sorts of things too. Okay, the last one that we have, Olivia Rodriguez. She has a new song out. This one is called The Cure.

it is the second single from her upcoming album. What's the live? What do you make of it? You love it? I love it. I love her. She's so adorable. This is off of her album coming out on June 12th called You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl's So in Love. And in this video, she plays this retro nurse who's mending hearts before she becomes a patient herself. And all of this is leading up to her big tour coming up in September. I think we're going to see a lot of her through the rest of the summer as we lead up to the big tour. Thank you so much for being here. So much to watch. and listen to. We appreciate it. Thank you. And thank you so much for watching Top Story.

For Tom Yamis, I'm Ellison Barber in New York. Stay right there. More news is on the way.