Top Story with Tom Llamas - Monday, May 11, 2026

Episode Date: May 12, 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, American passengers from that hanta virus cruise back on U.S. soil, at least one person testing positive and growing questions tonight. How long will they be quarantined? The major operation to get them to a facility in Nebraska, the positive passenger in a biocontainment unit like this one. Another posting a selfie from quarantine to more passengers flown to a different hospital in Atlanta. Plus, with other countries mandating a quarantine, growing questions on whether the U.S. should. also breaking tonight the shootout on a highway in Boston someone appearing to open fire randomly you see it there bullets piercing cars and trucks drivers running for their lives we'll tell you how it ended deadly takeoff an apparent trespasser on the runway video capturing the moments before the horrific crash panicked passengers evacuating using slides after the engine burst into the flames how did that person get there in the first place an american man accused of killing his pregnant wife cutting his ankle monitor and apparently fleeing to Italy. What he's now saying inside an Italian courtroom as he faces extradition. Will President Trump suspend the gas tax? What he's now saying

and how much it could save you if it happens. The Transportation Secretary going back to his roots with a new road trip reality show, why that's sparking backlash for Sean Duffy as gas prices spike. And Tom on the ground in Beijing before that highly anticipated meeting between President Trump and China's leader. What's at stake for the two global superpowers? Plus, Americans still hung up on getting their hands on a Trump mobile phone, why some customers might be left on the hook. Top story starts right now. Good evening. I'm Hallie Jackson in for Tom, and we begin tonight with 18 Americans from that cruise ship where the deadly hanta virus outbreak spread now in quarantine here in the U.S. The question tonight, where do they go next? The exposed passengers evacuated

from the ship in the Canary Islands in hazmat suits. Then, look at this, sprayed with disinfectant before flying back to their homes all around the world. This is the moment here. The Americans arrived this morning in Nebraska. Among them, one person who tested, we're told, mildly positive for hanta virus. They're not experiencing any symptoms. But that passenger is being held in a biocontainment unit like this one out of an abundance of caution. Two other people have been sent to Emory University in Atlanta.

One of them has mild symptoms, but hasn't tend to. positive, the other is that person's partner. So at this hour, there are a total of nine confirmed or suspected cases, three deaths. Nearly 150 people who may have been exposed to the virus have now dispersed to these countries around the world. And all of those countries have some different safety protocols, different timelines for quarantines too. The ship itself, it is headed back to the Netherlands. Only a limited crew remains on board. That includes the captain, who is sharing this video today describing the harrowing past few weeks. You'll hear it in just a moment as we begin tonight in Nebraska at that Omaha quarantine center.

Camila Brunall leading us off. Undercover of darkness, a convoy of buses shadowed by police escorts winding through the streets toward the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Sixteen Americans on board after evacuating that virus-stricken cruise ship, among them, one who tested mildly positive for hauntavirus, but is not experiencing symptoms, is now isolated in the center's biocontainment unit out of an abundance of caution where even contact with medical personnel is limited. While the other 15 are in quarantine and asymptomatic, including Jake Rosemarine, who posted this photo on social media showing his room and saying he's feeling well. How often are they getting checked? They're actively checking temperatures and getting evaluated at a minimum on a daily basis. They are among 18 U.S. citizens brought home on a highly coordinated repatriation flight. The American who tested mildly positive and another exhibiting mild symptoms were isolated throughout

the journey, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Do they have a choice to leave or are they being told you have to stay here for a particular amount of time? They certainly have the option to stay here for the entire 42-day period. Ultimately, though, will it be their decision? Yes, we want to do this. in the most in the least restrictive way possible. The symptomatic passenger and their partner were sent to Atlanta.

Both wheeled out of an ambulance at Emory University. It's the end of a harrowing journey that began with an evacuation in the Canary Islands. There, red military buses lined the docks. Passengers sprayed with disinfectant by workers in full-body hazmat suits before being allowed to board the jet home. The ship now headed back to the Netherlands, the captain describing extremely, challenging weeks. I wish nothing more to everybody, guests and crew alike, to be able to go home safely

and in good health. Camila is joining us now from Omaha, Nebraska. So Camilla, people may be surprised to hear that not everybody who's now back in the U.S. who is on board that ship is getting a PCR test. Why is that? Yeah, they're not, Hally. And I asked officials that exact question, even asked them, is it expensive to get them tested? And their answer is no, they're not testing because Percy,

guidelines, only people with symptoms would be tested. They say they're evaluating and assessing all the patients here, and they may change those plans. But at the moment, we know that only the people in the biocontainment unit are being tested. And as of now, we do not have those results yet. Hallie? Camilla Bernal, thank you very much. With those growing questions tonight about whether the hanta virus could spread here at home. Additionally, some concern about how long those passengers should remain in quarantine. Aaron Gilchrist has more on what public health experts are saying. Tonight, 18 Americans quarantining inside special medical facilities in Omaha and Atlanta, but officials have not said how long they'll stay. They actually can move home and continue their

quarantine there, and then the tracking will be turned over to the state and local health departments. But in Spain, passengers will be forced to quarantine for 42 days, clearing the hanta virus's incubation period, which would ensure there is no infection. And France says it will isolate its passengers for 42 days. Dr. Ashish Jha oversaw the COVID response for the Biden administration. I think the safest way to do that is what, for instance, Spain is doing. Spain is putting all of the people who came off the ship on a six-week quarantine. His reasoning, this disease is still relatively unstudied. At least a few people contracted it without that sort of prolonged closed exposure that we've always assumed. As of now, the American passengers, if not showing any

symptoms, will be allowed to go home and monitor their symptoms themselves. What do you say to people who might have concern about that reality? Well, they're not going back to their normal lives. They're still going to be tracked for 42 days. Jody Guest is an epidemiologist at Emory University and not connected to the care of the cruise passengers there. The state and local health departments will do the monitoring. There is certainly going to be this continual contact tracing and surveillance of the symptoms.

Officials insist the public is safe, but admit there are no absolute certainties. There are no guarantees in life. We're putting as many measures in place as possible to ensure that people are safe and healthy. Aaron is joining us now from Atlanta. We heard about the monitoring, Aaron, that is going to happen for these passengers. What does that look like once they go home specifically? Well, Halley, we've heard from federal health officials that they've already started the

process of figuring out the plan for each of these people when they return to their home states. They've started working out those plans with state health departments, with local health departments as well. It will sort of varied by state in terms of what exactly that process will. look like. We've heard from places like Utah, for example, North Carolina, for example, they've each said that they know that they have residents of their states in that group, and they've started to put together a plan for how they're going to monitor them daily for

different symptoms that may pop up. We've also heard that if those symptoms do arise, that they've got a plan in place to isolate people so that they don't spread the infection to others. They've really tried to reinforce Halley for people in these different states, Utah, North Carolina, New New York State, for example. These are all places where some of these people come from. They've tried to reinforce to those folks that they do not believe that there is a high risk of transmitting this virus to other people outside of very close contacts of these people if they do become symptomatic. At this point, though, they don't seem to seem to be extremely worried about that happening, Hallie. Okay. Aaron Gilchrist, live for us there in Atlanta.

Aaron, thank you very much. I want to bring in now Dr. Michelle Harkins, a pulmonologist at the University of New Mexico, who has treated dozens of. of hanta virus cases. She's also consulting with the CDC, the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Emery, about how to treat these patients. We are so glad to have you with us tonight, Dr. Harkins. Thank you for being here. Thanks for the invitation. Of course. Let me pick up where Aaron left off there. Would it not, and help people understand this, would it not simply be removing the uncertainty to tell these folks that, like they're doing in some other countries, they need to quarantine for longer? Why wouldn't that be happening here in the U.S.?

Well, I think what they're going to do is follow our public health measures that the CDC has been working on with World Health Organization, they're going to do an appropriate risk assessment for all the patients or all the passengers, sorry, that are in the places currently. What is their risk? Are they really higher risk, lower risk? So it depends on what their relationship was on the ship and how close and et cetera to the passengers that contracted the disease. Well, explain that, how close they were to the passengers who got the disease, because the way

that I've been thinking about this in my head, doctor, is like, you know, kissing transmission, not necessarily breathing in the same room, kind of a transmission situation. Is that right? I mean, is it is it that level of contact? So that's the most common. Now, overall, haunted viruses are still really transmitted mostly by rodent to human interaction. But the Andy's virus does have person to person, obviously. So the closer contact may put people at higher risk. So touching, saliva, kissing. But it also can be another higher group as people on a ship that are contained inside places, sharing meals, FaceTime. And right now, the World Health Organization is suggesting that if someone has been within six feet for more than 15 minutes, then that might put

them at a higher risk category. So I think they really have to ask everyone and take detailed histories to come up with an individual risk assessment for each passenger and follow the public health rules that we are developing as this outbreak occurs. I wonder if that's part of what's maybe confusing for folks because we know that the incubation period for this to show symptoms can last for kind of a long time. So how are they navigating telling people,

well, think about how close you were to maybe some of these other passengers, et cetera, when somebody might have it and not be symptomatic yet because it hasn't incubated. How do they handle that piece? of it? Well, I think then it's still, they would be monitored with their public health department wherever they end up going if they don't stay in the current place in Nebraska, for example. I think they'll be monitoring their symptoms, they'll be taking their temperature and being

in contact with the public health departments in each state. They are really going to contact trace and keep an eye on these folks that for any symptoms that may arise. Are you comfortable with what the U.S. is doing now with these passengers compared to what other countries are doing with the folks who have gone home to those nations? Well, I think that overall, really, the risk to the general population is extremely low. With close contract tracing, these people being followed by their public health departments, I think we will be safe. It's just not, this is not a pandemic, and we don't have reason to panic. Okay. I was going to ask you to level set with us, right? Bring the, the,

freak out meter, if you will. It sounds like you're saying it should be pretty low at this point. I do believe it should be low. We just need to follow the process and the public health measures and learn as we move forward and change if we need to. Dr. Michelle Harkins, we're so glad to have you on tonight. Thank you very much for the assessment and the expertise. Appreciate that. Thank you. Much more to get to you tonight. I want to take it in Massachusetts now with some developing news. A gunman opening fire on a big road just outside Boston. Police arresting a suspect and now searching for a motion. San Brock reports on the 10th scene tonight.

Tonight, chaos on the streets of Cambridge. We're getting reports of gunshots fired. With this chilling scene unfolding in the college town, a man appearing to carry a long gun and walking right down a major street, firing his weapon, according to eyewitnesses. We heard some gunshots. Cars started turning around. They got jammed up on the sidewalk trying to turn around.

People started running. He started shooting those cars, at least two or three shots. A bullet hole visibly shattered a postal truck windshield with cars up against trees. One man telling NBC Boston he and his co-worker hurt around 20 shots as they left their construction project. I looked up and the dude had his rifle pointed at us. And so I turned and ran back to my car, jumped down behind my dashboard. My buddy got out of his and went running with the crowd. The horror shaking up this witness, Brandon and his wife.

Just grateful that he's alive. Sorry, it's hitting me right now. The Harvard Police Department saying it received a call in the afternoon from Cambridge Police that a person armed with a gun fired shots, possibly injuring two victims. The suspect is in custody. There is no ongoing threat to the campus. Massachusetts State Police said no information is immediately available about the shooting. As the day's events still sinking in, a possible mass casualty situation avoided.

This much danger doesn't happen in Cambridge. Sam is joining us now, and Sam, as we speak, we are getting an update from police on what happened in Cambridge. We're looking at that live here. And some new details now on how they managed to take this gunman down. Yeah, we just got, Halley, a torrent of new information. So the Middlesex district attorney, the DA there, briefing the media on the fact that there was a call initially from Boston PD about someone who was armed and dangerous. Communicated that with Cambridge Police Department. By the time the Massachusetts State police officers or troopers arrived on scene, there was already gunfire going. on this memorial drive scene, which the DA had outlined was going on in the middle of a very active stretch of land where you had people on boats, parents pushing their kids along the walkways there, all sorts of pedestrian traffic construction projects going on. And according to

the DA, the person involved here, Tyler Brown, the suspect, fired 50 to 60 rounds, or at least that was the total amount of ammunition they believed that was fired between him and potentially the gunfire that was exchanged. He struck two people in cars, two men, in different cars. They said it was erratic. They don't believe there was any connection here. Those two victims right now, according to the DA, are in a hospital in Boston with life-threatening injuries. So that is something we're going to have to monitor here. But she also said that you had a response from both a state trooper and a civilian who was, I guess, a Marine with a licensed firearm. The two of them, as people were hiding underneath their cars and jumping out of windows,

were approaching the shooter, and they managed to stop him. They shot him, she said, in his extremities and then those same people that were trying to end this this horrible barrage of bullets then treated him unseen. Right. So just sort of a remarkable stretch of circumstances that happened here, but we are awaiting further updates on the two victims, but it appears that two random strangers who were just driving in their own cars, wherever they might have been going today, were struck by gunfire and they do not believe, authorities don't believe, that the person accused here, Tyler Brown had any sort of connection to those victims but was firing at random. A lot of developments tonight, Sam, and to hear about those incredible acts of heroism,

I know more to come on that front. Appreciate your reporting, and I'll let you get back to listening in to those live updates. Thanks. We've also got some new reporting tonight on a potential terror attack on the Louvre Museum in Paris thwarted by French officials. I want to bring in Tom Winter, who's joining us now. And Tom, we understand that that suspect has been arrested by French authorities, yeah? Yeah, that's right, Hallie. The 27-year-old coming from Northern Africa from Tunisia, apparently this investigation began last Wednesday,

And they started looking into him in his background and figured out that this individual was planning to carry out an attack. And he's been charged with terrorism-related crimes in France. According to a person familiar with the investigation, he was apparently targeting a museum as well as members of the Jewish community. We don't know those specific members of the Jewish community or locations he may have been trying to target. As far as the museum you're looking at and have been looking at images of the Louvre, that according to LeMonde, a French publication, saying that that, That was the specific museum. Of course, they get about 9 million people a year to hundreds of thousands of people visit each week, one of the most famous museums in the world.

We haven't independently confirmed that report, but that is the report out of Paris. Tonight the details still coming in on this investigation. Of course, it comes as Europe has been battling a series of terrorist attacks, as well as arson attacks, primarily focused at the Jewish community. A new terrorism group, Harakat, Ashab, al-Yamin. Islamia, better known as H-A-Y-I, has been quite active on that continent. So all of this bears looking at that this individual apparently also may have wanted to travel to Syria to join ISIS. So it's just a really underscores the overall terrorism threat and the terrorism environment in Europe

and something obviously we've been closely watching here for the last 12 months or so, Halley. Tom Winter, thank you for that update. Appreciate you being on with us. Back here at home now to that terrifying scene at Denver International Airport. Tonight we're hearing from a passenger on board the frontier flight that crashed into somebody who had somehow made their way onto the runway. Liz Croyitz now with the new questions tonight about safety protocols there. Tonight, shocking new surveillance video showing the moment a trespasser ran right into the path of a frontier plane taking off at Denver International, renewing questions about airport security. We just hit somebody. We have an engine park.

Authorities say the person who has not been identified deliberately scaled a perimeter fence before rushing onto the runway. The moment of impact caught on video. Passenger Kevin Cardis described the chaos after the fatal collision. We're in disbelief. We couldn't believe that someone was striped. And we couldn't fathom how they got on the tarmac. That's the question investigators are now working to answer. Part of the challenge, Denver International, is massive, 53 square miles.

That's twice the size of Manhattan, so big that Atlanta's Hartfield Jackson, O'Hare, L.AX and DFW would fit inside its borders. The airport also has 36 miles of barbed wire fencing. I think we need to increase those security measures because if someone does have ill intent, there's very little to stop them from coming over the perimeter fence. I think the security rules need to be better. And I know it's a cost factor for airports. Some passengers also questioning the evacuation, saying they were on the plane for several minutes as smoke filled the cabin.

Black smoke was in the air. It was very difficult to breathe. My initial reaction was, just go. We were screaming to open the door. Videos also show some people taking their luggage down the emergency sides, slowing the evacuation, and a violation of FAA regulations. It's a federal offense if you are not following crew member instructions. Not only are you putting everyone in jeopardy, but you're also potentially putting yourself into legal jeopardy. Liz is joining us now. So Liz, you mentioned that barbed wire. We saw some of the images there.

That's actually pretty standard we understand at airports around the country. Do you get the sense from the experts you're talking with that this is now setting off perhaps a reckoning? at other airports, including Denver, about security on the perimeter? Absolutely, Halley. I think experts were talking to are saying this is probably something that should be reviewed not only at Denver International, which says they are going to be reviewing their security protocol, but at other airports as well. It is required to have a fence like you saw there with barbed wire on the top. But as we also saw, it's not a full-proof strategy.

And if there's a will to get over it, you certainly can. So I'm sure that that is going to be reviewed across the country. And I can just tell you, Hallie, we still don't know. who that person is. We don't know where on the property they breached the fence, and we don't at this time know any kind of motive. Liz Kreutz, thank you very much for saying on top of this one. Here in Washington now to the White House, where President Trump says he is considering suspending, rather, the gas tax in this country to try to bring down those record high prices at the pump. There is, however, a catch. Ryan Noble explains. Tonight, with the national average for gas now at $4.50 a gallon, President Trump looking to reduce

the pain at the pump by suspending the federal gas tax. Mr. President, are you going to suspend the federal gas tax? Yeah, I'm going to reduce until the... Let me tell you, as soon as this is over with Iran, as soon as it's over, you're going to see gasoline and oil drop like a rock. That move would require an act of Congress and would reduce prices by about 18 cents a gallon. All, as President Trump is warning, the fragile ceasefire with Iran, Iran is on the verge of collapse. I would say it's one of the weakest right now.

It's on life support. Slamming Iran's latest response, which would delay any negotiations over its nuclear program as, quote, garbage. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, and they won't have a nuclear weapon. They didn't want to go that far. They think that, well, I'll get tired of this, or I'll get bored, or I'll have some pressure. But there's no pressure. There's no pressure at all. We're going to have a complete victory.

and on Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium? We talked about it, and they said, you'll have to take it out because we don't have the capability of doing it. So, sir, are you saying that the Iranians have agreed to allow the removal of all their enriched uranium? Yeah, yeah. Well, they did it two days ago.

They didn't, okay? They did two days ago. They said, you're going to have to take it. We were going to go with them, but they changed their mind because they didn't put it in the paper. Let me bring in Ryan now, who's joining us now from the North Lawn. Okay, let's talk dollars and cents here, pal. How much is it going to cost the government if they were to suspend the gas tax?

It would be very expensive, Hallie. This is a tax that is collected that specifically goes to the highway trust fund, which essentially maintains all the roads and highways across the government that are operated by the federal government. it would be $3.5 billion in revenue lost to that highway trust fund if it were suspended for one month. If it were suspended for three months, it would cost up to $21 billion. And unless that money comes from somewhere else, it would mean there would be less money to take care of all of those roads across the country. Can I ask you, Ryan, as I know you often report down from the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, do you get the sense there is an appetite in Congress to actually do something like this? So there is already legislation that's been introduced in both the House and Senate. does appear to be something that Republicans are on board with, but anything like this would

require Democratic votes, particularly in the Senate. And right now, Democrats are not saying which way they will go if this ends up making it to the floor. Ryan Nobles, thank you very much. Stay with us all week long, by the way, for complete coverage of President Trump's high-staked trip to China. Tom is live in Beijing for special editions of nightly news and top stories starting tomorrow. You're going to hear from Tom about this trip a little later on in tonight's show. We are back in a moment tonight with the American fugitive accused of strangling his pregnant wife, telling a courtroom in Italy he's innocent.

So could he be granted asylum? And the wild scene at a hotel, a bear trapped inside, yes, a bathroom. Okay, we'll show you how police wrangled this one out. Next. Back now with the case of an American man accused of killing his pregnant wife, appearing today in court, not in his home state of Texas, but in Italy. He fled the country and now says he's seeking asylum overseas as he could face the death penalty back home. Here's Priscilla Thompson.

An American fugitive on the run inside an Italian courtroom today, professing his innocence. My wife is dead, Lee Gilly told the judge, and they wrongly blamed me. Gilly fled the U.S. on May 1st, according to a criminal complaint in U.S. District Court, cutting off his court-ordered ankle monitor just before he was set to stand trial for strangling his pregnant wife, Krista, to death in 2020. The criminal complaint stating Gilly landed in Milan on May 3rd, where he presented a fake Belgian passport. He was then taken into immigration custody, according to the filing, where he admitted who he was, and American authorities were alerted. At today's hearing in Milan, Gilly did not consent to an extradition, telling the judge he would like to remain in Italy because of the lifestyle, the culture, the international protection, and to receive a fair trial. In Texas, Gilly could face the death penalty if convicted.

I fled to avoid being killed, he said. I went to great lengths to escape and seek protection in Italy. His attorney in Italy telling NBC News he has been subject to a media campaign that would not have allowed him to obtain a truly fair trial. His wife, Krista Gilley, was found unresponsive in the couple's Houston home in October 24, according to officials, after police received a call about a suicide. But her death was ruled a homicide due to compression of the neck. Within days, Gilly was arrested, charged with capital murder.

A car was seen being towed from his home last week after his escape. The Harris County District Attorney's Office telling People magazine they are working with the U.S. and Italian authorities and remain committed to pursuing justice. Gilly's attorney in the murder trial told People Magazine he was unaware his client had left the country and told a local ABC affiliate he was concerned the move could be seen as a consciousness of guilt. Gilly's U.S. attorney and the Harris County DA's office did not return NBC News's request for comment. A gag order is now in place. All of it, adding to the unbearable heartbreak felt by those who loved Krista, including her childhood friend Kara Kelly. It's not fair and it's infuriating and frustrating and it feels like we've been let down by the system. Priscilla is joining us now for more on this. So Priscilla, presumably, this murder trial cannot

move forward now until the extradition issue gets sorted, right? Exactly, Halley. And Gilly's attorney here in the U.S., before that gag order was issued, had said that Italian authorities could say that Texas prosecutors must take the death penalty off the table before they agree to extradition. Now, Harris County District Attorney's Office has not yet said whether or not they intend to pursue. the death penalty in this case. But of course, Gilly's attorney in Italy says that they have not yet received that request to extradite him from the DOJ, and thus we have not heard from Italian authorities on what they plan to do with all of this. Hally? Priscilla Thompson, thank you very much. Still to come

tonight. We are on the front lines in Florida as crews race to but out a wildfire ripping through the Everglades. Next. Back now with growing questions over a new reality show featuring the Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy. and his family road tripping across the country. A show apparently filmed over the course of the last seven months. Critics wondering how Duffy found the time and who exactly is paying for it as the secretary tonight is defending himself. Here's Melanie Zanona. Put your seatbelts on. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy hitting the road returning to reality TV. Not on the real world where he first rose to fame, but a new five-part series, The Great American Road Trip, set to

premiere on YouTube next month. Welcome to Montana. Featuring Duffy, his wife and their nine children traveling across the country. Duffy saying the show was created to celebrate America's 250th birthday and to encourage families to get out and explore the country. It fits any budget to do a road trip. But the timing of the announcement sparking immediate backlash. Gas is like $6 a gallon right now.

We've had multiple air disasters. Among the loudest critics, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, calling the show brutally out of touch. When Buttigieg took parental leave from the job in 2021 to be with his newborn twins, one of whom was hospitalized in the ICU, some Republicans and conservative media slammed his choice. The supply chain is a wreck while an absence secretary still cashes a check. Now it's Duffy facing questions about his time away from the job.

How much time is he taking? Is he doing this on weekends or is he doing it during the week when he should be at work? He says production took place in short, windows over seven months. Someone has to pay for this operation. I got to go to work. Duffy did conduct official government business paid for by taxpayers in some of the locations where filming took place. But he says no taxpayer money was used on his family and that the series was funded through a non-profit production company called Great American Road Trip Inc. It lists 17 sponsors on its website including Boeing, Toyota, Shell, Royal Caribbean Group, and United Airlines. All companies

Duffy's department oversees and regulates. Most did not get back to NBC News request for comment, but Toyota said in a statement, it is proud to support initiatives that celebrate America's history, people, and the spirit of exploration. NBC's parent company Comcast is also a sponsor. A DOT's spokesperson tells NBC News the production company is an independent organization, and how and who they accept donations from, is their decision. Mel is joining us now from Capitol Hill, and I think it is fair to say, Mel, that a lot of people have a lot of thoughts on this show, right? Yeah, that's right. There are a number of lawmakers and politicians speaking out that includes Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, who noted that there were multiple air accidents on Duffy's watch while he was filming the show. But Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, she's praising the Duffies for, quote, sharing their faith, showing off the country, and she says she cannot wait to host them in her home state of Arkansas.

Melanie Zanona. Thank you very much. So for more on the political fallout of Duffy's return to reality TV. Let's bring in our NBC News, senior national politics reporter John Allen. Okay, John, so you heard it sort of laying out the nuts and bolts there. What are you hearing from folks that you're talking to in the various political orbits in D.C. about this? Well, I think there's a lot of concern that this is really not the right message for Trump administration officials to be sending right now. You've got a war going on in Iran. Of course, you've got gas prices high.

You've got, in addition to that, a lot of stuff that's been going on in the transportation industry in particular, we've had a lot of air traffic issues. We've had a lot of airplane issues of late. And you've got a transportation secretary who is reliving his life as a TV star. And so there is absolutely concern about that, you know, the degree to which that has an effect on elections, remains to be seen. It's a long time off from now, but certainly some worry. You know, it's interesting that the Duffy's, the secretary, has kind of trying to make the case. This is just good branding for the USA, right? Like, this is good America 250-style branding.

There are some questions around the potential conflict of interest piece of this, right? You have to say something if you're the Transportation Secretary and everybody finds out about this, and that's his response, Hallie. But yes, there are ethics issues involved here. Some people raising concerns about the sponsors of this particular television adventure that the secretary's been on. They include a bunch of companies that the Transportation Department oversees, including Shell Oil Company, including Boeing, Toyota, and it's a big news week for cruise lines. Also, Royal Caribbean, one of those. And I should mention that NBC's parent company Comcast has also been a sponsor of this television program.

You talk about, John, the potential, you know, we don't know what any potential political fallout may be for voters as it relates to this Duffy Road Trip Show. I think there is perhaps a more salient question when you look at this road trip show, gas prices come up. That is certainly something that may have an impact on voters fairly soon, right? As we look right down towards the midterms coming up just a few months from now at this point. Talk to me about that piece of it, because clearly the Trump administration is aware that they are facing some political pressure when it comes to the war against Iran and what it's done to spike people's prices at the pop. They'd love to have a transportation secretary going across America, stopping at gas stations and showing prices that were lower than they were before.

But instead, what you've got is a transportation secretary traveling across America at a time when he could be doing other things, could be focusing some of those other issues. And what it does is it points up the fact that gas prices have been raised and that transportation costs have been raised and that American families are having a harder time paying for vacations. I mean, you've got summer break coming up for so many of these kids coming out of school. And Americans are feeling the pinch not only Americans who are driving places, but if you're flying somewhere, you've got jet fuel concerns.

And of course, products are costing more because it costs more for products to be transported through vehicles that use gasoline, which is the vast majority of them. While we have you here, John, I have to ask about some of this new reporting out on the president's UFC fight at the White House coming up, gosh, less than a month from now. maybe just a month from now, not an easy ticket to get, huh? No, not at all. There's going to be a cage fight on the south lawn of the White House. A once-in-a-lifetime adventure for people who are mixed martial arts enthusiasts or MAGA voters or both. There's a pretty big overlap there. I talked to Dana White, the head of the UFC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship League, just a few weeks ago with the White House correspondent's dinner.

He said he's getting bugged for tickets all the time and he said, look, I gave most of mine to President Trump. And the truth is the 4,000 people or so who are going to be on the... Southworn, almost all of them are going to be handpicked, curated by President Trump, according to our sources. But a huge extravaganza, several matches that folks are going to see between these cage fighters, between these guys who are really going at each other in ways that you don't often see, certainly at the White House. I mean, sometimes in the briefing room things get rough, but no punches are thrown. Come on, you've used the word cage match metaphorically in one of your pieces before, figuratively, although perhaps not literally.

Seven matches on the south line of the White House. The President of the United States is not expected to participate in any of that. John Allen there at the White House for us tonight, John, thank you very much. Take care, Riley. To Top Stories News Feed now, starting with the suspect accused of attempting to assassinate President Trump at the White House Correspondents' dinner last month. Cole Allen pleading not guilty to charges during an arraignment hearing today in Washington. Officials say he had multiple guns and knives when he sprinted through that security checkpoint.

an exchange fire with a Secret Service officer. He is expected back in court next month. And the Supreme Court issuing an order to let an abortion pill continue to be available by mail, at least for now. This comes as the justices consider a lower court's decision that would limit access to Miffipristone by requiring an in-person visit to a doctor. The Supreme Court order extends that pause until later on this week, Thursday night. And some pretty wild video tonight out of eastern Tennessee. Police say they rolled up to this hotel after getting a call about a bear that had trapped itself. inside a bathroom. Look, the officer kind of unlocks the door and then gets out of the way, get around the corner there. The bear, they managed to scare it off. It apparently caused some

damage to the room, but we still don't really know how it got trapped inside in the first place. To South Florida now and the wildfire threat there with flames ripping through the Everglades, inching closer to homes and businesses outside Miami. Our Jesse Kirsch is on the front lines. Tonight, this wildfire exploding outside Miami, already. burning more than 11,000 acres. Firefighters air dropping water over towering plumes of smoke that can be seen for miles. This is the fire and this is in the direction of my house. The blaze fueled by dry grass in Florida's lush everglades. The flames even visible from outer space. The brush fire broke out Sunday with the wind blowing mostly northwest away from population

centers. So far, no injuries have been reported. But the wildfire has threatened some homes, including Roxanne Gill's. She says the fire was blocking the road. The only way to leave was to take an airboat. And tonight authorities urging residents near the smoke to stay indoors. Even healthy individuals may experience eye irritation, coughing, sore throat. And Hallie, we are at one of the staging areas in the Everglades where firefighters have been working from. At one point earlier, the air was breathable here. Now it is smoking. There was even a point where there was a plume of smoke right overhead and there was ash falling from the sky. We've seen firefighters in this area using the hoses to douse the brush with water before the fire could potentially get over here.

We've seen a helicopter going through this area dropping buckets of water as well. At this point, the operations here seem to have calmed down, at least for the time being. Authorities have reported 50% containment, 5-0% containment on this fire so far. Clearly, this is still something that is in the air and certainly something that authorities will be keeping an eye on. Hallie. Jesse Kirsch, thank you very much for that. When we come back, you know those Trump mobile phones promised nearly a year ago? We've got our reporter on a month's long quest to try to get one.

Turns out nobody has. So what's going to happen to those who have already put their money down? Plus, our new series, Business in America. Craig Melvin kicking it off with a sit down with Nike's new CEO, how he's looking to restore the great American company to dominance, he says. Stay with us. We are back now with the cell phone saga. Top story's been tracking for a month. You know, it's been nearly a year since the announcement of this new wireless service called Trump Mobile. But so far, it seems like customers have been left on hold. This venture, if you will, spearheaded by the president's two older sons, Don Jr. and Eric initially.

They touted the rollout of this gold colored phone. It's set to be sold for just under 500 bucks. So it rolled out. People were asked to put down $100 deposit if they wanted one. But since then, the release date has been delayed. The phones still have not shipped. It is not clear when or if, in fact, they ever will. Let me bring in our Brian Chung, who put down a deposit to track the phone's development. To be clear, you dropped that deposit on your corporate card, right, Brian? That's right. And you've been on the phone with customer service for Trump mobile, right?

What are they telling you? Is this phone coming out or not? Yeah, well, look, it's been almost a year now that we've been waiting for this phone. It was announced by the President's Sons in a flashy Trump Tower announcement in June of last year, they said that this gold phone, which had an American flag on the bag, bearing their father's name, was going to be released to customers in August at a price point of only $49. And that seemed almost too good to be true, especially when you consider they were saying it was going to be made in the United States. So for that reason, we put down $100 deposit, and August came and went,

September came and went. At one point, we were promised a November 13 date. They were even telling me it would take seven to 10 days to get shipped to me. I was ready to do the review, and then November came a win, December came and went. And here we are in May of 26, and there appears to be no sign of it. I did reach out to customer service just today before we did this segment, and they told me there was no timeline that they could even offer right now. Of course, this has offered a lot of questions over whether or not this phone actually exists. And I want to point out the goalposts have moved on this as well. In addition to the phone originally being branded as made in the USA, the language on their website changed to American proud design. And now, Hallie, there's no mention of that American

made product side of this at all on the website. And moreover, the design of the phone itself changed. It looked like at one point the cameras were going to be arranged in a triangle. The new image on the site now looks like it's in a line. So it's unclear what this phone looks like if it even exists. We reached out to them, the company, we have received no response, Hallie. So let's say somebody put down one of these deposits and is like, all right, at this point, I need it back. I want my money back. I'm over it. I don't want the phone anymore. What can they do? Do they have any recourse here? Yeah, so it was priced at $499. is still priced at $499, but you had to put down a $100 deposit to, quote, unquote, get in line to get the phone, which we did put down.

Now, there's some interesting new language on the website in their terms and conditions that was updated in April as part of a broad redesign of the website. And it says, quote, a pre-ordered deposit does not guarantee that a device will be produced or made available for purchase. So it seems like the terms and conditions themselves seem to acknowledge that this phone might not exist now, and it might not even exist. exist ever. The deposit right now is being billed as refundable. It was not billed as refundable when NBC News put down the deposit. I did ring them. They did clarify to me that if I wanted to get my deposit back, I would. When we originally had the $100 taken out of the corporate card, I should also point out that we got a fraud alert asking if we wanted to confirm that transaction, which we did at the time, Halley. The saga continues. Keep us posted. Brian Chung,

thank you very much for that. Good to see you. To a new series now launching across all NBC News platforms called Business in America. the people running some of the top companies across the country. Our Craig Melvin of today, fame, of course, kicked it off, sitting down with Nike CEO Elliot Hill, who talked about coming up through the ranks of the same company he now leads. From podiums to playgrounds. Nike is one of the most recognized brands on the planet.

Just like you at the U.S. Open. Very good, Serena Williams. An athletic empire worth more than $60 billion. $1. Its signature swoosh, a universal symbol of sport, style, and ambition. It's critically important that when we come to the office every day, we come with an athlete mindset, and we're here to serve them. Elliot Hill spent 32 years at Nike before retiring in 2020. Since then, the storied brand began to lose ground to competitors. Rivals like Adidas finding favor in fashion circles.

upstarts like hoka and on running, innovating on the athletic scene. Fred, how are you? Good to see you. Hill was brought back as CEO in October 2024 to help write the ship at Nike. See some of the magic. And shareholders are

watching closely as Nike stock has dropped in recent months. In a show of support, Hill personally bought more than a million dollars of stock. What's happening at Nike? I think it's a reflection on where we are in this moment in time. We are in a clean-up mode and we're reset mode. We're setting this business up for the next 40 years.

How could a company like Nike? I mean, one of America's greatest brands, how could it seem to have lost its way? You know, I think there was a couple of strategic shifts that happened that COVID didn't help. Where we make mistakes is when we forget that who we're serving. We're serving consumers. We're serving athletes. How has the business changed? The consumer is certainly more connected today, digitally. Trends seem to be moving a little faster. me than they did in the past, but the core of what we do does not change. This is called the Walk of Fame. Hill has reorganized Nike into groups focusing on specific sports like baseball and soccer.

There's also a renewed focus on innovation with its state-of-the-art sports research lab. New innovation called the AeroFit. It's clear that they're betting big on the Summer's World Cup co-hosted here in the U.S. How many teams do you guys sponsor? We have 12 teams. The changes have brought some difficult tradeoffs, including layoffs and a shift in pricing. How do you square the fewer sales with the affordability crisis that a lot of Americans are facing right now? In terms of affordability, it's something we watch all the time.

And we've been really cautious and thoughtful about when and how we take price increases for our consumer. You said recently that tariffs are going to cost Nike about one and a half billion dollars this fiscal year. Where does that money come from? Well, you know, it went straight to the government and we're now in the process of following the guidelines that the government shared and we're waiting to see what happens in terms of return. But the billion and a half was that, did it have to get? Straight off the bottom line and, you know, we tried to cover some of that with price increases and some other things that we did with our partners on the wholesale side of the business and then also from manufacturing.

But it's tough to cover that all at one time. So some of it did have to get passed down to the consumer. Small. But we were thoughtful about it. If you look at it back to school, we didn't take any price increases because we wanted to make certain that we were thoughtful about the timing of those increases. Here at Nike Hill is part chief executive, part pitchman.

Everybody good? So are they... And part cheerleader for the... workforce of 78,000 employees. They read that when you started, you actually gave out your personal email address. Yeah. To all the employees. It was crazy how many emails I received in text messages.

It was humbling. And I responded to every single one of them. You're getting choked up talking about this place. Well, it's not a job. It's personal. Yeah. I get that sense from you. Yeah.

Is that why you came out of retirement? to turn it around. It's a place I care deeply about. What sparks inspiration for you? Human performance, athletes that somehow find a way to find another gear when it's needed inspires me like no other. To watch an athlete who already is great to find another level. That's what inspires me. Human potential. Our thanks to Craig for that. Coming up here on top story, the big flop at the Trevi Fountain. A man caught on camera diving into this famous pool of water. We're going to show you what happened next. Plus, we're checking in with Tom, who is on the ground in China

with a look at everything happening ahead of that high-stakes summit. Stay with us. Back now with Top Story's Global Watch. And the Ukrainian president tonight saying Russia has no intention of ending the war with Ukraine. Volomir Zelensky's comments coming after the Russian leader of Vladimir Putin said he thought the war was coming to an end. A three-day ceasefire brokered by the U.S. today. Ukrainian military officials say there were clashes between Russian and Ukrainian forces

over the last 24 hours. Also into us tonight some video out of Rome that is, forgive me, making a splash. I had to because look at this. This guy taking a swan dive into the iconic Trevi fountain. He dives in before walking around, dipping back under. Officials talking to the man, eventually they escort him away. You're not supposed to do that. It happened this weekend. A Rome police spokesperson said the diver was fined 550 euros and told him. to leave. And finally, to the UK, where Beatles fans will have the chance to get a first-hand look at a legendary location for the icons there. A brand new fan experience and museum is opening up in London at the band's former company headquarters on Saville Road. This is the same spot where the FAB4

played their last public performance in 1969. Visitors will get the full seven-floor experience, access to the rooftop, to the studios inside. It's all set to open next year. And also overseas tonight, Tom is on the ground in China, where he's getting ready to cover President Trump's high-stakes summit with Xi Jinping. He's going to be reporting live from Beijing every night this week with an in-depth look at those talks and what's at stake. Plus, how China stacks up to the U.S. when it comes to everything from electric cars to AI to food. Here's Tom now with a look at what to expect. Hallie, hello from Beijing. We are here in China ahead of that historic summit between President Trump and China's leader, Xi Jinping. a key face-to-face meeting that could help shape the rest of the president's term and his legacy.

And as the U.S. seeks to end the war in Iran, what role will China play Iran's most powerful ally? The president bringing American CEOs to Beijing to sit down with the Chinese as that bruising trade war between both nations continues. Plus, we'll show you how China's investments in AI, robots, and EVs are shaping its goal for global economic dominance and the future of 10. technology. But China is facing headwinds as the youth of this massive nation are finding it difficult to land a job, leading to a social media movement called Lai Flat, sending a message to China's communist government that they see their future here at a standstill. And we'll take you to the Great Wall of China. What archaeologists have just discovered there. And from the Great Wall, we go to the Great Firewall. We'll show you how China, with its hundreds of millions of surveillance cameras and new apps,

track everything you do from walking to shopping to what you're reading and writing, a surveillance state that is constantly watching and censoring. We'll show you the apps that work in the U.S., but won't help you hear. Live from Beijing, it all starts tomorrow night. We hope you'll join us. We are all looking forward to that. Tom, we'll be right back here tomorrow night and all week long, live from Beijing. Do not miss it. Thank you so much for watching Top Story. I'm Hallie Jackson in Washington. Stay right there. We've got more news now on the way. Thank you.