Top Story with Tom Llamas - Monday, November 10, 2025

Episode Date: November 11, 2025

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

Breaking tonight, the government shutdown breakthrough, 41 days into the record-breaking stalemate, a handful of Democrats breaking from their party to make a deal. Is this the beginning of the end of the shutdown? The key vote tonight in the Senate as House members rush back to Washington, new details on how the deal came together, and when the government could finally reopen, as flight delays and cancellations only get worse, how soon could things get back to normal? Also tonight, the dangerous winter weather blasting the Midwest, dumping up to a foot of snow in some spots, millions under storm alerts, wide-out conditions causing dozens of crashes. This car on fire, where the snow heads next. NBC News exclusive dozens of women accusing a military gynecologist of recording them during exams,

how he allegedly used a phone in his pocket to do it, and the concerns for other possible victims tonight. A plane carrying hurricane relief supplies to Jamaica crashing into a Florida backyard, narrowly missing homes, What went wrong? The deadly car chase horrifying new video as a driver loses control plowing into a business and sending people running for their lives. President Trump threatening to sue the BBC for a billion dollars for editing his speech made on January 6th.

You'll hear the original and the BBC version to compare them for yourself. And crossing Antarctica meet the 40-year-old explorer setting out on a record-breaking expedition in one of the most remote places on Earth. Plus, what's on the menu for 2026? We're breaking down the newest food trends coming to a plate near you. Top story starts right now.

Good evening tonight. The News America has wanted for nearly six weeks to hear. The longest shutdown in U.S. history may finally be coming to an end. A handful of Senate Democrats breaking with their party to cut a deal with Republicans, securing the 60 votes needed to reopen the government. Their decision sparking a massive divide within the Democratic Party. The deal makers, including Senators Angus King of Maine and Catherine Cortez Mastow of Nevada, said their party shutdown strategy wasn't working.

Republicans were not going to budge. But Democratic leaders, including Senator Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, are blasting the deal, saying it doesn't secure those Obamacare subsidy extensions they have been fighting so long for. All of this has air traffic controllers and TSA agents press on. working without pay. Controllers just missed a second paycheck and now a threat from President Trump. Any of them who don't show up will be docked.

From the start of the impasse through this past weekend, more than 5.2 million flyers have had their travel plans disrupted. Just today, more than 2,200 flights canceled and more than 7,500 delayed. Look at that. Making all this worse,

dangerous winter weather slamming the Midwest, this car bursting into flames off a highway near Chicago, and near-white-out conditions in the windy city overnight, while parts of Indiana were buried under more than a foot of snow. And at the airport in Rochester, New York, cruise de-icing planes on the tarmac. Our Bill Karen standing by in studio to time out the Arctic blast, but as the wintry weather moves in, we begin tonight with Ryan Nobles,

and the Cold War on Capitol Hill may be starting to thaw. Tonight, the breakthrough. After nearly six weeks, the federal government shutdown looks set to end. We have support from enough Democrats, and we're going to be opening up our country. It's too bad it was closed. And it is sparking a deep divide among Democrats. There is no great secret, Ryan, that there is a debate now about the future of the Democratic Party. For weeks, Senate Republicans have not had enough Democratic votes to end the shutdown.

But overnight, five new Senate Democrats joined three others, voting to no longer block the reopening of the government in exchange for a concession that Senate Republicans had been offered. for weeks to hold a vote on extending Obamacare subsidies. Now, many progressive Democrats are accusing their Democratic colleagues of caving by not getting Republicans to agree to more. How disappointed are you and your Democratic colleagues that are voting yes for this bill? Look, I think it was a terrible, terrible vote. At a time when we have a broken health care system, this is going to make our health care system even worse. It was the only deal on the table. New Hampshire Democrat Gene Jeanne voted to end the shutdown. We crystallized the fight about health care for the American people and made it clear who's holding that up.

It's President Donald Trump. It's Speaker Johnson. A deal means a resumption of government food assistance payments and back pay for returning federal workers. Republicans believing it was long overdue. After 40 days of wandering in the wilderness and making the American people suffer needlessly, some Senate Democrats finally have stepped forward to end the pain. Ryan joins us tonight from Capitol Hill. Ryan, the only question tonight, when will these votes happen so the government can reopen? So right now the Senate is working through a series of votes that will end with a final passage of this bill that will reopen the government. Once it gets through the Senate, it will immediately go to the House. But the problem is that the House of Representatives has not been in session since the end of September.

So they're going to have to get their members back here to Washington. They're planning on a Wednesday vote right now, Once it passes the House, it could immediately go to President Trump's desk for his signature. So if everything goes according to plan, Tom, we could see the government reopen as soon as Wednesday night. And then, Ryan, you know, so many Americans out there have been so concerned about this shutdown. They've been personally affected millions of workers. Is there anything that could hold up these votes? Yeah, there's a lot that could happen between now and the final passage. This has to go through the House and remember the margins in the House of Representatives are so small.

Just two votes could topple the entire thing. Right now, we now know that House Democrats are whipping against this. They're hoping that every single one of their members will vote against it. That means if just a handful of House Republicans don't like it for conservative reasons, not the same reasons that Democrats aren't in favor of it, it could prevent the bill from being passed. Right now, though, leaders seem very optimistic that it's on a glide path to being passed. And there is a sense here, Tom, that people are just sick and tired of this shutdown and they're ready for it to end. Yeah, all across the country.

Okay, Ryan, we thank you for your reporting. Despite progress on Capitol Hill, it was another chaotic travel day for travelers at many of the nation's busiest airports. As air traffic controllers and TSA agents struggled to stay aflo after multiple missing paychecks. Here's Tom Costello. Day 41 of the shutdown with air traffic controllers today missing their second full paycheck. Enough is enough. Union President Nick Daniels demanding that controllers get paid now. 3,000 flights canceled on Sunday, already more than 2,000 cut today.

Flight from here, here back home is only an hour, so now I have to drive about five, you know, and who knows with traffic right now. The Miller family stuck at LAX after their morning flight was canceled, rescheduled for this evening. Travel is stressful, and so to be delayed, canceled, all of that just adds to your frustration, which doesn't help. While controllers have been working without pay, President Trump on Truth Social, threatened those have not shown up. All air traffic controllers must get back to work now. Anyone who doesn't will be substantially docked. For controllers who are working, I will be recommending a bonus of

$10,000 per person. The added stress leads to fatigue. The fatigue has led to the erosion of safety and the increased risk every day that this shutdown drags on. Amy Lark and her husband, both controllers now cutting back after four missed paychecks. Christmas look like? What does New Year's look like? How long can we last? What are we going to do when we do run out? Long lines on runways and inside airport terminals, as TSA officers have also gone a full month without a paycheck. Meanwhile, just a short distance away at Dulles Airport here on Washington Fire Rescue have been on the scene of a crash out on the ramp. One of those people movers, they call them a mobile lounge, crashed into the dock. We're told eight people have been

transferred to local hospitals for treatment, neck and back injuries. Nobody is critical, nobody's serious, but it is adding to the stress right now at the nation's airports and tonight at Dallas. Tom. All right, Tom Costello for us, and we're just getting a late word now that there's the injuries in that story are up to 18. All right, we thank Tom Costello for that. Now to the dangerous early winter storm sweeping across the Midwest and the Great Lakes. Hundreds of roadway crashes reported as some areas see more than a foot of snow. And tonight, Millions are bracing for a deep freeze stretching from New York to Florida. NBC Shaquille Brewster is in Chicago with the brutal blast.

Tonight, an early round of winter weather blasting through the Midwest. This vehicle sliding off a highway and catching fire in the Chicago area. Smoke rising into the air as lake effects snow dumps down. The same system bringing more than a foot of snow to towns in Indiana. State police say at least 18 people were injured from 13,000. four crashes. Vehicles sent sliding off the road after near white out conditions overnight. There's no substitute for common sense. Don't push the envelope. Air on the side of not testing it and we'll keep everybody safe. Kenosha, Wisconsin now digging out, cars buried by up to 10 inches

of snow. And a messy morning commute in Chicago, gusty winds hitting 33 miles an hour, reducing visibility and sending waves crashing into the lakefront. I'm unprepared. My kids went to school very wet today. They walk with no winter gears. This wintry November system kicking off what meteorologists say could be a snowyer start to the season with increased lake effect snow as cool air passes over the Great Lakes, which are warmer than average. I'm hoping this isn't to show what's coming. This Arctic blast now moving through Kentucky as the final weeks of fall bring dangerous winter weather. Shaq Brewster joins us tonight from a snowy Chicago. We can see it there. It's also freezing, Shaq, as we can see in your live shot.

You know, you try to winterize your home, but you kind of push it to the limit. When something like this happens, this storm happens so early like that, I'm sure it took a lot of people by surprise there. Yeah, Tom, it did for a couple of people. You heard the woman in that package talk about how her kids went to school this morning, wet. They didn't have winter gear as they were going to school. A couple of other people told me that it did surprise them in terms of how early this still did start. You usually talk about having a white Christmas. They're looking at this as we were about two weeks away from Thanksgiving.

But I'll tell you, Tom, some people are also very gracious and very happy that we weren't talking about what was forecasted. You had some of the initial projections because lakefront or lake effect snow is so hard to predict. We're talking about a foot of snow, sometimes in some places, two feet of snow with this one band. So many of people saying that they were glad that they didn't have the worst effects of it, though something were watching. are the impacts that it could have on travel. We talked and you heard Tom talking about the impact of the air traffic control shortage on travel and some flights. Well, we also saw over the weekend that weather-related delays were one of the main cause of flight delays here at Chicago's O'Hare Airport. So that's something to watch as we see these increasing winter storms coming a little bit earlier in the season time.

All right, Shaq, you and your crew get inside so you guys can warm up. I want to go over to our good friend NBC meteorologist Bill Caron's bill. it actually looks in that graphic like you're in the middle of the type of winter vortex. What's going on out there? That's pretty much it. We got this like vortex. It actually has the technical term for it all the way down here in the south. They just snowed in Charlotte, North Carolina.

They've had flurries outside of Atlanta, northern Alabama, northern Georgia. They've had some snow. Many areas of Tennessee and Kentucky, the Great Lakes, it's November. You're going to get your snow eventually. And you did get it. Northern Michigan was hit pretty hard. One spot here, 18 inches of snow. Heston, Indiana had 13, Kenosha, Wisconsin, 8.

In Chicago, we had about two, Columbus, Ohio, Cincinnati, Lexington, Louisville. We're all similar to that one to two inches. Additional snow later on tonight coming off the lakes. This is very typical. Driving I-90, New York State Thruway is going to be rough tomorrow morning. Buffalo to Syracuse, Rochester, included in all of that. So that's kind of the worst of it, Tom. All right.

And then, you know, we talk about the millions from the northeast of the south bracing for the freezing temps. Just how cold are we talking here? Yeah, so we saw Shaq, right? I mean, 23 wind chill in Chicago right now. But how about Atlanta? You were in chill as the same as Chicago. And all that cold air is making its way to the East Coast. Tomorrow morning is the coldest of this outbreak, especially in the south.

It's a hard freeze. Take anything in right now if you haven't already. Because all the way from Orlando northwards to Atlanta, Charlotte included, Richmond, the Norfolk area. Everyone is going to be down below freezing, a hard freeze, a killing freeze, we call it. Temperatures tomorrow, even Pensacola, windchill 25, Brunswick, Georgia at 19. So that's definitely your January winter gear. Numerous record lows will be set in the southeast. And of course, this one's for you, Tom.

The iguana watch is on. Oh, yeah, I know it. The I-4 corridor southward. I'm looking like this in Miami. So Miami's going to be 50s. They're probably going to be fine. So the rule of thumb is that the iguanas, they go into trees. That's where they like to sleep and take their naps.

When it goes below 50, they start to tighten up and freeze up in their muscle seeds below 40. They become non-responsive and they can fall out of the trees. That will happen, but not in Miami. That would be more from Fort Myers, the Naples, the I-4 corridor. We could have falling iguanas. You get some of those guys that are three-footers out there. Those things falling you. They'll take you out.

Yeah, we don't need that. They're still alive, too. Oh, yeah, yeah. So, yeah, don't hurt them. Just, you just got to warm them up a little bit. Bill, thanks for that. We appreciate it. Thanks for the warning. Next tonight to the White House, President Trump issuing pardons for Rudy Giuliani and dozens of others involved in the effort to overturn the 2020 election. The announcement comes after the president made a rare appearance at an NFL game this weekend, greeted with a mix of booze and cheers. NBC's Gabe Gutierrez is following it all. affidavit. They supported President Trump's efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Tonight, Rudy Giuliani, then chief of staff, Mark Meadows and 75 other allies have been pardoned. This is bigger than Donald Trump. The White House says these great Americans were persecuted and put through hell by the Biden administration for challenging an election, which is the cornerstone of democracy. Still, the pardons are largely symbolic, since they'd only applied to federal cases and no one on the list,

faces federal charges. Today, President Trump, welcoming to the White House Syria's interim president, Ahmed al-Shara, who remarkably toppled notorious dictator Bashar al-Assad. A former jihadist who once fought U.S. forces in Iraq, Al-S. later renounced extremist views, and tonight is expected to join the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS, two U.S. officials tell NBC News. He was seen over the weekend playing basketball with U.S. military officials. become a country that's very successful, and I think this leader can do it. Meanwhile, after a dramatic entrance on Air Force one Sunday, President Trump received a mixed reaction, including some booze at the Washington Commanders game, where he also appeared in

the broadcast booth. I played tight end, but I mean, it was not quite football like this. It was a little bit easier. All right, Gabe joins us tonight from the White House. And Gabe, I know you have some new reporting from the White House about comments related to the Washington Commander's Stadium. Yeah, that's right, Tom. You know, when asked about an ESPN report

that the president wanted the commander's new playing stadium named after him, the White House tells NBC News that that would surely be a beautiful name, as it was President Trump who made the rebuilding of the new stadium possible. And actually, Tom, President Trump was the first sitting president to attend a regular season NFL game since 1978. Back during Jimmy Carter days. All right, Gabe Gutierrez for us, Gabe. We thank you for that.

Next night to that, now startling image from South Florida, a small plane carrying hurricane relief supplies to Jamaica, suddenly crashing into a neighborhood lake, narrowly avoiding homes. NBC since George Release has the video. Tonight, dramatic video capturing the moment a small plane went down in South Florida, crashing into a neighborhood lake shortly after takeoff. Another angle of security camera footage showing the plane plunging into the water, barely missing nearby homes. It sounded to me like two race cars smashing into each other.

From the ground, you can see just how close those houses are to where the plane hit. Police tape is still all around this neighborhood. Right now, investigators still surveying the site where it's believed the plane crashed. There is still debris in the water. Officials say two people in the plane were killed. Incredibly, no one on the ground was injured. Fortunately, the plane did not strike any houses when it entered the water. Officials say the plane was headed from Fort Lauderdale to Montego Bay, Jamaica to deliver supplies for Hurricane Melissa relief efforts.

Neighbors, Zane Smith, was nearby when the crash happened and saw the plane clip a tree before crashing into the lake. Honestly, just shooking up, you know, because that could be anyone's family. We don't know who it is. I feel bad. That could have even been us, you know. George joins us tonight from Coral Springs, Florida, which is there in Broward County in South Florida. What's the latest on the search for that plane? It's obviously nighttime there.

And do we know anything about the victims that were on board? Yeah, Tom, this is going to take hours, if not days. I mean, investigators here are setting up quite the extensive operation. They are still going by house by house to see if they can find any of this debris that's scattered. I mean, in the explosion, you really do see just how it really just went all over this neighborhood. Another thing that officials are asking people to do is to shut their windows because the smell of fuel here, they say could linger for several days. You have a one-two punch of tragedy here. As we know, this plane was on its way to help those victims in Jamaica. Now you have an entire community

that's been rattled and still in questions about what may have gone wrong and who those two souls on board may have been. Tom? George Solis on that developing story tonight, George, we thank you. Now, to our NBC News exclusive, an army gynecologist accused in a lawsuit of secretly recording his patients during intimate exams. The lawsuit alleges the doctor's misconduct goes back years. NBC's Courtney Cuby spoke with one of his patients now coming forward. When Jane Doe first met Army Dr. Blaine McGrath, she says she was hopeful he'd be able to help her with her pelvic pain and hormone irregularities. I remember leaving my appointment excited that I had a doctor that like finally listened to me. She had several appointments

with him spanning a year. But a few weeks ago, she got a call from Army criminal investigators. They said we're going to show you a picture from a video that was taken. can you please identify this person, let me know how you know them, and it was a picture of myself. She says they told her Dr. McGraw had secretly recorded her recent breast and pelvic exams. She believes he slipped his phone into his pocket to film her. When was the moment that it sort of hit you, what had actually happened here to you? Probably about five minutes later when I got in my car and I was by myself. And I just sat there and I just started crying. And I just I drove home for an hour and I just cried the entire way home.

NBC News is not identifying Jane to protect her privacy. Today she filed a lawsuit against McGraw, alleging she is one of dozens of patients he prayed upon. The lawsuit alleges the Army gave cover to a predator in uniform by allowing him to keep seeing patients despite sexual misconduct claims dating back years, including unshaparoned exams, inappropriate comments, and unnecessary touching. An Army official says the hospital here has sent notification letters to more than 1,000 of Dr. McGraw's patients. And while that doesn't necessarily mean they were victims, a military official says Army investigators have already interviewed at least 25 women with a suspect being recorded by Dr. McGraw. Andrew Cobos is Jane Doe's lawyer. How many potential victims have reached out to you? We've fielded well over 60 victim phone calls.

In a statement, Dr. McGraw's attorney says he has been fully cooperative and says there's been inaccurate information from government sources. The Army says he was immediately suspended and is under criminal investigation. Jane's husband, who's served more than two decades in uniform, says his whole family has been betrayed. I mean, it's a brother or sister in arms, right? Never in my mind what I've thought a medical provider, especially in OBGYN, would take advantage of both the position as well as the profession. What do you want to say to Army leadership right now who may have known about this? shame on you. Shame on you for letting this happen. Shame on you for not taking action. Shame on you for letting this predator continue to practice. Okay, with that, Courtney Kubi joins us tonight from Fort Hood, Texas.

Courtney, you know, in your report, you say there's the military's interviewed about 25 women, right? And then the lawyer says they've had about 60 calls from other victims, potential victims. Do we have any idea how many women were possibly violated by this doctor in the military? Yeah, it's still hard to know the exact scope of this. Now, remember, more than 1,000 women have gotten or will get letters from Darnell Army Medical Center. That's the hospital here at Fort Hood, identifying that they were a patient, have been a patient of Dr. McGraw since his time here. Now, it doesn't mean that all of them were victims of him,

but they're notifying him of these allegations. And Tom, that's just here at Fort Hood. Remember, before that he was at Tripler Army Medical Center. That's in Hawaii. He's been a doctor in the United States military in the Army for years. So the possibility that there are more victims, that's what Army investigators are now looking at. This is a case that could go on for some time, Tom. All right, Courtney, Cuby, with that exclusive tonight for us here on Top Story.

Courtney, thank you. We're back in a moment with new video of a deadly crash in Florida. The driver fleeing police after being spotted street racing. scene, what we're learning about the investigation and the suspect behind the wheel. Plus, President Trump now threatening to sue the BBC for a billion dollars over an edited clip of his January 6th speech, the growing legal questions tonight, and a massive fire ripping through an apartment construction site through dramatic footage from the scene straight ahead on top story.

We're back now with a car chase turning deadly in Tampa. Florida, four people killed and 17 more injured after a speeding car crash right into a crowded bar. Dana Griffin has this one and a warning some of the crash video in this report is disturbing. A horrific tragedy captured on camera. Tampa Police releasing this video of a reckless driver they say lost control barreling into a crowded outdoor bar patio in Ebor City over the weekend. Authorities say four people were killed 17 others injured. They were out in Ebor having a good time. expecting to go home safely, and a careless, reckless driver takes everybody's lives in his hands and just ended this night in a situation that's never going to be the same for these individuals.

Police also releasing this dramatic helicopter video showing officers in pursuit of the driver as he speeds down the highway. At one point, attempting what police call a pit maneuver, bumping the back of the speeding car to make it spin out and stop. But as the car approached Tampa's historic and crowded downtown, officers ultimately backed off. The driver still speeding, then losing control. Police arresting 22-year-old Silas Sampson at the scene, releasing this video of the suspect after he was taken into custody. According to his arrest documents, Samson was carrying a gun, attempted to flee the scene on foot, and resisted arrest. Authorities say after Samson was detained, he made spontaneous statements, including he made a mistake and asked how many people he had killed.

Documents reveal police also smelled alcohol on his breath. Silas Kenneth Samson. Samson making his first appearance before a judge on Sunday. He'll remain in jail until his next hearing Thursday. It's not clear if Samson has an attorney at this time. The crash victims have been identified as Christina Richards, Lisa Johnson, Sherman Jones, and Mary. Marlon Collins. Over the weekend, vigils were held to honor the victims, one survivor speaking. A lot of negligence happening. A young man who was not capable of making good decisions decided

to get behind the wheel last night. And he took good people away from their families. And he's hurt so many other people. The bar zone are also releasing a statement following the tragedy, saying in part, this event has been very traumatic for my entire staff and myself. Our thoughts and prayers go to the families of those who were killed. Samson faces a number of felony charges, including vehicular manslaughter. Dana joins us now live. Dana, there's some issue here. You know, you have all those people there in downtown Tampa, busy area. People are out at bars, obviously having a good time, going to restaurants.

Should there have been barriers blocking this entertainment district? Well, Tom, that's some of the questions that are being raised. You know, officials say that there's no evidence to indicate that Samson was trying to deliver. deliberately target a person or a specific business, but many people think there should be some sort of safety barrier in this particular community because it draws large crowds because of the popular nightlife venues there. Tom. Okay, Dana Griffin for us tonight. Dana, we thank you. Coming up on Top Story, another gambling scandal rocking the sports world. Two big league pitchers now facing charges for allegedly taking bribes to throw bad pitches, the new moves by the

MLB to crack down on betters. Plus, a major announcement today for women taking hormone therapies for menopause, why the FDA is removing a label warning about serious risks. But first, top story's top moment, the Old Miss football team wasn't the only winner at their home game on Saturday. University of Mississippi student Madison Barnett thought she was going on the field to assist her boyfriend, Drew O'Connor, with a halftime kick competition. But then you know what happened.

And it's not a kick. That's Old Miss head football coach Lane Kiffing getting in on the action, signaling his approval of Drew's play for love. Congrats to the happy couple. Stay with us. More news on the way. We're back now with the growing tension between President. President Trump and the BBC, the president threatening to sue the broadcaster for a billion dollars over an edited clip of his speech on January 6th.

Two top executives already resigning over that edit and several other issues brought to light in a leaked memo. NBC's Ralph Sanchez reports. Tonight, President Trump threatening a $1 billion lawsuit against the BBC, accusing the British public broadcaster of intentionally and deceitfully editing his speech from January 6th. in a documentary that aired just ahead of the 2024 election. Here's what the documentary showed. We're going to walk down to the Capitol,

and I'll be there with you, and we fight. We fight like hell. And if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore. And here's the original, starting off the same. We're going to walk down to the Capitol. And we're going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women. But the next part of the speech

was actually almost an hour later. And we fight. We fight like hell. And if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore. In a letter to the BBC obtained by NBC News, the president's legal team demanding, you immediately retract the false, defamatory,

disparaging, and inflammatory statements made about President Trump. The BBC's chairman, Samir Shah, today apologizing. He apologized. is for the way the team edited President Trump's speech to his supporters on January 6th. And acknowledging the edit made it seem the president made a direct call for violence. Can the president sue a British broadcaster in a U.S. court? A foreign corporation and a foreign broadcaster can be sued in the United States so long as there's enough of a connection.

The fact that the BBC is broadcast in the U.S. is enough. is enough. Do you think the president has a case? The president does seem to have a case, and a lot of that is based on admissions that were made by the BBC. They admitted that the edit did look as if it were a call to violence. The misleading edit was one of a number of issues raised in a leaked internal BBC report. Concerns were also raised about the corporation's coverage of the war in Gaza and its coverage of trans rights issues. The BBC's Director General Tim Davy resigning, citing the edit as one of the reasons. Also resigning Deborah Turneris, the chief executive of the news division, who also served as president of NBC News from 2013 to 2017.

I stepped down over the weekend because the buck stops with me. But I'd like to make one thing very clear. BBC News is not institutionally biased. President Trump cheering the resignations on truth social, saying these are very dishonest people who tried to step on the scales of presidential election. Mr. Trump has wielded the threat of lawsuits against media outlets in a way unprecedented in American history, successfully forcing multi-million dollar settlements from both ABC News and CBS News. But this is the first time he's moved so aggressively against a foreign broadcaster. British conservatives have long accused the broadcaster of using public money to promote a liberal worldview, an allegation the BBC denies. The BBC has been institutionally biased for

decades. The license fee, as currently is, cannot survive. And here at BBC headquarters, there's a sense that this isn't over. President Trump has given the BBC until Friday to respond to his legal letter. And there is a big debate here about whether to keep the license fee, which is basically a $200 a year tax on everyone in the UK who owns a television, which is used to fund the BBC's operations. Tom. Ralph Sanchez for us, Ralph, thank you. Turning out of Top Story's news feed, the Supreme Court today, rejecting a call to overturn its landmark decision legalizing same-sex marriage. The justice is turning away an appeal filed by a former Kentucky court clerk

who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples after the High Court's 2015 ruling. All right, dramatic video of a massive fire in Utah, an apartment complex under construction. Look at this. You can see the smoke and flames billowing from the site. Wow, the fire broke out yesterday in Lehigh about 25 miles south of Salt Lake. Our local station reporting witnesses say they heard what sounded like an explosion. Officials say nobody was hurt. Thankfully, the cause is still under investigation.

The FDA announcing that the warning label will be removed from some medications commonly used to treat symptoms of menopause. Hormone therapies containing estrogen and progesterone will no longer carry black box labels, warnings of risk like breast cancer, heart attack, and stroke. Health officials say the warnings are based on outdated science that discouraged women from taking those medications. An NFL legend, Rob Grunkowski, is set to sign a one-day contract with the Patriots so he can officially retire with the team. He played nearly a decade with the Patriots.

In all, he won four Super Bowls before ending his football career in 2022. Gronk is widely regarded as one of the best tight ends to ever play the game. All right, now to a new scandal in sports betting, two Major League Baseball players facing federal charges tonight after prosecutors say they purposely threw balls instead of strikes in exchange for money. from gamblers. Now Major League Baseball announcing limits on those type of bets. NBC's Emily Aketa has the latest. In the wake of another big league betting scandal, tonight MLB and major U.S. sports books announcing new restrictions, setting a $200 limit on bets on individual pitches.

The major shake-up to the booming betting industry comes as two players face federal charges. That's Cleveland Guardians player Luis Ortiz walking out of court today in Boston. Ortiz, along with three-time All-Star, Emmanuel Classet, are both accused of throwing balls instead of strikes on purpose in exchange for money from betters. This pitch from Class A into the ground, netted co-conspirators betting on the outcome $58,000. And this ball from Ortiz, $37,000. It's just a little bit outside. While Ortiz himself got $7,000 for that pitch, according to prosecutors, and Class A, the same for arranging it. These players are getting millions of dollars and then seem to have done something very illegal for not that much money.

It's truly baffling the level of crime and the effort just doesn't fit. While Class A is not yet in custody, attorneys for both Cleveland Guardians players say they are innocent. In the alleged betting scheme, thrusting micro-prop bets into the spotlight, a wager focused on a specific event in a game rather than final outcome. All right, Emily, Aketa joins us on set. Emily, you know, so many people are going to be wondering why would these players who are multi-multimillionaires? Worryed about $7,000 here, a few thousand bucks there. Maybe we'll learn more. How much money was ultimately involved from what we understand? Well, in terms of the players' motivations, that question has yet to be answered. But in total, prosecutors say that the people placing the bets got off with more than $450,000 placing bets on

rigged pitches since this alleged scheme started back in 2023. Now, we know MLB is also conducting its own investigation. So in terms of consequences, both of the players could potentially be banned for life from this sport here in the U.S. But the more serious consequences, of course, tied to the criminal charges related to bribery, related to wire fraud. If convicted, they could face up to 65 years in prison. And then the beginning of your story, you started with that news today that they're sort of limiting the prop bets on the pitches. Is there a straight line we can draw from this incident to now these new regulations? Yeah, there is. And, When it comes to the targeting of individual pitches, officials say that they basically offer a heightened risk to integrity.

What does all that mean? Well, they say that basically they're concerned about one-off events for individual plays, right? So it's not like the whole team has to be in on this collusion, has to be participating for this kind of illegal gambling. It just takes one person. And so that's what they're trying to crack down on. And the governor of Ohio is saying he's encouraging other sports to take note of MLB's announcements and changes. limiting these kinds of prop bets, micro bets. It's like, how many things do you need to bet on, right?

It's crazy. All right, Emily Akeda, we thank you for that. Still ahead on Top Story, a deadly car explosion, rocking India's capital. The latest on the investigation there. Plus, the first of its kind expedition in Antarctica, meet the American man sitting out to do what no person has done before. We'll talk to him. That's next. We are back down with Top Stories Global Watch, and we start with another time.

typhoon tearing through the Philippines, leaving at least eight people dead and forcing more than a million from their homes. Just look at this massive wave crashing into a neighborhood. The typhoon's powerful winds tossing this bridge and knocked out power for so many. It comes as the country is still recovering from last week's typhoon, you may remember, that killed more than 200 people. And a car explosion in India's capital of New Delhi leaving at least eight people dead and nearly 20 others hurt. Video shows emergency crews trying to put out the flames. And here you can see the aftermath of the blast with multiple vehicles charred and mangled.

The cause of the explosion is under investigation. And former French President Nikola Sarkozy freed from prison today, an appeals court granting him release under judicial supervision. It comes less than three weeks after he started his five-year sentence for criminal conspiracy in a scheme to finance his 2007 election campaign with money from Libya. Sarkozy has denied any wrongdoing, and appeals trial is expected to take place, possibly, in the spring of next year. Moving on to the record-breaking attempt at the bottom of the world. American adventurer Colin O'Brady once crossed Antarctica alone, and now he's back on the icy

continent, planning to go even further. NBC's Chloe Malaw spoke to O'Bradie about the roughly 110-day journey ahead. Made it to Antarctica. American explorer Colin O'Bradie tonight on the ground in Antarctica. You know, it's pretty bare bones and gorgeous. Making final preparations to do something he says no human has ever done. Crossing the entire continent from ice shelf to ice shelf, solo and unsupported. I'm really curious if I can go back and push myself not just farther in distance than I went last time, but actually sort of in a spiritual context, mind, body, soul.

To me, there's no better proving ground for that than Antarctica. Here I go. In 2018, the 40-year-old became the first person to cross Antarctica minus the ice shelves, without the aid of a snow kite. Oh my God. This is harder than I ever dream possible. His new route is about twice as long, 1,800 miles, or roughly the same distance from New York City to Boulder, Colorado.

And he'll face up to 60-mile-per-hour winds in negative 30-degree temperatures. When I basically pass the 900th mile, every step that I take beyond that is actually farther than anybody has ever gone, solo unsupported and human powered in Antarctica. O'Brady will haul a 500-pound sled packed with everything he needs, food, fuel, and just one pair of clothes. Only one pair of underwear that I'm putting on at the beginning and they'll still be on my body, you know, come to the other side of the continent.

It's not pretty out there. It's like standing inside the belly of the ping pong ball, just like white in every single direction, so disorienting. This is O'Bradie's sixth time in Antarctica. I almost died. Almost died. During his last trip, a fall into a crevasse had near fatal consequences. Please answer. Please answer. Please answer. So I do have a satellite phone for emergencies that I can call. That said, it's not like calling an Uber. As we know, the stakes are real. You know, it's a say, hey, if you're in that bad of shape and the storm doesn't clear, you know, we might be coming there and to pick up your body.

Are you scared? You know, fear is not the top of my mind's eye. You know, people have to say, like, Colin, are you afraid of dying? And, you know, in short, yes, I'm definitely afraid of dying. But when I really put my head on the pill at night, what I'm more afraid of is not fully living. But danger's old hat for O'Bradie. Almost two decades ago, a bad accident in Thailand burned nearly a quarter of his body. I wouldn't wish the burn accident, you know, my worst enemy that said recovering from it gave me so much strength. Oh my God. You know, when I'm out there in the middle of Antarctica and the storms are raging, I still have this place I can go to my mind.

And it's like, yeah, but you're on your feet, you're walking, you're moving. you know it could be a lot worse he'll be filming his journey for an upcoming netflix documentary they'll fly to the edge of the ice and you know film me being dropped off but they don't stay out there on the ice as the plane takes off i'm out there alone for roughly 110 days Colin o'brady will battle the coldest windiest place on earth chasing not just a record but the farthest reaches of what's possible it's like the full human emotion all wrapped up in one to be there alone in the vulnerability and surviving in such a wild and extreme place. And Chloe Malas joins us now in studio. Chloe, this is a fascinating story. I can't imagine what he's

going through. I was curious about nights there. I mean, how does this guy sleep? What does he think about? And you were telling me there are no nights? Well, not right now, because it is summer in the southern hemisphere right now. Tom, so what does he do to try to go to sleep at night when it's daylight? They actually called the phenomenon, Midnight Sun, is the nickname. He actually has a beanie that he just pulls down over his eyes. Why not an eye mask? Well, I spoke to his team today, and they said it's just an extra thing to carry, and he has such limited amount of space in that 500 pound sled. Does he get lonely? You know, he does have a way to communicate with loved ones back home through a satellite phone. Perhaps once a day when he checks in. He can send a picture potentially

in, and that's how you can follow along on social media. But he says that he's in complete silence. He calls it Infinite Love, and this is all going to be documented for that Netflix journey. No, I'm hooked. I definitely want to watch. Chloe, thanks for bringing us the story. When we come back, we're dishing about the new restaurant food trends for 2026, from over-the-top Caesar salads and decked-out martinis to the new pizza cities popping up across the country. A look at all the dishes and treats that could be making their way to a menu near you. Stay with us. We're back tonight with an exclusive look at the discovery of potentially. Biblical proportions in Turkey. Researchers there say a ship

buried in the earth is the story Noah's Ark from the Old Testament of the Bible. Arkeir Simmons traveled to the remote region where the ship was found to investigate. Imagine these mountains millennia ago submerged by floods. And in this beautiful, biblical landscape named in the Old Testament

the shape of a ship. The book of Genesis says Noah landed here in the mountains of Ararat. So could this really be Noah's ark? New research shared with today hints at that extraordinary conclusion. Believers have been drawn to this site in Turkey, close to the Iranian border, since it mysteriously emerged after an earthquake in the 1940s. You're here. Christian researcher, Andrew Jones,

From California, says the dimensions match. In chapter six of Genesis, it talks about a 300 cubit long boat. And that, if you use the Egyptian cubit, it's 515 feet long or about 157 meters. And that's exactly the length of this boat shaped object. Hey, what do you see, Sali? And Jones says he has fresh evidence, working with a local professor to look beneath the surface after several teams scanned the site with ground penetrating radar. We're standing right above where these images were.

taken. We had them independently analyzed and the data came back showing these tunnels going down the arc and on the inside area of the ship. This animation revealed here on today for the first time imagines those spaces as corridors with cabins. Right angles and parallel lines suggesting maybe these are the walls of support beams for rooms. Other researchers have also found evidence that there are three layers below the ground and in the biblical account you have three individual decks according to Genesis. So you look at the site here. And they say soil samples suggest a chemical imprint of a ship.

Many may look at this and say it's simply a natural feature of the landscape. Then the ark rested in the seventh month. But Andrew is a man of faith. On the mountains of Arrette. And the faithful are flocking here, like Christine and Victor from California. It's in Genesis. So you study it, you read about it. And so we are excited to be here, right, Vic?

Yeah. The possible resting place of Noah's Ark, now a new stop on pilgrimages, increasingly popular with American Christians. The feeling of going back in time and space with Abraham and Noah and Isaac and Jacob. This is my father's work. Whether you believe this is Noah's Ark or not, these are indisputably biblical lands, drawing believers to see for themselves. Keir Simmons, NBC News.

Keir Simmons, our thanks to you, finally tonight, step into the top story diner behind us here for our next segment, because from avocado toast to cronuts to kale, restaurant food trends over the years, they've been everything from innovative to absurd, let's be honest here. So what's on the menu for the year ahead? The infatuation visited hundreds of restaurants across the country and found the top dining trends likely to hit tables in 2026. Joining us tonight is the infatuation editor-in-chief, Arden, Schor.

Arden, thanks so much for being here tonight. We really do appreciate it. Hey, Tom, thanks so much for having me. All right, so we're going to start with something that I love, the Caesar salad. But from what I'm being told here, it's getting a little freakier this year. That's the way you guys described it. All types of things are happening with the classic Caesar. One of our producers sort of signaled to me that this might be a spin-off from a girl

something that's called girl dinners. I don't know. Clearly, I've never been on one. But if you could kind of tell our viewers what's going on with the Caesar salad. Yeah, let's get into it. I think that it's safe to say that pretty much everyone in America is familiar with the Caesar salad. It's been around since it was invented in the 1920s, in Tijuana, presumably four picky eaters from America who went down for a fun weekend. And it's become really a staple of American dining.

And in recent years, we've really seen restaurants across the country messing with that. In Chicago, they're adding smoked salmon and potato to the classic Caesar. I don't know how I feel about that. Down in Miami, they're adding Bonito flakes and nori and making it super fancy. But what's really just interesting about this from a trend's perspective is how the Caesar salad, something that can be perceived as so simple, can actually be so fun. Like, in the past two years, we've seen the classic Caesar be rolled into a wrap, and it's on anyone who follows foodies on Instagram's feed these days.

And we're just going to see things get as freaky as possible with, like, showrings of goldfish and anchovies all in the same bowl. Nothing gets me going on a Friday night, like a freaky Caesar salad. I've got to be honest. I have noticed spicy Caesar a lot. I've seen that in a lot of restaurants here in New York. Let's move on out of two pizza, and I'm sure New Yorkers are going to freak. out about this one. Pizza is obviously ubiquitous. It is literally everywhere. But now there are certain cities that are popping up with their own sort of takes on pizza, or at least just delivering

a really great slice, right? Yeah, so what I like to say is there are now pizza specialists across the country. We've always had the big three. Sorry to New York, but Chicago and Detroit also have a strong pizza game and have for a really long time. But now we see a total pizza scene in Seattle, which is notoriously a city that doesn't really have scenes at a place called My Friend Derricks, where they're doing pan pizza and people are lining up for it. And our highest rated restaurant of the year, new restaurant at infatuation, is jewels in San Francisco,

where they're making sourdough pizza that comes with sauce flights so the ranch lovers can have their ranch along with their pizza. And then in Nashville, there's a place that's doing Neapolitan Japanese-style pizza. And the point there is that everyone is just getting really hyper niche with toppings and styles. Domino's just isn't cutting it anymore beyond New York. I don't like to judge people, but the ranch with the pizza, I just can't. Next up, martinis are sort of turning into Bloody Mary's in the sense that people are going crazy with the garnishes on a martini,

which is usually very classic, very neat, but apparently it's getting busy in the martini glass. It is getting busy in the martini glass. In fact, it's starting to look a little bit more like a bowl. There's a place that's doing a whole mountain of Parmesan cheese just on top of the martini, which seems like it would be difficult to drink. Or instead of your classic onion or olive or lemon peel, some places are doing like a gildas skewer that has octopus on it, which, you know, isn't for everyone, but is definitely a fun way to shake up the martini. And I could go on and on.

In past years, we've seen dirty martinis, espresso martinis, tiny martinis. But now it's just how wild can we go with the garnish? Dirty martini, blue cheese olives. That's the one that I love. Finally, let's talk hot dogs here. Like, what is going on with hot dogs? What's wrong with the classic just hot dog? Now everyone wants to put stuff on it, right?

Exactly. I mean, it used to be the humble hero of the backyard barbecue or the ballpark. But now it's this whole new thing. And what I think is happening is that the hot dog has entered the date night sector. There's all these hot, buzzy restaurants that are perfect for date night from Philly to San Francisco to L.A. to New York. And they're serving these upscale Wagu hot dogs. Wait, what's a Wagu hot dog? That's like, that's wild.

What is that? So Wagu is a very fancy type of beef that originated from Japan, although there's now American Wagyu as well. But basically, you take your standard beef hot dog and you pamper that thing until it is more than $20. And so there's restaurants like Bar 109 in L.A. or Almanac in Philly that are serving these really fancy beef, wago beef hot dogs that have nice toppings on them like caviar or seaweed. And it's now date night. I don't know if you ever. Yeah, that is so wild. I love wago beef.

I can't imagine a Wagyu hot dog. Arden, it's been so great talking to you. We've learned so much. We're huge fans of your site, the infatuation. I check it all the time. And because of that, in your honor, for the first time ever, we're going to toast you. This is one of our waitresses slash producers here, Natalie Bennett, Natalie. So great to see you.

This is one of these martinis with too much action, way too busy. Look at this garnish. There's so much stuff on this. Anyways, Arden, cheers to you. Have a great night. Great way to kick off the week with this martini. Thank you so much. I wish I had a martini to toast you back.

Have a good one. Thank you so much for having you. That one's good. All right. Thank you. And we thank you for watching Top Story, make your own martini or whatever you like to drink. I'm Tom Yamis in New York. Stay right there. More news on the way.