Top Story with Tom Llamas - Monday, October 12, 2026

Episode Date: October 13, 2026

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

Breaking news tonight, a rider dying on a roller coaster at six flags just outside of Atlanta. The horrific scene at the popular theme park, riders evacuating from high above what we're learning about the amusement park death. Also breaking, actress Selma Blair arrested after a violent mid-flight assault, the cruel intention star allegedly attacking two flight attendants than a nurse at the hospital, how her team is responding. Federal agents searching Minnesota Congresswoman Elon Omar's DC home, the prominent Trump critic blasting the move as an attempt to target political enemies. New video appearing to show ICE officers running over a man with a truck after he took off on foot. Protests now erupting.

A man caught on camera poisoning his co-worker's water bottle why he only spent a day behind bars. Kelly Clarkson's viral feud with the Brooklyn Toy Store, she alleges she got the pretty woman treatment, but the star says otherwise, why the dispute is sparking a firestorm online. And the world's richest man on a midterm spending spree, how much Elon Musk has showed out to get Republicans elected across the country.

Stop story. It starts right now. And good evening. We come on the air with some breaking news. A person has been killed in a deadly incident at a Six Flags Amusement Park near Atlanta after riding a popular roller coaster. Aerial footage shows passengers on the Goliath ride, suspended 200 feet in the air. You can see people evacuated, taken down one by one.

Tonight, Cobb County officials confirming one person is dead and several people are reported injured. Video from the ground shows another angle of those heroin evacuations. Multiple witnesses saying they saw a man fall and hit the ride several times. One woman describing the chilling scene just moments after. The Goliath Sons flags just launched him in out of these headlines on our court. They're currently getting him off, getting all the people off. There's blood on his leg. Oh, tonight's Six Flags, saying in part, we are deeply saddened by the guest incident at our park today, going on to say we are cooperating fully with local authorities as they complete their investigation.

In a moment, I'll speak with park visitors who got off that fatal ride right before this happened. But we begin with our Ryan Chandler, live from Atlanta. Tonight, a tragic scene over the Six Flags Park just outside Atlanta. Cobb County officials confirming one person dead, an emergency taking place on the Goliath roller coaster. Video shows passengers on the 200 foot high ride climbing down the stairs of what Six Flags bills as a hypercoaster that is an intense 70-mile-per-hour thrill ride that challenges even the bravest of the brave.

Someone stuck on the ride, bro. The Goliath has six flags. just launched a man out of his seat three times on our cart. NBC affiliate 11 alive in Atlanta reports that witnesses say a man fell and hit the ride several times. In a statement, Six Flags said, we are deeply saddened by the guest incident at our park today. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the guest's family, friends, and loved ones. It was just two weeks ago that Six Flags Magic Mountain in California announced the permanent closure of its roller coaster X2. That announcement coming after the filing of several lawsuits,

claiming the ride caused park guests severe brain injuries. In Georgia, six flags advertised its Goliath ride with the saying, take your screams to the extreme. That ride tonight, now the scene of thrill-seeking turned fatal. Ryan Chandler joins us tonight live from Atlanta. Ryan, right now we don't have more information on the identity of the rider. Do we know what led up to this? Well, that's right, Tom. As of now, the park is saying that out of respect for the family's privacy, they're not releasing any more details, including the identity of the person who died.

Though we are learning, Tom, just in the last 30 minutes, Cobb County police say that several people were injured in addition to the person who died. They say police officers that were assigned to the park at the time responded immediately, Tom. Ryan Chandler covering this breaking news tonight. Ryan, thank you. We're going to speak to two people who were on that ride just before that fatal accident that will be coming up later in the broadcast. We're going to move on out of more breaking news involving actress Selma Blair arrested for allegedly assaulting two flight attendants on a flight from L.A. to New York, leaving them with lacerations, according to two law enforcement sources.

She's also accused of attacking a police officer and a nurse. A representative for Blair saying she experienced a medical emergency that led to the alleged conduct. Going on to say she's received immediate medical attention and is currently in stable condition. NBC's Sam Brock has more tonight. Tonight, Hollywood actress Selma Blair facing potential assault charges after an alleged violent attack on a Delta flight. That, according to two law enforcement sources. One flight attendant and one passenger that sustained some minor injuries of bloody nose as well as some light marks as well. That call from the cockpit on a flight from LAX to New York's JFK Airport Sunday night.

The Port Authority Police Department confirming to NBC News the passenger with Selma Blair. It sounds like the disruptive passenger also bashed her head, the bulkhead or something like that. Law enforcement sources telling NBC New York that Blair assaulted two flight attendants leading to a bite mark for one and a laceration for another. They say she was traveling with a support dog. According to those same sources, she was restrained and kicked a responding Port Authority police officer repeatedly in the head on the way to the hospital. Adding Blair also assaulted a nurse at Jamaica Hospital. Blair's representatives did not comment on those specific allegations, but told NBC News, Selma experienced a medical emergency that led to the alleged conduct. Upon landing, she received immediate medical attention and is currently in stable condition.

Blair has starred in huge hits like cruel intentions and legally blonde and has spoken regularly about her diagnosis and journey with multiple sclerosis. I am really, really well. I'm relapse free. Tonight, the actress out of the hospital and moved to central booking. according to multiple law enforcement sources, where more legal action awaits the Hollywood star. Sam Brock joins us tonight from JFK where that plane landed. So Sam, this isn't the first time Blair has been involved in a mid-flight disturbance? Yeah, Tom, this is not her first incident back in 2016 when she was on a family trip with her son and her son's father.

Returning from Cancun to Los Angeles, Selma Blair had to be physically removed from the plane because of a reported outburst. She said at the time in an apology, Tom, to Vanity Fair that she had some combination of medication and alcohol that caused her to, quote, blackout and that she deeply regretted her behavior at the time. And then, Sam, I understand you have some new reporting about where she is tonight? We do. So we reached out to the district attorney in Queens, which actually, she's at the booking department there right now, awaiting arraignment, Tom. And here's the thing. There is a federal summons, which is a violation for Blair's alleged behavior on the plane. That's more like a. misdemeanor, the more serious charges are actually resulting from her alleged behavior in that ambulance, where, according to multiple sources, she kicked a police officer multiple times in the head

and also assaulted, according to those sources, a nurse. She faces two assault charges for that and could be arraigned as early as tonight in Queens Criminal Courthouse. Tom? Okay, Sam Brockford. Sam, thank you. For more on this, I want to bring in NBC Entertainment correspondent, Chloe Malas. Chloe, good to see you tonight. I think a lot of people were surprised by the news because Selma Blair has been so open about her battle with MS and has had a lot of people in her corner and she shared in recent years that she was in remission. Tom, I mean, I think that that's exactly right. You may remember her from movies like Cruel Intentions, you know, over the years.

She's developed quite the fan base. And really, since she announced her remission in 2021, her fan base has continued to grow. She even competed on dancing with the stars. I think a lot of people are shocked by this behavior. but if you have followed her closely, I mean, you can remember her 22 memoir, which is titled Mean Baby. And she talked about how her alcoholism began at a very, very early age, that she first got drunk at the age of seven and that she relied on alcohol through her childhood and her teen years, and that she finally achieved sobriety in 2016, Tom. But again, I mean, it's incredibly

disturbing. This is a woman that has done so many interviews as of late. She's gone to on the Today Show. She's been across our network. She's been across multiple shows, promoting everything from a clothing line to different projects she was working on. And she even is going to be starring on Criminal Minds season 20 on one of the episodes. So this is somebody that has continued to work. And again, like you said, so many people in her corner rooting for her during this incredibly difficult MS diagnosis. She has a lot of supporters out there. But again, this reporting is deeply concerning. Yeah, and then we mentioned that other incident in 2016 with Sam. She was candid in her apology back then. Do we know a little bit more about

that? And we expect to hear the same from her this time. So in 2016, she released a statement saying that she was obviously incredibly sorry for what had happened. And her team at the time had said that she experienced a medical episode on the plane. And so this time, you could imagine, she has the same team that she's had for many, many years, that they're trying to figure out what to do, right? Like, how do you figure this out? And, you know, it was just not that long ago that she made some comments that cost her, that she made some comments about the ongoing issues in the Middle East on social media and on X that caused her to lose her agent, that caused her to lose a lot of work in Hollywood. And she's done some partnering with the Anti-Defamation League to do. try to rebuild her image. But she is somebody that, you know, is on the straight and narrow, and then every now and then she gets herself into some troubling situations. This, though, might be the most troubling of all. You could imagine, though, that her team is just really trying to figure out what to do. They've released an initial statement, Tom, but this is a situation

that's not going away. All right, Chloe Malas, great to have you in the show. Thank you for your perspective. We're going to head to DC now where Homeland Security agents search the home of a Democratic Congresswoman Elon Omar. NBC learning it's tied to a criminal investigation to immigration fraud. Kelly O'Donnell and how the Congresswoman is firing back. A surprise federal search at the Washington, D.C. home of Minnesota progressive Democrat, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. Homeland security agents carried out a court-approved warrant early today. President Trump reacting. I understand they're looking at it very carefully. I've always done.

I'm going to be totally crooked personally, but that has nothing to do with me. The Department of Justice said today's search warrant is part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation. A source familiar with that probe tells NBC News it includes alleged immigration fraud and involves whistleblowers, documents, and witness testimony in a years-long investigation. Omar is a Somali-born Muslim who became a U.S. citizen at 17. Omar responded, I'm okay, make no mistake. This is an attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement. Specifics in the search warrant remain under seal. How about Elon Omar? She comes from Somalia. Campaining in Tennessee Saturday, the president suggested action could be coming.

J.D. Vance and our people are looking at it very strongly. In March, Vance made this accusation. We actually think that Ileon Omar definitely committed immigration fraud against the United States of America. Omar's office said today, the Congresswoman has done nothing wrong. Kelly O'Donnell joins us tonight from that scene of the search. Kelly, do we even know if the Congresswoman was there when this happened? Tom, well, at this point, the lights are on. There's been movement in the house, a car on the driveway, but we don't have any indication that she was here. House members have been back home in their districts, able to campaign. Of course, it's just three, weeks until the election. And many members of Congress share residences, so it's not an indication simply by the lights being on that she would be here today. Her office has not said specifically

her whereabouts. But it is notable that the Department of Justice usually avoids any kind of overt investigative action against a candidate within 60 days of an election, again, just three weeks to go here. But also an official noted that this was a search warrant signed by a federal judge and there have been no charges brought against Ilhan Omar. An investigation simply continues. Tom? Okay, Kelly O'Donnell, we thank you for that. One night of the violent storms from coast to coast leaving a path of devastation. The South battered by a deadly hurricane which whipped up tornadoes and knocked out power.

California lashed by a tropical storm collapsing coastal homes. Jesse Kirsch tonight in the storm zone for us. Tonight, our up-close look at those devastating storms coast to coast. Homes destroyed. Hundreds of thousands losing power. First, Hurricane Isayas made landfall Friday night near Destin, Florida. The Category 2 storm ripping off roofs and snapping trees. I heard a crack and I wake up. Joseph Williams says he woke up pinned under a tree.

Then a devastating realization. His wife, Jennifer, had died. What are you going to miss the most? Probably I'm morning coffee. We built a life together. I mean, there's so many things. so many things. At least four people have died from Florida to Alabama, according to officials. It can be challenging for crews to even get around. You've got dangling and down power lines.

Then there are these walls of debris pushing into the street. And this is just from one front yard. Big tornado on the ground. Isayas's remnants also spinning up at least 22 reported tornadoes, including this confirmed South Carolina twister. Meanwhile, out west, Tropical Storm Rachel's remnants flooding Las Vegas. sphere not far away. The storm also battering Southern California's coastline. Meanwhile, around Florida's panhandle, crews racing to restore power. So much to rebuild and to grieve. And Tom, still around 100,000 power outages being reported in Florida alone, but no question. Crews are making real progress. Meanwhile, here's one more look at the massive devastation from Isayas. This enormous tree snapped right over. Tom. Okay, Jesse Kirsch there. Let's

springing meteorologist Bill Carrance because the threat isn't over yet. So, Bill, the West is still in the crosshairs here. What are you watching tonight? Yeah, so the storm that captured Rachel, the one that went through Southern California, the northern Baja, still spinning over the Intermountain West. We had some flash flood warnings earlier today. Now we just got some soaking heavy rain out there, even some mountain snow in Montana. One spot had 16 inches of snow yesterday, pretty wild. So flood watches continue for about another couple hours here from Salt Lake City, all the way back down to Grand Canyon and Flagstaff. But Tom, this will be approving tonight. then we'll be done with Rachel.

And Bill, you're watching another hurricane in the Pacific? It almost feels like the Pacific has been more active than the Atlantic this hurricane season, and millions across the middle of the country may be affected? Yeah, all because of El Nino. El Nino, the huge area of warm water is just breeding one hurricane after another. This is Hurricane Simon. What's a major hurricane over the weekend just off the coast of Mexico here in a Pue de Barata? It is going to head northwards and then make landfall.

But notice how slow this one is moving, unlike the last couple, that race. towards the U.S. This one's moving slowly and is going to be very weak by the time it gets to the coast. It will send moisture northwards, though, and we will be getting some heavy rainfall, especially in the middle to end of this week. Worst areas could get up to six inches, some localized flooding possible for North Texas into central Oklahoma, and then eventually spreading up here through Kansas City into the Midwest as we go through the end of this week. Tom, this area has gotten a lot of heavy rain, especially in the Midwest, so we'll have to watch that as we head towards the middle of the week. We will stay in touch throughout the week.

Bill, thank you. We want to turn back to that breaking news we brought you at the top of the broadcast. One person has died and several others injured after an incident on a popular roller coaster at Six Flags just outside of Atlanta. Joining Top Story tonight are three people who were on that ride just before tragedy struck. Vanessa and Fred Shoah Mimo and their friend Sebastian. We thank you for joining us tonight. Guys, thanks for joining us. I hope you guys are doing okay. I mean, it's such a terrible day to spend your day off and then witness what happened here. Do you guys, were you guys made aware of what happened right after you got off the ride? Yes, but the people who got off the roller coaster, we heard people coming off and screaming and

some kid telling us, somebody fell, and we initially thought it was a prank. But then we, we heard, we saw so much security rushing that way. And we also saw some of your footage of a cart being stuck on its way up, and it has nothing to do with that cart. Yeah. It was, it happened at the moment of the, where the roller takes your picture at the end of the ride. What is your understanding of what happened then? So we were, we just came off the ride and you know when you're exiting the space, some kids were just saying like, man, I saw a body fall off the roller coaster.

I didn't believe, we didn't believe it because, you know, there are so many pranks go around. but he was very serious. And so we continued to go backwards instead of exiting. We went backwards to check and see if it was true. And a girl came out with her very white skirt

full of blood. And we just kept, we just kept going to see if we could just fact check even more. And our understanding was that... Yeah, at the end of the ride where they take photos and you can kind of see

like what's supposed to be a thrilling experience with your hands up. You could see images of the person out of the seat. So it looks like the belt dislodged and he flew out and you can see him on the girl that we were talking about on her road behind. That sounds horrific. And I'm sorry you had a witness at or even see that photo. For people that haven't written that ride, what exactly happens in that moment? So, you know, usually there's a ride. where it comes over the shoulder where you put it on, or there's a seat belt. And I always, like, anytime I've been on this ride with my friends,

I always say it's kind of weird because there's just like a little part that you put on your lap, and that's it. Like, there's no belt or anything else. So if that, and I always, like, if that came up, then there's nothing else holding someone in. And so it's unfortunate that in this instant, it seems like that latch somehow unlatched, or if those even ever locked fully in the first place.

and then the person was unable to keep themselves held in their chair. And the point where they take your photo where we think this accident happened, are you upside down or where are you on the coaster? You're right side up. So on the images, you can see everyone is right side up, but they're like screaming, like some covering their mouth, some yelling as the people that were on that ride are experiencing, seeing the person, I guess, moving around and getting hit by the cart

as they're approaching the end of the ride. And we just want to say, since, you know, thanks for the opportunity to tell our side. But we just want, if you're a believer, just pray for that family, pray for the ones that were on that car. There were children. There was a dad and a son that came out.

And some kids, even employees could not even talk. They were just in shock. And, you know, we didn't see the body. We didn't actually, like, watch. it happened, but those people that watched it happen, they have some serious emotional, like, work to do because that is traumatic. You know, we have our friend Sebastian and his wife and her son. They're visiting from the Netherlands, and, you know, we just want to give them a, this is Atlanta. We want you to have a great time and remember, and this is, they're going home with

something very traumatic, right? Yeah, I can't imagine. It's terrible. The Goliath, ride. How would you describe it? Is it the sort of the most thrilling roller coaster there? Is it kind of in the middle where where does it stand at the park? I would say it's definitely top three because I believe it has one of the biggest drops. I don't know like where it ranks like nationally or internationally, but I think for sure in the park it's like has the biggest drop. And it's definitely has usually the longest wait time up there with the Superman ride. It's so nice. Like six flags, it's such a like it's such a hallmark. I don't know how to say it in English,

but you know, it's a staple of Atlanta. And that park, it's very unfortunate that this happened today. And we just, it's like, was the park very busy? Was the park very busy on this, you know, a lot of people were celebrating the holiday? Yeah, like Columbus Day, I think to,

this week some kids are off for fall break and it was packed. It was very, it's a lot of, Because they came, well, were you here last time? But they came on a day that it wasn't so busy, but today was a lot more busy than last time. It sounds like you guys have ridden this ride. I'm not sure a few times,

but you definitely have experience riding it. Will you ever ride this ride again? Oof. Not any time soon, I'm not sure. Yeah. Yeah, you know, we can't definitely say like never again. Never say never, but it's just very, yeah. Yeah, I'm sorry that you guys had a sort of witness that in the way you did at the park.

Again, it was horrific, and we are thinking about the family that was affected. It's so, so sad. Again, we thank you for your time. We thank you for sharing what you guys experienced. We're going to take a turn here and head overseas now to that deadly strike on Saudi Arabia. More breaking news we're following tonight. And Iran-backed militant group attacking an airport in the capital city, killing more than a dozen people.

Kyr Simmons is there for us tonight. here. The city and the country still in high alert tonight. That's right, Tom. More air raid warnings on our phones here in the Saudi capital just tonight after those terrifying attacks at the airport here. You can see these security camera images, passengers running for their lives, leaving bags and belongings behind, sealing, falling on people, 14 people killed in those attacks over the weekend, including one American. The attacks by Houthi militants from Yemen, part of a long. long-standing conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, battling over regional influence

and differences over religion. Now it is affecting international air travel. Hundreds of flights canceled pressure on President Trump to intervene. Tom? Okay, Keir Simmons for us from Saudi Arabia, Kier, thank you. Back here at home, President Trump taking the stage just down in Battleground, Ohio, where Republicans are going all hands on deck in two toss-up races. The president and vice President J.D. Vance rallying with sitting GOP Senators. John Husted, who's neck and neck with his Democratic challenger, former Senator Sherrod Brown. It's a seat Democrats believe they can flip as they try to take back control of the Senate. The governor's race also extremely competitive, the Republican candidate and former co-head of Doge Vivek Ramaswamy.

Polls show him in a virtual tie with Democrat Amy Action, Acton, I should say. NBC's Gabe Gutierrez is at the president's rally in Youngstown, Ohio. And Gabe, this is the president's second visit to Ohio in just 10 days. for Republicans to hang on to that state. Well, it's huge, Tom. And look, we just heard from the president. He just started his speech a few minutes ago, as you mentioned. And the first thing out of his mouth was that he was reminiscing about how much he won this state back in 2024.

He won Ohio by 11 points. And just the fact that Republicans now are having to compete so hard here really is sounding some, you know, alarm bells for Republicans, really, across the country. You mentioned the Senate race, Sherrod Brown, against John Hust. That is a very tight race here as the Republicans try to keep control of Congress. The gubernatorial race here also significant here. But President Trump hoping that by coming back to Ohio again, a state that was once a swing state, but really hasn't been the last few election cycles, he's hoping that he can get enough Republicans to turn out. And he is hoping that Republicans who may be frustrated with some of his policies this time around will not stay home.

And we heard that from several speakers here. in the pre-program here. However, I have been speaking with voters here on the ground who say they do not blame President Trump for the rise in fuel prices. They say he did what he needed to do on Iran. But Tom, it's been really interesting speaking with voters here on the ground. Another major issue that has cropped up here among both parties. There have been critics from both parties about those AI data centers. Even the Republicans that I spoke with have real concerns about them. Of course, President Trump has been trying to make the argument that data centers need to be constructed in the U.S. Otherwise, China will build them, and he's trying to make the argument

that they will bring jobs. However, that is being met with some skepticism among some Republicans. Still, though, the diehard supporters here, they are here listening to the president, and he's hoping his appearance here, and in other places, deep red states, perhaps, might improve the Republicans' chances in just a few weeks during these mids terms, Tom. And then, Gabe, we know President Trump has been looking for any way to bring down fuel prices, but his energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine and then buying, essentially, you're trying to buy that Russia diesel fuel already appearing to fall apart?

Well, it appears that it's on very thin ice, at least. President Zelenskyy saying that it's been Russia that's been violating the ceasefire with a new wave of attacks over the weekend. Harkev in Ukraine hit extremely hard by Russian attacks. The president was asked about that as he was leaving the White House a short time ago. He says that there has been violations on both sides. over the weekend he made headlines by raising the possibility that he thinks that President Zelensky should leave, that he should no longer be the president of Ukraine. However, his deal with Russia

in terms of temporarily suspending U.S. sanctions in exchange for being able to purchase so that the U.S. can purchase some diesel fuel from Russia. That's being met with bipartisan backlash. Senators from both sides of the aisle, Senator Tom Tillis, wondering if it might violate the law. Rising diesel prices is a huge issue, another huge issue in places here like Ohio. I have been speaking with some of those voters who do bring it up. They don't blame the president when it comes to rising oil prices, and they say that the Iran war needed to be done. But the president trying to make the argument that it's not the Iran war, so to speak, but it's also the war in Ukraine. It remains to be seen how voters, you know, how this shakes out in the midterms in just a few weeks, Tom.

Okay. Gabe Gutierrez, we thank you. We're back in a moment with the man caught on camera secretly poisoning his coworker, why a judge just cleared his record and what the victim is saying tonight. Plus, new video of an ICE officer. Look at this, appearing to hit a man with his car as he tried to run away during a pursuit, how the agency is responding tonight. And what newly released 911 calls show about the botched execution of death row inmate Krista Pike.

Stay with us. We're back with the California man caught on camera poisoning his coworker. Today, the woman he poisoned couldn't believe what happened in court. a judge dismissing the conviction. Our Andres Gutierrez picks it up from there. Watch as a man pour something from a small container into his co-worker's water bottle. Moments later, he returns and turns the bottle. Ron Yuan says she set up the hidden camera in 2019 after nearly two years of getting sick

when she worked at a California engineering firm. I was so sick like my colleagues thought I had some terminal cancer. She says she suffered from violent vomiting. hair loss and ended up in the ER several times. Yuan gave the video to police who brought attempted murder charges. Police found toxic amounts of cadmium, which severely irritates the stomach and extended exposure can also lead to kidney damage. David Schu was given a plea deal and only one day in jail plus two years probation. The DA at the time later recalled for being soft on crime. And today, Schu's felony conviction was dismissed after he met all conditions of his probation

under California law. Yuan outrage decided to release the video today as a public record. Why this system keeps feeling us? Why the system protects criminals more than victims? Yuan says she got so sick her parents came from China to help. Just seeing that moment when he does that to your water bottle, what went through your mind? Shock.

I couldn't believe it happened to me. This is a wild one, Rez joins Top Story tonight live. Andrez, the victim says she's suffering from long-term health issues as well. Yeah, that's right, Tom. She says the damage has been life-changing. Yuan tells me she has never fully recovered and still experiences some of the same symptoms she had while she was being poison. And since all this happened, she has developed high blood pressure and thyroid problems. The effect's so serious, Tom, that she hasn't been able to work full-time since 2023. Andres Gutierrez for us, Andres.

Thank you. Just ahead, Pope Leo. scheduled for surgery tomorrow. What we're learning about the nodule discovered on his lung. Plus, the close encounter at sea, look at this, a whale, slamming into a fisherman's boat. But first, top story's top moment and a heartwarming surprise at the Chicago Marathon this weekend. Shelby was running her first marathon, which needed a little pick-by-up. Turns out her lifelong best friend Haley had flown in from Dallas for the big day. Ready to give her a boost at mile 13.

The friends say they will remember this moment for the rest of the time. of their lives. A huge congrats to Shelby on a marathon. Well done. Stay with us. More top story after this. We're back down with new violent confrontation involving ICE officers caught on camera. Officers appearing to hit a man in Houston with their car as he was running away. NBC's Priscilla Thompson is in Houston tonight. Has that story. This video shows the moment ice officers appear to run over a man fleeing on foot. It happened in Houston Saturday morning. You see two men get out of this white tree. truck and start running. Then Miguel Para Hernandez is struck by a dark SUV.

Moments later, he's seen on the ground. Today, his lawyer calling it a crime and saying that ICE's actual target wasn't even in the truck. You can call it mistaken identity. I call it racial profiling. The Department of Homeland Security says ICE was conducting a targeted enforcement operation, attempting to arrest a Mexican national with a criminal record, and that Padra Hernandez, who was not the initial target, ran in front. of an ice vehicle and was struck. In the video, however, Pada Hernandez does not appear to run in front of the vehicle. Rather, the SUV veers into him. He got ran over. DHS says Pada Hernandez was taken to a hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries. His lawyer says his leg is now broken and that the 48-year-old has been in the U.S. since he was 14. The incident sparking protests in Houston over the weekend with family members speaking out. And we asked justice for to clear his name. He was not a criminal.

Priscilla Thompson joins us tonight from Houston. And Priscilla, we're hearing more from Parra Hernandez's family. Yeah, Tom, his family says that he was on his way to work Saturday morning when he was struck down in that spot. They also say that he did not have, does not have a criminal history. Meanwhile, the Harris County Sheriff's Office says that they are investigating this confrontation with ICE. And that they did speak to the officer who was behind the wheel on the scene. That officer says that they were trying to box him in when he was struck. Tom.

Okay, Priscilla Thompson on top story tonight. Priscilla, thank you. We're going to turn out of the newly released 911 calls after the botched execution of death row inmate, Krista Pike. The recordings being a picture of confusion between first responders and prison officials after those failed injections. George Solis is following this one for us. And George, we're learning much more about how the situation evolved. Walk us through the timeline. Yeah, Tom, and you said it best.

Confusion might be the best word to describe how this all played out. The first call we hear is about 8.40 p.m. This is about an hour after this botched execution started to take place. And in there, you can hear just some of the back and forth between the prison officials and the dispatch calls, basically that paint a picture of misunderstanding. There's even points of where you might think that there was a call about a swatting case. It really starts to get diluted. The longer you start listening to some of the calls, I can just read you some of the quick transcripts that we pulled from them. At one point, one of the dispatcher saying it could be a false call, one identified person says.

There's no medical assistance needed at the facility. Then transitioning a few minutes later that somebody's outside of the gate at the prison saying that this is real, and they're demanding that they need to go in, that they are in some urgency to get to the gate and talk to those people to get assistance inside of the facility as soon as possible. All of this from 840 to about 9-11. So about 30 minutes later, before anyone's actually able to go in and actually render any kind of aid, President officials affirm the call at 9-11 to call for help to show that it was legitimate. And here's a little bit more, just to give you a sense of some of that confusion we're talking about.

Take a listen. They are supposed to be carrying out an execution tonight. The female has not passed away. She's unconscious not breathing normally in the execution chamber. Yeah, Tom, and one of the calls, you actually hear Krista Pike's attorney calling in. to the dispatch, trying to get more information as some of this information about the boxed execution gets to her. There is some waiting.

There is some checking. There is some reading of logs. Again, this is a very lengthy record of phone calls here. And then on top of that, you have about 20 minutes of just radio dispatch before you actually even hear word of an ambulance getting to the correctional facility before Christa Pike is then able to get to a facility to start being treated. And then, as we know, the aftermath after that, of her being in the hospital being treated. after all of this goes down. But again, it does seem to paint a picture that there was a lot going on during this and confusion, again, being the paramount word here about how all of this began to unfold, Tom.

Speaking of treatment, do we know how she's doing tonight? Yeah, Tom, per her attorney, she is back at the correctional facility in a rehab center where she has been alert, she has been speaking, and she's been on her feet. But of course, obviously, this is still a case that has a lot of questions that are left to be answered. Tom. That's right. George Solis, we thank you. We're back now, and we will continue the show with power and politics and new reporting about a surge of money sent to Republican campaigns just before the midterms, all coming from one donor, the world's richest person, Elon Musk. The New York Times reporting that the trillionaire CEO of SpaceX, Tesla, and X has given $366 million dollars to Republican campaigns in the 2026 election cycle. Musk's donating a majority of that money in the last few months, spending $27,000,000. million since July. Here to discuss this is our good friend, NBC's Ryan Nobles in the flesh. Ryan, always great to see you. So this is incredible.

This is more money than he spent in 2024. 2025, he says, oh, I think I'm going to take a step back from politics. That didn't happen here. People may be wondering, why does he give all this money to Republicans? Well, he's got a lot of contracts with the federal government. Yeah, that's a big part of it. And I think you're right. There were a lot of people surprised because Musk had said he was basically tapped out.

He was no longer going to be involved financially in politics. But the fact that he's injected so much into this campaign, especially in the closing days, $276 million just since July, indicates that he is concerned that Democrats may come in and that you're right. Some of these contracts that he has could be vulnerable. He's donated more than $100 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, which is the Senate campaign arm designed to help elect Republicans in the Senate. But one curious donation, Tom, more than $10 million just in the Texas race. I was just in Texas. I drove by the massive Tesla facility just outside of Austin. He has a very distinct and very special interest in the state of Texas, which is part of the reason he's spending so much money there. I mean, it's also a home state, right? He's a resident of Austin as well. That's where he lives now, yep, yep.

Speaking of SpaceX, you know, and he just took it public this year, satellites in space, working with NASA. I mean, he sort of needs these federal contracts because in a lot of ways, SpaceX is now becoming the backbone of his financial empire. Yeah, that's right. There aren't too many of us that are buying our own rockets, Tom. This isn't something that has a commercial application. Really the only way for SpaceX to continue to grow is through government contracts.

Those are the types of individuals that are going to spend money on the types of technology that he's working on. So there's a lot of incentive for Musk to have political donors or political leaders who he has special connections to. But there's no doubt that he's alienated a lot of Democrats by his political action. So if Democrats were able to take control of both the House or Senate, that could pull out of those contracts in France. Besides from weighing in on his other platform, X, you know, he's taken a big step back, though, if you think about this. I mean, he was out there in front of the cameras. He was campaigning with the president. He was at the White House during Doge.

You don't see him as much. We saw him recently at these black tie dinners with some of the AI leaders, and I think he was there when she was there as well. But do we know why he's taking a step back? Not with his wallet, but at least his public appearance. He's not out there wielding a chainsaw like he was at CPAC during 2024. The biggest reason is he's not nearly as popular as he was in 2024, even with the Republican base. Right now, Elon Musk is a very polarizing and controversial figure in an era in time where Republican politics and the president's approval rating are not very high. I don't think he sees a lot of utility in being out there front and center trying to advocate on behalf of these Republicans that he's supporting.

Instead, he's just using his pocketbook as a way to kind of put a thumb on the scale. Ryan Nobles. Good to see you here in New York. You enjoying the city? So far so good. All right. We'll take you back. Appreciate it, Ryan. Thank you. Now at Top Stories News Feed, we start overseas with dangerous flash floods in Nepal. Watch as these raging waters tear through the valley, wiping out those buildings. It happened in an area popular with hikers and tourists.

Authorities say more than 300 people were rescued, but about 100 other foreign trekkers are still stranded. It comes just weeks after that devastating flood that killed 1,400 people. They can't get a break there. Back here at home and a stunning moment for a group of boaters off the coast of Long Island. Here you can see a whale slamming to the side of a boat shoving the door wide open and fleeing some fish on board. According to a local report,

the boaters first saw the whale feeding about 300 feet away before that surprise encounter. Luckily, nobody was hurt and the whale swam away. And some sad news out of Hollywood tonight, actor RJ Middy has died. He was best known for playing the son of Walter White in the hit series Breaking Bad, but he also became an activist for those with disabilities

because of his own experience living with cerebral palsy. No word yet. on the cause of death for Middy. He was only 34 years old. We head overseas now to that major news out of the Vatican. Pope Leo revealing he will undergo surgery to remove a nodule on his lung,

the 71-year-old making that announcement during a speech to thousands of worshippers in St. Peter Square on Sunday, here to discuss his NBC's Ann Thompson. And we know the Pope will check into the hospital tomorrow morning, we believe? What more do we know? He will, and at some point he will undergo surgery.

The surgery is expected to be minimally invasive. That's how it's done on this. side of the pond, if you will, Tom. They put a few incisions in between your ribs, and then they take a camera, go in, find the nodule, pull it out. And then while he's on the operating table, I am told they can cut open the nodule, look at it under a microscope, and determine whether it's benign, and that's most lung nodules, or if it's cancerous. That's about 5%. I know a lot of people are asking, was the Pope a smoker? Is he a smoker? To the people I've spoke to, he is not known to have smoked, but nobody can say with absolute certainty.

There's always secondhand smoke, too, and you can get lung cancer, a variety of ways. Pope Leo, I had a chance to speak with him, as you know, meet him. He seems to be generally in good health. Do we think this is going to impact his life expectancy? Well, I talked to one of the leading thoracic surgeons in the country over the weekend, and he told me that if it does turn out to be cancerous and as long as that nodule is self-contained and in an early stage hasn't spread to anywhere throughout the body. They'll take it out and then he can go on with his life. They'll monitor him, monitor him, but they don't expect it to shorten his life expectancy. So we know how this works when it's a president. How does it work with a pope when a pope goes under or has an

operation like this? We have seen this when we saw most recently with Pope Francis. The Vatican keeps going. It's this big giant bureaucracy. The Pope will still do it. The Pope will still do it. do work from his hospital bed. There is a papal apartment, basically, in the Jameli Hospital, so he can still receive visitors and do work. One of the big things with Leo is to slow him down, make sure that he takes this week to recover because he's got that big trip to South America coming next month. With a lot of eyeballs and a lot of people very excited about that. Okay, and we thank you for that. Still to come tonight, Kelly Clarkson, accusing a New York City store of treating her like she couldn't afford what she wanted. Compared to that iconic scene in Pretty Woman, Wyatt's setting off a wave of backlash and how that business is responding.

Stay with us. Do you remember me? No, I'm sorry. I was in here yesterday. You wouldn't wait on me? Oh, you work on commission, right? A yes. Big mistake.

Big. Huge. That, of course, was the iconic scene from Pretty Woman, and tonight, Grammy Award-winning singer. Kelly Clarkson says she had a similar experience to Julia Robert. character at a New York City toy store. Clarkson's social media post blasting the Brooklyn business, getting 44 million views and igniting a firestorm online. NBC New York reporter Jen Maxfield explains. Everybody's really nice in the store. Everyone's really cool. So I think it comes down to like a huge misunderstanding. Neighbors here on Atlantic Avenue and Brooklyn Heights are

standing up for art of play following Kelly Clarkson's thumbs down online review of the store seen by more than 44 million people on X. She has to understand her power and also that she can sort of put a small store in jeopardy. Over the weekend, Clarkson told her social media followers that she was discouraged from buying this $15,000 handcrafted wooden bird. Clarkson writing in a now viral post that she, quote, was looked at as if I couldn't afford it. Wow, dude, you're an idiot and just lost a huge sale, comparing her treatment to that of Julia Roberts in the famous scene from Pretty. woman. Big mistake. Big. Clarkson's story prompted dozens of the Grammy winners fans to post negative reviews of the store on Yelp while store owners tried to explain writing, quote, Molly is permanently

attached to the wall and isn't for sale. Imagine our surprise when our small business was attacked by 8 million people who have never visited our store. I'm not going to bash the shop just because she was on it or vice versa, bash her for her personal experience. Clarkson then doubled down. And, in response to the store's statement, accusing Art of Play of distorting the facts, writing that a price tag of $15,000 was displayed under the bird and that she was addressed in a condescending tone. So you're not only rude, you're also a liar. The staff is super, very friendly. That might not hurt them, though, because they're going to go in and get a good experience, and they're going to wonder what Kelly Clarkson was talking about. Art of play

clarified the Clarkson was only inside for five minutes and was told she could have a similar bird for $15,000 shipped from the artist. A month before Clarkson visited, Art of Play posted to its Instagram a photo of Molly the Bird with the headline, Our Favorite Items Not for Sale. That toy store in Brooklyn is closed today, but our Jen Maxfield is outside for us tonight. Jen, it's so great to see you. Thanks for joining Top Story tonight. I got to ask you, I think a lot of people at home are going to be asking themselves this. What does that bird do that it's worth $15,000 and why did Kelly Clarkson want it so badly? It's a great question, Tom. It's called an automaton. This is a bird that works just with mechanics. It's handcrafted. It's made of wood. It's really a piece of art. And the store art of play here saying that the bird that they have is one of a kind, but offering Kelly a replica that the artist in Seattle would have to handmake for her and then ship to her for that cost of $15,000.

And then, Jen, where does the feud stand now? You know, I know the tabloids were having a field day with this. all weekend, but where does it stand right now? So Art of Play here in Brooklyn Heights has said that they've reached out to Kelly Clarkson, that they would love to clear the air. Kelly Clarkson, for her part, has said that she never blasts people, but that this is the exception in asking people to be kind, which she said did not happen in this instance. And this is probably a good moment to mention as well,

that Kelly Clarkson, of course, a coach on NBC's The Voice, the former host of the Kelly Clarkson show, which is part of NBC University. also with NBC News. You know, sometimes the internet keeps score. Do we know from social media who's winning in this battle? I'm not sure if anybody's winning, but we do know that Kelly's initial post on X was seen by 44 million people.

More than a quarter million people liked her post. And we do know that there's been a lot of engagement, really, on both sides of this. I can tell you, though, in person here in Brooklyn Heights, people in this community love this store. It's been open for two years. They don't want to see the store's reputation damaged as a result of this. And in fact, on Yelp, they actually had to shut down the comments because of some of the negative attention that the store is getting. But some people here in the neighborhood hoping that that old saying that any publicity is good publicity holds in this case. Yeah, I think you're right about that. That is right now, I would say, one of the most famous,

if not the most famous store in America right now. Jen Max, feel great job. We love having you on the show. Thank you. When we come back tonight, the emotional meeting in the sky, a woman who got a life-saving liver donation lifting off with the family of a man who gave her a new chance at life. That moment right after this. Finally tonight, the story of one woman's miracle organ transplant, the emotional meeting with a donor's family and their unbreakable bond lifting off. This is the family that gave Victoria Yocum a second chance at life. But the road to this moment, wasn't easy. I couldn't see a future for myself. I really thought I was just going to die. Victoria was diagnosed with a rare liver disease when she was just five years old. Four years ago,

doctors found a match for a liver transplant. But Victoria knew her second chance came at a cost. I knew that somebody had to pass an order for me to live. That someone was 63-year-old Manuel Barra, a husband and father of four from California. He loved to sing and make his family laugh. Four years later, Victoria, finally meeting the people who knew him best. Never in a million years did we think that losing him was going to end up this. I really didn't think I was going to live, and now I get to thrive because of you guys. Then two of Manuel's daughters joining Victoria for one of Albuquerque's most magical days, the balloon fiesta. A morning filled with color as hundreds of balloons lift into the sky.

Oh my gosh, I've never done this before. An extraordinary gift, now taking all of them to new heights. This is the best day of my life. It really is. All right, that does it for us. We thank you for watching Top Story tonight. I'm Tom Yamison, New York. Stay right there. More news on the way.