Top Story with Tom Llamas - Thursday, August 20, 2026

Episode Date: August 21, 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 right now, dangerous storms taking aim, triggering tornado warnings across the East Coast. A funnel cloud spotted just outside of Baltimore, this building partially collapsed. Powerful storms blowing out the windows of this home in Alabama as rising floodwaters in Ohio submerged cars and roads were tracking it all. Also breaking tonight new video of that deadly mid-air collision, a small plane suddenly crashing into a police helicopter in Pennsylvania, what the NTSB just revealed. The FBI raiding former Congressman Eric Swalwell's home, his devices seized. Is the investigation linked to sexual misconduct allegations? Our new reporting. And the ISIS-inspired terror plot foiled chilling details about the plan to bomb New York's Capitol building,

how investigators went undercover to stop the attack, and the suspect's mugshot just released. Inside the most bombed McDonald's in the world, the iconic fast food chain still serving happy meals amid the war in Ukraine. how those melted golden arches turned into a symbol of resilience. Suspect unmasked. New video of the man accused of terrorizing people in Philadelphia with this Chucky-style mask now identified as police say he might be on the run.

And the backseat driver causing a scene, a family smashing their own car window to set a huge bear free. Plus the tariff refunds going back to businesses like Walmart. So will you get a cut? Top story starts right now. Good evening. I'm Valerie Castro in for Tom. And as we come on the air tonight, dangerous storms racing across the East Coast. Right now, tens of millions on high alert amid widespread flash flood and tornado warnings. We're getting our first look at funnel clouds popping up across the mid-Atlantic, confirmed sightings in Pennsylvania and Maryland at this hour. Pennsylvania slammed by strong winds and rains. Look at this partially collapsed building in Columbia, destroyed by the storm. Debris strewn across the parking lot of this high school. in Wrightsville, this car completely smashed by a tree. And stunning video out of Alabama, a microburst blowing out the windows of this home. Flood waters in Ohio, completely submerging roads there, and dash cam video shows the treacherous journey down a flooded highway. Taking a live

look at the New York City skyline, you can barely make out those iconic buildings as torrential rain moves in. The threat is far from over, and in a moment we'll time it all out. But we begin with NBC meteorologist Angie Lastman on the ground in New York as these storms take aim. Tonight, tens of millions across the Northeast anxiously watching the skies. Dangerous storms now on the move. This funnel cloud spotted west of Baltimore. And west of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, this building torn apart in the storm's wake. Tornado warnings in Atlantic County, New Jersey. You should be in an interior bathroom, closet, bring a pillow, bring a blanket, cover your

You should be in a basement if you have it. This time lapse showing the system rolling into Manhattan. The heavy rain just picking up here in New York as the National Weather Service issues a flash flood warning for the area, with the heaviest of the rain still on the way. The storms delaying multiple games at the Little League Baseball World Series tournament in Pennsylvania. In Ohio, floodwaters overtaking roadways outside Columbus, stranding vehicles. Some neighborhoods like this one completely under. water. More than four inches of rain falling in some areas. Outside Chicago, crews in northwest Indiana

racing to restore power to more than 60,000 still in the dark, more than a week after severe weather tore through there. And in southeast Alabama, watch as powerful winds from a rogue thunderstorm blow out the windows of this home. That was Angie Lastman reporting. I want to get right to NBC meteorologist Bill Karens. Bill, we're getting some new video of a funnel cloud just outside of Atlantic City, New Jersey. It's really active out there right now. Walk us through what you're watching. Numerous areas have experienced what we call lower or weaker end tornadoes. This one was near Egg Harbor. About maybe 20 minutes outside of Atlantic City, New Jersey. We haven't seen any significant damage from this, but you can obviously see the lowering in the base there. Can't exactly confirm that was on the ground, but I wouldn't doubt it. We also have heard of outside of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, some damage. and we should do some pictures there from Columbia with the side of a building collapse in the bricks. I know in the last hour, Dover Delaware has been hit by a tornado. That one may have went over the Dover Motor Speedway, if you're familiar with the NASCAR racing.

They say there's debris there on the track, and there's also damage throughout the town, especially a lot of the building. So let's get into areas of concern now. Tornado watch is up for about another couple hours here. These red polygons are active tornado warnings, one in southern New Jersey, one crossing over the Chesapeake in Maryland. Another one here just popped up just to the other side, the west side there, of the Chesapeake. Earlier, we did have a couple tornado warnings near the Rockaways in Southern Long Island. Circulation of funnel was reported right over the top of JFK Airport, of all places. So let's go into our storm tracker here.

This is the New York City area. The darker reds and purples is the torrential rain. That's now heading out of Long Island. This is just still steady pouring rain. All of these little dots you see here are flash flooding reports that are now all coming in. hoping to talk to Angie. She's out here in Brooklyn, but you notice the lightning strikes popping up, wasn't safe to do so. So we sent her and our crew back inside. So here's the area of concern if we get any little spin-ups here towards Long Beach out on Long Island. Further to the south,

here's our active tornado warning into Maryland. This is radar indicated, but at any point, especially around Cambridge, I'd head in doors just for a brief period of time until that circulation moves on through. The airports, as you'd imagine, nothing's moving. We're at ground stops in Baltimore, and we're with two to three-hour delays. Philly and all the New York City airports doing a little better up in Boston and also there in areas like Hartford. As far as what we're going to watch with the flooding goes, all the maroon boxes are flash flood warnings, millions of people, over 10 million total. All of the New York City boroughs, including northeast New Jersey, Philadelphia is under a flash flood warning. Now Atlantic

City is also, so we had the heavy rain in New York. Remember, the drainage systems can only handle about an inch and a half than maybe two inches per hour, and we've been seeing those rainfall rates. and now that it's still pouring out there, you're going to start seeing those pictures of the waterfalls on the subways and things like that. And I'm sure the areas that don't drain well, we're probably going to have vehicles that are going to be in water too. Here's the additional rainfall as we go throughout the rest of tonight, out onto Long Island portions of New York City,

another one to two inches. Just about done in Philadelphia. Our friends that are dealing with those strong storms in Maryland and Delaware on the east side of the Chesapeake will watch that. And Valerie, I don't want to forget our friends in Hawaii because once this is all going to be, on in the Northeast. This will turn to our focus. We now have a new tropical depression that is expected to go just south of the Hawaiian Islands. We need this forecast to stay south to avoid

hitting the areas that were just smacked by Ila the hurricane this past weekend. They're still trying to recover. And we do think it's going to be close enough, especially with the high peaks in the mountains, for a possibility up to 10 inches of rain. Some of these areas just picked up 25 to 30 inches of rain last weekend. They do not need this. This will be a story to watch as we head towards the weekend. All right, a lot going on out there, Bill. Thank you. Turning now to that deadly mid-air crash in Pennsylvania, new video shows a state police helicopter hovering just above the ground when a small plane smashes directly into it. Aaron McLaughlin has the latest on the investigation. Tonight's stunning new video shows the moment a small plane crashed into a state police helicopter,

killing the plane's pilot and injuring two Pennsylvania state troopers. In the video, you see the helicopter hovering feet above the ground near the runway. The Cessna 150 suddenly beers to the right, slamming into the chopper from behind. The helicopter is to be smoking. Images from the scene show the plane shattered to pieces, the helicopter on its side. I have no information at all to tell me either pilot of either vehicle was at fault. We are very early in the investigation to determine that. Officials say Corporal Bryce Corman and Trooper Jason Mills were initially trapped inside the chopper, but made a harrowing escape.

The corporal was in a position to push out a window and assist the trooper, who he believed had some more serious injuries and got both of them out of the helicopter. It happened at the Carlisle Regional Airport just before 7 p.m. on Wednesday. State police say the troopers were out on a routine training exercise as the Cessna attempted to land on the adjacent runway. The pilot of the Cessna identified as 57-year-old Paul Sokoloski was killed in the crash. Tonight, officials say they still do not know why the Cessna missed the runway. The NTSB is investigating. Okay, and Aaron McLaughlin joins us now. Aaron, we're learning more about the pilot that died? Yeah, that's right. Paul Sokoloski was an emergency medical doctor at Penn State Medical

Center. The very same hospital treating the two injured state troopers. One of those state troopers has been discharged from the hospital. The other is expected to make a full recovery. All right. Aaron, thank you for your reporting. Now to breaking news out of Washington, the FBI rating the home of Eric Swalwell, the former congressman who resigned after accusations of sexual assault. Today, agents also seizing his laptop and cell phone. Ryan Nobles has this one. Tonight, more trouble for embattled former Congressman Eric Swalwell. The FBI executing a search warrant as he arrived at a San Francisco airport on Saturday, seizing electronic devices, including his cell phone.

His home in Washington, D.C., also searched the following day as part of the ongoing investigation into sexual misconduct allegations. That according to a person familiar with the matter. The FBI and Attorney General Todd Blanche declining to comment. I'm not allowed to talk about any sort of ongoing investigation. It's certainly not what role I played in. So, yeah, I can't comment on that. Swalwell was a leading candidate for governor of California until multiple women accused him of sexual assault or misconduct.

These allegations of sexual assault are flat, false. They are absolutely false. One of the women included Lana Drews, who said he drug, raped, and choked her in 2018. I believe he drugged my drink. I only had one glass of wine. He raped me and he choked me. In a statement today, Drewis's attorney says that she's not spoken to the FBI, but is encouraged to learn about the escalation in their apparent investigation. NBC News has reached out to Swalwell's legal team but have not heard back yet. But earlier this year, Swalwell's attorney categorically denied every allegation, calling them, quote, false, fabricated, and deeply offensive. Swalwell abandoned his race for governor and eventually resigned a seat in Congress. Tonight, NBC News has confirmed Democrat state senator Aisha Wahab will fill his seat until January.

Thanks, Ryan, for that reporting. Now to the stunning revelation here in New York, where the FBI says it stopped an alleged ISIS-inspired attack aimed at the state Capitol building in Albany. The new photos of that suspect scoping out the area in the days before an alleged plot. Sam Brock has the details. These are the images of the woman federal prosecutors say plan to detonate a bomb at the New York's state capital wearing all black clothing covering her face. The government says 35-year-old Jessica Bowie was surveilling the building in July here and later seen at a Home Depot in early August, buying materials including a large bin of nails for an explosive device that undercover agents

pretended to assemble for her before meeting with Bowie and arresting the suspect for supporting terrorism. Make no mistake about it, Ms. Bowie's alleged plot was serious. According to a charging document, Bowie converted to Islam five years ago using the name Aisha Saif, but started making threatening anti-American posts on social media in recent months, including Praise Be to Allah for September 11th. Miss Bowie swore her allegiance to ISIS through multiple audio recordings. That prompted undercover FBI agents to exchange messages with Bowie, who they say plan to use a delivery door dash bag to transport the explosive device, telling them in writing, I want to destroy as much of the building as possible and kill the senators while they're meeting.

Bowie has not yet entered a plea, but according to the document, told authorities she knew about the possible terrorism charges. I already Googled it before. I know I'm going to jail. Sam Brock joins us now in studio. Sam, what is the state doing to respond to the threat from a security standpoint? Valerie, these are clearly turbulent times. Governor Kathy Hockel has said the fact that, you know, there's been a rise in political violence. There's been a rise in threats against public officials. so security has been strengthened at the capital. That said, you know, they're looking at this bigger picture right now and trying to evaluate the fact that they are working with partner agencies,

but 9-11, the commemoration of 25 years since that day, is coming up in the next several weeks. The FBI said that they have disrupted somewhere, Valerie, in the neighborhood of 400 plots, both domestically and abroad, since the start of 2026, which is to say in seven or eight months, 400 plots disrupted. This obviously would go to that. It does speak to the fact that there is still a threat environment right now,

It just so happened in this case, Jessica Bowie, had this online profile that was flagged by social media platforms closed down, and then they then turned around and told the FBI, that's how they're able to track down Bowie in the first place. But we are still in a tenuous environment. Security is heightened. And this is yet another example of what could happen if people are not really on their a game when it comes to preventing terror attacks like this. A lot of fascinating details. Sam, thank you. Turning now to the Manhunt in Philadelphia for a manned, police say terrorized the city wearing a mask. straight out of a horror movie. Police now believe they've identified the suspect. Emily Aketa has the new surveillance video. Tonight, new video of the masked man

accused of harassing and antagonizing pedestrians in Philadelphia. You can see him lurking in this Dunkin' Donuts. Officials today identifying the suspect who wore a chilling Halloween-style mask as 22-year-old Zymyr Hughes and asking for the public's help. They warned he may have fled Pennsylvania two nights ago and note that he has ties to COVID. California and Nevada. You think it's funny to scare people? Well, get ready to get scared by us. Hughes on probation for another crime is now wanted for assault and other charges for allegedly

chasing at least 15 people near City Hall asking this jogger repeatedly, are you ready to die, according to police, before continuing inside a train station where he evaded officers. Investigators believe he recorded himself along the way and was doing this quote, purely for social media content. Emily Ikeda, NBC News. And now to Top Stories, Money Talks. And tonight, Walmart announcing it got nearly $3 billion in tariff refunds, allowing the company to slash more prices. But it wasn't all good news on Wall Street.

The retail giant stock got crushed today as Americans keep scaling back their spending. So what does it mean for you and your wallet? NBC's Alley Canal is at the big board to break it all down for us. Allie, first lay out this tariff refund. and how it's impacting prices at stores. Yeah, Valerie, so Walmart saying it was eligible for nearly $3 billion in tariff refunds and all that money, it's going right back into pricing. So Walmart said in the second quarter, 11,000 items had prices rolled back.

So that includes everything from back to school supplies to household essentials, clothing, grocery prices, even things like beef, which is something that executives brought up on the earnings call. Beef prices are currently at record highs. And executives said consumers needed to see these products go down in terms of pricing. You can actually go to the Walmart website and check out all of the products that are now cheaper. And Walmart isn't the only retail giant to be doing something like this. Target received about a billion dollars in tariff-free funds. And they also said that they've lowered prices on about 10,000 items over the past year so far.

So, Ellie, is this just the start? Should we expect to see even more price cuts? And will they actually stick around? Yeah, that's a big question mark. because these price rollbacks, they are meant to be temporary, but it does seem like executives would like for this to stick. So this is a statement from John David Rainey. He's the Walmart CFO, and it seems like they would prefer

that this Walmart pricing strategy remains low, and ultimately that it saves consumers' money. Because right now, the consumer is very stretched, particularly when we think about gas prices. The national average is above $4 a gallon, and 10 cents. Walmart executives said $4. It's that psychological threshold when we think about affordability. And it's also where you start to see some tradeoffs with the consumer. So for Walmart, it would be good for their business if they're able to keep consumers coming back into the door with

these lower prices, Valerie. All right. But even with these refunds and these price cuts, Walmart's stock still dropped quite a bit today. Explain why. Yeah, dropping nearly double digits here. It was the worst performer in the Dow. And a big reason why. Investors were disappointed in the sales growth. So Walmart had U.S. sales growth of 2.6%. That was actually the slowest pace in six years. Walmart blamed that on new federal rules around drug pricing, that that was the reason it weighed on sales. But if you dig through the earnings commentary from Wall Street analysts, and I did that so you don't have to, it seems like analysts are not worried about the future for this company, particularly because Walmart, I mean, it has everything. It has your discretionary purchases. It has your essentials. It also caters to a wide variety of consumers, including those high-income consumers that guess what, they're still spending at a company like Walmart. So we'll see as we continue to move forward here. If those price decreases, if they stick and what we see from the state of the consumer, as we know, the affordability challenges keep persisting here, Valerie. All right, we know

you'll keep watching it for us. Allie Canal, thank you. Now to Washington and a surprising political reunion, President Trump reuniting on a radio show with Michael Cohen, the president's former fixer who became a star witness in Trump's criminal hush money trial. Here's Monica Alba. Tonight, a shocking political reunion. President Trump and his former fixer Michael Cohen back together after years as bitter enemies. Mr. President. Hello, Michael. Cohen now hosting the president on his new radio show, a man he once praised as

Generous, compassionate, principled, empathetic, kind, humble, honest, and genuine. Even telling Vanity Fair in 2017, he would, quote, take a bullet for the president. Michael Cohn is a very talented lawyer. But their relationship soured as Cohen faced intense scrutiny from federal investigators, with the FBI raiding his office and hotel room and seizing multiple devices and documents in 2018. leading to prison time after Cohen pled guilty to tax evasion, bank fraud, and campaign finance violations. Cohen later turning on his former boss before Congress. He is a racist.

He is a con man. And he is a cheat. Mr. Trump firing back. His Lee's bag named Michael Cohen. Repeatedly calling Cohen a rat. He's convicted. He's a liar. He's defrauded at a high level.

In 2024, the former attorney. attorney served as a star witness in the hush money case against the president, who was convicted of falsifying business records related to paying porn star Stormy Daniels. After years of blistering attacks, Cohen saying the reason they can reconcile now is simple. Forgiveness does not require amnesia. Okay, and Monica Alba joins us from the White House. Monica, what else did they say about how this interview came together? Well, this is really interesting, Valerie, because certainly there are many examples of people that have been in President Trump's orbit with whom he has had a dramatic falling out like this one. But sometimes he is able to repair the relationship. And you do see two people kind of coming back

together. But in terms of this one in particular, it was so acrimonious at times. The two had such harsh words for each other. And of course, we were talking about prison time here and a conviction beyond that that made it seem like this feud was perhaps going to be irreparable. But Michael Cohen says that over the last year or so, there had sort of been some indications where he says the relationship was able to be resuscitated. It looks like that happened more privately, a little bit behind the scenes. There were some meetings, some discussions. But the fact that today they are having this more public conversation does signal that they are trying to kind of put the past behind them. And again, this is something sometimes you do see the president doing

and committing to. But the actual interview that delves into, their relationship and trying to bury the hatchet here doesn't air until Sunday. So we're waiting for a few more details. But the portion that aired today dealt with some other kind of news of day topics, the war against Iran, the economy and the president, tripling down on that saying he has no regrets about that military conflict so far. Valerie. Monica Alba, thank you. And we're back in a moment with the investigation into the death of Hayden Panetteer, why the DEA is now getting involved. Plus the wild practice. And we're back in a moment. here in New York, a man walking down the street sent flying the new charges tonight.

And growing anger and outrage over a mailman appearing to attack a beloved neighborhood peacock. That's ahead on top story. Back now with an update on the investigation into the death of Hayden Panetteer. The hero's actress was found unresponsive at an apartment complex in South Carolina on Sunday. A source familiar with the matter says the drug enforcement administration is now working alongside police. I want to bring in our Steve Patterson, who has been following that investigation closely. Steve, what do we know about the DEA's now involvement in this case? So, Valerie, we know there are going to be multiple federal agents on this case.

We don't know exactly what role they're going to be playing, right? Because police, nor the agency, has released a statement. But we can look at similar cases in DEA involvement at this case, looking at like Mac Miller, Michael Jackson, Matthew Perry. I spoke to the DEA special agent in charge of those cases. all of them happen to be in LA, just about the timeline of what the DA involvement looks like at this point in the case. And he told me, essentially, they would likely be playing an assisting role, right? Processing some of the information, processing some of the evidence on scene,

specifically looking at any drugs, whether they be prescription or illegal or illicit or even laced with something, to see if those led to cardiac arrests causing an overdose. And if they find a proponent of evidence that points to what we call a criminal nexus, In other words, something that points to a specific person or a pipeline of people that led to her taking these drugs, which led to then an overdose, then they would look at the possibility of a criminal investigation, possibly leading even to a criminal case. We're not there yet, though, obviously. So we know, obviously, they're just right now with the police. We don't know exactly what role, but we do believe that there is some assistance.

And it will take a while because, remember, there still has to be a full autopsy, toxicology report. that's anywhere from about six to ten weeks or so. Valerie? And Steve, we've now heard from one of the brothers who was at the home when Penitier died. What did he say? Yeah, this is Brian Hickerson. Of course, this is Penitier's on again, off again, boyfriend who was there at the time that she passed away. He released his statement for the first time we've heard from him really since the death this weekend, speaking through his attorney. I want to read it for you.

He said, quote, Hayden's death remains under investigation. It's important to allow this investigation to proceed, as has been public or reported. Police confirmed there are no signs of foul play. Out of respect for Hayden's loved ones and the ongoing investigation, there will be no further comment at this time. He is saying essentially what was noted in the preliminary investigation, preliminary autopsy, that there were no outside signs of blunt force trauma, of foul play. That, of course, could change. Obviously, this is per a preliminary investigation.

The investigation has not taken its course, and we still don't know if there will be a criminal investigation. But of course, if the evidence points to it, there certainly could be. Valerie? All right. We know you'll continue to follow this closely. Steve Patterson, thank you. And for more on this case, I want to bring in NBC News, law enforcement contributor and former Secret Service agent Evie Pomporese. Evie, I want to focus in on that decision to bring the drug enforcement administration into this investigation.

Do we have a sense yet of what their role might be? So they're going to come in and assist. Anytime you have any type of narcotics or drugs involved, the best thing you can do is involve the DEA because they are the experts when it comes to that. So as they're coming in and there are preliminary reports that some type of substances, medications were found on site, and that's what they're going to look at. Where did these medications come from? Are they illegal? Are they illegal? Were they prescribed?

And they're going to follow that trail? And does the DEA's involvement here tell us anything about the next steps in this case? I would think that for them to get involved, that there's concern. You know, as noted before, we've seen this historically. A lot of these medications, if they are prescribed, there's concern where the combination of medications, right, what they can do to someone. If you look at the Matthew Perry case, there were five convictions on that case due to his death. Two of them were doctors. So you're going to look at any possibilities of malpractice.

When you prescribe these medications, you have due diligence. You have to be aware of what you're prescribing. And so is there a concern because she does have a history and has disclosed issues with substances like alcohol, clonopin, opiates, adderol. So when you mix certain medications, it can cause that. And if it's prescribed to her, then they're going to talk to those doctors. Why did they give it? How do they give it? If there's anything illicit there, they're going to follow that trail.

Where did it come from? If anything was laced, who laced it? So this is really going to be part of a bigger investigation. And of course, getting those toxicology reports. All right, certainly more to come in this case. Evie Pompores, thank you for your contribution tonight. We appreciate you. Still ahead on Top Story, the summer staple being recalled,

the popular frozen fruit bars that could contain shards of glass. Plus drone delivery gone wrong, the blunder caught on camera as Amazon expands its high-flying delivery service. We'll tell you which cities it's coming to. Stay with us. But first, top stories, top moment. And the Missouri High School football team welcoming first-year students, a little differently this year. When the new players were getting dropped off at St. Pius the 10th Catholic High School, they were welcomed by an enthusiastic squad and encouraged to show

some love to mom. Take a look. Kiss your mom, kiss your mom, kiss your mom. Oh, how sweet. You heard that right. They're shouting, kiss your mom to the newbies. The school tells us the boys were so excited to start the year off with lots of love and they look forward to making it an annual Stay with us. More top story after this. We're back now with an update on a murder trial that's gripped the nation. Massachusetts mother, Lindsay Clancy, back in court today as she faces charges in the killings of her three young children. Her lawyers arguing that tragic day was the result of her postpartum psychosis. This morning, a chaplain at the hospital where Clancy was admitted after their deaths taking the stand. Take a listen.

She alluded to having heard a voice. And the voice according to Lindsay, told her that if she did not follow the command, neither she nor her children would be safe. And hundreds of women gathering outside the courthouse today wearing pink in support of Clancy before the jury was abruptly sent home for an undisclosed reason. I want to bring in Boston Globe reporter Shelley Murphy, who has been following the case from inside the courtroom. Shelly, thanks for being with us tonight. This case has been going on for three weeks now. a lot of gripping testimony. Bring us up to speed on the latest. Well, so the latest is that the focus is now really on whether or not she had postpartum

psychosis when she killed her children. There's been a lot of evidence throughout the trial that she was suffering from depression, anxiety. She was desperately trying to get help. There's no question that she twice called the suicide hotline. She had voluntarily been committed to a psychiatric hospital. there's a lot of evidence that she was trying to get help. What the focus is now is on did she actually have a psychotic break at the time that she killed the children?

The prosecutors are arguing that she didn't. They're suggesting that this talk of hearing voices is something that was concocted after she killed the kids, that despite going to, you know, various doctors and nurses, psychiatrists trying to get help, she never actually revealed to any of them that she was hearing voices. But the defense is countering that. They're calling one of their key experts tomorrow to talk about more about what the signs are of psychosis, how you can function nominally and normally and then have a break. And Shelly, today was just the second time in just as many days that the jury was sent home early.

Do we have any indication of why? Yes, so I think what happened is there was one of the expert witnesses who was going to be called by the defense. I don't know if she became ill or what happened, but she is no longer available. One of the witnesses who had been there, a prominent postpartum expert on depression and mental health, Margaret Spinelli was supposed to testify. She had been in the court quite a bit in the courtroom, left early yesterday, and we haven't seen her since, and now she's dropped off the witness list. So today in court, they said they have one more witness to call the defense. That's another expert, a Dr. Philippine. Resnick who will testify tomorrow and then the defense is going to rest and then the prosecution will call their three or at least three mental health experts who will testify. All right. And today we saw that wave of support for Lindsay outside of the courtroom, outside of the courthouse. Some people saying they traveled hours just to be there. What are you hearing about why they felt compelled to come out today?

Yeah, well, there was, I've never seen so many people in the courtroom or outside the courthouse since the trial started. And I think this has just been, this case has been exploding on social media. There are a lot of people interested. The focus is on postpartum mental health. And there's great concern across the country that women in the United States

and probably in other parts of the world that this doesn't get the attention that it deserves and that I'm hearing from a lot of women of all ages, women in their 80s, women in their 20s, coming to the courthouse and saying, This happened to me. It happened to my daughter. It happened to my friend. And so I think that this resonates with people. I imagine they'll be there again tomorrow. What else are we expecting to hear in the last few days of this case? We know we're nearing the end. Do we have a timeline for when it could go to the jury? Yeah. So as of today, the judge said that he expects that closing arguments will be early next week. It could be Monday. It could be Tuesday. They have a full day tomorrow. It just depends on whether they can get.

you know, all of their witnesses to finish their testimony. So then the judge will have to charge them. And it's going to be a really important part of the case because he'll instruct them on the law and what the law is about lack of criminal responsibility because she says, I did it, but she said I should not be held criminally responsible because I had this psychotic break. So a lot of it is going to come down to the jury trying to figure out, you know, how the law, you know, how to apply the law here. Is she, in fact, not guilty? And it's, it's going to be interesting. And I think the jury will probably get it maybe Wednesday, Thursday.

A lot of testimony for them to think about and kind of go over again in their minds. Shelly, if she is acquitted, would she go free? No. Well, certainly not immediately. If she is acquitted, then she would be committed to a state psychiatric facility, and she would be evaluated. My understanding is she could be evaluated. in six months. And then from there, it would be every year, and they would decide whether or not

she would be a danger if released to the community and could safely be released. So it would mean that at some point she would be released. The other option here, it's not just first-degree murder, you know, life without parole. If the jury finds her guilty of a lesser offense, like second-degree murder, which is an option, then she would go to prison, but she would be eligible for parole at some point unclear wind, whether it's 15, 20 years. Okay, Shelley Murphy with the Boston Globe, thank you. Thank you. Now to Top Stories News Feed, starting here in New York with a terrifying crash caught on

camera. Security footage shows a speeding Corvette slamming into another car, then sliding onto the sidewalk, sending a man flying. His family says he was rushed to the hospital, but is expected to be okay. The driver of that Corvette was also hurt. Police arrested him on charges, including reckless driving. And a new recall for popular frozen fruit bars over concerns they could contain pieces of glass. They're sold across the country under the brand Outshine. Its parent company says the recall includes at least five flavors. The treats have best before dates between June and November of next year. So far, no reports of anyone getting sick or hurt. And wild video out of Tennessee, a family smashing their own car window to free a bear

trapped inside. Take a look at this. You can see someone trying to open the door with a wire hanger, but when that doesn't work, they end up breaking the back window and then running away as that huge bear climbs out. It appears the animal got inside after someone left the door open. Turning now to the new wave of drone deliveries taking flight. Amazon announcing its high-flying service is expanding to 500 cities by the end of the year. But new videos showing that some deliveries aren't exactly sticking the landing. Brian Chung has the details. A homeowner in Texas capturing the moment her Amazon drone delivery went off the deep end. This video shot the same week Amazon announced an expansion of its drone delivery service to nearly 500 cities and towns this year.

But with drones crashing into the sides of apartments, uh-oh, that does not sound good. Oh my God. even dropping a box onto a dog. Questions now if the high-flying tech is ready for prime time, as Amazon says it hopes to deliver to doorsteps and backyards as fast as 30 minutes. Amazon saying in a statement that incidents are extremely rare and that the company will take steps to prevent it from happening in the future. The Trump administration is giving delivery drones a green light. If you take some Amazon trucks off the road, door dash delivery drivers off the road,

that frees up our roadways. As the FAA tells NBC News in a statement that drone operators are required to report incidents involving serious injury or more than $500 in property damage. For consumers, delivery by drone bypasses the traffic with companies promising faster than ever delivery by air. Uber Eats jumping in, announcing drone delivery in dozens of U.S. cities beginning later this year. The promise of aerial delivery making a splash for a consumer. Consumers nationwide.

Brian Chung joins us now in studio. Brian, it seems like they still have a lot of kinks to work out. Do we know which cities have given the green light to these drone deliveries? And we should point out that Amazon does say on its website that it's the consumer that picks the specific drop-off point, whether it's the back patio or the front porch. So it's possible in the case of that pool, maybe they just pick the wrong spot. But as far as your question about where this is coming to, Amazon says that they are expanding this to Atlanta, Cleveland, Chicago, New York State. Syracuse, not New York City, because I think it's worth pointing out that in a city like New York, New York City, that they have ordinances that don't allow the launch of drones of any type. So it's just not possible for Amazon to do that type of thing here. And by the way, even in areas where they say it's in metro areas, like in Detroit, if you take a look at the zip codes where it's at, it's not necessarily in the heart of downtown, like right in Eastern Market. It really is going to be in those more suburban areas around the city center. All right, very interesting. Thank you. Now to the alarming incident caught on camera in California showing what appears to be a postal worker hitting an all-white peacock with a rock.

The bird, a Pasadena celebrity, is recovering at a local rescue, but neighbors are outraged and demanding answers. Darsha Phillips from our Los Angeles station, K&BC, has the video. The video is difficult to watch. It appears to show a U.S. Postal Service worker hitting an all-white peacock with a rock at least twice, and then taking one. what looks like a stick and hitting the peacock until it thrashes on the street. Just how could you do that? It's such a wonderful bird. And I know it was probably like following him around,

but both times in the video you see that the bird wasn't being aggressive. So why you would have to hurt him like that? I just didn't understand. Gina Davis's cameras captured the disturbing video on Mohawk Street in Pasadena. She says the peacock is well known in the neighborhood. is harmless. My family calls him sugar, other people call Charlie, someone calls him Shen. He's been here for several years and the entire neighborhood knows him and he wanders the streets around here. Everybody knows him and loves him and we're so sad to see what happened to him. The Pasadena

Humane Society picked up the bird and had him checked out by a vet. The good news is he seems to be okay at this point. So the prognosis is really good. He's up and walking about much better than he was. The Humane Society has also launched an investigation into the incident. All day today have been canvassing the neighborhood, talking neighbors, looking at video. People who live in the neighborhood say they hope the mail carrier faces some sort of consequences and that their peacock finds a safe place to live. I doubt they'll drop him back off in the neighborhood, but hopefully he'll have a nice sanctuary or maybe he can go back to the arboretum or something.

We just want to know he's going to be taken care of. All right, and still to come tonight as the war in Ukraine grinds on, one place has remained a refuge, a McDonald's in Kiev. Our team went there to see how it's providing some sense of normalcy after years of deadly fighting. That's next. Back now with Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine. Overnight, Ukrainian officials say Russia pounded Kiev with missiles and drones. They say the attack lasted for hours and killed at least 14 people. Russia's attacks have been intensifying in recent months, but through it all, there's one.

one place that's still offering some normalcy for Ukrainians, McDonald's. The country's first location in Kiev has been struck nine times since Russia's full-scale invasion, but it's still standing. NBC News senior reporter Jane Levinenko was there. This is Ukraine's first McDonald's, famously opened in a busy Kiev neighborhood in 1997 after the country's break with the Soviet Union. I remember, there was so many that they were in a few hours.

Zlatoslava Supronuk was eight years old when the McDonald's opened in Lykianivka. We were with my father's to trystouettes in my life burgers, pretoply fling. Because in Ukraine, at that moment, there was no any of fast-foods. We didn't know what it was like.

This opening at McDonald's marked this watershed. It wasn't just a cultural curiosity. The fact that you can tell you can bring your family and then also you can be served in Ukrainian, a language that had been marginalized even six years after it's in the Penguins. On May 24th, the neighborhood was hit with one of the largest attacks since the start of the full-scale invasion. Russia launched 90 missiles and 600 drones at Ukraine.

McDonald's reopened two days later. Yes, you're on the phone of all this, and you're doing that all okay. But, but, but it's a lot of it's not really because it was the first McDonald's. In Ukraine, it's at the time just a point of non-glomness, because, not as opposed to the war in the country, he continues to work. What you've thought when you've seen this

sign, that he's a little bit? We're like the same, not all the plavlily, but we're living in with siding and stay on their place. And Jane Libeneko is now here with us live. Jane, you grew up in this part of Ukraine. What made you want to tell

the story? I know this neighborhood well. It's a neighborhood I grew up in as a kid and over the years, I've seen it destroyed, a lot of things change, buildings, malls, the bazaar. But the one thing that has kept her building

is the McDonald's, which is the first McDonald's to ever open in Ukraine. And it has become so incredible for Ukrainians and for myself to watch this place of refuge remain open that I wanted to tell the story. And this McDonald's became a symbol in the neighborhood for what it takes to keep it running. Can you pinpoint that significance? Yeah, I remember last year there was an attack that was quite severe that closed the McDonald's for about two or three weeks. It was probably the most severe attack. on that location. And there have been at least nine, maybe more, since then.

But each time the McDonald's reopens. And when the war first began, the McDonald's closed in 2022, not just this one all across the country. People really wanted for this place to reopen. It has this called status in Ukraine for its determination to remain open in the country. And it's so much so that there's even a general. joke, very often repeat a joke in Ukraine that if nuclear war starts, a bit of a dark joke, if nuclear war starts, then the McDonald's is going to need a little bit longer to reopen,

maybe two or three weeks. It'll still be there, though, right? It will still be there. Jane, thank you so much for your reporting on this. NBC News subscribers can watch the full digital doc and reporting on this story. Just scan the QR code or visit NBCNews.com slash subscribe. We'll be right back. Back now with the bots gearing up for the second annual world humanoid robot games. Janice Mackie Freyer is in Beijing with a sneak peek. They can perform dance moves and show off roundhouse kicks, or maybe offer a ride. Robots, it seems, are everywhere in China, in all shapes, sizes and speeds,

with companies rolling out more powerful humanoid resources. This robot conference, a show of intense competition among startups here. and happening alongside it, the second annual humanoid games in Beijing. Where nearly 700 teams are expected to compete for gold, more than double the size of last years. It's all a sign of how seriously China is betting on robotics as the next industrial revolution. These days, there's a lot of hype around this company, Unitry. That's one of the world's biggest makers of humanoids and robot dogs. The company has just started trading publicly on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, and shares popped 500% on day one.

Its latest model may explain why, a humanoid called Superman, that can jump six and a half feet, and claims to sprint faster than world record holder Usain Bolt, although it crashed into a wall right after crossing the finish line. Still, its leaps and bounds ahead of where sporting games. humanoids were last year when we attended China's first ever robot games. This event is being billed as the first of its kind. Teams competing in soccer, track events, and tasks like moving luggage. There are hundreds of robot companies here in China making machines that can do backflips or run faster than people if that's what you want your robot to do.

But a big focus here at the World Robot Conference in Beijing is on robots that can do tasks. that are mundane or boring even by human standards. Daily grind jobs like folding laundry, picking up toys, or sorting packages in a warehouse, practical work that humans might not mind giving up, or at least that's the way robot developers here see the future. We don't want to do this person. We want people to have better job, to have a better life.

The challenge here is turning eye-catching kicks and moves into actual product then scaling it commercially. Low-cost manufacturing here has allowed China's industry to pull ahead. Hefty government subsidies have helped out too. Robots are not without some glitches that come with real questions about safety. Remember when this one kicked a child? This year, there are no robots made in the United States, and none of what's on display here in China will be finding its way to the U.S. anytime soon. The Trump administration banning imports of new foreign-made quadruped and humanoid robots, citing national security and privacy concerns. A move that heavily targets China, which, according to consulting firm IDC, accounts for 82% of the world's humanoid shipments.

There are risks to the approach that the U.S. is taking, but I think their hearts in the right place. They want to build the supply chain. They want to reshore manufacturing. And most importantly, they are worried about national security. security risks. After the recent ban, IDC estimates humanoid sales by U.S. companies could drop 58% by 2030 under a worst case scenario. He reached out to the White House for comment and haven't heard back. FCC chair Brendan Carr telling NBC news when the regulation was announced. One of the upsides of these actions is not just national security, but it is helping to reindustrialize

this country. China's leadership has made robotics a national priority. As the US moves to restrict technology, China is already putting the machines to work. Janice McEugh-Frae, NBC News, Beijing. And finally, tonight, Jose Iglesias made a name for himself as the singing shortstop for the Mets. Now he's about to swing from the big leagues to Broadway. Here's Tom. One of the hottest shows on Broadway, about to do something never seen before. Are you nervous at all? Of course, I'm nervous.

It's going to be right here. You're here. Nervous because Jose Iglesias has never acted in anything. Next week, he'll become the first Latino major league baseball player to hit the Great White Way, joining the cast of Buena Vista Social Club. So, Jose, when you got the call to be on Broadway, you're a baseball player. What did you think? At first place, I was wondering, they're calling the Rome person.

That's driven to deep left by Iglesias. Near the wall, it's out of here. For years, Iglesia smashed home runs as a pro. New York City! But Broadway came calling because of a different kind of hit. His song, OMG, went viral, topping the Latin charts in 2024. An uplifting anthem about chasing big dreams. Those big dreams, now bringing him to Broadway.

The show tells the story of the icon. iconic musicians who brought the sounds of Cuba's countryside to the world. But it's sound like this. Iglesias knows these tracks by heart. Buena Vista was always playing, grandma house, grandpa house. The former MLB All-Star came to America from Cuba as a teenager. I left everything behind. My dream was just to be a big lead player, just to make a better living for my family.

He's been at the theater, rehearsing, and the hype is high. The Mets invited him back this week to throw out the first pitch ahead of his big debut. As a Cuban, as a Latin America, as an immigrant, just to be in a stage like this, representing this is a unique opportunity. I only be here for a few days and I feel like home already. Definitely nervous, but extremely, extremely excited. Thanks so much for watching Top Story. I'm Valerie Castro in New York for Tom. Stay right there.

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