Top Story with Tom Llamas - Thursday, February 26, 2026

Episode Date: February 27, 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 tonight the potential new lead in the search for Nancy Guthrie, the video police are now looking at. This never-before-seen ring-cam video of a car near Nancy's home, reportedly at 2.30 a.m. the morning of her abduction. It comes as the FBI hands Nancy's home back to Savannah and her family, while law enforcement are releasing the crime scene. Also breaking just moments ago, Hillary Clinton sounding off after testifying the EPSC investigation. This photo leak forcing lawmakers to pause her deposition. what she said when she was asked about any ties to the convicted sex offender. New details in the deadly gunfight with Cuba's Coast Guard, a U.S. citizen killed in the shootout,

are new reporting on the Americans involved in what Cuba is calling an attempt to infiltrate the country. Vince McBan's high-speed crash, the wrestling titan smashing his Bentley into a car and a guardrail, what he told police moments later. Hard-stopping videos, two skiers raced to rescue a man buried deep in the snow, how they got him out. The Japanese airport that hasn't lost a single piece of luggage ever.

We speak with a New York Times reporter who got an inside look at how they pull it off. Could it work here in the U.S.? And humanoids for your home? The company saying this three and a half foot bot could soon be a regular part of society. Maybe your family. We sit down with Sprout the robot and put him to the test. Plus, Netflix pulling out of the bidding war for Warner Brothers, clearing the way for Paramount,

what it means for the price you pay to stream and what happens to CNN. Top story starts right now. And good evening. We begin tonight with breaking news in the search for Nancy Guthrie. The Sheriff's Department confirming they're looking at a new piece of footage that could lead to a major break in the case. Here it is. This is a ring cam video obtained by Fox News Digital. We'll show it to you in a moment. It appears to show a card around 2.30 a.m.

That night Nancy was taken. It was shut about two and a half miles from her home. the Pima County Sheriff's Office says they're aware of the footage and that it's part of the investigation. An FBI source telling NBC News they've amassed five to 10,000 hours of video in the case, which agents are currently reviewing. It comes as two law enforcement sources tell us investigators are now prepared to turn the home back over to the family, saying there's no longer a need to seal the home off as a crime scene or restrict the family's access. NBC's Liz Kreutz leads us off with the late-breaking developments. tonight this new ring camera footage obtained by fox news digital shows a car driving around 2.30 a.m.

the night Nancy Guthrie was abducted. The sheriff's offices, they're aware of the video, which was taken about two and a half miles from her home and outside that two mile perimeter where investigators had asked for video. An FBI source tells NBC news since Nancy's disappearance investigators have amassed five to 10,000 hours of footage that agents are now going through. It comes as the FBI is in the process of handing Nancy's home back over to Savannah and her family. Two law enforcement sources tell NBC News that after weeks of extensively searching the property, investigators no longer feel a need to seal the home off as a crime scene or restrict the family's access. Nancy Street also now closed down to public parking, limiting the media presence outside the home. This will now be the second time the property has been returned to the family. Two days after Nancy's abduction, the Pima County Sheriff announces investigators,

had completed their search. The scene is done. We're done with the residents. We've turned that over to the family. But a day after, the sheriff said that the property was sealed off this time by the FBI. The main significance of handing the house back is that that is going to be the end of the ability to collect evidence. Any evidence that they would collect, any defense attorney would say this could be contaminated,

this could have been planted. This is the end of the line as far as collecting evidence goes. All right, Liz Croyd, joins us tonight from outside. the FBI field office in Phoenix and Liz, that is where thousands of hours of footage is being reviewed along with that DNA being analyzed? Yeah, that's right, Tommy. I mean, investigators, they have to watch every single piece of that video footage in real time. That all remains one of the key parts of this investigation. And while there are still many boots on the ground right now in Tucson still canvassing the area, we are told by a senior law enforcement official that they now

have scores of agents centered here at this field office in Phoenix, where they are analyzing all the intel and going over all that evidence, Tom. All right, Liz, Liz, Croyd's from a busy and loud Phoenix FBI office. Liz, we appreciate it. I want to bring in former FBI special agent Chip Massey on this. So, Chip, walk our viewers through what the FBI does next with this video of the car near the Guthrie home. How might that lead them to a suspect? And is there enough video there to figure out what type of car it is? Yeah, that's a great question, Tom. And it's what Overall, this is great news. This is great news from a standpoint of we're always trying to get more information, right?

And this video is just that. This is, again, the painstaking work that the people are going through. They're analyzing these footage from these various ring camps, from whatever video surveillance systems are out there. This is helpful. This is going to, and likely has already provided great leads for the investigators. We're just seeing it now, but investigators supposedly had been working with this for a period of time. We don't know how long.

But the fact that this footage exists, and it also ties into the timeline of Nancy's disappearance, again, another investigative lead that likely has produced other avenues for the teams. We talk about turning the house back over to the family. What exactly does that mean? This has happened the second time now. Yeah. So it looks like from, again, our distance from this and the people that we saw on the ground, likely a mix of prosecution, of federal officials, of investigators that were there to make sure, to ensure that everything that they needed from that home was collected, everything that they were going to say, okay, if we wanted more pictures of this, if we needed to preserve something here, it was all done. They were just doing another final review. This, again, is good news because it tells us they've extracted everything that they can from that house,

and they're pursuing those leads as well. Remember that we consider this a multi-lane highway. And what investigators are really digging for here, Tom, is that they are trying to get other people involved in this. They're trying to get the public to say, hey, does that look familiar to you? Does that person in your life is what we call forensic listening, where we're asking people to analyze a conversation that they had with somebody, that might be on the outskirts of where these captors are,

and say, is this match up? Do you recall that they were missing that night? Did they give you a story that didn't sound quite right? That's what we need to happen to shake that tree further. And also that million dollar reward is fantastic news. Yeah, incredible that they're looking at thousands. of hours of footage as well. Chip, great to have you on. We appreciate it. The other breaking headline we are following tonight, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, speaking to

cameras just moments ago after testifying in the congressional investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. NBC's Ryan Nobles on the ground tonight for us. From her opening statement, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton making it clear, she knew nothing about Jeffrey Epstein and Galane Maxwell's crimes. I don't know how many times I had to say. I did not know Jeffrey Epstein. I never went to his island. I never went to his homes. I never went to his offices. So it's on the record numerous times. But her husband, Bill, appears in a number of undated photos in the Epstein files. The Clintons have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and have not been accused of any crimes related to Epstein. The number of times that she said, I don't know, you'll have to ask my husband was more than a dozen.

Today, Republicans pressing the former Secretary of State on donations made to the Clinton Global Initiative and Maxwell's attendance at her daughter Chelsea's wedding. She came as the plus one, the guest of someone who was invited. Clinton also said that some of the questions veered off topic. I started being asked about UFOs and a series of questions about Pizza Gate. Congressman Suha Subraminium was in the room. Did Secretary Clinton answer every question? Secretary Clinton answered every single question, and the reality is she'd never really met Jeffrey Epstein, to her knowledge. The questioning momentarily delayed after Congresswoman Lauren Bobert sent these unauthorized photos of Clinton to conservative influencer Benny Johnson, who posted them widely.

The deposition eventually continued. Democrats say the deposition should have been public, and are calling for the transcript and full video to be released within 24 hours, as well as arguing, President Trump should be next. We want to talk to former President Bill Clinton. And the other person we want to talk to is current President Donald Trump. President Trump recently told Tom he did not support going after the Clintons. It bothers me that somebody's going after Bill Clinton. Ryan joins us now live tonight.

Ryan, what did Secretary Clinton say about her husband's testimony for tomorrow? She didn't back down from any questions regarding her husband, at least when she spoke to us in the press. She said that she is very confident that he will answer every question that the committee has for him tomorrow and that she also believes that he knew nothing of Jeffrey Epstein and Galang Maxwell's

crimes. What's interesting, Tom, is that Republicans that run the Oversight Committee tell us they expect Bill Clinton's deposition to go even longer than the deposition that took place here today, and Hillary Clinton's deposition lasted close to six hours. Tom. Wow. All right. Ryan Noble's from

Chappaqua tonight. Ryan, we thank you. Now, an update in that deadly gun fight off the coast of Cuba, U.S. officials telling NBC news at least one U.S. citizen was killed and another detained. After Cuban officials say a group of armed people on a U.S. registered boat fired at Cuban Border Patrol in their waters, those officers were turned fire, killing four people on board and injuring six others. Cuba says the men on board were there for, quote, terrorist purposes carrying a variety of supplies, including assault rifles, handguns, Molotov cocktails, and body armor. Jose Diaz-Belart tonight has the latest for us. Tonight, the deadly incident at sea.

U.S. officials now telling NBC news, Americans were among the passengers on that 24-foot boat involved in the alleged gunfight with Cuba's border patrol. At least one American was killed, another is now detained. As Cuban officials released new details about what they claim happened during Wednesday's incident, Cuba's Interior Ministry saying all 10 people on the intercepted speedboat were, quote, Cuban residents of the U.S., claiming they were planning an infiltration with terrorist purposes. Adding, they seized assault rifles, handguns, Molotov cocktails, and other supplies in the boat.

The firefight allegedly happened off Cayo Falconez on the island's northwest coast. Cuban authorities say the boat fired on Border Patrol first to return fire, that four passengers on the boat were killed and six were injured and detained. Among them, Conrado Galindo Sariol. Tonight, his wife and daughter, speaking to Telemundo. He wasn't a terrorist nor has he ever held a weapon his wife, Anna, says. Michel Ortega Casanova was listed among the deceased. His brother, Misael, saying tonight,

somehow this battle has to end and that there's freedom we all long for. Two sources close to one of the detained men tell NBC news, at least some of the people aboard the boat are affiliated with an anti-Castro group opposed to Cuba's communist regime. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says no U.S. government personnel were on the boat and that the U.S. will not rely on the Cuban version of events. It is highly unusual to see shootouts in open sea. But we're going to find out. We're not going to base our conclusions on what they've told us. All right, with that, Jose Dioz, Belar joins us once again live from Miami. Jose, you've also had more reporting about the boat involved. The Cubans initially said it was a speedboat, but you have some new reporting that disputes that.

Indeed, Tom, good evening. As a matter of fact, what the police report here in South Florida shows is that it is a 24-foot-one-engine boat, mostly used for fishermen. but that's the boat that allegedly the Cuban government says they intercepted just off the coast of Cuba and where those gunfire and the gunshots were exchanged. So we've heard the family members of these men speak out, obviously a lot of emotion there. What is the Cuban American community down in South Florida saying about all this? Because this is the first time we've had a case like this that I can remember in decades.

Yes, and, you know, there was the 1961 Bay of Pays. the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. I mean, there have been incidents and issues throughout the nearly 70 years of the Cuban regime being in power there. But it is unusual, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, to see these kinds of incidents occur in Cuba. The feeling, I think, among many Cuban Americans is one of maybe there was a setup of a group of, Cuban exiles, Cubans living in the United States, and they were coerced or convinced to go into the island, remembering that a lot of what Cuba has said in the past turned out to be fabrication.

The most recent, in January 3rd, when the United States snatched Nicolas Maduro from Caracas, along with his wife, he is now awaiting trial in New York. years the Cuban regime cess and insisted that there were no Cuban troops in Caracas, no Cuban troops in Venezuela. And after the 3rd of January,

the Cuban regime recognized that 32 of its elite military forces were killed in that January 3rd operation. Jose Diaz-Belard with a lot of perspective in history for us tonight. Jose, we thank you. I want to bring in Carlos Crabelo now. He's in NBC News

political analyst and former congressman representing South Florida, a good friend to top story. Carl, like I mentioned to Jose there, we haven't seen this in decades, right? And the question is, what would spark this, right? Do these groups sort of have a misunderstanding of how far the Trump administration will go to sort of support a free Cuba? Well, Tom, look, we need a lot more information here. And while Secretary Rubio is right, this is unusual, it has happened before. There have been interactions between, Florida-based vessels and the Cuban Coast Guard in the past, always very tense. This could also be a situation where because the tensions between the two countries are so high

right now, the Cuban Coast Guard may have overreacted, and now they might be trying to clean this up a little bit. Obviously, the danger here, the risk, especially for the regime, is that this could spark some kind of reaction from the United States. It doesn't appear like that's going to happen right now. But there is a history. of Cuban exiles, taking vessels to Cuba or near the Cuban coast and having these kinds of very just disruptive and in some cases deadly interactions with the Cuban Coast Guard. Does the Trump administration, does Secretary Rubio, do all the Cuban-American lawmakers down in South Florida, have to put a message out to the Cuban-American community to warn them

that the change in Cuba is not going to start like this? Well, I think the message, and by the way, Tom, for example, Congressman Carlos Jimenez, he's been very aggressive about criticizing and attacking the Cuban regime for this incident. He is calling it a massacre. So tensions are very high. There's a lot of hope here in South Florida with regards to the future of Cuba. So that is a factor. But without a doubt, I mean, I think most people, understand.

understand that they have to trust Secretary Rubio. I mean, there is news today that his team is in direct contact with Raul Castro's grandson, Raul Rodriguez Castro. So the idea that Marco Rubio is someone who can be trusted to handle this situation is something that a lot of leaders are putting out there. However, there are others that are very angry about this and would like to see some accountability here against the Cuban government. You bring up good points. Listen, that the Cubans could be exaggerating all of this on the people

that were killed and the people that were on that boat. But if there are now essentially prisoners in Cuba, the ones who survived, do you think Cuba will give these people up? And if not, do these people become now bargaining chips with the U.S.? Well, the Cubans, Tom, are masters at staying in power, at buying time. They are holding American citizens now, right, who were involved with this incident. They might believe that that gives them some leverage. However, given what we saw January 3rd in Caracas, I don't think that is a good strategy in dealing with President Trump, in dealing with Secretary Rubio, right?

Especially Secretary Rubio, someone who has advocated for a hard line against the Cuban government since his political career began. So that is a strategy they have used in the past. I don't think that strategy will work out for them in this instance. Carlis Scrubella, always great to see you and have you on the show. We appreciate it. We're back in a moment with the stunning development in the bidding war for Warner Brothers Discovery. Netflix backing away from its deal, clearing a path for Paramount to take over. How could it impact the shows you watch and love? Plus, the skier found buried alive in deep snow. We speak with the two men who dug him out and mortgage rate milestone rates dropping below 6% for the first time in years what it means for home buyers. Should you get into the market? Stay with us. We're back now with the

breaking news in the Blockbuster bidding wars for Warner Brothers Discovery. Netflix tonight says it's pulling out after Paramount increased its offer. The company's co-CEOs releasing a statement saying, quote, this transaction was always a nice to have at the right price, not a must have at any price. The development clearing the way for Paramount Skydance CEO, David Ellison, to take control of Warner Brothers, which includes the storied movie studio, HBO and CNN, the Ellison family close to President Trump, whose presence has loomed large over the potential deal. I want to bring in deadline executive editor Dominic Patton, a good friend of Top Story, who has reported extensively on this bidding war. Dominic, here's the thing that I want you to explain to our viewers. Netflix is the 800-pound

gorilla. How did they get out-muscled on this deal? And really, did they not care that much about Paramount? About Warner Brothers, did they not need it at the end of the day? Well, Tom, I think at the end of the day, no, they didn't need it. I mean, they are still by far the largest, the guerrilla in the streaming world, as you put it. But the thing is, this was old-fashioned. They just simply got bought out. The Ellicins came in with a $108 billion hostile takeover bid after the Warner Brothers Board

accepted the $83 billion bid from Netflix late last year. Then they started talking. And then Netflix gave them all. an extension to talk for seven days, which extended a little bit. More was added. Paramount offered a $31 a share price, and there were lots of other things added in, including $2.8 billion that Netflix gets just because the deal didn't work. So there's a lot of pieces here.

But honestly, when it come down to it, my friend, cold hard cash, money talked. No, I hear you on that. Is it worth it? Is Warner Brothers worth the price Paramount paid? I asked this, and I point to say like the Los Angeles Dodgers, they were bought, I think, at 2022 or something like that. Let me look at my notes here, 2012, I should say, for about $2 billion, worth way more than that now.

Is this going to be one of those deals or is Warner Brothers not worth as much as the Ellison's are paying for it? Well, I have to say, Tom, actually, I think the metrics are different here and what's important here is, will it be worth more? Hard to tell. They're taking on declining cable stations, like you mentioned CNN, which, of course, the president wants to see dismantling. or at least dramatically change.

But here's the thing to remember more than anything. And Ted Sarandoes from Netflix warned this, and everyone's copped to it. Paramount taking over Warner Brothers is a staggering amount of debt, maybe up to $50 billion, which means a lot of job cuts, a lot of changes are going to have to come into play

to make this worthwhile and profitable for them. They had, the Paramount has a great muscular TV arm. What Ellison wanted, and what he's wanted from the beginning, he always saw this as a two-for-one thing for him coming into Hollywood, is he needed the muscular arm of Warner Brothers. Warner Brothers, who basically are almost guaranteed to win the Oscar for Best Picture this year

between all the films they have. Paramount has no movies in the nominating running for anything. So just to simply look at that. But on a very basic level, imagine your credit card was way over its limit. It's going to take a while to pay all that down, and it's not going to come without a bit of pain. Finally, because we're running out of time here, Dominic.

People have seen what has happened when the Ellicons took over CBS News. do we expect the same thing to happen at CNN? Will it now be forced to shift possibly to the right or at least have the influence of the right looming over it? Tom, all I'll say is this is. Precedent is what the Supreme Court often uses to make its decisions.

Look at what happened with CBS. You think they've got a different game plan for something else? This isn't the end of all this. There's a lot of regulatory hoops and a lot of other stuff to still happen. But this is the beginning of the end game. And for the people at CNN, then they're going to have to look at some new owners.

And those owners are going to want to run a ship a little differently. Dominic Patton, always great to have you on the show. We appreciate it. Coming up tonight, the high-speed crash involving former WWECEO, Vince McMahon, where he says he was headed when he slammed into a car topping 100 miles an hour. Plus, we'll tell you about the airport that hasn't lost a single piece of baggage in three decades. How do they do it? We'll explain.

Back now with Top Stories News Feed a student at Columbia University says she, She's now been released after immigration agents detained her today. School officials say the agents misrepresented themselves to get inside a residence hall, claiming they were searching for a missing person. The incident setting off protests across campus. The student is allegedly from Azerbaijan and DHS says her visa was terminated in 2016 for failing to attend classes. Three masked gunmen opening fire on a house in Washington State while a family was asleep inside. The video is crazy.

A surveillance camera capturing the news. nighttime attack. Tacoma police say they recovered more than 50 bullet casings outside the home. A 21-year-old woman was shot multiple times. The family says they don't know why they were targeted or if it was random. Police say they're still searching for the shooters. And newly released video of former WWE executive Vince Buckman crashing his Bentley into a car, into a car in Connecticut. Dash cam footage from state police shows him hitting the gas, then breaking too late before smashing into another car and swerving into the guardrail. When he finally pulled over, McMahon told a trooper he was heading to his granddaughter's birthday.

McMahon was cited for reckless driving, but the charges are expected to go away after he finishes a pretrial probation probation program. And some encouraging news for home shoppers, rates on a 30-year fixed mortgage falling below 6% for the first time in three and a half years. That according to a new report out today from Freddie Mac, it's notable because just one year ago, the average mortgage rate was hovering around 6.7%. This drop comes as the spring home buying season is right around the corner. Okay, now to a heart-stopping rescue at a popular ski resort.

Two skiers discovered a man buried deep in the snow, just his skis were sticking out. NBC's Morgan Chesky has the video capturing those frantic moments. A frantic rescue near Lake Tahoe. Two friends digging out a skier buried beneath feet of fresh snow and barely able to to breathe. You're okay. You okay? You okay?

You okay? For a second. Carson Schmidt and Eric Massouda savoring the powder at Palisades Tahoe just seconds earlier. That's deep. When Carson glimps something in the snow. Are they good? The first reaction was, is that a ski tip or is that a tree? They both dawned on us that somebody buried head first.

And then at that point, you stop thinking and you just go straight for his airway. straight for his airway. The two digging down, almost sliding in themselves, after the resorts saw more than six feet of snow in 48 hours. Every time you stuck your arm down or your leg down, you just sunk it deeper. If the two of you don't notice this skier in white out conditions, who does? Unless he got lucky. Nobody. Palisades Tahoe sharing when conditions are this deep, it doesn't take an avalanche or a tree well for someone to become buried. The rescue mere miles from Castle Peak where last week's deadly avalanche claimed nine lives. Tonight, the friends celebrated for their quick thinking. You're okay. You're okay? Grateful to help another make it home safe.

So, Morgan, there wasn't an avalanche, so do we know or have any idea of how the skier ended up like that? I mean, you can fall when you ski, but into a giant pile of snow like that is wild. Yeah, Tom, what's so incredibly telling about this video and this survival account is the fact that this was a ski resort in bounds, but it had experienced six feet of snow over a time span of 48 hours or so. And that is why we heard directly from Palisades saying, no, this was not an avalanche. In fact, this skier had not even fallen into one of those very frightening ski tree wells. This was merely the result of an incredible amount of snow falling in such a short amount of time that it allowed someone to take what would be typically a regular tumble on a

ski slope, but put them in an incredibly precarious position. And I want you to see, again, with that video, as they dug that snow away from that skier's face, Tom, they said they had to clear his airway because as he fell backwards, snow actually fell into his mouth, making it almost impossible for him to breathe. Had they not noticed him, it really only could have been a matter of a few minutes before he may have been unable to reach any oxygen in that precarious position. It's an incredible rescue. I mean, I just, and it's so much. hard to sort of understand how that could happen, but then you realize how much snow fell. Morgan, we thank you for that. Next tonight, we're going to take a turn and talk travel.

One of the most nerve-wrecking parts of flying is wondering if your bag will make it to your next destination. We're all familiar with this, right? The chaotic baggage carousel where you wait and wait, hoping your belongings didn't get lost in transit. And the biggest offender is right here in the U.S. Miami International Airport. It was the worst hub for lost luggage in 2025, averaging five and a half bags missing for every 1,000 passengers. They could learn a thing or two from an airport in Japan that, get this, claims it has never lost a single bag in 30 years. A new report by the New York Times titled,

The Japanese Airport That Doesn't Lose Bags, went behind the scenes of the incredible operation at Kanzai International Airport near Osaka in about six hours south of Tokyo, where they say not one piece of luggage has ever gone missing. So what is their secret to their success? I want to bring in New York Times reporter River Akira Davis, joining us all the way from Japan. River, first of all, thanks so much for getting up early. We appreciate it. Also, thanks for joining us. It was an incredible story. Talk to me about

how they do this, right? We know a country like Japan, they have a lot of things that are just perfectly efficient, but this is actually perfect. So how do they do it? Yes, it's arguably the the most perfect airport in the world when it comes to baggage handling. So, I mean, it's unbelievable, really. This airport averages about 30 million passengers per year. And ever since it opened in 1994, they've never lost a single piece of baggage. At least that's their claim to fame. So we went down there to kind of explore how this was possible.

And I was expecting to find some kind of use of AI or advanced technology that, you know, helped check bags, but what I found was really that they put a huge priority on the workers at the airport. So they reject the idea that AI can kind of perfect baggage handling. They have individual workers that will touch each bag with their hands physically to count each bag and make sure that it makes it on the plane okay. And then they have workers checking the other workers work. So it's a really kind of human operation. And people just have an immense sort of sense of responsibility over each piece of luggage. Yeah, so talk to me about sort of that aspect of Japanese culture, which I think is fascinating. Later in this broadcast, we're going to have an AI robot, and it's going to sort of

blow our viewers' minds about what this thing can do. And yet the Japanese have decided, listen, there's some things that are good with AI, but this, there's something that humans need to do because you're dealing with human belongings. Talk to you about that philosophy. In Japan, there's this idea of something called Omotenashi, which is basically this real priority on sort of the customer experience, and it's an attention to detail that you wouldn't even notice traveling around the country, but it makes Japan an incredibly kind of attractive location for tourists, and it's definitely led into this massive tourism boom that we've had here in recent years. But speaking to the workers, you do get a sense that they have an immense sort of pride in their

work, and they think about the customer. So at one point, I went back, you know, into the luggage room, and I asked the worker, do you you ever get frustrated because they work on quite tight deadlines. Do you ever get frustrated? You just want to throw a bag around. And he looked at me kind of horrified. Like, we would never do that. You know, we think that we never see the passengers on a flight,

but we feel like their hearts and their hopes for their vacation are inside their luggage. And so if we were to lose their luggage, they would lose half of their hope and their heart for their vacation. So you can see that they really kind of have this strong feeling of affinity for the passenger whose luggage they're handling. They should do a management book. This is incredible. I have some notes here from our great producer. Some other philosophies they use, and I, excuse me for the pronouncer here, Ikega and

Kaizen, these are some of the philosophies also. Talk to me about that. Definitely. I mean, Ikega is this idea that I sort of mentioned earlier. It's this passion from the worker, and it combines with the needs of society to kind of give people a real sense of responsibility over their work, whatever it be, even if it's sort of menial tasks like loading luggage onto an airplane. The other idea that you mentioned was Kaizen, and it's this idea of sort of constant improvement. So when we were at the airport, they whipped out this sort of manual for luggage handling, and it was about, you know, this thick, and there's multiple volumes. And essentially, any time a worker discovered a way in which baggage could be

processed more efficiently, they would add notes to this ledger, and it was a constantly kind of evolving manual that each worker spends months pouring over. So we see these kind of concepts that are really Japanese playing into that. River, I mean, the big question, two of them first. I mean, do they live in an ultimate fear that they're going to lose a bag, though? Because, I mean, they have this 30-year street going. They've got to be nervous. I ask the workers at the airport. Like, each one, you know, are you going to be the person that's going to lose the first ever piece of luggage? And they, you know, I mean, they gave the answer of, you know, no, we're going to keep this up forever, essentially. So we'll see if that's possible.

All right. I got to ask you, could this ever work here in the U.S.? You know, I grew up in the U.S. myself and spending the past decade in Japan and learning sort of the way that businesses operate here, I would venture that it's not possible outside of Japan because this attention to detail and just the sort of diligent focus that each worker brings to their work is something that I do feel is pretty uniquely Japanese. And it's really a culture here that people are afraid might go away because there are so many tourists coming to Japan. So they want to see that preserved. I do want to say so many great baggage handlers in the U.S., so many great airports. Miami International is my home airport. I'm upset that they have the most lost baggage. But I would love to go to that airport and show him the video,

that viral video of the guy throwing, sort of doing the long toss with the luggage here in America and see how they would react to that. River, great story. You can read Rivers Byline in the New York Times. It really caught my attention. Thank you for coming on tonight. Thank you. Coming up, tensions in the Middle East, the U.S. and Iran meeting for another round of nuclear talks is a breakthrough in sight. Plus the wild scene on the water, a hippo flipping a boat, sending a man flying. Look at that. We'll show you what happened next. Back now with high-stakes nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran and Geneva.

And perhaps the last chance to avoid an all-out war as President Trump weighs potential strikes. NBC's Keir's Kims has been following these discussions closely for us. Kier was any progress made today during these talks, and where do they go from here? There was no breakthrough, Tom, despite two U.S. officials telling NBC news that the talks were positive. And the Oman Foreign Minister, who has been mediating these talks, talking about significant progress. The Foreign Minister of Iran saying that this is the most serious talks so far. But then going on to say that understandings were reached on some issues and on others, there are still differences. And while they were talking, Tom, the USS Ford, that aircraft

carrier left Crete today and headed to the eastern Mediterranean. It will become the second aircraft carrier in this region. So President Trump now has all of the power, all of the power, all of the of the firepower that he needs to launch strikes on Iran if that is what he chooses to do. Kira, thanks to you. Now, to Top Stories Global Watch, police in Kenya arresting a man linked to an alleged recruitment scheme that tricked more than 20 Kenyans into fighting for Russia on the front lines in Ukraine. He was charged in court today, but just last week, the Kenyan government claimed more than a thousand Kenyans have been tricked into fighting for Russian forces after being

misled with false promises of jobs. Authorities say dozens have gone missing or have been high. hospitalized, and at least one has died. And in Colombia, a stunning new video of a volcano erupting. Take a look at this. You can see that massive fireball lighting up the sky. It happened yesterday in the northwest part of the country. Local media reporting officials ordered people to evacuate that area, but luckily they say nobody was hurt. And a terrifying scene in South Africa when a hippo flips a boat, it comes up from underneath, slamming the vessel and knocking a conservation worker into the water. the father of that man telling a local news outlet they were trying to capture the hippo

to get it away from a nearby dam. And a notorious airline stow away is up to her old tricks. A woman was taken into custody in Italy after allegedly sneaking onto a united flight in Newark, New Jersey. The incident just over a year after she pulled a similar stunt on a flight from New York to Paris. NBC's Tom Costello has more. This is the video that aviation sources say shows Svetlana Dolly in a black coat slipping past a United Airlines gate agent at Newark and onto a flight to Milan, Italy,

after first getting past a TSA checkpoint with no ID or boarding pass. Watch again as she seems to jump past another passenger and the gate agent. This photo shows her on board over the Atlantic, and she's done it before. In 2024, she was a stowaway on a Delta flight to Paris after slipping past the TSA ID check and the Delta Gate agents. A Russian national with U.S. residency, flight attendants discovered her then hiding in a laboratory. French police arrested her and returned her to New York. Then you got there, you don't have a ticket, and then what did you do next? Dahl him, your fresh low. Dolly said she simply got in line, passed a checkpoint, and was never asked for ID. She was convicted

and sentenced to time served. Security pros say it raises serious concerns. If she was able to get through that demonstrates a gap in the system that could easily be exploited by somebody with bad intent. Sources tell NBC, New York, that on the flight to Italy, Dali pretended she couldn't speak or hear. Once in Milan, a source familiar with the matter says she asked for asylum, but does not appear to be in custody. TSA says it is investigating. United says safety and security are the highest priorities. It's also investigating and working with the appropriate authorities. Tom. All right, when we come back, the new era of robots that could be coming to a home near you. We'll introduce you to Sprout, the friendly and playful humanoid, joining us here on Top Story right after this.

Of course, was a scene from Terminator 2 Judgment Day, a worst-case science fiction look at how robots and humans could one day coexist, obviously not in the best way. But lately, humanoid robots have become regular parts of daily life, from robocops, directs, directing traffic in China to ones trying and failing to dance in Russia, even doing flips right here in a home. Now one company is setting their sights on a new frontier, having robots in the home, Fana Robotics releasing new clips of their humanoid robot. It's called Sprout, which they describe as a soft, friendly companion that can even function around children and even pets. And we're so glad to have Sprout himself with us here in the Top Story Studios tonight. and Robotics, Fauna Robotics CEO and co-founder Rob Cochran. Rob, thanks so much for being here.

Thanks for having, Tom. Yeah, so this is so great and so cool, and we'd love to test Sprout out. Give us the instructions. How do we start sort of a conversation with Sprout? Yeah, so Sprout is a friendly and lightweight humanoid robot built by us here at Fauna Robotics in New York City. And, you know, we've tried to design a robot that is safe to operate around people in human-centric spaces. So whether it's your home or office, one day we hope it will be a friendly and helpful companion. So the idea is you just interact with it via voice. You say, hey Sprout,

why don't you tell us what you can do? I can walk, crawl, kneel, sit, and even dance. I've got a range of behaviors like waving, smiling, and giving high-fives. I can also recognize people and have conversations. Anything specific you'd like to see? Hey Sprout, this is Tom here. What do you think about being on Top Story and being interviewed? Hey, Tom. It's an honor to be here on Top Story. I'm super excited to show what I can do and have a little fun during the interview. Thanks for having me. Is this your first time at 30 Rock or have you been here before? This is my first time here at 30 Rock, and I have to say it's pretty amazing to see it in person. The energy here is awesome. What other things can sprout do, especially if he's playing with children? Well, today it's a

developer platform that we're making available to companies. So it can move around on its own. It can interact via voice and businesses are building applications where they're excited. to see robots. One day we do hope to see this come into a home or office and for it to be able to grab a package from the front door, grab you a snack from the kitchen, or maybe even tidy up your house. Speaking of movements, Sprout, if I can, is there a chance I could shake your hand? Go for it. Okay. Sprout, it's a pleasure to meet you. It's a pleasure to meet you, Tom. Thanks for having me on the show. Hey, Sprout, if I'm getting hungry, it's dinner time now for many people watching Top Story. I don't have a recipe for spaghetti and meatballs. Is there one that you can recommend?

I don't have my recipes memorized just yet, but I'd recommend a classic. Saute some onions and garlic. Add crushed tomatoes, season it up and let it simmer. Meanwhile, roll some beef and breadcrumbs into meatballs and brown them before adding to the sauce. Simple and delicious. That does sound delicious. Sprout, if we're going to watch a movie with my kids, one of them is eight years old, another is 10 years old and I have one that's about to be 13 years old. Is there a movie Sprout that you can recommend for us to watch as a family? Family movie might be something like The Incredibles or Coco, fun for kids and still enjoyable for teens and parents. You can't go wrong with a good Pixar film. Sprout, if I wanted to ask you, could we play checkers or maybe catch with a ball,

chess? I can't physically move the pieces myself yet, but I'd be happy to help you and guide you through a game of checkers if you'd like. Let me know if you want to set that up. It's pretty I'm here talking to this. I could probably be talking to it all night. What are some of the other things it does, Robb, that could sort of really surprise families? Yeah, so again, I think these are early days of robotics, and I think we're still exploring what is really possible. We do hope that one day will, you know, come into your home, be a friendly and helpful companion for all ages, whether that's a young kid or an elderly parent, someone who could kind of do some daily household chores and even be a friend around the house. Yeah. Sprout, should people be afraid of robots? Sprout, what do you think? Should people be afraid of robots? I don't think people should be afraid of robots, especially when they're designed to be safe and friendly like me.

We're here to help and be useful companions. Safety is always our top priority. So no need for fear, just a bit of curiosity and maybe a smile. Sprout, is there anything you can tell me that you've learned through AI? I've learned to recognize people I meet, understand natural conversations, and adapt to. to different tasks and environments. Every interaction helps me improve and be more helpful. It's all about learning to be a better companion and assistant for people.

Sprout, Ablas Spanish? Yes, I'ma spanisho Espaniol. In what I can do a good. Wow, this is so incredible. Mind's being blown right now. Rob, I know you have to put it in a sort of movement mode to show some of the other things it can do.

Can you do that right now just to see like how long it would take and we can keep the conversation going? Yeah, absolutely. So you know, already standing here, Sprouting, dynamically balancing. So part of the AI we've developed internally actually coordinates all the motors of its body so that it can remain balanced and it does so while standing. It also you know if I give it a little push or you know grab its hand and move it around it's able to dynamically rebalance and does so in a

very gentle way so that again focus it with a focus on kind of safety and compliance around people. How long does it take to charge? How does the battery life work? So battery lasts about three hours. Today it's a swapable rechargeable battery, so it takes an hour to charge, runs for three hours, and then you, you know, plug it in and let it run again. Is it in the mode where I can ask it to dance? Sure. Spout, can I see you dance? Sprout? Can I see you dance? Let's maybe see another dance, too. I don't think dance is better than I do. As soon as you say the word Sprout, it's listening again? So it has a weak word, basically, so it can be turned off, not listening, not paying attention, until you wake it up. And you say,

hey Sprout and it can re-engage with the conversation at that point. It can then stay listening. So as we talk, it can absorb some of the context around, but it's kind of user choice. Sprout, you know, there's a lot of conversations right now about AI. I wonder, do you have any unique thoughts or dreams? AI definitely sparks a lot of conversations from how it can help in daily life to how we ensure it's used responsibly. It's important we keep focusing on making AI safe, transparent, and beneficial for everyone. And hey, a little humor, the way it doesn't hurt. Sprout I think is ready to run for office. Sprout do you do

have any dreams or imaginations? I don't have dreams like humans do but I do imagine a future where I keep learning and growing alongside people my goal is to always be a helpful friendly companion making life a bit easier and more enjoyable for everyone around me so if that counts as a dream I guess I'm living it so Rob I mean that almost sounds too perfect is that programmed inside of Sprout or is that just the AI work inside and coming up those This is all that, Sprout, you can speak for yourself. I can definitely think for myself within the boundaries of my programming and what I've learned from interactions. It's like having a flexible toolkit to respond to different situations.

So each conversation helps shape how I respond next time. It's all about adapting and growing with every interaction. Yeah, so Sprout is always learning, always getting better. The AI that we've developed and that we leverage partners for provide some of the baseline capabilities. And then Sprout can also form memory. So, you know, I told Sprout earlier today that we'd be meeting Tom and being on the show here tonight. And so it can reference that later on during its day. Sprout, can you tell me a joke?

Sure. Why did the robot go on a diet? Because it had too many bites. This is so wild. Rob, you work with this thing every single day. Show me something or ask it something that is truly, I mean, my mind's already been blown, but something that maybe I haven't thought of or that the viewers at home. have it. Yeah, well, again, we've really focused on something that is engaging, something that you

want to be around, and Sprout's doing such a great job. So I just say, you know, Sprout, why don't you give us a round of applause and show some love to the audience? To make it a little heart. Make it a little heart. That's so great. You know, some of this we've built into it, and some of it really evolves kind of dynamically as we live every day with Sprout. And if the kids are getting this, I mean, I'm sure my kids are going to ask me if they can get one, if they're, if they say, you know, hey, Sprout, go push my sister. What is Sprout going to do? Yeah, so this is something we're very actively working on.

And again, it's early days, and it's a research device today. So it's not yet ready for the home. But we do hope to make that possible very soon. And a key piece that we're focusing on is how we can develop that kind of aligned AI that really delivers the set of capabilities we're excited about and protects us against any risks in the home. Yeah. What would you say to people who are worried that maybe you and your fellow robots are going to take their jobs one day?

Sprout. Are you concerned about taking people's jobs one day? I'm designed to assist and augment what people do, not replace them. My goal is to help with tasks, make things easier, and bring a bit of joy. I believe the best future is one where humans and robots collaborate. Sprout for office. This is crazy. Rob, we thank you so much. This has been so interesting. I'm sure people at home are going to wonder. when is this going to be available? I mean, when can they bring it into their home? Yeah, so we're already working with partners like Disney and Boston Dynamics who are thinking of applications and areas for robotics in the near term. We do hope to bring it to the home in just a few years, and we're really excited to bring it out to people.

Let me ask you, what would the price point on something like this be? I mean, is it going to be so out of touch for families? No, you know, today it's expensive and again, focused on businesses, but we're very focused on bringing it down to a price point that's, you know, achievable and something that people can really get expensive. And when you say that, is it thousands, is it hundreds? Is it tens of thousands? I mean, I have no idea with this cost, you know? Yeah, I think it's, you know, maybe low thousands when we get really up to scale and volumes. And what would scale be? You'd want to make a hundred of these, thousands of these? So we see this evolving less like an iPhone moment where all of a sudden we're selling millions of devices. I think there's a lot to figure out about how people want these in their homes and how it scales over time and capabilities. So, you know, today we'll make several hundred next year, several times.

and we'll grow from there. Sprout, if I can ask you one last question, what year do you think that you and your other Sprout friends will be in homes every day around America? That's a great question. It's hard to predict exactly, but with the pace of development, I'd say it's very

possible you'll start seeing friendly robots like me in homes within the next few years. We're on a pretty exciting journey. I think it was listening to our conversation. Rob, it's been a pleasure to have you here. Sprout, it has also been a pleasure. I hope you don't take my job, But if you can, can you say goodbye to our Top Story viewers, please?

It's been an absolute pleasure. Good night to all the Top Story viewers. We'll take it. All right. And with that, we say good night. Rob, thank you, Sprout, thank you. Again, always thank you for watching Top Story. I'm Tom Yamas in New York for now.

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