Top Story with Tom Llamas - Thursday, January 15, 2026

Episode Date: January 16, 2026

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

Tonight, the most violent night of clashes in Minnesota yet, and now fears it will get even worse. As President Trump threatens to deploy the military to that state, scenes of chaos, tear gas, and flashbangs unleashed after an ICE officer shot a man in the leg. Federal officers' cars destroyed our reporter out on the scene as new clashes break out. Dangerous winter weather on the move, the massive 30 vehicle pile-up. A school bus hit head on. Officers rescuing drivers trapped in the snow, plus the bitter Arctic blast on the way. U.S. forces heading to the Middle East at this hour as President Trump weighs military action in Iran. And our new reporting tonight, additional forces are on their way.

Deadly mushroom poisoning, health officials sounding the alarm over wild mushrooms, leaving dozens hospitalized. The state now on high alert. Zoo Inferno, first responders rushing in to try to save Amherne. animals as their exhibit completely engulfed in flames. Streamers sticker shock two major streaming services jacking up prices. We'll explain what you can do to save. And what is appropriate airplane attire? The heated debate over pajamas, footwear, and so much more, our experts weigh in.

Plus, the countdown of the college football championship. Will Miami pull an upset over Indiana? We're breaking it all down. Top story starts right now. Good evening tonight. That pressure that has been building in the Minneapolis area and the day since the deadly ice shooting exploding into chaotic clashes, the most violent since the start of the unrest. And new concerns it could get even worse as the president threatens to send in the military. Fier's clashes like the one you see right here playing out in the streets, demonstrators launching objects at law enforcement, officers responding with flashbangs and tear gas. Some protesters destroying cars belonging to law enforcement officers, windows, shattered the chief of police condemning the unlawful acts. Fresh outrage sparked after an ice officer shot and wounded a Venezuelan man during a targeted traffic stop. DHS saying this man fled the

scene and when officers caught up to him, he resisted arrest. Then two other men came out of a nearby apartment and attacked an officer with a shovel and a broom. The officer then fired, quote, defensive shots. President Trump now threatened to use the Insurrection Act, which basically allows the military to operate inside the city of Minnesota's, of Minneapolis. Minnesota's governor Tim Walls pushing back, pleading to Trump, let's turn the temperature down. And violence has broken out during immigration operations across the country. In California, federal officer firing a projectile towards a protester at close range. Tensions rising from coast to coast, but we begin tonight with Shaquille Brewster on the ground in the Twin Cities.

Tonight, growing tensions outside of federal federal. facility in Minnesota. This is a scene that we've seen all day long the line of police officers and right across the street protesters, a scene that's repeatedly turned into clashes. And overnight, chaos erupting, anti-ice protesters throwing objects at officers who then used flashbanks and tear gas to disperse crowds. Law enforcement cars also destroyed. The crowd is engaging in unlawful acts. They have thrown fireworks at police officers. All as DHS revealed more details about that new shooting involving the ice officer. DHS saying he fired in self-defense while he was being beaten, saying the officer was trying to arrest Julio Caesar Sosa-Selis,

who came to the U.S. illegally three years ago when the suspect began to resist and violently assault the officer. DHS says two other men from Venezuela, both here illegally, then ran up and began to hit the officer with a shovel and broomstick, so the officer fired hitting Sosa-Alees in the leg. Our agent is beat up, and we're thankful that he may be able to. made it out alive. President Trump now threatening to use the Insurrection Act if Democratic leaders don't quote obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the patriots of ICE. The Minneapolis mayor overnight. For those that have peacefully protested, I applaud you. For those that are taking the bait, you are not helping

and you are not helping the undocumented immigrants in our city. While in California, an anti-ice protester appears to be hit in the face by a projectile while moving toward an officer. As Minnesota's governor blast ICE enforcement operations. It's a campaign of organized brutality against the people of Minnesota by our own federal government. But the White House defending ICE saying they've arrested suspects with convictions including rape, assault, and murder. These are all illegal alien criminals. This is all ICE is trying to do. They are trying to remove people like this from Governor Walses' state.

Shaq Brewster joins us tonight from outside that federal facility. Shaq, we know now how many federal officers are at exactly in the Twin Cities? That's right, Tom. A federal law enforcement official is telling NBC news that there are more than roughly, I should say, 3,000 federal immigration officers in the Minneapolis area. That's about five times the size of the Minneapolis Police Department, and we know that many of them are in this facility that you see over here. That's something, and that's why you have protesters coming here,

each and every day to make it known that they do not like the increased immigration enforcement that you've been seeing in the Minneapolis area. Now it is not just ICE though the majority of those officers are with ICE. We've seen officers with border patrol. We've also seen law enforcement with a bureau of prisons but despite the threats that you're hearing from President Trump to invoke the insurrection act despite the heated rhetoric these protesters are telling me they are still going to come out each and every day making it known that they don't like what they're seeing in their city. Tom? Okay. Bruce Struly leading us off tonight. Shaq, thank you.

Julia Ainsley has some exclusive reporting tonight on an error involving AI that sent ICE officers out into the field without proper training. Julia joins us now with more. Julia, this error had to do with which, with a resume scanning program? That's right. It was an AI tool, Tom, that ICE used when they were doing that big hiring search. It began in August because they had to hire 10,000 new officers before the end of 2025. They used the tool to scan resumes to determine who had law enforcement experience. Those with law enforcement experience could get four weeks of a virtual training versus those without who needed eight weeks of an in-person training at an academy that included how to handle a gun, physical fitness test, and a legal course. We now understand from DHS that about 200 people were misidentified and sent to field offices

without the proper training. But in a statement just into NBC News, they say that they have identified, those people and brought them back into the federal law enforcement training to get the training that they need before going out to do these operations. Tom. And we should mention, right, this error did not impact that officer who was involved in the shooting of Renee Good, who had been with ICE for many years. But for the new recruits, this did impact. What is ICE doing now to fix the issue? That's right. That officer had been with ICE for over 10 years as we understand that. But now ICE is manually going through anyone who was identified as a law enforcement officer, which makes up about

85% of the people that they hired at the end of last year because, of course, that experience would lend itself towards being an ICE officer. They're going through making sure that their resumes mean that they actually have law enforcement experience. What I'm told Tom by two officials is that any time a resume just said officer, even if it was, I aspire to be a nice officer, or say they were a previous compliance officer, that was identifying them as law enforcement experienced. So now they're doing a by hand manual recount to make sure everyone in the field has the training they need. Of course, this comes as there's mounting scrutiny on the ICE training and vetting process as they send more officers to places like Minneapolis.

Okay, Julia Ainsley with that new reporting tonight, Julia, we thank you. The Trump administration's immigration enforcement operations drawing criticism from some big names online, including podcaster Joe Rogan, who endorsed President Trump just days before the 2024 election. Here's somewhat of what he said. You don't want militarized people in the streets just roaming around, snatching people up, many of which turn out to actually be U.S. citizens that just don't have their papers on them? Are we really going to be the Gestapo? Where's your papers? Is that what we've come to? So the question tonight are Rogan's comments reflective of a broader change in public opinion? Crunching those numbers for us tonight. You know who it is. NBC, Steve Kornacki.

Steve, great to see you on top story. Does polling suggest a public opinion? has turned against ICE at all recently. Yeah, I think, Tom, one interesting thing we're seeing here is that people who are against ICE and the work that ICE is doing the way they're doing it are now really against this. Back in June on this question of abolishing ICE, it was only 27 percent of Americans who said that. Now it's nearly half, 46 percent. And there's a partisan cast to this as well. More than three out of four Democrats now say they want to see ICE abolished among independence,

47 percent. Very little support, though. among Republicans. And you also have some polling on specific tactics used by ICE officers? Yeah, that's right. Take a look at this right here. The question here of do you use force, do you rather see ICE prioritization here, use force to complete its operation successfully or minimize harm in its operation, even if that means missing out on arrests and apprehensions? And you can see here broadly, almost 70 percent say they want to err on the side of minimizing harm and not using force. something else we're seeing a lot of attention to the masks that ICE agents are often seen

wearing here. What do people think about that? By the way, a partisan cast on that as well in terms of a force, in terms of minimization there. But in terms of the masks here, broad opposition, 56% say they do not like having these ICE agents wearing these masks. In terms of the overall effect of ICE's operations here, ask this question here, do you think that mostly the right people are being deported by ICE or mostly the wrong people? Actually, the public is. basically split on that. And in terms of the politics, Tom, for Trump, his approval rating on a host of issues right here. And you can see immigration 40%. That's a low number, of course. All of these are low numbers for the president right now. But immigration, this had been a number that

earlier in his term was closer to 50 percent for him, now down to 40 percent. All right. Steve Kornacki, breaking it down for us. Steve, we appreciate it. We want to turn out of the dangerous weather. Charging east at this hour, tonight, 11 million Americans under winter weather alerts as a powerful snowstorm causes whiteout conditions and major pileups. And now a brutal Arctic blast is on the way. Emily Aketa has the latest. Tonight, a parade of snowstorms pounding northern parts of the country and turning travel treacherous. Near white out conditions in Indiana making it difficult to navigate intersections and toll booths. They said 12 inches. This looks like two feet to me.

Police in South Bend responding to hundreds of calls from drivers trapped in snow. A 30 vehicle pile up sent tractor trailers careening off the road Wednesday. A similar tangled mess seen on I-90 in Pennsylvania today, prompting a massive EMS response. You can see the aftermath of a head-on collision in a snowy Chicago suburb between a bus carrying 10 kids and a car. Police who have not said what caused the crash say the driver of the car died. Residents in Niles, Michigan. I have never in my life seen this. much snow are now digging out for more than 16 inches of snow totally obscuring sidewalks and roads we haven't seen snow like this in a while visibility was not good people were driving slow if they were out at all the winter wall up closed schools in buffalo today this is what you end for while in nearby Toronto there was a ground stop as crews worked to clear the snowy airfield watch as this plane lands in blustery conditions at this new york airport for the eastern third of the U.S. a bitter cold is now taking hold. Temperatures plunged more than 20 degrees

since yesterday in places like Chicago, Cleveland, and Nashville. In New York City, officials tonight are urging people to limit time outdoors in this brutal blast of winter. Emily, it kind of joins us from a frigid New York City that feels like last time I checked was around 17 degrees where you are. More snow on the way for the country? Yeah, can confirm it is absolutely freezing out here, Tom. Unfortunately, that's right. The temps will keep dropping. And for some, the snow will keep falling, especially near the Great Lakes, which could see another foot of snow by the end of the weekend. You saw the images of residents digging out already from inches of snow. Some of that snowfall is anticipated to impact Sunday night football, too. Tom. All right, Emily Aketa,

you and your crew, please get inside. It's cold out there. We want to turn to that dramatic moment inside the White House. We have some new reporting. Venezuela's opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Maria Carina Machado, saying she presented her Nobel Prize to President Trump, and just moments ago, we learned what he did with the medal. Here's Gabe Gutierrez. Tonight, the U.S. seizing another oil tanker near Venezuela, the six so far. U.S. forces repelling from a helicopter onto the deck of the vessel known as the Veronica, a seizure approved by a federal judge. DHS saying it was illegally bypassing U.S. sanctions. It comes as Venezuelan opposition.

leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Karina Machado arrived in Washington, greeting supporters and lawmakers following her high-stakes meeting with President Trump. She's previously dedicated her peace prize to him for supporting democracy in Venezuela, and President Trump has argued he deserves the Nobel. Machado today. I presented the President of the United States the medal of the Nobel Peace Prize. as a recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom. After the dramatic capture of Venezuela's authoritarian leader Nicolas Maduro to stand trial in the U.S., President Trump dismissed Machado as a likely replacement.

She doesn't have the support within or the respect within the country. Meanwhile, Venezuela's new interim leader, Delci Rodriguez, has warmed up to the Trump administration, despite being a Maduro loyalist who has cracked down on dissent within the country. She's a terrific person. I mean, she's somebody that we've worked with very well. The White House pointing to the regime recently releasing political prisoners, including Americans, and a $500 million oil deal with the U.S. Does the president trust the remaining members of the Maduro regime? There have been extremely cooperative.

They have thus far met all of the demands and requests of the United States and of the president. Gabe Gutierrez joins us tonight from the White House. Gabe back to the Nobel Peace Prize. I know you have some new reporting. What did President Trump do, and how did he react when he was presented with him? Yes, Tom. We just got word from a White House official moments ago that President Trump physically has the medal and that he's kept it.

Unclear what he plans to do with it, though. For its part, the Nobel Institute says the award is non-transferable and that, quote, the decision is final and stands for all time. Tom. All right, Gabe, thanks for that. Next tonight, the U.S. says all options are still on the table with Iran. and we have new reporting on U.S. forces heading to the region. It comes to days after President Trump told those protesting in the country that, quote,

help is on the way. NBC's Courtney Cuby joins us tonight from Washington. Courtney, what do we know right now? Yeah, so we know that now the U.S. military is preparing to send additional forces to the Middle East. And Tom, this is all about being prepared if, in fact, the president does decide that he wants to take strikes in Iran, but it's also to be prepared in case Iran lashes out, and that is whether they, lash out preemptively against the U.S. or allies in the region, or also if they retaliate if the U.S. does go forward with some sort of military action inside Iran. So we're talking about

additional forces, things like an aircraft carrier strike group. That comes with not just the aircraft carrier, but the additional ships, fighter jets, reconnaissance aircraft, search and rescue, and then the other ships in the carrier strike group, which bring a tremendous amount of additional firepower. In addition to that, we're told that there will be more aircraft moving to the region in the coming days and some land-based air defenses, Tom. Those are specifically to address that issue of being prepared to defend against Iran if, in fact, the tensions do escalate into military action. And then, Courtney, to be clear with our viewers here, the carrier is heading that way, but you also have some new reporting about pressure from other countries not to take any military

action. Yeah, that's right. So we now know that Israeli officials and allies in the Gulf region have urged the Trump administration not to act militarily right now. They're not saying, don't ever act militarily. But they're saying right now, the Iranian regime is not enough on their back heels that military strikes may actually make enough of a difference to warrant them right now. But the reality is, Tom, President Trump has promised that help is on the way. He has told his senior team, the national security team, that he wants any strikes the U.S. military takes to be decisive. His goal here is to ultimately topple that regime in Tehran. Courtney Kubey, a lot of new reporting there. We thank you for that.

We're going to turn now to some serious allegations against one of the most successful recording artists of all time, Julio Iglesias. Two women alleged the singer assaulted and sexually harassed them when they worked at his homes in the Caribbean. NBC's George Solis has more. Tonight, legendary Spanish singer Julio Iglesias, facing a slew of disturbing allegations, including human trafficking, assault and sexual harassment. lawyers for two women who worked for Iglesias at his homes in the Bahamas and Dominican Republic say they filed a former complaint with prosecutors in Iglesias's native Spain, alleging the women suffered sexual, psychological, physical, and economic violence at the hands of Iglesias in 2021.

One of the women, a domestic worker using the pseudonym Rebecca, told Univision Noticias and El Diario, Iglesias pressured her into sex acts. He used me almost every night, she said, I felt like an object, like a slave. The other woman, a physical therapist, using the pseudonym Laura, told El Diario Iglesias made harassing comments and touched her inappropriately, calling him a very controlling person. What do you think your client's hope comes out of this? So Rebecca and Laura are hoping to find justice for themselves, but they are also trying to amplify their voices so other women that are out there can see in their pursuit of justice hope. NBC News has not been able to confirm whether Spanish prosecutors are investigating the claims, but the Associated Press reports they are studying the allegations.

Representatives for Iglesias have not responded to our requests for comment. He is one of the best-selling Latin artists of all time. The father of pop star Enrique Iglesias. Tonight, Laura's sharing she came forward to ensure that no woman ever suffers from this kind of abuse from him ever again. George Solis, NBC News, Miami. All right, we're going to be back in a moment here on Top Story. New details in the trial of a man accused of killing his wife so he could be with his family's opair. The changes he allegedly made to his home's windows to help cover up the crime.

Plus another gambling scandal rocking the sports world, several former college players charged with rigging basketball games, what we're learning about the scheme. And a massive fire ripping through a Florida zoo. The new video just in tonight showing officers rushing in to the flames to save animals. Stay with us. We're back down with an update in the murder trial we've been following out of Virginia. Brendan Banfield accused of killing his wife and a stranger so he could be with his family's opair. Prosecutors today presenting crime scene photos, DNA evidence, and a witness who made an interesting change to the couple's home just months before the murders. NBC's Alison Barber has it all.

Tonight, new details in the murder trial of Brendan Banfield. The former IRS agent is accused of killing his wife, Christine, and a stranger, Joseph Ryan. It was Mr. Brendan Banfield's duty weapon. The prosecution meticulously outlining the elaborate murder plot they say he devised to be with the family's opair, Juliana Perez-Magaluez. The goal, prosecutors say, to frame Ryan for Christine's murder so Brendan could avoid a costly divorce and custody battle. Banfield has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The family's O'Pair, Banfield's former lover turned star witness for the prosecution, pled guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter. She testified earlier this week about Banfield having new windows installed at the home prior to the murders.

She says meant to muffle sound. A window factory salesman taking the stand saying he spoke with Banfield, who he says made an unusual choice, opting for unique triple pane windows. Banfield's defense cross-examining the salesman about whether Banfield specifically inquired about noise reduction. The specific noise, was there any discussion about that? Not that I recall.

A Fairfax County officer also walking the jury through photos taken a few months after the murders, a new picture frame on the nightstand showing a photo of Banfield and the O'Pair. The O'Pair's clothes had been moved too. Did you eventually find her clothes? I did. Where did you find them? They had been moved to the primary bedroom's closet. Wow. Okay, Alison, Barbara, joins us with that. And Allison, let's go back to that plea deal.

People are going to be watching our coverage, watching your stories, and wondering, the O'Pair testified she was there for the murders. We just saw she moved her close to the primary bedroom, and yet she could walk away free at the end with the plea deal? And not even that. She also pled guilty to shooting Joseph Ryan. She said it was after Brendan did, but with a different weapon. So when she was first arrested in October of 2023, she was facing second-degree murder charges under Virginia sentencing guidelines. That could have been a sentence of up to 40 years. With this plea agreement, which I have right here, it says that based on her cooperation, in addition to having that lesser man slaughter charge, the prosecution says they plan to recommend to the judge that she has sentenced only for time served, meaning she could walk free after all of this. All right. Alison Barber first, following it for us.

Okay, we now want to go to that new gambling allegation, rocking the college basketball world. Players accused of trying to fix the outcomes of multiple games as part of a massive criminal conspiracy. Sam Brock has more. Tonight, the hoops world once again shaken by bombshell accusations of gambling on games, including one from 2024, involving several players from DePaul University, one of 17 schools impacted. It imperils the integrity of sport itself and everything that sports represent to us. The federal government charging 20 players and six fixed. in a point-shaving scheme that touched programs from the Big East to the Sun Belt.

In all, attempts were made to fix 29 games, according to the indictment. Prosecutors say the scheme began in the Chinese Basketball Association, alleging two Americans placed large bets on teams expected to lose, then bribed a former NBA player to underperform so they could cash in. One of sports's really red lines is underperforming to help someone win a bet, or not giving your best because it will give material inside information to someone who can also earn money from it. Prosecutors say they then move their operations stateside, recruiting D1 players who were allegedly offered $10,000 to $30,000 per game. DePaul can take the lead on this possession.

The schools have not been accused of any wrongdoing, as DePaul tells NBC News in a statement, they are deeply disappointed and have a longstanding commitment to educating athletes about gambling. Meantime, the NCAA says they've investigated 40 student athletes from 20 schools over the past year, leading to 11 being banned from NCAA competition. This indictment coming just a few months after sweeping federal charges targeting gambling on NBA games. Tonight prosecutors say this latest scheme involved millions of dollars of fraudulent bets and should serve as a warning. Those who believe they could operate in the shadows, defraud the public, and escape justice were wrong. Back and out of the scheme of recruiting college players.

And according to prosecutors, the betters involved here used alumni, trainers, even former players, people with influence to try to establish gravitas and legitimacy. It's also worth noting, Tom, that the sports bribery charge carries a maximum penalty of five years for fraud. It's up to 20 years. And as we obviously see sports betting just exploding across the board, college athletics, professional sports as well. We did hear from prosecutors today that the indictment that was just unsealed is, quote, not the only charging document. so there could be more to come. Tom? All right, we're going to learn more. Sam, we thank you for that. Still ahead, a smash and grab burglary here in New York. Thieves robbing a Pokemon store at gunpoint, making off with 100 grand in merchandise. We'll show you that dramatic video. Plus, Verizon is now

handing out money for customers impacted by yesterday's massive service outage, how you can cash in. Back now with top stories, news feed, starting with a massive fire tearing through Zoo World in Florida. Body cam video shows deputies in Panama City Beach responding, as buildings go up in flames. Officers bursting through doors to try and save the animals. The zoo, blaming an electrical fire. We are told deputies managed to save several animals, but six lemurs died of smoke inhalation.

And health officials in California are sounding the alarm about a deadly outbreak of poisons linked to wild mushrooms. They say three people have died, and more than 30 were sent to the hospital as of early last week. We're told people are foraging for the fungi, but ended up accidentally picking and eating so-called death-cap mushrooms, which are toxic.

The officials are now urging the public not to eat wild mushrooms. And our robbery caught on camera at a shop here in New York City specializing in Pokemon. Look at this. Surveillance video shows the thieves using hammers to break display cases and even waving a gun at customers. The store's owner telling NBC New York they got away with $100,000 in merchandise. Investigators still working to find those suspects. Crazy. The Verizon says it's now issuing, get this, $20 credits for customers impacted by that massive search outage.

The problems lasted nearly all day yesterday. The company says customers need to log in to their My Verizon app to accept the account credit, all $20 of it. So far, no word on what caused that outage. Okay, time now for Money Talk, speaking of $20. And not one but two major streamers announcing price hikes. And if it feels like streaming services cost a whole lot more now than when you first signed up. up. You won't believe how much prices have actually gone up. NBC's Christine Romans explains. For fans of Landman on Paramount Plus, they want me a lot of money. How's that?

Customers now owe a dollar more a month for an individual subscription. Engage! And gone is the option of an introductory free trial. This isn't just combat. It's cinema. The increase coming just ahead of the debut of the debut of the... the UFC on the streaming platform. And music streamer Spotify now in a countdown to a dollar price increase of its own beginning next month. Customers quick to complain. Brow, Spotify, are you serious right now? Netflix, Disney Plus, Comcast's Peacock, and HBO Macs all raised prices

last year. Since 2020, premium ad-free prices have jumped from an average of $9 a month per streamer to 16. In 2026, there's going to be increased pressure for streaming operators to show profits, and that's going to lead to consumer frustration. The best deals may come with bundling multiple services. Consumers like it because they believe they can theoretically save money, and the streaming service operators like it because it lowers cancellation rates. Last year, the average household that subscribed to streaming services paid for four, according to Deloitte, shelling out $69 a month. That figure already rising and leaving customers with only one sure way to cut costs. Clicking on unsubscribe. All right, Christine Ramos joins us now to you.

So, Christine, this is the question. The prices are going higher. So are people, are they suspending their accounts? Are they quitting these services? I feel like they do, and maybe this is just personally, but then sometimes you go back when there's a great series. Yeah, yeah. So like, look, 39% of people have said they've canceled something over the past six months or so. It's called churn, right? It's when you leave. Then there's churn and return, and that's also when a new show comes up. So there's always this coming and going, but really overall it's been pretty flat. And, you know, when we talked to experts, I said, well, what's the price point? Like when do people say, I'm for sure going to quit? And it's $5. So if you look at what these streamers have done,

they raise prices by a dollar, another dollar 18 months later. So they know that people say $5 is too much, and then they kind of go in there incrementally. this stat everywhere. And I know you would know if this is right or not, but are we at the same levels if you have sort of a bundle, you're at the same price you're paying for cable? Cable's about $125 a month. This is a Deloitte study that I just checked it. And the average household that is a streaming subscriber has four, three or four. Yeah, that sounds about right. And they're paying 69. In total, bundled up? In total? Bundled up? I don't know. But if you have YouTube TV, you're almost there. If you're a sports fan, you're paying more. Because you're still getting a lot of sports on

traditional TV and then you're getting some sports now on these different deals. UFC is going to be on Paramount Plus, for example. So if you're a sports fan, you're paying for traditional TV cable and all the streamers. You know the streaming service you can't cancel, right? Do you tell me? News now. It's free 99 and that's why. All right, Christine, we thank you for that. Coming up, the dramatic new video tonight of flash flooding in Australia, roads closed and cars swept out to see a look at the damage and the recovery efforts coming up. Plus, the countdown is on the college football national. Championship. Will Indiana go undefeated or can Miami pull off an upset? We'll preview the big game next. Back now with Top Story's Global Watch. We're going to start with some disturbing video of another deadly crane

collapse, this time in Thailand. Dash cam video capturing the moment the crane falls onto an elevated road near Bangkok. The country's transportation minister confirming at least two people died. This comes just one day after another construction crane collapsed on a moving passenger train, killing more than 30. And police in the UK releasing video of a container. ship crashing into an oil tanker. You can see the collision with flames erupting from the vessel. This happened last year in March off the coast of the UK in the North Sea. The captain of the container ship is on trial right now, facing a manslaughter charge over a crew member's death. He's pleaded not guilty. The trial is expected to end next month. And in Australia today,

a powerful storm causing major flash flooding. This is a look at some of the damage across the state of Victoria, raging floodwater, sweeping away cars and washing some out to sea. emergency crews now working to clear debris as local media reports thousands of homes there are without power. Next night, the blockbuster end to a dramatic college football season. Miami and Indiana set to face off in the national championship game on Monday night. A dominant Hoosier team looking to go undefeated and take home their first title in school history. But don't count out the canes.

After just making it into the playoffs with an at-large berth, Miami has silenced their critics with big wins against Ohio State, and Ole Miss. And as millions of eyes will be on this game, a White House official now confirming to NBC News, President Trump will be there as well. NBC Sports College Football Insider Nicole Arbach joins us now. Nicole, so great to have you on Top Story. Great to talk to you again. Indiana put up 56 points against Oregon last game. What does Miami need to do to slow down that Hoosier offense? Well, they're going to have to get pressure on the Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Now, the bookends of Miami's defensive line are going to be pros in the NFL very soon,

and they're going to need to act that way to just make life a little bit more uncomfortable for him because Indiana is very hard to stop. They throw the ball. They run the ball. They've got great defense. So I can't necessarily give you a weakness that they should try to exploit, but they've got to make life a little bit more difficult for Fernando Mendoza. Nicole, did I hear this right from my producers?

I wasn't sure if I did. Did you pick Indiana to go all the way or where you were really behind them? Is this real? I did. Okay, I have been proven wrong enough on a lot of other things. Don't look at any of the other games that I picked as I filled out my bracket. But I did have Indiana winning it all because the reason that people did not pick them. The reason people don't trust them is because they've never done this before. And only people in Bloomington believe in this program. Well, they continue to do things we never thought this school could ever do on the football field. So why not? Why not win it all? Go undefeated. 16 and 0. The first team in the history of college football. to do that when they started the season with more losses than anybody else in the history of college football. I've been riding with them. Yeah, you've been riding with them. Let's put that back up, though, because I did notice something else as a Keynes fan.

You counted out Miami pretty early there, huh? And look where the Keynes are come Monday, huh? I told you not to look at the other games and the picks there because they're all pretty much wrong. But no, I mean, Miami has proven a lot of people wrong, right? You mentioned it. They're the last team into the bracket. I think the selection committee members are sleeping a little bit better after they see what the Cains have done. But yeah, they've gone through two SEC teams, the defending national champs in Ohio State.

They're trying to win a national championship for the first time in a quarter century. You really can't write the storylines better than this for this one. Yeah, so here's my take. I was talking about this on your show yesterday. I do think that there's a chance here if the Cains can get inside Fernando Mendoza's head. And it's hard, right, because he's a stoic. He's essentially a statue. He delivers, right? And he's been there before.

He's very experienced. But if they can break that statue, is that the key to defeating Indiana? I think it is because you do want to make them one-dimensional, and I think you want to put that on his shoulders, which is kind of weird to say because he did win the Heisman trophy. But if you take away the run game or at least make that more difficult, then maybe he gets a little nervous. Under pressure, he's not exactly the same quarterback as he is

when he knows what's coming, when he knows he has protection. So it's weird to say that about the guy who's going to be the number one pick in the NFL draft. But yeah, try to make him beat you with his arm, try to get pressure, try to make him a little bit nervous. But listen, Miami has proved a lot of people wrong, including myself. So I would not be shocked if they're able to pull off the upset. Yeah, let's stop talking about Indiana, right? Nobody wants to hear about them anyway. Let's talk about those great canes.

Carson Beck at quarterback. We know very experienced he has played, I think, in two of these national championship games. So you have somebody who's older and then you have somebody who's younger on the Cain's roster as well. Malachi Tony, somebody who should be in high school and yet he's playing at top level college football in the NCAA championship. Talk to me about the weapons that Miami has on offense. Yeah, Malachi Tony, I think, is going to be in the Heisman race one of these years as a sophomore or a junior. I know that's music to your ears. And I love how you turn this into a sports show, by the way.

I really appreciate that. But that is going to be the key because Carson Beck, I think, is going to need to have the game of his life. And he is a veteran quarterback. He has that capability. They will want to run the ball as well. But I do think he's going to have to go for broke on some of those passes. And Malachi Tony is the best freshman in the country, one of the best receivers in the country already. As you said, he should still be or could still be in high school.

He's sensational. And so I think he's going to have to be a huge part of this. But they're going to have to run the ball. They're going to have to do the basics. I think they want to stay away from trick plays and gadget plays. But be aggressive. Go for it on fourth down. They're going to need to keep pace against an Indiana team that is really relentless, really good at sustaining drives and putting points up.

There are a lot of good storylines, and you mentioned this a little bit earlier. Indiana's head coach, right? They've turned a program that I think was the losingest program in college football history, if that's even a word, into a powerhouse, right, in this new era of NIL deals. They've had some money, right? They've had big backing from billionaires, including famous IU alum, Mark Cuban. Here's what Cuban told in Indiana podcast about the way the school is spending. his money listen. Like everybody talks about we don't have any five stars. When it asked me for money, right? It was like, I'm not going to give you money just so you can chase and bid the highest for

everybody. You've got to know how to build a team because it's like the NBA salary cap. You've got to be able to fit in slots and find the guys who know their roles. It's a really great point, Nicole, right? Explain that to our viewers. What did Indiana do right when they started doling out some of that cash and bringing players in? Well, it is Signetti in the way that he identifies talent. And that's really what Mark Cuban is talking about. He is saying, you know, it doesn't have to be just the guys that everybody knows are good, but you've got to use that money in a smart way. You've got to be strategic and find really good positional value. So that's part of this in this day and age in college football. But also, this Indiana team is a lot of three-star guys. Like, these are not players that anyone thought piece together would win a national championship. So that's just incredible coaching, the identification of talent, and then developing them. And there's a bunch of guys that they've developed into future NFL players. players. But that's what's really different. In the past, you really had to have a lot of four and five star players. You had to have that talent advantage. Indiana is proving that with the right backing, the right coaching, and the right eye for talent, you're able to piece together a team that

can win in this day and age. And then obviously with Mark Cuban and the donors, they're able to put the money behind the program in the way that you need to retain the right coaches, retain the right players, attract a Fernando Mendoza out of the transfer portal. You need to have that piece too. But I just don't think you would be able to do this without Kurt Signetti. Nicole, before we go, Vegas has Indiana. I think it's an eight and a half point favor, essentially a touchdown. Why is that? It's because they're blowing everybody out right now.

I mean, that's been the biggest difference from last year. Last year, they were a great story. This year, they're able to beat teams that have a lot of guys that are going to play on Sundays. And they're blowing them out the way that they've been playing in the CFP so far. So I think that's what it is. It is a team without weaknesses. It's a team that doesn't get penalized. It doesn't hurt itself.

And so you're basically saying Miami is going to have to play a perfect game, and Carson Beck's going to have to have a phenomenal performance to have a shot to beat them. But I think people just assume that Signetti and company are just going to keep that foot on the gas pedal. And that's why the line's so big. And I wouldn't be shocked either way. If Miami's able to keep it close and give themselves a shot or if Indiana is able to pull away like we've seen them do to Oregon, Alabama and others. I'll tell you what's going to happen Monday night. It'll be the first time in history a hurricane has hit Indiana.

Vienna. You're going to be watching it live and so will I. Nicole, so great seeing you. So awesome to have you on the show. Thanks for coming and I'm sure it's going to be a great weekend and a great Monday. When we come back, the great debate over what to wear on airplanes, is it okay to show up in a comfy fit? What about in slippers? Our team of frequent flyers weigh in on the appropriate attire and whether the Department of Transportation's push for civility is actually working. That's next. Travel is a miracle of American ingenuity. We built airports to launch a golden age of travel across the skies. We respected the dignity of air travel.

And the men and women who made the dream possible, flying was a bastion of civility. But today... All right, that was just part of a PSA from the Department of Transportation from their campaign. The Golden Age of Travel starts with you. An initiative launched by Secretary Sean Duffy ahead of the holiday travel season to bring courtesy and class to air travel. The program launched just about two months ago and asked travelers to ask themselves these key questions you see on your screen when they head out on a trip. Are you dressing with respect? Are you keeping control of your children and helping them through the airport? And are you saying thank you to your flight attendants?

Tonight we want to zero in on what the dress code question is all about, which Secretary Duffy explained back in November. whether it's a pair of jeans and a decent shirt, I would encourage people to maybe dress a little better, which encourages us to maybe behave a little better. Let's try not to wear slippers and pajamas as we come to the airport. In a new piece in the Wall Street Journal, questioning whether this campaign is working. It's headline, the futile campaign to get people to dress better on planes.

It goes on to say if you spent any time at cruising altitude, you'd be forgiven for thinking Duffy may have picked a fight here. he can't win. Here with me now to weighing on airport dress codes and this campaign, Clint Henderson, you know him, as the managing editor for the points guy, and etiquette expert Mariah, thanks so much for being here as well. Clint, you've been here, you're an old friend, so I mean, I fly a lot, I know the answer to this question. You're on a plane all the time. Have you noticed any change over the last few months? No. It's the same. In fact, I think there's some people actively resisting by wearing

sweatpants and saying, you know, I'm not going to follow this directive. Yeah. What do you think about this, right? I mean, this is your sort of your whole world about etiquette and dressing right and having manners. How did we get here? I think that we forgot that over half of the way that we communicate with people is with our nonverbal behavior. And the way we dress is part of that. It's part of our body language. And so when we think about what etiquette is all about, it's our respect for ourselves, but it's also respect for others. And so dressing well on the airplane is showing respect to our fellow travelers and the airline stuff. Do you guys think that the airlines maybe pushed us here a

little bit right? Ticket prices got up. We got less and less leg room. Things got a little more hectic. Planes got more full. Yeah, my argument against us, I appreciate Duffy's efforts to get people to be more civilized, but the onus to me should be on the airlines. And I feel like we've forgotten the corporation's responsibility to us humans. And so I want to see it be a two-way street. I don't want it to be all on the customer to behave better. I want to have more leg room. I don't want full flights. I want passenger rights, that kind of thing. On the issue of sort of what you wear on the airplane, right? Some airlines have actually issued guidance. I want to put this up for you. Spirit Airlines has had to explicitly prohibit

see-through clothing, crop tops that show too much skin and bare feet. What is the worst dress or conduct you've seen on a plane lately, Clint? I think short shorts and athleisure can be taken to the extreme where people who should not be wearing it, wearing it sometimes. So, bare feet on the bulkhead is a big no-no for me. I was going to say the bare feet, too. And I think we've forgotten, too, that it doesn't have to be comfortable or put together. It can be put together and comfortable.

Yeah, I think for me, it's the pajamas, and it's the look of wearing the pajamas, like you slept in the pajamas, and then you walked right to the airport in your slippers as well. Because you did. Yeah, you probably did. I want to do some rapid-fire questions. Yes or no when it comes to what is acceptable dress and behavior at the airport. So I'm going to start there, wearing pajama pants.

Clint, I'll start with you. Yes or no? No, unless they look like hers. Their drawstring. So those are pajamas or no, no, no, no. No, those are not, okay. But your dress is comfortable. What about for you, Mariah? Pajamas, yes or no?

No. All right. Taking your shoes and socks off on an airplane. No. No. No, because you do not want to know what's on that bathroom floor. That's a good point. Mariah, what about you? No, no bare feet.

I can't believe people even consider that. What about if you're at your seat, and it's a flight, you take your shoes off when you're at your seat? Is that still a no-no? No, that's acceptable to me. But don't put those socked feet on the bulkhead. Or on your front passengers arm rest, please, because that happens to. What about you, Mariah, you think? Are you allowed to take your shoes off even if you're at your seat?

I think it depends. If it's a shorter flight, probably not. But if you have an overnight flight and you have a pair of slippers or socks that you can put on, I think it could be acceptable. I'm going to give you guys a weird fact. They tell you, and I learned this from Lester Holt, from a story he did, if a plane crashes, you want to make sure you have your shoes on. So never take your shoes off an airplane.

That sort of took this segment in a different direction. Sorry, but I never forget that. Okay, what about excessive accessories? Like, we're seeing the foot hammock or the big neck pillow or even your pillow from home, which to me, I can't. Tell me about that. But as long as it's not infringing on your fellow passengers, I'm fine with a neck pillow or something like that.

But those giant pillows, I mean, that is just grotesque. Mariah, what about you? I totally agree. Thinking about what your personal space is and what you can keep within that space without affecting people around you. Size of a carry-on. People say, if I can squeeze it in, if I'm not getting flagged, I should be able to bring it on the airplane. What's your take on this? I'm team carry-on only, so that's why I wear a blazer and a coat over it when I get on the plane

because I don't want to try to stuff my bag too full. But be careful because that carry-on is not going to be acceptable in places like Europe. So you've got to watch that. Mariah, what's your take on carry-ons? I think the airlines give you those rules and regulations for a reason, so I think we should respect them because when we all follow the rules together, it makes for a more civil experience. Here's a tough one.

You're starving. You're running to get to LaGuardia Airport. You haven't eaten, right? So you go and you hit that quick fast food right before you get on the plane and you're about to go to town on that egg macbuffin. Is that okay on the plane or should you not bring hot food on the plane? I'm really against hot food on the plane unless there's no orders coming from it. I'm a no.

I agree. It needs to be an odorless option. But explain this to me because they serve food on flights. Why is this to know? But wait, why is it because is it because it... Because it stinks up the cabin. You're in a confined space and the smell travels. Like, I've been on planes where people are eating fish. That's...

Fish? That's a rough one. That one. I don't care how hungry you are. You smell someone shake shack next to you. It's disgusting. Shake Shack's a no-no. For me, because if I'm not eating it, I don't want to smell it. What about skin care routines while you're on the flight? I'm fine with it as long as you're not clipping your nails, which I have seen before. Clipping toenails, I've seen that on the subway.

Skin care routine? I think it goes back to how you're affecting the people right next to you. If it's something that you can do quickly that's not affecting people in a negative way, I mean, it's your space. You have the right to, you know, put some motion on your face if you want to. And before we say goodbye, you guys are actually wearing what you would like to wear on the plane, right? Explain to me, give me the fit check here. So I have jeans on that I can take off.

I have shorts underneath, so then if I'm sleeping on the plane, I'm comfortable sleeping. Wait, well, you're taking the jeans off where? You're one of the bathroom we're taking the jeans off? Yes. You're wearing layers. Yes, layers. I've never seen this. And I'm a million-mileer, okay?

I'm learning something here, okay. So you carry-on, because I don't want to wear my big tennis shoes because I don't want to try to pack those in the carry-on bag. You got a blazer on so that you look somewhat respectable. Yeah. And then the sweatshirt in case you get cold, because a lot of these planes, you get cold on. That's why I can never understand the white tank top. guys, the guys that wear the white taint tops on the planes, it's freezing.

You see that a lot in Florida. Mariah, what about you? I'm very team, comfortable and polished, so my pants are drawstring. They're comfortable. They require the same effort as putting on sweatpants, but I can also get off the plane in this and go to a meeting or go see friends. So I think that you can be comfortable and put together. It doesn't have to be a choice of one or the other.

Yeah, Mariah, Clint, we thank you so much. Clint, I learned a lot here. The shorts under the jeans. That's very good. We thank you guys so much for being here. Thank you. Finally tonight, the surprise of a lifetime for a pair of fourth grade best friends reuniting after months apart. The moment going viral and reminding us all of the power of a good pal.

When Miles Jones saw his best friend, Rory Prodan, standing in his kitchen, he couldn't hide his emotion. The Cleveland area of fourth graders had been inseparable for years. Hills just has a heart that's as big as this room. Rory is certainly one of the most loyal friends. But a few months ago, Rory's family moved away to Texas. And I like cradding in my room, I thought I wouldn't see him again. That's when their moms hatched a plan. Rory's family coming back to town for a week ready to reunite the boys.

I said, I cannot tell Miles ahead of time. It just has to be a complete surprise. It's in the kitchen. And a surprise it was. Best friends back together. Even the dogs jumping up in on the excitement. Some people think that when you share your emotions like that, they say, oh, that's so cringe and stuff, but it's actually like really good to share that.

You don't feel like you have to hold it in anymore. An unbreakable bond, even distance can't diminish. Because when you're around your friend, you're around your friend, you're around your friends, you're never afraid to hide your emotion. That does it for us. Thanks so much for watching Top Story. I'm Tom Yammis in New York. Stay right there. More news on the way.