Top Story with Tom Llamas - Thursday, July 23, 2026

Episode Date: July 24, 2026

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

Breaking news tonight. The war in Iran expanding to a new front. The dramatic escalation ships now hit in the Red Sea as President Trump threatens a new massive attack on Iran. All of it sending oil prices surging. Floods turning deadly in West Virginia as waters rush into a hotel lobby. Trees blocking roads. The National Guard rescuing trapped residents. Now new aerial video of the damage left behind from dangerous twisters. Breaking right now, the random stabbing attacks just outside of New York. New York City Central Park, the attacker yelling Al-Awakbar, what we're learning. Just in, health officials investigating a new outbreak of that stomach illness parasite. Plus, with questions looming over a possible link to lettuce, popular fast casual spots, or taking a hit. Highway heroes, a car flying off an overpass, and the group of people jumping in using anything they could to help those inside escape. Sneaker theft ring bust, the influencer indicted, accused of participating in a multi-million

scheme to steal Nike shoes and Marine Life Marvel. The never-before-seen video capturing Orcas obliterating their prey. We're going to speak with an expert about what's behind the bizarre hunting game. Plus, the peptide showdown is the FDA on track to loosen restrictions on the controversial injections. Top story starts right now. And good evening. I'm Sam Brock in for Tom.

We begin tonight with major escalations in the war with Iran. The conflict exploding onto a new front. And it comes as President Trump threatens a, quote, massive attack. It has been now 12 straight days of tit for tat strikes. This new video showing the fiery aftermath of U.S. missiles exploding near Iran's southern border smoke rising from the rubble of collapsing buildings. The Pentagon releasing this footage of vehicles and docks targeted. President Trump promising he'll be making a decision soon on whether to launch an attack, quote,

bigger than ever before. Iranian state media posting clips that it says shows recent missile missile launch. with Iran's foreign minister warning the U.S. against any escalation. Now, NBC cannot independently verify that footage, but we have verified this. Satellite images from state media showing housing units at U.S. Air Force Base in Kuwait, demolished by Iranian strikes. Now tonight there is a new front in this war, the Houthis,

an Iran-backed group claiming an attack on two Saudi tankers in another key waterway, the Red Sea, which is home to 12% of all global trade. The market's balking in reaction, oil prices, shooting to more than $100 a barrel and gas prices fear to follow. There are a lot of quick-moving developments tonight, and our own Richard Engel starts us off. The U.S. war on Iran is intensifying and expanding, as President Trump says, major combat operations could resume soon. We want to get it over with, and we want to do it right, but we have to do what we came to do. For the 12th straight day, the U.S.

The U.S. attacked Iranian military sites. U.S. Central Command released footage of the operations, while Iran says civilian locations are being hit as well. CENTCOM also put out an edited video set to electronic music, showing its newly reimposed naval blockade of Iranian ports. Iran has responded to every American attack with missile and drone strikes on U.S. bases and American troops in the Middle East, killing at least four soldiers. in the past week. And now one of Iran's allies has opened a second front, widening the war and rattling markets.

For five months, the U.S. and Iran have battled for control of the Strait of Hormuz, passageway for 20 percent of the world's oil and gas. Overnight, the Houthis in Yemen, an Iranian-backed militia, say they attacked two Saudi ships in the Red Sea to the west. 12% of all global trade passes through the Red Sea. International oil prices jumped to over $100 a barrel for the first time since May. President Trump told Axios and Israeli media tonight he's considering a massive attack on Iran bigger than ever before because Iran hasn't received enough pain yet.

But the president is also facing more political challenges for Republicans in the House of Representatives today joining Democrats. in a symbolic vote to direct the president to removed armed forces from hostilities with Iran. And Richard, joining us now from Jerusalem with tensions just tightening. And Richard, Israel is now bracing for this war to reach a new level. So Israel is bracing for a possible escalation. The government opened bomb shelters in several cities to the public. And the Israeli defense minister said that if Iran attacks Israel, it will be met with a

devastating blow. So certainly this country is preparing for an escalation. A lot of the region right now is preparing for a possible escalation. I've been speaking to many Gulf leaders, and they are hopeful that there might be some diplomatic breakthrough here, and they desperately want one, but they are not seeing it on the horizon right now, and they are feeling quite discouraged. The negotiators don't see a path forward right now. They say the Iranians are not being cooperative and they are angry with President Trump for continuing to revert to a military option to try and solve this crisis. Yeah, some tense moments across the region.

Richard Engel from Jerusalem, thank you so much. Back at home now. And we want to turn to some breaking news right here in New York City, a terrifying double stabbing in Manhattan. One attack happening, not far from Central Park, the other just feet away from a synagogue. Here's Aaron McLaughlin with more. He might have gotten stabbed. a terrifying double stabbing on New York City's Upper West Side.

According to law enforcement sources, it happened around 1.30 p.m. near Central Park, just feet from a synagogue. Witnesses say the man yelled Alahu Akbar and stabbed a 57-year-old Asian man in the back without warning. The suspect then walked two blocks, according to law enforcement sources, and minutes later, stabbed a 50-year-old Jewish man in the chest. In this video, shot by an eyewitness, you see him gripping his chest. The attacker escaped into a nearby building but was taken into custody an hour later. I'm shocked. I wouldn't have thought I thought this was a movie scene you know. I thought this was completely staged or I'm in shocked I would have never thought that this was

happened in this neighborhood which is very quiet calm full of families and nothing intense happening here. Video shot by a person standing nearby shows first responders on scene. Certainly unnerving it when you're random you're like Geez, that can kind of happen to anyone. Yeah, scary. The motive unclear. Police are investigating if this was a hate crime. They say they believe mental health was a factor.

Tonight, police say they've arrested a 51-year-old suspect in connection with both assaults. At this point, they say there's no known link to either victim, but the investigation continues. Sam. Aaron, thank you. Across the south and mid-Atlantic, new severe weather threats tonight after days of disastrous floods have turned deadly. At least two people killed in West Virginia, and right now millions from Alabama to North Carolina are on high alert for the threat of more floods. This is Tropical Storm Bertha pushes further into Texas. NBC's Priscilla Thompson is in the storm zone for us.

Tonight, relentless rain in parts of the east. Flash flooding across North Carolina. Up to half a foot of rain in 24 hours, all from a system that's barely moving. There's at Stalled Front. It's really moving slowly to the state. south. That rain and wind toppling trees. This pickup truck crashing on a rain-slicked highway. And in West Virginia tonight, the governor confirming two people have died in the flooding. Search and rescue operations are ongoing in the state. Crews working to clear damage and reopen

roads. We're now seeing these stunning images of the floodwaters there this week. Flood waters surging through the doors of this Hampton Inn lobby in Weston. The water reaching as high as that door handle. The same system also spawning at least six tornadoes in Kentucky. The most powerful an EF2 with winds up to 115 miles per hour. On the ground for more than 20 miles, up to five football fields wide. Along the Gulf Coast, tropical storm Bertha moving into Texas. We're starting to see some pretty big waves here, and there are dangerous rip currents.

We met Gerard Lee making a last minute. making a last minute run for food and water. We pray for the best and pray for the plan for the worst. Fortunately, birth is impact far from a worst case scenario. Well, that least is good to hear. Priscilla Thompson joining us now from Galveston, Texas. Priscilla, that tropical storm warning is still in effect. We can see it's rainy where you are, but conditions are expected to improve.

Yeah, Sam, the rain coming down. The wind has also picked up here. We're expecting up to 30 mile per hour gusts tonight. Tropical storm warning does remain in effect for now, but it is expected to expire later tonight as this storm continues to move far. We'll tell you that here on this beach in Galveston, there are red flag warnings that remain in effect as conditions here are expected to remain dangerous tonight. Sam? All right, blustery for now. Priscilla, thank you so much. Next tonight. We have some new details to share in the fatal shooting at the hands of police of a man in Madison, Wisconsin.

Authorities say that he pulled out a knife as officers were struggling to arrest him. The shooting now sparking protests. NBC, Shaquil Brewster, is there for us. And, Jack, there is a memorial there tonight as we speak right now going on behind you. That's right, Sam. You may hear some applause behind me. There are this moment of silence, people coming with flowers, with candles. It's an emotional event that's taking place right here.

And it's a scene that we've seen throughout the day at this intersection. Let me show you something on this end, Sam. You see back there with those garbage trucks, there's some garbage cans that are blocking off the street. This intersection is closed off on all four sides. Some members of the community saying that they hope it stays this way for the remaining future, all as we're learning and seeing new images about what took place at this intersection just yesterday. New video capturing the deadly confrontation between Madison, Wisconsin Police, and Corey Ruiz. Captured on camera in Madison, Wisconsin. A police officer fatally shooting the 38-year-old

who investigators say was armed with a knife. This is an open and active homicide investigation right now. The scene sparking outrage, even at a press conference with city leaders late today. Multiple videos capturing the incident from different angles. The scuffle appearing to begin here when police say Ruiz falls or is taken off his bike by an officer. Authorities were responding to a report of an individual checking car doors Wednesday afternoon, they say, when the man initially fled. Watch as police appear to struggle with him.

They say Ruiz pulled out a knife and injured one officer. Authorities say a taser was deployed, but it was not successful. Then three shots are heard. The officer who sustained injuries from the knife, who was the same officer that fired the shots. Public records show Ruiz had at least 40 criminal convictions, including several for resisting or obstructing law enforcement. You should not lose your life as a result of an encounter with law enforcement.

The shooting leading to a night of demonstration. Protesters here interrupting an outdoor concert at the state capitol. Jasmine Brown says she knew Ruiz personally. You've known him for 20 years. What was lost in that shooting? I mean, a father, a son, a friend, a loved one. He's gone. Shaq, you certainly understand the elevated emotions here.

Any update right now on the officer who was injured? Well, Sam, the police chiefs saying that that officer who was the one to fire the shot, the only one who fired shots yesterday, but was injured first with that knife. That officer was hospitalized and quickly released, released within hours yesterday. But we learned overnight that investigators said there is a second officer who was also hospitalized and quickly released, though we don't know what led to his or her hospitalization. Again, both officers have been released from the hospital, and all four that were part of that interaction, that were part of that shooting that's now being investigated.

are on administrative leave. Sam, that's per policy here in Madison, Wisconsin. All right. Jack Brewster with some important contacts. Thank you so much. Now to the clash over the injectable treatments promising everything from better, skin to a longer life. We've covered peptides on Top Story before, but now the Food and Drug Administration is discussing whether to loosen restrictions on them. Our Ann Thompson has the latest. They are all the rage and wellness. So let's talk about peptides. Peptides, short chains of amino acids marketed for everything from healing injuries to speeding up metabolism to slowing down aging. Now an FDA advisory committee is considering whether seven of the most popular peptides should be allowed to be made by specialized pharmacies, increasing access, even though they've never been approved for safety and effectiveness.

The demand for this peptide will not disappear. Ladies and gentlemen of this panel, Pandora's box has been opened. These synthetic peptides can be injected or used in a spray, cream, or pill form. Dr. Rachel Pesopolic says she fields questions every day. What are the pros and cons for these peptides? What we know is that people are using these peptides, but we know that we don't have data. We have some limited animal data, but we do not have human data on the peptides that they are studying today. Among the concerns, possible contamination from imported products and what exactly is in them.

Still, they are backed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. I'm a big fan of peptides. I've used them myself. Diana Sokol says she's a peptide advocate. I support bringing these things to market in a way that's legal, accessible, and safe. She uses peptides from a wellness center to build muscle. I would say within three weeks, I started to see the difference. So you think they're working. Definitely.

And Ann Thompson joins us now, and this is a two-day hearing, right? You have the initial decisions for several of the peptides today, or what do they decide? They so far have voted on three peptides, Sam, and the votes have all been the same. Narrow margins, and they have recommended that these specialized pharmacies be allowed to produce these peptides. And they're peptides that are supposedly used for everything, from inflammation to insomnia to also. of the ulcerative colitis. But this does not mean they have been approved by the FDA. Well, it's not the final decision,

but most importantly, for consumers to know, is it doesn't mean that they have been declared safe and effective. There is still not enough data if you talk to doctors that says these things actually work and work well on people. It's all anecdotal. Now, the FDA, so this panel will now make their recommendations over the next two days, and then it will go to the full FDA. Usually, whatever this panel says, the FDA sort of checks and it goes on.

In this case, because Secretary Kennedy has put on this panel, peptide business people, it has raised suspicions, and that's why I think you have seen this vote be really narrow. Plus, all the FDA scientists have said they shouldn't do this. So what is the overall FDA going to do? We don't know. And then Secretary Kennedy is the absolute final arbitrator. And like you said, more research that needs to come as well for all these patents. You know, when you talk to doctors, the doctor I interviewed today, she said, look, when I talk to my patients, I want to give them information that's based on data, that's based on science.

And she said, it just doesn't exist yet. Not there's animal, there have been animal trials, but there haven't been the widespread human trials. For example, GLP-1, she said, those are peptides, too. Half a million people, those were tested for half a million people before they got to the broader public. That hasn't happened with these peptides. Really good contacts there. Ann Thompson, thank you so much. And now to the investigation underway in Washington, a secret service agent on Vice President J.D. Vance's

detail suspended for allegedly leaking information about his travel. Kelly O'Donnell has this one. Tonight, a secret service agent has been removed from the protective detail around Vice President J.D. Vance. Officials said a review is underway, writing, any conduct that potentially threatens the safety of a protectee will not be tolerated. A source familiar with the investigation says it follows a report by MS now, describing some agents as, fed up with last-minute travel and changing schedules. One issue involved a helicopter trip, where Vance planned to take his son to a golf lesson at Joint Base Andrews. Bad weather scrub the flight. An administration official says use of Marine 2 by Vance and his young family is done

for operational security and can reduce manpower and road closures required for motorcades. All while the threat environment is alarmingly high. The Secret Service has more than 10,000 threat investigations since January, up 40% over this time last year. They're off the charts. I think the environment has become very volatile, and that's just across the board. Threats that include a would-be assassin, breaching a checkpoint. Gunfire, setting off chaos at the White House correspondent's dinner in April. And Kelly O'Donnell, joining us now from our D.C. Bureau. Kelly, is there a larger concern here about security for top administration officials right now?

There is certainly a very heightened level of threats. And officials we've talked to say they are very concerned about that, and they're trying to adapt security measures. So the White House Correspondence dinner that was so disrupted in April that it couldn't go on is rescheduled for tomorrow night, and there will be considerable security there. But the president will attend. Cabinet officials and other dignitaries will be there along with journalists, which is the point of the evening. And the White House today said that the president looks forward to being able to attend to finish what he started.

He initially wanted to have the dinner go on in part because he doesn't want those who try to bring about these violent attempts to get the better hand of things. And so he intends to speak tomorrow based on what the planners are telling us. The larger picture is also what's putting so much strain on secret service agents and officers because the workload is so great, resources are limited, and when you have such a heightened threat environment, there are just so many instances where they're dealing with real threats in real time. And that adds to some of the stress that brings out some of the complaints that made this story even begin with the removal of one agent from the vice president's detail pending this investigation. Right.

Every single day seems to bring a new concern. Kelly O'Donnell with the very latest from Washington. Thank you, Kelly. Thank you. And we are back in a moment with the expanding search for a suspected killer, a woman on the run described as a master manipulator, will speak with one of the investigators. Plus, our exclusive reporting tonight on the growing tensions

between the White House and the man leading the Homeland Security Department and the major collision on the tracks, a train slamming into a semi-truck, literally cutting it in half. Everybody somehow made it out okay. Stay with us. We'll be right back. And we are back now with the widening manhunt for a fugitive wanted for murder. Here she is. Police in Florida described this woman, Isabel Rose Johnson,

as a master manipulator who could be using disguises to evade arrest. Tonight, investigators releasing new images of her tattoos. Police say that she uses a number of different aliases as well. She's wanted in connection to the killing of Jason Colthard, a 43-year-old father, whose body was fenced. in a shallow grave in the Florida Panhandle on June 25th. The Walton County Sheriff's Office releasing surveillance video of the 38-year-old at a business in Destin, Florida

on June 26th. Here's a portion of that video. I'll put the address, and the address will tell me to me to me. I'm just trying to get back to my house. Authorities have increased the reward now to $16,000 for any information leading to Johnson's arrest. And with that, we want to bring in Chief Deputy

Dustin Kosen from the Walton County Sheriff's Office, who's been working on this case. Chief Deputy, we appreciate your time tonight. We know of at least three states, right, where Johnson has been tracked so far. Are we any closer today to having any inkling as to where she is? Absolutely. Every day as we get more tips in and our investigative team is really putting forth nothing but constant effort to try to bring Isabelle Rose Johnson back here to Walton County to justice. And every single day we get more tips, and every single one of those tips,

leads us just a little bit closer from our entire investigation, but also to again in finding exactly where she is. Chief Deputy, can you sort of spell that out a little bit more for us? You mentioned the tips that you're getting in, I'm sure, a sea of them. How does that help you specifically to gain any sort of track on where she might be? Well, in this case, it's unique because we've come to learn that Isabel has a very loose lifestyle from a standpoint of bouncing around from place to place. She has multiple ties, not only just in Florida, but Alabama. Georgia. And so as we start to put some of the pieces of the puzzle together with the people that have been involved, it gives us a little bit more of information of what we can use

from an investigative standpoint to really identify where she's been and possibly where she's going to be making her next move. And so our focus now is on putting everything together. Again, where we shifted our investigation from collection of evidence to now really focus the efforts on identifying exactly where she's at and where she's been because anybody that has been helping her has the potential of being arrested and being charged just like the five other individuals that we've arrested already for this case. As long as you bring it up, let's go there next then. Five other people have already been charged. What specifically were they doing to aid Isabel in her escape through these various states? A lot of it was a combination of things. So providing of money,

providing them phones, just providing that assistance after they were notified. And sometimes, some of them even after we conducted an interview with them, they lied to us. And then they provided resources and support to her, getting her throughout different counties and ultimately helping her evade an arrest. Some of the people, again, have provided a little bit more assistance, and we have some that are still kind of on our radar of what we're looking forward to in the future of potentially charging as well. The line is obstruction of justice and that providing that support. That's what we call an accessory after that because they're helping her further and the further and settle the crime, so speak. So anybody, again, anybody that's helping her in any type of way,

We're going to make sure that we do everything we can to put them in jail just like she will be ultimately when it comes down to it. So it's this whole network of people, it sounds like, that have enabled Isabelle to get to as far as she has so far. Can you also sort of describe, you said, a master manipulator? Is that disguising of her face? Is that actually how Isabel is speaking to people that encounter her? Like, in what way, in what part of her personality, she'd become a master manipulator? It's a combination of both. As you can tell from the pictures and even some of the video that we've released, that her,

Her face looks different in every picture, whether it's a change of a hairstyle. We believe that she may have dyed her hair, cut it shorter on the side, wearing a ball cap. But part of the manipulation, too, is what she's done in the past. As you can tell from that video there in the tattoo place in Destin, Florida, she concocted the story that she was a victim of domestic violence and just needed her ride to get back to her home. She was, you know, on the run. She was on the run from law enforcement. That was, you know, right after we had spoken to some of the people that have been arrested for this. And so she comes up with these stories, really, to get some things.

sort of assistance from people from the public, but also her connections as she has, I hate to say, in the community, but around the area. And ultimately is what we believe is progressing her ability to continue to evade us and invade law enforcement as a whole. Mr. Kosan, I think a lot of people are very interested in why there would be a motivation to kill a 43-year-old father. What more can you tell our audience about that? Well, we know that their relationship was a kind of a combination of a friendship and possibly a romantic relationship. There's some speculation around, but we know that they both were involved in some drug use and some of those circles that they all ran in. In fact, the residence where Jason Colthwart was buried was a place that Isabel lived at for a short amount of time. And some of the characters that are there, quite frankly, are not the most upstanding citizens.

And so in those circles, you can expect drug use, again, that relationship is really romantic, sexual, but also we don't exactly know. the why. That's what we want to focus on when we get hurt and we bring her back to Walton County is finding out the why because that also helps bring some closure to Jason's family. It really puts that final piece of the puzzle back together so we can have a clear understanding of what happened. For sure. A tragedy for his family and the search for Isabel continues. Chief Deputy Dustin Kosen, thank you so much for your time tonight. Well, still to come on this program, the heroic highway rescue bystanders rushing in to save several people after their car flew off of an overpassing.

on the highway, plus the massive egg recall that's impacting cartons across multiple states what you need to know. But first, top stories, top moment in the emotional first meeting for one grandpa and his grandson, Shelby flew from North Carolina with her son to surprise her dad, Michael, who has Parkinson's and wasn't able to make the journey

from California. Take a look. It took a minute. And a hug for Grandpa. And here is Michael with his grandson. We got to spend four special days with so heartwarming, and we are so happy for that family. Stay with us.

More top story coming up right on the way. And we're back now with new exclusive NBC news reporting about the growing tension between President Trump and newly appointed Department of Homeland Security Secretary Mark Wayne Mullen. Gabe Gutierrez is on the team behind. I'm this reporting. He joins us now from the White House. Gabe, good to see you. This is all related to the response to those two ice shootings involving vehicle stops in recent weeks.

What more are you learning? Oh, hi there, Sam. Well, that's part of it. Look, according to a senior administration official and also senior DHS official, there have been growing tensions with Mark Wayne Mullen and some in the administration. And yes, part of it is related to those two ice involved shootings. that last week, you'll remember that Mark Wen Mullen, he issued an internal directive for ICE to pause traffic stops while there was a review of training. Well, just the very next day in a social media post, President Trump abruptly reversed that policy. And I spoke with one senior administration official who called that 100% a bad move on the part of Mullen, that he didn't run that by the White House. So this, you know, Mullen was seen as very low drama compared to his predecessor, Christy Knoem.

Mullen has been on the job here about four months. And in addition to that instance, there was another instance last month where he did an interview on CNN where he misspoke when he seemed to suggest after a Supreme Court ruling that some 350,000 immigrants from Haiti and Syria could be eligible to reapply for legal status when, in fact, they weren't that apparently annoyed. some of the administration, according to one of the officials, Sam. Okay, so some possible communication breakdowns there. Gabe, what else are you learning about concern regarding the president's pick to lead ice? Well, certainly, look, that's Lance Schroier. One of the officials says that there is some concern with that pick to be the permanent ICE director. Now, Schroier was nominated by the president, but the Senate has yet to take up his confirmation.

We hear from sources that he's been at DHS headquarters this week preparing for that nomination, but senior DHS official says that there is some concern that because he's from a local law enforcement background, or at least a highway patrol, back in Oklahoma, he's seen as Mullins guy internally, but he doesn't really have a federal law enforcement or a federal immigration enforcement background. So there is some concern that he might not be fully versed in all that policy to be able to go through confirmation. Still, however, publicly, Mark Wen Mullen has sought to downplay any friction with the White House. He says that he and the administration are on the same page. He said last week during a news conference that I was at that he was texting with President Trump that morning.

And a DHS spokesperson says that, yes, Mullen and the White House are on the same page. And any suggestion otherwise is an attempt to sow disunity and chaos. So, again, there's some within the administration are trying to downplay this. But as for the ICE nomination, Lance Schroier, one source did tell me that it is Tom Homan, the Bordersar and others in the administration who weren't particularly thrilled at him.

Again, Homan publicly, though, has vouched for Mullen saying he's doing a quote, good job. All right, Gabe Gutierrez, with some original reporting for us tonight. Gabe, thank you so much. Now to Top Stories News Feed, and we start with a Minnesota man sentenced to life in prison over the killing of a top Democratic state lawmaker

and her husband. Vance Belter pleading guilty to stalking and killing the couple as well as critically wounding a state senator and his wife in crimes that shock the country. The judge handing down the sentence today almost a year after those violent attacks. A new security camera video out of Michigan of a driver lucky to be alive, a train,

plowed right through a semi-truck that got stuck on the tracks. This happened near Zeeland Township that's not far from Grand Rapids. Authorities telling local stations that the driver got out of the truck before the moment of impact. You might say good foresight there. And thankfully, nobody was injured. That crash is now under investigation. The FDA announcing a massive egg recall, warning that they could be contaminated with salmonella. The recall impacting nearly 1.6 million dozen-sized cartels of white and brown shell eggs.

They were sold across multiple states under several different brands. and distributed to stores, including Kroger and Brookshire Grocery. So far, no reports of anybody getting sick. Customers can now return the eggs for a refund. And wild video from California, because who doesn't need a good black bear video breaking into an office building? You can see it all unfold here, opening the door. First, he kind of like peeks around, you know, is the water warm,

then wandering inside for just a moment, before then heading back outside. Building officials say that they're not sure why it went inside. in the first place, he's still poking around, adding that it luckily did not cause any damage. Just a casual poppin. In Houston tonight, a dramatic scene unfolding on the highway, a car flying off of an overpass with three women inside the vehicle, people rushing in to help them prying the door open to get them out.

NBC's George Solis has the video. Tonight, video of an incredible rescue on a Houston highway. Watch as this group armed with tools and sheer strength race to pull open this car door in an urgent effort to save lives. It's going to be the northbound lanes. The vehicle fell off from the look like the H-OV overpass.

Strangers working together to help three women inside that Toyota sedan that landed upside down after it flew off the overpass above. The people were inside the car, screaming and stuff. The vehicle visibly crushed in smoking.

Zion Webb, an intern for our Houston affiliate KPRC, capturing the moment. those good Samaritans began to help the trapped women. I quickly got out of the car and saw folks not hesitate to get out of the vehicle and grab whatever they can. Things off on the side of the road, poles, anything they can find to try to get these folks out of the vehicle. First responders soon arriving on scene and pulling them out. You see them transporting one of the women. Houston police say the vehicle was in a carpool lane when it went through that barrier.

You can see a chunk of concrete is missing. The cause of the crash, however, is under investigation. The three, taken to the hospital as a precaution. Drivers going the extra mile to help those in need. George Solis, NBC News. The extra mile, and then some, George, thank you. Tonight, health officials are investigating a new outbreak of the parasite that has been sickening people across the country. The FDA says that this one involves 72 people, but they have not said where the outbreak is happening and have not identified the source.

And as confusion grows about what is safe to eat and what's not, some are swearing off fruits and vegetables altogether. NBC's Outley Canal explains how it's impacting popular lunch spots. I don't want it. There will be no lettuce for me. Today, confusion over the source of the cyclospora outbreak is leading to a different kind of confusion. What's safe to eat? Are we all going to get that diarrhea parasite? I want my salad, please. Health officials say they're making progress.

We do have the outbreak under control. But many of the details remain unclear. The FDA says Taylor Farms remains under investigation, even after ruling out an earlier positive test. All of that leading to lots of unanswered questions and some consumers leaving lettuce behind. Is anyone else boycotting lettuce like it's the plague? Crisis communication expert Molly McPherson says the unknown is part of the problem.

There's still a lot that we don't know. Is uncertainty in a way its own biggest hurdle for a lot of these brands and companies to navigate? The science is confusing. The regulation is confusing. So much about this case really rests on the confusion of it all. The result? Consumers putting their money where their mouth is or isn't. We were doing about 150 to 200 people a day. And then like as of last Saturday, we dropped down to about 10 a day. Local businesses feeling the pinch. It's just a big hit. and we're really not protected against other things like this. And chains like Chipotle, Chopped and Kava have seen foot traffic fall,

with visits down as much as 24% last Saturday compared to their typical Saturday traffic from January through July. Taco Bell saw the biggest drop with visits down nearly 30% using that same comparison. The easiest thing for a consumer to do is just not eat it. In a statement last week, Taco Bell said it removed all Taylor Farms, from its restaurants nationwide. And on Tuesday introduced a new $1 $1. Lettuce-free stuffed tortilla in an effort to win back customers.

While some of the other brands have tried to distance themselves, telling customers on social media and through loyalty apps, they don't even serve iceberg lettuce. But that hasn't stopped consumer fears from spreading online. I'm scared to eat a freaking salad. Which makes building trust offline

that much more difficult. Nobody wants to be falsely blamed. falsely blamed for something if they have nothing to do with it. But the public doesn't care about that. Right now, it's all about reassurance. Every single brand. Ali Canal, NBC News. It is a conundrum.

Allie, thank you so much. Coming up, sneaker influencer busted. Multiple people accused in a scheme to steal millions of Nike kicks. How investigators untied, you might say, the alleged plot. Plus the terrifying twister overseas sending cars, yes, vehicles. flying through the air. We're going to show you more of that video right after this. We're back now with Top Stories Global Watch

and a grim milestone in Congo. More than a thousand people have died since the Ebola outbreak was declared back in May. As of this week, at least 700 additional patients were either in the hospital or in isolation. That all comes from health officials who say that this is the fastest spreading Ebola outbreak in history. And some terrifying video to show you out of China,

a powerful twister, tearing across the road, here in a second. There it is. Cars flying through the air. You can actually see it from another angle there as well, the finger pointing it out. No word on whether anybody was injured. And the European Union just hit Google with a $1 billion fine. They say that the tech giant broke digital antitrust laws by setting up its search engine and Google Play app to funnel users toward its own services. The EU says the move unfairly hurt competitors, but Google argues that the fine is going to actually take a toll on European businesses.

on consumers. And here at home, the co-founder of a trendy sneaker resale shop in L.A. has been indicted. He's one of several people accused of stealing millions of dollars worth of Nike sneakers. Valerie Castro has this one. Tonight, sneaker influencers caught up in an alleged multi-million dollar crime ring, accused of running a years-long scam to steal valuable Nike sneakers. Authorities this week revealing a grand jury indicted 12 people, including Barracat-Aabraham, the co-founder and former owner of the trendy Los Angeles sneaker resale shop Cool Kicks. So, guys, checking in again. An online sneaker reseller Jorge Quayar.

What's good? Their alleged co-conspirator Roy Harvey Jr. was also named in the indictment, accused of supplying UPS labels to Nike employees at the company's distribution warehouse in Memphis, Tennessee. Prosecutors allege six now former Nike employees, also named in the indictment, use those labels to redirect shoe shipments to predetermined locations, where they say the defendants would retrieve and then resell the stolen product. The stolen shoes, according to the indictment, were worth $2 million. Nike did not respond to an NBC News request for comment.

Cool kicks with a Melrose Avenue store and an online presence, popular with celebrities and athletes for its highly sought after sneakers sold on the secondary market. Why is this such a popular, famous place? Yeah, so it's big on social media. They're going to have older product. newer stuff and a mix of everything in between. Eddie Wynn runs a sneaker-focused YouTube channel.

People are always wondering about sneaker resellers anyway, how they're getting their product, how much they're selling it for. That type of thing is already being discussed. Cool Kicks posting today that they have terminated Mr. Abraham's relationship with the company, also noting that the indictment contains no allegations of wrongdoing by Cool Kicks.

NBC News reached out to Abraham, Quayar and Harvey and did not hear back. And Valerie Castro joins us now. Valerie, this was obviously a very intricate scheme. What kind of crimes are these three defendants facing? So according to the indictment, the three men that we mentioned in this story, they're facing three different felony charges, aiding and abetting, conspiracy, and interstate transportation of stolen property. And they're facing some very serious jail time.

If they are convicted, they face up to 15 years in federal prison, up to half a million dollars in fines, and up to three years of federal probation. Wow. Valerie Castro, thank you so much for that. when we come back, rare footage of an orca pulverizing its prey. Was it hunting or just having some fun? We're going to hear directly from a biologist straight ahead. Back now with the Marine Life Marvel. Never before seen video capturing the moment two orcas are pulverizing their prey.

Take a look. That just doesn't even sound good. You can see one of the orcas holding the tail of a sunfish before another orca rams into it, smashing it into thousands of pieces. Orcas are known for their ruthless hunting, strategies, but researchers are saying this kind of behavior is rare to catch on camera. We want to bring in biologist and whale researcher Hannah Stregor to break down what we just saw. Hannah, thank you so much for joining us tonight.

Let's take a look again at that phenomenal video, I mean, of a phenomenon. Walk me through what exactly is happening here. Are they orchestrating this behavior and why go after the sunfish in that way? Yes, they are orchestrating it as you can. call it, or you could also say they are coordinating it, they are collaborating, and both of it is, I mean, they do that all the time. They coordinate their hunting, they collaborate when they hunt, but this specific behavior has never been filmed before, and it is, as you say, it is quite stunning to look at one whale holding the tail of the sunfish or the mola, and then

The other one swimming away, coming at high speed, ramming it so that it explodes. And the way that's holding it let go just the minute before or a second before it's rammed. So it's very well coordinated. So it's a definite, Hannah, team effort. And do we know why would this be for sport? Is it cruelty? I mean, we know workers are very smart animals. How do you explain it?

Well, the researchers who documented this first from the Gulf of California from the Sea of Cortez, they are suggesting two different ideas, and they are not mutually exclusive. One is that this is a way of breaking the fish up into smaller pieces so that it's easier for deumanized to come and feed on it. And we certainly see that's happening. and we also see actually that the juveniles are moving in, picking up the pieces and eating them. It's also a possibility, and the authors are suggesting this, that there's an element of play in this, just as there is play in many parts of predators' behavior around the animals they're praying on.

So it's possible that it's both play and sometimes. something that breaks up. A molar or a sunfish has a heart shell almost, like a hard, some scientists call it an exoskeleton, which is made of like a fibrous tissue, and this can break it up. Well, that certainly explains the sound of the impact. All right, Hannah, bear with me now.

We have sort of our own deep sea aquarium here to get a better understanding of just the massive scale of these animals, right? So first, this is the sunfish over my shoulder right here. They grow to up to 11 feet and 4,000 pounds or more. If you think that's big, and just for context, I'm 6 foot 5. Over my shoulder, this is the orca.

23 feet, they get to be that big, right? This would just drown out, no pun intended. any human being standing next to it. So why is it that an orca of this size, any orca for that matter, would go after a sunfish? Is that their typical prey? Or is it just bad timing for the sunfish in this case? Killer wells or orcas all over the world

specialize in eating many different things. And sunfish is a prey item that is quite popular in tropical areas. So it's well documented that they eat sunfish in the Pacific, in the Indian Ocean, and also in the Sea of Côtez. The sunfish are quite fatty and very nutritious, so it's a good thing for them to eat. And as you say, they are quite big. So there's food for more than one kilo whale or oca when they get one.

You know what? They say the orcas are the apex predator of the ocean. So I guess that makes sense within the context of what you're saying here. I would also ask, Hannah, that this is far from the only instance of orcas playing violent games. You know, we've seen several instances of the animals torpedoing into boats, sometimes even sinking them. Does that mean that their behavior here is not just about hunting, but that there could be more layers to it? Yeah, I think when you are dealing with very intelligent and very social animals, you will often see that they develop plays. and what we would say they are cunning

or they are doing things that we don't like when they are treating sailboats like this. But for people who have tried this, have been on these sailboats, they have actually also come out and said, well, the minute the boat started to sink or the rudder was destroyed, they lost interest in it.

They were not interested in us on board. They were just fiddling with the boat. So I think we'll have to accept that when we're dealing with very intelligent and very social animals, they do play. They are quite mischievous, and it's super cunning, Hannah, until you're in that boat, and then it's a completely different story. Hannah Stregor, thank you so much for the insight tonight. We really appreciate it. You're welcome. Finally, this evening, an iconic music venue in the heart of New Orleans, now working to teach the art of jazz to the next generation. Here's Tom with more.

It's a uniquely American sound, cooked up right here in New Orleans. Good morning. And at Preservation Hall in the French Quarter, give it to me. This iconic jazz institution is working to protect that history and celebrate the soundtrack of the Big Easy. NBC News first visited Preservation Hall right after it opened more than 60 years ago. nights a week, jazz bands play here in the traditional style they like.

Now the historic venue is expanding its footprint, building a new immersive exhibit, practice rooms, and a space to teach the next generation of jazz musicians. There has to be somebody to pass the torch. These students traveled in from Tennessee and learned firsthand how to get a crowd going on Bourbon Street. We're going to take it home. Here we go. It was really good to see other people that have such a passion for music.

We have to keep this spirit alive, which means passing it on from one generation to the next. A mission to play, to teach, and to learn. Preserving the sound and soul of a truly American genre. We are the custodians of this torch, this flame, this spirit that is so important. important to the world. And that torch forever burning brightly at Preservation Hall. Our thanks to Tom Yamis for that one. And thanks so much for watching Top Story. I'm Sam Brock in New York.

Stay right there. More news is on the way.