Top Story with Tom Llamas - Thursday, July 30, 2026

Episode Date: July 31, 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 nationwide alert fears Iran possibly hacked water supply systems in the U.S. The FBI investigating a cyber attack on multiple water supplies in Minnesota as a new alert goes out to water systems across the country to protect against hacks. President Trump threatening to pull Todd Blanche's attorney general nomination as two Republican senators block his confirmation. Escaping the flames, the wildfires, spreading to more European. countries as actor George Clooney and his wife are forced to evacuate their home in France. Heroic lifeguard speaks out what this teen is now saying about the moments he raced in to save a young boy drowning. And L.A. influencer already accused of running a burglary scheme by dating her

victims under arrest again what we know about the new allegation. Border chaos, thousands of migrants swimming from Morocco to a Spanish enclave, troops now deployed to the region. We're And the highest cost of living driving driving more people to the heartland. We speak with Americans about why they're moving to the Midwest. Plus, a new era for baseball, why some major league teams are striking the traditional ninth inning closer will explain. Top story starts right now. And good evening.

We begin tonight with the warning about the war in Iran and the potential threat here at home, specifically the threat to the water supply. A senior law enforcement official telling NBC News a cyber attack on the water supply Minnesota, shows all the hallmarks of an Iranian-backed hacker, the Trump administration warning cities and towns across the country to take action to prevent such an attack. In a moment, we'll talk to a cybersecurity expert about what exactly an Iranian attack on the water supply could look like and how cities can protect themselves. All as the fighting rages on overseas, Sencom releasing new videos showing a barrage of missiles,

targeting dozens of Iranian military command centers and drone facilities. These strikes, President says, in response to a surprise Iranian attack in the region. You can see explosions lighting up the sky over an Iranian island near the Strait of Hormuz and smoky horizons like these seen in several cities in Iran after those reported U.S. strikes. Iran launching their own attacks, their military sharing this footage saying it shows strikes on U.S. airbases in Kuwait and Jordan. Despite it all, President Trump's still vowing a peace deal will be reached as this war rages into its six-month. Our Garrett Haake is tracking it all. off tonight. Tonight, the Trump administration warning water system operators across the country

to take steps to protect against a, quote, significant increase in cyber threat actors targeting America's water supply. It comes as a senior law enforcement official tells NBC news that a cyber attack launched on more than 30 municipal water systems across Minnesota this week bears all the hallmarks of Iranian-backed hackers. Though the official cautions, the forensic analysis, is still, in its early stages. The FBI now leading the investigation. We've never had a similar incident, so this is the first. One town says its water network went temporarily offline. The water tower was calling for water, but the well was not working.

Officials say crews were able to quickly get the water systems running again, and that there is no indication the cyber attack made any water supplies unsafe to drink. A potential new threat from the Iranian regime, as overseas U.S. forces launching strike against dozens of Iranian targets, including military command centers and missile and drone facilities. AIMD, says, at reducing Iranian threats to U.S. assets, commercial ships, and Gulf Arab allies. And all after the president vowed retaliation against Iran for its failed missile attack on American troops. We can hit him very hard. I mean, I can actually say that because there's very little they can do about it. The president insisting a deal with the Iranian regime can still be reached, despite.

Iran breaking last month's ceasefire agreement within hours of signing it, Iranian strikes leading to U.S. retaliation. They nevertheless took a shot, so it's our turn. And we'll see if we get there with an agreement at some point. All right, Garrett Higg joins us tonight from the White House. Garrett, people are going to be seeing this report and worried about their own water systems in their cities and towns. I know you have some new reporting on what the Trump administration says the hackers are

actually trying to do to these water systems. Yeah, Tom, the government's cybersecurity agency put out a nationwide notice about this today. They said hackers, in these cases, modified passwords to lock the operators out of the computer systems that control these big municipal water systems. In some cases, that resulted in boil water notices and forced the operators to take manual control to get the control of these systems back. But, Tom, as we said in the piece, there's no indication that anyone's drinking water was unsafe based on these attacks. All right, Garrett Hake, leading us off. Garrett, thank you.

Let's continue the conversation. For more on that suspected Iranian-backed cyber attack, I want to bring in Mark Rash. He's a cybersecurity expert and a lawyer with Unit 221B. It's a threat intelligence firm. So, Mark, I mean, how severe is this? We're talking about boil water notices. Should we really be concerned about this? Well, this is a shot across the down.

This is a way the Iranian government can say, we have the ability to cause disruption. One of the things about these types of attacks is they're asymmetric. A smaller country like Iran can do these kinds of attacks against the United States and really just cause more unease and discomfort at this point and uncertainty. Obviously, nobody wants to sort of mess with drinking water. It's so important to all of us. We saw what happened in Flint, and that was obviously something that was domestically created.

I do want to ask you, though, how do you think they can trace this back to Iran so fast? So attribution is one of the hardest things to do in cyberspace. But in this kind of case, the Iranians probably wanted to be attributed back to them. They want people to know that they have this capability. That's the whole point. There are lots of ways to attribute it back, both forensics, seeing where the Internet protocol addresses are coming from, what kind of tools are used, what kind of code, what kind of software, the degree of sophistication, and Internet chatter that they talk about.

Those are all different ways to do attribution. We know we have been bombing Iran essentially off the map in some cases. They've had issues with their own drinking water, getting clean drinking water, even before this bombing happened. Issues with electricity and Wi-Fi. Do we think these are Iranian hackers, as in they are from Iran or hired guns that Iran maybe picked up on the dark web to hack our systems? Well, there are lots of different possibilities. We don't have the intelligence yet to know which they are. Could be Iranian government officials.

It could be hackers hired by the Iranian government officials, or it could just be people who are sympathetic to the Iranian cons. And any of those three can cause this kind of disruption. So much is connected with computers these days. Can hackers essentially, is there a possibility hackers could get into a water supply system and turn it to something and make it dangerous so that people couldn't even drink water if they did it could potentially hurt them? It is possible to do things like cause confusion, have water,

backed up, cause sewage to back into water systems. Any that's controlled by what's called the skated system, which is a system that controls electronic pumps and, you know, a type of hard machinery that's controlled over the internet can be disrupted. And so those kind of things are all possible. And there are contingency plans for dealing with that. But most municipal water systems are run by small governments, small towns, small cities, and they don't have the resources to really protect these types of systems against state-sponsored attacks. Mark, rash, for us tonight. Mark, we appreciate all your analysis on this one.

We're going to stay in Washington because President Trump had a surprise reversal tonight, saying he may pull his nominee for Attorney General, Todd Blanche, the current acting AG, after opposition from two Senate Republicans. But there may be a bigger plan at play here. NBC's Kelly O'Donnell has some new reporting. Tonight, a new gamble from President Trump. A threat to delay confirmation of his own choice for Attorney General, Todd Blanche. All I can say is Todd Blanche is outstanding, and I thought it was pretty routine because he's so good.

Royled in a dispute with two Republican senators who demand changes to the Trump family's lawsuit settlement with the IRS. If they don't become terms with the resolution that Senator Tillis and I have requested, then I think he's not going to be. going to be confirmed anytime soon. The president with this curve ball, posting, I have no objection to temporarily withdrawing Todd's name if they do not do the right thing. Holding out, Mr. Trump says, until January, putting him back after Cornyn and Tillis are out of office. Republicans John Cornyn and Tom Tillis are lame duck senators. Tillis did not run again, and Cornyn lost his primary after President Trump endorsed his Republican rival. They have made clear that to confirm Blanche, they want a commitment in writing

to drop a so-called anti-weaponization fund that could compensate Trump allies. Okay, Kelly, O'Donnell joins us now from Washington. And Kelly, I know you have reporting about a meeting between Blanche and these two Republican holdouts. Is he trying to persuade them to get their votes? He certainly is working it hard. And this is something that multiple sources have told us, Blanche meeting with Senator Cornyn and Senator Tillis. It was described to us as a collaborative meeting that lasted about 45 minutes. In Good Faith is another way that Senator Tillis described Blanche's efforts, and both senators have suggested that the decisions here are being made above Blanche's pay grade.

There's another key issue that is really at the heart of what they're trying to deal with, not only the anti-weaponization fund, but the notion that the senators express concern, that this agreement that protects the Trump family and their business, from IRS audits. They want to get more definition on the scope of that sort of immunity from being audited because it could benefit them financially. And while much of the attention, Tom, has been on Cornyn and Tillis, they are on the committee, and that's the first step to get them to a full vote in the Senate. And that's where other Republicans share a lot of these same concerns about the anti-weaponization fund and this issue with protection from audits, which could

potentially give the Trump family and some Trump business. some immunity from that kind of scrutiny. So it is not just these two, although at the moment, they are the ones leading the charge on this, but their views may reflect what some other Republicans feel. And clearly, there are other Republicans who feel that Blanche deserves to be confirmed, as the president says, he's standing by him.

It just may take a little longer. Tom? All right, Kelly O'Donnell for us tonight, Kelly, thank you. We want to turn out of a powerful home explosion that was caught on camera in Ohio. The blast leveling that house in damaging at least six others, flames roaring and debris flying. All of this happening early in the morning when families were asleep. Here's Shaquille Brewster with that video.

Tonight, a dangerous inferno erupting in a Northeast Ohio neighborhood. Get out of the house, out of the house, out of the health. This is the moment it ignited. Families in Canton jolted awake before dawn. Sparks flying through a cloud of smoke. Oh, my God. Neighbors stunned as they try to figure out what just happened. Man, the whole house shook.

Firefighters racing to the scene as flames spread. We have a total destruction of the house. Fragments of that home blasted as far as two football fields away. At least six other homes damaged, some residents forced to evacuate. Daylight revealing the full field of debris. The fire department says that two men were rushed to the hospital, including one with burns to 80% of his body. The first individual was actually blown out of the house.

Officials say it was a natural gas explosion and that the home was supposed to be vacant and for sale. Now they're investigating what caused that blast. As a neighborhood recovers after being rocked by a shocking explosion. Yeah, rocked is correct. We heard about the people that were inside, incredible that they somehow survived. Shaquille Brewster joins us from Chicago.

Shaq, what more are we learning about the neighbors who were woken up by this disaster and some that were injured? Well, Tom, unfortunately, tonight, many of them are displaced. You heard in that piece there that at least six other homes were damaged by that explosion. The fire division chief telling us that some homes were more damaged than others. But our affiliate who's been there on the ground throughout the day report that two of the nearby homes had to be demolished over the course of the afternoon because their foundations. were compromised. We know the Red Cross is assisting about two dozen others who are not able to go in their homes. Now, we're also learning a little bit more about the explosion and where it was set off. The fire chief saying that it was ignited someplace in the basement. At least that's where the two individuals were. You mentioned one of them was found in neighbors lawn.

The other found hours later after the incident. Both of them are hospitalized. We did reach out to the hospital. they are not updating on their specific conditions, Tom. But it's frankly a miracle that they survived. It is crazy. I mean, that was a massive explosion. Okay, Shaq, we thank you for that. Tonight we also have new developments in the case of Nolan Wells, that Mississippi teen, who was found dead after a boating trip on the 4th of July. NBC News learning the state autopsy report is now complete

as we get new videos of the day he went missing. Our Aaron Gilchrist is tracking the latest. Tonight, that state autopsy report now in the hands of investigators. The results have not been made public. The examination of Nolan Wells' body was conducted on July 7th, one day after he was found dead at the Barrier Island, where he spent the 4th of July holiday with friends. This as new video surfaces appearing to show Nolan at different points during the day. The Officer Tatum podcast posting surveillance video from the boat launch where Nolan and his friends departed on the morning of July 4th. The podcast also airing video and NBC News Analysis confirms is from Horn Island on.

July 4th. You see dozens of boats and people in the water. The show's host claiming Nolan is among them. Another clip aired on the podcast appears to show Nolan's friend's boat being towed. Nolan does not appear to be on it. One of Nolan's friends who traveled home on the boat said they left because the boat malfunctioned and that Nolan decided to stay behind. Meanwhile, Nolan's mother, as administrator of his estate, making several legal moves this week sending subpoenas to several social media companies for information and content. from his accounts. Today, Nolan's mother again asking her community to speak up. We are begging if anyone knows anything, his friends, strangers, please call the hotline. Aaron Gilchrest joins us now. Aaron, the big question here. We have been waiting. We know the family has been waiting so long for that autopsy. Do we know where we should get more details on it?

Well, frankly, Tom, we don't. This, and this is a... The Mississippi, the law does not require the state to share any of that information with the general public. There are some elements in the law that seem as though they may be able to share that information with the family, but we know that the autopsy report becomes a part of the investigative file that the sheriff's office and the district attorney will put together and present to a grand jury. And because it's a part of that investigative file, it's not made public, certainly not before the grand jury. grand jury gets a chance to look at that information and decide whether there are some charges that need to be filed. And then after the grand jury is done, it's possible that the officials there could choose to share some of that information, Tom. But when it comes to what's written in the autopsy report in terms of cause and manner of death and what's in the toxicology report,

it's not something that is necessarily going to be made public. Yeah. And then, Aaron, we also know that Nolan's mom's lawyer has sent some letters out. What exactly is the family looking for? They sent out what we're calling preservation letters. They were sent to some of Nolan's friends asking them not to delete anything that may have been on their phones, not to throw away anything that may be related to Nolan and the days before, or during the time that he was missing or the time that his body was found. There was one line in this letter that went to these people that said, you are hereby

placed on notice that litigation concerning the death of Nolan Wells is reasonably anticipated. And for that reason, again, they're asking these folks not to delete or throw away any potentially useful information in a litigation. Tom, it's also worth pointing out that those subpoenas that went to Meta and TikTok and Snap were asking for information that may have been on Nolan's account. It'll be interesting to see how those companies reply. They have about 21 days, I believe, the subpoena said to reply. We have to remember, Nolan Wells was legally an adult. And so had some expectations. of privacy in those spaces will be interested to see if his family is given access to the information they're looking for there, Tom. Aaron, Gilcrest for us tonight. Aaron, we thank you so much for all your reporting on this one. NBC News legal analyst, Misty Maris, joins us now live on set for more on this case. Misty, are we ever going to know what happened in Olin Wells? I think this is really the critical question.

How did he end up in the water? Was there any trauma? Did he suffer any injuries? And maybe a lot of that is going to come from the medical examiners report, the autopsy report, which is shielded from us while that goes before the grand jury. It's interesting in this county, when there's an unknown cause of death, the grand jury will decide based on that information and the investigative report, whether or not charges are appropriate. So a lot of this is going to come down to what is in that information, what information we can obtain.

And by the way, Tom, videos, messages, all of that could really paint a picture of what was going on before. It's been more than a month. This to me is still so strange. If it is criminal, we will learn more, obviously, and the police will. come out and that grand jury will have reason to file charges. But my question is this, if it's accidental, will we ever learn what happened to him or how he ended up dead? Well, I think the only way we will is one issue that is still open is toxicology report, was there alcohol, was there some substance that played into the death that could lead to a conclusion of accidental?

But Tom, I'm hopeful that when there's a continuation of searching for other people's video footage, CCTV. You know, there's all sorts of ways that we can capture and create a timeline. Maybe we'll learn more from that. You know, we had Danny Savalos on here maybe a week or two ago, and he was saying that this was not taking long, that this was still par for the course for an investigation. We're now more than a month after this had happened, whatever it is. Do you think police know what's going on? You've got to think by now they've identified the people that were with Nolan Wells before he either disappeared or in the hours leading up to it, and they've talked to them and interviewed them. Yes, to the extent that they're cooperating, which I think the indication, as many of his friends are cooperating right now, some of them have obtained legal counsel.

But they probably have more information with regard to witnesses and with regard to information that will be in that investigative report. But to Danny's point, this is the very beginning of an investigation. It does take a while to get that toxicology back. If someone killed him, do you think police would have caught up to the killer by now or now? I wouldn't be surprised if it takes a bit more time, especially given the medical impact of that ME report. Misty, always great to have you here. We thank you for that. We're going to head overseas now because those European wildfires are expanding to even more countries. And in France, one of its most famous residents, George Clooney and his wife, forced to evacuate their estate.

Our Ralph Sanchez is on the front lines tonight. Tonight, a new front in Europe's battle against the flames with fires now in southern England, a country where outbreaks are rare now facing a major blaze amid record low rainfall and scorching heat. While in southern France, fire retardant dropped near the village of Brignon, home to George Clooney and his wife, Amal, who say they were forced to evacuate their 18th century manor house. Clooney writing in a letter to the mayor, whatever happens to our village, we're part of this community and will be part of making it whole. But word tonight, authorities now lifting the evacuation order in the area. While in Western France, we traveled into the fire zone in Bordeaux wine country, where the situation, where the situation, At the situation at first looked under control.

But intense heat and strong winds meant a single glowing ember could, in an instant, turn to flames. And this is the danger. This fire just came absolutely out of nowhere. It is so dry here. And now you can see there is this desperate effort to keep it from becoming something bigger. These are basically just pickup trucks with water on the back, doing what they can to douse the flames. And even as some evacuees here are now being allowed to return home, the exhausting battle, to stamp out the flames and keep them out is far from over. And more than 220,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes over the course of the crisis

here in France. Authorities have now cleared about two-thirds of them to go back home, but there is still an enormous amount of reconstruction to do, and in some villages, there's barely a house left standing. Tom. Okay, Ralph Sanchez, they're covering those wildfires for us. We're back in a moment with an update on that. Los Angeles influencer accused of stealing from people she meets online.

Police arresting her again. We're going to tell you why. Plus, we'll hear from that hero lifeguard who helped rescue a young boy swept out to sea. That's coming up on Top Story. We're back now with a daring beach rescue in California that turned a 16-year-old lifeguard into a national hero. Tonight, that teenager and the father of the boy he saved are speaking out. Here's Liz Kreutz with this one. Tonight, we're hearing for the first time from that 16-year-old lifeguard.

seen in this now viral video rescuing a boy off California's Santa Cruz coast. Writer Williams says he was at the water line when he saw a child lose his footing in ankle deep water. I radioed it in, threw my radio and sunglasses at the base of my tower as I ran toward the kid. That's where the heart stopping video begins. You can see for two long minutes Williams holding on to the limp 10-year-old, violent waves crashing into them, forcing them underwater. But Williams never letting go. He credits his fellow lifeguard Aaron Bonin for his help, adding that when bystanders also jumped in, he yelled at them to get back to shore. What does it mean to you that these young men saved your son's life?

It means everything to me. My children mean the world to me. That's why I'm just eternally and forever grateful. Anything I can do for them, I owe them my life. Sumi Rye says the boy Williams saved is his son Nathaniel, who was on vacation with his mother's family in California. He says he was shocked when he learned Williams is only 16. He's a child himself. He's only six years older than my son.

For him to take that kind of risk and show that kind of courage and bravery, speaks volumes about his character. Tonight, as accolades pour in for Williams, including an invite to the White House by President Trump, the teen humbly responding. This is my job, and I love what I do. I'm thankful to my fellow lifeguards to perform rescues just like this every day.

All right, Liz joins us now. Liz, any updates on this first, this rescue and any type of reunion between the two? Yeah, well, Tom, they haven't been able to reunite yet, according to Nathaniel's father. They have reached out to writer and writer's family to express their gratitude, but they are hoping for that in-person moment, whether it happened at the White House or somewhere else. As for how Nathaniel is doing, his father says that he is struggling mentally, that it was very traumatic, that he's having bad dreams still. He's very aware that this was a near-death experience for him.

But health-wise, he is doing well, and they are just so, so grateful that he is alive, Tom. Okay, Liz Kreutz, we thank you. Still to come tonight on top story, the highway scare caught on camera. A tire getting loose and slamming into a car, what happened next? Plus, Midwest migration, more Americans packing up

and heading to the heartland. We'll explain why. But first, top story's top moment in the pregnancy announcement, straight out of New York City sitcom. Ilana's kitchen window faces the back of her neighbor, Jamie's apartment. So when it came time to let her know, she was expecting, she delivered the message in a very special way.

Take a look. Alana and Jake got wonder. I wonder what they got. All right. Congratulations to Ilana and Jake. Stay with us more on Top Story. All right, now to Top Stories News Feed. We start with the father of a convicted school shooter.

just sentenced to 15 years in prison. Column Gray gave his 14-year-old son a rifle that he later used in a mass shooting. He was convicted of second-degree murder and other charges. It comes nearly two years after his son, Colt, now 16, killed two students and two teachers at Appalachie High School in Georgia.

And video capturing a giant iceberg flipping over off the coast of Greenland. Here you can see it's starting to crumble and turning on its side, kicking up snow and ice and setting a huge wave toward the shore. It happened in a city along the western part. of the country. And in Utah, a truck erupting into flames after the driver says it got struck by lightning.

You can see it here. The fire apparently broke out within a few minutes, and you can see what happened to the vehicle. Now, the driver says he felt a strong jolt while driving in a storm and that the strike shut off the truck. Luckily, he wasn't hurt. Incredibly survived that. He was able to get off the road safely. And a wild scene on a highway in Philly, a runaway tire bouncing over the median. Look at this for a second here, crashing right in front. Oh, of that SUV. Here's a look from another one of the vehicle's cameras. It's unclear exactly how that tire got loose, no word on any injuries. But state police say they are investigating wild.

All right, and the search is over for the one-of-a-kind Shohei Otani baseball card. We told you about it here on Topps Story. Topps announcing a collector opened a pack in Boca Raton, Florida, and learned that they found the card with this announcement inside that pack. A high-end collector posted online saying he already bought it for more than $10 million, but Topps has yet to officially confirm the sale. Okay. Now we're an update on an alleged influencer scheme we've been following here at Top Story, an L.A. model and popular online personality accused of stealing from people she meets on dating apps.

Well, now she's been arrested again facing a new theft allegation. Valerie Castro has the latest. Tonight, a social media star and model is back behind bars in California accused of removing her ankle monitor and committing theft again. Beverly Hills police apprehending Adva Levy, also known as Mia Ventura, and it wasn't her first arrest this year. She was already facing felony charges for allegedly stealing from people she met online. LA County prosecutors say that between 2023 and 2025, Levy used dating apps to meet wealthy, elderly men and steal from them. She's accused of pretending to have a romantic relationship with some of her alleged victims,

posing as a girlfriend or travel companion, then burglarizing their homes, taking cash, gold, and designer items. Levy, who's made appearances in Playboy, Pennhouse, and as an only fans model was arrested in March on six felony counts, including grand theft, burglary and violent crime on the vulnerable, according to the L.A. County District Attorney's Office. Investigators initially putting out this bulletin with Levees' photo and images of the cars she had been driving in an effort to track down more alleged victims. Levees attorney did not respond to an NBC News request for comment. She pleaded not guilty to all of the charges and was out on bail

awaiting trial at the time of her arrest this week. If she's convicted, her sentencing could be much more severe given what is a pattern of conduct. So these cases could have a real impact on each other. Details of the new theft allegations she's now facing or the potential charges haven't been made public. Valerie Castro joins us now in studio. So Valerie, we've been down this road before. What's going to happen to her now? So she's currently in custody after a judge revoked her So next up, she will be due back in court on Friday for a bail review hearing. But Tom, if she's convicted on the felonies that she's already been charged with, she's facing nearly 12 years in prison, according to the district attorney's office.

Okay, Valerie, Castro. For us, Valerie, good to see you. We're going to turn out of the affordability crisis in this country. As life gets more expensive for so many, recent data shows more Americans are moving to the Midwest, drawn to the region by lower cost of living and lifestyle opportunities. Our Maggie Vespa caught up with some folks who made the move. Two days ago, I moved from the Pacific Northwest back to the Midwest. Tonight is the new American dream rooted in America's heartland.

And this southwest Florida girl is moving to Michigan. Social media is a buzz with people on the move to the Midwest. Case in point, Marissa Baker. You moved from Florida to Michigan three weeks ago. Yeah, that's correct. The 34-year-old fitness instructor left her home state of Florida after years of her long-distance boyfriend singing Michigan's praises and prices. For 300,000, it's like five bedroom, fully redone basement, very nice place. And I'm like, all right, you might be able to talk me into this. After years of massive population

decline, new U.S. census data shows the Midwest gained roughly 16,000 Americans last year due to domestic migration or Americans moving from other parts of the country. Decided to pack up my bags and move back to the Midwest. Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin, isn't surprised. During the 2010, the Midwest was in decline, an economic decline. People who wanted to start their careers had to leave the Midwest for places in California or on the East Coast. The Midwest economy is no longer in decline. People who have been priced out of very expensive coastal metros are looking at the Midwest. In addition to job options, Fairweather says impacts from the climate crisis, lifestyle choices, and of course home prices are key. The median price for homes in

the Midwest hovers around $300,000, but nationwide, it's 100,000 more at nearly $400,000. It's just pretty straightforward that living here is so much more doable for the average American. It's a shift Lauren Silverman feels every day. She and her husband David moved from L.A. to the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio in 2022 when they were about to welcome their second child. As an average American, and I can just like breathe easier here, literally. Maggie Vespa, NBC News. Coming up, chaos erupting overseas, thousands of people rushing into a Spanish enclave,

overtaking police at the border. The military deployed to regain control. Plus a new health alert tonight, cases of a rare but deadly disease spread by ticks on the rise across the country. What you need to know about the risk? Stay with us. News is more than a headline.

It informs. It inspires, and it still matters. To cover it, you have to be in it. And that's what we're going to do. Every night, we take you to the front lines of the story, where it's actually happening. With NBC News journalists on the ground from all over the world, we cover what you need to know and bring your news feed to life. In primetime and streaming live, it's your news playlist every night.

Top Story with Tom Yamas, weeknights at 7 on NBC News Now. Back now with Top Stories Global Watch. and the crush of people rushing the border of a Spanish enclave in northern Africa. Take a look at these images. Thousands of people crossing the border shared with Morocco by land and by sea. Some climbing hills,

others swimming to shore with floats and clearing fences barriers and overtaking police officers to break into the enclave of Suta. The autonomous city belongs to Spain but sits more than 100 miles south of the Spanish mainland. It's been held by Spain since the 1600s.

NBC's Matt Bradley is watching this situation for us. So Matt, Spain says it's mobilizing its military to respond. Have they been able to gain any control over the situation? Yeah, I mean, that's a great question, Tom. And at this moment, it's kind of unclear. President, Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, he had written on X several hours ago that they were still trying to contain this crisis. We do know that at least nine people have died so far trying to breach that border. And as you mentioned, look how they did it. They essentially swam to Spain, or at least that enclave of Suta. But there's kind of two crises here, Tom.

There's the crisis of the people who are crossing, and then there's the crisis of those who have already arrived. And Spanish authorities, they're reporting that the border reception centers have been overwhelmed, that those who did manage to enter this Spanish enclave, that many of them, they're sleeping on the streets of this small town. So it looks as though, as you mentioned, the Spanish are sending extra troops, several dozen of them so far. And according to Spain's national broadcaster,

There could be as many as 2,000 to 3,000 people who have crossed. Now, as you can see on your screen, they're mostly young men, but there's also, reportedly, women and children who dared to make this really audacious, potentially deadly crossing, which, you know, for most of them, required a swim. Some people went over in inflatable rafts. But, you know, either way, Tom, it's really, clearly a very risky venture. Do we know what set all this off?

Yeah, Tom, that's another interesting question, is that it's not entirely clear why now. So this escalation on the border, Spanish authorities and officials in Suta had been complaining about this for days that had been building up. They had asked for help. But why now?

Well, it's not entirely sure. Spain's Supreme Court had ruled earlier this month that migrants who were intercepted at sea while trying to get to Suta, they couldn't be returned immediately, and that's under the special laws that govern Suta's special status. But this decision from the Supreme Court

That came a few weeks ago. So as you mentioned, you know, this had happened before back in 2021. That happened shortly after a, you know, a independence leader in the Western Sahara, and that is a part of Northern Africa that's ruled by Morocco. He was allowed to seek treatment for COVID in Spain. And that sparked another refugee crisis. So it's clear that there's something of a pattern here, that when the border does relax or when it appears to relax, we do see some surges of migrant arrivals.

Okay, Matt Bradley for us tonight. Matt, thank you. Now to our series back here at home, the cost of denial, where we cover the challenges people face with their insurance. Tonight, the story of a Portland mother struggling with a common but extremely painful complication from pregnancy. Coverage for the surgery she needs repeatedly denied under her Medicaid plan are Stephanie Gosk has the details. How dark do things get when you think about the pain, the daily pain? It's not good. It's definitely not good. I mean, I don't think anybody would want to, like, live this way long term, and I've been living

this way for a long time now. For Stephanie Garnow, normal life is impossible. So I can't walk for very long without being in a lot of pain. After giving birth to her two sons, Stephanie developed diastasis recti, a stretching of the lining that holds the abdominal muscles in place. The Portland, Oregon mother and therapist is forced to watch her husband do nearly everything, cooking, driving, even carrying her bags. He helps me get dressed in the morning. She relies on corsets to stabilize her core.

I mean, it doesn't look comfortable. No. 60% of women who give birth develop diastasis recti. Most heal within a year. A third do not. Stephanie's sons are now 12 and 14. I was told for years like, oh, that's normal. It'll go away. It's not a big deal. It is a big deal. It's just progressively gotten worse. Her doctor recommended corrective surgery, but back in April, her Medicaid plant, Health Share of Oregon, denied coverage with little explanation, telling her your diagnosis falls on a non-funded line.

One to 470 are funded. Her condition, they said, was number 639. This is like denial letters. She appealed. and was denied again. It can be quite a challenge to get insurance coverage for surgical correction. Dr. Ashonda St. John and OBGYN, says that some requests to fix diastasis recti are wrongly dismissed as cosmetic. Are there women who say, I can't afford to just pay for it here? I'm going to go someplace else, even if it could compromise the care again. Absolutely, absolutely.

And they take that risk because the pain is so much. considered doing the same thing, but wrote to NBC News after seeing the Cost of Denial series. Before sitting down for our interview, we reached out to her Medicaid plan. And 48 hours later, a surprise voicemail from her doctor's office. The surgery was approved. The very day of our interview. Do you think it's a coincidence that this was approved? No.

No, I don't. Health Sheriff Oregon denies the call from NBC News played any role in its reverse. The decision it says was based on additional clinical documentation from Stephanie's doctor. Writing in a statement, with this new information, medical reviewers determined that the procedure met medical necessity criteria to be covered. It's relief, but how does that make you feel about the system in general? I think it's kind of disgusting that people have to work so hard to get the care that they need. Are you going to plant this here? for the wife and mother some hope. Maybe she could be gardening again soon. The doctor we spoke

with for this story said that women out there who are experiencing this kind of pain should speak to their doctor. And if their doctor doesn't listen, find another doctor because there is surgery out there that could potentially help and no woman should live with this kind of pain. Tom. Next night to Top Stories Health Check and the alarming increase in a very rare and severe tick-borne disease, Powwasan virus is spread through deer, groundhog, and squirrel ticks and is most prevalent in the northeast and the upper Midwest. A new CDC report shows that infections are at a record high. Look at this, with cases increasing by roughly more than 17 percent over year. Here's another look at that sharp rise in cases in just the last two decades. But unlike Lyme

disease, which can take up to 36 hours for the disease to be transmitted from a tick, Powassan can transmit in as little as 15 minutes. For more, I want to bring in Dr. Eric Asher. medicine physician at North Wells, Lenox Hill Hospital here in New York. So, doctor, we know this is rare, but according to the CDC, severe cases are popping up more and more. What's going on? So we are seeing rising cases. It's probably related to the increased humidity and folks spending more times outdoors since COVID. As you mentioned, it's very rare, but it's very severe.

So it could range anywhere from mild, moderate, or severe. And typically, within a first couple of days, you'll see fever, flu-like illness. And then that moderate severe in a couple of weeks, you have the potential to get more nervous system issues such as headaches, memory issues, confusion, seizures, brain swelling. Oh, gosh. Off from a tick. It's terrible. So we had that second graphic there that showed like the cases going up over the decade.

Do we have any idea what the reason is? Is it climate change? Is it people building more out in the suburbs? I mean, what is it? It's likely related to climate change. It's been very humid. And folks are migrating more spending. outside the city, outside the city into those areas.

But it's still best to do whatever you can to avoid a tick bite. Prevention is key. You want to make sure that you're tucking your pants into your socks, you're wearing light-covered extremities, you're doing tick checks after spending time outdoors, you're staying on the paths and avoiding uncapped grass areas. On that, I mean, should families be concerned if their kids are just playing outside in the yard or is it if you're brushing up against bushes and trees?

Any time that you're outdoors, any time that there's a potential for a tick environment, you always want to do the tick checks. You always want to shower after and make sure that you're doing everything you can and make sure your communities are controlling those deer populations too that can sometimes get out of control. Dr. Asher, we thank you. When we come back, the end of an era why professional baseball teams are ditching the traditional ninth inning closer. Top story's own closer, Ralphia Verza, is in the house to break it down. Plus, the community coming together to welcome back a National Guard captain after his deployment overseas, that special...

Special show of support right after this. Coming on the air with breaking news. We are live tonight from Juarez, Mexico. Reporting over the skies of Bajna. Here in Florida. The time to evacuate has come and gone. You were seeing people just running for their lives. People running for their lives.

We've seen this almost unbelievable power struggle. What does this mean for Ukraine? It's the battle off the field that's inspired the world. Every night, it's your news playlist. Top Story with Time Yamas. Tom Yamas, streaming weeknights at seven on NBC News Now. Back now with another big change across the big leagues. For decades, baseball closers have been a cornerstone of top teams.

But now that seems to be changing. A report in the Wall Street Journal making the case, baseball closers are on the verge of extinction, pointing out, once paid like superstars and considered to be essential pieces of the bullpen, ninth inning specialists are being replaced. There's a long list of legendary closers, many including, including first ballot Hall of Famer, Mariano Rivera, becoming fan favorites with their walkout songs

and the special graphics that really would pump fans up. But could that role really become a thing of the past? To answer that question, I want to call in a top story All-Star from Buffalo, coming in at 6'0, weighing about, I don't know, I'd say a buck 50. A right-hand closer. We call him Ralphie A Verza, USA Today, Senior Entertainment Correspondent,

Cold-blooded, never gets nervous. What's up, buddy? You are a resident baseball expert here. What's going on? Is this like a thing where the stats are proving? Maybe you can just fill it up with middle relievers, and you don't need that big closer anymore? There's a few things going on.

Jared Diamond did this original story for the Wall Street Journal. Did a nice job with it, and obviously we're on pace this year. Already we're going to have more individual pitchers recording saves than any other season prior. Part of the reason is injury, part of the reason, statistics and matchups, and part of the reason, you know, this is touched out in the article, and Mariano's talked about this a lot. Getting those last three outs are different than getting three outs in any other part of the game because it's the last three outs. No more pressure. I totally believe that. And also it gives a reason for fans to stick around.

You want to see that closer. You want to see that personality. You mentioned a stat there. I want to put it up for our viewers here. I know we have the graphics for this because I want you explain this to our viewers. So over the past few decades, the number of pictures recording at least one save has been skyrocketing. This year, more than 200 have already hit the mark. What does that mean, Ralph?

Explain that to our viewers. Why is that different? Well, it's different because typically you would have one closer. You always knew that that closure was going to come into the night. You'd go to him almost every night. Almost every night. And this is, you know, especially if you want to go back decades, I mean, you could go back to Goose Gossage in the 70s where they were getting two, three inning saves. Now we're limiting it to two or three outs in one inning.

and with pitch counts and with inning limits as well, you're seeing a diversification, basically, of that bullpen when it comes to the nine. Pitching has changed, though, because you used to have pitchers that would pitch whole games, and that was crazy. And now we're moving to a model where we want to have a middle reliever. We want to have those great pitchers pitching four to five innings, and then we usually pull them out. I do want to ask you, there are some exceptions here.

I mean, the Dodgers paid a ton of money for Edwin Cruz, who obviously he got injured, but he's somebody that, Edwin Diaz, sorry, Edwin Diaz. But he's somebody that players and fans would come to watch because he has that great walkout song with the mariachi music and, of course, the horn, the trumpets. It's awesome. And then you have guys like Mason Miller from the Padres that everyone's talking about right now. Will here, won't he be traded? And I will go back to the New York Yankees because it always comes back to the Yankees.

David Bednar doing just a great job for the Yankees, I will say, this season. So they're still around. Teams are still relying on them. And they're still quite valuable as well if you can find that guy. You mentioned Bednar. He's top 10 this year in the league in saves and recording those last three out. Obviously, Edwin Diaz is injured right now. But, you know, it's interesting.

The Dodgers are brought up in this article, too. They're a bit of an anomaly. Let's not forget that they had the highest payroll in baseball. You look at the 2024 World Series when they beat my Yankees. Walker Bueller, who's a starting pitcher, they have an excess of riches. He came out and closed that game in 2024. Last year, Yoshiyamamoto, he won World Series MVP. He's a starting pitcher.

He pitched in game six. And then the next day, this is unheard of in this day and age. On zero days rest, he pitched almost three innings and closed out that game seven of the Dodgers. So they're a bit of an anomaly because of how stacked the roster is. Yeah, do you think this is going to become commonplace? Do you think teams are just going to say, let's put all our money towards our hitters, our starting pitchers and just kind of, with the rest of the money, we'll just have several middle relievers that will try to get us through the game? Yes, but it's really not the decision of the team so much. If they could find a shutdown closer, I mean, again, you bring up the Yankees.

There's talk about the Yankees trying to get back their closer. from 2024, Luke Weaver, who helped them get to the World Series. If teams can find that guy, they're going to go after him, they're going to pay him. That guy, though, is becoming harder and harder to find. Speaking of walkout songs, Dream Weaver, right? Right, yeah, which was a little odd one. Usually you're getting pumped up. It didn't really pump you up that much.

Yeah, but you know what? Fans were excited at Yankee Stadium when he came in, because especially in that 2024 season, you knew that he was probably going to get those last couple of hours. If Top Story ever starts a softball team and we need a closer, I'm going to call you in. I'm going to bring you. I got the Mitt, ready to go. All right, Rafi Aversa, always a pleasure to talk to you. Thanks.

Finally, tonight, the story of an Alabama neighborhood rallying together to welcome home, one of their own, an airman who had been serving overseas, the celebration proving the power of community and what it means to show for each other. Nearly the whole neighborhood lined the street, waving American flags. Black, baby! Ready to welcome home Alabama Air National Guard Captain Thomas Autry. During Captain Autry's five-month deployment, these friends and neighbors stepped up, helping his wife, Rachel, and their two boys with home-cooked meals, encouraging notes, even mowing their lawn. Our boys got to see this is what it looks like to be a part of a tribe, a village, a group of people that are going to take care of each other.

The village that stepped up for all those months turned out in full force. It was a flood of people with big flags in the street dancing and hollering. I mean, we could hear them. from a couple blocks out. It was pretty emotional. There are a lot of tears. There were lots of, we did it. And I thought that was so special, not like a you did it or y'all did it. It was a we.

Every member of the Autry family, even their dog, Remy, unable to contain their excitement. Together again as a family, surrounded by the community that gave them so much strength. You don't know your neighbors go and get to know them. If you don't feel like you have help. go and ask for help because what we just experience is available for anybody. Thanks so much for watching Top Story. I'm Tom Yammis in New York. Stay right there. More news on the way.