Top Story with Tom Llamas - Thursday, June 11, 2026

Episode Date: June 12, 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, breaking news as we come on the air. President Trump saying a deal with Iran could be signed as soon as this weekend. The president announcing the deal is almost finalized and that he's called off another round of strikes. Set for tonight what Iran is now saying about that deal. Tornado is tearing across the Midwest. At least one person killed this massive funnel touching down moments ago. Another ripping the roof off this home. Pool chairs flying off a Chicago rooftop crashing into traffic. The threat now pushing east. Bill Karen's tracking it all. These images of a plane just in a deadly plane crash into a home in Ohio.

Plus, golf star Phil Mickelson removed from his longtime club. As the new report says he was accused of inappropriate contact with a female employee, his team's denial tonight. White House cage match will take you inside the octagon ahead of the big UFC fight on the south lawn this weekend. Plus the mystery on the national mall, giant numbers 8647 on the grass. Is it a signal against President Trump? Shocking dash cam video showing a police officer accidentally shooting another cop, the chief calling it horseplay gone wrong. And the biggest comeback in NBA finals history sending shocked fans and celebs court side into an all-out frenzy.

And the World Cup officially kicks off. We're there for the first game with the fans going nuts. Top story starts right now. Good evening. It's great to have you with us. We want to begin with the Iran War Whiplier. President Trump announcing that the long-awaited deal to end the war is nearly finalized, canceling yet another round of strikes planned. The president announcing late today, all parties are close to a deal, that according to the president. A complete 180 from just hours ago when he said the bombing tonight would be even bigger.

President Trump says Vice President J.D. Vance could travel as soon as this weekend to sign that deal in Europe. That news sending the market soaring big time. You see it right here, the Dow up more than 900 points at the closing bell. The change coming after a violent night of tit for tat strikes, U.S. forces destroying another oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman that they say violated the blockade and launching a series of self-defense strikes against multiple Iranian targets. Eyewitness video inside Iran shows the night sky lighting up with explosion and plumes of smoke. Iran firing back sharing this video apparently showing their latest missile launches. They targeted U.S. military locations in several Gulf states, including Bahrain. Here's a look at some of the damage, cars and homes completely destroyed.

And across the border of Lebanon, unrelenting Israeli strikes, filling the skies there with clouds of thick smoke. But the outstanding questions tonight is Iran fully on board with the president's plan? And can the promise of peace actually become a reality this time? NBC's Gabe Gutierrez leads us off from the White House. Tonight, the sudden reversal. Just hours before another round of U.S. airstrikes was sent to begin against Iran. President Trump cancelling the attack, insisting a deal is within reach. We just made a great settlement of the war with Iran.

And we're going to be subject to finalization of documents. We should get done over the next few days. We probably have a signing maybe in Europe. The president saying multiple countries in the region were on board, though tonight Iran's foreign ministry says it has not yet reached a final decision regarding an agreement and will not compromise on its red lines. They will not purchase, develop in any way, shape, or form a nuclear weapon. They will not have a nuclear weapon.

President Trump has said a deal was close before. Today he was pressed. Why is this time different? Pointed to the latest U.S. strikes. Because they've taken a pounding. They've taken a pounding like very few people could take. And they want to make the deal a lot more than I do. Earlier today, the president had floated.

quoted the idea of outright taking Harg Island. Iran's main oil export hub, which would have been a dramatic escalation, possibly requiring American boots on the ground. Now he says the new agreement would mean Iran stops attacking commercial oil tankers and the Strait of Hormuz fully reopens. And you'll have oil prices dropping like Iraq. Late to day, market surging and oil prices falling with the president saying there could be a signing ceremony in Europe. that Vice President Vance might attend. It's a very strong memorandum of understanding. That is a little conceptual, but it's something that's going to get done. All right, Gabe Gutierrez joins us from the White House live tonight. And Gabe, we heard what Iran's foreign minister said about this deal.

In your report there, that it has not yet sort of been finalized. Have we heard from the new Ayatollah the president was asked about him? Well, Tom, President Trump said it was his understanding that the new Ayatollah had approved. But there's been no statement from him. Miet and there are real questions about the future of this potential agreement. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he spoke with the president today. And in the readout of that call, Netanyahu said that Israel was not a party to this memorandum of understanding, Tom.

Okay, Gabe Gutier is leading us off here on top story. For more on this, I do want to bring in Courtney Q because Courtney, Courtney, you're learning more tonight about just how close the U.S. was to launching more strikes. Yeah, we keep talking today about how there's been this headsnack. back and forth about what's going to happen. What we learned, according to two U.S. officials, that is, in fact, the U.S. military was only about three hours away from actually striking inside Iran tonight when President Trump posted on social media that he was canceling the strikes because they had reached some sort of

a deal. Now, the military, that wasn't the first time that they were surprised today. The first time was this morning when the president posted on social media that the U.S. was going to hit Iran hard tonight, and then he threatened that the U.S. was ultimately in the near future going to take Carg Island and other oil and gas infrastructure inside Iran. Now the military has all kinds of plans. They had options for carrying out strikes, but after that posting and then further guidance from the Secretary of Defense Pete Heggseth, they had to come up with a new strike package

for tonight that they had put into the Pentagon, it had been approved, and they were at the point where the U.S. Navy ships that are there in the region had already adjusted their air operations plans to carry out the strikes tonight. So it's astonishing that these were called off at the last minute here. I will say, Tom, that the military still remains ready should President Trump decide to change his mind again and carry out strikes. We have seen this constant back and forth, as you mentioned, a tit for tat between the U.S. and Iran over the course of the last several weeks.

And it's really accelerated this week with the strikes that the U.S. took, some of them deep inside Iran last night. And what's really notable is the platforms that they used, not only manned aircraft, but the U.S. military launching, you can see them there, launching Tomahawks inside Iran for the first time since major combat operations ended in Iran back in April. President Trump telling Fox News that the U.S. launched nearly 50 of those tomahawks, Tom. Okay, a lot of reporting there for us. Courtney, we thank you for that. We're also tracking violent storms across multiple states tonight. At least one person has been killed in Iowa. And just moments ago, this suspected tornado touching down in central Illinois. Look at that.

NBC's Shaq Brewster and his team are in Chicago tonight, which is under a tornado watch right now. Life-threatening weather pummeling the Midwest. Big-time tornado. As ominous funnel clouds sweep through Iowa and Missouri, where you can see power flashes from the sky. Twisters were reported across five states. In Illinois, the same system tearing the roof off this home, destroying building after building, and causing chaos in downtown Chicago. Oh my God.

Watch as these pool chairs fly off a rooftop. Oh my God. Oh my God. Crashing down in front of cars. That violent wind blowing out high-rise windows and slamming trees and debris into car after car across the city. You see a roof crashing down onto several of those cars after last night's round in storms. Crews now racing to clean up the damage ahead of another round expected today.

On the city's south side, I'm not sure how they're going to get this tree out here. Look at this massive tree uprooted, crushing what used to be a garage. This is extremely sad. Everyone's without power still. In Pennsylvania, torrential rain causing scenes like this, these cars slushing through flooded roads. This is a bit extreme, don't you think? As another round of storms causes another round of cleanup. All right, Shaq Brewster joins us tonight from Chick.

Chicago and Shaq conditions. They don't look too bad where you are right now, but there are concerns it could worsen any moment. That's exactly right, Tom, because these conditions change very quickly. It's what we saw yesterday, where at one point it was a bright day, and then all of a sudden the clouds get dark, the wind picks up, and that's when those images, that video that you saw in that piece there, that's when that starts to happen.

And something that we're tracking right now is the possibility of more thunderstorms coming in in the next 20 to 30 minutes in this. area. And I'll tell you, Tom, if you watch any of the local news right now in the Chicago area, they are in rolling coverage because this area is under a tornado watch. But in the viewing area, there is an active tornado warning, sights of funnel clouds on the ground in the viewing area. That is the system that is now heading this way, Tom. Okay, and we're going to get a look at all that right now with Bill Carrens. We thank you for that, Shaq. Stay safe. Bill, Shaq sets you up perfect there. We're seeing a lot of activity just behind you there on the radar.

Yeah, we've been watching a large tornado that has been intermittently on the ground, lifting off and then going back on the ground. And you can see all the tornado icon reports here with that storm alone. So we've had about six or seven reports of that tornado. We're also now watching the potential that it could still be on the ground. The town of South Streeter and Streeter. So this is in Illinois. And you can kind of see on the Google Earth imagery here. These are all homes and then South Streeters right down here. This is the path that the tornado was spotted, and it looks like it went right through the southern portion of the town. We do not know how strong it was, how many buildings or homes have been damaged. This happened about 10 minutes ago. So that's a breaking

news situation. If we get any imagery or any more information, we'll let you know. But that's tornado still on the ground. So this is what we just showed you. Now we just had a new report of that tornado near Allen, Illinois. So it's on the south side here. So in Verona, Waupunsi, these areas, tornado sirens are going off, take this seriously, get yourself and your family to shelter as that storm continues to roll. That will go south of Chicago and weaken. That will not head into the downtown area, but we still could see other isolated storms with tornadoes south of Peoria, where you are going to see a line of storms rolling through D.C., Philly and New York, roughly about 10 to 11 o'clock this evening, and it's very warm and humid, so it shouldn't weaken all that much. And then tomorrow, Tom, we do it all over again. Hot, humid, afternoon thunderstorms. Dot in the map. with a lot of travel delays heading into the weekend as we go through D.C. to New York. All right, Bill Cairns, it is busy. We're going to ask you to stick around for this next step as well,

because we know that is all moving to the East D.C., as you mentioned. And what's happening in D.C.? Well, it's the UFC Freedom 250. It's a series of MMA fights that are scheduled for this weekend at the White House on the South Lawn. Take a look at the cage. It's the 92-foot steel arena that towers 22 feet above the White House. There are 4,000 seats for the fights available by invitation only, another 85,000 free tickets given to fans to watch from the ellipse. The Cage also featuring corporate sponsors, including ads for Bud Light and Polly Market. It's an event that has polarized Americans, at least some Americans. Just 16% say they approve of the fight in a recent Reuters poll. I want to bring in NBC News White House correspondent Monica Alba on this one.

Monica, the media got a preview of this venue today, and we're also learning more about how much the cost to put this. together was after two residents sued to stop the event? Exactly. Through those court filings, Tom, we have learned that this really altogether cost about $60 million. And the work is spanned across about seven federal agencies that have been at work around the clock on this over the last couple of weeks. It has involved hundreds of workers. They were doing some of the sound checks earlier today. You can really see that claw over my shoulder trying to get everything ready. And there has been this criticism. You mentioned in that lawsuit about basically doing and using this for a sporting event on federal parklands.

And there's also been a lot of criticism of some of that corporate sponsorship at a place like this, like the White House. But the White House is pushing back on all of this saying that this is a celebration. It is part of those series of events around America's founding, the 250th anniversary of all of that. But really, Sunday, Tom, is also meant to be a celebration of the president's birthday. He's going to be 80 years old. And he said this is how he wants. wanted to mark that occasion. And then he's going to leave from that fight straight to the G7 in France, where he's going to partake in that global summit. Okay, Monica, stand by for us, because we do have more questions for you. Bill, as you were mentioning,

this all, of course, happening outside. We saw it there, the claw. There are some concerns over the severe weather. Will it impact the matches? Possibly. One of the issues is, what do you do with all the people if we do get a severe thunderstorm? Where are they going to seek shelter in the White House? Then they can't do that. So we have about million people on Sunday under this slight risk of severe storms. It's going to be another hot, humid day. We're going to watch these storms approaching. So here's the timeline. There's five o'clock, six o'clock, seven o'clock. There's some of the possible rain and storms around eight o'clock. That's when the main portion of the card begins. And we have even more storms that will be rolling in from the west as we go throughout this evening into Sunday night.

So again, scattered storms will be hit and miss. They are going to have to get very lucky. So the actual forecast, 83 degrees. Heat index will feel like 88 degrees. So it's going to be hot, human, and sticky, and a 60% chance of thunderstorms. And the logistics, Tom, if they do get severe weather during the event, I don't know. I don't want to be responsible for that. Yeah, I don't know if you can fight in the elements. That would be a first, I think, maybe for UFC. Security is also a major concern, Monica.

And just today on the National Mall, we've been reporting about this, these markings on the grass appearing to say 8647. You wonder how they could have even done that. Some people say this might have been a protest against President Trump. The same number spelled out by former FBI director James Comey in the seashells leading to his indictment, at least when he posted that. U.S. Park police are now investigating. What do we know? Something that is definitely raising a lot of eyebrows and a ton of questions, Tom. And it's something that really isn't visible when you're on the grass or when you're looking at it directly.

You can only kind of take note of this from that aerial shot when you really zoom out and see it from above. is exactly what happened when some photographers atop the Washington Monuments saw that it appeared these numbers were there. And so that is why the Interior Department did confirm they're going to be investigating the incident. They say they're going to be looking into this and that they plan to hold whoever is responsible, accountable for it. You mentioned that James Comey case for sure. I mean, 86 is something certainly that is used in restaurants and in slang to kind of mean that that's no longer on the menu or that should it should be removed or shouldn't be available. But certainly that conversation because of the James Comey indictment and case took that in terms of the White

House to another place of this quote potential assassination culture. And so the White House is saying tonight that anyone who engages in that or potentially endorses political violence should be roundly condemned. And again, they are stressing that they are going to be looking into this to see if they can make any determinations about who was responsible. But we should just point out the timing of this, Tom, is what is significant because it is happening in the middle of all these really high-profile events here in the nation's capital, and specifically in and around the National Mall. Okay, Monica, Bill, we thank you both for being here on Top Story tonight. We're also following

another story involving sports, troubling allegations rocking the golf world. Phil Mickelson kicked out of a California country club over allegations of inappropriate physical contact with an employee's team tonight denying those claims. Our Emily Aketa has the details. Tonight, legendary golfer Phil Mickelson banned from his longtime club amid allegations of misconduct. Golf Digest reporting that earlier this spring, according to multiple sources, Mickelson approached the female employee at the clubhouse, where he made non-consensual and inappropriate physical contact with her.

The employee rejected his advances and reported the incident to supervisors at the Farm's Golf Club. He was confronted with the accusation on the course and left the course. That's long served as a training ground for the San Diego native ahead of major competition. When asked about the Phil Mickelson allegations, the Farms Golf Club outside of San Diego said in a statement to NBC News, following a staff member report of member misconduct, the club conducted a thorough independent investigation, adding this individual is no longer a member without naming him. It comes after Mickelson announced in April he would step away from competition for an extended period of time while tending to a family health matter and on the heels of several controversies involving Saudi-backed live. golf and gambling. But Mickelson's camp hitting back, a defamation lawyer who says he represents Mickelson telling Gulf Digest, there is a great deal of misinformation circulating. And a spokesperson for

the golfer adding, any misunderstanding has been cleared up. Phil continues to attend to a family health matter and is uncertain when he will be able to return to professional golf. Emily Aketa joins us now live. And Emily, we're learning more from the Gulf Digest reporter behind that exclusive story. Tom, that's right. We just talked to Joel Beal, who says that their investigation took months, but the actual incident happened within a very tight window from the moment that Mickelson had made those alleged advances to when the staff members had then approached him on the golf course. He also talked about how it's really shaken up the club, given Mickelson's long time attendance there,

his success in the sport, and he noted that there has been nothing like this reported involving Mickelson at that club before, Tom. Okay, Emily, we thank you for that. We're going to be back in a moment here and top story with the horseplay gone wrong, really wrong. Two officers seem joking around when one accidentally shoots the other, the dramatic video on what happened next. That's crazy. Plus, ready to launch, SpaceX goes public tomorrow. Should you invest?

We'll break down what you need to know and what it could mean for your 401K if you get in. And the World Cup officially kicking off our Stephanie Gosk live in Mexico City, right in the middle of all the soccer mania. Stay with us. We're back now with some dramatic video captured here. in California, a Pasadena police officer accidentally shot by another cop during an exchange that their boss says never should have happened. Steve Patterson with that video and the story. It happens in a flash, a moment of careless levity quickly taking a turn. Newly released dash cam video

shows Pasadena police joking around during an evening shift change in September, when suddenly one pulls his department-issued firearm in a quick draw, appearing to aim it at the driver. Then a bang. Gun smoke, cracked glass. The driver accidentally fires through the windshield, wounding a colleague. Officer down, but far from the line of duty. The shooting resulted from officers engaged in unsafe and out-of-policy horseplay involving loaded firearms. In a video statement, Pasadena Police Chief Gene Harris says the officer was seriously injured but recovered and that disciplinary measures were taken. Horseplay and or failure to adhere to safety rules and standards of professional conduct will not

be tolerated. And tonight, the city telling NBC News, the officer in the car was relieved of his position and is no longer with the department. The police chief saying the incident is still under criminal investigation, but the district attorney's office telling NBC News they have yet to receive the case. While the police department reckons with an embarrassing moment that defies policy and ignores safety. All right, Steve joins us now here in studio. So Steve, I do want to ask you about this. It happened in September. Yeah. Why are they releasing the video? So the standard for something like this is usually about 45 days, but the chief says he's citing his statutory exception, citing the investigation. He wants to get that right, right? This is, of course,

is separate from the criminal investigation and the use of force investigation, which would be with the DA, but we called the office. They said they don't have the case yet. Okay. Steve Patterson, this is a crazy story. We thank you for being here. We're just hours away from what is likely to be the largest IPO in history, at least for right now. Elon Musk's SpaceX will begin trading tomorrow when markets open the price set, you see it here, at $135 per share, giving SpaceX evaluation of $1.7 trillion. You heard me right. Trillion, $1.77 trillion. I want to bring in NBC's Alley Canal, who has been closely covering this for us. So, Ali, there's only one question here, right? And that is, should people get in early on this stock, or should they wait and see where it's

traded throughout the day? Well, Tom, it really depends on your risk tolerance. Supporters of this companies say you really have to believe in the AI story. I spoke with one private investor who told me SpaceX is more than just a rocket company. They have satellite exposure through their Starlink internet service. They want to send humans to Mars one day. They want to build AI data centers in space. And that's all well and good. But critics point out that this company is still not profitable. It generated about $19 billion in revenue last year. Because of that, analysts at Morningstar say that SpaceX should be valued closer, to $780 billion, that's less than half of its IPO valuation.

So the debate really calms down to, if you're an investor, do you believe in the story? Do you believe in the future potential? Or do you want to sit back and wait a little bit? And I will say that when companies go to market, they're usually very volatile in that first week, first few weeks of trading. So that's something to keep an eye on as well.

Yeah, and even if you don't buy it, right, your 401k may be affected by it. Explain that to our viewers. Yeah, so there are new rules for a lot of these exchanges, so the New York Stock Exchange, the NASDAQ, and it actually makes it a lot easier for these new publicly traded companies to be part of passive index funds. So think your S&P 500, your NASDAQ 100, and that's what a lot of investors have these days. They just sit back, they watch their money grow in these retirement accounts in their 401K accounts. So even if you're not actively going out and purchasing this IPO, it's very likely that pretty soon you could have some sort of piece of this

company within those index funds. And again, there's debate there too, right? Whether or not a company of this magnitude at such a high valuation that's still unprofitable, whether that should be in these index funds, typically in the past, it took a bit longer for companies to enter into passive index funds. They'd have to be on the market a little bit longer. And they'd have to be seen as pretty stable bellwethers. Obviously, when you talk about a company with a $2 trillion valuation that's not profitable, but is part of that AI story, it's up for a debate on whether or not that's a good thing or maybe a more risky thing for some of those investors out there. Yeah, and then before you go, this move, it could make Elon Musk the world's first trillionaire

once SpaceX goes public. You can see why in this graphic is because Musk is also the CEO of Tesla, which has already gone public, and SpaceX itself, which is massive and includes Starlink, X-A-I, and X, formerly, Twitter. All of these companies sort of feed off each other. So with this IPO, how will SpaceX stack up against some of the other large companies in the world, including Apple, a trillion-dollar company in itself? I mean, it's going to be joining a pretty impressive league here. And I want to stress that this is day one of training. It took many of these companies years in order to reach some of these valuations. So if you take a look at the world's largest companies there, it's remarkable that SpaceX on day one, it could be overtaking things like Tesla. That's another Elon Musk company. Meta is not even on this list. So SpaceX would be over that. And then it only trails C-MVIDIA, Alphabet, Apple, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, it just shows how much investors are willing to pay for companies that they believe are at the center of major themes like artificial intelligence. But ultimately, we'll have to see what investors think once those shares start trading tomorrow.

Yeah, we'll have much more to talk about tomorrow. Alec Canal, great to see you. Still to come on top story, the deadly plane crash in Ohio, a small aircraft slamming into a home with people inside how they made it out alive. Plus the new warning tonight about a dangerous Listeria outbreak linked to cheese. We'll tell you which ones. But first, Top Story's Top Moment and the standout performance by one lawmaker on the baseball diamond. During the annual congressional baseball game at Nationals Park, Republican Senator Eric Schmidt from Missouri made a daring catch diving for the ball. Take a look at this. But this is really a prime June night.

Instruct to left field. And what a dime! Eric Schmidt. Amazing catch down the line. left field line. Wow, the 50-year-old, you see him there, left with a bloody nose, featured on Sports Center for the epic play, the Republicans going on and defeat the Democrats 11 to two. Wow, that was a whoopin. Okay, stay with us. More Top Story on the way. We're back now with Top Stories News Feed. We start here in California, where a massive fire is

ripping through a medical supply warehouse. You can see the huge plumes of black smoke billowing from the building. This is in Tracy, about 50 miles east of San Francisco. Francisco. Look at that right now. That is an incredible fire. As you can see, crews are trying to get this under control. Other warehouses in the area have also been evacuated. Police say no reports yet of any injuries, but as we get more live pictures and if the story changes, we will update you. At the Pentagon, operations are now back to normal after a shelter-in-place order was issued there. Officials say it was caused by an issue with air quality hazmat crews and emergency teams responding to the building. A Pentagon spokesperson says, though the test can't. back negative for any serious hazard. And in southeast Ohio, federal authorities are investigating a small plane that crashed into this home and burst into flames. It happened earlier today just after takeoff. They say the 76-year-old pilot was killed and that the two people inside the house managed to get out safely. Health officials are warning about a dangerous Listeria outbreak lent to certain cheeses. The CDC confirming one person has died and at least eight others were sent

to the hospital. The recalls impact soft ricotta cheese made by two companies, Clover Hill Dairy and Nelson and Issa Lestios. You can see the packages are here. Officials say the cheeses were sent to stores last month across multiple states. Okay. We're going to take a turnout of the World Cup. The highly anticipated tournament is finally here. 48 teams facing off across three host countries, including Mexico,

where fans packed in for the opening match in Mexico City. Our Stephanie Gosk is there. Tonight, the biggest World Cup ever is finally here. An electric scene in Mexico City with the home team putting on a show against South Africa, scoring the first goal. Early this morning, crowd started lining up a sea of green with a lot of love for the home team. Let's see how fast it takes to get a chat going.

Okay, are you ready? Mexico, Mexico, Mexico. Some fans flying thousands of miles all the way from New Jersey. Have you ever been to a World Cup game before? I never being, it was a dream come true. Inside, organizers showing off years of preparation. This stadium has been completely redone. It fits about 80,000 people.

The field is brand new, and it is another historic day, and there have been many here. This will be the third time this stadium hosts a World Cup game, and that sets a record. The Mexican government coordinating an enormous military and law enforcement plan. The crowds are pouring in, but also the country is now. not taking any chances with security. There are police, there are National Guard, some of them in riot gear. Just before the game began, protesters demanding higher pay for teachers were shut down fast by riot police. Security just one of the challenges in a tournament that will span North America,

48 countries competing in 104 matches. And tomorrow, L.A. will take center stage, with the U.S. team facing off against Paraguay. Algarados, Curlcy! In Mexico tonight, the home team showing them how it's done, pulling off the first win of this World Cup. So great. What a victory for Mexico. Stephanie, Goss, joins us live now from Mexico City. And Stephanie, I know you know this, that stadium behind you. It is the largest in Latin America.

What was it like when Mexico scored? 80,000 people, Tom. Imagine 80,000 people packed in that stadium. Their dream is to watch their home team play. dream is to watch that first World Cup goal scored. It was not just a cheer. This was a roar. That stadium shook when that first goal was scored. And it was a pretty remarkable goal right through the goalie's legs. I wonder if that made them cheer even a little bit louder. And then, as if that wasn't enough, Mexico scored again. Just a resounding win for the home team here.

and people were ecstatic and celebrating the entire time as they left the stadium today, Tom. It's a great way to kick off the World Cup. It really is, and you're right in the middle of it. There are a lot of international events, as you know, Stephanie, and security is a big issue in the World Cup in all three countries. What was it like where you were? Yeah, there are some security issues, and Mexico has a lot of them. There's a lot of concern, obviously, about the drug trafficking here in this country and the people who are disappeared, as they say. But there also have been a lot of protests leading up to this particular game. There were some teachers who were looking for higher pay.

There were some anti-globalists who also showed up here at the stadium today. But there were so many security forces. There was the National Guard. You also had the police. They were all in riot here. So there was a bit of a demonstration, some clashes, but it was really sort of shut down very, very quickly. And by the time the game was over, everyone was able to go out and there were no problems.

All right, Stephanie Gossfer, Stephanie, great assignment and great reporting. Earlier today, I spoke with Major League Soccer player and Telemundo analyst Alejandro Bedoya, who broke down Team USA's chances of winning it all as well as top players to watch out for. Here's some of that conversation. So we're here in America. We love Team USA, but be honest with me here. What are Team USA's chances? They have great chances.

Look, this is home field advantage for them, right? I mean, you dream of playing in a World Cup, let alone in a World Cup, in your home country on home soil. So they're going to have the crowd behind them. They're going to have all of America behind them. That's going to give them an extra bump, I would think. So hopefully, you know, I think to get to at least the round of 16 and the quarterfinals would be nice and then anything after that should be a bonus.

But really, this team has a huge chance to, you know, for their legacy, to cement themselves, to help grow the sport in this country with this World Cup. For people who love soccer, they're going to know who the superstars on Team USA are. But for people that are going to just start watching now, who are three players viewers should focus on from Team USA? Yeah, absolutely. The three stars, I would say right now, like Christian Pulisic, you know, if you know about him, he's doing really well. He's everywhere. He's our star player, right? And he's going to have to show up for sure. But another big player, I think, is Tyler Adams. He's a real leader on this team. He's like a midfield pit bull.

So he works on both sides of the ball. He's so crucial defensively and starts our transition into attack. And I would say Weston McKinney has to play big as well. He has to come up big. He's a guy that on both sides of the ball is very crucial to the way we play. And Chris Richards, I'll add in fourth one just for him because he was out with an injury. So we're hopeful that he's going to be able to play that first game because he's a centerback, back line, holds it down there, and he's got to be strong for us. What can you tell us about our bracket? We got Paraguay up, number one tomorrow. How are our chances in our own bracket? Yeah, look, we have Paraguay, Australia, and Turkey, right? First game is so important.

I think over 80% of teams that win their first game advance. And so it's, you know, it sets the momentum, right? You want to set the stage. You want to build that confidence. And so Paraguay, it's a tough opponent. But, you know, USA is a better team on paper. They got to get the job done. And then Australia, Turkey, two solid opponents.

But at the same time, this is the most favorable group that the USA has had in World Cup history, in my opinion. And so being that their favor, they should get the job done in defense. We hope so. There's going to be 48 teams in this World Cup, the biggest ever. Is that a good thing? Does that help Team USA in some way? I think it helps the USA in some way in terms of that, you know, the group that they got was a little bit favorable, right? But I think for fans, you want to see more quality.

You want to see more games. We have 104 games that are going to be played in this World Cup, 48 teams, like you said, up from 32. So it's going to be a spectacle, right? And the more games, the more fun, the more you see watch parties, the more fan fest, the more celebration of soccer. And I hope it continues to help grow the sport in this country, and it helps propel the USA to, you know, move on further.

So who are the favorites, right? And as a fan, who are you looking for and who are you watching? Yeah, I think the odds-on favorite has to be France. I mean, this team has the strongest from top to bottom. Superstars, yeah. Superstars, and they could literally field, I think, three teams and still be very competitive, right? So it's the usual suspects. France, the Spain, you know, young Yolamil, great talent, Brazil.

And then I'm going to give you a little bit of my dark horses, you know. Okay, give it to me. Two of them are, you know, I got a connection to them. I come from Colombian parents, Colombian roots, and I think Colombia has a solid team. All right? They can make some damage. There's a great guy on the team, right? A younger guy.

Luis Dias? Luis Diaz, right? He's great. He's a star. He's a superstar and he can make things happen. And obviously, everybody knows Hamis or Dorriguez. But then my wife is also from Norway. Okay. I think Norway has a chance of being also, you know, an underdog and can surprise some folks. They got a strong team, Holland, which a lot of folks will be familiar with, but they got a solid team. What about Argentina, Messi? Could they go back to back? Is that possible? Absolutely. Argentina, you know, with Messi on your team, you always have a chance. To repeat is very hard. But, you know, like I said, had Messi on your team, he's always going to give you an opportunity.

And they're looking to repeat as well. And we know the Argentinians, how well-traveled they are. They're going to come out. They're passionate, and they're going to support that team hard. All right, Alejandro, we thank you so much for talking to us, man. We really do appreciate it. It's going to be an amazing World Cup. Absolutely.

Thank you. Let's enjoy it. All right. And a reminder, you can catch every moment of the FIFA World Cup, 2026, live in Spanish, on Telemundo and Peacock and in English on Fox. Coming up, a big report tonight in our series of the cost of denial and the challenges some patients are facing to help get through their Medicare Advantage plans.

Plus, we're now hearing from one of the American cruise ship passengers still in quarantine after the deadly haunt of virus outbreak why she says she's being held hostage. Stay with us. We're back now with our series, The Cost of Denial, where we investigate the struggles people face with their insurance providers. Tonight, a pair of scathing government reports focused on Medicare Advantage plans that millions of seniors use.

The reports questioning high rates of denials and what that means for patients. are Ann Thompson as the details. Ed McMahon is still recovering from an accident last August. Did you think 10 months later you would still need a cane to walk? No, I thought, I'll be back, I'll be walking. The once active 78-year-old broke his left thigh bone at his Connecticut gym. It was like my leg being in almost like, you know, two pieces.

Surgeons put in a titanium rod, and McMahon says his doctor told him he needed extensive rehab at what's known as a skilled nursing facility. He was more in the 60-day range. And how long were you there? I was there two weeks when I got notified that I was doing great by United Health Care. I needed to make arrangements to leave. But McMahon says he wasn't doing great

and expected his Medicare Advantage plan to pay for the care his doctors prescribed. Could you dress yourself? No. Could you walk unassisted? No. Could you walk with a cane? No.

Today, in a scathing new report from the Inspector General at HHS, Medicare Advantage plans called out for denials to these types of rehab centers. The report finding that on appeal, 95% of denials are reversed, an extremely high overturn rate that raises concerns that more initial requests should have been approved. HHS Assistant Inspector General Aaron Bliss. When a patient is denied a particular service that their doctors think that they need, they may just go without that care. They may get a substitute type of care that's a lower cost or lower intensity. And while nearly every appeal results in a reversal, HHS found only 18 percent of patients even try.

So did you appeal? Yes. The first appeal was granted, but it only gave Ed McMahon three days. He appealed once more staying at the facility another two weeks waiting for a response. He was denied and now owes $11,000. He says he's planning to sue United Health Group, which did not respond to our requests for comment. McMahon's still hoping to recover financially and physically. How much longer do you think that's going to take?

I don't think that's ever really going to happen. Ann Thompson joins us now. And you're also looking into another report on these insurance denial rates. And I know you have a stunning stat from the Inspector General's Office. It's true, Tom. And in fact, it's not just about skilled nursing facilities. The Inspector General's Office found that the three largest Medicare Advantage plans, which includes United Health, they were all found to have extremely high denial rates, first for long-term care, almost 70 percent, and then more than 50% for inpatient rehab.

Statistics that the IG says are concerning. Tom? And Thompson for us tonight. And we thank you for that report. Now to Top Stories Global Watch and a check of what else is happening around the world. We want to start in the UK where the country's defense secretary unexpectedly quit today. John Healy accused the government of not spending enough on the military at a time when

the UK is facing what he called rising threats. Prime Minister Kier Starmor is pushing back on that claim, saying their defense plan provides the necessary resources to keep the nation safe. And Serena Williams' epic comeback has run short. Well, it's not her fault. The 44-year-old only played one match at the Queens Club in London because her doubles partner had to withdraw after she hurt her knee. The duo was set to play in the quarterfinals. Williams made her return, of course, to pro tennis after taking a four-year hiatus. She looked great.

She's expected to be back on the court next week, though. at the Berlin Open. We look forward to that. And a zoo in the UK welcoming a new member into the family. Look at this little guy. He's part of an endangered species of Asian elephants. You can see him playing around with a ball close to his mother. The baby elephant was born this week, and get this already weighs 250 pounds. Oh my gosh, that's a big baby. Zoo officials say he represents real hope for the future of the species. Okay, we're going to take a serious turnout to an update on the deadly haunt of virus outbreak on a cruise ship we've been following. One of a American woman claiming the government is holding her in a federal quarantine facility against her will,

all of it, over a public health battle between the CDC and the state of Florida. NBC's Maggie Veska spoke to her from her isolation room. I'm being held hostage. This should scare everybody. Angela Perryman's personal nightmare started as a dream vacation aboard the M.V. Hondias. In the wake of the luxury cruise ship's deadly hauntavirus outbreak, the CDC's requiring all exposed Americans to quarantine for six weeks, a period ending on June 22nd. The agency last week giving all 18 passengers the option of isolating at the National Quarantine Unit in this Omaha, Nebraska hospital, or in their own homes.

Harriman says she's the lone exception. It had been completely voluntary, but the moment I said, I want to leave, it was no longer voluntary. I feel like I was like. The 47-year-old's home state of Florida is pushing. back on CDC requirements that states placed law enforcement or public health workers outside the homes of those in quarantine and check their temperature twice a day in person. Florida's Department of Health saying in a statement to NBC News, their approach is guided by science, risk assessment, and respect for individual liberty, and that the state does not believe unnecessarily intrusive restrictions are warranted. The CDC not responding to our request for comment. Does it feel like you're kind of caught in the middle of this ideological public health battle?

Yes, yes, it does. This is a prison. This is a detention facility. The CDC confirms eight passengers have left the Nebraska facility so far. Some going to New York, California, Arizona, and Oregon. Others, including Jake Rosemarine, who's been documenting life in isolation on social media, are opting to stay. I'm afraid to leave this room until I know that I will not. get sick. Perryman says she's never tested positive or shown any symptoms. I don't think there has been a day

since I've been here that I didn't cry. You want to go home? I want to go home. And breaking moments ago, just into our newsroom, we just heard from Angela who says a reviewer with the CDC who's been conducting a review of their requirements per her attorney's request has just recommended that she actually be transferred to home quarantine and to be managed by the state of Florida. So, now the Trump administration CDC apparently loosening its requirements, letting the state of Florida take over, and Angela, it seems, is headed home. There's no timeline as to when she might leave Omaha to head home again to finish out her quarantine in Florida. But she tells us she's incredibly relieved. And obviously this comes after more than a week of turmoil with her in that facility,

according to her against her will. Tom. Maggie Vesma for a stay on top of that one. Maggie, thank you. Also tonight, A new lawsuit back in the States is raising questions about the ways law enforcement uses AI. A Florida man is now suing after police used facial recognition technology to link him to a crime. He didn't commit. Evan Dean from our NBC affiliate, WBBBH, has that story. To be accused of something like this, it just ripped me apart inside. Rip me apart. It's been nearly two years since it happened.

Do you got any shoes or anything on you? Are you shitting me, man? I'm not. Two years since Robert Dillon was arrested out since. his home in San Carlos Park. This is crazy as fuck. What is it? I got to get my shoes.

What is going on? Handcuffed and hauled off for a crime he never committed. Tell you what, man, I'm going to put you in the, coffee in the front. This is nuts. Even now, still today, it haunts him. I don't think I'll ever trust law enforcement again. It's like you're guilty until proven innocent. More than 300 miles away in Jacksonville Beach, Dylan was accused of.

Dillon was accused of trying to lure a child at this restaurant. Investigators submitted surveillance photos of the suspect to a facial recognition program, AI, which revealed a 93% match on facial features to Dylan. But beyond that, and a witness who picked his photo out of a lineup, no evidence tied him to it. The reality, he's never been to Jacksonville Beach. They had people using this AI that aren't qualified to use it. They're not trained. They don't have the experience.

Weeks after the arrest, after Dylan proved his innocence, the state attorney dropped the case. It took nearly a year to wipe it from his record. To describe the police work in this case as sloppy would be charitable. Nate Westler is an attorney with the ACLU. After learning about the case through our reporting, they decided to represent Dylan. They filed a wrongful arrest lawsuit on his behalf. We're now seeing just a scourge across the country of police. police using this unreliable technology, trusting their results, letting incorrect results

taint their investigations, and arresting totally innocent people. The ACLU is suing several law enforcement agencies and officers, including Jacksonville Beach PD, which worked the case, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, which ran the facial recognition result for it, and the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, which manages the statewide facial recognition system. It fits the pattern of a series of very similar cases we've seen across the country. It's a tremendously dangerous technology when it's misused in this way. Westler says not only did police rely too heavily on facial recognition and what he calls

a tainted photo lineup. He also alleges that the investigator failed to mention key evidence to the judge, including a phone call to Dylan, who insisted upon his innocence and the fact that Dylan's license plates were not picked up on readers in Duval County, during the time frame of the crime. It was sloppy, but it went beyond that. I mean, we had an officer here who actively concealed exculpatory evidence from the judge when applying for an arrest warrant.

The lawsuit is seeking a payout for Dylan, but not only that, his attorneys want to see policy changes within the police agencies over how they use AI. That's what you want to hear. Robert Dylan is a commercial crabber on the Gulf Coast. on the Gulf Coast, an everyday working-class blue-collar guy. To be accused of something so awful, to have something like this happen, he says, has changed him forever. I want to take care of my family. This was all a shi-storm, and now I'm just fighting for, you know, so this doesn't

happen to anybody else. Across the U.S., the ACL U.S. says more than a dozen cases like this have been reported. We reached out to all three agencies named in Dillon's lawsuit. Jacksonville Beach PD and the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office would not comment. A sergeant for the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office did comment. She says proper safeguards were in place for the system and placed blame at the investigator who handled the case. In Lee County, I'm Evan Dean for NBC News. Tom, back to you.

What a wild mix up. Okay, Evan, we thank you. for that story still to come tonight, the miracle at the garden, the New York Knicks sending fans and celebrities into a frenzy with that comeback for the ages, those crazy moments both on the court and in the streets. That's next. Finally tonight, New York City is still celebrating after the Knicks' epic comeback, the biggest in NBA finals history. Now the team is only one win away from its first championship in more than 50 years. It came down to the final two seconds, and when the Knicks pulled off the Improbable. That's it. It's over.

You could hear it all across the streets of New York City. With the game on the line, the Knicks tipping in the ball, capping off the biggest comeback in NBA finals history. Fans in a frenzy inside Madison Square Garden, including notorious crumudgeon Larry David, Jerry Seinfeld, becoming a meme in real time. Taylor Swift seemed twirling with the Nick City dancers. And Ben Stiller and Timothy Shalomey

moshing with the crowd while Kylie Jenner filmed it all. The entire city hooked on the Knicks. The cast of the Gilded Age watching in costume, the game on in the sky and at the airport. Even the U.S. men's national soccer team literally falling off their chairs. And when the shock finally wore off, New York was ready to party.

One word that captures that all is just believe. New Yorkers have every reason to do just that. All right, it is incredible final series. We thank you so much for watching Top Story. I'm Tom Yamas in L.A. Stay right there. More news on the way.