Top Story with Tom Llamas - Thursday, June 18, 2026

Episode Date: June 19, 2026

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

Breaking news tonight, the dangerous flash flood emergency communities completely underwater and new tornado warnings going off right now. The dramatic rescues has catastrophic flood swamp neighborhoods, homes nearly submerged, and alligator swimming down a flooded street, plus the tornado outbreak carving a path of devastation. Twisters leveling homes are reporters in the storm zone. Also breaking tonight, gunshots ringing out in Times Square, people running for their lives, officers racing in. the chaos as millions descend on the Big Apple for the Knicks parade. The Iran deal dividing Republicans, how lead negotiator, Vice President J.D. Vance, is firing back at his own party. This just in the sudden reversal of the Luigi Mangione case, his team now withdrawing his psychiatric defense argument. The final image before a horse-drawn carriage accident leaving a teen dead, the growing calls to ban the controversial tourist activity. We speak to those on both

sides of the argument. Deadly shooting spree manhunt, the urgent search for a man who shot an Uber driver taking fans to a World Cup match. And White House sourcrow craze why members of the president's cabinet are going all in on the fermented diet fat. Plus, did a hospital worker try to sell Princess Kate's medical records? What a new report says. Top story. Starts right now. And good evening. We are coming on the air with the dangerous double threat, a flash flood emergency. down south and dangerous storms charging east after that catastrophic tornado outbreak. Remnants of the tropical storm known as Arthur. You see it right here wreaking havoc through Mississippi and Louisiana. Nearly 200 homes have been flooded with evacuations underway right now. The rushing waters

overflowing this dam in Mississippi on the verge of failure right now. This is something we're watching tonight. And take a look at this, a rescue team pulling a man to safety, stranded in a flooded trailer. The semi-truck, no match for those rising floodwaters, flipped over and completely submerged. You can hear those powerful winds howling through Louisiana whipping debris in the air. And this scary scene also in Louisiana, an alligator lurking in a flooded neighborhood. In the Midwest, more than a dozen tornadoes touching down, this one crossing a highway and Illinois. And this up-close view showing the sheer size of that twister. The damage just coming into focus, homes, cars, and businesses completely destroyed and tire roofs ripped off.

Similar scenes in Kentucky and Indiana, huge trees pulled from the ground toppling into homes. We have our reporters in both storm zones and our man Bill Cairns in studio standing by, tracking it all. But we want to begin in Mississippi where our Priscilla Thompson is live from the flood zone. Tonight, catastrophic flooding triggering dramatic water rescues in Mississippi, where the remnants of tropical storm Arthur are still raging. Stone County, a rescue team in this boat pulling one man to safety from a trailer surrounded by floodwaters. The devastation seen from above.

Cars underwater and homes almost completely submerged. This man seen trudging through thigh deep water to rescue his dogs. And this woman helped to safety. One state over in Louisiana, the National Weather Service says more than 180 homes are flooded across the state. video capturing a boat rescue and in a nearby suburb an alligator seen here swimming down a flooded street just steps from homes in Pekyoun Mississippi the water is still rising people in this neighborhood told by the Sheriff's Department

to evacuate you're leaving yeah we've already left we've taken the kids the dog and brought them to family I don't want to leave my house I mean if something happens somehow I wouldn't be there but I don't know if we're gonna be able to get out Okay, Priscilla Thompson joins us now live. Priscilla, not far from where you are. I know you're watching the risk of a dam failing. Yeah, Tom, it's about 15 minutes north of here. But I just want to give you a sense already of how bad it is in this neighborhood.

You can see how much water is here. In fact, these people have come out in a canoe in their front yard, water up to their doorstep. They tell me that they are planning to evacuate tonight, and that every time people drive by as they're trying to get out, it is sending waves up to their home. and they're almost certain that water is going to get into their home. But that dam, the anchor lake dam, is in danger of flooding. According to officials, they are urging people to get to higher ground, saying that this could get worse.

And we are now learning tonight that at least one person has died in Mississippi, a county worker who was cleaning up after the floods. Tom. Okay, Priscilla Thompson, Priscilla, thank you. Not of the massive tornado outbreak, devastating parts of the Midwest. More than a dozen twisters tearing across multiple states. Our Maggie Vespas on the ground with the widespread destruction. Caught on camera devastating tornadoes carving ruthless paths across multiple states.

At least 13 twisters reported across five states overnight. It'd be looking like it's on the ground. Tonight, the destruction in rural Illinois is jaw-dropping. It is wild how clear the path of this tornado was, just home after home, ripped apart. I mean, this one is completely destroyed. This elementary school's roof ripped off. That was my very first car when I was 16 years old. In hard hit Effingham, Michael Yeager's father started this auto supply store and classic car museum decades ago.

Now it's decimated. If you had to put a price tag on what was in that building, what is in that building? Probably north of five million. My husband comes running in. He's like, get down now. He's like, it's coming right for us. Lisa Harrington ran for cover with her husband and two kids. It was just so loud. You could hear that the house was starting to lift from the foundation.

Now she and so many others struggling to pick up the pieces with cleanup only beginning. And Maggie joins us live from Effingham, Illinois. Maggie, we can see how intense the damage is just there behind you. We heard the terror and that woman's voice. And now people are, they're telling you that they were injured in these storms? Yeah, Tom, local officials saying in this area, they absolutely had injuries. And when you look, I mean, at damage like this, how big this is, how intense it is, it's obviously understandable. Something of a note of comfort.

One local officer told us that he believed those injuries were more on the minor side, like the worst one being a broken leg, something like that. In other words, these were not life-threatening injuries. And authorities say, thankfully, no one died as a result of these storms, Tom. Incredible, no one died, a broken leg in a tornado, still very scary. All right, Maggie, we thank you for that. I want to bring an NBC meteorologist Bill, Karen's bill. It's still pretty dangerous out there. I'm looking over your shoulder like I usually do.

I can see the radar there. Arthur's still bubbling up. And is there still a threat in the Midwest? Yeah, it's amazing. This was a small tropical storm. The wind was never a factor at all. The storm is actually bigger and stronger in more ways now than it was when it was over the Gulf of Mexico. So here's what we're dealing with.

This water is everywhere in Mississippi and in Louisiana. We had rainfall rates that some areas picked up six inches in two hours. So that's what you're going to get, especially in low-lying areas, RV parks like this were a no match. A lot of rescues like this. The water, when it's flat like that, doesn't get really deep, but it just goes everywhere. So as far as we deal with the rest of tonight, we do have a chance for isolated tornadoes. Tornado watch is up from Atlanta to Dothan. Notice there's one little polygon here. We do have one active tornado warning. We haven't had any tornadoes reported in the south in like maybe eight hours or so,

but this one will watch closely here. This is going to be heading for Interstate 75 just north of Macon. It looks like it's going to go just south of Atlanta. It's just outside. to Columbus here. So we'll keep an eye on this. This is radar indicated. It's exit in the Geneva area and it should pass safely north of Butler, Georgia. Look at all the maroon on this map. We still have flash flood warnings from Mobile to Enterprise. All of our flashflight emergencies have ended, thankfully, but we're still going to get another couple inches of rain tonight. Some areas possibly even getting as much as five to 10 inches of rain. And that's why this area tonight through tomorrow, from Mobile to Enterprise, that is the greatest area of concern. We also had severe storms tonight

in areas of New England, over 100,000 people without power. These storms are finally ending, Tom, and our tornado threat for areas of the northeast and Boston area is over with, so everyone there can relax. Okay, Bill, that's at least a little bit of good news. We thank you for that. Here in New York City, though, there was a shooting in broad daylight in Times Square. You're going to see the video in a moment. Tourists running for cover, and it comes during the biggest NYPD event operation ever to protect

the Knicks. Here's Sam Brock. A terrifying scene in the heart. part of Times Square. The sound of gunshots sending people scattering in one of the most congested parts of New York City. Police say one person is in custody and no injuries at this time. The dramatic incident coming just hours after what the NYPD called its biggest planned

operation ever, securing lower Manhattan for the Knicks parade after the team's first title in more than 50 years. A New York crowd coming out by the millions flooding the streets with Broadway jammed shoulder to shoulder right along the parade route. Subway's teeming and people just trying to sneak a peek. Other fans turned away hours before the parade even began because of crowds. The NYPD says an estimated 2 million people attended with no major incidents. The team stars, including point guard Jalen Brunson, soaking in the moment.

Damn, New York, we really did it, man. We really did it. On a morning, the city's euphoria permeated the streets. The unity, it's just unbelievable. We're all New York. We're all Knicks fans. So often when this city comes together, it is because we are forced to by a moment of tragedy or adversity. What a gift it is to be brought together by pure, unfiltered joy. For so many, that joy still remains.

But tonight a sobering reality. Securing the biggest city in the country is never without challenges. Sam Brock joins us tonight from Times Square. And Sam, what else do we know about what happened there in Times Square with that shooting? It looked pretty intense. So we're learning some new information right now, Tom. We know that police said no one was injured from the gunfire, but according to the NYPD, there was a 26-year-old man who was slashed in the neck.

We're told that he is in stable condition right now. They're looking for the person responsible. So while there is someone in custody for the shooting, apparently not for this slashing. Now, talking about the success of what happened earlier in the day that ultimately was marred by what happened here in Times Square. NYPD had 2 million plus people attend this parade. There were 13 folks that were taken into custody, 10 of whom were arrested out of multiple millions.

And frankly, Tom, it might have been more than that, but others were turned away because there was just so much demand. Barracades everywhere. Police were very careful about where they allowed you to move. It was an incredibly well-run operation. Fortunately, you had this tragedy here hours later. Tom. Okay, Sam Brock, for us there in Times Square.

Sam, we thank you for that report. Tonight we have a shocking reverse on the Luigi-Made. Gioni case. His lawyers now saying they will no longer pursue the psychiatric defense they filed just 24 hours ago. No explanation for the legal you turn as Mangione prepares to go to trial for the murder of United Health Care CEO, Brian Thompson. I want to bring in NBC News legal analyst Danny Savalas to break down this change in course. Danny, your defense attorney, in your expert opinion, what happened here? I'm going to put on my speculation hat, but Tom, here's what I think happened. It's one of two things. They had a deadline, the defense, to get in certain documents

and information. They may have been waiting on an expert witness that they thought might be able to give them the testimony they wanted, and maybe that just didn't come through at the 11th hour, but far more likely, whenever you see an inexplicable 180-degree turn, that is usually the client. And I wouldn't be surprised if Mangione had all of this explained to him, how this defense works, this affirmative defense of extreme emotional disturbance, had a night to think about it and realized, at least for him. Even though I think this is a very good option for the defense, he might be thinking, well, wait a minute, I could still be convicted. I'm essentially admitting to doing this, and then I have an outside shot of taking a crime that will put me away for decades and decades, and then just maybe spending decades.

I'd rather roll the dice, forget it, withdraw it, let's go to trial. That could be what happened. So what's the path forward now? Is it the original defense? They're just going to try to fight this and say he didn't do it? Yes, exactly. And what's amazing now... Did they just sort of admit to it that he did do it in legal filings?

Spiritually, but not from an evident standpoint. No jury has heard that he... Can that be part of the case? Well, the jury, no, okay. No, because it's just a notice of an intent. They can withdraw that. The way you can withdraw an alibi defense when you give notice of that. Could the prosecutors present that?

Like, hey, before this case started, just so you guys know, they try to do this? No, that would, no, that would be inadmissible. But, believe me, the prosecutors are in their offices. Like, he just sort of admitted it. Or at least he was willing to pursue a defense. where he would, by definition, be admitting to the crime and then really trying to mitigate it, because that's what this is.

This is about the extreme emotional disturbance is about mitigation. It's not truly a defense that would lead to acquittal. Okay. Danny Savalz, great to have you here. Thanks for explaining that weird one. We want to turn to politics now where Vice President J.D. Vance is pushing back tonight.

Defending that preliminary peace deal with Iran, a growing backlash from Trump allies. Monica Alba is at the White House tonight. Tonight with a preliminary peace deal with Iran signed by President Trump. Vice President Vance, the lead negotiator for the 14-point memorandum of understanding, defending the framework, which now kickstarts 60 more days of talks. There's a lot of discussion, the MOU, the gentleman's agreements, the final deal.

Words don't matter, ladies and gentlemen, we're about verification. And tonight as part of the deal, Sencom says it lifted its blockade of Iranian ports after Iran stopped attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. But the administration facing growing... criticism over other points in the framework, including from top Trump allies. I don't want to give them any money. For allowing Iran to start selling oil again and the promise of billions of dollars in unfrozen assets if Iran complies with the final agreement.

I think, unfortunately, the president is receiving some really bad advice on this deal. I don't want to see us send a penny to the Ayatola. The VP pushing back. And it's a misrepresentation of the MOU. The idea that they get benefits before they change their behavior is fundamentally a talking point that is issued by people who want the conflict to continue indefinitely. Vance pointing to average gas prices dropping under $4 a gallon, oil plummeting to around $77 a barrel, near where it was when the war began. The president's peace plan in Iran is already bearing real fruits for the American people. And the VP also going after critics of the deal in Israel.

Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel. Anybody in Israel who thinks their biggest problem is the president of the United States needs to wake up and smell the reality of the situation that country is in. Monica, joins us now live from the White House. So Monica, this kicks off a 60-day window for talks. And Vice President Vance will lead the U.S. delegation. Exactly, Tom. The vice president is expected to leave for Switzerland as soon as tonight to take part in those discussions. But really, this 60-day period is going to deal with some of the thornyest issues and some of the things that aren't even a part of the page and a half memorandum of understanding.

So there's still a very long road ahead here. But the White House was sort of in a defensive posture today and likely will continue to be. They want to claim this as a diplomatic victory. And they say that truly they will only allow Iran to reap these financial benefits if they, quote, their behavior in the coming weeks and months. But so many critics, including those Republican allies, have raised questions about exactly how that's going to work, what the enforcement mechanisms will be to some of this. And again, the vice president, who has been the face of this deal, who is somebody who was a part of the talks in Islamabad originally, then almost went to a second

round of that, only for that to end up collapsing, is going to be taking part in this and will likely be a very key player in this, which does also set up a really interesting, political question for him if he does decide to run for president in 2028. But he is dismissing any of the talk from the president who he says was joking yesterday when he talked about if this does end up falling apart, that he will blame his vice president. And if it is successful, the president says he will take all the credit. So the vice president today is saying he is going to be, he expects heading to Europe for those face-to-face discussions that the supreme leader of Iran today also endorsed saying he does want there to be some direct negotiation.

with the U.S. Tom. Okay, Monica Alba. We thank you for that. Still ahead on top story, new details in the deadly horse carriage incident in Central Park. Could this bring an end to the popular tourist attraction, plus the manhunt for a shooting spree suspect involving fans headed to a World Cup match, the search for that person right now? And an update in the plot to attack the UFC event at the White House with the government just revealed about the alleged ringleaders. Stay with us. We'll back down with the new details on that tragic incident in Central Park, an 18-year-old kid. killed after falling off a horse-drawn carriage after the horse was spooked and took off with the family inside.

Stephanie Gosk has the latest. A terrifying moment in New York City's Central Park, a horse-drawn carriage bolting with four people inside. The Mahajan family visiting from India had this photo taken just before it happened. 18-year-old romance leapt to help his mother, according to a family member who spoke with NBC News. But he fell hitting his head on the ground and later died. at a nearby hospital. Shocked witnesses described seeing the family. They were crying. They were on the phone. The father, they were just trying to, like, I guess, you know, comfort, you know, the person on the ground. According to the carriage

driver's union, the driver got out to take a photo of the family, breaking one of its rules. That's when the horse ran, eventually slamming into another carriage. Normally there would be a line of horses and carriages here. The horses would be drinking the water from the trough, but today after what happened yesterday they did not show up for work a string of incidents including Wednesday's tragedy renewing calls to ban the carriages enough is enough city council member christopher marty spoke out on the issue last week what did you say to the city council i said how long are we going to have to wait are we going to have to wait until someone dies and unfortunately yesterday someone did die the carriages have long been an iconic site in

Central Park, the backdrop to countless Hollywood scenes. Tonight, the union says it is gutted by the tragedy, but believe they can make changes to better protect the horses and their passengers. New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani is also joining the calls to ban the horse carriage industry and parks around the city, but he says the city will do what it can to look after the 100 or so drivers of those carriages. Some of them, Tom, have been doing this for decades. Okay, Stephanie, thank you.

This tragedy renewing the debate over horse-drawn carriages and whether they still belong here in New York City. Joining Top Story tonight with their perspectives on this, Alexander Kemp. He's a vice president of the Transport Workers Union, which represents carriage drivers and owners, and Curtis Lewa, founder of the Guardian Angels and former candidate for the mayor of New York City, who has long advocated for the banning of horse-drawn carriages. I thank you both for being here. Alexander, I'm going to start with you. Stephanie reported operations have ceased while the union discusses safety protocols.

What protocols were in place before and what needs to change? Sure, good evening. First, I just want to extend my condolences to the family. The Mahajan family, this is extreme tragedy. This is heartbreaking, gut-wrenching, and no story or no mission statement could satisfy what transpired and the fact that a life was lost. And I don't think moving past that point would be. do anybody justice. So I just wanted to state that before we started. And the practices that

were in place prior to this incident are still in place. This incident, no one can speak to because this has never happened before. Unfortunately, when something like this happens, it does expose a vulnerability in any industry. Anytime there's a catastrophe in any walk of any mechanism of transportation. So I think that is the reason why you haven't seen the carriages out there. They were taken off while an investigation is taking place, and while we collectively speak with our partners and our principles to try to satisfy amongst everyone what would be the best way to move forward and prevent this from ever happening again. Curtis, New York City is a progressive city. That is no secret. How do these carriages still exist?

here. People ask that question all the time. Well, I ask, how is it? Third World Cities have banned, have discontinued the horse-drawn carriages and replaced them with electric carriages, which means the horse carriage drivers still have gained full employment. Look at this family

from India. Had they gone to Bombay where I was? Originally, they had the horse-drawn carriage. They were so proud going back to Queen Victoria. They banned it in 2015. Melbourne, Australia, London, Beijing. We just go right across the continent.

So cut through all this. Why is it still here? What is it? Is it the strong union? What's going on here? Well, I would suggest to the union president, you know, his predecessor was John Samuelson who made this a big issue.

Get a rickshaw, carry people around. See how barbaric that is for humans. And imagine here's a horse in 90-degree weather with their head down on the ground. They need to be frolicking. They need to be with other horses. They don't need to be dragging around people. It's a barbaric behavior.

of a past era, let's work together to keep your horse carriage drivers gamefully employed with electric carriages so that they can feed their families. That is a satisfactory compromise. Alexander, people still, I'm sure, by the tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands still ride the horse carriages. What do you want to say to Curtis about that? Well, consider the fact that a family came from India to New York, and they could have done a thousand other things. They could have went on the Staten Island ferry. They could have took circle line, but it was important for them to get the experience of the horse carriages. It meant something on their trip to celebrate this historic event for their family, to come

to the horse carriages out of anything they could have done in New York. The reality is that this is a foundation of New York and that all of the things that Curtis is citing in regards to the quality of life for the horses and what the horse's intentions are, I think often everyone leaves out the context about how these horses were even. bread. Many of these horses came from Amish country where they worked 10 times as hard, where they were bred to do extensive amounts of labor. And in this environment, they actually do 10 times less. And the horses are cared for. And in the event, there was any evidence to satisfy whether or not the horses were abused or this industry was so toxic, it would have been eradicated years ago.

But the truth is, is that if not for the amount of money being pushed to make this argument, There would be no evidence to satisfy that. And I think it's absolutely disgusting that there are people who are intending to use the death of an 18-year-old to push an agenda. It is extremely irresponsible and distasteful, actually. Curtis, it sounds like he's talking about you. I wish I could understand what he was saying, but I'm reading his lips right now. Let me explain this. He represents his union.

I'm down in the subways every day with his members. They don't even know they represent these people in the whole. carriage industry. And number two, he's not the one stopping this. He may be the bully threatening city council, but the fake foley fraudulent for gays, these are the city council members. When did you ever see in this last election for mayor? All four of us agree on anything. Eric Adams, Sir Hamadami, Andrew Cuomo Curtis Leaver. We all agreed it's time to ban the horse carriages and move to electrified carriages. The only one standing in the way now with Julie Menon, Speaker of the Council, and I wonder what kind of contribution she's getting from the TWA,

Local 100 Union. I don't know if they've sweetened her up, but she's the only person now standing in defiance of something that is taking place globally. Alexander, when you see people watch this, they see this video, and then they see the other video from last week of the horse that died on the street. How do you defend that to say that, listen, even though these things happened, I mean, we just had a tourist die. I mean, it's pretty terrible. And accidents do happen. But how do you justify, hey, guys, it is still worth it to do the horse-drawn carriage because it is part of the fabric of New York City? No, indeed. And let's not move past the fact that the horse was poisoned by a plant that the conservancy planted, a U-plant, that

is poisonous to dogs, it's poisonous to horses. And I don't hear Curtis talking about that. He omits that fact that a horse was killed last. week, not by anything that had to do with the horse operators, the carriages, or the union, but by the conservancy who planted a poison, toxic plant, and never informed anyone about the consequences of where it was and what it could do to the horses that were in the park. But when we speak about why you should continue to support this industry and not look past it is because there are circumstances that happen in every single industry. And we do not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

You do not look at a plane that crashed coming from Air Canada into an ambulance on the runway and say we should stop flying planes. You do not look at when a roller coaster goes haywire and someone falls off of it and passes away. You do not look at a circumstance where a young lady was just launched off of a bungee cord without the cord being attached to her back and satisfy that no one should ever do that again. The reality is that we do represent bus operators and train operators and conductors as well. and a bus operator who could have 25 years on the job, have a perfect record and do a million trips up Madison Avenue,

up Flatbush Avenue, and never have an incident, come to work on time every day, never call out sick. And on his 26-year, have a fatality, an accident and rainy day, something could go left. He's judged off of that one moment, not the totality of his career. He's looked at as someone who made a horrible mistake, and then we have to have a question about whether or not that person it should be criminalized.

So the truth is, is when you look at it. in its totality, this industry and the amount of consequences relative to this industry and to Central Park, it is very, very minimal. And unfortunately, this young man lost his life, and they are trying to propagandize something that is extremely horrible. And again, I say it is extremely distasteful. And to suggest that people are taking payola to represent our members. And the fact that we have consistently presented opportunities to make the industry safer. We currently have an intro 937 which does that, which allows for extra components,

extra measures of safety, hitch posts, things that would allow horses to be tied up. There are numerous amounts of ways to make things safer. And unfortunately, when terrible things happen, it is an opportunity to look at ways that we have the ability to and the resources to to make an industry safer.

Alexander, you had the first word, Curtis. I'll give you the last word. It's barbaric. Look at these horses. They're suffering. They're being tortured. This man's membership, pilots electrified trains, pilots, electrified buses. It's time to get with the new way we deal with animals.

Electrified carriages, and all your members will still be employed. Stop the torture of the horses. It's barbaric. Let them frolic with other horses in sanctuaries. your members still get paid, they'll still be paying you your dues. There's something wrong going on here. There's something shady going on here.

It's been too many years. I've been involved in this too many years, and you and that city council speaker, Julie Manning, is standing of the way of progress and a humanitarian way to treat these horses. Curtis Lee, well, Alexander Kemp, we thank you for a heated debate here on Top Story.

We thank you for a respectful debate as well. Coming up, former President Obama Star studied presidential center, opening all living former presidents joining the celebrations, plus the reported breach of privacy for the British royal family, a health care worker accused of trying to sell Princess Kate's medical records when she was suffering. That's next.

We're back down with an urgent manhunt in the Kansas City area. Police searching for a man, they say, went on a deadly shooting spree along a busy road just before a World Cup match. This is a very strange incident. Jesse Kirsch has the latest. Tonight, an alleged killer is on the run near Kansas City, considered armed and dangerous. We know who he is. We have law enforcement agencies, federal, state and local, all looking for him right now as we speak. Police urgently searching for 22-year-old Oscar Sanchez-Munoz, who they say carried out a shooting spree Tuesday night that left one person dead and four people injured.

And we heard a boom, boom, and we thought that we had a flat tire. Alejandro Berbari says he was in an Uber to the Argentina-Aljuria World Cup match at Arrowhead Stadium when his driver was suddenly shot. The drivers started screaming call 911. I got shot. We didn't understand how, when, why. That shooting, according to police, one of several in quick succession, three adults and one teen injured. Victims all indicated that they were driving down the highway or roadway when one or more shots were fired into their vehicle. Meanwhile, police say another man who was shot died. Investigators say they quickly identified Sanchez Munoz as a suspect and surrounded a house believing he was inside.

But after a standoff, the home went up in flames and Sanchez Munoz was never found inside. Tonight, police say he remains at large. If anyone sees this subject, call 911 immediately. All right, Jesse Curse joins us down. Jesse, these shootings happening just before the city hosted. a World Cup game. Do police think that the connection to this shooting is also connected to the World Cup? Yeah, at this point, Tom, that is not something that is believed by investigators. Authorities also making a point of saying that the group that was stuck in the vehicle where the

Uber driver were shot were taken to the game and made it on time, police took them to that game. But certainly, this is a very concerning situation. And that's sitting one of several across the country, getting a lot of attention right now. an influx of visitors from around the world. And right now, you've got a situation where in the Kansas City area, there is someone who is still on the run and believed to be armed and dangerous after this series of very concerning incidents, Tom. Jesse Kirsch, first tonight, Jesse, we thank you.

We want to go now to Chicago in the star-studied opening of President Obama's presidential center. The former president and first lady joined by three living former presidents. President Trump was not there, but may have been the focus of some very veiled remarks. Donald was there. The Obama Presidential Center grand opening, the rare reunion of all four former presidents and first ladies, a moment that Bono put to music. 46, 42, and 43. A snapshot of the decade since they left the White House, the daughters who were little

girls then, now young women. I got my tissue in hand. Michelle Obama spoke of her husband's accomplishments. emotions filled his eyes, all while delivering a gentle yet pointed defense against unnamed critics. How absurd it is to imagine that you might have done anything but make our family and this entire country proud. President Trump was neither mentioned nor invited to attend this ceremony. President Obama said democracy requires this. A belief in the peaceful transfer of power after the people have spoken.

in fair and free elections, recognizing that in a large, complicated society like ours, no group or faction gets its way 100% of the time. A gallery of artists came together and moved the crowd to its feet. Organizers said they wanted this to be a joyful event. Tomorrow something new begins as the Obama Presidential Center opens to the public. Tom? Okay, Kelly O'Donnell, for us from Chicago. Kelly, we thank you for more.

or the legacy of former President Obama, I want to bring in our political pros. Two friends to top story, Amisha Cross is a Democratic strategist, who was an advisor on the Obama campaign and in the Obama White House, and Matt Gorman, Republican strategist and NBC News contributor. We thank you both for joining us.

Amisha, we could probably speak three hours about President Obama. But briefly, what do you think President Obama's legacy will be? Give me what you think are as two top points. I think one of the top messages is obviously going to be unity. and how important our democracy is yet is unfinished. One of the things that was a through line throughout his speech,

and also I think Michelle Obama's as well, was that our democracy has never been perfect. But it is relied on everyday men and women to fight for it, to protect it, to advance civil rights, to ensure that everyone who lives here can see themselves reflected in this country and its policies. And that every day we work a little bit harder to get to the equity that we all want and deserve.

But also that it's very important to acknowledge that we are not a monarchy. We are a nation with several different opinions, several different views, several different backgrounds, and that that is the richness of this country, not something that we should shy away from it, not something that we should deny or force people out because of. Matt, what is the rebuttal from the Republicans on two terms of President Obama? I mean, reckless spending, a health care law, which even Democrats say health care is way too expensive, and that didn't fix a darn thing. But I think one of the things that we don't talk about enough is that in many ways, directly, the Obama presidency gave us the presidency of Donald Trump.

Look, Obama we saw today was exactly the Obama we saw for 10 years, right? Surrounded by celebrities, elite detached, talking about how we've all failed him. I mean, during his speech, he lamented leaders chasing fame, but this is somebody who has a Netflix production deal. And again, you couldn't find a White House event which wasn't surrounded by celebrities left and right. And that eliteness really led in many ways to a Trump presidency, which was a rebellion against the elites. And again, somebody who really annoyed Republicans to the many attacks on the campaign trail

when he was running for office. This is somebody who likened John McCain, or his campaign did, liking John McCain to George Wallace and whose super PAC said Mitt Romney gave a woman cancer. So when the time came to attack Donald Trump, people just rolled their eyes and didn't listen. Amisha, you know, he brings up some points about Obamacare.

Millions are insured under Obamacare. We can talk about what it did to small businesses and the prices to health care. Matt does bring up some interesting points, though. Every president sort of chooses a path in their post-presidency. Some do a lot like Jimmy Carter. Some do some, like President Bill Clinton and his global initiative. The Bushes, you can sort of debate what they're still doing. But what is President Obama doing? Because Matt does point out something very interesting. I mean, he did sort of have this popularity throughout the country and throughout the world. And he did sort of segue into entertainment and to doing documentaries and narrating nature flicks. And and things like that. Do you think he still has another chapter where he wants to get back into public policy? I think that people who assume that he left public policy have not been paying attention to the work done by the Obama Center, which has been open for quite a few years now. In addition to that, this is a president who, his first thing out of the gate when you want to talk about that Netflix deal, was a documentary that focused on the lives of everyday working Americans in factories, nurses who were working overtime and were not getting paid,

focused on people who were taking care of our elders, who were earning minimum wage or less. It was literally the story of Americans, many of whom were black, brown, and low income who were working every single day, yet could not afford to feed their own families. That was the essence of what he was doing with that deal, showcasing just how American lives are being led,

but also putting a real spotlight on the types of policies we need to make their lives easier. Barack Obama has never left the policy space. I think people need to pay attention. But beyond that, Barack Obama is not the Superman of America, America. America elected not once but twice Donald J. Trump. And in large part, we know that, you know, that that push back was because they latched on to a certain essence that he was running on in his campaigns. It has absolutely nothing to do with the president coming back. What

Barack Obama has done policy-wise is the exact same thing every other president has done when they leave the White House. They rescind into their time, their community, their family, and when there is a next election, they endorse. And then they fall back. That is very, been the record of every president. So I'm a little bit shocked and quite frankly, I think it's problematic that there is this expectation of a Superman savior of America that is to be Barack Obama, even though the man served two terms. He gave America eight great years. The decisions they made after that was no fault of the president. Matt, what do you say to that? I mean, I guess it falls against in many ways contrary to what Obama said during his own statement today. He talked about how

reluctant he was to get involved back into politics again and kind of like how I'm reluctant to go to a Yankees game when I'm off for tickets. Again, he seems to be popping up everywhere, and the more people see him, the more he just becomes another surrogate, not a former president. He didn't retire into the spotlight. And again, people act as to be some sort of passive bystander, highlighting the policies and all the problems in his Netflix series, as if he wasn't president for eight years. Again, as if ObamaCare didn't make health care more expensive, as if he had a chance to do these sorts of things and didn't. Nobody calling him the Superman of America, but nobody's saying he just some random documentary filmmaker.

He did it eight years, two of which with filibuster-proof majorities in the Senate and also in the House to do whatever he wanted. So again, he loves to detach himself from the reality that he wrought. And again, whether you love Donald Trump or hate Donald Trump, in so many ways Obama is directly responsible for the presidency of Donald Trump. George Bush did eight years as well, I will remind you. And he had never endorsed Donald Trump and he has never stepped out against the Republican Party as what it has become. come today because that is not what presidents do when they leave office. Amisha Cross, Matt Gorman, like I said, we could talk three hours about this, probably longer three days about this. We thank you both for being here, as always, two good friends to the show.

We want to turn out to Top Stories newsfeed, and we start with an update on the alleged plot to attack the UFC fight at the White House. The Department of Homeland Security announcing today the alleged ringleader is a Mexican national in the U.S. illegally. DHS says Abraham Alvarez was given dreamer status by the Obama administration. Alvarez and four other suspects face federal charges of conspirators. to commit murder and conspiracy to commit violence on White House grounds. Big news out of Cuba tonight proposed reforms that would be the biggest change to the country's socialist model since Fidel Castro took power. Cuba's president proposing opening the door to foreign

investments, including private real estate development and transforming some state-owned businesses into private commercial ventures, among other reforms. Cuba's Communist Party backing the proposal as it faces a severe economic crisis, only worsened by U.S. sanctions. the proposal has been submitted to the country's National Assembly for debate. And a reminder, Cuba has tried and promised these things before and then taken them back. An update on the story we've been following at Chicago, new charges announced against the man accused of setting a cross on fire. 21-year-old Merlin Liu is facing a felony hate crime charge and multiple misdemeanors. He was arrested Monday morning.

He allegedly built and set fire to the crosses on June 9th. He told our NBC Chicago station before he was arrested that he did it as a protest. against Donald Trump. And a bombshell new report claiming a London hospital worker attempted to sell Princess Kate's medical records. Britain's independent data privacy authority says it issued a warning to a former medical professional after the person offered to disclose medical records for financial gain. The BBC and other British news outlets report those files belong to the Princess of Wales when she underwent abdominal surgery two years ago. The London Clinic says the employee involved no longer works there. Okay, when we come back tonight here at Top Story, the surprising new diet trend.

This is weird among President Trump's cabinet, Sourkraut. That's it. RFK Jr. says it helped them lose 20 pounds. We speak with a dietitian to see if this is the real deal. Stay with us. Okay, time now for Top Stories health check and the fermented food fad being adopted by top White House officials. This headline in the Wall Street Journal caught R.I. Everyone in Trump's cabinet is eating sourcrow.

According to the journal, Vice President J.D. Vance, Commerce Secretary Howard Ludnik, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, all singing the praises of a diet dominated by the German dish made from fermented raw cabbage. And perhaps the biggest proponent is health secretary, RFK Jr. He spoke with conservative podcaster Katie Miller about his habits. His wife, Cheryl Heinz, chiming in as well. Take a listen. You take sauerkraut with you out to parties. I do. Do you still take sauerkraut with you?

I went to dinner at the Ned last night, and I brought my sauerkraut. In the morning at 6.30, he's cooking a steak and eating sauerkraut. So, you know... Do you love waking up to the smell of steak in the morning? Mm-hmm. So for a gut check on this regimen, I want to bring in Lorraine Carney. She's a registered dietitian and CEO of New York City Nutrition. Thanks so much for joining us.

RFK Jr. has been open about this diet, right, claiming that he's lost 20 pounds in just 30 days from the combination of large portions of fermented foods as well as grass-fed steak. Is that possible? Well, it depends on what other changes he's making as well, right? Is it just a food? But if he's also cutting out some saturated fat, decreasing his carb intake, it's coming down to more of that calorie deficit. And there is benefits to these fermented foods, right, linked to gut health.

Talk to me about the advantages of incorporating some of this food into your diet. Great. Yeah. So probiotics are wonderful for supporting the gut microbiome. But when we have too much of a good thing, it can also be a bad thing, and it can trigger some symptoms. So when we have the benefits of the probiotic, we're really looking at one to four tablespoons of some sourcrow or probiotics a day. Increasing it, and especially for a certain population, that have high histamine or small intestinal bacteria, overgrowth, it can trigger a lot of symptoms, and especially with the histamines, some flushing. So what you're saying, yeah, you're saying a little bit of sourcrow is good, but if you make it the base of your bowl with steak on top, that could be a little dangerous. There's got to be a lot

of sodium in there, too, right? A hundred percent, right? We do. We have a lot of sodium in there. So we really want to have that personalized approach when it comes to our nutrition instead of the blanket statements. But work for one person may not work for another. It can actually be a trigger for them. So we really want to be able to help a person where they're at and really take into their medical conditions as well because too much sodium is not going to be beneficial for their heart. That being said, if someone is losing weight on this diet where they're using a lot of those fermented foods, including sauerkraut. And I keep thinking of ballpark hot dogs. But if they keep using sauerkraut, but they are losing weight, do sort of the dangers not outweigh the benefits

in that case? Well, where else are they getting the nutrients from? We need a lot of different types of nutrients from our fruits, vegetables, or whole brains. We're looking at those vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. So if we're just limiting it to one nutrient, then it can be a risk factor for other nutritional deficiencies that sometimes can take a while for them to occur. It can be up to a couple of weeks to months of having some nutrient deficiencies before they start looking at labs. And when we do look at labs, how often do we check for vitamins and minerals?

Not really, so it can go onto the radar for a little bit. And then before you go, give us some other examples of fermented foods besides sauerkraut that people might be incorporating into these diets. Yeah, so we have some kimchi as well, some pickled vegetables. We can be looking to add our yogurts and have that probiotic that's in there. And kombucha can also be great as well. Okay, good to know. Lorraine Carney. We thank you so much for joining Top Story. Coming up next, we preview Team USA's second World Cup game, how the men stack up against Australia.

That's next. We are back now with a look at all things World Cup. The American team off to a very strong start. Now getting ready to face off against Australia in Seattle. The two teams tied for first in Group D, the U.S. with the goal advantage after netting four against Paraguay. Joining us now to break down what to expect on the pitch is Dax McCarty. He's a former major league soccer player and a soccer analyst. Dax, thanks so much for being here.

So talk to you about the USA team. Were you surprised at how well they did versus Paraguay? and what can we expect against Australia? I'm not surprised that they won the game, but I am surprised with how comprehensive it was. That was the most comprehensive performance from 1 to minute 90 from the U.S. men's national team in any World Cup.

And it was fantastic from start to finish. The U.S. men's national team, they needed a seminal moment. They needed a performance to get the American public on their side and excited about how far they can go in this tournament. They absolutely did that. It was an emphatic victory from start to finish. Let me ask you something because these teams in the World Cup, they're put together, you know, from players that are all over the country, obviously, sometimes all over the world.

Sure. And they play all over the world. Yep. So the World Cup, this is kind of the first time you get to see the team in action, right, and how well they play. Is it fair to say they surprise people? Absolutely. They definitely surprise people. I would say, not least because the buildup to this tournament for the last two years under head coach Mauricio Pochartrino was inconsistent.

There were inconsistent lineups, inconsistent results. And quite honestly, a little bit of question marks heading into this tournament with how well this team would do. They answered all of those questions. And the vibe right now amongst the team has never been higher. Every word coming out of camp is one of positivity and humility because they know they've got a really tough game coming up against Australia. Okay. So talk to us about the Aussies. What should we expect? Well, I would expect a physical game. The U.S. Ben's national team played against Paraguay, and they completely dominated from start to finish in every single way.

The Australians are going to put up a big fight against the Americans. They actually played a couple of months ago in a friendly, and it was physical. Christian Polisik actually got fouled. He got taken out of the game within 30 minutes. And there's been a little bit of trash talk going on between both countries. Both sets of players are ready for this game, and I expected to be intense from the very first minute. You mentioned Captain America there, Christian Polisick. There's so many other great players on Team USA, we should say, but there's a lot of focus on him because he's great.

He's day-to-day, what's going on with him? How's that injury? Yeah, Christian Pulisic, first of all, had an unbelievable 45 minutes against the Paraguayans. He was the most dangerous player on the field. Fuller and Balagin got two goals, but Christian Pulisic was our danger, man. He is our most creative player. So there's some concern heading into this game against Australia. He hasn't trained all week.

And so I'm concerned that he will not be available for the game. I absolutely don't expect him to start the game. As a player, you want rhythm. You want to make sure that physically you're feeling 100%. If there's any question that Christian Polisic could potentially make the injury worse by playing. If I'm the U.S. men's national team, I would have him on the bench and maybe not even involved in the game. You want him 100% for the knockout rounds. What does that mean, though, Team USA without him? Well, it means that you're going to have to rely

on your depth. Gio Raina scored one of the best goals, I think, in U.S. men's national team history. That fourth goal with the outside of his foot, he's a creative influence. I expect either him or maybe a Timothy Wea to come in, replace Christian Pulisicic. And now they're different players. They're going to provide the U.S. men's national team with different options. You're going to play against an Australia team. That sits really deep. You need a creative influence in there. I think Gio Raina is the man to do it.

Before we go, we don't have a little bit of time. Messi, Rinaldo. Messy, oh my gosh, just incredible. Three goals. Still the goat. What happened with Rinaldo there? Are people putting too much pressure? Too much on one game?

Yeah. Anytime you speak about Messi, Ronaldo is always going to be involved. I expect it to be the last World Cup for both of these legendary players. Lionel Messi, in my opinion, the greatest player that's ever lived. He's like an alien. He just keeps getting better with age. And the hat trick, his first hat trick ever in a world,

in a World Cup for him. It put a lot of pressure on Rinaldo, and Portugal and Rinaldo didn't live up to the billing. I don't think it's all Cristiano's fault, but Portugal didn't play well. Cristiano's obviously involved in that. If you are a big name, you're going to have to deal with the repercussions.

I expect them to get better the deeper this tournament goes on. It is going to be harder. That's why it's the World Cup. Dax, so great to have you here. We thank you for joining Top Story. Thank you. The U.S. takes on Australia tomorrow at 3 p.m. Eastern.

You can watch every moment of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Spanish exclusively on Telemundo. and Peacock. We thank you for watching Top Story tonight. I'm Tom Yamerson, New York. Stay right there. More news on the way.