Top Story with Tom Llamas - Thursday, June 19, 2025

Episode Date: June 20, 2025

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.

Tonight, President Trump's new deadline to decide if the U.S. will strike Iran. The decision expected within the next two weeks as the conflict intensifies. An Iranian missile striking a hospital in Israel, staff sent running as debris falls around them, Israel aiming to cripple Iran's nuclear program. A bombardment of key heavy water reactor leaving a gaping hole. Arir Simmons on the border of Iraq and Iran tonight near a U.S. military base that could be a target. Also breaking tonight, the L.A. Dodgers block federal agents from entering Dodgers Stadium. The question swirling over why they were there and the reaction from outside the stadium gates.

The SpaceX rocket bursting into a massive fireball, what caused the explosion at the Texas launch site? Shark bite survivor speaks the young girl whose hand was nearly ripped off recounting the terrifying attack and the new chilling video of a shark just feet away from swimmers in Fort Lauderdale. Juneteenth, under pressure, DEI rollbacks changing holiday celebrations nationwide, how organizations are adapting to and challenging the new climate. The urgent recall from Ford, the cars at risk of trapping children in the backseat, what you need to know. And rare catch, a man hitting the jackpot, reeling in a 100-pound monster, what he did with all that fish. Plus, the viral video of Pope Leo, how the Vatican is showing some love for the white socks. Top story starts right now.

And good evening, we begin tonight with President Trump's new deadline as he seriously weighs U.S. involvement in the Middle East as Iran and Israel exchanged missile attacks for the seventh straight day. That was the moment in Iranian missile struck the Soroka Hospital in southern Israel, a massive plume of smoke filling the sky. And this was the chaotic scene inside that hospital. and staff fleeing to safety, parts of the ceiling completely falling apart. Additional Iranian missiles striking this residential area in Tel Aviv. Look at that. A high rise there, damaged in the blast. So how did the missiles get past Israel's Iron Dome?

According to a senior Israeli intelligence official, only 65% of the missiles launched by Iran in the last 24 hours were intercepted by the Iron Dome, compare that to an almost 90% interception rate from the day before. That official also telling NBC News that until yesterday, They got a warning of about 10 to 11 minutes before missiles fell, but this morning, that warning was only six or seven minutes, saying this might be a sign that these Iranian missiles are faster. All of this, as Israel continues to cripple Iran's nuclear infrastructure, the IDF footage showing their strike over an inactive reactor in Iraq. But as the strikes rage on, the looming question remains, will the U.S. get directly involved? President Trump saying today he'll make a decision in the next two weeks.

There's a lot to get to tonight, but we want to start with NBC's Richard Engel. who leads us off from Tel Aviv. A new video shows the direct hit from an Iranian ballistic missile on the biggest hospital in southern Israel. Inside, staff and patients run for cover. Parts of the ceiling caving in, smoke filling the hallways. And this is where the missile impacted. It went right through the hospital's roof and sent debris throughout this area. This was a significant strike. There were no deaths or serious injuries reported. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said the hospital strike proved Iran's intentions. They're targeting civilians because they're a criminal regime. They're the arch-terrorists

of the world. Israel's defense minister claimed the order to strike the hospital came directly from Iran's supreme leader. This man absolutely should not continue to exist, he said. Iran claims it was targeting a military site near the hospital. NBC News has confirmed the hospital is within a mile of an Israeli military intelligence compound. Israel says Iran launched dozens of missiles today toward civilian centers. Most intercepted, one hitting a residential area in Tel Aviv. High rises damaged.

You have five buildings that were hit by the missile. Israel is continuing its attacks in Iran targeting the nation's nuclear program and military. New video showing smoke near Tehran's police headquarters. And these images of an Israeli strike on the Hundab heavy water reactor, which Iran announced it had planned to restart. Richard Engel joins us tonight live from Tel Aviv. So Richard, I guess the big question is we're now a week into these attacks from both sides, right? What is Israel's endgame here?

Because we see them obviously targeting the military installations, but also all the nuclear sites. Well, the goalposts do seem to keep getting further and further away. Mr. Netanyahu says that the official objectives of this military campaign are to eliminate Iran's nuclear threat, eliminate its ballistic missile threat. Now they're also talking about getting rid of the supreme leader. As to what happens after that, the day after, what comes next, Israel has only said that would be up to the Iranian people. So there are some who are questioning in this country what the end game is, how this fits into Israel's broader strategy, What's the end solution for Gaza, which is an open-ended conflict?

So there are many, many questions about the future of the Middle East as the map of this entire region is being redrawn. And not very many answers about how the map is ultimately going to look. Richard Engel, leading us off tonight from Tel Aviv, Richard, we thank you. And as Israel and Iran continue to exchange missile strikes, President Trump returning to the situation room for the third day in a row, setting a new deadline to decide whether the U.S. will get two. directly involved in the war. Here's NBC's Gabe Gutierrez with the latest from the White House. Tonight, a new deadline as the world awaits President Trump's critical decision on whether to order a U.S. airstrike targeting Iran's nuclear program. I have a message

directly from the president, and I quote, based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks. European diplomats are expected to meet with Iranian officials tomorrow in Geneva. The White House says any deal with Iran would have to include a ban on enriching uranium. A demand Iran has so far refused. There's a chance for diplomacy. The president's always going to grab it, but he's not afraid to use strength as well.

The two-week time frame one the president often uses from peace talks with Russia. I'll let you know in about two weeks. To trade negotiations with China. At some point in the next two weeks or three weeks, I'm going to be setting the deal. Now he's stressing why he's considering a U.S. airstrike on Iran's underground Fordo nuclear facility. The U.S. is the only country with the bunker-busting bombs that could destroy it.

Iran can't have a nuclear weapon, too much devastation, and they'd use it. You know, I believe they'd use it. Others won't use it, but I believe they'd use it. The president is increasingly relying on a small group of advisors for critical input, according to two defense officials and a senior administration official. The inner circle includes Vice President Vance, Secretary of State and Interim National Security Advisor Marco Rubio, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, and Special Envoy Steve Whitkoff. The officials tell NBC News that Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, has been sidelined. In March, Gabbard testified the intelligence community did not believe Iran's supreme leader had authorized a nuclear weapons program.

The IC continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear nuclear. weapon, earning this rare public rebuke. I don't care what she said. I think they were very close to happen. Gabe Gutierrez joins us tonight from the White House. Gabe, as you mentioned in your report, there's a lot of back and forth, right, about how quickly Iran could actually build a nuclear weapon. This goes all the way back into the Biden administration as well. Do we have more information on the timeline?

Well, Tom, you just heard Tulsa Gabbard seemingly at odds with the president a few months ago. Vice President J.D. Vance says that a lot has changed since March. Now, the U.S. Sancom commander warned this month that if Iran did want to move forward, it could have enough enriched uranium in roughly a week. Now, experts say it could then take more than a year to build a nuclear weapon. Tom. All right, Gabe Gutier is at the White House. I do want to bring in national security expert, Jeremy Bash. He has decades of experience in this field, serving as the former chief of staff to the director of the CIA and the Secretary of Defense.

Jeremy, I thank you for joining Top Story. I know here you're going to be speculating, but I do want to ask you because you've been in these situations, quite literally in the situation room, or at least the men you worked for. I want to ask, what do you think happened here? Why do you think the president has put out this two-week timeline? What it means? I think he needs more time. I think this probably means he's leaning against direct U.S. military involvement. He said in the statement that his press secretary read that he wants to give negotiations a chance. He wants to see whether or not Iran will grab an opportunity to cut a deal. And so I think the president strongly prefers that. He doesn't want to feel rushed into deploying the U.S. Air Force into this theater.

I think he also wants to give Israel a little more time to soften up air defenses, maybe to conduct some special operations of their own on the ground near or around that Fordo enrichment facility. He certainly wants another couple of days to get U.S. forces in position. The second carrier strike group that's moving to the Middle East won't be. there for about another week or so. So, Jeremy, you have all this bombing over seven days, right? And if we do cut a deal with Iran, we're essentially at the same point we were several years ago.

And I guess my question is, what do you think the end game for Israel and the U.S. has been here? Because if the Ayatollah is still in power and they're still enriching uranium, but maybe not to a weapons grade, what did we learn from this exercise? It all depends on the details. I mean, I think if a deal can be cut that would prohibit Iran from enriching Iran from enriching uranium. That's the bomb fuel, enriching it on Iranian soil. That's a far better deal than the deal of the Obama administration cut in 2015. Whether or not the Trump administration could get that now basically backed up by military force by Israel and a threat of military force

by the United States. We don't know. I mean, I think if the U.S. could get that deal, Trump would say to Bibi Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, we should take it and declare victory. If, however, Iran insists on enriching domestically, then It's a question about whether or not we will have truly achieved our objectives. And then do you think the missile strikes have sort of influenced, if you will, the Ayatollah and the Iranian leadership to maybe cut that deal? Well, I think certainly Israel's dominance of the airspace, the Ayatollah knows his back is against the wall. I think the missile strikes by Iran against Israel showcase that Iran does have some capability. They may not be able to sustain it for very long.

but if they're hitting hospitals and civilian areas, they know that Israel is feeling the pressure as well. Do you think this sort of sows some distrust, even more distrust between the Iranian people and the Ayatollah. Regime change is the ultimate goal for Israel. They've put that out there. Bibi Netanyahu made that appeal to the Iranian people when the bombs started.

The U.S. would back that as well. They would appreciate that move. It's been so hard. There's been some uprisings in Iran, but they've always been able to sort of squash them. What do you think happens in the near future? It cuts both ways. I think if the supreme leader and the leadership of the Iranian regime is shown to be weak, then it could embolden opposition forces. But sometimes when your country's attacked, you also kind of rally around your country and the government.

So it could cut both ways. I just want to say that there have been regime changes in the Middle East in recent years. Syria, Assad, fell, left the country. And we saw the same thing happen in 2011 in both Tunisia and Egypt, where the leadership was toppled. So it's not impossible, but it really tends to happen organically if it happens, if it's going to be a success, if it's really work for the people of that country. It has to happen organically. It can't come from the outside as we painfully learned in the example of the Iraq war. Yeah, it took massive demonstrations in some of those countries in a civil war or the other. But yeah, I see your point. Jeremy, we appreciate having you on the show. Back here at home, immigration enforcement ramping up across the city of Los Angeles after federal agents requested entry to the grounds of Dodger Stadium. the team says it denied them access. NBC News political and national correspondent Jacob Sovoroff

is there tonight with the latest. Please leave now. A dramatic scene at a Home Depot in Los Angeles today. You're not wanted here. Federal agents in tactical gear detaining several people. While over at Dodgers Stadium, more federal agents were gathering. According to the team, they showed up this morning and asked to enter the parking lots. The Dodgers say they turn the agents away. A small group showing up to protest. Here at Gadee of Dodgers Stadium, where reportedly these agents tried to get in, but they couldn't get into the gates. And you can tell, people are angry. It's not clear why the agents were at the

stadium. Homeland Security later posting, this had nothing to do with the Dodgers. Adding Customs and Border Protection was at the parking lot very briefly, and it was unrelated to any operation. Enforcement operations are continuing daily across Los Angeles. President Trump has directed all of our ICE officers to do everything in their power to carry out the single largest mass deportation operation in history. Some Dodger fans say they're frustrated the team hasn't done more to support immigrant communities. Dodgers, they thrive off the fan base that is Latino, off the workers that are Latino. They're not a detriment to our city and community. They are a benefit. Over the weekend, Dominican American singer Neza sparking controversy after she sang the national anthem at the stadium in Spanish.

after the team asked her to perform in English. Some criticizing the move, others celebrating it. 80% of the people here are Latino. I'm going to do this for them, regardless of what the, you know, what the consequences may be. The Dodgers say they will announce a plan to assist immigrant communities, and tonight's game against the Padres will go on as planned. Jacob Soberoff tonight joins us from outside Dodgers Stadium.

Jacob, it seems like there was some confusion on all sides there and what happened in the parking lot. Walk our views through, if you can, as simply as possible. What exactly happened? Well, actually, Tom, CBP acknowledged that their agents were here. ICE denied that their agents were here. They're separate entities within the Department of Homeland Security. And so ultimately, they both acknowledged the truth of the situation,

which was there were federal agents here today after engaging in immigration enforcement on the streets of Los Angeles. And were they using Dodger Stadium just to sort of assemble, or was there any thought that they were going to move into the stadium? It's unclear for now, Tom. They attempted to get into the stadium, the Los Angeles Dodgers say, but the Dodgers, obviously, a private entity, have gates behind me. Now you can see that the cars are going inside for the game tonight against the Padres.

But those gates were closed when those federal agents showed up. The Dodgers denied entry to those agents for whatever purpose they were trying to use the lot for. We don't have a concrete answer on what it was yet. Got it. I know you got some exclusive new reporting for our viewers tonight involving Vice President Vance. Yeah, that's right. Federal law enforcement sources say that there is planning underway for a potential visit from J.D. Vance here as soon as the end of this week. Obviously, in the context of all of this immigration enforcement that is happening, that's two sources with knowledge tell NBC news that that type of planning is underway.

With the situation in the Middle East, though, Tom, the plans remain fluid. It could be canceled. Jacob, sober off with some new reporting for us tonight. Jacob, we appreciate you. Now to the storms racing across the East Coast, $68 million at risk for severe weather. On the North Carolina, Tennessee border, a rock slot in heavy flooding, closing a major, interstate, stranding vehicles. In Maryland, a tree branch falling and colliding with power lines in Silver Springs. And debris on fire, you can see it here in Chevy Chase after a storm rolled right through the region. Over 600,000 now without power across the mid-Atlantic. Let's get right to NBC News meteorologist Bill Karens. Bill, it's been such a busy week. Yes, and these severe

storms are just racing towards the east coast. And they've had wind gusts of 60 to 70 miles power with them for the last couple hours. All the blue dots on the map, over 160 of them are all damaging wind reports. A lot of those are trees that are down throughout the mid-Atlantic region. We're going to continue to track the severe weather threat for the next couple hours after the sunsets, that threat will diminish. But the worst of the storms is now from New York City southwards down towards the Jersey Shore. We are watching a severe thunderstorm warning still in place for Brooklyn. That's going to be heading out until Long Island. That could have wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour with it. It looks like in Manhattan and other parts of New York City, you're in the

clear now. So Tom, that's going to be by far the worst of it. But then we're going to focus not on storms, but on incredible heat. So many areas of the country are all already under heat, either advisories or warnings. Tomorrow, 101 in Denver, areas like Rapid City to 103. As we head towards Saturday, Sioux City, 102, McCook, Nebraska, 106. And that incredible heat, Tom, is going to head to the east coast. It still looks like Monday and Tuesday is the peak from D.C. to New York City. Multiple locations will be at 100 or maybe a little bit above. 101 where we are. I see it there. All right, Bill. We thank you. For the first time, a nine-year-old girl is speaking out about the shark attack that nearly took her hand.

Our Morgan Chesky has her story, plus the new video capturing the frightening aftermath. Tonight, a shark sighting clearing waters near Fort Lauderdale, this aerial video showing just how close to Florida swimmers came before the shark darted away. The encounter coming one week after a frightening Florida attack. I can see her hand hanging. Okay. Like a piece and just blood out there. Okay. Mother Nadia Lindell captured on body camp, following a shark attack on her young daughter, Leah. The attack happening on Boca Grand, a barrier island with gorgeous beaches and no lifeguards. Today at a hospital, nine-year-old Leah, sharing what she remembered.

I was just snorkeling. Then I went up to breathe and then something hard bit me and then and tried to take me away. Then I pick up my hand and it's all in blood. With her hand all but gone, crews airlifted Leah to Tampa for emergency surgery. Meanwhile, in South Carolina, another attack reported just yesterday when officials say a 12-year-old girl was bitten in the water off Hilton Head Island. Now as Leah faces a long recovery, her family hopeful, crediting a team of talented surgeons. I was holding her hand in my hand, and I didn't think there was any chance at all of saving it. It's some sort of miracle that God did in our life, that now she has a hand. Tonight, her loved one's grateful, promising to be back on the water sometime soon.

All right, Morgan Chesky joins us. Morgan, you just hear that family and that little girl. How is the hand? Did we get a sense of how it's doing? Parents incredibly optimistic, Tom, because this was an extensive, delicate surgery that she underwent at Tampa General. But after that surgery, they have a sign of hope. She was able to wiggle two fingers. that's certainly going to be part of this long road of recovery that definitely will include some physical rehab as well. Yeah, and we've seen, I mean, obviously, it's the summer, right? We're seeing a lot of more shark sightings.

We saw it at the top of your report there. Is it just that time of year, or are we seen more of them? It is, and it isn't, and authorities are encouraging everyone. Just kind of be aware when you go out. This was a place that did not have lifeguards. So that's certainly something you need to know when you're going into the water. On top of that time, when you do go to a beach anywhere,

if there are fishing boats nearby, if the water is murky, those are things to take into consideration. because that could confuse sharks in murky water or if there's fishing going on, they could be, you know, feeding in that area. Just a level of awareness is something everyone needs to take with them when they go out. All right, Morgan Chesky Forrest. Great to have you in studio, my friend. We're back in a moment with what's next for Karen Reid, celebrating her first full day of freedom after being acquitted on murder charges.

The fired investigator at the center of the case sits down with NBC's Dateline. We speak with the Boston reporter who's covered this story from the beginning. the AI tool that is all the rage. But is chat GPT actually destroying our brains? The warning from one new study. And Brad Pitt sits down with our Savannah Sellers about his new movie F1 and oh so many stars there. What he says about hitting high speeds up to 180 on some of the most iconic racetracks in the world. Stay with us. We're back down with the latest on Karen Reid, who spent her first evening without the pressure of a trial, celebrating with her family and legal team last night in Boston.

Yesterday, Reed was found not guilty of second-degree murder and the death of her police officer boyfriend. I want to bring an NBC Boston commentator, Sue O'Connell, who has been following this case since the very beginning. Sue, thanks so much for joining Top Story tonight. First, what was your reaction to the not guilty verdict? And have you heard from jurors on how they reached their decision? Yes, you know, look at the reaction is that they looked at what?

what the evidence was that was presented in the courtroom, not what was happening on social media, not any sleuthing that folks were doing, but what was presented in the courtroom. And I'm told by one juror that they really deliberated a lot over the police lack of investigation, the way that it went. I mean, it's really hard to have a murder trial

without a murder investigation. So I think their verdict, especially around the OUI, reacted. That's our version of a DUI in Massachusetts, was reacting to what they saw in the courtroom, not what was happening or what we're all talking about. And Reed's case now taking center stage, of course, on our Dateline tonight. Former Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor speaking out to Dateline's Andrea Canning.

He was suspended and later fired for offensive texts he sent to friends about Reed. The defense also argued he manipulated evidence to Framer. Here's some of what he had to say. What do you want to say to anyone who believes the narrative, the defense's narrative, that you are corrupt, that you framed Karen Reed? I laugh because it's such a ridiculous accusation. There's not one piece of evidence or fact to support that because it did not happen. I would never do something like that. So, Sue, what do you make of Proctor and his role in this case? Well, I've certainly framed as a number 10, but how about a number six? How about did you do a proper investigation?

Did you do everything you needed to do? Do you evaluate evidence in what's happening before jumping to conclusions? So Proctor not being at the trial acted as a boogeyman. He was in every single piece of evidence. And I think that his role in this impacted the not guilty verdicts. What do you think is next for Karen Reid? Well, there's a civil suit coming, and they were just waiting for this trial to be wrapped up. The family is suing her, and as you know, on civil cases, the burden is much lower for proof,

and as you also know, they can go on for years. So we'll stay tuned, and as you also know, they settle often. So we'll keep your posted as the Karen Reid's civil trial starts. All right, Sue O'Connell, so great to talk to you tonight. When top story returns, fire in the sky, the dramatic moment in the SpaceX starship exploding, what caused a catastrophic failure. Plus, millions celebrating Juneteenth across the country despite corporate rollbacks and funding drying up,

how communities are fighting back and keeping traditions alive. But first, top stories, top moment. This one for perhaps the most famous Chicago White Sox fan on the planet. Pope Leo, during his first public audience in St. Peter's Square on Wednesday, just couldn't help but join in when this chant broke out. Take a look. White Sox! White Sox! White Sox, White Sox, White Sox, White Sox, White Sox, White Sox, White Sox, White Sox, White Sox, White Sox, White Sox, White Sox.

Definitely a moment we've never seen outside the Vatican before. The White Sox currently the worst team in the league in the American League can use all the help they can get. I would also say Pope Leo probably has White Sox, too, just thinking about that. All right, stay with us. We're back in a moment. We're back now with more of our coverage from the Middle East. Tonight, the region on edge as President Trump weighs whether to get involved with Israel's conflict in Iran. Just across the border with Iran, in Erbil Iraq, it's an American air base that could be a target if this situation escalates. Our NBC News chief international correspondent, Keir Simmons and his team, have made their way there about a mile away from that base tonight.

And, Kira, I do want to ask you, I mean, the concerns for you and your team, are you guys in a safe location, of all. And what is the sense of alert there tonight? Hey, Tom. Yeah, I think we're in a safe location. There have been in the past Iranian rockets here, Iranian drones, but we're as careful, as you can imagine, we would be in this kind of a region. Let me just show you that base, not just tell you about that base. If we just point the camera in that direction, that is that U.S. base twinkling in the distance there, around 3,000 military personnel from many different countries are there. That is probably the closest U.S. base to Iran. We're about two hours from the Iranian border here. And the pro-Iranian militia

in this region have been threatening. And this is why President Trump has had such a difficult decision to weigh up. Let me just read you one threat from Katap Hasbullah, one of those groups. Undoubtedly, American bases throughout the region will become akin to duck hunting grounds they threaten if the U.S. gets involved in the war in Iran. That being said, Tom, so far we've seen some unidentified drones go down. A U.S. base in Syria, according to the Associated Press, has been attacked by three drones. They have been shot down. That's nothing in comparison to what we have seen in the past in this region. And then, Kira, I do want to ask you, you're in a part of the world right now that obviously has a vested interest in what happens with Iran. What are you hearing

from the Kurds there in Erbil about what is going to happen and what the next steps are? You know, Tom, previous uprisings in Iran have often been led by the Kurds. So it's the Kurdish region in Iran, and we're in the Kurdish region in Iraq. We've been talking to the Kurdish leaders here. They would like to see the regime overthrow them. They say the Israelis have been talking about overthrowing the regime over the past week. They say they've been talking about it for decades, but they also have bitter experience of not being supported in the past.

They say they need American support. Of course, that is one of the questions that President Trump is weighing up tonight. Very, very difficult, Tom. Keir Simmons for us, Keir, we thank you, turning out at Top Story's News Feed. And another setback for SpaceX. An uncrewed Starship rocket exploding last night

during a ground test in Texas. Look at that. No one was injured. The Starship is critical to NASA's hopes of returning to the moon and then landing on Mars. The company described the explosion as a major anomaly. Yeah, I would say that. Ford issuing multiple recalls,

including a do-not-drive warning. That warning tied to the F-Series Super Duty pickup trucks. According to the National Highway Safety Transportation Commission, the brakes on these trucks can fall increasingly and the likelihood of a crash. Another recall targeting the Mustang Mock-E because of a battery issue

that could prevent the doors from unlocking potentially trapping people inside. These latest recalls affecting more than 300,000. and different Ford vehicles. And what a catch, a group of people on a charter boat trip in Fort Lauderdale this Father's Day, looking for swordfish instead, reeling in something rare.

Check this out, a 148-pound op-op. It's a rare Hawaiian fish, usually found in tropical waters. The last time it was caught in the Fort Lauderdale area was 2018. They say it was like seen Bigfoot. We talked to one of the fishermen today who told us they harvested the fish

for sushi. All right. Okay, we're going to turn now to the cost of denial. our series looking at the insurance industry. Tonight we investigate the complicated financial relationship between a health care giant and a doctor's practice. Vicki Wynne has this report.

Do you feel like this is a David versus Goliath situation? Absolutely. She's beautiful. Brain surgeon, Dr. Kathy Mazola, opened the New Jersey Pediatric Neuroscience Institute 17 years ago. I'm going back to sleep. To provide care to the state's most vulnerable, including kids with neurological conditions like brain tumors, epilepsy, and autism.

If a child gets hit by a car at 11 p.m. on a Friday night in Newark, we're there taking their skull off, taking out the blood clot, saving their lives. Unlike many specialists, she accepts patients with Medicaid. A massive cyber attack against a health care giant and the chaos. Last year, hackers targeted United Health Group crippling its claims processing unit. So instead of getting reimbursed for the patient care, her practice already provided, Dr. Mazzola was getting $0.00. Maybe three days into the hack when there was no money coming in, I just walked into my office, closed the door. I cried for about five minutes because I couldn't believe this was happening again.

I literally didn't pay myself anything for six months to get the practice through COVID. And here we are again in crisis mode, no money coming in. United Health stepped in to help through a bank it owns, Optum, offering a $535,000 loan to Mazzola, and its CEO made this promise. We will provide this assistance for as long as it takes to get providers' claims and payments flowing. I really believe that Optum would give physicians a reasonable amount of time to repay the loan with the understanding that this financial crisis almost bankrupted us. I mean, literally, you're talking about $0 in your bank account, and you have 70 employees to pay.

I mean, we were dead in the water. Totally dead in the water. Despite United saying the loans didn't need to be repaid until doctors' practices were back to normal, United Health told Mazola in January that she had five days to pay the money, or it might start clawing back reimbursements. Mozilla says she'd already started paying back $10,000 a month. But then she learned in April that check. X issued from United Health to her practice for taking care of children on Medicaid.

More than $70,000 worth were being redirected to United Health's bank Optum to pay off the loan. I sent emails saying, like, we can't afford this, you can't do this. United Health declined to be interviewed, but in a statement said in part, Optum has and will continue to actively work with providers to identify flexible repayment plans based on the individual circumstances of providers and their practices. Meanwhile, the company reported $9 billion in earnings in the first quarter of this year, up 15% from last year. The policy choices that we've made to allow a company like United to get so big and to capture so much power over consumers, clinicians, the government has been a real disaster in terms of... Matt Stoller is an antitrust expert.

He says part of the problem is United Health isn't just the insurer. It's also the claims processor and the bank, all in one company. It's just set up for a conflict of interest, right? This giant conglomerate should not own software companies, a payment network, be the largest employer of physicians in the country, a giant health insurer, a PBM, and a bank. Like, that's insane. What is the fix? So in simple terms, it's break up big medicine.

After Dr. Mazzola started complaining to the American Medical Association, United Health finally stopped redirecting her reimbursements. We easily lost over a million dollars because of that hack. I'm just a pediatric brain surgeon, right? So what do I know? But we didn't cause this problem. We were just financially devastated by it. And in my opinion, United Health Group should be held responsible.

What a beautiful smile. We love our patients. The thought of failing is just not an option for us. Vicki Wynn, NBC News, Morristown, New Jersey. We thank Vicki for that report. As we marked Juneteenth, some event organizers across the country feeling the pressure after corporate sponsors pulled out, forcing them to scale back or change course. It comes as DEI initiatives across all the public and private sectors face major challenges. NBC's Aaron Gilchrist takes a closer look tonight. Oh, freedom.

On the first Juneteenth of the era of rolling cutbacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, Celebrations going strong in communities across the country. But some forced to pivot as corporate sponsors pulled funding from events, including in Atlanta, and in Colorado Springs, and in Denver, where a planned two-day event became one day when the cash didn't come in. At least 40% drop in terms of corporate partners. In Scottsdale, Arizona, the Juneteenth Festival, K. canceled entirely after the city dissolved its DEI office. We should continue on our own to celebrate it in the days that we did before the corporate sponsorship came.

This is a holiday that the people, is a community holiday, that we can celebrate on our own. And we should continue whether we're sponsored or not. It's a stark difference from the climate just a few years ago. In 2020, the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis sparked a national reckoning with race. and breathed new life into a push to make Juneteenth a federal holiday, which President Biden did in 2021. Juneteenth celebrated for generations in black communities dates back to June 19, 1865, when in the waning days of the Civil War,

the last enslaved people in Texas learned about their freedom when Union soldiers reached Galveston. We kind of forget the role that it took for us to get here, the ancestors, the fathers, mothers, the children that paved the way before us, for us to get to this point. Though it's a federal holiday, only 29 states in the District of Columbia fully recognized Juneteenth with guaranteed paid time off for state workers. And in West Virginia, where Juneteenth was a paid holiday last year, the new Republican governor reversing course and telling

state offices to stay open. The pullback at the local and state level mirroring a broader trend nationwide as massive companies like Meta, Target, and Walmart scale down, reorganize, or eliminate DEI initiatives. To do a complete 180 from where we were a year ago is an absolute act of betrayal. Prominent faith leader Dr. Jamal Bryant launching a boycott of Target after its rollback. We felt betrayed. Catching the attention of the retail giant, which responded in part, Target is absolutely dedicated to fostering inclusivity for everyone. And just as Juneteen celebrations continue, Bryant says the activism going strong since the civil rights era will too.

It is regrettable that we're still in the same fight, but it is inspiring to know that there's not a fight that we've been in, that we've lost. All right, Aaron Gilchrist joins Top Story tonight from Atlanta. Aaron, you mentioned the Target boycott there, impacting Target's bottom line. Is there a risk here for other companies who pull back on funding on DEI and Juneteen celebrations? Well, Tom, Target has cut its sales outlook for the year after it missed its first quarter sales estimates. And the backlash from rolling back DEI efforts is one of the big factors for Target here.

And when it comes to the black community, there's one estimate that projects its buying power at about $2 trillion this year. could potentially get to that level. And Target is an example, maybe even a warning for other companies about the impact that consumer activism can have on the bottom line. All right, Aaron Gilcrest, we thank you for that. Now to our top story spotlight. And the Cuban refugee who became one of television's brightest stars. You probably know Desi Arnaz, best from his role,

as Ricky Ricardo on the sitcom I Love Lucy, where he starred alongside his wife, Lucille Ball. But his bigger influence might have been behind the camera, shaping the sitcom into a format we still know and love today. That's a thesis of a new book out this month title, Desi Arnaz, the man who invented television. And author and journalist Todd Purdom joins us now for a live interview here on Top Stories Spotlight. Todd, thanks so much for joining us. I've been reading your book, very excited.

It's a great book. I was surprised when I looked down and I saw your name behind it. You are known probably to many viewers, especially who follow politics, as a White House reporter. Why did you want to write this story? Well, you know, Tom, we're at a moment in our culture, as the segment you just had explains, where we're re-examining the contributions of Americans who might have been overlooked in their day or not fully understood. And Desi Arnaz is Exhibit A for the kind of person who was celebrated for one thing, his performance as Ricky Ricardo, which was a brilliant performance,

but never really quite got the credit he deserved for the innovative business developments he brought to television. We really, every time we watch television today, especially a sitcom, we owe a debt to death. It is a good point. There's been a lot recently done, right? About Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball, there was the sitcom, or not I shouldn't say the sitcom, there was the documentary about the sitcom, and then also being the Ricardo's, the film, that starred, that had huge stars in it. Why now? Why do this book now? Well, I actually lost my job as a journalist in the pandemic in 2020, and I was looking for something to do. I'd written a book about Rogers and Hammerstein, even though I spent most of my career covering politics, I've always liked. culture, American pop culture. And Desi just seemed ripe for storytelling. And fortunately, I got the wonderful cooperation in support of his children, Desi Arnaz Jr., and especially Lucy Arnaz, who opened their family archives to me and gave me carte blanche to look at records that they had not really shared with people before. And I felt I was able to tell his full story.

And it's been a very satisfying project. One line sums up a lot of this book, right? And it struck me when I read it. We're going to put up the quote for our viewers here. This is a from Desi on his one-track mind. And here's what he said. He said, the biggest fault in my life is that I never learned moderation. I either work too hard or play too hard. If I drank, I drank too much. If I worked, I worked too much. I don't know. One of the greatest virtues in the world is moderation. That's the one I could never learn. What do you take away from that quote after learning and knowing his story? Well, it's a poignant reflection of the truth. On the other hand, if he'd learned moderation, he might never have taken the risks he took.

He might never have made the innovations he did, but because he never learned moderation, as his success grew, as the pressures on him grew, as his and Lucy's company got bigger and bigger, he sought escape from the pressures, especially in alcohol, also a sort of compulsive womanizing. And that undermined him in the end, and ultimately led to Hollywood losing trust in his skill. But he really wouldn't have taken the risks he took if he weren't a kind of, you know, go for the fences guy.

He really was. How do you explain to people in a quick chat, right? How does he go from a Cuban refugee and somebody who had obviously a bright future in music and a band leader, but to create the television sitcom and then not only create that, but pioneer producing and to become a mogul himself? Well, it was partly because he'd lost everything. He was raised as a prince in Cuba in the 1920s and 30s. And in the 1933 Cuban Revolution that overthrew Harardo Machado's regime, they had to flee to Florida with nothing.

And I think it was the dispossession in his teenage years, losing everything he'd ever known, that gave him the courage to take risks, to do things to say, why not, when other people were saying why? And the sad part of the corollary of that is he probably also suffered from what we'd now call PTSD. And those demons came back to haunt him in later years.

I think he always wondered whether his success was enough, you know? Yeah, no, I hear you on that. You know, I'm reading the book, and I'm thinking, wow, This is interesting because we're at a pivotal time when it comes to tech and to streaming. And what do you think the pioneers now in those two worlds can learn from Desi Arnaz? Well, one of the things is don't take no for an answer, especially don't take it as the final answer. Desi never took no, the initial no, as the final answer.

And the other brilliant thing he did is he owned the intellectual property. He owned the show. He owned the rights to the show. And if you own that, you're the king. And I think that's good advice for anybody in this new world of technology today, because After all, Desi was a pioneer in the technology of his day. Todd, I got to tell you, I'm being honest here, I had to read the book because we were going to have you on. I was interested in the topic, but I've been reading it.

I love it. I haven't been able to put it down. And so I'm going to say to our viewers, I highly recommend it. Desi Arnaz, the man who invented television, Todd Purdom. We thank you so much for joining Top Story tonight. Thank you so much. It's such a pleasure to be here, Tom. You got it.

Up next on Top Story, your brain on ChatGPT, a new study looking at what the popular AI tool is doing to people's minds. it may help us work smarter. It is reducing brain function. Plus, Hollywood horsepower, Brad Pitt, racing into theaters in a high-stakes Formula One thrill ride. Savannah Sellers takes us inside the making of F-1, sitting down with Brad Pitt and the other stars. That's coming up. We're back now with Top Stories Health Check and a new study that chat GPT may be eroding critical thinking skills, especially for young users. MIT researchers asked three groups to write SAT essays over several months. One group used chat GPT, another Google search engine, and the third using nothing researchers then monitored brain activity and found chat GPT users got lazier with each

essay they were asked to write, often restoring to copy and paste by the end of the study. For more on this insight into your brain and on chat GPT, NBC News medical contributor Dr. John Torres joins top story tonight. Dr. John, great to see you here. So walk us through what you found on this. I know you have some visuals to kind of walk our viewers through this. And Tom, this was a small study, but a very interesting study, and like you mentioned, these visuals here kind of tell this story. And what they did is they monitored with ECGs, the brain activity of these volunteers when they were going through those three groups. And what they found, looking at this image, is that the group that used ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence, ended up having less activity in the neuronal, linguistic, and behavioral centers of the brain. Now, the reason this is important because these are important, especially for developing brains, to make sure they develop as best they can.

that exercising the brain, children, adolescents, even young adults, is very important. We're finding out even for older adults. And so what this artificial intelligence did is essentially it took away their problem solving, their imagination, their creativity, their free thinking. Those things that we know exercise the brain, not just when we're young, but even as we get older, Tom. Yeah, and then after we look at this, we kind of try to understand this a little bit. Some people argue AI is unavoidable, right?

And they have a point there. So I guess what is the healthy balance? And you're all right. The point is there. And throughout my lifetime and your lifetime as well, a few things are similar to this. I remember when calculated first came out, they thought, okay, this is going to get rid of arithmetic. We're not going to know how to multiply, add, subtract, or divide. That didn't happen. Now, smartphones are here. We're still trying to figure this out and how we're going to end up dealing with that. But with artificial intelligence, it takes it up to another level. And you're right, this is going to become avoidable, especially for young people now because over the next 10, 20 years, it's something they have to deal with. And so in cases like this, what we need to figure out is how to use this as a tool and not as a crutch so it can help us and not necessarily hurt or hinder us, Tom. What do you think about sort of some of these emotional connections people are making to chat GPT? We've done stories here about people. I don't know if you can call it.

relationships but people describe them as relationships with some of these chat bots. Is there a real danger here? This is getting very concerning and a lot of psychologists and a lot of people in the mental health field are concerned because of what they're calling artificial intimacy or artificial empathy. In other words, these things are trying to replace a psychotherapist or trying to replace other friends or social connections, which is something they really cannot do. This is something that can aid, it can help, but it should not be relied on solely for this. We need to to make sure we understand this lonely epidemic.

We get a better handle on it, but at the same time, don't rely solely on artificial intelligence, Tom. Dr. John, always great to have you on the show. We appreciate it. When Top Story returns the Need for Speed, Brad Pitt and other big stars, behind the wheel racing real F-1 cars

at 180 miles per hour. Savannah Sellers with the cast of F-1, The Movie, how the highly anticipated film is putting the audience in the driver's seat. Finally, tonight, an inside look at a movie putting audiences right, in the middle of Formula One racing with star Brad Pitt at the wheel, for real. Savannah Sellers has the inside track.

It's the ultimate thrill ride. F1, the movie, puts the audience in the driver's seat like never before. The story of a veteran race car driver back on the track was filmed at real Formula One races around the world. Joe had called first with this audacious plan to put actors in the car, put the cars on the track. embed ourselves into the F1 season, which is a religion amongst itself. It was director Joseph Kaczynski's idea. Action. We're going to capture the experience of what it feels like to be in one of these cars.

We had to develop a brand new camera system for this film because the cameras we needed just didn't exist. Son is here for the audition. Actor Brad Pitt and co-star Damson Idris really drove race cars, hitting speeds up to 180 miles per hour. On hand to help them train, Formula One Legend. Louis Hamilton, a producer on the film. Did anyone get any notes from Lewis Hamilton

that changed anything major for you? Don't crash. Yeah. Yeah, Lewis would always tease me specifically and say I was driving too slow. So that those are my notes, go faster. I couldn't get enough time in the car. It was a happy place.

It's exhilarating, you know. We trained for about four months, So the repetition around each track, that's what made us and helped us to be prepared for these daunting moments of having five to ten minutes to get a shot. In the beginning, we were kind of tiptoeing around, wanted to step on any toes. By the end, we really did become a part of the world. Did you ever lose yourself in racing versus acting? Yeah, hell yeah. We were shooting this tense scene, and Brad was going through this famous curve called O'Rouge, which is known as,

one of the most dangerous curves in all of F1. And every time he'd go through it, he'd have a big smile on his face. So at some point I'd be like, Brad, please stop smiling. It's such a rush. A rush, producer Jerry Bruckheimer was prepared for. Is there such thing as an insurance policy

on Brad Pitt going 180 miles an hour? We did have an insurance policy. First of all, the amount of effort that Brad and Dampson put in, it was so hard on their bodies. It's brutal to get in their cars. They're going 180 miles an hour. They've got to break down to 50. The G-Force, they're taking five Gs in those turns,

and they have to remember their lines, and they're in front of 140,000 people and 100,000 people on television watching them, not even knowing they're in the cars. Actress Carrie Condon could barely even watch her co-stars speed around the track. I watched ones. It was very nerve-breaking, so I didn't enjoy it. No, I didn't watch it.

I just focused on my own stuff and left the race. I just need one of my cars across the finish line. Javier Bardem plays the team's owner who recruits' character. The two not shy about their bromance. I'm going to say it, we make a pretty hot couple. Yeah, exactly. I would say that that's, yeah, that's the whole goal. No, I feel really lucky when Javier joined us because his character,

the Ruben characters, really anchors the story, anchors the whole film. It was an honor. It was a pleasure. What makes this movie so immersive is the story, the redemption, second chance, the teamwork, all the things that we want in our lives. That's what makes this movie wonderful. Last question. Who's faster?

We go back and forth on this one. He is fostered in me. He's faster. Come on. We're both really, really fast. We're never going to get to the end of this question. ever until you put us on this the same track at the same time relapse the lifetime f1 the movie opens in theaters June 27th Savannah

Sellers NBC News thanks so much for watching Top Story I'm Tom Yamese in New York stay right there more news on the way