Top Story with Tom Llamas - Tuesday, February 25, 2025

Episode Date: February 26, 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, the near miss on the runway as tensions rise over air travel. The alarming video as a southwest jet attempting to land nearly collides with a private plane pulling up at the last second. We hear from a passenger on board about the scary moments and what the airline is saying tonight about how this could have happened. Also tonight, President Trump announcing Ukrainian president, Vlomir Zelensky, will head to the White House this week. Their high-stakes meeting after weeks of tense exchanges. The deal for Ukraine's minerals, Trump says Zelensky, should sign. And the so-called gold card Trump is promoting how $5 million could get someone closer to American citizenship. The growing measles outbreak, why parts of the South are seen the largest spike of the illness in decades.

And the warning tonight after a possible super spreader visited two major universities. Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo reportedly close to entering the race for New York City mayor. Kenny salvage his legacy after a series of scandals forced him to resign. Former mayor, Bill de Blasio, joins Top Story to weigh in. Is this art, the legendary auction house putting AI masterpieces up for sale, while the move is drying backlash from thousands of artists? And the hairy situation at airport security, the man busted for smuggish. struggling cocaine under his tupé. Plus breaking tonight, the entire country of Chile plunged into

darkness. What we're learning about that massive power outage. Top story starts right now. Good evening. Tonight we start with that passenger plane and private jet seconds away from catastrophe after that close call in Chicago. Take a look at the video. It captures the near miss, the Southwest plane coming for a landing. You could see the wheels touching down. Then suddenly a jet crosses the runway in its direct path, and the pilots are forced to pull up. We're going to hear from someone onboard that plane in just a moment. But this comes amid a wave of concerning aviation incidents.

Just yesterday, you'll remember we told you about that Delta flight. Look at this. It was forced to make an emergency landing after Hayes filled the cabin. And last week, that Delta flight turning upside down while landing at Toronto International Airport, everyone somehow surviving this accident. NBC News is Aaron McLaughlin, starts us off this evening. Tonight at Chicago's Midway International Airport and Investigation after yet another stunningly close call.

The video captured on an airport webcam shows Southwest Flight 2504 nearly touching down. The same moment a private jet crosses the runway. The flight abruptly pulls up, averting potential disaster. About 5.004 going around. Surreal. Passengers Emily Novak and Kaylee Mask were on board the Southwest flight from Omaha. What went through your mind when you saw the video? Shock. Yeah. Because we were so oblivious to what was happening because the pilot was so calm and it acted like it was just an everyday thing. The FAA says the FlexJet private jet entered the runway without authorization.

FlexJet released a statement saying it's investigating and it hears to the highest safety standards. Meanwhile, Southwest says its crew followed safety procedures, circled the airport, and landed safely. It's the latest in a string of air disasters and mishaps. From the mid-air collision that killed 67 near Reagan National Airport to the air disaster in Philadelphia, a crash landing in Toronto, and most recently an emergency landing after a cabin filled with haze over Atlanta. All right, Aaron McLaughlin joins us now in studio. So, Aaron, talk to me here. I know they rate these near misses.

How does this one rate? Yeah, well, experts tell us that these near misses fall into categories. Now, the investigation into what category this near miss would fall under is still underway. But we spoke to one expert who says it could potentially be what's called a category A, which is the most serious kind of near miss. Now, it is worth noting that category A near misses are extremely rare and have actually been declining in recent years. Okay, good to know. Aaron, we thank you for leading us off here tonight.

For more on this and the concerning string of incidents in the air, I want to bring in NBC News aviation analyst, Jeff Guzzetti. He's also a former accident investigator for the FAA and the NTSBJ. Thanks so much for joining us. We were just talking last week about that Delta plane that turned upside down right after it happened. Walk us through this latest incident, right? Because the viewers are going to see this. The Southwest plane comes into land, and then right in front of it, it sees a private jet. Talk to me about what the pilots we're doing here.

Well, you can see the Southwest 737. I don't know if it does touch down, Tom. I think if it does, it just kisses the runway, but even before it touched down, the crew had made the decision to go around. And it's lucky they did, because if they would have kept on the runway, they very well could have collided with that business jet. And Jeff, how did they know it was crossing? How did they know it was crossing so early they could spot it that far away? Well, yeah, that's the redundancy of aviation, Tom. You got two pilots that are required to fly airliners, so one of the two saw that airplane crossing and said, we need to go around.

Now, if this would have been at night or in bad weather, perhaps they couldn't have seen it, but luckily they did here, and that saved the day. How hard is it to pull off a maneuver like that? We heard from the passengers that were in that they felt the plane go up. How hard is it to take a plane that large and make it move that fast? It would be very busy in the cockpit. You've got to start adding power and raising your flaps and pitching the nose up fairly quickly. And passengers might feel that it might feel kind of like a takeoff. In fact, that's basically what it is.

And it gets real busy in the cockpit to do that. But it is something that you're trained to do if, in fact, you see a fouled runway like this that you can't land on. The crew did exactly what they were trained. I know it's very early here. Who do you think made a mistake here? Is this air traffic control? Is it the pilot of the private jet, the Southwest Plain? Well, I usually don't like to get in front of the investigation,

but the FAA came right out and said that that business jet crossed the runway without authorization. And when you listen to the publicly available air traffic control voice recording, they warned that pilot twice not to cross that runway. I think this does not fall on the FAA. So, Jeff, in that kind of situation, what would happen to that pilot? I mean, is there a ticket? Is there a fine? I mean, because that sounds incredibly dangerous. But the lives of all those other people, allegedly, you know, in harm's way.

Well, of course, the business jet pilots did not mean to cross that runway or cause an incident like this. It was an accident. The NTSB and the FAA are going to investigate to find out why they, didn't, they did cross the runway. Perhaps they were confused. Perhaps they were distracted in the cockpit. We just don't know. But the FAA will conduct an investigation to see if the pilots are culpable in some fashion. They may require more training. That'll be up to the FAA to decide in their enforcement investigation. You know, this all sort of started with D.C., but we can go even further back. We've been reporting on near misses for a couple of years now. What is going on?

Do people need to be concerned? Tom, the sky is not falling. I know that it's tough for the public to believe that because there have been a very unusual and rare spate of commercial aviation accidents and incidents. But I truly believe that the vast majority of it is coincidental. There is no common thread that I can see in any of these very unique circumstances.

and aviation is still very safe. Now, that said, it has been a rare period of several different events in a short period of time, and the industry and the FAA need to remain vigilant and pursue these investigations quickly. Jeff Cousetti for us tonight, Jeff, we thank you for that. We're also following breaking news out of the White House. President Trump saying Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky will visit the White House Friday to sign a deal giving the U.S. access to Ukraine's

valuable minerals. So what does Ukraine get in the deal? I want to bring in NBC's Gabe Gutierrez from Washington. Gabe, this was major news. Ukraine's President Zelensky did not originally agree to this deal. What do we know about the terms of the meeting and the signing of this deal? Hi there, Tom. Well, the exact terms of this deal are still unclear. And in the Oval Office a short time ago, as he mentioned, President Trump says that he does expect President Zelensky at the White House Friday to sign a deal. We should be clear, though. NBC News has not verified that the deal is done. We're trying to get confirmation from the Ukrainians and the White House. But the New York Times, citing an American and the Ukrainian official, reports that Ukraine has agreed to turn over the revenue from some of its mineral resources.

This, of course, would follow an intense pressure campaign from President Trump, who was even called President Zelensky a dictator in recent days. Now, Trump said today in the Oval Office that the deal would allow the Ukrainians to keep fighting. And again, we are still pushing for details, Tom. But in the meantime, we have new reporting that Russia proposed to the Trump administration a potential agreement under which the U.S. would gain ownership of minerals and parts of Ukraine controlled by the Russian military. That's according to two U.S. officials familiar with the intelligence on the matter, and another person briefed on the proposal. They also said some of Putin's top aides floated this idea to the Trump administration last week at a meeting in Saudi Arabia. Now, the options Russia had specifically prepared to discuss with U.S. officials included scenarios

that could give the U.S. access to minerals in Donetsk and Zaporizia, both of which Russia declared that it had annexed in 2022. And to be clear, that's when Russia invaded Ukraine. Now, the U.S. officials tell us that the Trump administration has not committed to this proposal, the deal from Russia, but, Tom, it hasn't rolled it out either. You know, Gabe, viewers, maybe not following all the ins and outs of Ukraine. a little confused about mineral deals. I mean, we've been covering it. But essentially, what we want to try to get to what the U.S. wants to get to, what President Trump promised, was a peace deal.

Are these the steps, are these sort of what they need to do before they can start talking about a peace deal? Yeah, that's right, Tom. Look, President Trump has said that this minerals deal would be part of that. He has said that the U.S. has just provided too much to helping Ukraine, and so he wants the U.S. to get something in return. The peace deal at this point, though, does seem a bit far off. But President Trump and his administration, they've repeated that they're closer now than they were during the Biden administration. But again, those peace talks are still ongoing. So far, though, Ukraine has been cut out of those talks. U.S. officials have been talking directly with the Russians time.

We also have another bit of news that we want to talk about with you. Today, President Trump made some news after suggesting there may be a way to essentially buy a path to citizenship. Here's what he had to say. We're going to be selling a gold card. You have a green card. This is a gold card. We're going to be putting a price on that card of about $5 million, and that's going to give you green card privileges plus.

It's going to be a route to citizenship. And wealthy people will be coming into our country by buying this card. They'll be wealthy. All right. So this is the first. What more do we know about these so-called gold calls? Yeah, Tom, a lot to unpack there. The president is floating that idea of replacing a visa program for foreign investors with that so-called gold card that could be bought for $5 million as a path to American citizenship. Now, Howard Lucknick, as Commerce Secretary says, the plan is to replace the EB-5 immigrant investor visa program. That allows major foreign investors to create U.S. jobs to become permanent residents. Now, Trump added that it's possible Russian oligarchs could qualify for the so-called gold. cards. A reporter asked him about it. He said that he does know some Russian oligarchs that are very

nice people. And the president says he doesn't need Congress to do it because it's not about citizenship, but rather a road to citizenship. Okay. Gabe Gutier is a lot, as always coming out of the White House. And we're going to stay there. Tonight in Washington, more than 20 government technology staffers have resigned today after their team was rolled into Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, Doge. The now former Doge employees stating in a letter online that they refuse to compromise core government systems, jeopardize American sensitive data, or dismantle critical public services. NBC's Garrett Haid, picks it up from there. Tonight, President Trump doubling down on his efforts to slash the size of the federal workforce.

After facing new backlash overmoves by Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency, all of it centering over confusion over Musk's new post that federal workers will get a, quote, second chance to email a list of five accomplishments from last week or face termination. While the administration's Office of Personnel Management has also told agency heads that sending the email is voluntary. Mr. President, can you clarify, hopefully once and for all, what your expectations are with this email to federal employees? What are you going to use that information for? And do you see it as voluntary, like OPM has said, or mandatory? Well, it's somewhat voluntary, but it's also if you don't answer, I guess you get fired.

What it really is is, is do people exist? We have as massive government with millions. of people and nobody knows who's working for the government, who's not. I could tell you five things I did last week. I could tell you five things I did six weeks ago, right? Is he speaking for you when he says you'll be talking about it? Everybody speaks for me. I'm the one. I'll take responsibility. You know, the old statement the buck stops here, right? Meanwhile, today, 21 members of the U.S. Digital Service, the agency that Musk turned into the Department of Government Efficiency, resigned, posting online that they won't use their technical expertise to quote,

compromise core government systems, jeopardize American sensitive data, or dismantle critical public services. A person familiar with the letter confirmed its authenticity to NBC News, but the staffers who signed it did not identify themselves. Musk responding, quote, these were Dem political holdovers who refused to return to the office. They would have been fired had they not resigned. It follows this protest over Musk's moves at a town hall meeting in a Republican district in Missouri. GOP congressman Mark Alford supporting the president's efforts to downsize the federal government, but criticizing Musk's approach. My district is firmly behind what President Trump is doing and what Doge is doing.

I do think there are some valid concerns about the speed that this is happening. Democrats blasting the Musk cost-cutting efforts. Under Elon Musk and his so-called department of government efficiency, federal health agencies have suffered mass layoffs. Here's our message to Speaker Johnson and President Musk. Enough is enough. Republicans pointing to today's new GAO report showing since 2003, the federal government incorrectly sent out $2.8 trillion in taxpayer money in improper payments, in some cases, through fraud. I think the vast majority of the American people understand and applaud and appreciate the Doge effort, the goal to scale down the size and scope of government. Garrett Hake joins us tonight from the White House.

So, Garrett, I know there's been another headline from where you're working tonight. The press secretary announcing that the White House Correspondents Association will no longer determine the press pool. This is very inside baseball for obviously people who cover the White House in our industry. But explain why it is very, very important to the American people. Yeah, Tom, at this stage, it sort of sounds like news for the newsroom. But basically, this has long been a process of determining who covers the president in not in his everyday activities necessarily out in the world, but in the Oval Office, on board Air Force One, there is a rotation that exists of press from the television networks, print outlets, the wire services, still photographers that's been determined by the White House Correspondents Association, a group of journalists who vote for our members and help set the procedures. The White House says they'll now be taking control of this process for these sort of limited space engagements. Right now all they're talking about doing is adding sort of potentially favored press outlets or sort of.

streaming services, non-traditional press to the press pool. But by kind of taking hold of the rains here, they're claiming the ability to potentially exclude people in the future as they have already done with the Associated Press, who's always been a part of that pool, but has been banned for refusing to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America in keeping with the president's executive order. So a lot of folks here, a little bit concerned that this could be a potentially slippery slope as the White House tries to shape a little bit of how they're covered in terms of who's doing the coverage, again, for now, only adding to it. But where it goes from here, I think, remains an open question.

All right, Garrett, hey, Garrett, we appreciate your reporting. We want to turn out of the widening outbreak of the measles in Texas. More than 100 children have been sick and nearly all of them unvaccinated. And there are concerns that numbers could climb as a person infected with the virus may have come into contact with tens of thousands of people, including students at two colleges. Here's NBC News Medical Reporter, Erica Edwards. Tonight, growing concerns about the measles outbreak in West Texas, with confirmed cases now climbing to 124, 1001 of those in children and teens. The Texas Department of Health says all but five of those cases are in people who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown.

18 people have been hospitalized. And I expect the number of cases and unfortunately hospitalizations will continue to accelerate. Local health officials say tens of thousands of people. in central Texas may have been exposed to an infected person visiting from Gaines County, the epicenter of the outbreak. Texas's health department says over Valentine's Day weekend, the person, while contagious, visited the Texas State University campus and a restaurant in San Marcos. The University of Texas, San Antonio, and a nearby Ripley's believe it or not museum, and a Buckey's convenience store in a San Antonio suburb. According to the CDC,

The droplets carrying the measles virus can remain in the air up to two hours after an infected person leaves. The highly contagious respiratory virus can cause fever, cough, congestion, skin rash, and white spots inside the mouth. Since the start of the year, the CDC also reporting isolated measles cases in Alaska, California, Georgia, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island, and nine cases in New Mexico. Just being in the same room with someone who's sick, if you're not. protected could put you at risk. The measles vaccine is 97% effective at preventing illness. But in Gaines County, which accounts for more than 60% of the cases in Texas, nearly 18% of people have vaccine exemptions according to health department data. So we have a high number of unvaccinated. They just don't believe in it. It's just not something that they choose to do.

Doctors across Texas are urging patients who might be sick to stay out of hospitals for fear of infecting others, pointing them instead to mobile clinics in Gaines County. And in nearby Lubbock County, stop signs like this for those with symptoms, now posted on hospital doors. If you think you have measles, what we don't want you to do is show up in my waiting room. What I want you to do is call me first, but do not come into our building and don't come into our waiting room. We want to help you, but please don't come in and. In fact, everybody else that may be immunocompromised. All right, Erica, joins us tonight.

Erica, you've been speaking to health officials and doctors in Texas. They told you they're seeing more and more people coming to get vaccinated? That's right. I spoke with the public health director in Lubbock today. She said that her team has given about 100 of the vaccine to prevent measles that MMR shot within the past week. Half of those involved parents who had previously chosen not to vaccinate their kids, but seeing this outbreak in their own backyard has actually changed their minds.

I also checked in with the Children's Hospital in Lubbock today, where they have treated nearly all of the kids who have been hospitalized. Tom, none of them had been vaccinated. Back to you. Okay. Erica Edwards for us. We want to move now tonight to Illinois. The murder trial for the landlord accused in the hate crime death of a six-year-old Palestinian-American boy began today.

The trial taking an emotional turn on the first day of testimony. NBC's Maggie Vespo was there in the courtroom and has the details tonight. Tonight in suburban Chicago, the hate prime trial for the man charged with the vicious murder of a six-year-old Palestinian-American boy, Wadiah Alfayumi, is underway. With his mother, Hanan Shaheen testifying in the days following the October 7, 23 attacks by Hamas, her landlord of two years, Joseph Shuba, told her, your people is killing Jewish and babies in Israel. Muslim are not welcome here, not in my home. Days later, screaming, you are not doing anything about it. She added, I told him to pray for peace. Shaheen testifying, the 71-year-old attacked, strangling and stabbing her, telling her son who was watching, he'd raise him, quote, but don't tell people I killed your mom. Shaheen testified she fought Shuba off and ran to the bathroom. That's when she said he attacked Wadiah, stabbing him. prosecutors say 26 times leaving the knife in the boy. Her attorney speaking on her behalf.

Wadiah was a completely innocent, defenseless little boy whose only crime was being Palestinian and being Muslim. Prosecutors say Shuba's wife told investigators he'd been listening to conservative talk radio about the war. Shubas pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and hate crime charges. His attorneys questioning Shaheen's account of the attack telling the jury, police, assumed he was guilty, even though he was outside of the residence unarmed. Advocates pushing for the maximum sentence, life in prison. So we can send a message that hate crimes against anyone on the basis of their religion and national origin are not tolerated. Maggie joins us tonight from outside that courthouse. Maggie, I'm sort of stunned here.

The case just started, but it feels like this trial is moving very fast. When do you think this could go to a jury? Tom, it feels like it's going at warp speed. The judge before it all started today said she thought it could go to the jury as early as Friday. I can't imagine she thought it would go faster than this. We're already on witness number four. So it seems like that timeline of Friday, Tom, could very easily hold. Okay, Maggie Vespa in the courtroom reporting for us tonight. Still ahead tonight here on Top Story, the new details in the killing of that beloved fire that we told you about last night. The arrest warrant just issued for her wife detailing a troubling 911 call. What it reveals as the murder suspect remains on the run. Plus,

the rare reversal from the Supreme Court. The man on death row for decades now granted a retrial. Laura Jarrett is standing by. We're going to explain. And the asteroid on a new trajectory after threatening to hit Earth. What scientists are now saying about its path. Stay with us. We're back now with a rare move from the Supreme Court

granting a new trial to a man who spent more than 20 years on death row. The justice is considering new D.T.T. and evidence in the case against Richard Glossop, who was convicted of killing his boss in 1997. Here's NBC's Laura Jarrett with this report. He's been on death row for more than 20 years, but today the Supreme Court granted Richard Glossop a new trial. Talk to Rich, and he is beyond thrilled. We've struggled through nine execution dates and three last meals, and all Rich wanted was the truth to come out. Convicted by a jury in Oklahoma for organizing the 1997 killing of his boss, Barry Van Trees,

Glossop has always maintained his innocence. Lester spoke with him by phone in 2023. Did you have anything to do with the murder of Barry Van Trees? I did not. Independent reviews of the case commissioned by state officials finding the prosecution destroyed key evidence before Glossop's trial and failed to correct false testimony from a key witness, prompting a rare concession from Oklahoma's Attorney General that Glossop's conviction should be overturned. Leicester sitting down back in 2023 with two conservative lawmakers fighting on Glossop's behalf. Just as news broke that the Supreme Court had agreed to hear the case and stop Glossop's execution.

Yeah, that's awesome. Awesome. The justices today concluding in a divided opinion, the prosecution violated its constitutional obligation to Glossop. But an attorney for the victim's family says they remain undeterred. The family members are confident that when there's a retrial in this case, it will clearly show that Glossop is guilty of first-degree murder. All right, with that, Laura, joins us now in studio. So, Laura, I guess my first question is, will this go to trial again? Is that your sense?

Or could prosecutors drop this altogether? Interestingly, the DA's office is being quite circumspect about this, saying they're reviewing it carefully. They want to go through the court's opinion. actually formed a committee to review all death penalty eligible cases, and so his case would fall under that, and they don't want to make any decisions until that committee finishes its work. You know, we heard that bit at the end of your report there. It sounds like the victim's family still thinks he was part of this and is guilty of first-degree murder. What is the one piece of

evidence his supporters point to say he's not? That the fact that the person, the key witness, has recanted and gave inconsistent testimony, and that there wasn't any real hard forensic evidence suggesting that he actually participated in this. All right, Laura Jared for us, Laura, we're going to continue to follow that case. When we return former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's possible return to politics, the new reporting

that Cuomo could soon enter New York City's mayor mayoral race. We're going to speak with former mayor Bill de Blasio about this move and what it means for the city. That's next. Okay, we are back now with Top Stories news feed and an update in the stabbing death of Rebecca Morodi, a beloved San Diego fire captain that we reported on last night. Police officially issuing an arrest warrant for Yolanda, Rebecca's

wife. The warrant obtained by NBC News detailing a 911 call from Rebecca's mother, alleging that she may have seen and heard the attack on a ring camera. The warrant also reporting that a week before the stabbing, Rebecca told Yolanda that she was ending the marriage. A fugitive task force is trying to find Nolanda right now, possibly in Mexico. And another update, an ICE spokesperson condemning the fake ice jackets available on Amazon. The spokesperson telling NBC News that ICE agents are trained professionals who protect national security and impersonating an ICE agent is both dangerous and illegal. As we reported right here last night, fake ice jackets are currently one of the top selling items on Amazon

that comes amid multiple reports of people impersoning ICE agents. A bit of good news tonight, that city killing asteroid we've told you about, it's now predicted to miss planet Earth. You may remember this asteroid called YR4, well, that had a 3.1% chance of hitting Earth in 2032. Yesterday, NASA saying there is, quote, no significant potential that the asteroid could hit Earth saying the chances now hovered near zero.

That's great news, but there is a 1% chance it could hit the moon, okay? And WNBA legend Diana Tarasi has announced her retirement after 20 seasons, 42-year-old. Tarousey announcing the retirement in Time Magazine today after more than two decades with the Phoenix Mercury. She is the WNBA's all-time league scorer, a three-time WNBA champion, and a six-time Olympic gold medalist. She also won three NCAA tournament championships with Connecticut and has been regarded as one of the greatest female basketball players

of all time. Okay, net of power and politics and what could be a major shake up here in New York City. Former governor, Andrew Cuomo, is reportedly considering running for mayor just three years after he resigned as governor amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Here's a look at his rise to national prominence during the pandemic. The scandal that forced him from office and the political revival now well underway. Tonight, news signs former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is planning his rise from the political ashes, prepping a run for mayor of the nation's biggest city against its embattled leader, Eric Adams. Cuomo hasn't entered the race, and he's already leading Democratic primary polls by double digits.

I miss you. Releasing this campaign-style video of a rare public appearance on Valentine's Day. We know how to make this city work and make this state safe for everyone, and that's exactly what we're going to do. I want to thank all my family. In 2010, Cuomo punched his ticket to the New York Governor's Mansion for the first of three terms, assuming the office that made his father, Mario, a national icon. You're not going to divide us. You're not going to separate us. You can try it somewhere else, but you're not going to sell that in New York. But it was his response to the coronavirus pandemic that made him a household name.

Today is day 106. Daily press conferences delivered from the epicenter of the outbreak, broadcast live by national and cable news networks. You can flatten the curve. We are flattening the curve. Followed by several chummy appearances on his brother Chris Cuomo's primetime CNN show. You got an answer for anything. You're feeling pretty good about yourself these days. Cuomo's daily presence reassuring New Yorkers despite the rising death toll of the virus, sending his poll numbers skyrocketing. But it wouldn't last. Tonight, a new accusation against Governor Andrew Cuomo.

The governor hit with multiple allegations of sexual harassment from staffers in his administration. Cuomo apologizing for his behavior, but insisting he never touched anyone inappropriately. I feel awful about it. And frankly, I am embarrassed by it. In the wake of a bombshell report on the allegations from the state attorney general and facing the threat of impeachment, Cuomo resigned in August of 2021. Multiple state prosecutors filed charges. All of them eventually dropped. The disgraced governor receding from the spotlight, addressing his downfall at a black church in Brooklyn the following year. The press roasted me. My colleagues were ridiculed. My brother was fired. It was ugly. It was probably the toughest.

time of my life. But now the scandal surrounding another New York politician providing Cuomo with an opening. Adams' recent legal battles over alleged bribery and his friendliness with the Trump administration giving some New Yorkers an appetite for a change. Cuomo racking up early endorsements, including from one-time gubernatorial rival Carl McCall. Thank you. God bless you. As he plots the next chapter of a roller coaster New York dynasty. All right. For more, former governor, Andrew Cuomo's possible return to New York politics. I want to bring in someone who knows New York City and the former governor very well.

Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio who served the city from 2014 to 2021. He joins us live tonight here on Top Story. Mary de Blasio, it's great to have you here. I'm going to be blunt. You didn't have the best relationship with Andrew Cuomo. We're going to get to that. Breaking news.

In a moment. But I do want to ask you, you know politics very well and you know the city very well. Is he going to be the next city mayor? I think this race has just begun. I truly do. There's a really powerful poll out a few days ago.

Mike Boccian, there's a national pollster work for John Federman and Raphael, Larnock, and others, pointing out that this is a very unusual candidacy, that Andrew Cuomo has massive negatives. Obviously, the nursing home scandal during COVID where so many people lost their life. Questions about whether he lied in Congress to a congressional committee about that. Obviously, the harassment of 13 women. These are really powerful and unusual in the sense of a single individual, a single candidate, having all of these negatives on them. And what the Bocian poll showed is when you add that up and people know about it, they start to change their mind quickly. So I think it's fair to say this race has just begun.

Lipside to that massive name recognition in the city in a race that may have several people run in the Democratic nomination. And two, for his supporters, someone who's seen as a reformer. Do you think people will remember that over those negatives? Well, every campaign, as you know, has its own character. And I think what's going to be very interesting is a juxtaposition with Donald Trump, who obviously is the number one story in America right now, are New York City voters who are a particularly progressive, aware set of voters. How are they going to feel about someone who has multiple allegations of sexual harassment

when that's something that also plagued Donald Trump, for example? Played out in the courts here in Manhattan. Exactly. Exactly. What's that juxtaposition going to look like? How are they going to feel about someone who has a lot of scandals attached after what's happened with Mayor Adams? I think these are big open questions. I am not for a moment going to take away political skill from Andrew Cuomo. He has a lot of skill, has a lot of experience.

But I think what you're going to see is one candidate, maybe a couple candidates, will really emerge as the alternative, and then it's really when the ballgame starts. What do you think about Eric Adams? I mean, do you think he's going to run on the Democratic ticket? can he win on the Democratic ticket? Will he win the primary? It's very tough. I think he had a chance after the charges were sort of dropped by the Justice Department to reset the equation.

I think it was very unfortunate that, for example, he went on Fox and Friends with Trump's immigration official that really, Holman, who really, I think, set a tone that hurt Adams a lot. It's always too early to tell with an election four months away. But I think that was a decisive moment that set him back. Did he pass the test? Did he make New York City safer? Did he make the subway safer? Is the trash being picked up?

I mean, does he sort of mark any of those boxes, Eric Adams? You know, it's interesting. Mayor Adams, aside from the scandals, the legal issues, clearly it would have a case to make. I mean, the city has gotten safer. We have substantially continued our recovery from COVID. I was obviously mayor when COVID was raging. and it's quite amazing how far New York City has come since then.

So sure, he has a case to make. But I think the last few weeks have been really tough for him. Let's go back to Governor Cuomo. I want to give yours a sense of your relationship with him. Let's take a trip back down memory lane if you can. Back in 2014, things were beautiful. This was weeks after your inauguration. Cuomo said, I don't have a better political friend than Bill de Blasio.

But you both quickly battled over universal pre-K, right? That became a thing. And in 2015, you gave an interview after a disagreement with him on a tax credit plan. Here's what you said. He suggested it was not viable when everyone knew it was viable. And he actually helped to encourage opposition to it. Now, I find that to be a lack of leadership because here was an opportunity to actually get something done for people. What I found was he engaged in his own sense of strategies, his own political machinations.

And what we've often seen is if someone disagrees with him openly, some kind of revenge or vendetta follows. So revenge, vendettas, you accused him of bullying. Do you see this happening in this race? Should voters be concerned? What's your take? Yeah, I think what it comes down to is with any leader, are you about your own political needs, or are you about the people?

And that's going to be a big issue in this race. People are going to look at things like what happened with the nursing homes, and that's going to be an issue. Was he doing what he did in the nursing homes and then covering it up because he wanted to sell a book? Was he doing something right for the people? These are going to be big questions. So I think in the end,

I believe there's such cynicism about politicians for good reason. That's going to be a real test for him to prove you something different. We also, we only have a minute left. We also live in an era in politics where people have short attention spans and their memories sometimes aren't that long.

And we've seen that with several politicians in the modern age. And I just wonder if all the things you stated people will forget about Andrew Cuomo and they'll remember somebody who, as the supporters will say, with steadfast, strong leadership, dedicated to public service,

or will it be everything you're bringing up? Two easy points. One, I think if it wasn't a campaign, you'd probably be right, but there is going to be a campaign, and a number of candidates will raise this, and the media will raise it, and there'll be investigations,

there'll be new revelations, point one, point two, the juxtaposition with Trump. The story in America, Donald Trump, my way or the highway, bullying people trying to run over to the Democratic process. Now you're starting to see a backlash. you're going to see a backlash, particularly in New York, to it.

How is that going to juxtapose with what Cuomo brings to the table? I think that's a big X factor. Mayor, Bill de Blasier, great to have you here in Top Story. Great conversation. We want to turn out of Top Stories Global Watch, get a check of what else is happening around the world. Some breaking news out of the Middle East. Israel confirms it has carried out air strikes on military targets in southern Syria. Israel's defense minister, Israel Katz, saying, quote,

we will not allow southern Syria to become southern Lebanon. The strikes come as the new Syrian government called for the full withdrawal of Israel, forces from Syrian territory. A massive power outage has left almost all of Chile in the dark. Video showing passengers being evacuated from a subway station in the capital city of Santiago. Officials say the blackout is impacting, get this, an estimated 19 million people, nearly the entire population of the South American country. Chile's grid operator says a disruption in a high-voltage transmission line is to blame,

but it's unclear what caused a disruption. Authorities are rapidly working to restore power. And take a look at this, an alleged drug smuggler finding himself in a hairy situation in Colombia. New video shows police pulling off the man's toupee, finding more than 220 grams of cocaine underneath it. Authorities estimate the drugs are worth more than $10,000. He was caught with the concealed drugs trying to board a flight from Cartagena. To Amsterdam, he's facing several charges, including drug trafficking. Okay, coming up, the first of its kind art auction.

Christie's selling masterpieces created with AI for hundreds of thousands of The controversy swirling around that decision as the technology shakes up the art world. Is this art? Is it technology or is it both? Stay with us. Okay, we are back now with Top Stories News Feed, an update in the stabbing death of Rebecca Morodi, a beloved San Diego fire captain that we reported on last night. Police officially issuing an arrest warrant for Yolanda, Rebecca's wife.

The warrant obtained by NBC News detailing a 911 call from Rebecca's mother, alleging that she may have seen and heard the attack on a ring camera. The warrant also reporting that a week before the stabbing Rebecca told Yolanda that she was ending the marriage. A fugitive task force is trying to find Yolanda right now, possibly in Mexico. And another update in ICE spokesperson condemning the fake ice jackets available on Amazon. The spokesperson telling NBC News that ICE agents are trained professionals who protect national security, and impersonating an ice agent is both dangerous and illegal. As we reported right here last night, fake ice jackets are currently one of the top selling items on Amazon that comes amid multiple reports of people impersoning ice agents.

A bit of good news tonight, that city killing asteroid we've told you about, it's now predicted to miss planet Earth. You may remember this asteroid called YR4, well, that had a 3.1% chance of hitting Earth in 2032. Yesterday, NASA saying there is, quote, no significant potential that the asteroid could hit Earth saying the chances now hover near zero. That's great news, but there is a 1% chance. It could hit the moon. Okay. And WNBA legend Diana Tarasi has announced her retirement after 20 seasons. 42-year-old Taroussi announcing the retirement in Time magazine today after more than two decades with the Phoenix Mercury. She is the WNBA's all-time lead scorer, a three-time

WNDA champion and a six-time Olympic gold medalist. She also won three NCAA tournament championships with Connecticut and has been regarded as one of the greatest female basketball players of all time. Okay, net of power and politics and what could be a major shake up here in New York City. Former governor, Andrew Cuomo, is reportedly considering running for mayor just three years after he resigned as governor amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Here's a look at his rise to national prominence during the pandemic, the scandal that forced him from office and the political revival now well underway. Tonight, News Signs, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is planning his rise from the political

ashes, prepping a run for mayor of the nation's biggest city against its embattled leader, Eric Adams. Quomo hasn't even formally entered the race, and he's already leading Democratic primary polls by double digits. I miss you. Releasing this campaign-style video of a rare public appearance on Valentine's Day. We know how to make this city work and make this state safe for everyone.

And that's exactly what we're going to do. I want to thank all my family. In 2010, Cuomo punched his ticket to the New York governor's mansion for the first of three terms, assuming the office that made his father Mario a national icon. You're not going to divide him. You're not going to divide us.

You're not going to separate us. You can try it somewhere else, but you're not going to sell that in New York. But it was his response to the coronavirus pandemic that made him a household name. Today's day, 106. Daily press conferences delivered from the epicenter of the outbreak, broadcast live by national and cable news networks. You can flatten the curve. We are flattening the curve. Followed by several chummy appearances on his brother Chris Cuomo's primetime CNN show. You got an answer for anything.

You're feeling pretty good about yourself these days. Cuomo's daily presence reassuring New Yorkers, despite the rising death toll of the virus, sending his poll numbers skyrocketing. But it wouldn't last. Tonight, a new accusation against Governor Andrew Cuomo. The governor hit with multiple allegations of sexual harassment from staffers in his administration. Cuomo apologizing for his behavior, but insisting he never touched anyone inappropriately. I feel awful about it, and frankly, I am embarrassed by it.

In the wake of a bombshell report on the allegations from the state attorney general and facing the threat of impeachment, Cuomo resigned in August of 2021. Multiple state prosecutors filed charges, all of them eventually dropped. The disgraced governor receding from the spotlight, addressing his downfall at a black church in Brooklyn the following year. The press roasted me. My colleagues were ridiculed. My brother was fired. It was ugly. It was probably the toughest time of my life. But now the scandal surrounding another New York politician providing Cuomo with an opening. Adam's recent legal battles over alleged bribery and his friendliness with the Trump administration giving some New Yorkers, an appetite for a change. Cuomo racking up early endorsements, including from one-time gubernatorial rival Carl McCall. Thank you. God bless you. As he plots the next chapter of a roller coaster

New York Dynasty. All right, for more on former Governor Andrew Cuomo's possible return to New York politics. I want to bring in someone who knows New York City and the former governor very well. Former New York City mayor Bill de Blasio who served the city from 2014 to 2021. He joins us live tonight here on Top Story. Mary de Blasio, it's great to have you here. I'm going to be blunt. You didn't have the best relationship with Andrew Cuomo. We're going to get to that. Breaking news. In a moment. But I do want to ask you, you know politics very well and you know the city very well. Is he going to be the next city, mayor? I think this race has just begun. I truly do. There's a really powerful poll out a few days ago. Mike Boseon, there's a national

pollster work for John Federman and Raphael, Lornaq, and others, pointing out that this is a a very unusual candidacy that Andrew Cuomo has massive negatives. Obviously, the nursing home scandal during COVID where so many people lost their life, questions about whether he lied in Congress to a congressional committee about that. Obviously, the harassment of 13 women. These are really powerful and unusual in the sense of a single individual, a single candidate having all of these negatives on them. And what the Boeum poll showed is when you add that up and people know about it, they start to change their mind quickly. So I think it's fair to say this race has just begun.

Lipside to that massive name recognition in the city in a race that may have several people run in the Democratic nomination. And two, for his supporters, someone who's seen as a reformer, do you think people will remember that over those negatives? Well, every campaign, as you know, has its own character. And I think what's going to be very interesting is a juxtaposition with Donald Trump, who obviously is the number one story in America right now. Are New York City voters, who are a particularly progressive, aware, set of voters,

how are they going to feel about someone who has multiple allegations of sexual harassment when that's something that also plagued Donald Trump, for example? Played out in the courts here in Manhattan? Exactly. What's that juxtaposition going to look like? How are they going to feel about someone who has a lot of scandals attached after what's happened with Mayor Adams? I think these are big open questions. I am not for a moment going to take away political skill from Andrew Cuomo.

He has a lot of skill, has a lot of experience. But I think what you're going to see is one candidate, maybe a couple candidates, will really emerge as the alternative, and then it's really when the ballgame starts. What do you think about Eric Adams? I mean, do you think he's going to run on the Democratic ticket? Can he win on the Democratic ticket? Will he win the primary? It's very tough. I think he had a chance after the charges were sort of dropped by the Justice Department to reset the equation.

I think it was very unfortunate that, for example, he went on Fox and Friends with Trump's immigration official that really, Holman, who really, I think, set a tone that hurt Adams a lot. It's always too early to tell with an election four months away, but I think that was a decisive moment that set him back. Did he pass the test? Did he make New York City safer? Did he make the subway safer? Is the trash being picked up? I mean, does he sort of mark any of those boxes, Eric Adams? You know, it's interesting. Mayor Adams, aside from the scandals, the legal issues, clearly would have a case to make. I mean, the city has gotten safer. We have substantially continued our recovery from COVID. I was obviously mayor when COVID was raging. And it's quite amazing how far New York City has come since then. So sure, he has a case to make. But I think the last few weeks have been really tough for him. Let's go back to Governor Cuomo. I want to give yours a sense of your relationship with him. Let's take a trip back down memory lane if you if you can. back in 2014, things were beautiful.

This was weeks after your inauguration. Cuomo said, I don't have a better political friend than Bill de Blasio. But you both quickly battled over universal pre-K, right? That became a thing. And in 2015, you gave an interview after disagreement with him on a tax credit plan. Here's what you said.

He suggested it was not viable when everyone knew it was viable. And he actually helped to encourage opposition to it. Now, I find that to be a lack of leadership because here was an opportunity to actually get something done. for people. What I found was he engaged in his own sense of strategies, his own political machinations, and what we've often seen is if someone disagrees with

him openly, some kind of revenge or vendetta follows. So revenge, vendettas. You accused him of bullying. Do you see this happening in this race? Should voters be concerned? What's your take? Yeah, I think what it comes down to is with any leader. Are you about your own political needs? Or are you about the people? And that's going to be a big issue in this race. People are going to look at things like what happened with the nursing homes. And that's going to be an issue. Was he doing what he did in nursing homes and then covering it up because he wanted to sell a book? Was he doing something right for the people? These are going to be big questions. So I think in the end, I believe there's such

cynicism about politicians for good reason. That's going to be a real test for him to prove you something different. left, we also live in an era in politics where people have short attention spans and their memories sometimes aren't that long. And we've seen that with several politicians in the modern age. And I just wonder if all the things you stated, people will forget about Andrew Cuomo and they'll remember somebody who, as his supporters will say, was steadfast, strong leadership, dedicated to public service, or will it be everything you're bringing up? Two easy points. One, I think if it wasn't a campaign, you'd probably be right, but there is going to be a campaign.

And a number of candidates will raise this. will raise it. And there'll be investigations. There'll be new revelations. Point one. Point two, the juxtaposition with Trump. The story in America, Donald Trump, my way or the highway, bullying people, trying to run over to the democratic process. Now you're starting to see a backlash. You're going to see a backlash, particularly in New York to it. How is that going to juxtapose with what Cuomo brings to the table? I think that's a big X factor. Mayor, Bill de Blasier, great to have you here in Top Story. Great conversation. We want to turn out of Top Stories Global Watch, get a check of what else is happening around the

world. Some breaking news out of the Middle East. Israel confirms it has carried out airstrikes on military targets in southern Syria. Israel's defense minister, Israel Katz, saying, quote, we will not allow southern Syria to become southern Lebanon. The strikes come as the new Syrian government called for the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Syrian territory. A massive power outage has left almost all of Chile in the dark. Video showing passengers being evacuated from a subway station in the capital city of Santiago. Officials say the blackout is impacting, get this, an estimated 19 million.

people, nearly the entire population of the South American country. Chile's grid operator says a disruption in a high-voltage transmission line is to blame, but it's unclear what caused a disruption. Authorities are rapidly working to restore power. And take a look at this, an alleged drug smuggler finding himself in a hairy situation in Colombia. New video shows police pulling off the man's toupee, finding more than 220 grams of cocaine underneath it.

Authorities estimate the drugs are worth more than $10,000. He was caught with the concealed drug. trying to board a flight from Cartagena. To Amsterdam, he's facing several charges, including drug trafficking. Okay, coming up, the first of its kind art auction. Christie's selling masterpieces created with AI for hundreds of thousands of dollars. The controversy swirling around that decision as the technology shakes up the art world. Is this art?

Is it technology or is it both? Stay with us. We're back now with a groundbreaking moment for the art world. The first major auction of art made using artificial intelligence, raking in hundreds of thousands of dollars in bids, but also thousands of protest signatures. Our Brian Chung got a firsthand look at the historic collection of art and explains what the controversy is about. It's an art auction unlike any other. Generate an image of a pigeon wearing a suit. For 258 years, Christie's has auctioned off everything from Picasso's to Princess Diana's dresses.

For the first time, they're now auctioning off an entire collection of pieces made using artificial intelligence. If it just gets people thinking about what creativity means within computers and AI, I think that's a great conversation to start. Artist Alexander Reuben is one of the artists featured in the augmented intelligence auction. Reben's work, a living, breathing canvas painted by an AI-powered robot that adds a square inch of paint every time a bit is placed on the piece.

What is the meaning of this work? Well, that's an interesting question. I don't want to put a particular meeting on it because I feel like the type of art I make allows reflection for what people want to take away from it. So I don't know exactly what it's going to be. The piece, which could sell for upwards of $1.7 million, is one of more than 30 pieces being sold as part of Christy's AI sale. Can you do a little dance for me? I'd love to. Dancing is such a typical way to express to me.

While pieces like this are giving some artists the opportunity of a life. time. Some critics say the AI tools being used to train them or using copyrighted material without permission. They're built off of artists' work without consent, credit, or compensation, which does not constitute fair use, and it's dramatically affecting our jobs and livelihoods. Concept artists and illustrator Reid Saldon is one of the artists behind the letter calling on Christie's to cancel the auction. More than 6,000 artists sign the letter. We believe in the auction around a third of the artworks use these types of unethical models. And so with the open letter specifically. We're asking Christie's to not support or condone that sort of thing.

Christy's kicked off that auction anyway on February 20th, telling the public they welcome the debate it started. Artists have been influenced by other artists for centuries. We're looking at something new and something interesting that will forever change the scope of art. Christy's director of digital art, Nicole Sales Giles, Giles, says the auction house is merely meeting a growing demand for AI art. In 2018, they sold an AI generated portrait by a French art collective for $432,000. How do you make sure that in an auction like this where there's so much technology that you're not accidentally selling something that is actually stealing from someone else? Yeah, I mean, all the artists in the sale, we are very, very in close contact with. We know exactly how they're using AI and their practice, what they're doing and how they're using it.

But a lot of it is their own training data. Sal then says it's not clear to him that Christie's did enough to make sure the featured AI pieces didn't train themselves on other artists' work without permission. I think that what they're doing is sort of building this auction on the, honor system and not really doing their due diligence on these things because there's money to be made. Artists like Reben embraced the debate. So painters were afraid of the camera when it came out because they thought or do things like replace landscape painting. But now a lot of painters actually paint from pictures they take. I think AI is going to help people in that way. It's going to help them come up with new ideas, help them iterate in their imagination. And maybe they'll take that

back to traditional things. So inspiration or infringement for AI art, it's in the eye of the beholder. On NBC News. All right, when we come back banning the so-called tush push. It's a play that helped the Philadelphia Eagles win it all this year. So why is another NFL team now asking the league to scrap it? Is it putting players in danger? That's next. Hertz on a sneak.

Pyle drives his way in. Touchdown. You saw it right there moment by moment. It's the football play, infamously known as the Tush push. used during this year's Super Bowl. It's the not-so-secret weapon of the 2025 champion Philadelphia Eagles. But now the general manager for the Green Bay Packers confirms his team has submitted a proposal to ban the controversial quarterback sneak.

The play works like this. It's so simple. The running backs or tight ends line up behind the quarterback, pushing him from the back and sending him through the defensive line for the touchdown, hence the name the Tush push. The play used in short yardage and goal-line situations by teams like the Eagles. and the bills. It has a very high success rate, given how hard it is to stop. But now there's health and safety concerns that could ban the brotherly shove for good.

For more on this controversy, New York Daily News sports columnist and New York Times best-selling author and all-around great guy. Mike Lupica joins Top Story tonight. So, Mike, talk to me about this one. Do the Packers have a point here? Is it dangerous? Is it going to be bad for the game? Is it going to be good for the game? Where's the Lupica mind on this? Well, I don't know how dangerous it is, Tom, but it's just the dumbest thing in football. It's not even football. It's like the football equivalent of a tractor pull. I've been telling people, this would be like if one basketball player could sit another basketball player on his shoulders and then let that guy dump the ball.

That's what this play is. And it was illegal for years and years and years and years. and then they changed the rule a few years ago, and the result is the tush push. And we were talking before we came on the air. 20 years ago, in one of the most famous moments in college football history, SC's got a 27-game winning street going.

They're playing Notre Dame, and they're about to lose. And Matt Line at their quarterback looks like he gets stopped at the goal line, except Reggie Bush shoves him across the goal line. They don't call it. It was known as the Bush push at the time, and for some reason, all this time later,

the NFL decided that this was a good thing. And Tom, if you look at that play, it's about as entertaining as a tug of war. Yeah, but it works, and it seems to be hard to defend. It feels like the leagues, not only the NFL, but also MLB, maybe the NBA as well, are sort of leaning into changing rules that are more fan-friendly.

Is this something the fans like? Is it something people talk about when they're having their wings and their beer and oh, here comes to tush push again. And whether it's your team that's on offense or defense, you're going to be discussing it. If you're going to legalize that play going forward, I saw this, somebody wrote this the other day,

it's not even first in 10 anymore. It's first in nine, because if you get nine yards, you're automatically going to get the first down to the touchdown when you have one yard to go. I'm not disputing that the Eagles are really, really good at this. I think their success rate is like 87%. And I think the league-wide success rate is 71%. And they do it a lot more than everybody else.

Tom, when I was a kid and Bill Russell was doing the basketball games, every time somebody would dunk the ball, he'd call it an extremely high percentage shot, okay? That's what the touch push is. And there was a time in basketball, though, also that the dunk. People didn't love it or was seen as too easy. I can remember reading about that, about the history of the game, and people weren't always for the dunk.

I do want to ask you this. What is the process for banning a play like this? Is it something the teams have to vote on? Is it something that essentially will end up in Roger Goodell's desk? I mean, how does it work? No, it goes to the competition committee. And they're going to review it. But I have a feeling, I think the Packers are on the side of the Angels with this. I think they're 100% right. I don't think it's good for football. I don't think it's entertaining at all. But I tend to think it's going to stay in play because I don't think it's going to pass the competition committee.

Mike, I'm going to be selfish here. I'm going to take our last few minutes and drive our producers here crazy. But for all the New York City sports fans here, they're going to love this conversation. Tell me right now, who has the better team? The New York Mets with Juan Soto and some of their great acquisitions

in the afterseason or the Yankees who, from the first couple spring training games, they're looking a little rough. You know, it's funny. I would have said the Mets once they got Soto, because I believe that the top of the Mets batting order is going to be as good as there is in baseball, including with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Francisco Lindor, to me, is the best all-around player of the Mets have ever had.

Now they have Soto, who might be the most complete hitter in the game. They brought back Pete Alonzo. They got a kid at third base, Viantos, who's tremendous, a kid catcher, Francis Galvarez. But it seems like one of their starting pitchers is getting hurt almost on a daily basis. And when you look back at last season, the Mets actually played a tougher series against the Dodgers than the Yankees did in the World Series. The Mets went six games in the National League Championship Series. The Yankees got waxed in five with that disaster in game five. So right now, just because I like the Yankees starting pitching more than what the Mets have with guys getting hurt like this, I would give a slight edge to the Yankees.

But Tom, I'll tell you this. life is going to be a little, as great as Aaron Judge is, life is going to be a little different this year without Juan Soto hitting it ahead of him. Oh, yeah, there's going to be more pressure. The Yankees might be, yeah, and the Yankees might be as complete a starting lineup as the Mets are, but they're not as dangerous as they were

when they had Soto up there at the top of the batting order. I think that the Mets right now are the best show in town, but the Yankees might be the better team in town. All right, Mike Lubbock, that was a very political answer, but we appreciate it. Enjoy Florida. We're going to enjoy all those spring training games here.

We're going to enjoy all those games that we're watching before the season starts, and we'll have you back once the season starts. Mike, thanks for that. We thank you for watching Top Story tonight. I'm Tom Yamison, New York. Stay right there. More news on the way.