Top Story with Tom Llamas - Tuesday, July 14, 2026

Episode Date: July 15, 2026

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

Breaking news tonight, the major health scare across the country is lettuce making Americans sick. The alarming outbreak impacting 34 states, dozens hospitalized. Now experts say it could be linked to lettuce. Taco Bell voluntarily removing some ingredients, how to keep you and your family safe. The major change for ICE ordering agents to stop vehicle pursuits after two deadly shootings in less than a week, plus what new surveillance video shows after that fatal confrontation in Maine. catastrophic flood swamp Texas. Cars and trucks washed away, rescue crews searching for those trapped, plus more than 130 million under heat alerts, as dozens of East Coast beaches are closed for bacteria.

Captain Sully's heartbreaking diagnosis, the miracle on the Hudson pilot, revealing he has Alzheimer's, his moving message tonight. Dramatic video capturing beachgoers frantically running for cover, what causes apocalyptic scene. Could daylight saving time become permanent, year round, the bill that just passed the house. And the T-Rex making history on the auction block selling for a record $50 million, why some scientists are blasting that sale. Plus, no longer stuck in the middle, the new move from United to replace the dreaded center seat on some flights.

Top story starts right now. And good evening. Tonight, a dangerous food-borne illness spreading across the country, thousands sickened, dozens hospitalized, and the exact source of the outbreak. It's still unknown, but tonight health officials are zeroing in on a cause. Right now, more than 7,000 people potentially infected across 34 states. These are the states right here. At least 86 people have been hospitalized with the illness called cyclosporasis.

It's caused by this a microscopic parasite that's creating huge problems. The major symptom? Severe and often prolonged stomach issues, and they get bad. Health officials scrambling to find the source of the outbreak. now pouring towards lettuce as the potential origin. We'll explain what you should be doing to lower your risk of infection. Some restaurants taking matters into their own hands. Taco Bell slashing ingredients from their menu, though,

the chain hasn't been officially linked to the illness. In a moment, you'll hear from the former director of the CDC, the steps he says all Americans should take and why he thinks funding cuts could be making things worse. We'll walk through everything you need to know tonight to keep you and your family safe. We want to start with NBC's Ann Thompson tracking the latest on this outbreak. Tonight, 34 states grappling with cyclospora, the parasite that can be found on fresh produce making Americans sick.

Michigan zeroing in on lettuce. Its top doc says there is a clear preliminary signal pointing to the leafy green. Why do you suspect lettuce? We've interviewed about 1,000 out of the 3,000 cases we have so far. Let us seems to be an ongoing exposure for those who've been impacted. Federal officials say Michigan is one of four Midwestern states where the cases could be linked. Taco Bell today confirming it removed limited ingredients at select restaurants while authorities continue their broader review, noting public health officials have not confirmed a link to Taco Bell. The Washington Post reports federal and state health officials are investigating the chain, citing two individuals familiar with the probe.

CDC did not comment. Michigan's Dr. Bagdasarian. So there was no location that came up in 100% of cases, but there certainly were restaurants and fast food chains that did come up. Including Taco Bell? You know, I'm not going to comment on those specifics right now. Nationwide, the CDC says it's confirmed 1,645 cases of cyclosporiasis and is aware of 5,100 more. Christina Sarapena says she ate fresh fruits and vegetables hiking, like,

last month and got sick for weeks. Just really strong gas and bloating pains. And on top of that, you're not eating, so you're hungry and you're having hunger pains also. Ann Thompson joins us tonight. So, Anne, I guess the big question is, how can you protect yourself? There are a couple of simple things you can do.

First of all, wash your produce, Tom. You want to make sure you run it under cold, clean, running water. Also, buy heads of lettuce and not bagged greens. And then with those heads of lettuce, You want to take out the first two or three layers. But if you really want to be safe, cook your produce to at least 158 degrees Fahrenheit. That kills the parasite. A lot of great tips here.

We thank you for that, Ann. For more on this outbreak, I want to bring in an expert on public health crisis, virologist and former CDC director, Dr. Robert Redfield. Dr. Redfield, we thank you for joining Top Story tonight. Let's start with the question everyone in our newsroom is asking tonight, maybe around the country. How can people avoid getting sick from this? Should people be throwing out their lettuce, or is it more than just that? You know, Tom, this is a difficult pathogen to get rid of.

Okay, first thing for people to realize is there is no human-to-human transmission. So the way you get infected is by eating or drinking contaminated produce or water, contaminated actually with human fecal material. And the pathogen, when you get it, it has to replicate in the human, body and then it actually has to be excreted and stay in the environment for about two weeks for it to change forms and then that changed form now could infect somebody else. And obviously we've had outbreaks in this country from lettuce. We've had it from basil, cilantro, snow peas, and raspberries.

So different produce can cause it. One of the problems is it's hard to get rid of. It's not susceptible to chlorine or formalin. And when you wash your produce, it really is a very sticky parasite. So it's really hard to get rid of it. Even if you spin your lettuce and a lettuce spinner, it's really hard to get it out. So Dr. Redfield, how can you tell if you have this parasite versus just regular, terrible food poisoning?

So this, largely by the duration, this parasite, when it causes illness, and again, as you point out, diarrhea and bloating, abdominal pain, you can have four. flu-like symptoms, nausea, vomiting. But this is going to last for seven, 10, 14 days. And if you have immune deficiency or HIV, it might last for a month. So it's really the duration that's going to help tell you, hey, this is not just lower walk. Yeah, that's got to lead to my next question. Do you, I mean, if you're going a week on this thing, you're losing a lot of liquids. Obviously, you can't hold anything down. I mean, do you have to be in the hospital? I mean, Should you make sure you're being taken care of and making sure you have some type of IV or something?

Yeah, Tom, two things. The big issue for illness is dehydration, as you point out. There's been about 80 to 100 people already hospitalized because of severe dehydration. So that's the key is not to get severely dehydrated. The other good news is, though, that this is a parasite, and although it's a parasite, it's actually susceptible to an antibiotic. sulfa antibiotics. So backdrum or septra, these will help you get well much quicker. So rather than go for two to four weeks, you may end up going for five to seven days. We know the illness takes time to show up, right? Walk us through it. If someone ate something, say, yesterday, how long would it take to get sick or at least to feel something's wrong? This is the problem because it's not immediate.

It could be as quick as two days, but it's much more likely to be two weeks. And this is what causes public health people trouble in trying to track the source. And what we really need to do is know the source. If I knew the source, then I could pull that product off the market. This is a very hard pathogen to track down the source. When I was CDC director, we had a fairly aggressive food safety program throughout the country. And you can remember many times we track the source, you know, to some contaminated water from a cattle farm, or we tracked the source contaminated cheese. This is really hard to track the source.

And so it's really a guess where it's coming from right now. Yeah. Is it important to narrow down where it's coming from, or can we get a handle on it even though we don't know where the outbreak started? Well, the advantages we know where it's coming from, we can remove it from the marketplace. I mean, that's the real advantage. You know, right now, as you know, you have some companies that are going to stop using lettuce and all their products. Most of the lettuce that they have is not contaminated. Maybe all of it's not contaminated.

So in order to get around it, they remove all of it. It would be such, you know, better for us if we could say it's lettuce packaged at this factory on these dates, and then we just remove that. This is one of the reasons I'm a big advocate for strengthening our food safety surveillance programs. When I was CDC director, we had a very aggressive program across the entire country in partnership with the FDA. Unfortunately, that's been really scaled back.

It's really been scaled back, and we really should probably bring it back. Dr. Redfield, you actually opened the door. That was my next question. This outbreak is coming right after HHS led by Secretary R.FK. Jr. stopped monitoring six types of food-borne illnesses. They're still monitoring two others, including, though, this pathogen causing the outbreak, they've stopped monitoring it. Is that having an impact on the public health response, and can we draw a straight line in this outbreak? Well, I think it's a mistake. As you heard me say spontaneously, we should be strengthening these

programs, not weakening them, okay? Although I have a lot of respect for Secretary Kennedy, I've always said publicly, I think he's going to be one of the most consequential health Secretary is particularly going after processed food and obesity, et cetera. But this is a mistake. We should be strengthening these surveillance programs. And as a consequence, the public really doesn't know which way to go. The only way we can really inactivate this parasite is, as I said, you can't wash it off, is by cooking food to 158 degrees.

And so most people don't cook their salads. So either you take a risk. And if I was in Michigan right now, I'd be more concerned about using salad or Ohio, where the outbreak is fairly concentrated. But again, as I mentioned, it is treatable with septra, and it is — you can counter it by increasing your fluid intake and making sure you don't get dehydrated. There's no fatality so far, although there has been, as I said, 80 to 100 hospitalizations, largely for dehydration.

Dr. Redfield, we thank you so much for coming on Top Story tonight and walking us through this one. Yeah, thanks a lot, Tom. God bless. Okay, now to a major change tonight from ICE, the agency ordering all agents to stop chasing down vehicles as fury grows over two deadly shootings, the latest in Maine tonight from NBC's 's Air McLaughlin. ICE has ordered all officers to stop targeting immigrants in their vehicles after two separate ICE involved shooting deaths in less than a week. That according to two senior DHS officials.

Borders are Tom Homan saying tonight. It's not a policy change. It's a temporary pause. Officials say neither, man. One killed in Texas. The other in Maine was the target of the ICE operation. There are sufficient critical questions to justify bringing non-emergency traffic stops to a halt. The order comes after yesterday's fatal shooting in Biddeford, Maine.

The Colombian embassy today identified the man killed as 26-year-old Johann Sebastian Duran Guerrero, who DHS confirmed was authorized to work in the U.S. New video shows the car he was driving, moving in circles, then later struck by another vehicle. This video capturing the moment ICE agents pulled a limp body from the car. Another angle shows police ringing the doorbell of a nearby pawn shop, asking what cameras the building has. I need to know what they have for cameras. President Cecilia Hummiston says she saw Guerrero's family, including a little girl, gathered just yards away. She was still wearing her bluey PJs and the mother of the daughter. She was like completely distraught.

A senior DHS official with knowledge of the incident told NBC News, the man killed matched the physical description of a target and was exiting a residence associated with the target. A statement released by ICE late yesterday said the agent opened fire fearing for public safety. after the vehicle attempted to flee. Authorities say none of the agents in Texas or Maine were wearing body cameras. There's no excuse for it. They have no end of money. Aaron McLaughlin joins us live tonight. Aaron, we can see that memorial there just behind you. I know you have some new reporting about what could be leading to these incidents.

Yeah, that's right, Tom. A senior DHS official tells NBC News, they believe the recent pressure to increase the number of ice arrests. is to blame and they gave us some figures to back that up saying ice arrested over 1,400 people nationwide on Monday following arrests of over 1100 on Saturday and over 1,300 on Sunday. And to put that into perspective, those figures are significantly higher than the previous average of 600 to 800 a day of ICE arrests. That was before this pressure to increase, the number of arrests that happened at the end of June, this DHS official telling us that he believes the agents are under too much stress. Tom.

Okay, Aaron McLaughlin there for us in Maine. Aaron, thank you. Next tonight to the life-threatening flood emergency in Texas. The governor declaring a state of disaster for dozens of communities as neighborhoods are left completely underwater. Our Ryan Chandler is in the storm zone. Tonight, relentless rainfall, bringing dangerous flooding across a huge swath of South Texas. Powerful waters overtaking roads, forcing high water rescues. In Uvaldi County, the Texas game warden says they help the passengers in this vehicle escape just before the current carried it away.

Watch as crews pull up on another vehicle stuck in raging waters, carefully peeking through the windows to make sure no one is inside. We managed to venture as far as here in the highest impact zone. Now you see the water overwhelming this side of the highway is shutting down all of the traffic heading west from San Antonio. Parts of the area seeing up to a foot of rain. In Uvaldi, these roads impassable floodwaters submerging streets and surrounding businesses. In nearby Medina County, officials warning why travel may be especially dangerous tonight. They're traveling at night and quickly come up on a low water crossing before they realize they're in it. They're swept off.

Meanwhile, widespread heat bakes millions across the country. In the northeast, other dangers keeping beachgoers out of the water. In the New York City area, warnings of life-threatening. rip currents. And in Massachusetts, dozens of beaches closed there because of elevated levels of bacteria in the water. While in the west, the heat fueling wildfires, including the Babylon fire in Utah, now burning more than 165 square miles. Back in Texas, families now bracing for heavy rain overnight that could make for more dangerous conditions tomorrow. All right, Ryan Chandler joins us now live. I want to pick it up right where you left it off. Ryan, there's a lot of people

there worried just west of San Antonio about the additional rain that could be on the way? That's right, Tom. And it's not just the additional rain that's forecast to fall tonight and into the morning. It's what it's falling on. Look at this field here and this flooded street. Fields all across this region look like this. The ground is just so saturated. When that rain falls tonight, it has nowhere to go. It could make the risk for dangerous flash flooding that much more likely if the forecast holds overnight, Tom. Okay, Ryan Chandler, there. in the flood zone tonight. Ryan, we hope you stay safe. I want to get to NBC News meteorologist Bill Carrons. Bill, that threat is still very much active in Texas. Walk our viewers through what

we should expect over the next couple days. Yeah, day two is always more dangerous. We already have all the water you just saw. When it pours later tonight and tomorrow, it has nowhere to go. And that's why we're under what we call a high risk of flash flooding. That's a category four out of four. Only happens maybe about 10 times a year. And when it does happen, it's life threatening. And that's when about 40% of our fatalities happen during flash flooding is in these high risk. And it's really everywhere to the west of San Antonio heading towards Del Rio, including where we just saw Ryan near the Ovaldi area. Rainfall rates later tonight will be about two to four inches. We've gotten a break for the last two or three hours. And now new thunderstorms are starting to pop up north of San Antonio. And that's just the beginning of what will be a long night of tracking some very heavy rainfall.

Five million people under the flood watches. We only have that one flash flood warning. Our computers are hinting at the heaviest rainfall up near Kerrville. Sound familiar, right? Remember Camp Mystic? The hill country. here, very susceptible, and areas back towards Del Rio. That's as much as an additional five to eight inches on top of what they've already had. Bill, talk to us about the brutal heat, right? More than 130 million people under heat alerts. I mean, it's scorching for some Americans out there. And it's widespread. We got Miami, Los Angeles. We go to Minneapolis and even areas Washington, D.C. into New York, all under some sort of advisory or warning. That's why we got

about one out of three Americans in this. Today, it was one of the hottest days you've had in two or three years in areas like Milwaukee. Tomorrow, numerous record highs could be broken. We are expecting the peak of this heat to be in areas like New York City tomorrow, where we could be up towards 100, Philadelphia near 100, D.C., 101. And the humidity, it's not horribly stifling, but it's bad enough. And this heat does look to last. Look at these temperatures all the way out through the weekend. Raleigh, a pair of hundreds, Friday and Saturday. It's hot out there. All right, it is summer, though, too. All right, Bill. Before you go, though, we got some weird, hazy skies. Look like something out of maybe a Steeping King movie here, novel. What's going on?

Yeah, so here we go again. We have big fires in northern Minnesota and in southern Ontario. And because of that, you notice that haze today over many areas of the northeast and the Great Lakes. We have ozone and wildfire smoke advisories for air quality from Duluth all the way down the D.C. So a lot of people that are sensitive to the air quality, that's the reason why. And here's the smoke forecast tomorrow. Look at this thick blanket. Don't be surprised if you have a nice, sunrise, and then during the afternoon, all of a sudden, it looks like it got completely cloudy, but it's actually going to be smoke. So we'll see how bad it is. You remember about three years ago, Tom, when New York City went dark in the middle of the afternoon? We're not thinking it could be

quite that bad, but it still may be something a lot of people are running to their windows to see what it looks like. And that hazardous air, too. Okay, Bill, we thank you for that. Next time, we went ahead to Washington. President Trump abandoning his threat to charge a toll in the straight of Hormuz as gas prices are creeping back up. And we have new reporting tonight on just how much this war is costing and where President Trump may be targeting next inside of Iran. NBC's Garrett Hake is at the White House. Tonight, as the U.S. conducts a fourth consecutive day of airstrikes against targets in Iran, a reversal from President Trump, abandoning a plan to charge protection fees to ships in the Strait of Hormuz,

barely 24 hours after first proposing it. I put it out yesterday. I thought it was good. I was called by different people, different countries, kings, and... Amir and they said we'd love to do it a different way. We'd love to invest in the United States with billions and billions of dollars. No allied countries have publicly confirmed any new U.S. investments. The renewed fighting and the resumption of a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports just hours ago driving oil and gas prices higher, with some analysts predicting the per gallon average will soon top $4 again. After prices fell and new data showed inflation cooled in June during the now

broken ceasefire. The report was incredible. inflation is way down. While tonight a new internal Pentagon estimate pegs the cost of the war between 80 and 100 billion dollars, according to three U.S. officials and three people familiar with the matter, which includes the cost of rebuilding U.S. military bases and aircraft destroyed by Iranian strikes. That marking a significant increase from the roughly $30 billion estimated just three months ago. Senators grilling the Pentagon's top financial official. I think it's very frustrating to the American people that we can't get a straight answer on what this war is costing. All right, Garrett joins us tonight from the White House. Garrett, as we ramp up like it looks like in Iran, we know the president is now issuing new threats

to attack new targets there, and they're getting more serious as we consider the civilian targets he's talking about. Yeah, Tom, it's interesting because these are old threats kind of newly reissued by the president in an interview tonight, threatening that's starting next week. The U.S. would target, everything from power plants, bridges, civilian infrastructure, and energy targets, something he had largely avoided up until this point in the war in his effort to get Iran back to the negotiating table. We heard similar rhetoric from the president this spring in the lead-up to the ceasefire with a lot of people criticizing him for threatening to go that far in his bombing campaign against Iran. We'll see if he's actually willing to follow through on it now, whether

So this is just a sort of a negotiating pressure tactic to resume talks that he's said earlier this week. He's over. So we'll see what happens next time. Okay, Garrett Haak, at the White House. As always, Garrett, we thank you. A rare moment earlier in Capitol Hill. Two Supreme Court justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney-Barrant testifying before House and Senate subcommittees asking for more funding for their security. Kelly O'Donnell has this report.

A new appeal made by Supreme Court justices. themselves today. Seeking more money for security as threats against judges rise. We are concerned about people coming into the building right now before they've been checked. Justice Amy Coney-Barrant describing the impact on her life and family. My security detail sent me home with a bulletproof vest. A mother of seven, her 12-year-old son wanted answers. But I didn't expect that performing this service was going to put me in the position of explaining to my children what a bulletproof vest was and why I had to wear one. Security scares against federal judges increasing. More than 1,000 serious threats

investigated by U.S. Marshals in the past five years. In 2022, an assassination attempt on Justice Brett Kavanaugh sent a woman to prison for eight years. The danger, justices say, part of their everyday lives, including a swatting incident, six weeks go. One of my teenage sons opened the door to go out with friends and saw in our street. It was full of police cars who had responded to a false report of gunshots and raised voices in my home. Sounds terrifying.

Kelly O'Donnell joins us tonight from D.C. So Kelly, exactly how much money are the Supreme Court justice asking for? Well, they are looking to Congress to provide additional taxpayer funding. It is estimated that they would like to see four. $14.6 million specifically to provide more officers for round-the-clock security for themselves and their families and also to harden physical security at the court itself. Now, on a separate issue, Justice Barrett also made public today that the court has required some employees to sign non-disclosure agreements as a way to prevent leaks.

The leak of the court's opinion in the Dobbs-abortion-related case that overturned Roe v. Wade a couple of years ago, that led to an internal investigation. where the leaker was never found. And today's testimony really stands out, Tom, because it is rare for justices to appear in this kind of forum, and they haven't done so in the past seven years. Tom? Okay, Kelly O'Donnell, on that one first, Kelly, thank you. We're going to be back at a moment with the investigation

to the drowning death of an 18-year-old. Two teens arrested accused of disposing of evidence, so the family is now questioning why they're not being charged with murder. Plus, Captain Sully, you remember him, the hero behind the miracle on the Hudson, he's now revealing he has Alzheimer's, what he's saying about the diagnosis. And the daring rescue caught on camera,

deputy saving two kids trapped inside a burning home. We'll show you how he climbed up to help pull them out. That's ahead on top story. We're back now with a new push for answers from a Texas family. Tonight, months after their son's body was found in a lake. Now two teens have been charged with tampering with key evidence. His parents questioning if those charges should be upgraded

to murder. Our George's release has the details. Tonight, a Texas mother questioning an investigation that determined her son, Daniel Irving, died accidentally and pushing authorities to bring new charges against two suspects. I feel like my son only received partial justice. But we're here to have murder charges brought against those two. Earlier this month, 19-year-old Lucas Roper and a 17-year-old juvenile were arrested and charged with tampering with physical evidence linked to Irving's death. I've never met the two boys. I've never met them before.

According to his family, the 18-year-old was last seen at his home on April 13th. New footage shows the moment he leaves the house and is seen here getting into a car, according to his family. Local authorities said he was found dead three days later near Lake Ray Hubbard just outside of Dallas. Officials say his cause of death was drowning. Irving's family says he was on a swim team. According to the arrest affidavit, Roper told detective,

The trio went to the lake to swim and fish, but that Irving drowned after jumping in. Authorities say Roper and the other teen threw Irving's clothes into a tree, tossed his cell phone, deleted messages between them, and fled the scene. Roper later admitting to detectives, he, quote, was aware there would be an investigation

and did not want to get into trouble. Two young white men come to his house to pick him up and they go fishing, swimming, and then they come back. But yet Daniel doesn't. George Police joins us tonight from Miami and George Police are saying anything about Daniel's family. Are they demanding further action? Yeah, Tom, so it's unclear if the Dallas Police Department is going to pursue any new charges with this case.

They did express their condolences and did say this remains an active criminal investigation. Irving's mother, however, doubling down on those comments about her son, saying that he was an honor student and just an outstanding guy. tie. Tom. Okay, George, thank you. Still to come tonight, the new push on Capitol Hill to make daylight saving time permanent. The House just passed a bill, but will it spring forward in the Senate or fall back? Plus, the World Cup stunners Spain shutting down France, punching their ticket to the tournament final. But first, Top Story's top moment and the unexpected champion at this year's MLB Home Run Derby in Philly. Now, the fans there in Philadelphia hoped hometown hero Kyle Schwerber

would win it all, but it was St. Louis Cardinal, Jordan Walker, hushing their booze with six straight homers. Take a look. Jordan Walker has one of the longest shots on the... Walker's family also stealing the show from the stands. You can see them here. Walker's proud dad gushing over his son after his win. Take a listen. Oh, he was awesome today. I just loved everything about it. Just his attitude, his approach, the smoothness is swing. It looked like his dad. But yeah, he just did a great job.

We're so proud of him. He just really, we're proud. Dad's saying he knew Jordan could go all the way ever since he was six years old when a home run broke his grandma's car window. All right. It's a good omen. Stay with us. More top story on the way. We're back now with a powerful message from Captain Sully Sullenberger, the hero of the miracle on the Hudson.

Today announcing he's been diagnosed with Alzheimer and is determined to use his diagnosis to now help others. Here's Tom Costello. More than 17 years after Captain Chesley Sully Sullenberger became an American hero. We made up in the Hudson. Expertly landing his crippled passenger plane on the I.C. Hudson River saving everyone's life. The river clearly was my only viable option. Captain Sully today announced he's one of seven and a half million Americans aged 65 and older, living with Alzheimer's. At 75, calling it the unwanted visitor at the door.

He writes, for now, this means a number. name may not come easily to me. I forget a story I've recently told or I don't sleep as well, but I am in the beginning of this long journey. Alzheimer's researchers say diet, keeping cholesterol and blood sugar levels in check, exercise and sleep can reduce the risk of Alzheimer's. New drug treatments can slow its progression. I don't know that we're going to have that one magic bullet, but I do think the combination of therapies can get people off the road to Alzheimer's disease. After using his notoriety to push for aviation safety. We can no longer define safety solely as the absence of accidents.

Sully says, I am now part of a larger community with many of you, and we will be courageous together. Aviation analyst Captain John Cox has known Sully for 40 years. He's clearly a role model, and he will remain that way for many, many years to come. We need people to share their stories. A new voice for an American hero. Tom Costello, NBC News, Washington. All right, we're going to turn out of the effort on Capitol Hill to make daylight saving time permanent. The House passing legislation that could make springing forward and falling back, a thing of the past.

It would keep the clock so that we have more light later, but could mean darker mornings. The move has bipartisan support and is backed by President Trump, but not everyone in Congress is convinced, and one trade group even saying it could disrupt air travel. I want to bring in NBC's Melanie's a known on Capitol Hill. So Melanie, the bill is heading to the Senate where it could, face some opposition? Yeah, that's exactly right. The Senate actually tried to pass an exact version of this bill last year, and it stalled with Republican Senator Tom Kahn objecting to the bill, arguing it would lead to darker warnings and potentially more dangerous commutes for a lot of

people, particularly in the farming industry. But this time around now, we have President Trump throwing his weight behind this bill, writing in a truth social post in May that it's time that people can stop worrying about the clock, not to mention all of the work and money that is spent on this ridiculous twice-yearly production. It will also be a very nice win for the Republican Party. Take it. So his message, Tom, clearly aimed at Republican holdouts like Tom Cotton, we'll see whether or not this actually changes the dynamic in the Senate. But if they bring this bill under the normal consideration, it only would require 60 votes versus they fast-track consideration that they tried to do last year, which requires the consent of all 100.

Republicans and which is why it failed last year. So it was a much higher bar to pass it. So let me just follow along here. So we do think it's going to pass. Potentially it could. That is still very much TBD. This has been something that has been fiercely debated though, Tom, both in Congress and throughout the country. We should note that the Congress actually did pass a law in the 1970s to make daylight saving time permanent. And it became actually so unpopular and it was so hated that they ended up repealing the law just one year. year later. So understandably, there is still some reluctance in Congress to go down this route, which would have obviously a major impact on all of our lives, despite the fact that it is very popular

in the polls. And let's talk about it is popular with Americans. According to an AP poll, only 12% of Americans like the current system. 12% like the current system. Most would prefer to keep that extra hour of daylight in the evening. But Congress has tried this before, as you mentioned, it hasn't worked. We're also seen some pushback from one air travel trade group. What are they worried about because they just issued a real serious warning tonight. Yeah, this is a very powerful trade group that does have a lot of influence on Capitol Hill, so it's a really notable statement. And I want to read you part of what they said in this statement just out moments ago. They said changes to existing daylight savings time would have considerable implications for aviation,

including passenger disruption, crew and aircraft positioning, and domestic and international connectivity issues. Airlines operate expansive, interconnected domestic and global networks that are reliant on stability and predictability. Any changes would need an implementation timeline that reflects these global complications. So the airline industry, obviously time is such a huge thing for the airline industry, getting flights on time. This is one of just many industries, though, that would stand to be impacted if this bill becomes law, Tom. Your sense there being on Capitol Hill, I know we're sort of unclear if this is going to pass. The timeline in this, when do we think this could actually get to the president's desk if it does pass the Senate? Well, at this point, we have not

heard from leadership over in the Senate when they, and if they would put this on the floor. Obviously, it would require some floor time that would eat up a considerable amount of time. They are trying to get through a number of other issues right now. They don't have a lot of time before their August recess. In fact, only a couple more weeks here on Capitol Hill. And then there's the election coming up all the way in November. So there's not a lot of time to get stuff done, but potentially we'll see what happens before the end of the year, Tom. Melanie, we thank you for all of that. We appreciate it. Not at Top Stories News Feed. We start with a major payout for E. Jean Carroll. She finally collected her $5 million judgment against President Trump, plus interest.

It comes with more than three years after the jury found him liable for sexually abusing her at a Manhattan department store in 1996, and then defaming her when she came forward, a spokesperson for Trump's legal team calling the case a witch hunt. And just three days after Republican Senator Lindsey Graham died, his sister, Darlene, was sworn in on Capitol Hill to serve the final six months of his term. She's the first female senator to represent South Carolina and first sibling to represent a deceased senator. She's worked for several state agencies but has never held public office. So far she hasn't said whether she plans to run to permanently fill the seat. And dramatic video out of Michigan showing a deputy racing to save two trapped kids inside of a burning home.

The drone footage shows him climbing up on a trash bin, then pulling the kids out of that second story window before lowering them to safety. The Oakland County Sheriff's Office says the young boys were treated after inhaling smoke, but both are expected to be okay. And another shocking finish in the World Cup, Spain shutting out France and its high-flying offense. Final score 2 to nothing, 2-0. The win sends Spain back to the tournament final for the first time since 2010 when it captured its first and only title. The country is set to face off on Sunday against the winner of Argentina and England. All right, coming up, the dramatic video overseas, what sent these panicked beachgoers,

printing for cover plus T-Rex for sale. Got 50 million bucks. The rare fossil going for a record price at auction. We speak with a paleontologist. Not so happy about it. You'll want to hear from him. That's next. We're back now with Top Stories Global Watch and a check of what's happening around the world. We start in Thailand where authorities are now confirming 30 people were killed in that massive fire at a music bar in Bangkok. They say more than 70 others were hurt. Two dozen of them still in critical condition. No word yet on what caused the fire. Police say most of the people who died were found trapped in bathrooms without windows, where they may have been trying to escape the flames. In southern France, a huge storm rolling in on a beach, sending crowds

scrambling. Look at this. You can see that cloud of dust and strong wind, umbrellas and tubes flying as people try to take cover. Meteorologists say the area was likely hit by a rare roll cloud, which can happen when very cold and warm air mixed. And a space crew from the U.S. and rush arriving at the International Space Station for an eight-month mission. The rocket blasted off this morning from Kazakhstan. One NASA astronaut and two Russian crewmates were on board. The launch putting a new spotlight on the two countries' cooperation in space,

even with ongoing tensions over Russia's war in Ukraine. Now to the colossal controversy over the auction of a T-Rex fossil, the massive skeleton dubbed Gus, was sold by Sotheby's, for just over $50 million, making it the world's world's making it the world's most expensive dinosaur sold at auction. The identity of the buyer was not immediately revealed. Gus is 67 million years old. Just think about that.

And take a look at the scale of him. He stands 12 and a half feet tall, 38 feet long. The T-Rex was found buried on property belonging to a South Dakota cattle rancher. But the auction has reignited concerns that these multi-million dollar private sales of fossils obstruct research and price out museums and universities. For more on that debate, I want to bring in paleontologist Paul Serino. He's also a professor at the University of Chicago. Paul, thanks for joining us tonight here on Top Story.

First, this is an incredible discovery, right? I think more than 60% of this fossil was found. Walk our viewers through why this is so important. Yeah, there's very few Tyrannosaurus wrecks fossils that are that complete. and again, exactly how complete, we don't know. We would need to see a scientific paper on it. But there's very few specimens that are usually get a piece, a jaw, you know. And so these are critical because they are single individuals that were preserved right at the end of the dinosaur era.

Talk to me about this find. I know they found Gus a while back. It takes a long time. Walk our viewers through sort of the discovery to getting it out of the ground to now, I guess, getting it into Sotheby's. Yeah, sure. And a lot of that process, it's a long process. It was found, pieces were found by a rancher who brought some people in who could understand how to collect something. And then really you map actually these days, we three-dimensionally record the process of an excavation so that you can know where all the pieces come from and anything that's associated with the skeleton, the sediment, the animals that are associated with it. So this is part of the story that may never actually. be revealed if this disappears behind private curtain somewhere. And this is part of the reason why we feel that these very unique items of our country's deep history should be along in the public domain.

It is impossible to know who bought this at the current moment, and it may disappear forever from the eyes of the public, from the eyes of scientists, and this is what we're concerned about. But even more than that, this $50 million price will go around the world. I work in the center of the Sahara and many other places around the world. They will all hear about this. And their fossils will also be under deluge of collecting and being sold on the private market, impossible essentially to protect.

And Paul, I mean, clearly, you know, you have an opinion on this. And it's because kids, students, people like yourself, may never get a chance to see this thing up close if whoever bought this never decides to put this out in the public display if they want to keep it in their home or on their property somewhere around the world. Doesn't always happen, but it happens frequently enough. And then it's all the cases you don't hear about that were sold online, not at soft fees at such a high price that is the real price to pay. We're living in an age of discovery. Everybody knows what a dinosaur is now. There wasn't that way 20 years. years ago when I went into the field. Everybody knows what a dinosaur is, including all the ranchers. And with sales like this, Paul, Paul, real quick, wait, explain that to our viewers, though. How does everyone know where they are, how to get them? How is it what? How are people who are no one knows exactly where they are, but when an ancient bone is found, this is not a mystery to a

nomad herder in the middle of nowhere. It's not a mystery to a rancher, especially one in South Dakota. And so many more fossils are being found out. We're living in an age of discovery, but we're also losing them at a faster rate, especially when you put a price tag on it. This is not a mineral. This is not something like oil. This is an irreplaceable resource

that for the next couple of generations is going to be found and really should be preserved for everybody. So the $50 million, where exactly does that go? Does that go straight to the rancher? Does that go to the team that excavated this? How does it break down? No, that probably will never be known exactly, but it's a split, and there's a lot of work that goes into you.

You mount the original bones like that, which are also difficult. Probably spent a million dollars just to mount the bones. You've got to prepare them. There's a long process involved in collecting something like this, so those bills need to be paid off, and then it's probably a split for somebody doing that working, making it as a nice looking as it is. But, you know, so I just feel that we are in a true era of discovery. Before you think that everything has been found, no. It hasn't, but it is incredibly precious and rare.

I'll just give you one example. A new taxon was named Nanotyrannis just yesteryear because they discovered that it was not Tyrannosaurus rex. Again, this comes from careful analysis and comparison of specimens. Fortunately, that ended up in a museum. It was also sold, but it ended up in a museum. Many fossils are not that fortunate. Before we go, so people understand where you're coming from, how rare is Gus?

What we've shown our viewers tonight here, how rare is that find and the amount that they found, the amount of fossil they found intact? Top three Tyrannosaurs in terms of completeness. I have a terranosaur that's three-dimensional, the only one in my lab, on my fossil lab. This dinosaur back here, only one. Only one was found. These kinds of fossils are incredibly rare. We're not talking about shells or bryozoans or coral. We're talking about very complex specimens composed of more than 200 bones.

And you need more of these to answer, like, is that a male or a female? We're still working on that. We need complete skeletons like this, and they need to be studied. I think that's a whole other segment, but we don't have time for that one. Paul Serino, we thank you for coming on and explaining this topic to us. We appreciate it. One last thing I did one in the a.m. Yeah, Paul, go for it.

Many countries, including one known as Canada, just north of the border, with many of the same dinosaurs, including T-Rex, have passed laws to everyone's happiness that allow specimens to stay in that country and be studied. So we can do that if we choose. Okay. Paul Serino again, that's it, right? Okay, I think we're good. Paul, we appreciate it. We thank you for your time. I hope to have you back on the broadcast.

Coming up here on the show, it's one of the greatest luxuries on a flight, an empty middle seat. Now, One Airline is offering to keep it open if you're willing to pay, but just wait until you see what you get for what you pay for. It's kind of crazy. We'll break it down, the update and how it works next. We are back with One Airlines new solution to the dreaded middle seat. United Airlines announcing its new fleet of jets will have a special row, and you're seeing it right here. Yes, an Economy Plus blocking off of the center seat and putting in a tray table stretching from armrest to armrest. I know the luxury. just comes pouring out of this jet. Though the airline has not disclosed pricing details just yet and how you sort of negotiate, maneuver whose corners those are. This, of course,

comes months after United announced its relaxed row converting three seats into a bed, sort of interesting. Love to try it. For more, I want to bring in the points guy managing editor Clint Henderson. Clint, you like I, we're avid travelers. I love when airlines try to get

creative. I do not understand this. What are we talking about here? So if you've flown within Europe, you've seen these seats before. Basically, they're just blocking the middle seat. They put a permanent tray in the middle. Some airlines even have rows you can take out. You can expand or contract. And essentially, it's just giving you a free middle seat.

So you have a little more elbow room. Now, there may be some ulterior motives here, aside from further dividing up of the cabin, the possibility of premium revenue, But there's also the possibility they could have one less flight attendant, and that would save the airline quite a bit of money. Yeah, but let me get this. Let me understand this. Is this essentially, it's not a play for the tray table per se, right? This is a play for the not to have somebody in the middle seat. That's right. And it has a fixed middle. It has a fixed tray in the middle. So essentially there'll be cup holders and stuff you can put, say you're trying to work on your computer at the same time that you're eating something. you could potentially put some of the food in that middle tray,

so you have a little bit more space. Yeah. How do you divide up the space? Do you know how this is going to be, is there like a... It's going to be another armrest fight. There'll be a whole set of rules we have to follow for who gets to use how much of the tray. No, I think this is quite innovative, I think, and I think it's really interesting. You know, the relaxed row you and I have talked about before.

I think you've got premium economy, you've got business class, you've got main cabin, you've got basic economy. This is just a further way to divide up the cabin and potentially make more money for the airlines. But, you know, frankly, if I could guarantee myself no passenger in the middle seat, that's a huge win. I know it is. And I don't think that part is terrible.

I mean, I agree with you on that. Why do they think, though, that American flyers are going to pay for this? I ask because we know how expensive things are getting. Jet fuel is still expensive. The war with Iran is not ending, as we now know anytime soon, so you can't sort of forecast when prices are going to come back down. And the airlines have said as much they're not going to come down. So is there a marketplace, do you think, for this for American travelers?

Absolutely. You know, there is the premium customer. It seems to be willing to pay anything to travel right now. And that's true, even the main cabin customer, too. But everyone wants a premium, whether that's extra elbow room, extra leg room, or business class, or a premium economy. The truth is all these things are selling. So the airlines would not be investing in the premium experience if they weren't selling the product. I want to put up something and get your take on this. Let's put this up for our viewers here.

I'm going to ask our fine director, Brett Hohley, to do that. We know the airlines, it's not always all about customer comfort, right? They're bottom line. They're a business. And business insider reporting that federal regulations require United's 150-seater A321 XLRs to have one flight attendant per 50 certified seats, plus a fourth through to the complexity of the sliding doors in business. class. Adding just one more would trigger a fifth and add labor costs. United also recently signed a new labor contract with its flight attendant union in May that height pay by 31% and added

boarding pay. So why am I telling you this? In the statement announcing the new feature, United said it will operate the A321XLR, remember the one we just told you about, with five flight attendants on most flights consistent with its practice on the Boeing 757. It is replacing. So where am I going here? Is this just another? way for the company, Clint, to cut costs? I think the fact that they're not ruling it out completely says a lot. Now, I think to start with, you're still going to see five flight attendants on most of these flights. I don't think anyone's arguing with that, but the fact that United's leaving it

open that there's a possibility, eventually some of these planes will be operating with four flight attendants is huge, and it could save them a lot of money in the long term. But this is an experiment. We'll see how it goes. Clint, always a pleasure to have you. We'll see you here in our studio, but maybe you're traveling. We have no idea. We enjoy the China collection there. As always, Clint, thank you for that.

We'll see you soon. Thank you for watching Top Story. I'm Tom Yamerson, New York. Stay right there. More news on the way.