Top Story with Tom Llamas - Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Episode Date: May 13, 2026

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

Tonight, we're live in China, ahead of a historic summit. President Trump in the air on his way here right now. The high-stakes summit between President Trump and China's leader just hours away, as we take you inside the secretive nation. Tonight, we're on the ground inside this new global superpower. 1.4 billion people, America's key trading partner and geopolitical rival. Its military and its influence expanding globally. President Trump taking off as new inflation numbers are released, the highest in three years.

Our inflation is just short term. The Iran war driving up prices, what the president said today about the cost of living. I don't think about American financial situation. Can he convince China to use their leverage to push Iran to the bargaining table? The two leaders also set to face off on tariffs, AI, and human rights. Plus, we take you inside this country's surveillance state. How the government tracks its residents through almost every part of their life. The Chinese government is monitoring everything you put on that app.

Also breaking the sudden death of an NBA star, Grizzlies forward Brandon Clark found dead. The 911 call to a Los Angeles home and the investigation into what happened. Also tonight inside the quarantine unit in America, being monitored for the deadly haunt of virus showing what life is like after departing that played cruise. Plus, are those being watched free to leave at any time? What we're learning? A 14-year-old allegedly striking and killing a Vietnam war vet while riding an e-bike, now his mother is facing charges, should she be held responsible? Waymo recall thousands of self-driving cars sidelined over fears they cannot handle flooded roads. The incidents caught on camera.

And dramatic video, a small plane heading straight for this family driving on a highway, forcing them to swerve out of the way. Back in China, the car America doesn't want you to drive. What's the difference between this and a Tesla? We test drive one of the Chinese electric cars that are so cheap and so functional. This feels like luxury. They're taking over the global market. And we'll take you to the Great Wall of China.

One of wonders of the world, stretching 13,000 miles long. more than four times the length of the U.S. We're going to hike up there. Our hike to the remote section of the wall. This is how they're rebuilding the great wall right here. As we follow the massive efforts to preserve it, our historic broadcast from the edge of the forbidden city on the eve of this critical summit.

This is a special edition of Top Story, live from China, reporting tonight from Beijing. Here is Tom Yamas. And good evening from Beijing. We are coming to you live as the sun comes up over what's called the Imperial Ancestral Temple. This ancient hall built during the Ming Dynasty 600 years ago. And just beyond those walls over there, Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, which was the center of power for this country for centuries.

Now it's the backdrop of that high-stakes meeting between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, all about to unfold on the world stage. As we speak, President Trump is on his way to Beijing, marking his first. first visit to the country in almost nine years. He'll encounter a much different China this time around. One more willing to flex its economic and geopolitical muscles. Looming large over this summit, though, the war with Iran and the sky high prices back at home. We know China is a key ally to Iran, but the president today is saying he doesn't need their help to end this war. The president also traveling with an entourage of American CEOs, including Tim Cook

and Elon Musk in hopes to score new business deals. And there are things China. wants from the U.S. as well, its economy slowing, rocked by Trump's trade war, and as they strive for AI dominance, they need American chips to do it. Plus, on the ground, our reporting on China's surveillance state, cameras on every corner, and the super app tracking everything. And we get behind the wheel of the Chinese EV that's shaking up the auto industry, while U.S. lawmakers say the breakthrough ride is a threat on multiple fronts. Plus, our hike along the great wall and the painstaking efforts to restore the iconic symbol and spirit of China. Tonight, this historic city, old and new, coming together to host

the president of the United States for a summit that could make history. Tonight, President Trump and China's president Xi Jinping, the critical summit the whole world will be watching. We're going to have a great meeting in China. He's a wonderful guy, as a friend of mine. At their first meeting here nearly nine years ago, the American president receiving a lavish welcome. It's a very good chemistry between the two of us, believe The stakes this week even higher. Looming large, the war with Iran. Can President Trump convince China to push the Iranian regime to make a nuclear deal

and stop attacking oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz? China is Iran's biggest ally. We're going to have a long talk about it. I don't think we need any help with Iran. We'll win it one way or the other. And there's new urgency tonight with higher gas prices pushing U.S. inflation to 3.8%. now at its highest levels since 2023. The only thing that matters that I'm talking about Iran, they can't have a nuclear weapon.

I don't think about American financial situation. I don't think about anybody. I think about one thing you cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. The American people understand when it's over, you're going to have a massive drop in the price of oil. It's been more than 50 years since President Nixon and Mao Zedong's historic meeting. Back then, China was isolated. But now it's making an aggressive push to try to surpass the U.S. Its Navy now has more ships than the U.S. Navy.

China's been engaged in a historic military buildup. We really haven't seen anything quite like this for a country that technically isn't at a state of war. On the economy, China is the world's biggest exporter with that huge trade advantage with the U.S. President Trump slapping China with its highest tariffs. coming here with top American CEOs, including Elon Musk and Tim Cook, to try to get China to buy more American goods. And China's challenges tonight? Its economy is struggling with high unemployment and a housing crisis. China also facing fierce criticism on human rights and their massive surveillance program. One of the things you notice in China is that there

are cameras everywhere, hundreds of millions of them watching every citizen. But the most sophisticated surveillance happens without cameras through apps. One, a super app called WeChat. It gives people extraordinary convenience, but there's a trade-off. It's the way people book cars, pay for things, and message with their friends. But here's the catch. The Chinese government is monitoring everything you put on that app. China spends a lot on its military, but it actually spends even more than that on its security services at home. Its surveillance, its repression, it's monitoring of what people say and do. President Trump's vowed to bring up the case of Jimmy Lai, a pro-democracy publisher,

now serving a 20-year prison sentence following his controversial conviction for violating a national security law. Chinese officials say they backed the court's verdict, calling Lai a principal mastermind behind Hong Kong riots. My father, in so many ways, he represents values that are so fundamental but so inconsistent with the communist system. Whether it's the freedom of the press, the freedom of the religion. People would like him out and I'd like to see him get out to.

We are extremely grateful to President Trump. I have a high degree of confidence that he and his administration will bring my father home. And we've got all angles of this high-stake summit covered. I'm joined now by senior White House correspondent Gabe Gutierrez and international correspondent Janice Mackie Freyer, who lives and works here in Beijing. Thank you to you both for being here. Gabe, I'm going to start with you. Why is President Trump here? And what is he hope to accomplish. Well, Tom, you touch on this some of your piece. Look, for President Trump, he wants a win at this point. He wants to convey a sense of stability on the international stage, especially with this ongoing conflict in Iran. So his administration over the last several

days has really been touting how it wants to announce several investment deals. That's why he's brought so many CEOs on this trip. And we saw it even today when he was talking reporters in the South Lawn. He kept trying to pivot the conversation away from Iran and talk about those investment deals. And secondly, and perhaps more importantly, Tom, the president views international diplomacy on a very personal level. And over the last several weeks, he has been emphasizing to anybody who would listen. What a great relationship he has with President Xi. This is something he has been looking forward to since he last came here back in 2017 and also since he last met with Xi face-to-face in South Korea last year. Janus, you cover China for us here at NBC News.

You live here with your family. What does China want out of this summit? I think mostly President Xi is hosting President Trump at a time when the Iran war is still unresolved. So there is this impression that perhaps the U.S. is coming to its chief competitor in order to get some help to end the Iran war. So China will look to leverage that. I don't think there are going to be any grand bargains that come out of this summit. It's going to be more about managing tensions for the longer term, because China needs to help shore up its economy.

the optics are going to be so heavily scrutinized, Tom. Both leaders are going to be looking to project strength. Again, I don't see any major deal or reset being announced out of this. And as a sign of that, even up until a couple of days ago, Chinese officials were in South Korea meeting with U.S. commerce officials to try to finalize some of the deliverables, so the sense that even down to the last minute, they were looking for something for these leaders to agree on. The president does like a nice show. He does like a nice entourage, and he's bringing some of the most powerful CEOs in the world. I got to tell you, I spent some time with younger Chinese students this week, and they couldn't stop talking about Apple. It is probably their favorite American company, and Tim Cook is going to be here. Elon Musk. We just did a story earlier on nightly news. You'll see it on Top Story in a minute about the EVs, and there's a big war in the EV world between Tesla and the Chinese EVs. What is the president trying to do here? I mean, does he want Chinese businesses to come to America? and spend money in America? Is that what this is about? It's also getting American businesses to be able to get into the Chinese market.

And that's something that, you know, the president and senior members of his administration have really been touting over the last several days. You mentioned some key CEOs. We also know that the CEO of Boeing is coming here. And the president would love to be able to announce there has been an agreement by China to buy some Boeing jets. That would be crucial. So hanging over all this, the administration again, looking at the administration again, looking for those wins economically while it's dealing with those high gas prices here at home. I agree with Janice. Probably, you know, no huge announcement, mega, you know, grand bargain or anything like that. But if the Trump administration can come out of here with even some investments to announce

some, you know, these grand pictures of him with President Xi on the global stage, despite this ongoing conflict in Iran, the administration would consider that a win. Janice, when I asked those students about President Trump, they sort of had very interesting opinions. Some at first said they didn't like him, but the more they learned about him, the more they liked him. And others said they respected him because he was an outsider. He was somebody who came from the business world, and he was now leading a country. What is the Chinese leadership? What does the communist government think of President Trump? Well, if you look at President Trump's visit the last time that he was here in 2017, it's a different China

that he's coming to now, and we're confident China, I would say. And so the Chinese officials feel like they know President Trump that much better. They know that he likes transactional diplomacy, which is a page straight out of the Chinese playbook. They also know and recognize that President Trump is less hawkish on China in this term. And globally, there's also been a shift in mood. We see the U.S. practicing foreign policy in a very new way, which has been worrying allies in the region.

At the same time, that China is looking to expand. and its influence. So that's the other thing that Xi Jinping will be looking for out of this visit, is to present China as the stable alternative to the United States. Janice, as we mentioned, the president was last year about nine years ago, and China has changed a lot. China has come through COVID. I wonder for you who lives here,

what have you noticed over the last 10 years that has changed the most for China? Because as we mentioned, there are headwinds. The economy is tough right now, but China's trying to gain a lot of ground when it comes to the geopolitical economic wars. Well, everything has changed in the past 10 years. There's been a trade war, a pandemic, an increased volatility with the U.S., then another trade war. So there has been a change in the way that most Chinese people see the United States and regard the United States. If you look at Chinese social media, which is often, you know, our only barometer of what the mood is here, you know, there's a mix.

There's an adoration for things that are American, pop culture, Apple products, as you mentioned. But there's also this sense, especially among nationalist users, that the U.S. is in decline, that it's a place of violence, a place that starts wars. And so that's feeding into impressions here as well. Okay, Janice McAfrayer, Gabe Gutierrez, I'm sure we'll talk much more in the week ahead. We thank you both for being here tonight. As we mentioned, also making their way to Beijing tonight, 15 CEOs from some of the largest American companies.

NBC News Business and Data Correspondent, Brian Chung, joins us now to break down what these titans of the business world are looking to achieve in China. And Brian, walk us through the big names here. And what's our sense of the role they'll be playing? Well, Tom, you mentioned Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple. You also mentioned Elon Musk, of course, the CEO of Tesla. There are a number of other players that are going to be there in China with the president as well, including from the financial sector in Wall Street, where you have Citigroup, Goldman Sachs in president. You also have Black Rocks, Larry Fink.

Boeing CEO, Kelly Ortberg, is going to be there. So large industrials is going to be present in these meetings as well. Meta and tech is, of course, going to be a big story here. Dina Powell McCormick, not necessarily Mark Zuckerberg, but a very high-ranking executive. That's going to be there as well. All of this underscores where the priorities are going to be. It's going to be in high finance. It's going to be in tech because not only will tariffs, and of course the president's

very dramatic approach to raising tariffs specifically on China last year, which has since been de-escalated, of course, that will be a point of. conversation, but so well, artificial intelligence with the race between these two economies, the two largest in the world, heating up seemingly by the day. This is all going to be a focus, but I should point out this is not the first time the president has had a entourage of CEOs joining him on a big state visit, of course, about a year ago, especially around this time, there was a big meeting in Saudi Arabia where he had 30 CEOs joining him as well. But Tom, what I think makes this visit so interesting and so important is that specifically in Chinese

business culture. There is this concept known as Guangxi. It's essentially, you know, kind of making good with certain types of relationships and being present for drinking tea and having dinner together. So when the president not only brings himself and the other state officials here from the United States, but also these very, very powerful business leaders, that in of itself is representing that Guangxi, trying to develop that relationship with their counterparts on the Chinese side. Guanxi, I got to remember that as I'm here covering China. What about the CEOs missing from the room?

Who are the big U.S. tech players who aren't here? Yeah, well, what's really interesting is Jensen Huang. He is the CEO of NVIDIA. He has been very close with the president over this second term, specifically because of the artificial intelligence race. Of course, you cannot have artificial intelligence if you don't have the chips that are the brain of all of that happening. And you have NVIDIA that's been trying to get those chips.

sold to China. It's a massive market for them. It's just a fact that Chinese chips cannot compete with what we're making here in the United States. And even though Jensen Huang would love to have that market open to them, the United States has had these export controls and only as of late allowed Nvidia to sell some of its more weaker chips in very limited amounts to the country. What is also interesting is that there were two members of the semiconductor industry here in the United States that are present with President Trump. That's from Qualcomm as well as micron. Again, why Nvidia isn't there isn't necessarily clear, but it is a thread that we're continuing to follow. All right, Brian, we thank you for all of that. We heard about it. We've been

talking about Elon Musk, and tonight he's facing serious competition from China when it comes to electric vehicles. Here in Beijing, EVs are cheap yet luxurious, and they're everywhere. But because of tariffs and regulations, these Chinese EVs are not available back home. We got the rare chance to get behind the wheel to see what they're all about. We're about to do something few Americans have ever done. Drive a Chinese electric vehicle. What's so special about this? Why is the world going nuts over this car?

In the U.S., we say bang for the buck. This is probably as good as you can get in terms of bang for the buck. Lei Xing is a Chinese American podcaster and consultant covering the auto industry. Yes. Right away, you notice the luxury and the features. This vehicle is from a company called BYD, Build Your Dream. China's dream is to use cars just like these to conquer the auto industry. The pitch is simple, a luxury vehicle with no sticker shock. If you could buy this car in America, how much would it cost? So $25,000 here, you had about $10,000, $35,000. Still a pretty good deal. And some BYD vehicles go even lower, less than $12,000. You can't get this in the U.S. right now.

No. There's no way. No. Well, not yet. Right now, the U.S. is refusing to allow China in its driveway, slapping a 100% tariff on all Chinese EVs. Globally, though, the demand is surging. Experts say China is approaching nearly 70% of all EVs sold around the world. Most Chinese automakers at home lose money.

They look around the world. We need oxygen. They see the United States as sort of a salvation. On TikTok, videos featuring Chinese EVs rack up millions of views, hyping affordable tech to an American audience. Whenever you're ready to leave, the car will just pull out on its own. U.S. automakers and elected leaders argue China's EVs would cripple business and threaten national security.

There's always strings attached. What are those strings and are we willing to forego potentially our freedoms in exchange for a cheaper product. President Trump is even bringing Elon Musk to the summit in China. Tesla is in fierce competition with Chinese EVs. But the president is also sending mixed signals, increasing tariffs, but earlier this year saying he might welcome foreign auto investment if they build in America and hire Americans. If they want to come in and build the plant and hire you and hire your friends and your neighbors, that's great. I love that. Let China come in. Back in the car, the comfort and the price tag make the scale of this challenge clear. The question may no longer be if these cars are

coming, but how much longer the American market can keep them at bay. And from the newest of the new to the oldest of the old, tonight we want to take you to one of the wonders of the world. This is the view from along the great wall, the largest man-made structure on Earth. We travel there to visit the historic site and get a rare firsthand look at the epic restoration project now underway. Our journey to the Great Wall starts just north of Beijing. From the urban center of China, we head out to the countryside. We're going up some very windy roads now up the Yan Mountains.

This is one of the main mountain ranges of China. We're trying to reach a remote area of the Great Wall of China known as Jan Koh. That means Arrowhead. It's extremely dangerous for visitors to hike up there and walk along the section of the Great Wall. And that's where you're taking us? Yes. At the mountain base, we meet our guide, Shee Ran and Mr. Chen, leading the restoration of this hard-to-reach section of the Great Wall. So for the first time now, we can actually see the Great Wall that's up there. That's that arrowhead we were talking about. We're going to hike up there. That's actually a soldier's tower from the Ming Dynasty, about 400 to 500 years old. It was a lookout over the Great Wall. It's a good workout, huh? Yeah.

The hike is mostly uphill, taking us around ridges, through forest. canopies and along merciless rocky terrain. As advanced as China is when it comes to technology, they're still using ancient ways to rebuild the Great Wall. The Great Wall took nearly 2,000 years to build, designed to protect a newly unified China from invaders, Mongol tribes trying to invade and steal its riches. Today it's the pride of the Chinese who are spending decades trying to restore it, and it's why Mr. Chen is still climbing at his age.

I'm a very much. That's a he's responsibility. He feels it's his purpose in life. He's purpose of life. We've reached it. The Great Wall. The two-mile vertical climb and 90-minute journey bring us to the final steps

that reveal the awesome size of this ancient feat, one of the wonders of the world. From this vantage point, it is incredible to see. The Great Wall is the longest man-made structure in the world, and to see it from this perspective is incredible. It's stretch. for miles, thousands of miles, and to think that humans brought these bricks one by one and assembled this. It took centuries, and many considered the great wall China's backbone.

But at the top, we realize there is so much work to do. The repairs are being done brick by brick. Mr. Chen has already been at it, 20 years. So the walls here are 400 years old? Yeah, 456. He knows the work will continue long after he's gone. but says this wall and these bricks are his calling. It's a really representative of the spirit of the Chinese. It's a treasure of the heritage that left behind from the ancestors. Mr. Chen tells me that this wall tells China's story, that the Chinese came together to build it, and they are still building it.

It's not just a wall, it's the spirit of this country. structure and a spectacular view. We will be live from Beijing all week covering every moment of this high-stake summit between the U.S. and China. For the other major headlines, though, tonight, I want to go right to Ellison Barber, my good friend, who's tracking it all from the Top Story Studios back in New York. Ellison, good evening. Good evening, Tom. Thank you. We look forward to seeing more of your reporting from there in China. Still ahead on Top Story, a first-hand look at those passengers being monitored in the U.S. for the deadly haunt of virus. You'll hear from one of the Americans inside quarantine. Plus, heart-stopping video in Arizona of a plane making an emergency

landing, nearly hitting a truck with a family inside. And the daring rescue. Body cam capturing an officer running into a burning building saving two kids will show it to you. And we're back with the latest on the deadly outbreak of haanta virus. Tonight we are getting a firsthand look at how those passengers from the cruise ship are living inside of a special medical facility in Omaha. NBC's Camilla Bernal is on the ground. It is my second day here at the national quarantine unit. Passenger Jake Rosemarant, who was on the ship at the center of a deadly hauntavirus outbreak. The room is very spacious and comfortable. Sharing his quarantine experience on social media. Here's my thermometer. He also spoke to today from his room in the Nebraska Medical Center in

Omaha. I feel good right now. I'm happy to be in a place where I know we are well cared for. And if anything happens, we have the medical attention. that we need. Rosemarine also clarifying he has not tested positive for hauntavirus. The Department of Health and Human Services today saying all 16 passengers in Omaha, including the one that tested mildly positive, are asymptomatic, and that the passenger taken to Emory University showing mild symptoms has tested negative for the Andy strain. We're really trying to figure out individually what risk assessment might be for each person, so that way we can know what the best recommendations are for them.

Dr. Katie Willett is one of the National Quarantine Unit medical directors and says right now the passengers must stay at the facility. Is there anyone that has said they wanted to leave? All of the passengers have been very cooperative and understanding of this period. Understandably, they do want to go home when they're able to go home, but they're all being very agreeable. Around the world, there are now 11 reported cases. And the World Health Organization says given the incubation period, more cases could emerge in the following weeks. In the U.S., 16 states are now monitoring residents

that were either on the ship at one point or were exposed to a passenger confirmed to have hauntavirus, though there is no mandatory quarantine for those residents. And Camila joins us now from outside the national quarantine unit in Omaha. Camila, we're now hearing about another possible hauntavirus case, this one in Illinois. Yeah, Alison, this suspected case is not a, all related to the cruise ship. Instead, it is linked to rodent droppings, and it is not associated

with human-to-human transmission. Overall, there are dozens of hauntavirus cases reported in the U.S. every year. Ellison? Kimmel-Bernal, thank you. For more, let's bring in Dr. Jeannie Morazo. She is the chief executive officer of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. She also served as a top official at the National Institutes of Health, but she was dismissed after she'd filed a whistleblower complaint over the department's vaccine policies. She has since sued the administration. Dr. Marazo, thank you so much for being here with us.

We keep hearing it can take weeks for people to see any sort of symptoms of hanta virus. And for a lot of people, it makes you spiral. It makes you feel nervous. From your perspective right now, are you worried that this could spread if people are released or if they're leaving quarantine too soon? Well, you have to consider the fact that I'm an infectious disease doctor, so I'm always worried about these things. But I think it's safe to reassure people right now for a couple of reasons.

First of all, we are seeing many reports of negative tests and asymptomatic people, right? So if we would hypothesize that there was a high, quote, unquote, attack rate with this virus, that the Andes virus, I would have expected to see cases sooner. I will say, though, that this person who had the mildly positive test, who remains, quote-unquote, asymptomatic, is my one area of concern, because we have been telling people that we don't think this virus is transmitted very well in the asymptomatic person, right, that it's much more transmissible when you develop symptoms. That raises the question about that person and that, quote-unquote, mildly positive test. Was that a false positive? because you can see that with PCRs in particular. So more detail on that case, I think, is really important.

In general, I think if people are following the guidance for 42 days, we are going to be okay. Certainly for the larger community, we're going to be okay. It's really those close contacts that we have to continue to be vigilant about. It's interesting when you talk about this asymptomatic case and the possibility of maybe there being somehow a false positive because I think that's another question a lot of people have, right? Is how accurate are the test for the hanta virus?

Give us that big picture perspective there. Would people test positive before they show symptoms? Does a positive test usually coincide with symptoms? And in terms of accuracy of these tests, should people trust them? Fantastic question. And these are the kinds of details we really need from the CDC. So the CDC yesterday released interim guidance for assessment of exposure and clinical, clinical assessment, basically,

to monitor people and see what was going on and also to give them guidance about what kinds of contact or safe. In that document, they do mention laboratory testing, but they state that laboratory guidance is going to be specifically released soon. We need to see that for a couple of reasons. There's two main tests that people are using to detect antivirus.

The first one is something called serology, and that detects antibodies. And you can look at antibodies that happen very quickly called IGM after you're infected. If somebody's symptomatic, that is almost always positive when you test, and often goes positive pretty quickly after exposure. So the CDC is reportedly doing that test, but we don't know when or on whom. I would like to see it on a lot of people to figure out what the exposure rates were, because it's a good marker.

The PCR is exactly the same one that we have seen being used in many other infections. And that's something you can quantify. So if you have a high PCR value, it means that you have a lot of virus. This mildly positive case, it's not really a case. That's the other thing. It's just a positive test. Again, we really need to confirm that and know what that means. Really interesting stuff. Dr. Genie Marazo, thank you so much. We appreciate your time and insights. Thank you. Bye-bye. And just ahead, new details in the shocking death of a Memphis Grizzlies player, Brandon Clark, the reaction across the league tonight. Plus, the multi-billion dollar bid to buy eBay, rejected why GameStop's offer was turned down. But first, top story's top moment. And one of our own here at NBC News at the center of the story. This was the fiery scene of a car crash in Maryland, minutes after a group of Good Samaritans rushed to try and rescue the trap driver, including

NBC News's senior correspondent Tom Costello, who helped pull the driver out in a dazed state. Officials say the driver was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Great job to everyone there, especially Tom. Incredible quick thinking, helping to save a life. Stay with us. More top story on the way. Back now with breaking news out of the sports world. Memphis Grizzlies Ford Brandon Clark has died. Sources are telling NBC, Los Angeles, the 29-year-old was found at home, at a home.

in Southern California and that his death is being investigated as a possible overdose. Here's NBC's Jesse Kirsch. Tonight investigators are trying to figure out why Brandon Clark, a 29-year-old NBA star, suddenly died in Los Angeles. On Monday, paramedics responded to a 911 call, finding Clark in an L.A. home and declaring him dead. Drug paraphernalia was found in the home, and the incident is being investigated as a possible overdose. Two law enforcement officials with direct knowledge of of the investigation told NBC Los Angeles.

Clark played for the Memphis Grizzlies, his entire NBA career, which was plagued by injuries. He played just two games this season. Tonight, the team writing, Brandon was an outstanding teammate and an even better person. Clark was a college standout for Gonzaga University and was a first round draft pick in 2019. I just play with lots of fire, really.

I'm just always trying to make place happen. that are crazy. In the NBA, Clark mostly played off the bench. And last month, he was arrested in Arkansas, charged with multiple counts including speeding, possession of a controlled substance, and trafficking of a controlled substance. Tonight, Clark's representative calling him the gentlest soul who was the first to be there for all of his friends and family. And Jesse Kirsch joins us now. Jesse, we are also learning tonight about another death that is sending shockwaves through the NBA. What can you tell us? Yeah, and well beyond sports, Alison, Jason Collins, who was a longtime NBA center, was also the first openly gay man to play in one of America's leading professional sports leagues.

He died Tuesday. He had been battling glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer. He was 47 years old. Meanwhile, in the Brandon Clark investigation, it could take weeks for investigators to have a final report confirming his cause of death. Alison. NBC's Jesse Kirsch, thank you. And also tonight, new details about that man killed by a frontier plane after crossing a runway at Denver International Airport. Investigators now identifying the trespasser and saying that he took his own life. NBC's Liz Kreutz has this. Tonight, authorities identifying 41-year-old Michael Mott as the person they say was fatally struck by the engine of this frontier plane after scaling the security fence at Denver International and running onto an active runway. The cause of death is multiple blunt and sharp force injuries.

The manner of death is suicide. I want to take a moment to acknowledge the news of this nature can be very painful. Airport officials say at 1110 Friday night, the airport's alarm system detected movement around its perimeter. At 1113, Mott climbed the eight-foot barbed wire fence, and two minutes later, at 1115, he was hit on the runway 650 feet away. An alarm did go off. It was complicated by, in terms of motion detection, by deer in the area too.

The airport says because of that, the operator on duty didn't initially see the trespasser at the fence. The camera view was alternating between the wildlife and the individual. There are some ditches in the area, so the person was out of view for a bit as well. It is something that we're looking to improve, that we have line of sight in all of the those areas. As for those on board the flight, officials say most of the 12 injuries stem from the evacuation. And Ellison, while we know that four of the five people who are hospitalized have been released, we still don't know the condition of that fifth person. Ellison,

Liz Kreutz, thank you. Now to Top Stories News Feed, starting with a major shakeup at the FDA. Dr. Marty McCarrie is now out as commissioner of the public health agency. That's according to two people familiar with the decision. McHarey had faced pressure for months over his work at the FDA. It marks the fourth high-profile departure from the Trump administration so far this year. And an update on GameStop's $56 billion takeover offer for online seller eBay. eBay's chairman today rejecting that proposal, calling it neither credible or attractive. GameStop said it was hoping to turn its U.S. stores into drop-off and shipping locations, seeing it as a way to compete with Amazon.

And a dramatic rescue caught on camera in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Body camera shows an officer running up to a burning home in Chattanooga. Two children and their mother trapped inside. That officer bust opened the door helping the family get to safety before going back and working to put out the fire. Luckily, police say no one was hurt. We're going to turn now to a terrifying close call in Arizona. A small plane making an emergency landing on a highway nearly crashing head on with a family's car. NBC's Morgan Chesky has more on the split-second decision that kept them safe.

A life-saving swerve on an Arizona highway. A plane's wild landing forcing the Ewing family to barely miss ahead on collision. Dash cam video capturing all of it. The family of four spotting the C-150 just seconds before the terrifying emergency landing. The family posting the plane's propeller even clipped the back of their truck. The close call coming Sunday on their drive home after celebrating Mother's Day. The plane spinning on impact before resting in the middle of the highway, leaving Crystal Ewing stunned. There was seconds to react. There wasn't really anything to do except hang on. It's still kind of surreal.

When I see the footage, it looks like it happened to someone else or maybe, you know, it was faked. But I was there. It happened. Witnesses say the aircraft appeared to lose power before, landing. Incredibly no one was injured. The FAA confirms only one person was on board. The plane's owner telling our Phoenix affiliate, KPNX, they had let a friend borrow it for a recreational flight that ended here. Not like this could have ended so much worse, but, you know, I'm just really thankful that we were all able to walk away. Ewing calling it a Mother's Day to remember. And Morgan Chesky joins us now with more. Morgan, this is not the first time. Something like this has happened in just the past few weeks, right? Yeah, Alison, that's right. Arizona has seen multiple

incidents over the last several weeks or so. There was one on April 12th when another small plane had to make an emergency landing on a nearby street. And another just about a week or so later on April 21st, whenever a crowd of people had to gather around a small plane to help the occupant outside. Incredibly, in all of these recent incidents, there was, were no significant injuries reported. Allison? Morgan Chesky. Thank you. And still to come, the growing concern about robotaxies. Can they handle flooded streets? Why Waymo just issued a software recall. Plus, British Prime Minister Kirstarmer defiant, why he's refusing to give in to a mutiny from inside his own political party. That's next. And we are back now with the criminal

case in California raising questions over if a parent should be. held responsible for their child's actions. New charges just filed against an Orange County mother after her 14-year-old son illegally rode an electric motorcycle and crashed into an 81-year-old man. Charges against 50-year-old Tammy Joe Major upgraded from child endangerment to involuntary manslaughter after Ed Ashman, a Vietnam veteran, died from his injuries. To help us understand this case, NBC News legal analyst Danny Savalos, joins us now on set. So, Danny, this case has a a few different layers to it, right? We're talking about a situation where apparently the mother had been warned by police at least a year before this that her son was driving recklessly.

The legal age to ride a bike like that in California is 16, right? Does the DA have a case here? They do, but the mere fact they have a case doesn't mean that this is something that we have historically prosecuted in America. In fact, we've barely done this. And 10 years ago, the idea of holding parents criminally responsible for something their kids did if they weren't actively encouraging it was just something that was unheard of. So we're on the precipice of a new era where we hold parents or willing to hold them responsible for the crimes of their children. When do you think that trend maybe started to change? Because I think a lot of people think about instances where someone has been accountable, a parent in a school shooting.

This though is different. Is that the main precedent we're talking about? Yes, I was going to say it's firearms where it began, but now you see it expanding. And by the way, it's not that much of a stretch. This particular bike, in particular was not your typical little tiny moped. It's something that requires, apparently, according to prosecutors, licensing, it's closer to a motor vehicle than a scooter. So when you consider that a gun or a motorcycle is something there, you see a picture of it right there.

When you consider that these things are dangerous items, and the theory is that a parent gave it to their child recklessly, knowing that there was a danger, then the theory of criminal responsibility is viable. is viable, but it's not a slam dunk. And from the defense perspective here, have we heard from Tammy Joe Majors' attorneys? They put out a statement. It's very bland, but look, the battle of ground here is going to be causation and foreseeability, excuse me. Was it foreseeable that this awful tragedy would happen? And did she actually cause it by giving the bike?

All right, a lot to watch here. NBC's Danny Savalos. Thank you so much. We appreciate it. And self-driving car company, Waymo, is recalling thousands of vehicles over concerns about their ability to handle flooded streets. It is raising new questions about how autonomous vehicles can handle extreme weather. Here's NBC's Ryan Chandler with more. Tonight, heavy rainfall landing Waymo's robo-taxies in hot water. Coming as Waymo issues a voluntary recall of its software in nearly 4,000 self-driving cars. The company says it launched its own safety review after an airport. incident in San Antonio when a Waymo detected potentially untroversible flood water and

proceeded at reduced speed. No one was hurt. About 3,800 vehicles impacted. The company says it's working to implement additional software safeguards, adding that safety is our primary priority. When they see a tad bit of water, they want to stay still. The recall comes after several incidents were caught on camera involving Waymo's and flooded streets. Waymo blocking the the area. Watch as a Waymo in San Antonio appears stuck in a flooded intersection blocking traffic. And this one barreling right through high water before breaking. Some cars even driving on the sidewalk to get around. Waymo insists there's still much safer than human drivers. The company publishing safety data on its website that says its robot drivers have 82% fewer injury

causing crashes than human drivers. I think perhaps one shortcoming of all robotaxy companies is the availability of data. Like how can you possibly map out all the million different scenarios that could happen on the road? The data is the data, but you know, when it encounters something, is it smart enough to fix it? We can only see when they actually roll out on the roads. A road Waymo is hoping to rule after the recall. Ryan Chandler joins us now. So Ryan, did this software recall actually take the vehicles off of the road? Well, no, Alison, it actually had much less of an impact than you might actually think.

They were out of commission in San Antonio for a little bit, but only in that city. They were running in 10 other cities while this recall rolled out. And Waymo does confirm for us tonight that as of today, they are back to fully autonomous service in the city of San Antonio, though they're just testing things out for now. You can't order one for a ride there quite yet. Alison, I think it's best to think of this recall as more of a software update, like you get on your phone. It's not like all of these cars need to go into a shop. It's just some under the hood technical changes that they can do remotely.

And they say they've identified the program that needs to be fixed. They're rolling that fix out to all of their almost 4,000 cars in their fleet. Phone update definitely makes more sense to me. Ryan Chandler, thank you so much. I appreciate it. Now at Top Story is a global watch and political drama unfolding in the UK. Prime Minister Kier Starmar facing mounting pressure to resign after a disastrous midterm election for his Labour Party. NBC's Raf Sanchez reports from London.

Tonight, British Prime Minister Kier Starmor fighting for his political survival in the face of a growing revolt by members of his own party. I know I have my doubters. And I know I need to prove them wrong and I will. Starrmer led his progressive Labor Party to a crushing defeat in local elections last week, losing votes to both the far left and the far right. And now nearly a hundred of his own members of Parliament are calling on him to resign. It's time for us to look for new leadership. But the Prime Minister, defiant. Today, gathering his cabinet secretaries at 10 Downing Street to talk about Iran.

He's been in office less than two years, but failed to kickstart Britain. and sluggish economy. He also made the disastrous decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as the UK's ambassador to Washington. Mandelson was known to be a longtime friend of Jeffrey Epstein, but the depth of that friendship was only fully revealed in the Epstein files. Starmer fired Mandelson, who was later arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, according to London's Metropolitan Police, after appearing to send the convicted sex offender confidential UK government documents. He was later released, has not been charged, and denies wrongdoing. I should not have appointed Peter Mandelson. I take responsibility for that decision,

and I apologize again to the victims of the pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. But the scandal has badly weakened Starmor, who's faced ridicule from President Trump. This is not Winston Churchill that we're dealing with. And on the new British version of S&L. Oh, golly! Well, what if Donald shouts at me? The UK has churned through six prime ministers in the last 10 years, a period of unprecedented political chaos.

And it may soon be looking for a seventh. And the big question now is whether Starmor's opponents can get the 81 members of parliament they need to trigger a leadership vote. More than that number have already called on him to go. But they're divided over when that leadership vote should happen. and who should replace him. Alison. Ralph Sanchez, thank you.

Still ahead, the ultra-marathon runner making history. We'll speak with the first woman to ever win the Cocoa-250 race, how she did it, and her message to those who want to take on this incredible feat. And finally, tonight, the history-making finish in Arizona. For the first time ever in the Cocoa-250 Ultra-Marathon, a woman finished first overall, beating every racer male and. female in doing it all in just 56 hours, nine minutes, and 48 seconds. Take a look at this. Your Cocoa Dona 250 winner, Rachel Entrican.

Amazing. And joining us now is the winner of the Cocoa Dona 250, Rachel Intrican. First of all, congratulations, Rachel. What an extraordinary feat. And I know it had to be so much work to get to that moment, but when you made it across the finish line, when you realized where you placed, what went through your head? Yeah, I've been running ultras for 15 years, and that was probably the craziest finish I've ever had. Not much went through my head, to be perfectly honest with you, other than just, like, disbelief of what was happening.

It was wild. It's amazing to see, and I want to show people kind of a little. at the course because we're talking about 250 miles in Arizona. I mean, I feel like the answer is all of it, but like which part of this is the most difficult part, at least for you? Because for me, I'm like the whole thing, it would be a no. Where did you feel like you were really thriving? Were you like, okay, in my prep, this is going to be a tougher zone? Yeah, I think it's kind of bookended by two really difficult sections. The first 37 miles, you're pretty much on your own, and you're going straight up about 11,000 feet

over the course of that 37-mile section. So it's hard to not say that you don't start off with a bang. And then at the very end of the race, you are at altitude. You're in Flagstaff, so at about 7,000 feet. And then you have to summit Mount Eldon, which is about 9,200 feet. So that's pretty challenging too.

And then you go straight off Eldon onto a five-mile trail that is just like really hard. So yeah, I think the beginning and the end are the parts that are really, really challenging. But by the time you're at the end, you're almost like that. So, you know. I mean, you mentioned you've been running ultras for 15 years, not just running them, but really excelling at them. This is your third time running this particular race.

You won the women's title in 2024, set the women's record in 2025, and then the overall course record, you set that this time around. for people who are maybe starting running or people who have been running for a while and are like, I want to take the next step and I'm hoping to eventually get into ultramarathons. What is your advice to them? I think just don't try to rush the process would be my advice. I've been really lucky. I've not ever had a really serious injury.

And I think that it's because I took things so slowly and didn't try to rush into doing distances that I didn't feel prepared for. So, yeah, slow and steady does. in fact, win the race, I think. Great advice. And when anybody needs encouragement, we'll just Google back and watch you finish that. And I'll imagine that we could do it too. Yeah. I will do.

Rachel Interkin, thank you so much for being with us. Congratulations again. We so appreciate you. Thank you so much. Yeah, I appreciate it. Thank you. And thank you so much for watching Top Story. That does it for us tonight.

I'm Ellison Barber. Stay right there, though, because more news is on the way.