Top Story with Tom Llamas - Wednesday, July 1, 2026

Episode Date: July 2, 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, the daring and illegal stunt, captivating New York and beyond. Two people climbing to the top of the Empire State Building. Look at this jaw-dropping video. A couple dodging security, scrambling to the top of one of the country's most iconic landmarks. Then there's this bizarre moment. This man appearing to propose 1,400 feet up. Dramatic body camp capturing their arrests. And the question tonight, how could a security failure like this happen in the heart of New York?

Also, tonight, growing heat emergency, dangerous to... temperatures from New Orleans to Boston. Nearly 170 million at risk, with many places forced to rework Fourth of July celebrations. Our Bill Cairns has more on how long it'll last. The urgent search breaking tonight for a missing Navy crew member after a military chopper crashed in the Arabian Sea. New and powerful video of Venezuela's deadly earthquakes. Plus, a three-year-old rescued after being buried for nearly a week under the rubble. We've got our reporter on the ground with survivors now living in tents as a growing humanitarian

crisis looms. Escaping the flames, video capturing this man jumping from his balcony. Look at that into a neighbor's window, 10 stories up. The new robot capable of locating potentially explosive mines underwater, our team getting an exclusive look at the cutting edge technology. And Team USA's make or break moment at the World Cup, will they score a win and make history? Plus, have you heard about this, the alleged egg price fixing scandal, why some of the biggest producers in the country are now being forced to shell out big bucks. Top story starts right now. Hi there, I'm Hallie Jackson, in for Tom.

And we begin tonight with that shocking stunt on top of the Empire State Building, sparking a flurry of 911 calls and some real questions about security at one of the country's most iconic landmarks. Look at this. The images here, a man and a woman climbing to the very tippy top of the spire there, more than 1,400 feet in the air, unfurling a banner with a message about peace and love. this daredevil stunt, then taking kind of a bizarre twist. This guy appears to get down on one knee and propose.

Police and news choppers circling overhead. The couple then shared these pictures from their point of view, just minutes after. Looks like she said yes. But the celebration, well, that was short-lived because the NYPD released this blurred body camera footage showing the moment's first responders basically brought this pair into custody on what's the roof of that building. So who are they? Who are these daredevil? They're well known for these gravity defying and often illegal stunts.

They even had a Netflix documentary made about them. But tonight they're now facing multiple felony charges, including reckless endangerment and burglary, with questions about how they managed to get to the top of what should be a secure tourist spot. Our Valerie Castro is on the ground in New York and leads us off. Tonight, two climbers under arrest after an alarming security breach at the Empire State Building.

Oh, my God. A jaw-dropping midday stunt happening, at one of America's most famous landmarks. Law enforcement sources say Angelina Nikolao and Ivan Kutznitzoff were first spotted climbing to the spire around noon, sparking a flurry of 911 calls, even alerts to air traffic control from pilots. Two geniuses climbed to the top of the Empire State Builders. Later, over 1,400 feet in the air, the parent furling a banner with a message about love and peace, and then... It looks like the man is... Is he proposing to her? In a bizarre twist, one of the climbers apparently getting down on one knee.

The pair posting these images from the top of the building. Down below, police responding and people gathering to watch. This all happening on a hot summer day in the city, but not stopping the crowds from gathering here to watch the spectacle up above. How you doing? It all lasted about 30 minutes. Well, you can't be up here.

NYPD releasing this blurred body cam of officers having to climb up to detain them. All right. Yeah, I'm okay. What language do you guys speak? The couple now charged with multiple felonies, including reckless endangerment and burglary. Still unclear how they managed to gain access to such a heavily restricted area with masks and gear. Empire State Building officials only calling the incident unauthorized, with visitors quickly evacuated.

I look over and I see that someone's on top of the building, and that's a little scary, you know. The couple well known for their gravity-defying stunts, which were part of a documentary. Now we were more than just dear devils. Tonight, they're in NYPD custody. Valerie is joining us now from outside the Empire State Building. Ravel, you were there basically for the entire day as this was going down. So many people wondering how these climbers managed to get past security. You have new reporting on that tonight?

Yeah, Halley, witnesses telling NBC, New York, they saw the couple breach of barricade on the 1002nd floor of the building. And from there, they were able to climb their way all the way to the very top of that spire. that is more than 1,400 feet above from where I'm standing. Hallie. Valerie Castro, thank you. Let me bring in our Chief Justice contributor, Jonathan Deans, who's been all over this one. And Jonathan, you know, we looked at that body cam footage from police of the moments that they put these two into custody.

Tell us more about what you're hearing from your many sources in the city on that tonight. Well, the police released that body cam video earlier this afternoon. It showed the emergency service officers going up, meeting the two suspects, taking them into custody. The question, as you were just asking, is how did they get past security? We are now hearing they're looking into whether they entered the tenant side of the building, as opposed to the visitor's entrance where they're security screening. And now they're looking into how they got into that section of the building and whether they were able to cross over and gain access to the roof.

And then once up there, allegedly with tools, they were able to pick some locks, get up from the 102nd floor up to the 104th floor. They were spotted by witnesses, by visitors, but apparently security did not see them going through. And by then it was too late, and they were climbing up and were up there for more than an hour. That's just so wild.

Jonathan, you have to wonder, would investigators be going back and looking to see if this couple had kind of cased the place before? Because presumably, you know, they went, they looked, they saw, they've been there, at least to the top, to the observation deck, one would think, right? Yeah, one question is, did they stash anything in advance in a prior visit? That is one question that is also being looked at, that with the tools, with the cameras, with the banner,

did they come in just today with that, or were their previous trips, previous scouting efforts done? As of now, as for their arrest, they are in custody at the Midtown South Precinct. They're facing multiple felony and misdemeanor counts, and they expect to appear before a judge in the next 12 to 24 hours. This guy goes by multiple names, though, right? He has two names. One is the one he gave to police. There's another one that he uses as his stage name. That's in his documentary that has appeared on Netflix, and that they have done this type of stunt many times.

in other cities, but it appears it's the first time they've targeted the Empire State Building. Thank you, Jonathan, man. It's just, it's something to watch, you know, and again, those questions of security and whether this is just one big marketing plug for something. Jonathan, thank you. Appreciate you. Let's get to that brutal and dangerous heat wave now that is blanketing. I don't have to tell you nearly half the country in stifling temperatures, as a lot of cities are gearing up for World Cup and Fourth of July celebrations. Sam Brock has more on this heat emergency, now spreading. A brutal heat wave is baking residents in some of the biggest cities in America, with Boston, Philadelphia, and New York, declaring heat emergencies, all expecting to hit record highs. At one of New York City's busiest transportation hubs, Penn Station, portable coolers working overtime to keep travelers comfortable.

Amtrak says its trains may even have to slow down due to the blistering tracks. Many with no choice but to be out in the scorching heat. It's very humid, so for my labors and for myself, it is extremely hot for them, unbearable. This says cities experiencing this jolt of extreme heat prepare for a crush of activities, from World Cup festivities to holiday weekend parades, like in Philadelphia, where the July 4th route has been shortened. Doctors sounding the alarm about the signs of heat stroke. When temperatures are above 100, you really shouldn't be outside for more than 15 to 30 minutes at a time. The unrelenting heat, smothering.

much of the country with the worst yet to come. Sam is joining us now from New York, and Sam, this super intense heat is coming right as we're about to hit some of the busiest travel of the entire holiday weekend, right? That's absolutely right, Halley. So AAA forecasting some 72 million travelers for the week. That is a record, 61 million by car. But let's talk about New York City for a second. The city is expecting somewhere in the neighborhood of 8 to 10 million visitors. That is effectively the population of New York as it is. Of course, you have sailed 250, the 40 plus tall ships that are coming into harbor.

You have World Cup matches. And then apparently some sort of wedding that is going to require shutting down streets around Madison Square Garden in midtown Manhattan. So there's a lot of attractions pulling people into this city and many other cities for that point. I would also just add, though, when you talk about heat exhaustion and heat stroke, this is really important. Thousands of people every single year suffer from these illnesses. It can be fatal. You just want to be really careful. when someone becomes confused and unable to articulate themselves,

that's when you know that they might have heat stroke. That can be very, very dangerous. So just something to keep an eye out when you're out with your families this weekend. It's so important. Sam Brock, thank you. Let me bring in Bill Cairns. Because, Bill, I will tell you, all these years I've been covering these heat waves and these different weather events, 15 minutes when it's over 100 outside.

That's interesting to me because I think some people probably push that, and especially this weekend with the parades and the events and everything else going on during the day. Like, you know, it makes you anxious, given how hot it's. going to be. And we have to check on the elderly especially because if air conditioning, they're being taxed right now. And as the heat wave goes on day after day, all the way through the weekend, there's going to be people with air conditioners that fail. And those are the people that we have to worry about, especially. So let's get into some of the numbers. We mentioned it the last couple

days. The peak of the heat wave is tomorrow and Friday for much of the country. We're going to start to slowly cool off in a few lucky spots like Minneapolis today was better. Chicago, you get a little bit better. And congratulations, Halley. 106 in D.C. right now. That's the hottest on the map. You're welcome. And by the way, at Reagan at one point today, it did feel like 110 in the shade. So the scorching heat tomorrow, as advertised, Memphis will be one of the worst spots, feeling like 113, Louisville, 110. And now New York City is getting into it a rare 100-degree day. New York City's had 60, 100-degree days in its history, going all the way back 140 years. But it's rare if you get numerous days in a row. And that's what we could do in New York.

DC, by the way, you could have four days in a row of 100 plus, which is extremely rare in your history. So DC, it looks like 104 on Friday would probably be your peak. And when we factor in that humidity, DC will feel like 112 on Friday. That's probably the worst of it. Not that like Saturday or Sunday is much better, but at least it's not 112.

Richmond, you stay in it. Raleigh doesn't get any better. So the Mid-Atlantic really suffers. Where you notice areas like Detroit, you'll start to see some big improvement by the time we get through the end of this upcoming holiday weekend. So it's here to stay.

There's also thunderstorms, and typical, you know, when we get these huge areas of high pressure, these heat domes, as we call them, we get like a ring around them of thunderstorms. And that's going to happen tonight, too, with some really strong thunderstorms with wind damage likely, heading up for Green Bay, possibly in Milwaukee, and a cluster of storms near Toronto is going to dive down through New York State and possibly in New York City late tonight. So don't be surprised in the middle of night, you wake up and all of a sudden you hear this rumble of storms. So travel-wise, we're not bad, even on the fourth, just some showers and some showers in storms out through areas of the Great Lakes. Much of the country looks pretty good. And you're all

important fireworks forecast. Not bad, Halley. Many areas of the country are going to be just fine. We may get some delays in here, St. Louis, Chicago, but for the most part, I don't think anything's going to be canceled. Everyone should see a great show. Yeah, knock on wood, just be safe about it. Because, Bill, I think one of the things, how many times do you and I talk about it's summer, it's hot, okay? People might be going, well, it's always hot in summer. I just need to highlight what you said. It's days and days in a row of this, right? That's what makes. it's so dangerous and so extreme and so concerning to officials. And hospitals will be the telling sign because their number of ER visits will increase

each and every day during the heat wave from people coming in from heat stroke. And that's what we worry about. And right now is the first day of it, so it's kind of novel. But by the time we get to the end of the weekend, it may be a different story. No kidding. Bill Carrens, thanks, pal. Appreciate it. Let's get to some breaking news tonight. The urgent search for a Navy crew member after this U.S. helicopter went down in the Middle East.

The Navy says it's looking into why this chopper had to make an emergency landing apparently in the Arabian Sea early this morning. Let me bring it our Courtney Kuby, who's following this one closely. To be clear, court, none of your reporting from officials suggest that this chopper was shot down. Yeah, that's right. So CENCOM, the U.S. Central Command, is saying that they have no indication that this was downed by hostile action or any kind of enemy fire. But it's still under investigation, so it's not really clear what happened here. Now, one official I spoke with said that, yes, this was an emergency landing, but it was a controlled landing. meaning that the pilots brought the helicopter down into the Arabian Sea. But, Hallie, as you know, as soon as a helicopter hits the water, it begins to spin,

and that becomes very dangerous and difficult for the members of the crew who are inside to get out. They do train for that, though. When they become pilots and members of these crews, they train for landing in the water to try to get out. As we know now, three of those crew members were able to safely evacuate that helicopter. They're now on board, the USS George HW. Bush, that's the aircraft carry that they were, that they are deployed on right now. But that fourth crew member is still missing. One of the officials I spoke with said, look, this is really deep water. So they are still urgently searching with the hope that they'll be able to find that person.

Courtney Kuby, let's hope. Please keep us posted if you get any news out of that one. Thanks, court. President Trump flying in the new Air Force one for the first time today, a plane that's an expensive gift from the Qatari government, painted in new colors, a plane. The president, the president, President is praising. It's both lavish and controversial. Here's Gabe Gutierrez. Tonight, President Trump returning to Washington aboard the new Air Force One, a Boeing 747 luxury jet gifted to the U.S. by Qatar, now painted red, white, and a darker shade of blue. This is a plane that the United States of America should have. White House staffers posting images inside the lavish aircraft. It's majestic. Which will be used until Boeing delivers two long-delayed new president.

Plains. It's controversial in part because President Trump is expected to keep it after he leaves office for his presidential library. This was a gift from a country that's treated us very well. The president's trip to North Dakota celebrating America's 250th birthday and touring the new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. He was really a great he man. He's also defending newly released financial disclosure forms that reveal he earned $2.2 billion. in 2025, 1.4 billion of which came from crypto and meme coin-related businesses. You know why I'm profiting because the stock market's going up. Everybody's property. Gabe's with us now from the White House North Law and those crypto profits gave

making a lot of news. And the president's kind of doubling down on this. He says he doesn't personally handle his own investments. Yeah, that's right, Halley. Look, he has said this before or so is the Trump organization insisting that this is not a conflict of interest. And the president, you know, said today that he didn't even speak to any of those financial advisors. Now, Eric Trump, one of the president's sons, has also said that these funds are maintaining exclusively in discretionary accounts and that the president has no day-to-day insight into what happens here. But many critics, including Democrats, are seizing on these developments and they're calling on Congress to investigate what they see as these profits.

these crypto profits by the Trump family. But Hallie, earlier this year in an interview with the New York Times, he was asked directly why he was allowing his family, by the way, to pursue business deals overseas, something that he says that he didn't do during his first term. But now the president says that he didn't get credit for not allowing his family to do it in his first term. And so he's allowed to these days and certainly quite the windfall

from those newly released financial forms, Hall. I mean, it's so interesting. and 10 years ago, Gabe, you know, and he's running the first time about his taxes and disclosing and all of this. So it's just always interesting. Can I ask you to you, there's some big trade news brewing as well, right? The potential for a big trade shakeup. Walk us through what's going on with the USMCA. Yeah, that's right, Halley. You know, the USMCA is that major trade deal between the US, Canada and Mexico, is up for renewal just this month. And the administration now saying that it does not plan to renew it as of now, that plans to enter into these negotiations, these trade negotiations

ongoing with Mexico and Canada. And certainly the USMCA, for viewers who may not know the details of it, have replaced NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, which went into effect back in 1992. The president has long railed against NAFTA, and he lauded the USMCA as being a successful replacement for it. His plans have obviously changed. And so now there are a lot of questions about what this could mean for the American auto industry and for the future of tariffs between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Certainly a lot of economic implications here, but the Trump administration says that it is trying to get American manufacturing to stay here in the U.S.

and is trying to end what it sees as unfair trade deals, Hall. Gabe Gutierrez. Boy, lots going on on your B-PAL. Thank you very much for talking us through it all. To a disturbing story now out of Ohio with four adults arrested. after officials found 16 children inside a home in conditions described as deplorable. One official going so far as to say livestock was kept in better conditions. Maggie Vespa is following this one for us. She's joining us now.

It's just tough to hear some of these details, Maggie, just horrific. Tell us more about what we're learning and what unfolded today. Yeah, Hallie, we had video of that home, if we can bring that back up inside that box there. And, I mean, you said, deplorable. The Attorney General described this as case as pure evil. You can see how small and perhaps the word is dilapidated that home is. And authorities say inside that home in rural, southeastern Ohio, 18 kids, ages 18 months to 18 years, excuse me, 16 kids, were kept inside a 12 foot by 12 foot room. And they said, again, livestock lived better. They talked about the kind of basically waste and dirty conditions they lived in. I don't want to get too graphic for our viewers, but effectively the kids, they say,

being held in human waste. They say there were insects in the room. And a number of these kids basically had to be lifelighted to local hospitals. As far as the four adults, because we don't want to get this video with today's arraignment, local authorities say basically this is a father and son and both of their wives who had been holding those kids in that house for they don't know how long. They don't know at this point how many of the kids are actually theirs or if the kids themselves are even all related. You can see it's basically Gary Seider's senior, junior, both of their wives, all being charged with felony, child endangerment, all pleading not guilty today, all being held on $300,000 bond tonight.

It doesn't appear they have attorneys yet at this point, Halley, but basically authorities just saying, number one, how struck they were by how disgusting the conditions were, frankly, and how tragic this was. And number two, just kind of beginning to sift through the really complicated dynamics, clearly that led to this. Yeah, Maggie Vespa, thanks for the update. A lot of people are hoping thinking about those kids tonight. Appreciate it.

We're back in a minute with the chaotic arrest of an NFL star crashing his Lamborghini and taking police on a pretty dramatic chase. We've got that new body cam. Plus, an update on that highway standoff we told you about last night, how officials used a robotic dog to help secure the scene. And legendary actor Danny Glover opening up about living with Alzheimer's, his conversation with our Lester Holt just ahead. Back now with the dramatic new body cam.

camera video showing the arrest of an NFL player the moment he takes off in his car, setting off a police chase before officers tackle him to the ground. Jesse Kirsch has your look. Hey, get on the floor! I'm not moving nowhere. Get on here! This is the moment a police officer gun drawn orders NFL star James Pierce Jr. out of a Lamborghini in Doral, Florida. Newly released body camera video from police shows the Atlanta Falcons linebacker refusing to comply, shutting the car door. Then Pierce speeds away through the Miami suburb. Police say the 22-year-old eventually crashed the Lamborghini, taking off on foot before this dramatic takedown. The standoff came after Pierce's ex-girlfriend. WNBA star Rakea Jackson reported that Pierce was following her in a Lamborghini, according to an arrest affidavit. Why are you guys ramming into each other? Jackson telling police, Pierce intentionally crashed his SUV into her vehicle and stopped her from getting to a police station.

Let me bring in Jesse, who's joining us now from Miami. Okay, so what about not just his legal future, but Pierce's sports future as well? Where does that stand? Pierce has entered a pretrial diversion program. His attorney did not respond to our request for comment about the newly released video, while the NFL says that this matter is still being reviewed, Hallie. Jesse Kirsch, thank you very much. To Massachusetts now where we're learning new details about that dramatic highway standoff we told

you about yesterday. Police tracking down a suspected shooter, ultimately using a drone and a robotic dog to end this dangerous situation. Here's Priscilla Thompson. It looks like something out of a sci-fi movie. But this robotic dog is part of a very real police response to a deadly standoff near Boston. as the Robo Dog approaches the silver pickup truck surrounded by armored police vehicles,

appearing to try and smash the back window. We used our robot dog to break the window, but unfortunately the window tint we couldn't get past it, so we had to use non-lethal rounds to break the rest of the window. Moments later, a drone flies inside the truck. Watch again as it makes its way through the shattered glass. We used a drone to identify that the suspect was deceased. Shortly after, four members of law enforcement approached the truck. and secure the scene. State police say the suspect wanted in connection to a homicide died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. It's just the latest example of how police are using new tech during some of their most dangerous calls. In California, the Sacramento Sheriff's Office says it

used a drone equipped with a powerful magnet to disarm a suspect earlier this month. You can see him hiding in a garage, knife in hand. Watch as the magnet latches onto the knife and lifts it away. The Sheriff's Department writing that rather than rush into a potentially deadly encounter, use of drones like this are helping deputies resolve dangerous situations safely, like this one, on a stretch of a Massachusetts highway, coming to a safe conclusion with help from robots and remote technology. Priscilla's with us now for more on this, and Priscilla Police, you know, praise this technology, but there are some critics of it too, right? Yeah, Hallie, as the technology advances, so too does the debate expand around how far police should be allowed to take its use. Of course, you have police

saying that this is going to keep officers and the public safer, but you also have critics who are concerned about police surveillance and say that the use of this technology in some cases could lead to privacy issues and also questions about accountability. Hally? Priscilla Thompson. Thank you. Coming up, the big crackdown on the soaring price of eggs. What we know about the settlement over price fixing allegations back when those prices were spiking against top egg producers. Stay with us. Back now with the growing crisis in Venezuela, a week after those deadly double earthquakes. Officials say more than 2,200 people have been killed. Tens of thousands are believed to still be missing. And tonight, some dramatic new video of the

moment that earthquake hit. Look at this. You see people scrambling, groups of people thrown to the ground. In the background there, that building collapsing, cars rocking on the road. But even a week later, we are seeing miracles from first responders there. Incredible video showing rescuers finding a three-year-old alive in the rubble. He'd been trapped for six days. Now, new concerns over looting, among others, video showing a police officer confronted by a group of people after he took money found in the ruins. Anna Vanessa Arirro is reporting from Caracas for us tonight. Anna Vanessa, we're glad to see it tonight. You're at a location where there's tents behind you, where survivors are now living. Tell us what that is like for them.

Do they have food, water, et cetera? Yes, Halley. This is some sort of an improvised shelter, if you will. So this used to be a recreational park. It is now hosting thousands of families who have been hit by both earthquakes last Wednesday. And yes, they do have water, food, but it's not enough. The resources are extremely limited. People here are asking not only for tents for when the rain comes,

but they're also asking for mattresses. They're asking for basic needs, hygiene products, anything that anyone can bring them to try to cope and survive a little bit longer after they were the ones, the miracle ones, the ones who survived. I've been talking to so many people here.

The stories, Helene, let me tell you, they are unbelievable. People saying that they took, they rescued their own while the buildings were falling. It is just overwhelming. I mean, it is, even to hear it, you can tell. And there's also this other piece of it, too, Anna Vanessa.

I'm curious what you're hearing on this, growing frustrations with the government on the response. Yes, Halley, indeed. And that wasn't my next point. So everyone here has more or less what they need or what they're asking for. But it is not because of the government, not because government officials are coming

to bring them or to take them, care of them or have a protocol organized. But because volunteers, citizens, family members who survived as well are the ones bringing food, medicines, and whatever they can. So here people are telling me that they're sick and tired that the government took way too long to not only respond to the crisis that was unfolding after the earthquakes, rescuing Venezuelans, but also now that they're incapable of taking care of their own. So now they tell me that this is the only safe ground they know

and that they will try to stay here for as long as they can. So each one of this tents that you see behind me, they are the ones trying to figure out what the future will be. Yeah. Hallie. Anna Vanessa Arara, we're so glad to have you there on the ground for us. Thank you very much for your reporting and for your coverage. To Top Stories News Feed now,

the mother of a Baltimore Ravens defensive end found dead in Atlanta. Police say they discovered the 71-year-old mother of Colias Campbell yesterday afternoon during a welfare check. Unclear what happened, but Campbell's brother, Sierra, is a suspect now, according to officials. He's in custody facing murder charges. His family told police he has struggled with mental illness. His lawyers have yet to comment publicly. And a fiery scene on a highway in Colorado when a semi-truck erupted into flames, it was hauling potatoes. And you can see the video showing some of those potatoes scattered across the road.

road. The fire shut down the highway for a few hours overnight as crews tried to get it under control. First responders say the driver made it out safely and that nobody else was hurt. And legendary after Danny Glover revealing he's been living for years with Alzheimer's disease. Sharing that with our Lester Holt in an exclusive interview on today. You dealing with this Alzheimer's thing? Well, I could live with it in a sense. Do you fear losing your memories? Is that hard? I'm sure as it advanced,

and things are going to be different and changing. Glover 79. His career spans nearly four decades with starring roles in the classic lethal weapon movies, among others. Glover and his family say they're opening up about this diagnosis to help remove the stigma surrounding Alzheimer's. So anybody who's been at the grocery store over the last couple of years, anybody who buys eggs over the last couple of years, I don't have to tell you about what has happened to prices, right?

Empty shelves at one point two. Remember all these headlines? One item that is leaving consumers shell-shocked is eggs. The Agriculture Department forecast prices could rise another 20% this year. Now, eggs are getting more expensive. Once again, prices rose for a third straight month in July. So it's a thing. You couldn't turn on the TV or open the paper without reading about egg prices.

And remember why? Experts at the time said it was because of inflation, but also the bird flu outbreaks that we were seeing. That's why the price and supply volatility was happening so much. But was there something else at play? This week, three big egg producers, reaching a settlement with the Department of Justice and 17 states after they were accused of colluding with each other

to illegally hike egg prices. Those three companies now forced to pay $3.3 million back to the states and donate 53 million eggs to food banks and nonprofits. Now, we've got a note here, none of these companies have admitted wrongdoing under the settlement. Joining us now is Patrick Thomas, who covers agriculture and food supply for the Wall Street Journal. He, of course, has been covering this. Patrick, we're glad to have you on. Thanks for being here. Thank you so much for having me. Explain what the DOJ says happened here. Like, what was this whole, what was this whole thing about?

Yeah, the upshot is really the DOJ is saying that the executives from three companies, two of the largest egg companies, one from a smaller egg company, but still of sizable influence. basically communicated and coordinated with one another through various texts and emails about how they could keep egg prices high during this time of bird flu as as you mentioned in the intro there was a supply shortage their goal was to try and see according to the DOJ how they could keep prices higher and how they did this was they kind of used this a little known esoteric side of the egg business that few consumers ever encounter it's a the wholesale egg market which this online platform they used. It was called the Wall Street of Eggs. It's sometimes nicknamed called the

Egg Clearing House, as its formal name. And so what the executive has basically did is they would flood this online marketplace with a bunch of bids when they wanted prices to be high. They coordinated amongst each other and bid high prices on these eggs to essentially drive up the price. They would bid these high numbers, these premium prices to show the rest of the egg market, oh, we need to be bidding these high prices for eggs. And what it would do is it drove up the price on this marketplace, which goes into a key pricing metric called Earnerberry that retail egg prices are based off of. So what they did was they basically used all of these bids, coordinated them amongst each other, and it kept an index, the price index for eggs kept it high during this time.

Sounds like the DOJ had some receipts, right? You mentioned texts and emails? That's right. Basically from 20. 2022 to up until the beginning of 2025, they uncovered some text messages between some of the executives, between the three companies, basically telling each other that they needed to bid and bid early and often and how they would try and do it before the price reporter for the who would come in and assign the certain price of eggs. They'd have to do it at a certain time and coordinated their communications amongst each other. You know, I think people would look at this and go, man, everybody was, if you bought eggs, you knew you were paying more for eggs when this was, you know, when the prices were higher, what is going to be done now moving forward? In other words, is this move basically seen as a deterrent to try to prevent something like this from happen again? Or do you anticipate maybe more regulations or something so that this doesn't happen in the future? Yeah, it's important to keep me the deterrent. What the DOJ is saying is that this can be manipulated. by sharp traders. And so this is kind of a warning shot to them. And egg prices, important to note, could still go up. What they're saying is there was bad behavior among these executives,

but they don't exactly spell out that prices still went up because of bird flu during that time. There was still supply shortages, but I think the message is executives here didn't let a good crisis go to waste. And that's what the DOJ is trying to crack down on here. Egg prices, high interest. Patrick Thomas, thank you very much for being with us and for walking us through that. Appreciate it. Thanks for having me. To some sad news now in the entertainment world, the lead singer and co-founder of the village people,

Victor Willis, has died. Our Joe Fryer has a look at his legacy and the iconic songs that have lasted for generations. Even if you've never visited a YMCA, you've almost certainly danced to the song at a wedding. The disco classic was one of many hits in the 70s for the village people and lead singer Victor Willis. He died Tuesday, his wife says, of a short but aggressive illness. Perhaps best known as the group's cop, Willis co-wrote several hits from macho man to win the Navy. Despite their early success, he left the group by 1980, hoping to launch a solo career, returning decades later in 2017.

Willis was the only remaining original member when President Trump started playing YMCA at rallies. And nuisance at first, Willis said he eventually embraced the president's love of the song, telling TMZ... He likes the song. It's not like he's politicizing it. He just likes the song.

The president is now paying tribute calling Willis a great and happy guy, adding, we will think of Victor every time YMCA's, is played. The LGBTQ plus community has long embraced the village people and its songs, but Willis sparked controversy pushing back against any suggestions that YMCA was a gay anthem. Nothing I wrote was written for gays or straight or whatever I wrote for music and for people.

And what he wrote will remain some of the most popular songs ever made. Joe Fryer, NBC News. Still to come on top story, the high-tech robots ready to track dangerous minds underwater, our exclusive look at the new technology. And it is do or die tonight for Team USA. Can they keep their World Cup run alive? We're going to get a check of the big game tonight next. Back now with new tech that could help the U.S. military find dangerous underwater mines. The war against Iran has highlighted safety concerns over the Strait of Hormuz. And our Brian Chung is getting an exclusive look at a new robot that can track potentially deadly hazards on the sea floor.

It has tank treads that can help it walk the beach and seamlessly enter the water where it can traverse the seafloor. It's called the bayonet, a robot from Green C.IQ that could change the game when it comes to underwater military hazards. Hazards like underwater mines, a major fear in the war with Iran, a U.S. official telling NBC news they found and destroyed more than one mine in or near the Strait of Hormuz. But in Plymouth, Massachusetts, Green T.I.Q. CEO Ben Kinnaman says Bayonet can take the human risk out of the equation. Our traditional means of working with contested water space and sea mines and threats in the ocean is to utilize men and women. Real people in diving gear to go down and investigate threats and neutralize those threats. An enormously dangerous thing to set a human opinion to. Truly one of the most dangerous things I could think of doing.

At almost 500 pounds, Bayonet can do the dirty work itself. Bayonet is very skilled at finding threats in the ocean on the seabed and dealing with them. We put it to the test. Okay, so here's the game plan. We're going to show how this works in practice by going out into the water here and dropping a pretend mine. And then we're going to deploy Bayonet 250 here and see how it can detect something that shouldn't be in there. I sailed out and dropped the objects for the robot to find. Back on shore, it was time to launch Bayonet 250.

50. Through a tablet, junior field engineer Aden Smith can monitor what Bayonet sees and senses. It's a little dirty in that water. Yeah, but that's pretty typical in a lot of parts of the world. That's why we're really leaning on our sonar here. And when Bayonet finds something unusual, and now I see these exclamation points. Yep. So that exclamation point. So what is Bayonet saying right now? It's saying, hey, this is an object of interest. We should go check this out. Greensea says it can do more than find the threats. Bayonet can be fitted to do the job of clearing mines on the seabed. And with the power of AI, it can even operate autonomously, but under the supervision of real humans.

As our adversaries create scalable warfare and threats, we need to respond with scalable mitigation and countermeasures. And this is what robotics provides for us. robotics provides us the ability to safely scale mitigation and counter warfare. Green Sea tells us that the Marine Corps is using these, and they've posted on social media about using these types of robots. Green Sea tells us that other military branches are evaluating them as well. But as far as the Strait of Hormuz itself, it's not clear if the bayonets are being used, but NBC News has broadly reported that the U.S. is using drones, robots, and aircraft to identify any possible threats here. But you can imagine, Halley, this type of technology is a massive game changer.

Yeah, no kidding. Brian Chong, thank you very much. Appreciate it. Turning now to Top Story's Global Watch, starting with some dramatic video out of Belgium, showing a man escaping a deadly apartment fire. Look at this. Leaning over the edge of the balcony, all that black smoke coming out of the building. He gets on that railing, hops into that window of a neighbor. Police say at least five people were killed in the fire, but no word yet on what caused it. And a rare water spout spout spouting up in Germany. Look at this. That huge thing, that column,

of water and air forming today over a lake in the southern part of the country, who's swirling for like 10 minutes, we understand. German officials say weather incidents like this happen two to three times a year, so they're not all that frequent, and usually they're a little bit later, like in the fall. And some World Cup celebrations in Mexico City taking a deadly turn. Officials there say three people were killed overnight after not being able to breathe and becoming unconscious as a crowd of fans took to the streets after the national teams win over Ecuador. The Mexican president says they're now looking at whether changes need to be made ahead of the country's next game against England. That's the round of 16 on Sunday in Mexico City.

Staying on the World Cup now. And tonight, the pressure is on for Team USA in their make or break game against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Their very first game of the knockout stage of this World Cup. And the men's team, you know they're looking to make history here. If they advance, it'll be for the first time in more than 20 years. And guess what? Captain America, superstar, Christian Politician. hoping to make it on the starting lineup after coming back from a calf injury. Let's get into all of it with Brian Dunseth, former defender for the U.S. men's national team and

MLS analysts. We're so glad to have you on the show. Brian, thanks for being here. Thank you for having me. I cannot wait to watch. I'm going to be glued. I'm so into it. And I hate to even say this shouldn't be a tough one to win.

On paper, you know, you look at where these teams are, okay, the U.S. looks good, but you can't underestimate anybody here. You know, we've seen some big upsets here. Walk me through what you're going to be watching for tonight. Yeah, listen, I think what we saw from Marisa Pocetino and the U.S. men's national team is they set such a standard that was based on urgency on both sides of the ball. And when you set that standard, ultimately that comes with expectations. And what they did both against Paraguay and Australia really set the tone not just for the knockout stage, but for, I think, the general fan base that aren't necessarily U.S. soccer fans to be inspired by this generation of player.

I mean, people forget that despite the loss against Netherlands back in Qatar in 2022, there was such optimism about this young group of players led by Christian Polisic and the Westmanian McKinney's and the Tyler Adams. And that left a really sour taste in their mouth. So fast forward three and a half years later, it's not just the growth of the player, both in their domestic football, either abroad or in Major League Soccer. It's also the maturity both on and off the field where some of these guys, they're no dads off the field. So within all of this, the culture set by Marisa Poitino, there's high expectations now based on the quality of the games that we've seen in the first three matches for the U.S. Men's National Team. You talk about Polic, Captain America. Everybody wants to see him play a full game.

He hasn't done that yet so far this World Cup after that calf injury he's coming back from. How important is he to Team USA's chances tonight? He's incredibly important. But by subtraction, there almost became multiplication. And we saw that last summer with the Gold Cup and then the injury he suffered against Austin. And by subtraction, I meant you lose one of the best players in U.S. men's national team history. But the multiplication became the leadership and almost the collective understanding that we're not going to do it the same.

We have to do it differently. But we still know that we can get results without Christian. We saw that in the second half against Paraguay. We certainly saw it with the grit and determination in the battle against Australia. And the great news was that Christian came back on the field in the second half against Turkey. The reality is he's the face of the nation. We see it on the commercial side. We understand what you can do on the field and winning a Champions League trophy with Chelsea.

But then collectively, knowing that he's back, I think he's 1A with regards to the way a team and opponent will try to limit what he's capable of doing. Can I ask you before I have to let you go? I was up real late the other night watching the penalty kicks. I mean, it's been fascinating to see this in these games. Have you been surprised by sort of how many of these games have come down to the wire in stoppage time for these penalty kicks or whatever? Yeah, listen, I did the game, Netherlands against Morocco, and they could not believe the jeopardy in the moments where some of the biggest named players were almost afraid to step up and take the penalties. So you've got to find this unique balance of maybe you don't win the game, but certainly don't lose the game. But also, listen, it's what we all love is those jeopardy moments in those really high line, tight wire matches who can step up.

It's not always the ones that we think are going to be the superstars. Can I tell you, even thinking about it, I'm sick. I like makes my stomach hurt, you know, it's... Chills, anxiety, everything. Exactly, all of it. I feel it, you know, through the TV. Brian, thank you so much. We really appreciate you.

We're so excited to watch tonight for all the World Cup action, of course. You can watch the games in Spanish exclusively on Telemundo and on Peacock. When we come back, more to get to here on Top Story, including the speculation around Taylor Swift's wedding and some of the new things that we're seeing by the garden, our Chloe Malas, is there to check out the preps. Plus, our series, Great of Val. Americans will hear from the man believed to be Yellowstone's longest serving park ranger about what that job means to him and the millions of others who visit America's national parks every year. Stay with us. Welcome back to Top Story. We could be just a day away from the start of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey's. I don't know. It's not technically a royal wedding, but the discussion around it kind of makes it feel that way, right? Our Chloe Malas has been tracking down the details of the celebration ahead and has more on what's planned at Madison Square Garden.

Tonight, a new NYPD memo laying out details for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey's major celebration, according to a person familiar with the matter. About 100 people will attend a rehearsal dinner at a venue inside the garden Thursday around 6 p.m. The wedding and reception beginning around 5.30 p.m. Friday. The event expected to end around 2 a.m. with as many as 1,000 guests in attendance. The New York Times reporting the memo was titled Taylor Swift Wedding at Madison's. Square Garden, also citing interviews saying hundreds of police officers are expected to be on patrol. Today, the arena bustling with preparation for the celebration. As you can see right here behind me, really large items such as this one are being unloaded off of these trucks and being taken into the

loading dock here at Madison Square Garden. NBC News has reached out to Swift Kelsey and MSG for comment, but if not heard that. Today, the NYPD Commissioner not giving any specifics on the big day. I would be remiss not to mention an event that we are tracking at Madison Square Garden on Friday night. The NYPD will, of course, have a detail in place. I've seen people walking around, and there's just a buzz sort of in the air. And Hallie, a source at Madison Square Garden telling me tonight that Thursday is a garden theme, and for Friday, they're actually erecting a castle right now inside the arena. Hallie?

Chloe Malas. We'll see. Thanks, Chloe. I appreciate it. Glad to have you there. Finally tonight, our series, Great Americans, highlighting those who have achieved so much and inspired so many. Tonight, we're taking you to one of the most all-inspiring places in the country, Yellowstone National Park. Tom, talking with a park ranger, setting records for his commitment to the job. Tonight's Great American, Harlan Credit. By the time Harlan Credit first suited up as a ranger at Yellowstone National Park in the summer of 71, he was already hooked. I saw the size of this particular lake and that beautiful mountain behind it and the animals around it.

It was just a sense of awe and I need to, we need to take care of this place for other generations. It felt important to me. Wow, isn't that a beautiful view? That summer job quickly turned into a life of service. The first summer became the second summer and the third summer. You just kind of a part of your DNA. That's what do you do in the summertime. You come to Yellowstone.

Now, more than five decades later, he's believed to be the longest serving ranger in the park's history. A fixture here on the banks of Lake Yellowstone, drawn back by that enduring mission. This belongs to all of us. We've got to take care of this place. He's worn many hats over the years, including nearly four decades with the fire department. And the moment that's seared in his memory most, a night in 1993, when a call came over the radio of a missing toddler. I thought at 3 o'clock in the morning, my goodness, there's no way that his child's still alive. Seven hours into a grueling, all-out search with hope running out. Harlan remembers hesitating, briefly as he walked past a small cluster of trees.

I came back and kicked my feet underneath there, and that baby was there. And I'm holding that baby. And I realize God and I are the only ones to know that child is even alive. That's a high point. And that's what shooting, the guys are shooting up through there. Today, even though he's 86 years old, you won't find a lot. Hartland behind a desk. He's still out there, doing what he loves, spending time with people, teaching them about the natural wonders of this stunning place. The unique part of this as far as

American idea is we own it together. We the people. We the people own this. Not somebody else. This belongs to us. That's a uniquely American idea. He's passed that passion for this part of our country's story to his family, with three generations now working or volunteering here. including two granddaughters and his grandson, Colin. It's crazy that he's been here for so long. He has just touched like tens of thousands of lives. He's the embodiment of a great American. He stands for, I think, what America should be about.

His impact as vast as Yellowstone. I want you kids to remember what a special place this is. And he's got no plans of slowing down. Okay, see everybody. And thanks so much for watching. watching Top Story. I'm Hallie Jackson in Washington. Stay right there. We've got more news on the way.