Top Story with Tom Llamas - Wednesday, June 10, 2026

Episode Date: June 11, 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, breaking news as we come on the air, the U.S. launching major new strikes inside of Iran with possibly more on the way tonight. The U.S. military saying new strikes have just begun against multiple targets inside of Iran and the President's secret plan to move oil through the Strait of Hormuz. Plus, prices surging the war-driving inflation to its highest number in years, why the President said today he loves the inflation numbers. Bombshell new testimony from Bill Gates, the billionaire now accusing Jeffrey Epstein of black, mailing him over his extramarital affairs. Parts of New York on lockdown due to those violent clashes. In one case, Nick fans beating a Spurs fan into the ground. The new security measures tonight.

Belfast burning, violence erupting in Northern Ireland right now, police firing water cannons on protesters, cars and buildings torched. The horrific knife attack that set it all off. Alabama's death road debate, a man set to be executed tomorrow, speaking exclusively to NBC News. The controversial method in question, the Supreme Court might step in. The chilling video from Chicago

of burning cross in the heart of the city, the image just released of the man possibly behind it. Plus, what we're learning about the suspect who tried to hide from police inside an AC unit. Plus, the World Cup is almost here. What you need to know before the first game. Top story starts right now.

Good evening. Tonight we are watching what could be a major escalation in the war with Iran. US Central Command moments ago announcing new attacks, saying the military is hitting multiple targets right now. It's already been a violent 24 hours. American forces strike in an oil tanker that tried to break the U.S. blockade of Iran's ports after Iran struck down a U.S. chopper patrolling the region, sending two pilots on board into the Gulf of Oman. The president saying the Iranian

regime must pay the price for that attack and for dragging out nuclear peace talks. But the fresh wave of strikes threatening to push prices here at home to new extremes, inflation now at its highest point in more than three years. What we're learning, tonight about the president's secret mission to lower energy prices by moving 100 million barrels of oil through the Iran-controlled trade of Hormuz. We've got a full team standing by covering these developments. We begin first with our Gabe Gutierrez at the White House. Tonight, the U.S. striking back, launching what it caused more self-defense strikes in response to Iran's unwarranted and continued aggression. Sent comand, Central Command, will be busy

tonight. After President Trump said the Iranian regime must pay the price for dragging up out nuclear talks and shooting down a U.S. Apache helicopter in the middle of a ceasefire. We hit them hard yesterday, and we're going to hit them again hard today in case you miss it. In case you don't turn on your television set. NBC's Garrett Haik pressing the president. You resuming bombing? Yeah, well, we are based on the helicopter. I guess we have the right to do that.

A U.S. official says that American helicopter was flying over the Strait of Hormuz this week when it was hit by an Iranian drone. Two pilots survived, rescued by a U.S. Navy drone boat like this one. They're very lucky that bomb didn't explode. That bomb was lodged in a helicopter. It didn't explode. It was on fire, but it didn't explode. In response, a U.S. official says the American military struck about 20 targets inside Iran.

It all comes as the president downplays new data that shows inflation surged to the highest level since early 2023, 4.2%. As the Iran conflict sent gas prices higher, but other costs like food and grocery prices did not spike. The numbers were great. You know what I really love? I love the inflation. You know why? Because as soon as this war is over, you know, I can say it now.

Something you didn't know. You know, we've been taking out millions of barrels of oil. Democrats slamming the news. Trumpflation is getting worse and worse. While the president says he's keeping energy prices lower through a lot. a secret mission, helping tankers with more than 100 million barrels of oil get through the Strait of Hormuz and avoid Iranian attacks. You know who doesn't know about it? Iran until right now.

We took out the other night, 22 ships, late at night with no lights, because they don't have any radar because we blasted the crap out of it. All right, Gabe joins us live from the White House. Gabe, we're learning more about the targets hit by the U.S. with these new strikes. Yes, that's right, Tom. U.S. Central Command says that the U.S. has struck multiple targets and will be striking multiple targets. Iranian State TV, meanwhile, says that in southern Iran, there has been several locations hit at least five times. Now, earlier today, the president was asked whether he was considering perhaps hitting bridges and power plants, something that he has threatened before, Tom, but that would be a major escalation here. The president did say that he could strike those targets, but would not say whether he would.

Now, a major question remains. Will Iran retaliate to this latest round of strikes, Tom? All right, Gabe Gutierrez for us. I want to bring in NBC's Courtney Kuby for more on this developing situation. Courtney, so the strikes that we're seeing tonight, is this just the beginning? Do we expect to see more throughout the night and possibly tomorrow? Do we know that yet? We should expect that they're going to last for some time, probably a couple of hours.

but I don't know if it'll go into tomorrow. Tom, I think one of the big questions, though, is we were expecting that the strikes last night, which lasted about two hours, that that was the retaliation for the Apache helicopter. Then, as we just saw in Gabe's story, President Trump came out this morning in the Oval Office and said, we're going to hit them again. Now, notably, the CENTCOM statement announcing that these strikes had begun, about a little after 5 o'clock Eastern time this evening, it didn't mention the Apache helicopter and said, instead it said that it was, these strikes are in direct response to ongoing

Iranian aggression. So we should expect this round to continue for some time. But if it's going to continue into tomorrow, I think will depend largely on how Iran responds to what the U.S. is doing right now. And then Courtney, kind of explain this to us, right? Because we heard the president today, they're the White House, basically saying in the Oval Office how, you know, they've taken out the Navy, they've taken out the Air Force. We know they've hit these missile installations. What are they going? We talk about radars. I mean, how many radar like sort of facilities do they have? So they, a lot of them, a lot of them are, it's not a giant radar in many cases that we might think of, like a large static system.

In many cases, these are mobile systems that they're heading. And the reason that the U.S. is going after these is because they are the direct locations or systems that are actually firing and causing the threat right now. So when they talk about coastal radars, these are often ones that might be helping with or facilitating either drones being launched or even some ballistic missiles or some. of the shorter-range missiles that we've seen them launch during the ceasefire. When they talk about commanding control, those are the kinds of facilities where they might be directing the drones or the missiles or even some of the fast attack craft.

So they're going after the exact locations where Iran is launching the different projectiles that are targeting ships inside the Strait of Hormuz. And in some cases, going after what we saw last night, Iran launching ballistic missiles and drones in three different countries all around the region. In some cases, they're going after the systems that are launching those attacks as well. Speaking of that, how do you think Iran responds to this? Well, I mean, we've seen a slowly but definitely increasing level of escalation in the Iranian response here.

For instance, last night, Iran responded by striking out at three separate countries. Now, they were, according to U.S. officials, they were targeting, in most cases, U.S. personnel and U.S. bases in those countries, but they've expanded out. We also saw a huge volley of missiles and drones last night. Most likely, we have seen Iran continue to retaliate over the course of the ceasefire by going after locations in the region. Oftentimes, again, U.S. forces in the region. So I wouldn't be surprised if we see that.

The big question is, do they expand it out again by going after another country or even increase the number of projectiles that they fire this evening? Okay, according to QB, with a lot of reports. reporting there for us. Courtney, we thank you for a closer look at the economic impact of the war. Let's bring in NBC News Business and Data correspondent Brian Chung. He's at the big board in New York. Brian, we heard Gabe mentioned inflation hit 4.2% in May. Are paychecks keeping up? Yeah, well, short answer, no. But again, just worth rehashing that 4.2% figure we were talking about that game mentioned. That's how much prices rose between May of this year and May of last year.

You'd have to go back to get this April 2023 to see a number that big. But of course, this doesn't really mean anything outside of the context of how much your wallet is growing. If your wallet's growing bigger than the price tags at the store, then that's not a huge deal. That's not what's happening right now. This green line is wages. That's how much your income is growing. And the blue line here is how much those price tags at the store arising. You could see the dynamic has changed as of the last few months. We're now inflation is above wages. That means that Americans are likely tapping into their savings just to make ends meet in this economy. That means that that affordability problem today, Tom, is only getting worse.

So talk to us about what we're seeing the prices for food, energy, and housing. And I got to tell you, a lot of people out there sometimes can get confused because we can say, well, grocery prices didn't come up. But if fuel is going up, you've got to think that's going to affect the prices at some point. Yeah, well, of course, you need to put gas in the tank in the tank in order to get to the grocery store. And Americans are seeing that as the biggest pain point, at least as verified by this Consumer Price Index report. So again, energy prices are up over 20 percent in just the market. the last year. But a lot of that rise is gas prices since the war with Iran began. And that was just in the later part of February. Now, food prices, I should point out, are going up as well, Tom,

up 3% compared to a year ago. Shelter costs is the biggest one for most Americans. Just putting a roof over your head, mortgage payments, rent payments, that up by 3% as well. So again, all of that underscoring just how pinched Americans are feeling with that war in Iran, making things a lot more expensive. And then let's talk gas. How is the war in the Middle East impacting fuel prices? We know we saw in Gabe's report there sky high from what they were a year ago. Yeah, and look, when we talk about that peak that we've seen so far, which was $4.55 or so about a month ago, that is certainly hurting a lot of Americans. But it has come down since.

$4.15 is the current average, according to AAA. But why is that? It's because of the strategic petroleum reserves that the United States has been releasing. But a lot of analysts are saying that is not a long-term solution. And this conflict has lasted longer than many people had expected or hoped for, meaning that the longer this goes on, the stronger the chances that there's bleed through from prices at the pump leading to higher prices for food, because, of course, you've got to use diesel to transport everything around this country as well. Tom.

Okay, Brian Chung, we thank you for that. Now to Capitol Hill, billionaire and Microsoft founder Bill Gates, grilled today by lawmakers, over his connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He even accusing Epstein of blackmailing over his extramarital affairs. Gates facing more than five hours of heated questioning from both sides of the aisle behind closed doors, one member of Congress said he was combative at times. Gates who appeared thousands of times in the DOJ's Epstein files and in multiple photographs alongside women says Epstein tried to use his infidelity to pressure Gates to remain in his orbit. Gates tonight reiterating he never witnessed

Epstein engaging in criminal conduct and that he never victimized anyone. Our Hallie Jackson is tracking it all from Washington. Bill Gates, leaving Capitol Hill tonight after accusing Jeffrey Epstein of blackmailing him. The Microsoft co-founder, grilled by lawmakers over his ties to the notorious sex offender. I hope my testimony is helpful to the important work of the committee to find justice for the victims. Gates, who appears thousands of times in the DOJ's Epstein files, including in photos alongside women, says he met Epstein in 2011 to help raise money for his global health charities. Gates is referenced in emails Epstein appears to have drafted to himself in 2013,

suggesting he helped Bill get drugs after sex with Russian girls. Allegations Gates has denied. The Microsoft co-founder today telling lawmakers he cut off Epstein when it became clear his philanthropic pledges were a dead end, but says Epstein became aware of his extramarital affairs. And in his words, was working to use information about my infidelities, in addition to many lies that he layered on top, to pressure me to re-engage with him.

Gates says he never witnessed nor had any indication that Epstein was engaged in ongoing criminal conduct and never victimized anyone. He's not been accused of criminal wrongdoing. Gates's interactions with Epstein began years after a controversial sweetheart deal in which Epstein served just 13 months, including work release, on Florida charges, including soliciting minors for prostitution. Gates saying he should never have met with Epstein in the first place. Obviously, I think we would agree it was a horrific judgment call. The Gates Foundation, now doing its own investigation, and those in Gates's orbit, unable to escape headlines about him, including his ex-wife, Melinda.

Brings back memories of some very, very painful times in my marriage. All right, Hallie Jackson joins us tonight from Washington. Halley, there's work tonight that Bill Gates has actually hired an attorney who used to work for that very same house oversight committee. Yeah, and by the way, Tom, not just any attorney who used to work for the oversight committee. Gates has brought on their former top investigator on Epstein Matters. This is the guy who knows it, right? According to what two people familiar with this arrangement have told the New York Times, I will tell you that NBC News has reached out for comment, but so far have not heard back.

It does speak, Tom, to the level perhaps of preparation the Gates has put into this incredibly high-profile testimony behind closed doors. We do expect to see the transcript. That'll be interesting. We don't know when that's going to be released. Usually it takes some matter of days for the committee to get that out. And then, Hallie, before you go, the committee could also soon hear from the acting attorney general, that's sort of the next step in these proceedings? And it would be a really big deal, right? I mean, this is somebody who, it's a real live ball. Todd Blanche has been

nominated now formally by President Trump to serve as the permanent attorney general. He would need Senate confirmation for that. So it's entirely possible that as he's looking to that confirmation process, he also gets asked to appear in front of the House Oversight Committee. They're looking for in July. Democrats wanted this to happen, and now today you have the top Republican on the committee saying, yes, they would like to hear from Blanche. Remember, he's the one who interviewed Blanche's, excuse me, Epstein's convicted co-conspirator Galane Maxwell in prison last summer. He's somebody who Pam Bondi, his former boss says, was in charge of the release of the Epstein files in the first place. We've asked the Department of Justice for comment.

And in just the last couple of minutes, we've heard back, Tom. It's kind of non-committal. They say that the acting attorney general spoke with the committee in March, and since then the answers have not changed. They're not saying no, but it's not a yes. So we'll see how that plays out. Tom. Okay, Hallie Jackson. Hallie, great to have you on the show tonight. Parts of New York City on lockdown again for game four of the NBA finals.

There's concerns that violence could erupt once again after brawls broke out in the streets following the Knicks game and the loss to the spurs in game three. NBC's Sam Brock is outside Madison Square Garden and joins us now live. Sam, the game about to get underway and we see no crowds behind you and there's a reason for that. There absolutely is. These are the magnetometers behind me. What you're going to see are people coming in one. by one, Tom, because there are extra layers of security. Look, we're talking about game four. This could decide the NBA finals. Excitement is through the roof. And yet, actions from some bad

actors has disrupted everybody's ability to just enjoy a basketball game. And as a result, Tom, you have barricades here, we have magnetometers. We have hundreds, if not thousands of police officers on the street, just trying to keep people safe as we go into this game. Startling scenes in New York City that some fear could play out again tonight. After Monday's NBA finals game was undercut by fist flying and chaotic clashes. A rowdy and destructive crowd, tangling with police, five officers even injured after San Antonio's win. Oh, siren jersey. Get all this. This man, according to the NYPD, just walking to his hotel in Midtown.

When a group of men scream about his jersey, then proceed to start pushing and shoving him. Before the 39-year-old victim trying to defend himself ends up being punched and kicked on the ground. Police say they forcibly removed his basketball jersey, then fled. The NYPD is investigating. Tonight, the basketball world and its biggest stars reacting. We're just playing a game out there. I am all for passion, but to the respect of each other, it's unacceptable. We're all people at the end of day.

We got to respect each other, you know, as such. And we got to treat each other how we want to be treated. Fans echoing that sentiment. The majority of fans know that that is not New York. We want to win and we want to be here the next day to celebrate. New York's mayor, Zeran Mamdani, blasting the behavior. As the city locks down six blocks again, the same blueprint used for President Trump, all of it. As New York, New Jersey officials balanced security for the Global World Cup and perhaps another Knicks game.

next week. Sam, there's a turf war brewing we should let our viewers know between the mayor and Madison Square Garden about what's happening here, and that led to this sort of watch party being canceled. That's been the big conversation in New York today, and it's hard to see this as anything but punitive time, so you have a watch party that was temporarily paused, actually canceled at MSG because of President Trump a couple days ago. Trump is gone. It was supposed to be right down the street here. You would probably see folks gathering to enjoy it with a ticket. But James Dolan, who is the owner and president of the Knicks, does have a personal, let's say, poor relationship or no tension with Mayor Mamdani. And so he basically said Mamdani didn't grant him what he wanted, which was lots of people to be able to enjoy this game.

He's really upset about the secure perimeter. He got a thousand people permit. He said, I wanted millions. Obviously he was being hyperbolic. But Dolan talking about the fact that it would be easier to get into Area 51 than into Madison Square Garden and its secure perimeter right now. Let me just show you real quickly. You have all these police officers. There's barricades everywhere.

vehicle traffic. Far in the distance, you'll see some of the sanitation trucks that they're using. Certainly, Tom, we've seen so many disasters where someone has tried to take a car through a perimeter, come this way, and look over on this side as well. These things are huge. Many, many hundreds of tons, and ideally you have between that, all of the officers, all the counterterrorism resources being deployed. No issues in this part of New York City. The question is what happens in the other areas where there are watch parties or even spurs fans walking down the street with the audacity to wear any sort of squirers gear. We hope we don't see a repeat of what happened on Monday.

We had to acknowledge there is a possibility that happens. I think we saw some of the famous Nick fans about 30 seconds ago walked by you there just behind you. Sam, while I have you, this is also about basketball. It's terrible the violence that happened there. I know you're a hardcore Knicks fan. I'm noticing the orange pocket square is now turned burgundy. The blazer is maybe a Knicks blue.

Do you still have faith in the Knicks? I clearly would never bet against the Knicks. For the record, when I was asked, I said I thought the Spurs would win game three. They won game three. I am feeling Knicks vibes tonight. This is sort of like a Nixie blue. I could pop up the orange a little bit. But clearly, I am in the right state of mind.

Let's go Nix to see this thing through. But Tom, we don't have to worry about my prejudices. We have to worry about some good basketball tonight, my friend. And let's stay safe. Yeah, I agree. All right, Sam, we thank you for that. Okay, we're going to turn now to some severe weather because it's another big story we're following.

It's sweeping through the Midwest and even the northeast. The massive funnel cloud tearing across parts of northern Missouri, and it comes as dangerous storms threaten millions of people across several states. For more, I want to bring in NBC News meteorologist Bill Karens. So, Bill, what are you tracking tonight? Half a million people without power, mostly Wisconsin and Illinois. These storms rolled through Chicago roughly about two hours ago, and now they've made it across the lake.

We also have numerous tornadoes that we're worried about. Most of them have been in northern Missouri, southern portions here of Iowa. A couple active tornado warnings. One of them is that storm heading towards Kirksville, Missouri, so we'll keep a close eye on that. We did have a tornado with this one. This storm looks like it's weakened now that's heading towards Haughton here, so that's good. But otherwise, just a lot of cleanup, a lot of trees down. All the blue dots on here, 142 wind and storm reports so far this evening.

And, you know, the night is still young. We're going to have to watch this as we go throughout the overnight, too. We do think these storms rolling through Michigan will begin to weaken before they get to Detroit. There's all your active tornado warnings and even a new one there just to the west of Kansas City. So Kansas City area maybe about another hour or two for you. Tomorrow we're tracking severe storms for 92 million people. We're going to do this all over again. We're highlighting the Chicago area and also Washington, D.C., up to New York.

And then as we get towards the end of the week, Friday, all of the severe storms are on the East Coast. It's going to be super humid. It's going to be very hot. and then those storms are going to erupt as we go throughout our Friday night, people trying to get away to their weekend destinations. It's going to be slow, and it is going to be hot, Tom. This is going to be the first kind of widespread hot and humid. Before, if you remember, it was hot and kind of dry like Arizona.

This is the opposite. This is Florida heat for a lot of the East Coast as we head towards the weekend. Real quick, I see something there I'm a little confused on once you walk us through Bill. Bill, it says heat values up to 108. What does that mean? Heat values up. What does that mean? Yeah, so that's what we're adding in the humidity with the temperature.

So you get your temperature. It's taken in the shade. But if you add the humidity to it, your body's not able to evaporate the moisture as quickly to cool you off. So it's called the heat index or the feels-like temperature. That's where it will feel up to 108 in the east, even New York City, up to 103. So the temperature may be 95, but it's going to feel like 103. Oh, man, it's going to be hot out there. Okay, Bill, we thank you.

We're going to turn overseas now because we're tracking some violent protest in Northern Ireland. rioters and police clashing for a second night in Belfast. As outrage grows over a brutal stabbing attack there, committed by an immigrant, NBC's Keir Simmons has fallen at all. Tonight police firing water cannons against rioters as they threw projectiles back. A new evening of more violence exploding in Northern Ireland. Protesters building a blockade.

Homes and vehicles set on fire this week. Here, a bus ablaze in Belfast. Just violence. Upon balance. My number's house was set on fire. Families forced to evacuate to safety as flames ravaged their street. Violence erupting in parts of Northern Ireland after a knife attack that left the victim with multiple injuries, including losing an eye.

Video of the stabbing shared online. The blurring was not added by NBC News. The man under arrest, originally from Sudan, claimed asylum in the UK in 23, according to police in Belfast. The attack comes amid escalating tension over immigration across Europe. Elon Musk writing on X this week only by protesting repeatedly and loudly will there be any change. And the Prime Minister urging politicians not to fuel the unrest. Nobody who's a politician should be whipping up division and hatred.

The devastated victim's family is hearing a statement saying in part peaceful protest is the only way forward. Okay, Keir Simmons joins us tonight, live from London. Kier, what is the government doing there to try to get this under control? Whatever is costing. Well, Tom, they've been urging that people be peaceful and the Northern Ireland police have been deploying more police tonight. And that does seem to have had an impact. We haven't seen the level of violence tonight that we saw last night.

That being said, families have been displaced. reports of a two-month-old baby that has been pushed out of her home with her family. And in other parts of the UK, too, there have been protests. This comes, Tom, after other incidents that have increased community tension. It is a difficult time. But the government's saying it's okay to protest, but not, of course, okay to carry out the kinds of scenes that we've seen in Northern Ireland in recent days. Tom? Okay, Keir, we thank you for being on this one for us.

We're back in a moment with the legal battle for one death row inmate. His planned execution halted at the last minute because of a controversial method used in Alabama. But his fate is still in question. What he's telling us from behind bars, as his case could head to the Supreme Court. Plus, the chilling video out of Chicago, you see it here, across burning in the heart of the city. The new surveillance image just released of the person who may have done this. and the urgent search for a young girl swept away by powerful waves at Laguna Beach in Southern California. That's ahead tonight, a top story.

We're back now with the life of a death row inmate that's hanging in the balance as a legal fight over Alabama's method of execution could make its way to the Supreme Court. Jeffrey Lee is set to be executed tomorrow, and he spoke to NBC News exclusively as his fate remains uncertain. Here's Lord Jared. Sitting on Alabama's death row tonight, Jeffrey Lee breathing a sigh of relief. peace for now after a federal judge in a rare move blocked the state's plan to execute him with nitrogen gas. The legal fight over Alabama's method of execution coming to a head now after a federal appeals court on Monday agreed with Lee's attorneys that the state's use of nitrogen presents

a substantial risk of serious harm, severe pain over and above death itself, violating the Constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishment. In an exclusive phone interview from prison, the 49-year-old sentenced to death for killing two people during a pawn shop robbery back in 1998, processing the news in real time. The case now winding its way through the courts, with the latest judge now ordering the state to turn to an alternative method, such as lethal injection or a firing squad. But Alabama's Attorney General Steve Marshall has appealed, arguing supplies and staffing needed for those methods. are more limited and that Lee is just trying to delay justice, writing, Lee knows it hurts to be shot. He shot Jimmy Ellis in the chess and Elaine Thompson in the head. Lee's case now drawing renewed attention to the state's use of nitrogen, as eight men have been executed with the gas since 2024,

while defense lawyers allege it induces conscious suffocation. Lee says, despite his crimes, no matter what happens, he believes he believes he will. will find redemption in heaven. And with that, Laura Jarrett joins Top Story tonight. So, Laura, what do you expect if this case makes it to the Supreme Court? Yeah, Tom, we could see some movement on that as soon as tomorrow. As you mentioned, he is scheduled for execution tomorrow. This conservative majority is not typically one to weigh in to block a particular method

of execution. And just last year, when this issue came up with nitrogen gas, the court declined to intervene over the vociferous objection of the liberals on the court. However, we should mention there is case law out there saying that if a method is particularly painful or traumatizing, then the courts can weigh in. So we'll wait to see what the high court does tomorrow, Tom. Laura Jarrett for us tonight, Laura, great to see you. Not a disturbing video at a Chicago, a burning cross seen in the heart of the city,

and authorities are now releasing an image of a person fleeing the area. Was this the person that did it? NBC Shaquil Brewster picks it up from there. Whoa. This chilling scene caught on camera in downtown Chicago. You're kidding me. You see what clearly looks like a cross engulfed in flames. In 2026, we are burning crosses.

Chicago police tonight releasing this image of a person they say was seen fleeing the scene, as the FBI confirms it's investigating. A burning cross is a hate symbol historically used by groups like the KKK and has been prosecuted as a federal hate crime. On the street, you see some obvious. some leaves do appear to be burned as well. Police saying no injuries were reported, but they are investigating the motive and circumstances around this incident. The mayor's office saying hate has no place in our city. We're just like dumbfounded. The scene shocking Chicago resident

Lena Carlton, who was driving through the city's Grant Park, known for its big festivals in former President Obama's 2008 victory speech. This was something I've only heard about in school and seen in black and white videos. Residents walking through the area today, shaken. But like looking at that, what do you see? It just makes me sad and kind of angry at the same time. And now one Southside church offering a $10,000 reward, hoping to track down the person responsible for this unsettling scene.

All right, Shaq joins us now live from Chicago. And Shaq, we've seen cases like this recently in other states. And what happens is they actually lead to federal charges. Absolutely, Tom. I mean, we saw this just a couple of months ago when a South Carolina man was indicted for a cross-burning incident tied back to 2023. And that indictment, prosecutor said that he was trying to intimidate his black neighbors. Around that time, you also heard about a Mississippi man who was actually sentenced to more than three and a half years behind bars for a similar incident. So this is a serious potential crime. The FBI, when they said that they are confirmed, or when they confirmed that they're investigating this, said that they are taking it seriously. we'll follow up with them to see exactly what they're learning, Tom. Shaq Brewster, great to see you. That was a terrible story there. Still to come tonight, the arson trial for the man accused of sparking one of the worst fires in L.A. history,

why he could face decades in prison. Liz Croyd standing by for us live here in Los Angeles. We're back now with the urgent search here in Southern California. A young girl is missing after she and two family members were pulled out to see. Two were rescued, but the race is still on to find her. Here's Steve Patterson. Tonight, the desperate search for any sign of a child swept away by a vicious surge of life-threatening surf. Rescue workers scouring every inch of the Orange County coastline by air, by land, by sea.

Part of the focus on this slice of Treasure Island Beach, where officials say a mother and her two children were pulled into the ocean by powerful rip currents Tuesday night. Bystanders jumping into action, rescuing the woman in one of her children, the other, her daughter tragically still missing. As a parent, you don't ever want to see a young person in peril. You don't want to see anybody in peril. The search sparked by a historic southern swell, sending a maelstrom of massive waves from 8 to 10 to his tall as 20 feet, bashing against the California coast. Well, this is like one of the biggest swells in 15 years. There's a lot of guys out, but a lot of them, it's probably a little overwhelming for them because they've never seen surf of this size. And you can feel the power.

of the surf by the beach, officials warning swimmers, surfers, beachgoers to stay well away until some of this dies down. Please know that when you come to the beach, that you need to understand your abilities. And if you're not an expert, you need to stay out of the water. Steve Patterson joins us tonight from the beach at the center of that search. And Steve, you're talking about very rough weather, right? Those waves were massive as we saw. Where does the search stand right now? You know, Tom, we spoke to city officials not too long ago.

We asked them, would they go into the night? They would not answer that direct question, only to say that they could go into the night, depending on weather conditions, and that they are resolute to find this girl and to bring her home alive. Tom? Yeah, you hope they find her somehow. It could be a miracle. Steve, thank you. Also in Southern California, where we are, the arson trial getting underway for the man accused of sparking last year's deadly Palisades fire in L.A.

It was one of the most destructive wildfires in the city's history, killing 12 people and destroying more than 6,000 structures. Prosecutors say 30-year-old Jonathan Rendernecht started a fire on a hiking trail in the area that smoldered underground for days before strong winds reignited it. The blaze exploding into the Palisades fire. I want to bring in NBC's Liz Croix, who's been following this case closely. Liz, both sides making their opening statements. What do we learn? Yeah, Tom, so number one from the prosecution, they were beginning to make their case that's going to be somewhat challenging. that not only one did this man start the Lockman fire, which ignited on the morning of New Year's Day,

but that he is then also responsible for this fire that ignited several days later. They started to tell the jury basically that this is the same fire with different names. Today, though, they really started to lay out the first part of that, why they believe he lit the New Year's Day fire. And they talked a lot about his demeanor, how he was agitated that night. He wanted to get invited to a New Year's Eve party he wasn't invited to. And they pointed the jurors to a lot of his chat CBT. questions that he would ask, including that picture we can bring back up, which is one of the

ones, several months before, he had asked Chachibh-T to create an image of a dystopian burning world. He was angry about a relationship. He actually had lived in the Palisades with an ex-boyfriend, which is part of the reason they say he was in that area. And then, you know, we heard from the defense making their case, basically saying that we're going to show witness witnesses that say it was fireworks that started this. And they also pointed to the 911 calls that rent-er-neck made where he actually alerted 911 to the fire on New Year's Day. And his defense is trying to say, look, that shows that this is somebody who was trying to help. And though, even though he's on trial for starting the fire, there's still a lot of people in the city that blame the state and city

officials for everything that happened with the Palisades fire. Yeah, a lot of people in the Pacific Palisades think that there was negligence on the part of the city and state for allowing a fire to smolder underground for so many days and then reignite. In fact, as you know, this was the major center of the mayoral debate here. still something that's following the current mayor as she tries to get reelected in November. And today we learned that her own brother who lost his home in this fire has also joined a lawsuit and is suing. Oh, wow, that's a big development.

Okay, Liz, we thank you for staying on top of this one for us. We're going to turn out to Top Stories News fee to check up what else is happening around the country. We're going to start right back here in Southern California because FBI agents just served a search warrant at the site of that chemical tank crisis in Garden Grove. The tank overheated last month at an aerospace facility, you remember, forcing some 50,000 people to evacuate. Authorities feared it could explode and cause a toxic spill. A company spokesperson told our NBC station they're cooperating with investigators.

And an update on the case we've been following about a high school track meet stabbing in Texas. Carmelo Anthony and his legal team have filed an appeal. It comes just a day after he was sentenced to 35 years in prison. The 19-year-old was found guilty of killing Austin Metcalf, another student at a track meet last year near Dallas. After the sentencing, Metcalf's mother described your son as a piece. peacemaker and a protector. Also in Florida, deputies showed up at a suspect's home to serve a warrant, and look where they ended up finding him.

Body camp shows them opening up that vent, and there he is. He's actually hiding inside of an AC unit. He crawls out and is arrested. Deputies say the suspect had failed to show up at court on grand theft charges and more. Okay, coming up tonight, the spectacular scene in Spain, Pope Leo, blessing the world's tallest church nearly completed after 140 years. Look inside. That's next.

We're back with a rare look at life inside a former American military base in Qatar where more than 1,000 Afghan refugees are stranded. Many of them helped the U.S. during its war effort and plan to seek asylum in America. But with all Afghan visa applications suspended, they are now stuck in limbo. NBC's Matt Bradley has more. The images were searing. Desperate Afghans struggling to leave their country before it fell to the Taliban as U.S. troops withdrew in 2020. But for many like Zahra Moheb, the flight to freedom isn't finished. Zahra, her parents, and more than a thousand other Afghans have been locked in limbo.

Many worked for the Americans during the war or the overthrown U.S.-backed Afghan Republic. Both my mom and dad, they were military officers in Afghanistan in the Republic government. Going back to Afghanistan is not an option. Now they're languishing in a decommissioned American military base in Qatar, where the Qatari's have agreed to house them temporarily. Living here, it's like living in a prison. Since January 2025, Zohra has lived in housing containers at Camp Assalilla. It's no place for a 15-year-old to grow up.

It's really hard. Kids are growing in an environment surrounded by barbed wires, walls, and, like, you know, they are spending their best periods of their life in an environment like this. Zahara is so close yet so far from the bright lights of Doha. And the few occasions when she's allowed out, she's closely monitored. We couldn't visit her in the camp, and even when she goes to the doctor, she has to wear a GPS tracker. Terror in the heart of Washington, D.C., just two blocks from the White House. Ever since an Afghan asylum seeker shot and killed a National Guardsman in Washington late last year, the Trump administration blocked these Afghan allies from reaching.

the U.S. Members of Congress pressing Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the Afghans last week. We can't admit any Afghans at this point into the country. Our goal, we've worked on this and we'll work with you on it. Sean Van Diver, a Navy veteran and founder and president of Afghan Evac, is among the veterans' few advocates. It's a violation of the very idea of America, this entire policy, this entire effort that they've undertaken to violate the oaths of American service members and diplomats, who's supposed to support who made promises to these folks.

Now the only way out is to return to Afghanistan, where girls like Zahra can't go to school and where her family would likely be persecuted by the Taliban. The other option, travel to third countries like the Congo, Laos, Cambodia, or Kosovo, places like Afghanistan, impoverished, shattered by war, or both. They've taken away a shot at the American dream that these folks were promised. Is there any hope for girls like Zahra? There is hope. Congress has really engaged on this. But Zahra still sees America on her horizon, although it remains a dream deferred. I don't know whether I can make it to America or no, but I can never hate America because it was my country since I was a child.

Matt Bradley, NBC News, Doha, Qatar. Okay, we're going to stay overseas now with Top Stories Global Watch and check up what else is happening around the world. We want to start in Taiwan launching U.S. supplied rockets in China's direction. Taiwan's military says it was a demonstration of how it might counter a Chinese attack. It marks the first time that these weapons were fired into the Taiwan straight, a narrow waterway separating the self-governing island from China. Remember, China views Taiwan as its own territory and carries out drills almost daily around the island. And a scary scene at a soccer game in Hungary, video capturing the moment a camera suspended over the field started smoking before it came crashing down, almost hitting a cameraman standing on the sidelines. According to local media, nobody was hurt, but the incident did delay the game for a bit.

And a rescue mission off the coast of England to save a dog that got swept miles out to sea. That's a German shepherd there in an inflatable kayak. His name is Bruce, and he apparently got carried away by strong winds. The captain of a sightseeing boat says they spotted him after the Coast Guard issued an alert. It was a bit of a struggle to get him on board, but Bruce's owner says he's now safe and sound back home. That's great news. And in Spain, Pope Leo offering a formal blessing at the Sagrada. Familia, now the world's tallest church.

The event coming 144 years after construction of the basilica by Gaudi began. NBC's Molly Hunter reports from Barcelona. It's a spectacular vision day or night. The Sagrada Familia towering above Barcelona. Welcoming Pope Leo, today marks 100 years since the death of visionary architect Anthony Gowdy. And 144 years after construction. began. It's finally on the verge of completion. The final spire now making it the tallest church in the world. Tonight, the newly completed tower of Jesus Christ, blessed by the American

Pope, 120,000 people filling the streets. Unbelievable, like breathtaking. Words can't describe. Yeah. And a finale, even Gowdy couldn't have imagined. Fireworks illuminating the sky, a drone show with Gowdy's face, a dramatic way to mark a symbolic milestone for a global icon. A symbolic milestone, because there is still work to be done. The basilica may not be truly completed until 2034. The Pope wraps up this Spanish trip

in the Canary Islands this week. Tom. All right, that's Molly, 100 for us. Molly, we thank you. When we come back, the wait is almost over. The World Cup kicks off tomorrow. We've got George Solis outside the stadium in Mexico, hosting the first game, plus Steve Kornacki standing by to break down the numbers,

and we'll play you the new FIFA anthem that just dropped today. You'll never guess who Megan DeStalian teamed up with. That's next. That was some of the official FIFA World Cup anthem DNA, which just dropped today. It features Andrea Bocelli, David Getta, E.J. and Megan DeStalian. It's a star-studded soundtrack for the global phenomenon set to kick off in just a few hours. 48 countries battling it out for world dominance. We've got George Solis on the ground in Mexico City, which will host the first game and Steve Kornacki at the big board crunching the numbers.

So, George, I want to start with you. Mexico, of course, is co-hosting the games along with the U.S. and Canada. It's a country that loves its soccer. What's the atmosphere like there ahead of this first game against South Africa? Oh, Tom, it is absolutely electric. The Mariacchi is just wrapping up here in Plaza Garivaldi, a historic place. We got a sombrero ready to rock this game. The city has come alive. with so many spectators and tourists ready to see the kickoff. Some lucky enough to actually

snag a ticket for this opener, Mexico versus South Africa. Some able to buy them outright, some getting him through lottery. But let me tell you, everywhere you look here, everyone is rooting for this tournament. And even here in this particular square, they have a big TV because they know the number of spectators here is going to be massive. So that TV has a friendly on right now, But you better believe this time tomorrow that game will be on here. That opening game will be here. And again, the Mariacchi is just starting up here again. So this is just a taste of what's to come here as FIFA's World Cup kicks off, Tom.

And then George, Mexico also has been ramping up as security measures ahead of the kickoff. There have been mass protests unrelated to the World Cup in recent days. How will that impact what we're seeing there in Mexico City? Yeah, Tom, so it's no secret that there have been a number of demonstrations here. in the city. It's actually impacted traffic quite a bit. Getting to and from the stadium has been a challenge. Getting to and from in Sokalo, the stadium, the center square here of Mexico City has been a challenge for some people, but there are police everywhere. Security has been ramped up. There are also cameras almost at every turn here, so they are keeping a close watch to make sure

all of these spectators, these dozens, if not thousands and millions of people that are descending into the cities to watch these games are safe. Tom? All right, George, we thank you. Let's walk over to Steve. And Steve, walk us through the odds. Who are the teams to watch throughout the tournament? All right. Let's break down the numbers. Try to separate, first of all, the contenders from the pretenders. You're looking at the favorites to win each of the 12 groups to advance to the knockout round. When you see the minus, especially the bigger the number is, the bigger the favorite they are. Heavy hitters like Brazil and Germany, you're used to see in names like that. Spain certainly up there.

You see the USA also in its group, but you see that plus that means they're very tepid favorite. The competition there, Turkey, Paraguay, Australia. They're not necessarily the toughest teams in the world, but they're very evenly matched. A lot of volatility in that U.S. group. If the U.S. can get out of group play, get to the knockout round, could they win at all? The odds there, you see what that translates into. That is 60 to one odds that the U.S. wins the whole thing. Wouldn't that be something?

Compare that to some of the others out there. You see, again, Spain, the overall. favorite, France, England, Portugal. These are the names you're accustomed to see. Norway, an interesting long shot. Some people are saying been a while since Norway qualified, but some expectations there. Another fun way of breaking this down. How about this?

Who's got the oldest roster? If you like, experience Colombia, the average age just under 30 years old. The youngest team is the Ivory Coast. How about size? The tallest teams. It's a tie. Bosnia and the Norwegians. The shortest team.

That's Saudi Arabia. Another way looking at this. The viewership. They say this is the world's game, right? In the United States, nothing beats the Super Bowl. 125 million people watch that. The World Cup final, they think about 1.5 billion people are watching this in a world of just around 8 billion people. How about that?

And what about the prices, right? A lot of attention here on the Super Bowl, always $4,000. The cheapest seats. That's if you just want to get in the building for that World Cup final. Next month, looking at $8,000. Steve Kornacki, for us, we can't wait for this action to start. Here in the U.S., cities big and small are also playing host to fans and athletes from around the world, and soccer lovers of all nationalities are getting a little slice of American life. Take a look.

Let's go! Let's go! Let's go! This police officer in Cleveland, hyping fans from Egypt. Egypt! Egypt! Egypt! Dutch supporters in the country's signature orange, bringing the energy to Kansas City. And in Chattanooga, Tennessee, base camp for Team Spain. Hundreds of locals lined the streets as the team arrived and filled the stands for practice. Amazing opportunity for Chattanooga. The American cities and towns, these teams will call home during the tournament opening up their arms.

Live les Elephan! The Ivory Coast is national team getting a hero's welcome in Wilmington, Delaware. And in eastern Kansas, Team Algeria, welcome to Lawrence, Kansas. The city of Lawrence, ready to host Algeria. I was so happy that they chose our town. Welcome to United States. Welcome to Kansas. A social media user, Freddie, who says he's a German fan going viral as he enjoys a taste of the South, stopping at Buckees, tubing down the Chattahoochee River, even eating at Waffle House.

To have Germany here in Winston Salem is just means everything. Hometown hospitality for soccer's biggest stars. cities big and small open their doors to the world. And you can catch every moment of the FIFA World Cup 2026 live in Spanish on Telemundo and Peacock. We thank you so much for watching Top Story tonight. I'm Tom Yamas reporting from Los Angeles. Stay right there. More news on the way.