Top Story with Tom Llamas - Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Episode Date: June 19, 2025

Tonight's Top Story has the latest breaking news, political headlines, news from overseas and the best NBC News reporting from across the country and around the world.

Tonight, Karen Reed walking free, a jury finding her not guilty of murdering her police officer boyfriend. The emotional moments inside the Massachusetts courtroom, Reed bursting into tears as the verdict was announced. Outside the courthouse, massive crowds erupting into cheers, was there a key piece of evidence that tipped the scales for the jury? Also tonight, Wayne War Plans? President Trump back in the situation room, debating if the U.S. will get involved in the conflict between Israel, and Iran. Both sides exchanging a new round of strikes, plus the Ayatollah's new threat. Maga's growing divide over Iran, conservative talk show host Tucker Carlson, railing against Senator Ted Cruz over whether the U.S. should get involved overseas, where Trump loyalists stand tonight. Right now, twisters touching down across the Midwest, ripping apart this farm,

video showing the destruction across the region, the dangerous weather putting millions in the threat zone. The wild video just in a Southwest passenger violently yanking the hair of another passenger, then spitting in her face? What happened next? The jewelry heist busts the arrest made in the largest jewelry robbery in U.S. history, $100 million in diamonds, Rolexes, and more stolen. So how did they do it? Black Hawk rescued the Daring National Guard mission after a terrifying canoe accident. We talked to one of the men saved. Plus, are the L.A. Lakers up for sale? The new reporting just in on the ownership of the iconic franchise. Top story starts right now.

And good evening. We begin tonight with Karen Reid walking free after the years-long legal saga that captivated the nation. Defendant, not guilty or guilty? So say you, Mr. Foreman. So say you all. That was the moment right there. She found out she's been acquitted. Sharing an emotional embrace with her lawyer and those cheers you heard are actually her legion of supporters outside the courthouse hearing the news.

The jury handing down a mixed verdict in her retrial, deciding she's not guilty of murdering her boyfriend John O'Keefe, not guilty of leaving the scene after his death, and only finding her guilty of operating a vehicle under the influence, a lesser charge with the sentence of just one year on probation. Her high-profile case sparking a huge following. Look at this. This is what the court in Dead of Massachusetts. just looked and sounded like today. And these are the deafening cheers that could be heard from inside the courtroom. Many of her supporters waving, I love you, hand symbols and chanting free Karen Reid. Reid and her legal team exiting court to an overwhelming welcome from that crowd, leaving this message to reporters. No one has fought harder for justice for John O'Keefe than I have.

But there's clearly not people happy tonight. Friends of John O'Keefe, the man at the center of this trial, saying in part, today we mourn with John's family and lament the cruel reality that this prosecution was infected by lies and conspiracy theories spread by Karen Reed, her defense team, and some in the media. The result is a devastating miscarriage of justice. There's a lot to cover tonight, so we want to get right to Emily Akeda, who leads us off from that courthouse in Massachusetts.

Karen Reid walking out of court with hand over heart and a major win in her murder trial redo. I just want to say two things. Number one is I could not be standing here without these amazing supporters who have supported me and my team financially and more importantly, emotionally, for almost four years. And the second thing I want to say is no one has fought harder for justice for John O'Keefe than I have. She was accused of hitting her police officer boyfriend John O'Keefe with her car in a drunken argument and leaving him to die in the cold back in 2022. But her defense has insisted there was no collision and Reed was framed. And after three and a half days of deliberating, the jury of seven women and five men agreed to acquit her of the most serious charge. Murder in the second degree. What say is the defendant of are guilty or not guilty?

Not guilty. Also clearing her of manslaughter and fleeing the scene of a deadly accident, prompting hugs and tears inside the courtroom. Cheers even heard from crowds gathered outside. So say you, Mr. Foreman? So say you all? The jury did convict Reed of a lesser charge, operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol. after considering nearly eight weeks of testimony and mountains of material, including crash demos, vehicle and phone data, and Reed's own words. I mean, I didn't think I hit him, hit him, but could I have clipped him? Reed acknowledging she shouldn't have been driving the night O'Keefe died. Her defense tried to point the finger at law enforcement, but in a new interview with Dateline, the lead investigator fired for his misconduct on the case, now speaking. out. What do you want to say to anyone who believes the narrative, the defense's narrative,

that you are corrupt, that you framed Karen Reed? I laugh because it's such a ridiculous accusation. There's not one piece of evidence or fact to support that because it did not happen. I would never do something like that. Did you frame Karen Reed? Absolutely not. This is the second time a jury has deliberated Reed's fate since her first trial last. year ended in a mistrial. I'm declaring a mistrial in this case. The case since garnering intense public interest, both online and in person, with a sea of supporters in pink erupting in cheers at word of the jury's verdict today.

It feels wonderful because we got a non-guilty verdict. It feels great. It's worth everything. Every minute of travel, every penny we paid to get here was worth it for the verdict. But a much more somber tone from O'Keeffe's loved ones. His mother had testified in the retrial. I hear Karen Reed yell. Peg, is he dead? Is he dead? Pegg is he dead?

Tonight, some of those at the center of the case who testified against Reed, writing in a statement, today we mourn with John's family and lament the cruel reality that this prosecution was infected by lies and conspiracy theories going on to say the result is a devastating miscarriage of justice. All right, Emily Aketa joins us live from outside the courthouse. and here in studio, NBC News senior legal correspondent Laura Jarrett, who's been closely following this retrial. Emily, I'm going to start with you. You've been there all day. Take our viewers back to that moment when they acquitted her of murder. Well, Tom, you could really feel the anticipation building up to the verdict. Consistent with much of the case in all of its legal twists, even earlier in the day, the judge had said that the jury at one point knocked on the door, indicated that they had reached a verdict, and then a short time later knocked again and said, never mind, we haven't reached the verdict. They went back to the deliberation room, eventually a short time later coming forward with official word that they did reach a unanimous decision.

And that word of that verdict, police closed down the streets in the area and a sea of Karen Reed supporters in their pink, flooded the streets. They were chanting, they were crying, especially when it came in that she was not guilty of the most serious charge, second-degree murder. And as you heard in the piece there, those cheers so loud, they could even be heard inside the courtroom, Tom. Quite the moment, quite the crowd. Laura Jarrett, what did the defense do right here? They changed their strategy. They had the opportunity with the first trial to see what the prosecutors were going to do. They also had a member of the first jury on their defense team.

Part of that team. What better focus group than someone who was in the deliberations room to tell us, here's what was working, here's what wasn't working. They also didn't have her testify, Tom, right? We heard her voice, we heard her own words. That could have been a very ugly cross-examination. They didn't do it. And while they did try to pin some of this,

on law enforcement and say that law enforcement messed up the investigation and maybe even had something to do with his death, they never actually named an individual. And so it allowed the jury to sort of come up with their own theory without sort of cabining them to one particular person. And then, Emily, I want to go back out to you. You know, Karen Reed was facing life in prison here. What are the next steps for her? So Karen Reed was sentenced on the spot to a year of probation for driving under the influences. It is certainly a far cry from what prosecutors have been hoping for with this case. As you mentioned, Reed could have faced life behind bars if she was convicted of that top charge second-degree murder, Tom. And then, Laura, we heard there from the

family of John O'Keefe. There's obviously a lot of people in that area, that Massachusetts area, who are upset and saddened by this verdict. What will the prosecutors do now? Is that it? Is that it? Or will they try again? Yeah, they cannot try again with her, Karen Reed. There hasn't been any indication that they actually want to reopen this investigation. Reporters were asking about that today. It'll be interesting to see what they do. I also be interested to see if there's any further fallout from some of the investigators involved. We heard from Michael Proctor there. He's obviously been fired since his misconduct investigation, having to do with Karen Reid. It'll be interesting to see if there's any further followout. While I have you, Karen

Reed has been out there. She has not been afraid to do interviews, not been afraid to get in front of the microphone. Is there anything she can say moving forward that could hurt her, maybe not criminally but civilly? There could be wrongful death implications. Obviously, the family has said that they want to continue this fight. I think she does have to be careful in interviews about opening herself up to any civil liability. That's always a concern. Laura Jay, Emily Aketa and her team out there in Dead of Massachusetts, we thank you for all your great work on this story. We want to go now to that other breaking news we're following tonight. President Trump weighing how the United States will handle the conflict between Israel

and Iran and whether he'll launch an airstrike on a nuclear facility inside that country. This coming as Israel reports hitting key targets in Iran tonight. NBC's Gabe Gutier's reporting from the White House. Tonight, with Israel destroying Iranian helicopters and missile launchers as it targets Iran's nuclear program, President Trump says he's not made a final decision on if the U.S. will strike Iran, too. A senior administration official telling NBC News, all options remain on the table. I may do it.

I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do. Iran launching its own missiles against Israel, but most have been intercepted. The president with a blunt demand for Iran's Supreme Leader. Very simple, unconditional surrender. That means I've had it. Okay, I've had it. I give up.

I know more. Maybe you could call it the ultimate, the ultimate. Ultimate, ultimatum, right? You run that war with the time. Today, Ayatollah Ali-Hamini defiant, posting the Americans should know that any U.S. military intervention will undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable damage. What do you say to the Supreme Leader of Iran who says that,

They will not surrender them. Say good luck. Two U.S. officials familiar with the planning tell NBC News that the U.S. strikes, Iran is prepared to strike American bases and assets in the Middle East. They're totally defenseless. They have no air defense whatsoever. They've totally captured. You know, we've totally captured the air.

The president today saying the Iranian regime, battered by Israeli strikes, is now asking to come to the White House to negotiate after turning down an earlier offer. They had to sign a document. I think they wish they signed it now as a fair deal. And now it's a harder thing to sign, you know. It's a lot of water over the dam. Have you closed the door on meeting with them? No.

Iran's mission to the UN responding, no Iranian official has ever asked to grovel at the gates of the White House. Israel has damaged most of Iran's nuclear facilities, but not Fordo, buried deep in a mountain, and that could be the key target if there's a U.S. airstrike. Only the U.S. has the B-2 bombers and 30,000-pound bunker-busting bombs that could destroy it. We're the only ones that have the capability to do it, but that doesn't mean I'm going to do it at all. Meanwhile, division is growing within the president's own party.

Some Republicans backing military intervention. Diplomacy didn't work for 60 days. If you don't understand that Iran with a nuclear weapon is the biggest danger in the world, you're missing a lot. A conservative commentator Tucker Carlson clashing with a Republican senator, Ted Cruz over the issue. How many people living around, by the way? I don't know the population. At all?

No, I don't know the population. You don't know the population in the country you seek to topple? The president was asked about that dispute today, saying he's not looking for a long-term war. No, my supporters are for me. My supporters are America first. They make America great again. My supporters don't want to see Iran have a nuclear weapon. It's very simple.

If they think that it's okay for Iran to have a nuclear weapon, weapon, then they should oppose me, but nobody thinks it's okay. Gabe Gutierrez joins us tonight live from the White House. Gabe, we know that there are American citizens stuck back in Israel in the middle of all this, and the U.S. ambassador to Israel just issuing them an urgent notice. What did he say? Yes, Tom. The ambassador, Mike Huckabee says that the State Department is arranging flights and cruise ships to evacuate American citizens from Israel. Also, Tom, the president just wrapped up another meeting in the situation room here at the White House as he considers his next flight.

move tonight. Tom. All right, Gabe Gutierrez, Gabe, we thank you for more on the escalating situation. I want to bring in NBC's Courtney Cuby, who's following the conflict closely. She joins us live from the Pentagon. Courtney, so great to have you here. You know, you obviously cover the Pentagon for us. This is a sensitive matter. What is your sense? What are you hearing about the U.S. involvement in this conflict? We know that the president is sending sort of mixed signals, but he also wants to do that from a strategic standpoint. Yeah, because he may still be interested in the possibility of some sort of a negotiation here with Iran. But the reality is, Tom, we are hearing that a range of different options have already been presented to the president

for how the U.S. military could get involved in the action in Iran. Now, these have been presented to him over the course of about 10 days. They've been refined during that time. And officials are telling us that, in fact, the president is open to the idea of the U.S. military getting more directly involved, so not just support with intelligence and things. things, but also, but potentially directly involved in the actual airstrikes in Iran. But critically, very important to point out here at this point, we are told the president has not made the actual decision to move forward with that yet, Tom. And then what is the sort of the assessment of the Pentagon?

Because the big question is, what did Israel learn? What did they see? What have we learned that sort of changed the calculus, right? Because last week we were talking about an Iran deal, Israel has since, I mean, Iran has since been bombed and a lot of its military has been taken out. I guess the big question is during the Biden administration, there were threats from Anthony Blinken saying that they believed Iran was two weeks away from getting close to the weapon. That was months ago. Where do we stand now? Does the intelligence community believe that either they're very close to making the bomb or they've made

that decision already? Yeah, so the breakout time has not changed, according to officials. And they still tell us that Iran has not made the decision to actually move forward with building that nuclear. or weapon with building that bomb. But you made an excellent point on because Iran's conventional capabilities in their missile systems, their missile launchers, and very critically, their air defense systems have been dramatically beaten down over the attacks that the Israelis took back in October and then over the course of the last six or seven days. And then, Courtney, is there, say there is obviously a lot of that uranium, whether it's been enriched or not enriched or how much of it has been enriched. If they were to bomb that, right, and that were to happen,

how do you make sure that it doesn't turn into some type of polluted event in the air? I mean, is that even possible? I mean, how can you strategically take this out and make sure you don't cause mass destruction all around or even destroy more than you wanted to? That is the exact question we have been asking here since this all started last week. Is there a possible way that the U.S. or the Israelis could somehow launch off some sort of a or a missile or whatever it is, that would essentially collapse it in within itself and entomb any of those potentially dangerous materials underground without somehow unleashing them not only into the soil, but ultimately into the atmosphere. Officials tell us there are ways to do it,

but I've got to tell you, I've been asking the questions, and I still have not learned a good answer to how they could do that with certainty that nothing would be unleashed into the atmosphere. Such a complicated move and such complicated times here. Courtney Cuby, we thank you for all your reporting. We want to turn it back here to all the crazy weather we've been having a destructive tornado outbreak, wreaking havoc across the Midwest today, at least 12 reported twisters, and the new video of the destruction and debris swirling in the air. Maggie Vespa is the latest.

Jaw-dropping new video shows an apparent tornado tearing across Illinois. Outside Springfield, wind, howling, debris, flying. Watch as that white building gets completely shredded. nearby another video showing a potential second funnel cloud stretching down from an ominous sky tonight this baseball complex torn to pieces before a big weekend tournament two employees forced to take cover it's deeply emotional so thankful they had the wherewithal to get in a safe location in all forecasters tracking roughly a dozen reported twisters in four hours across missouri illinois and michigan tonight more than 60 million Americans remain under severe weather risk from the southern plains to the northeast. At one point, more than 200,000 without power in Indiana, floodwaters covering an interstate in New York. This after torrential winds and intense downpours raked havoc across the country yesterday.

Multiple reported tornadoes carving across Oklahoma. The whole house actually shook. Now Mother Nature's wrath ratcheting up again, with tonight tens of millions potentially in harm's way. Maggie Vespa, NBC News. NBC News, meteorologist Bill Karens has been busy all week. He joins us live tonight. Bill, that severe storm risk, not over it yet.

What are you watching tonight? Yeah, all eyes on Ohio now, after Indiana and Illinois took the brunt of it throughout the earlier portion of the day. We have this line of storms that's racing. Now, we're not so worried about a lot of tornadoes, but we will get some damaging winds out of this as we go throughout the next couple hours. We still have at least one tornado warning. I'll show you that in a second. Tornado watch continues from Louisville all the way down through areas of our bowling green. As far as that tornado warning goes, that's to the east of Lima.

This would be an isolated tornado on the weaker side if it is on the ground. Further to the south, if you're in Dayton, Ohio, and Cincinnati, it's get indoors time. Up to 60-mile-per-hour winds are coming in with these severe thunderstorms. And as we head towards the day tomorrow, all of this mess gets to the east coast. We have a lot of people, at least a threat of severe weather. Not everyone's going to get hit. But pay attention as we go down the I-95 corridor all the way down to the Carolinas tomorrow. Yeah, and then I do want to ask you, it really hasn't felt like summer in parts of the northeast,

especially where we're living, that's about to change, right? Yeah, talk about flipping a switch. I mean, this is going to be pretty incredible stuff and dangerous, too. So in the middle of the country, we already have heat watches that are up from Omaha to Minneapolis. 50 million people are under some sort of heat, you know, advisories or warnings. When we get towards Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, the East Coast is going to be incredible. It hasn't hit 100 degrees in New York City since 2012, and we have a chance of doing that

on Tuesday, maybe even breaking it by a little bit. DC everywhere here, Tom. because it's been so rainy, it's also humid, so the heat index is going to be very dangerous. Is there a weather term for that? It's obviously not coming in like a lamb. What is it coming in like? It's coming in like a maniac. We'll print T-shirts, whatever we come up with. All right, Bill, we appreciate it. We're back in a moment with some breaking news out of the NBA. The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly up for sale in what could be the biggest deal in pro sports history, what it means for one of the world's most iconic franchises.

Plus, Fury on the Court, the clash involving WNBA star Caitlin Clark. we'll have the play-by-play and why some fans are saying the refs were out of control. And the sudden death of beloved celebrity chef, Anne Burrell, heartbreaking new details and what her close friend tells us about how she spent her final hours. Stay with us. Top story, just getting started. We are now back with a big move in the NBA. Control of the L.A. Lakers could soon be changing hands.

Sources familiar with the record-breaking $10 billion deal telling NBC Los Angeles, The bus family has entered an agreement to sell its majority ownership of the team to Dodger's owner, Mark Walter. Here with some reaction is a friend of Top Story and host of front office sports. Baker Machado joins us now in studio. Baker, so great to see you. Put this in a perspective for our viewers. How big of a deal is this?

I mean, $10 billion is going to be the largest acquisition of a sports franchise in the world. We're talking more than the Yankees, more than the Dallas Cowboys, more than any European soccer club. We've never seen a number that big. And also, when you look back at the Buss family, how much they purchased the Lakers for back in 1979, $675 million. So that is quite an asset that has taken an incredible value over 17 rings that the Lakers have won during that time. We've heard from Magic Johnson, obviously, a Lakers legend. Here's what he posted up on X, let's put it.

He said Lakers fans should be ecstatic. The Lakers are already one of the most successful teams in the NBA. Could this new ownership put the winning team on a whole new level? Absolutely. Given the fact that Mark Walter is one of the controlling owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and we've seen how much money he has invested in that team. Not afraid to spend money. No, the Dodgers, by the way, a $200 million payroll, and that's likely what's going to be the case here.

Some of the reporting that's out here, Tom, indicates that Mark Walter got his minority stake in the Dodgers in the Lakers in 2021, and that this was sort of the deal that was going to be happening anyway. So this was always in the world between the bus family and Mark Walter. Yeah, they're going to stay involved. Jeannie Bus, who we know will remain. and her current role as Lakers governor. She's the inspiration for Kate Husson's role in the Netflix show Running Point.

How important is it to keep her around? Absolutely critical. And from all the reporting out there, she's going to be staying on for the foreseeable future. It also looks like her two brothers are also going to be staying as part of the franchise as well. And Mark Walter, as you mentioned, has a great relationship,

not just with the buses, but with Magic Johnson, based off of those tweets. The big question is, Magic Johnson used to have a stake in the Lakers very early on. He does have a stake in the Dodgers. We don't know sort of what he's going to be doing now with the Lakers, but it seems like he's going to be a big presence.

Los Angeles could be bringing home a lot of championships in the future. Baker, so great to see you. We thank you for that. Another major sports headline tonight, a heated matchup between the Indiana fever and the Connecticut sun, turning into a flagrant foul fest with Caitlin Clark in the middle. The scuffle raising the question, should the referees in the NBA be doing more to keep the peace? NBC Stephanie Gossk reports. The game started out rough and then got downright ugly.

Oh, and Marina Mabrew is going to get ejected. The Connecticut Suns, J.C. Sheldon, jabbing Caitlin Clark, the Indiana Fever star player in the eye. There's a lot of contact here. Clark pushed back and then gets totally blindsided. Ref's blue whistles, play was stopped, but no one was thrown out of the game. Do you think the reps should have been tougher? I think they could have set the tone earlier. Like, that is often what you hear from coaches. Just establish how the game is going to be called in the beginning.

With tempers flaring and under a minute to go, Sheldon drove to the basket and was decked. Some calling it retribution for foul in Clark. The son's coach called the foul completely stupid. The fever had already clearly won the game. Three players were thrown out after the fight. Players are faster, they're better, they're bigger, they're stronger. Things are happening quickly. Everybody's getting better, except the officials.

Clark nodding in agreement. Popularity for the WNBA is surging, and the competition is intense. I'm a passionate player, but at the end of the day, like, I'm here to play basketball. And the fans are there for it, which means the spotlight on the league is only getting brighter. Stephanie Goss joins us now live in studio. Stephanie, I'm glad you pointed out there that fans are packing the stands, right? Because the WNBA, over the last two, three years, I mean, it is changing. So do the rest need to change now, too, to catch up?

The criticism is that maybe they do. But look, basketball is basically hand-to-hand combat, and it's going to be dangerous. It is intense on the court for the WMBA, but it has been for quite some time. Now you have more eyeballs. You have more people weighing in criticizing. It is a past time to criticize the officials of any professional sport. However, in this particular game, what they are saying is that in that third quarter altercation, that if the refs had come in and actually kicked a few players out, that it might have taken a little of the intensity out of it, and it wouldn't have ended in what was basically a fight between both teams, Tom. And obviously, you don't want anything to happen to the players,

but this attention, it's not bad news for the WNBA. It's just going to draw up more attention. It's drama. Yeah, it's a lot of drama. Yeah, all right. Stephanie Gosk, we thank you for that. When Top Story returns, the $100 million mystery solved, how the feds cracked the case nearly three years

after the largest jewelry heist in U.S. history. A woman on a Southwest Airlines plane goes berserk, grabbing another woman's hair, hurling insults, even kicking other passengers, and spitting in her face what it took to get that violent outburst under control. But first, Top Story's top moment, and this one is out of this world,

the SpaceX rocket launched, creating a special effect on a mural of L.A. Dodgers superstar Shohei Otani in Little Tokyo in L.A. Take a look. That is incredible. The Trail of Light that looks like his bat coming from the SpaceX Falcon 9, which launched from Santa Barbara. Incredible camera work there. Did they plan that? Maybe. All right. Stay with us. We're back in just a moment. We are back now with the growing divide in the MAGA world. Some of President Trump's staunches supporters publicly feuding over whether the U.S. military should get involved in the conflict between Iran and Israel.

NBC News Capitol Hill correspondent Ryan Nobles has this report. This is not a fight the MAGA universe is looking for. It's going to not just blow up the coalition. It's also going to thwart what we're doing with the most important thing, which is, the deportation of the illegal alien invaders. Hardcore conservatives like Steve Bannon and Tucker Carlson, raising serious concerns about the Trump administration's slow creep toward direct U.S. involvement in the conflict between Iran and Israel.

Carlson, even tangling with GOP Hawk, Senator Ted Cruz. You don't know anything about Iran. So, actually, the country. I am not the Tucker Carlson expert on Iran. You're a senator who's calling to the overthrow of the government. You're the one who claims... No, you don't know anything about the country. You're the one who claims they're not trying to murder Donald Trump.

Today, Cruz not backing down, telling me that while he agrees with Carlson on many things, on this issue, he's with Trump. I think President Trump is right and Tucker Carlson is wrong. A key component of Trump's path to victory was a promise to end what he called forever wars. That included pulling back U.S. support for Ukraine and their war with Russia. Now Trump is changing his tune. Republicans on Capitol Hill and beyond are nervous for what that could mean. We should have some say-so about it, especially if it's involved possible World War III in which it could.

It has led a bipartisan coalition of members of Congress to push for a resolution to assert Congress's authority to declare war and to force the administration to come to Congress before taking any unilateral action. The author of the House version of the resolution, Thomas Massey, is a hardcore conservative. and said that the situation in Iran is, quote, not our war. But Trump still has his supporters. Many Republicans are happy to defer to Trump to make whatever decision he deems is necessary to protect American national security. We'll see what the president does, but I've never felt better about the end of the Iran nuclear program. And while Steve Bannon, one of the architects of the MAGA movement, has raised concerns, he believes that ultimately Donald Trump's supporters will get behind him.

Speaking at an event today, he said that if Donald Trump decides there is no diplomatic option and chooses the military route, his supporters will get on board. Tom. Ryan Nobles for Top Story tonight. Ryan, thank you. All right, time now for Top Stories News Feed, and we start in D.C. where the Supreme Court is upholding a Tennessee law restricting certain gender transition care for minors. The 6 to 3 ruling is expected to have a broad impact with 24,

other states enacting similar laws to the one in Tennessee. Chief Justice John Roberts writing for the majority that the law which bans gender transition surgery, puberty blockers, and hormone therapy does not constitute a form of sex discrimination. In a dissenting opinion, Justice Sotomayor wrote, the law discriminates on sex and transgender status and should be closely examined. The FDA approving a powerful new HIV drug. It's a twice yearly injection that nearly eliminated the spread of HIV in clinical trials. Experts call it the single-bus. best opportunity in 44 years of HIV prevention. One expected hurdle, the cost, it's priced at get this $14,000 per injection, which is just over $2,300 a month. Right now, it's not clear how much

or if insurance providers would cover it. And Colorado Police investigating possible gang activity at a local apartment complex after video captured a group of men with guns. Here it is, you can see the multiply armed suspects there positioned through the hallway of that building in Aurora. Some take turning turns, knocking on a door with guns pointed. Police say this is similar to another incident last year, where Venezuelan gang members tried to force their way into an apartment complex. This complex has since been closed. Two suspects in this case have been arrested, anyone with information is expected to contact police. And video of an unruly passenger on a Southwest flight going viral, check this out. The woman yelling at and then hitting another passenger,

even grabbing a fistful of her hair, flight attendants and other people rushing in to try to pull her off. That's when she begins to spit on. the other passenger. She was later removed from the flight and denied boarding. The flight later departed for Kansas City. No word yet on whether she will face charges. Okay, turning out of California and what authorities say is the largest jewelry heist in U.S. history, seven men now charged in the 2022 heist, allegedly stealing a hundred million dollars worth of gold, diamond, and watches, and more. NBC's Jesse Kerriss explains how it went down. Is there prime marks anywhere? Is it just the cut lock. Inside this semi-truck at a California rest stop, investigators say something was

missing. 24 bags filled with jewelry worth roughly $100 million. Now nearly three years later, federal authorities say they've identified seven men in connection with the crime. In July 2022, some of the defendants allegedly followed this truck roughly 300 miles from a Bay Area Jewelry show toward Los Angeles, striking at this rest stop. The truck's driver who The prosecutors have not accused of wrongdoing heard here on a deputy's body camera. I ate something? No. And that came out, so it was like 20 minutes.

All seven defendants allegedly fled with stolen gold, diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and luxury watches. What finally made this fall in line? I don't think it was one break, Jesse, that really made this fall in line. It's a consistent sort of boring detective work that was done over countless hours, over countless years. Authorities say one defendant is already behind bars for a different crime. Two more were arrested. As for the others, we're not currently a liberty to say where those four people are. I will say that, you know, at least one of them we believe to be outside of the United States.

As for the jewelry itself, investigators believe some of the pieces have been recovered, but many are still missing. Tom? All right, Jesse Kirsch there. And we are learning tonight more about the unexpected death of Food Network Star and Borrell. Authorities say a cardiac arrest was reported at the celebrity chef's home where she was found unresponsive on Tuesday morning. Our Ann Thompson spoke to a person who was with Borell just hours before she died. A report of cardiac arrest sent emergency crews to Anne Borell's Brooklyn home. These little leaves will add their timely goodness.

The sudden death of the celebrity chef Tuesday coming just hours after the 55-year-old embarked on a new adventure. doing improv on Second City's Brooklyn Stage Monday night. All of Hoy was there. It's bittersweet to think about it right now because she was in such high spirit. It was very funny. A Food Network star for two decades, Borel created a recipe for success.

Yeah. Baby. Humor and snark. This is like eating gravel. Personality and talent. And what the sauce and the pots of you is kind of get together and make a little hug. topped off by her signature look Burrell's specialty Italian cooking learned in Italy than perfected in some of New York's top restaurants.

Iron Chef America first brought Burrell into people's homes. She'd competed on and hosted a variety of shows, most famously the worst cooks in America. I saw a lot of salt going on this. I'm sorry. The child from upstate New York climbing all the way to the top of the TV food pyramid. And as she often posted, a lucky girl. Ann Thompson, NBC News. Okay, we thank Ann for that.

We want to turn out a Top Story's Global Watch. A federal court is granting a request by former Argentinian president Christina Fernandez de Kirchner to serve her six-year prison sentence at her Buenos Aires home. The 72-year-old was found guilty of corruption, you may remember. The judge ruling she can serve time in her apartment because of her age and security concerns. This comes after a 22 assassination attempt. She is now asking if she can go out on her balcony after a large crowd of her supporters showed up outside of her home. Australia, lifting its ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood and plasma.

Now most people in a sexual relationship of six months or more with a single partner will be eligible to donate blood regardless of gender or sexuality. The new rules are estimated to expand the donation pool by more than 600. 225,000 people. And Kate Middleton, pulling out of a planned appearance today just hours before it began. She was set to attend the royal ascot with her husband, Prince William, as well as King Charles and Queen Camilla. They still participated in the royal procession, the Palisane. Kate is trying to find her balance when it comes to public engagements following her cancer

battle. Okay, still ahead tonight, the dramatic rescue caught on camera. Three men in a canoeing accident left stranded and injured, how a Black Hawk helicopter was able to locate them. Plus, what is appropriate office attire? Our experts standing by with what's considered a fashion faux paugh, just a hint, no sweatpants, no shorts, no sandals. Those are just a few of them. Stay with us. We'll have more coming up. We're back now with dramatic new body cam video out of New Mexico tonight showing a daring helicopter rescue of multiple people injured in a remote canoeing accident.

One man suffering a punctured lung and several broken ribs lined stranded in a deep in a river cany. NBC's Priscilla Thompson has a story. A daring rescue on a remote part of New Mexico's Canadian River. A National Guard, Blackhawks, seen here airlifting a man to safety after officials say canoes with three people on board capsized in the rapids. Benjamin Trant says he and his brother and cousin all experienced outdoorsmen were enjoying a beautiful day on the river. Canadian River heading towards Mills Canyon in the first mile. Awesome. When things took a devastating turn.

First rapid with a little bit of technicality. Probably got worse to come. We were going through a rapid. My brother was in a canoe with my cousin Will, and I was in a canoe by myself behind them. And their canoe swamped in the river. He's the more he needs help first. Okay.

Trant says his brother broke six ribs and punctured a lung in the accident. What I believe, said that pin in that boat across his chest. Trantz heard here explaining to first responders what happened and how he dragged his brother to safety. He seemed unconscious. His arms were kind of just flapping with the current of the water, and so, you know, it's a pretty terrifying thing to see. The accident happened in May at the bottom of a 250-foot River Canyon, miles from the nearest hospital. The men used their phone's SOS function to call for help, and then they waited. Do you have a sense of how long it took for that first officer to reach you? It was approximately two hours.

That officer was New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Sergeant Marcellino Peralta, who scrambled down the canyon on foot to reach them. My biggest goal was just to make sure that they were stable and they were coherent, letting them know that I wasn't going to leave their side. You guys picked a crazy place, but we'll get it situated. Soon, the National Guard arrived overhead, hoisting the most injured man up out of the canyon. Officials say another had a broken leg. It's definitely not like a hard factor, but I can't put weight on.

And crawled out on his hands and knees. Miraculously, Trant walked away unharmed and with a message of gratitude for the sergeant who saved them. Anything that you would want to say to him? I can't thank him enough. His presence gave me a piece. I really needed at that time. And Tom, then who you just heard from there says that all of these men are now back home and recovering. Meanwhile, officials in New Mexico are warning people about these higher water levels and urging voters to be cautious. Tom. Priscilla Thompson for us tonight.

Priscilla, we thank you for that. Next tonight, we're going to switch gears a little bit. Post-pandemic, so many things have changed when it comes to working, including how some of us dress. After months and even years, in some cases, of working from home, have the rules of office fashion changed. It's a question the Washington Post tackled in its article, the 39 definitive rules of office fashion. To help break it all down for us, we have an all-star team of guests. Tiffany Reed, she's a fashion exec and a stylist, and Thomas Farley, good friend at Top Store. You may also know him as Mr. Manners. We thank you both for being here. Thanks so much.

Thank you, Tom. Yeah. So as we said, there's about 39 rules, right? I know you guys don't love them all, but Tiffany, I'm going to start with you. Which one stands out for you? Which one do you like? So I love the idea of communicating. The first rule for me where you talk to your boss about what the code is, what the dress code is, is the best one. I mean, communication is key, especially in this case. And if you are in a situation where you're a female employee and you don't feel comfortable talking to your male employee, look for a mentor in the office that's the same sex that you're comfortable having the conversation and give you some guidelines there.

Great advice. Mr. Manners, what about you? So, Tom, there was a rule in there, which I absolutely love, if you were wearing your shirt untucked, it had better not have a curved hem. So if you've got a shirt tail, this is meant to be tucked in. Only time you untuck a shirt is if it's got a squared off hem that can rest nicely by your waist and not hanging with that droop that a shirt that's meant to be tucked in has. Okay, good to know. Okay, I'm learning something here. Tiffany, for you. Any that you didn't agree with?

Well, there were some ones that I think are non-negotiables, like hygiene, which I think goes without saying, but you have to put them in the rules, and then also steaming your clothes and ironing, right? So there are some non-negotiables. The one that really was a pain point for me were hats in the office. I can't imagine a world where hats are not either unprofessional or leaning into costumes. So I really think if you're not on a beach vacation, you're not on a baseball game with a baseball cap, just avoid hats in the office. Have the hair comb, take a shower, ironed your clothes. I think those are non-negotiables, too. Mr. Manners, what about you?

Yes, so T-shirts. The story actually... You have it out for T-shirts today, huh? Well, especially, you know, even in an office, you are on Zoom or Teams a lot as well. So this is still an important look, even if you're not working from home, if you're working from the office. So this article actually said T-shirts are okay, as long as they're pressed. I'd say your shirt should have a collar that's not a banded collar. there should be some buttons on your shirt. Show a little bit of effort.

Polo shirt, if it's business, casual, is fine, but not a T-shirt. T-shirt and sports jacket, though. What about that? It's got to be a, not an undershirt. It's got to be a really nice jacket and a really nice. So no Haynes V-neck, I got it, and I follow you. Okay. T-shirts are okay in the office, not by itself. I think with a sports coat or a sweater worn over it. Not by itself. Definitely dress it up. I think T-shirts could work, especially when it's hot. And there's some expensive T-shirts out there now. People are selling T-shirts for a lot of money. We wanted to do a rapid fire with you guys to kind of put some looks up.

and then kind of get yay or nay, okay? So tell us how we're doing here. So these are some outfits of real people on social media. We're using avatars because we didn't want to shame anyone, okay? So first up, we have a polo jeans and flip-flops look. Mr. Manners, I'm going to start with you. He's got the half-tuck going. What do you think about this one right here?

Yeah, I'd say the halftuck, the collar looks a little bit lopsided. But the big thing there for me, Tom, is those flip-flops. So GQ actually came out about a week and a half ago and said flip-flops okay in the office. I'm saying no, no, no, no to flip-flops. If you're not at the beach, if you're not near water, you should not be wearing flip flops anywhere. What about nice sandals? No, not even like nice slides, Gucci slides?

No. No? Okay. Have you got a pedicure or your feet in perfect condition? Are they ready for prime time? You have bunions. There you go. You can't ask yourself.

Tiffany, you agree with that? I think flip flops for females could work because there's a trend where there's healed flip flops. And that's more of a designer shoe. But I think what you're saying right about the beach flip flops, the slides, all that's a no. But if it feels elevated, that maybe there's a world.

Okay. All right. Next up, we have a strapless top. Let's put that one up and see. What do you guys think about this? Tiffany, I'll start with you. Definitely no. Wait, no. Why? What's wrong with this? I think that straplets tops are a little bit tricky because it starts to show too much skin. So as you mentioned before, we are on Zoom and it is a very cropped in profile. So if you're only seeing a slither of clothing while you're on a Zoom, that can tread to making other people uncomfortable. So I would just lean away from it unless you think,

unless you throw a blazer over it or something. But, yeah, I think because of the Zoom culture, it's a no for me. Mr. Manners, what about you? So, as Tiffany says, this article made a really great point. If anything you're wearing could be described as too anything, too short, too tight, too low, leave it at home. Wear it on a date. Can I push back?

But what if it's like summertime, right? You've been working out, you want to show your toned arms. Maybe you've been hitting Orange Theory. I mean, like, what's going? Like, this is too much? I think wanting to show your tone body in the office is what's wrong. Okay, good point. Good point.

All right. Noted. No, no. Next up, we have a t-shirt untucked with shorts. All right. Look, maybe it's hot. Maybe you work at the zoo. I don't know. Mr. Manners, what do you think about this one? If you work at the zoo, have at it, but if you're in an office, this really is not appropriate. Is shorts a non-starter? I mean, can you wear shorts to the office? According to the article, no, but it depends on the office. I think women have short suits options where there are longer shorts or their skirts where their skirts with shorts under, then yes. Other than that, I would say, no, it definitely leads more unprofessional. All right, all right, no cargo shorts either. All right.

Next up, this is our last look. It's a blazer with a crop top. This looks pretty hip to me. What do you think about this? I think it depends on the office. It really does. If you're in a creative field, more of a fashion or, you know, an art world, it may be okay. But definitely some more of those traditional, you know, lawyer, finance.

But what's wrong with it? Is it too revealing? Is that what it is? Or is it too sporty? When you start to show too much skin, right? I got it. I got it. Okay. I think that two word is what you said mentioned before is really key here. I'm going to stop wearing a tank top to work.

I'm understanding now. Mr. Banners, what about you on this one? So I'm wondering how this person is going to sit down and still be presentable. It's one thing to look okay standing up. Everyone before they go to the office should give themselves a look in a full-length mirror and say, do I look like I'm hot? Do I look like I'm ready for a nightclub? If the answer is yes, change.

you want to be promotable, you want to look professional and put together. Tiffany Reed, Thomas Farley, thank you so much. This is really helpful. I learned a lot. I'm just going to stick with the suit. It'll be easier that way. It's working for you. All right. When Top Story returns, saved from the scrapyard, a war medal, nearly crushed and forgotten until a scrapyard crew spotted something that didn't belong. The mission they launched to track down a hero's family and the emotional return decades in the making. Stay with us. Finally tonight, the Purple Heart that defied.

the odds, found at a scrap yard, and saved from destruction at the very last moment. The discovery launching a group of workers on a mission to return the World War II medal to its owner. Mike Bush from our NBC St. Louis affiliate, KSDK, has this story. At scrap mart medals in Jonesburg, Missouri, they turn metal into memories. But one memory just wouldn't melt. Every month, 14,000 tons of twisted. steel passed through here. Cars, copper, and cast-offs are ground up, sorted, and forgotten.

When you shred a car, a car will come out in tiny little pieces in 90 seconds. But on one recent day, a glint of golden purple caught the eye of Picker Patrick Bloom. The purple stood out the most. It stood out like a source-owned. What Patrick pulled from that conveyor belt was a World War II Purple Heart. completely intact, which defied all logic. We get coins through this thing, because, you know, cars have coins in them, and they're unrecognizable. I mean, quarters are bent in half, and this thing's completely whole. The ribbon's still on.

There was a name etched on the back, just enough for Lucas and his staff to launch a mission. They turned detective, building family trees on Ancestry.com, until they found Katie Kredemeyer. He told me that it had gone through the scrapper, and that it had survived when things like coins and other things hadn't survived. This is class of 1944. The Purple Heart belonged to Charles Joseph Hall,

who was a cousin and grew up in the same house as Katie's grandmother. He had brown eyes. Katie's dad was named for Charles Joseph. He enlisted right out of high school and wanted to be a paratrooper, but they moved him to infantry and then went to Europe and was killed six months later.

The family knew about the metal, but couldn't find it until now. My mom lived in Warren County, and she had a car in her driveway that was no longer driveable, so she sold it to a guy down in the little town. She lived by at the garage for spare parts and scrap. And the Purple Heart must have been in the car. And the dedication of those in the industry who handle them. To honor the journey, scrap mark didn't just hand it over. they flew the family to San Diego

to their national convention to return a nation's gratitude. We were like celebrities there. It was like people coming up to us and wanting to meet us and take pictures of the medal and take pictures of us with the medal. And for them to make this big deal out of it, it was really cool.

The medal now sits safely in the family's hands. Decades late, but somehow right on time. We wouldn't have this if it hadn't been for the kindness of complete strangers. In a scrapyard full of shattered parts, one small metal held on, not just through steel, but through time, waiting to finally come home. I think it was definitely meant to be. That's for sure. And we want to thank our NBC station, KSDK, for their help with that story.

And we thank you for watching Top Story tonight. I'm Tom Yamerson, New York. Stay right there. More news on the way. You know,