Top Story with Tom Llamas - Wednesday, June 25, 2025

Episode Date: June 26, 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, President Trump on the world stage as dueling reports on the efficiency of U.S. strikes on Iran emerge. The CIA saying U.S. strikes severely damaged Iran's nuclear program, while another preliminary assessment says it was not as successful. The president telling NATO a nuclear agreement with Iran is no longer necessary and the moment of levity why the NATO chief called Trump daddy. Also tonight, a plane engine spewing smoke, flames shooting out mid-air with 150 passengers on board. inside the cabin capturing the terrifying moments. What went wrong? Right now, twisters ripping across the Midwest as a brutal heat wave shatters records, extreme temps forcing this bridge to malfunction, the dramatic cooldown on the way, meteorologist Bill Karen's tracking it all. New York City's mayoral upset the stunning rise of Zohan Mundani, the young Democratic socialist

prompting Andrew Cuomo to concede in the primary. Former Mayor Bill de Blasio joins top story tonight, what it all signals for the Democratic Party. The tense ice ray dramatic video capturing heavily armed agents, shattering windows and deploying flashbangs to get into a California home. Two teenage U.S. citizens handcuffed along with their undocumented parents, we hear from the teens tonight. Storm drain rescue, a young girl trapped for seven hours during flash floods, the emotional moment she's finally pulled to the surface.

And the monster five-foot jellyfish washing up at a popular beach destination, the warning to visitors. Plus, the retailer now banning shoppers over excessive returns. Top story starts right now. Good evening. Tonight, new details on President Trump's strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. The president on the world stage defending those attacks, as his administration tells, a tale of two damage assessments. Last night, we learned a preliminary defense intelligence assessment found the strikes only set the Iranian nuclear program back by a

few months. But tonight, CIA director John Radcliffe is out with what he calls credible intelligence, saying the nuclear program was severely damaged and that those sites would take years to rebuild. Trump at the NATO summit today discussing the conflict with NATO's Secretary General when things took a turn for the weird. Listen to this. They've had a big fight like two kids in a school yard. You know, they fight like hell. You can't stop them. Let them fight for about two, three minutes, then it's easier to stop him. And then daddy has to sometimes use strong language. You have to use strong language.

Everyone's certainly like you have to use a certain word. Trump later asked about that moment at a news conference saying this. He likes me. I think he likes me. If he doesn't, I'll let you know. I'll come back and I'll hit him hard, okay? He did. He did it very affectionate. Daddy, you're my daddy. Trump now teasing

negotiations with Iran next week, even though he says those bombings make an agreement unnecessary. Kelly O'Donnell pressed the president about those assessments and leads us tonight from the Netherlands. Meeting with the leaders of the NATO alliance today and confronting global media. Here's another beauty. President Trump came armed with his own battle damage assessments of U.S. airstrikes on Iran's

nuclear sites. It was very, very successful. It was called obliteration. The president pushing back after news reports that the Defense Intelligence Agency, in an initial assessment, said the Iranian nuclear program was set back three to six months, according to three sources. That preliminary analysis based on Intel gathered 24 hours after the strikes, one of the sources told us. Press today, the president acknowledged the report's findings, but described it as premature. They presented a report that wasn't finished.

They didn't see it. All they can do is take a guess. Do you have a message for the intelligence community, though, in terms of unvarnished information getting to you? I would say issue the report when you know what happened. I wouldn't say that it could be severe or maybe not. If you're not disputing, the report said what it said, even though it was initial. The report said what it said, and it was fine. It was severe, they think, but they had no idea. They shouldn't have issued a report until they did. He called on Defense Secretary Hegseth to make the case as well, who noted the Defense Intelligence Agency had low confidence in its initial assessment.

Why is there low confidence? Because all of the evidence of what was just bombed, by 12, 30,000 pound bombs is buried under a mountain, devastated and obliterated. So if you want to make an assessment of what happened at Fordo, you better get a big shovel and go really deep because Iran's nuclear program is obliterated. The president cited foreign intelligence, including Israel's Atomic Energy Commission, today saying the strikes set back Iran's ability to develop nuclear weapons by many years. and this from Iran's foreign ministry. Our nuclear installations have been badly damaged, that's for sure.

Late tonight, the CIA director saying credible intelligence indicates Iran's nuclear program has been severely damaged and would have to be rebuilt over the course of years. The ceasefire between Iran and Israel is holding for a second day. NATO Secretary General praising President Trump for that agreement and made a notice of comment when the president compared Israel and Iran to squabbling kids. They fight like hell. You can't stop them. Let them fight for about two, three minutes.

Then it's easier to stop them. And then daddy has to sometimes use strong language. You have to use strong language. You have to use a certain word. Kelly O'Donnell joins us live from the Netherlands tonight where she is traveling with the president. Kelly, we're now learning the Trump administration is planning to meet with Iran next week. That's right. That's right. We don't know exactly who will be in the meeting, but the U.S. and Iran in a rare

direct set of conversations or talks. And the president, he hinted that maybe it would be worth having a signed agreement from Iran to not continue a nuclear program. But then he said, that's probably not necessary because he believes that their program has been destroyed and that they don't have an ambition any longer to try to rebuild it. Tom? Okay. Kelly O'Donnell, leading us off. So how do we get to the bottom of the real state of Iran's nuclear program and whether that early intelligence assessment was accurate. For more, let's bring in NBC News Senior Pentagon correspondent Courtney Kuby. So Courtney, the president continues to insist Iran's nuclear program was decimated.

What do we really know, at least at this point, about the effectiveness of those U.S. strikes? So, Tom, two things can be true here. The strikes or the mission could have been his success, what it was laid out to do, and the program, the nuclear program, may still be somewhat intact, if not damaged. So the mission itself was successful in that they moved into enemy airspace undetected. They dropped a number of bombs. They fired off a number of Tomahawk missiles that hit the target successfully. They got out without being detected again.

No shots were fired. No Americans were injured or killed in it. From that respect, it was a successful mission. But the question is, did they do damage to the infrastructure, Iranian nuclear infrastructure, or did they decimate the program? The reality is a normal battle damage assessment just would not be done this quickly, especially when you're talking about a dangerous area, enemy area, essentially, and when you're talking about things that are buried hundreds of feet underground.

So the reality is, at this point, we just don't know the ground truth. We do know, though, that the military piece of it carried out the mission that they were supposed to, and from their perspective, that was definitely successful. As far as the program, we just don't know yet. Yeah, and I'm sure you're seeing these truth, social posts. I'm not sure if you are or not. But the president is posting about, I guess, a briefing tomorrow from Pete Hagsett. The Secretary of Defense, they're saying that they're going to provide, I guess, more evidence.

What can you tell our viewers about that if you've seen these reports so far, Courtney? We have. And we also expect to hear from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Dan Cain. So we expect that they are going to push back hard on this idea of this early defense intelligence agency assessment. All of the reporting so far about that. this has called this repeatedly a preliminary assessment. It has been focused on the fact that it is not all of the intelligence that would come in. Keep in mind when you're talking about something like this, you would have overhead imagery, photos, you would have human intelligence,

hopefully, people on the ground who have eyes on the target or eyes on the actual damage, and then presumably some sort of intercepts or signals intelligence as well. That just doesn't always come quickly, especially when you're talking about people. Now, the one wrench in that, is President Trump today in that same press conference you guys have been playing here. He said that there are people on the ground who have been able to see the damage themselves. We have been asking, we don't know what that's referring to. We do not believe that it was Americans, but it may have been a partner and ally or something that provided this information. But that is just the exact point that more information, more intelligence will continue to come in,

whether it be from the United States or be from allies and partners. We expect serious pushback to this reporting, but we don't know if the Secretary of Defense at this point is going to provide details about the new intelligence that we've been hearing about today, from Director of National Intelligence, Director of the CIA, and others. Okay. According to Q, there, a lot of information there, and I'm sure people are going to be tuning in for that news conference at 8 a.m. We thank you. We want to turn to some breaking news tonight. Twisters are ripping across the Midwest at this hour. At least six possible tornadoes, maybe up to seven, touching down in parts of Minnesota. You can see that. dark funnel cloud right there that has formed. Severe storms unleashing another twister in the southern part of the state. Tornado sirens are blaring just south of Minneapolis. We're getting new reports of damage. I want to get right to meteorologist Bill Kerrins for the forecast. Bill, what do you know? So we have two active tornado warnings. Now these storms are moving from Minnesota towards Wisconsin. The areas of concern where we possibly had some damage, we know there's been

tree damage. One barn was destroyed. I've not heard any reports. Many injuries or anything like that. But this is still kind of a breaking situation with south of Rochester. Here's the Interstate 35. All the little red icons on here show you where we've had tornadoes reported today near Freeborn is where we had a little cluster here. And as these storms headed toward Ellendale, law enforcement reported that tornado. So now we're heading over to the east. We've been watching this storm approaching La Crosse. It was tornado warned. They dropped it. Now they've reissued that tornado warning. So just south to Mount Prairie, there could be a little circulation here. The south side of La Crosse, Wisconsin is now under a tornado warning. Get to your

shelters and take that storm seriously, especially lacrosse southwards as we go throughout. the next hour or two. And that's an observed tornado now, too. So, you know, we can add that would be add to the list on that would probably be eight tornadoes now. So almost to the point where we get into outbreak territory. We've also had the severe thunderstorms in areas of North Carolina. Now, this was welcome in some cases because it's been so brutally hot. Any rain has been welcome. And this line of storms is now racing through Myrtle Beach heading towards Georgetown. That could have some damaging wind with it. And as far as the heat, well, you know, Tom, how hot it's been. Yeah. Oh, no, I do.

Sorry about that. I thought you were to keep going there. Do we know when there's any break from all this heat? There is. I mean, we're past the worst of it. I mean, all of us have experienced east of the Mississippi, how bad it's been. A lot of these warnings, their highest level, will be dropped. 125 million people. Tomorrow, this number will be much lower, but it's not like it's going away for everyone. The areas that it rained today have gotten a break. That's why it's only 85 in Charlotte. Earlier today, it felt like about 110 in Charlotte, North Carolina. So here's the forecast tomorrow. New York, northwards, you're happy, typical. summer, but from D.C. to Richmond all the way back through areas of the Ohio Valley, it's still going to feel like 100 to about 105. And even as we go into Friday, you know, we get sneak D.C. into this town. But, you know, it's summer and it looks like it's here to stay.

It won't be as bad and record-breaking, but not a lot of relief for our friends in the middle of the country. No, I see you. And Bill, keep us updated about those tornadoes. We know it's a dangerous night there in Minnesota. We thank you for your reporting. A major scare for passengers on board an American Airlines flight out of Las Vegas today. Video from the ground showing sparks and smoke coming from one of the plane's engines moment before it turned around and landed. NBC Steve Patterson has the details. Tonight, a terrifying moment after takeoff. American 6065, staying intense, if I get planes coming out of the engine.

You're over to have to return. Video showing flames flickering from the plane's right side, accompanied by what appears to be a constant knocking from the engine. The American Airlines flight spewing a smoke trail across the same. skies over Sin City spotted from the ground after a witness says they heard an audible boom. The Charlotte-bound flight from Las Vegas took off shortly before 8 this morning with 153 passengers and six crew members. Within minutes, the plane was forced to turn around, landing back safely on the ground in Vegas. Authorities say no one was injured. American Airlines calling the incident a mechanical issue, adding the aircraft taxi to the gate under its own power and customers

deplane normally, adding there was no evidence of fire in the end. engine. It appears to be what is known as a compressor stall. When this happens, it scares everybody on the airplane, but the pilots will pull the power levers back and reduce the thrust being put out by the engine, and that typically will settle the engine down. The FAA tonight says they will investigate, and the plane has been taken out of service. A short scare for those on board, now thankful to be back on solid ground. All right, Steve Patterson, joins us live. Steve, you've been speaking with experts. I mean, it looked pretty scary in there. How serious of an issue was this? You know, serious enough to turn that plane around immediately

and cause a real scare for passengers. Although the experts I've been speaking to say it's much more of a mechanical malfunction, almost really akin to where your car backfires. There's a loud pop, there's sometimes smoke, sometimes sparks, but nothing these pilots aren't trained for or prepared for. And certainly, obviously, a real scare, though, for those passengers on board. All right. Steve, we thank you for that. We have an update right now in the case of Kilmore-Abrego-Garcia. You may remember he's the man at the center of President Trump's immigration battle. He was mistakenly deported to El Salvador and has since returned to the U.S. to face federal charges.

Abrago was expected to be released from jail today, but will now remain in custody for the rest of the week. I want to bring in NBC News correspondent Priscilla Thompson, who was at that Nashville courthouse where today's hearing was held. Priscilla, get our viewers up to speed about what happened in court. Yeah, Tom. So Abrago-Garcia was excited. expected to be released from federal custody today, but then the expectation was that he would immediately be placed into ICE custody, and they would potentially begin the deportation proceedings. But that is not what happened in court today. The judge spent about an hour outlining the conditions of his release, but then at the end, Abrago's attorney presented an issue

saying that if he was to be taken into ICE custody and potentially moved to Louisiana or Texas, some of the facilities that we have seen folks at, that they would not be able to mount a credible defense for him. And so what the judge said today was that she was not going to issue her order today, but instead she wanted the attorney for Abrago to enter a brief and that the DOJ would have an opportunity to respond to that by Friday to make a determination on what exactly will happen to him next. Tom? Okay. And Priscilla, Abreggo's wife has been an outspoken advocate. She was at court with him today. Let's take a listen to what she had to say. We will not stop until my husband is free. Our children are waiting.

for that call, knowing that you're on your way home to them. This fight has been the hardest thing in my life. We heard from his wife there. Talk to me more about what you heard from her and other supporters today. Yeah, there were several supporters who were here today with signs with his picture on it. They were chanting outside the courtroom and even went in once those proceedings got underway. And his wife actually said that today is their wedding anniversary. and it's a time when she should be with him surrounded by family,

but instead she was here surrounded by his supporters and she vowed to continue this fight. Take a listen to some of what else she had to say. Okay, Priscilla, we don't have that sound. Just to get our viewers up to speed here, can you update our viewers on what the Trump administration has said about Obrigo Garcia because they've put out the allegations of domestic abuse and even bigger allegations against him?

Right. And they are accusing him of being a member of MS-13 and having these gang affiliations. And they're accusing him of human smuggling stemming from a 22 traffic stop where he was pulled over for speeding here in Tennessee with nine other people in the vehicle. So this is what those federal charges are relating to. But Obrigo Garcia's attorney and his family say that that is not who he is. That is not the case. And of course, his supporters here today saying that that is not true that this is an unjust prosecution because of his immigrant. status, and they are calling for due process and justice for him. Tom.

Okay, Priscilla, thank you. Tonight in our series, Money Talks, a major change that could financially impact billions of Americans who make purchases using Buy Now Pay Later. Fico, the credit score giant, announcing those loans, will now factor into your credit score. So what does that mean for people who take advantage of the service? I want to bring an NBC News business correspondent, Christine Romance. So, Christine, a lot of companies offer this, a lot of people use this. Explain how this is sort of a game changer. You know, like 15% of Americans used this last year. Really fascinating, and it's so interesting because they've used it from everything from braces for their kids to mattresses and sporting equipment, big ticket items. Now right down to DoorDash and food deliveries. So this is a real game changer because until now, the credit companies, credit scoring companies couldn't see that mountain of debt and whether people were paying back on time. So this will allow people maybe to build credit if they're paying their bills on time, if they're paying these little loans on time, or it might mean that you're going to get a lower credit. credit score if you're not paying them on time.

And these are growing, right? A lot of people are using this. This is a huge deal in America. Yeah, absolutely. And if you've ever been shopping, you've seen it. Buy Now, Pay Later. It started at the stores, and now it's even online. And a lot of young people are using it who maybe aren't using a high interest rate credit card. So that's kind of one of the advantages is that if you're a young person putting something on a high interest rate credit card and you can't pay it off, you're getting nailed by interest. This is four installments in six weeks. Maybe an easier way to something. But if you have six or seven of these, you know, we have one survey that said 41% of people who had a buy now pay later loan were late, had been late on one of them. So that shows you

that maybe, in some cases, this is just getting people to overspend, overreach a little bit. These credit scores, they'll be available later this fall, maybe giving us some insight into the stress on consumers. Yeah, Christine, thanks for bringing this to us. Yes, too. Yep. When Top Story returns, the so-called Liver King arrested, have you heard about this guy? He's a social media influencer known for eating raw meat and animal organs and being completely jacked and ripped. He was taken into custody after making threats against podcaster Joe Rogan, the bizarre social media post that led to his arrest. The stunning upset in the race for New York City mayor, we brought this story to you last night, a socialist defeating former New York

Governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary what it means for the future of the party. And many unhappy returns, the popular online fashion retailer now banning shoppers for making too many returns. Customers are up in arms. Is it a growing trend? We're going to explain. Stay with us. We're back now with the man charged for making terroristic threats against popular podcaster Joe Rogan. Those threats came from a fellow influencer known as the Liver King. He gained a following for living a, quote, ancestral lifestyle and eating raw meat. NBC's George Solis explains the beef. Because Joe Rogan, we don't have to. to make videos to pretend anymore.

A clash between two popular influencers with massive followings now escalating. I've challenged you man to man to a fight. Honorable. This was the moment Brian Johnson, better known online as Liver King, was arrested in Austin, Texas on Tuesday. You got to go back to some people in the back of the phone?

After authorities say he made threats on Instagram against popular podcaster Joe Rogan. Joe Rogan, I'm calling you out. Police say detectives reviewed a series of social media posts made by Johnson, who has nearly three million followers. My name is Liberty. Man to man. I'm picking a fight with you. Adding, they observed that Johnson was traveling to Austin while continuing to make threatening statements. Just pulling up. Guess what? You're dead. You're dead. Austin is where Joe Rogan lives. NBC News did not immediately hear back from representatives of Brian Johnson or Joe Rogan. Austin P.D. San Rogan told him he never had any interaction with Johnson and consider the post to be threatening. But in 2022, Rogan called out Johnson's alleged steroid use on his podcast.

Now that we know that he's full of shit, we're talking about the liver king, by the way, ladies and Jones. The episode garnering more than 8 million views on YouTube. There's no way you can look like that in your 40s. That jack. I mean, he's preposterously jacked. Johnson was denied using steroids, but then reversed course. Primals, I'm making this video to apologize because I've f***ed up. Yes, I've done steroids, and yes, I'm on steroids. A massive decline in followers ensued for Johnson, whose videos promote what he calls

the ancestral lifestyle, showing him consuming raw meats, including animal liver, a diet that's drawn scrutiny from nutritionists for misinformation. Liver King is having liver. Surprise, surprise. In a recent Netflix documentary that catalogs Johnson's rise. That kind of feeling is dangerous. Rogan features prominently in the public firestorm that soon brought on his fall and has since led to Johnson's immense regret.

I guess I want the world to know I was wrong. I got it wrong. Okay, George Salis joins us tonight. George, how serious are these charges that Liver King is facing? Yeah, Tom, so first off, we have not heard from either reps for either of these men. And Joe Rogan did release a new podcast. today. But these are recorded days in advance, so we haven't heard any

reaction to this latest arrest. As far as the charges that Johnson is facing, well, it could range anywhere from about a 2K fine to six months in prison unless, of course, those charges are elevated. All right, George, we thank you for that. Up next on Top Story, the traumatic moment to teens, both U.S. citizens

are handcuffed in their home during an ice raid as their parents are taken away, plus a Major League Baseball player brought to tears on the field after heckling from a fan. We have more on the shocking taunts that got the fan ejected and banned what he told him. We'll be right back. We're back down with Top Stories News Feed at a dramatic moment caught on camera

after an explosion in fire at an Ohio apartment building. A mother is forced to toss her baby from a window. Look at that into the arms of Good Samaritans, doing whatever she could to escape the flames herself. The mom used bedsheets to lower herself down. to the ground. Five people were seriously injured in that fire. One person suffering a minor injury following a building collapse in New Jersey. Aerial video shows widespread structural damage at the Seabrook Brothers and Sun processing plant in Upper Deerfield. Thankfully, all employees were

accounted for. Hazmat crews were called to the scene after the collapse triggered a minor ammonia release. There is no threat to the surrounding public. Officials are investigating, but say there is no word yet on what caused that building to cave in. And as Chicago White's fan indefinitely banned from the field after heckling MLB star Kettle Marte during a game. Marte seen in tears after that fan reportedly yelled derogatory comments about his late mother who tragically died in a car accident back in 2017. The Arizona Diamondback star was later consoled on field by manager Tori Lavoyo and bench coach Jeff Bannister. That fan was ejected.

The Diamondbacks went on to win the game 4-2-1. And a monster jellyfish alarming beachgoers in Maine. Take a look at this thing. The bright red, nearly five-foot-wide marine animal was identified as a lion's main jellyfish, which can have tentacles up to 100 feet long. It was spotted at Willard Beach in South Portland. Jellyfish are common in Maine year-round, but this one is exceptionally huge. Locals have reported other large jellyfish sightings, and officials advise if you see one,

don't touch it, they do sting. Okay, now to the latest on the Immigration Crackdown. cell phone video shows federal agents breaking into a California home during an immigration raid, arresting two undocumented migrants and handcuffing their children who are U.S. citizens. Those teenagers recounting the traumatic experience, NBC's Julia Ainsley, has this one. These are the moments federal agents broke the windows of a California home before handcuffing two teenage U.S. citizens during an immigration operation. I never thought it was going to happen, especially to my family.

17-year-old Kevin Robles recounting the horrifying morning last week when his family was woken up to flashbanks and heavily armed officers at their Oceanside home. It was scary, imagine, just opening the door and getting received by like 20 lasers pointed out of you and all these rifles. I like, his 14-year-old sister Raquel, emotional, unable to say more than a few words about what she experienced. The agents were executing a sealed warrant for the arrest. of their father, Arnold Robles, on one charge of being a deported alien found in the U.S. Why do you have to cover up your faces? A neighbor recording the agents as they surrounded the family's home. We're telling in Spanish that they have an order from a judge,

ultimately leading the father, mother, and the two teens out of the house one by one in handcuffs. My cubs were tight to the mags, and I was telling them if they can elucin them. and they're just foul language, like saying, oh, stop being a B. You can handle this. Homeland Security has not responded to request for comment or details on the operation. Court records reviewed by NBC 7 San Diego shows O'Naldo was convicted of a DUI in 2023, for which he received a sentence of 358 days in custody and five years of probation. The operation is the latest in a string of videos that have gone viral for ICE's aggressive of arrest tactics targeting immigrants. NBC News has obtained internal ICE data that raises questions

about who ICE is targeting. Of the more than 13,000 immigrants convicted of murder either in the United States or abroad that were not in its custody, the agency has only arrested 752 of them. And over 65% of arrest made since October were of immigrants who ICE identified as having committed no serious crimes. Kevin and Raquel, both U.S. citizens, were released. that same day. Kevin telling NBC News San Diego that his father remains in federal custody and his mother, who is undocumented, is now detained and going through deportation proceedings. They said they only came to get one person, but ended up taking both of them. Now, Tom, a DHS spokeswoman said the data we referenced was inaccurate, but they failed

to give a criminality breakdown of the immigrants who have been arrested so far. Meanwhile, Republican Congressman Tony Gonzalez, who requested that data from ICE to begin with last fall, says he wants to see ICE using their tactical units to go after criminals and not nonviolent immigrants. He said that's something both Republicans and Democrats can agree to. Tom? Okay, Julia Ainsley for us, Julia, we thank you. Now to power and politics and that stunning political upset right here in New York City. So Iran Mamdani, basically unheard of just six months ago, declaring victory last night as the Democratic nominee for mayor, beating out former Governor Andrew Cuomo, one of the biggest figures in New York politics and really Democratic politics. Emily Aketa has this one. In the nation's most populated city, a political

earthquake. After 33-year-old Zora Mamdani declared victory in the Democratic primary in New York City's mayoral race. In our New York, the power belongs to the people. The little-known state lawmaker, a Democratic Socialist, upending former governor Andrew Cuomo, a political heavyweight with name recognition, financial backing, and major endorsements. Cuomo conceding as votes are still being counted. Tonight was not our night. Tonight was Assemblyman Mandani's night. Cuomo hoped the primary would mark the start of a political comeback.

Four years after he resigned over. sexual harassment allegations which he denied. We have just begun our walk through the entirety Manhattan. But Mamdani electrifying many voters through his talk to anyone's style and viral videos. Just how big of an upset is this? It's a major upset. It's a clarion call for the national Democrats. Pay attention to young voters. Have an appetite for big ideas. With the hopes of landing here at City Hall, Mamdani has campaigned on making New York City more affordable. with free buses and rent freezes with the help of higher taxes on the wealthy. These were sort of policies that I think are very tangible and give people the ability to actually imagine a future in New York.

Today, President Trump called Mamdani a communist lunatic, writing, Democrats have crossed the line. If elected, he would become the first Muslim mayor in New York City. Throughout the primary, he faced criticism over his stance on the Israeli government and limited experience. This is a man who has done nothing. Current mayor, Eric Adams, slamming Mom Dani as a snake oil salesman. You had one candidate that was running away from his record. You had another candidate with no record. Adams now running for re-election as an independent after President Trump's Department of Justice

dropped corruption charges against him, teeing up a surprising showdown come November in the Big Apple. Looking ahead to November, it's shaping up to be a race unlike any other. because you've got Mondani, who has certainly generated a lot of enthusiasm from Democratic voters. But then there's the incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat turned independent, though his approval ratings, notably, sinking to a new low just in the spring. Still remember, Cuomo could make a run in the general election on an independent line, so it's a race that will certainly be one worth watching. Tom? Okay, Emily Aketa, we're going to pick it up from there.

For more on the history-making election, I want to bring in former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, a good friend of Top Story. And welcome back to Jeff Colton, the co-author of Politicals, New York Playbook and becoming a good friend of Top Story. Two days in a row here. We thank you both for being here. We got our top story graphics team and producers. They put this together. I want to put it up for our viewers. I want to show them the map from the AP. It's a breakdown of how every neighborhood, basically in New York City voted. Mamdani is teal and Cuomo is pink. And you can see that Mamdani really had the majority of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and a huge part of Queens. Whereas Cuomo had the Bronx, Staten Island, Canarsi, the Upper East, and Orange. west sides. So, Jeff, when you look at this map, talk to me about the results, were you,

I don't want to say shocked to see such a strong showing, but tell me what you read to that map. Yeah, well, one thing that stands out to me is Parkchester and the Bronx, Richmond Hill, and Queens. These are areas that have large South Asian populations, and they are going out to vote for this history-making candidate. I mean, Zeran Mamdani, if he wins, would be the city's first Muslim mayor, first South Asian mayor, and you can really see the energy just on that map. Those are areas that historically have voted for Cuomo before. They did not vote this time. Do you think, Mayor, this was voters rejecting Andrew Cuomo or supporting Mumdani? I think, first and foremost, it was energy and excitement about Zaron. You know, this amazing

statistic, 25% of the early voters had never voted in a city election before. And that's just, we've never seen anything like that, really. He created energy not just in the communities that he represents ethnically. Obviously, anybody under 45, overwhelming chance they were voting for him. He got a lot people to feel that something could happen. At the same time, Andrew Cuomo ran a surprisingly negative and kind of grim campaign. He didn't offer inspiring vision. It was almost like an entitlement campaign. He was the experienced one, therefore people should vote for him. Well, guess what? People are not into experience at this moment. They actually want to see pretty real change, and I think Cuomo's strategy backfired on him. Both Eric Adams and Andrew

Cuomo attacking him on Donnie for not having a record. Jeff, I'll start with you. Do they have a point? I mean, the facts are true. Yes, he's only been in the state legislature for five years. Before that, he worked stopping evictions. He doesn't have a long history in politics. He's only 33 years old. That said, Cuomo has a long history in politics with a lot of baggage. I mean, people didn't want that from him. And so, yes, the people are choosing something new, and they're choosing somebody that they can trust in the future rather than somebody who's passed they know, and in many cases, who's passed that they don't trust. Free buses, free maybe grocery stores, doubling the minimum wage by 2030. Is this possible? Yeah. It's possible. Who's going to pay for it?

Well, look, when I ran, I called for pre-K for all. Yeah. And you got it done. And I got it done, and a lot of the establishment assessment, the New York Times, Michael Bloomberg, all we're saying, it could not be done. When you build real political support for an idea, for something, that would reach people, you'd be amazed how the political world, including our legislature, our city council, respond. I think Zohan's got the ability to get people crystallized around an idea. So, for example, those grocery stores, you've got neighborhoods in New York City that the supermarkets closed. People have to go a long way, just get decent food. Why not have the government step in? You can sell the food, but create something that people need. The same with free buses.

It's being done in many parts of the world now. And it will take a burden off of people and make it easier to get around. This is what government should be doing. But the burn is put on the wealthy, right? And going back to your administration, the wealthy threatened we're going to leave New York. Many did during the pandemic. Maybe some have returned. Do you think they stick around for this if their taxes go up even higher? Yes, because they're getting huge tax breaks any moment now from Donald Trump and Republican Congress. Obviously, the wealthy did very well during the pandemic. Most people's wealth increased greatly in that time. And you're talking about a marginal impact on taxes that's being talked about here, if it even passes the legislature. Emotionally, I think some people will

say, I want to go someplace else. Most New Yorkers who are well off, and we are developing new millionaires daily in New York City, is the truth. They're going to be here because this is where opportunity is. Yeah, but New York City, if you would agree with this, too, is also becoming a place, and maybe those are the solutions, becoming a city for the working class and the rich and the middle class is getting squeezed so hard, very hard to leave in New York City with the prices. Jeff, I do want to ask you, is this the end of Andrew Cuomo? That is the big question today. He has said in a TV interview today, he's not making decision yet.

He is considering whether he's going to run. He has an independent line in the general election right now. He's basically deciding whether he's going to pursue that and actually run a campaign on that independent line or not. It's up in the air right now if he does. Look, frankly, the guy has quit before. He ran for governor in 2002. He dropped out of the race when he didn't see a path to victory. And this is a very different situation, but he resigned.

He quit. He left. I know you don't like Andrew Cuomo. That's on the record. We've done that second time here. But does he have a path? I don't see it, but that doesn't mean he doesn't try. And I think that what will go through his mind is, you know, Mom Donnie will not reach certain voters.

Adams might not be able to either. Are there enough there, that kind of maybe moderate Democrat group, is there enough there? The problem is this is not a week ago. This is now after he has been rejected by his own party. And I think his stock went down enough that's going to be very hard to get people feeling energy and enthusiasm for him. Democratic Socialists, that didn't help out Bernie Sanders, didn't help out many of the primary candidates in 2020. So I want to ask you now, if it's Adams and Mamdani, who wins? Today I would have to say Mamdani because I don't think people in New York City are worried about that labor.

I think they're looking at a person who they've found so far to be engaging as a human being to have a vision, to have energy. Some of this is generational. Yeah. Like the desire for an energetic, fresh start, especially after all the pain we went through with the pandemic. So I think that label doesn't factor in. But Jeff, the scars of the pandemic, still perception on crime, issues with migrants,

and where they're being housed. Who do you think wins? Eric Adams, at the last poll, was historically unpopular, unpopular, less popular than Mr. de Blasio ever was. Thank you, brother. This is a beautiful moment. My heart just got worn. I'm just saying the statistics, so I barely see a path to victory for Eric Adams. It's not over, but it is going to be very difficult for him to overcome that.

Mamdani has all the momentum, the energy, a lot of mainstream Democratic Party folks are getting behind him today, like Governor Kathy Hokel. So it's not over, but he's definitely in the best position. Mayor, you won elections here. What's your one line of advice to Momdani? Build a broad coalition. I love Bernie Sanders, as an example. I think in 2020, when he started to gain real momentum, he had an opportunity to build a coalition that he didn't maybe pursue as vigorously as he might have.

I think Zorhan has an attitude that is very coalitional, build it now, and then build it also to govern. And keep leaning into these social media videos? They seem to be popular with the young people that are voting for him. Yeah, but that's one piece of the strategy. I actually think his strongest skill, if you spend time with him, he listens, he connects, and he can get a lot of people, I think, to want to work with him because he has that human capacity. All right. Mayor de Blasio, great to have you. Jeff Colton from Playbook, always great to have you, too.

You guys can go grab a beer and catch up with that good old days when you guys work together, and you covered his campaign. Thanks so much. All right, so we're still ahead on top story tonight, the gift card scam that left one couple penniless. What experts say you need to know to avoid being duped? And the popular online fashion store, ASOS, now pushing back on returns, banning some shoppers and causing others to hit pause before purchasing. A lot of people talking about this one. Stay with us. All right, we're turning now to Top Story's Global Watch. At least eight people are dead and more than 400 injured in Kenya following anti-government protest. That according to the country's commission on human rights.

Video showing people running while tear gas fills the air and, and others marching through the streets. Today's protests held to mark one year since 60 people were killed during anti-tax demonstrations. They then morphed into calls for the current president to resign. Firefighters in China confirming a heroin rescue after a little girl was stuck in a drain for more than seven hours. Look at this video.

First responders in the southwest province coming to her safety. Individuals are seen trudging through the water, then climbing a ladder and eventually pulling the girl out of a manhole. China fire to fire saying the rescue took five minutes and the girl is doing okay. This comes after heavy flooding in that area. And sticking in China, a hotel there is facing backlash for using red pandas to provide guests with wake-up calls. You heard me right. The hotel in southwestern China is popular with influencers who can request an in-room visit from the pandas and feed them treats.

According to reports in the London Times, a local forestry bureau in China has ordered the hotel to stop close contact activities between and hotel guests. Red pandas are an endangered species. There are believed to be less than 10,000 in the wild, according to the World Wildlife Fund. And back here at home, police body camp video in Colorado capturing a scammer's change of heart after she convinced a couple to buy $20,000 worth of gift cards. The woman admitting to the scheme and appearing to want to help the people she's cheated. Here's NBC's Tom Costello with the video and the story. Hi, Thomas. The admission caught on a Colorado police officer's body cam will make you angry.

A woman calling herself Rebecca admits she just scammed a senior couple out of $20,000. Who is this done speaking to? The person who scammed them. You scammed them? Yes. Why? For the money. So they got the gift cards and I got the money from it.

Tom and Sue told our Denver affiliate KUSA TV that they'd received an email that they owed money for a phone they didn't buy with a number to call. When they did, Rebecca answered, saying she was a federal agent and then convinced them to buy dozens of gift cards and give her the pin codes. She was very, very convincing. Their local bank called police, who then called Rebecca back, but amazingly, the scammer likely overseas, seemed to feel sorry for her victims. Just cam them down and give them some water and explain them what happened to them, okay? reporter Steve Stager. This couple said their life is in the sewer. They have to start saving again from scratch at age 75. Scam investigator Aaron West says international criminal

networks run a multi-billion dollar global scandemic. These groups are operating out of massive compounds using human trafficked workers and forcing them to execute these scams around the world all day every day. And it's very day. difficult to get stolen money back. To avoid being taken, be suspicious of anyone trying to befriend you electronically. The government, the police will never email, call, or text demanding money and treat every email call and text as a scam until proven otherwise. Tom. Tom Costello for us, Tom, we thank you for that one. Next tonight to the crackdown on returns.

Popular online retailer, ASOS, informing some customers, they've been banned from the side for violating its return policy. Some shoppers left stunned by the move, which they say came without warning, but ASO is not the only retailer making changes as retail returns continue to soar. NBC's Maggie Vespa has the details. I am blocked. I am blacklisted. I'm done. Tonight, clothing cracked down with a growing list of shoppers banned from online retailer ASOS for, they say, making too many returns. I was banned from using ASOS for life. Some saying they received emails like this one from the UK-based site, explaining after reviewing your recent return activity, we've noticed that it does not align with our current policy. When you read that email, what did you think?

Shocked. For years, 30-year-old executive assistant Daisy Ferreira depended on the site's free return policy, often purchasing multiple styles and sizes to find items that suited her before sending the rest back. ASOS doesn't have any physical stores. So how else are you able to, to get your sizing right or how else are you able to work out what's the best fit without buying and returning. ASOS tonight not responding to NBC News's request for comment. Their return policy states if we suspect fraudulent activity and or notice any unusual or suspicious activity, we may refuse to issue a refund and suspend and or close your account. They're not the only retailer reigning in returns. Target, Nordstrom and REI among a growing list, tightening

their policies in recent years. Industry experts point to shopping habits that shifted during the COVID lockdown when consumers began buying and returning larger orders online. During COVID, retailers were so desperate for our business that they allowed this to happen. However, the trend continued, and this becomes very expensive for retailers, and so retailers are cracking down. Some shoppers pushing back. Like many other, tall, plus size, or petite people. I have to shop online to find clothing. Shekenya Sarah Frazier, who says ASOS banned her account last week, started a petition on change.org, arguing for plus-size people,

those with disabilities and others, finding clothes in brick-and-mortar settings is often next to impossible. Think about, you know, whether there are any endemic issues that are causing people to return or shop in the way that they shop, and then also to add back in a human touch. I don't know if this is what happened, but I feel like this is what happened, But I feel like this was automated. And as we continue to grow and exist more online,

and we're seeing automation of things, AI is here to stay, that we make sure that we've got those checks and balances in place to make sure that no one is unfairly impacted. ASOS's return policy does say customers whose accounts have been deactivated will be able to return items from their final purchase, though they'll have to pay for shipping. Meanwhile, a recent study found 76% of consumers

consider free returns a key factor in deciding in deciding where to shop. Tom. Maggie Vespa for us, Maggie, thank you. When Top Story returns, scholarship surprise, the tiny Minnesota town with a monumental gift for each of its graduating seniors, what they're getting and what it takes to pull it off. That's next.

Finally tonight, a special tradition in one small town in Minnesota. The community raising money all year to give its high school seniors the ultimate graduation gift. Boyd Hooper from our Minneapolis affiliate, CARE 11, has this story on the Class of 2025. Lily Pearson, the University of Mary. Zach Kapinski, Minnesota State University of Mancato.

Every high school senior, you're meeting. Trevor Hanson, Central Lakes College, Staples. Is about to receive a scholarship to help pay for these schools. Hunter Moore, SMSU. A gift from Swanville. home town. A lot of adventures together. Former principal, Chris Dunci, and former gas station owner, Royal Loven,

brainstormed the idea in 1987. We put a big billboard outside of town on the highway and said, come to Swanville School. We give every student that graduates a scholarship. The billboard didn't happen. But Swanville got to work on the scholarships slowly. Average scholarship that first year. year, 166 bucks.

Brittany Johnson, UMD. Brittany Johnson, class of 01. Right here. Received the same amount as her husband. $500 is what I got. It's not even the money. It was just who was coming from. Brittany and Brian are now scholarship donors.

Seems like everyone in Swanville is. Swanville is just a really special place. place. Chili cook-offs, calendars, cheese curds, poinsettas, waffles, bingo, and pull taps. Swanville has sold everything, but it's historic water tower to raise money for scholarships. This year's average, $5,142. To me, it's just this community saying, like, go be great. Go see something cool and make a difference

in the world. A grand total of $5,000. Wherever you go, know that Swanville is always home. Swanville's class of 2025 can chalk it up. Thank you. To growing up. Thank you.

In the town that dreamed for them. Thank you. Boyd Hoopert for NBC News, Swanville, Minnesota. A big thanks to Boyd for his help on 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.