Top Story with Tom Llamas - Wednesday, May 6, 2026

Episode Date: May 7, 2026

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

Breaking news tonight, Jeffrey Epstein's possible suicide note released just moments ago what it could reveal about the convicted sex offender's death. The purported note unsealed by a federal judge as we come on the air saying the investigation to him found nothing and it's time to say goodbye. What this means for the questions swirling around his death. Also breaking tonight the urgent race to contain a deadly virus outbreak, officials in hazmat suits evacuating cruise passengers, loading them into ambulances, then rushing them to the hospital. We have new video of the moment the captain announced the first death. Will other passengers have to quarantine for weeks? Also tonight, a U.S. fighter jet firing at an Iranian tanker

and the new details on a 14-point peace plan now in play. Political races heating up in California, the new AI ad featuring reality star Spencer Pratt stirring up the battle for L.A. mayor. Plus, going a Republican be elected governor of the state for the first time in decades. dramatic water rescue, the desperate effort to save a family as their boat quickly sinks. The phenomenon in the music industry known as Blue Dot Fever, why some pop stars are struggling to sell out their concerts,

leaving unsold seats or blue dots on Ticketmaster's website. And the end of an era, McDonald's self-service soda machines fizzling out, while they're pulling the plug as customers spill their outrage all over the internet. Plus, the right to communicate the debate over a contract. controversial communication method used by some people who are nonverbal. We hear from both sides. Top story starts right now. And good evening.

We come on the air with breaking news. A possible suicide note left by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein just made public. Take a look. This is the letter just unsealed by a federal judge. It's difficult to read, but appears to say in part, they investigated me for months and found nothing and time to say goodbye. The possible note could have been written by Epstein when he was injured, survived an apparent suicide attempt in 2019. It's important to note the letter has not been

authenticated by law enforcement or NBC News and was allegedly found by Epstein's former cellmate. We want to get right to NBC senior legal correspondent Laura Jarrett to help us break this all down. Laura, there's going to be a lot of interest in this, so what do we know? Yeah, so at first we should explain why we're even seeing this now. So a cellmate who was actually bunked with Epstein back in 2019 says he was the one who actually found this note tucked away it had been scrambled on a legal pad. He then gives it to his lawyer because he says he's worried that Epstein's going to say that he was being harmed by this cellmate. So the lawyer then takes it, gets filed with the court.

It has been under seal since that time, Tom. So this has been under seal for years at this point. But the New York Times talked to the cellmate and then petition to get it unsealed. So that's why we're just now seeing it unsealed by this federal judge tonight. Again, it's handwritten. We haven't authenticated. But what it appears to say is they investigated me for. a month, found nothing. So 15-year-old charges reinstated. It's a treat to be able to choose

one's time to say goodbye, what you want me to do, bust out crying, no fun, not worth it. Again, so this is purportedly written by Epstein at the time before he actually did commit suicide. Again, that's suicide, something that's been of immense speculation, immense conspiracy theories for years now. But the medical examiner, the U.S. government has said that it was actually a suicide. again, it's going to raise questions because this was not part of the official file, Tom, right? This is not in the Epstein files. There's a chronology that gets referenced about this,

but this never was ever released as part of anything related to the Epstein files, and the government has never authenticated this. Yeah, and then the letter itself, because I think this is important, once the attorney for the roommate tells a judge about this, does the judge then take sort of possession? Possession of the letter,

so that's where it's been for all these years. Yeah, because the cellmates, in a dispute with his lawyer, and there was all kinds of argument about it. And so it's basically been as a part of that cellmates case. Again, he's still behind bars. He was convicted, former police officer, nothing related to do with Epstein or any of the crimes that he was accused of. Remember, he was behind bars because he was being prosecuted for sex trafficking by the U.S. government. And so, again, it's only coming out now as a part of that completely unrelated case. But the government may have questions about this. We don't know whether the

government, again, has managed to authenticate this in any way. They did not object to this coming out, we should mention, but there's going to be a lot more questions about, again, what is it shed light as it relates to his mindset at the time? People are going to be asking, you know, and I know we have not put this through an analysis, but does the handwriting, does it look similar at all from someone who, I know we're both untrained, but when you look at it, does it look like it's similar? It's interesting. So 60 Minutes had done a deep dive about another unrelated, purported suicide note, if you will, that came out that was discovered in his cell at the time. And if you look at the handwriting, just again, as a layperson, with that note compared to this one, you will notice it is remarkably similar.

In that other note that was uncovered by 60 minutes, it also says no fun. It's written in the exact same way. And so you can imagine over the coming days, there's going to be a lot to be made of those two notes. So to be clear, there's multiple suicide notes. There's at least two that we know of. Okay, two that we know of. Yes. Laura Jarrett, we thank you for that. Appreciate it.

Okay, now to that other breaking news we're following the race to stop the spread of a deadly virus that has killed three cruise ship passengers. Three others who have been sickened evacuated just hours ago. And you can see the full-scale effort, boats, ambulances, and medical planes used to get them to a hospital in the Netherlands. New images show one of the patients fully covered and on a stretcher alongside medical officials in hazmat suits. At this hour, the cruise ship and the nearly 150 people on board now headed for the Canary Islands. Camilla Brunall has the latest. These are the moments three people suspected to have haunt a virus were rushed to the Netherlands, evacuating from that luxury cruise ship at the center of a deadly outbreak.

This photo showing someone on a stretcher before taking off on an air ambulance. Patients later meeting a fleet of emergency vehicles at Amsterdam's airport. And the cruise ship now on the move in the Atlantic Ocean, heading for the Canary Islands off the coast of northwest. It's very scary because it was nothing that we were ready for. On 12th of April, we had the first casualty. Ruhi Kennett was on the ship's first leg for most of April and recorded the moments the captain announced the first death. This is my sad beauty to inform you that one of our passengers suddenly passed away last night. Why did you decide to record the captain's announcement?

I felt something odd. Turns out we were not well informed. The cruise operator says at the time of this announcement, there was no evidence of a virus or contagion on the ship. Three people died following this outbreak now confirmed by the World Health Organization to be the anti-strain of hauntavirus. In rare instances, it can spread from person to person. Health officials are now tasked with contact tracing,

with one passenger in intensive care in South Africa, another hospitalized after returning to Switzerland. Dr. Jason Zucker is an infectious disease physician. This is not as easy to spread as things like COVID, but I wouldn't be overly concerned right now if you have travel planned. Camila Bernal joins us. And Camilla, what happens to the people still on board this cruise once that ship docks in the Canary Islands? Yeah, Tom, so first of all, the ship is at least three days away from the Canary Islands. and the Spanish health ministry now saying that they're going to have medical screenings and then they're going to send these passengers back to their home countries.

They say they are equipped to handle this. We'll have special transportation and special locations for these passengers. And there is, though, one more possible hurdle, and that is that the regional leader in the Canary Islands says he does not want the ship to dock there. Tom. Yeah, it might be some problems there. Okay, Camila, thank you. For more on what you need to know about this deadly hunting,

I want to bring in Dr. Amish Adalja. He specializes in infectious disease and emergency medicine at Johns Hopkins. Doctor, good to see you. It's been a while. We appreciate you joining Top Story tonight. So we know this virus is typically spread from rodents to humans. But the strain known as the Andy strain can in rare cases be transmitted from person to person. So do you think we're seeing person to person spread here? And how concern should we be about that? I think it's very clear that there is some person-to-person spread that's gone on on that ship, just based on the dates of when people got on the ship, when the ship disembarked from Oswaya in Argentina, and the fact that we're now hearing about the initial couple that were infected doing things in Argentina in the height of high season for hauntavirus, and they likely got infected, at least one of them got infected,

and brought it on board and then spread it to some of their close contacts on the ship. Do we know how they got infected? I mean, people say that it starts with rodents, but how do people get it? People get it when they're in contact with the droppings of rodents. So classically, in the United States, where we have about maybe 50 cases a year, including recently Gene Hackman's wife died of onto virus in New Mexico. It's usually when you're around those droppings and you're maybe cleaning, cleaning out an old attic or cleaning out a shed,

and these things get aerosolized and you inhale them. That's how people usually get sick. We know they were birdwatching and doing other outdoor stuff in an area that's endemic for hanta virus. There's already been 40 cases plus that have been documented this year in Argentina. Yeah, we're looking at a graphic now. I don't know if you can see it on our screen as well, but it kind of shows a little bit how sort of this can be transmitted. Two people who had gotten off the boat are sick and have been hospitalized. One is in Switzerland, one is in South Africa. Could they have passed this virus onto others who might not know it yet?

So even though Andy's is something that can transmit from person to person, it's not easy. You don't get it casually the way you get COVID or certainly not like measles. This is something that requires prolonged close contact in order to transmit between humans, even if it has that capacity. So this isn't something that we expect to see many secondary cases occurring. They certainly are a possibility and they need to be ruled out and people need to be contact traced and contacted if they were in contact with a case patient. But I don't expect we'll see explosive secondary spread just because it's not a very efficient spreading virus.

Yeah. The incubation period for this virus can be several weeks with people not showing symptoms right away. How much does that complicate the contact tracing here on the ship, 150 passengers? Well, it means that you have to watch people for quite a while. That doesn't mean that they have to be quarantine. It means that they have to have some kind of check-in with health. They could take their temperature. People can keep a journal of what symptoms they're having. but it is going to be a process of 40-plus days

that you have to watch individuals that are close contacts. And I don't know that all 150 people on that boat qualify as close contacts. It's probably a subset of them that actually had contact with those eight case patients. Do you think it's a good idea to get the remaining passengers off the boat? Yeah, it's been a good idea

to get the remaining passengers off the boat. They should have been able to disembark at the Cape Verde Islands. I think it was a mistake not to let them do that because what you're doing is increasing the dread factor making it harder, especially if there are cases there. We know that there were sick people that just were evacuated today to the Netherlands

from the Cape Verde Islands. That increases the risk of transmission if you keep people around infected individuals. So they should have been able to disembark. Hopefully they will be able to in the Canary Islands. Yeah, and then I do want to ask you some of the symptoms, just again remind our viewers some of the symptoms of this disease. So it starts out just like any influenza-like illness, fever, chills, muscle aches and pains.

And the real danger symptom is shortness of breath as the lungs will start to fill with fluid as the blood vessels get leaky. That's what you really worry about someone getting into trouble with the disease. Yeah, it sounds like scary stuff. Doctor, we thank you again for joining. Top story, good to see you again. We're going to turn out of the Mide and the showdown between the U.S. military and an Iranian oil tanker trying to break through the U.S. blockade. Tonight, President Trump's saying he's optimistic there could be a deal with Iran soon. Are Garrett Hake speaking to the president late today? Tonight, the new showdown with Iran with a U.S. fighter jet firing on and disabling an Iranian tanker, which the Pentagon says ignored warnings and attempted

to bypass the U.S. blockade. The blockade is unbelievable. Tonight, we pressed the president about his optimism that a deal to end the war could be close, with talks focusing on what the Wall Street Journal reports is a one-page, 14-point U.S. proposal, citing people familiar. You're facing an opponent right now in Iran that has refused to submit. You seem optimistic now that you may be closer to a deal. What's different about this moment now than in other moments where a deal has seemed close?

Well, why do you say they refuse to submit? You don't know that. You don't know what's going on. They were firing on U.S. ships a few days ago. And a few days ago, it's a long time ago. You know, in the world of war, a few days ago, no, they want to make a deal badly. And we'll see if we get there. Optimism for a deal sending stocks soaring and oil prices plummeting.

But there's been optimism before. and the Iranian regime this week striking the United Arab Emirates and attacking oil tankers in the strait. Tonight, the president says he's setting no timetable for Iran's response. He's never a deadline. It'll happen. Garrett joins us tonight from the White House. Garrett, we're waiting to hear from Iran on this U.S. proposal. Yeah, Tom, their Ford ministry spokesperson has confirmed they're reviewing this 14-point proposal. And while that may sound like much, it's arguably a better position than we've been in in the past where either the foreign ministry or one of the other hardliners in Iran has quickly

come out and batted down a proposal. This has been on their desks, as it were, for at least most of today, without a negative response. All right, Garrett Hague first, Garrett, we thank you for that one. We have exclusive reporting tonight also on President Trump's sudden reversal last night, which ended his mission to have the U.S. military escort commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz. NBC's Courtney Cuby joins us with her reporting. Courtney, that move from the president happening after opposition from a key out of the U.S. walk our viewers through this one. Yeah, there was a lot of surprise just about this time last night

when President Trump posted on his social media platform that Project Freedom, which was this new mission for the U.S. military to help move commercial ships through a safe passageway in the Strait of Hormuz. It was just announced on Sunday. President Trump surprising many people in his own administration by announcing that he was pausing it. Now, this is literally as there were ships lined up

and ready to move through that. passageway, but not able to go now because of this pause. Well, we now learned today that, in fact, President Trump was pausing that at the behest of Saudi Arabia. Now, the president, when he made that announcement on Sunday, surprised a lot of key allies, including the Saudi government. And they were unhappy with that, the fact that they were kept in the dark about that until it was announced publicly. The Saudis called the U.S. and said they were taking back any ability for the U.S. military to not only operate the U.S. military to not only operate the U. planes out of Saudi bases in support of Project Freedom, but also denying them the ability

to fly U.S. military aircraft in Saudi airspace, having a direct operational impact on Project Freedom. President Trump reaching out to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman yesterday trying to resolve the issue, but it was not resolved by that conversation, according to two U.S. officials who we spoke with. The president then, again, surprising many people in the military in his own administration by then pausing the operation. It was only about 36 hours old at the time, Tom. Okay, Courtney Cueby with that big exclusive.

We thank you for that. Now of new details in the Secret Service involved shootout just blocks from the White House. Dashcam video capturing the chaotic scene. Here's Kelly O'Donnell, and a warning some of this video's graphic. Hey, Gordon, Chum. Whoa, whoa, whoa. New images tonight from Dashcam video,

capturing Monday's frightening takedown of an armed man blocks from the White House. Whoa! Hold on, stop, stop. Secret Service fired on the suspect, the video obtained by NBC Washington. During an ambulance ride, prosecutors writing that 45-year-old Michael Marks of Texas was talking. He allegedly made statements to officers, including F the White House and Kill Me, Kill Me, Kill Me. Monday afternoon, media at the White House were urged to take cover. Vice President Vance was on the move.

nearby. Today, federal prosecutors released these surveillance photos tracking the suspect, who faces three federal charges, including assault on an officer with a dangerous weapon. Investigators say the new photos also show the suspect running toward passers-by, firing a 9-millimeter handgun that grazed a teenage boy, a tourist visiting with his family. Kelly O'Donnell, NBC News, Washington. And tonight we are remembering, a legend of this business, Ted Turner, the one-of-a-kind media mogul who revolutionized cable and invented cable news, leaving behind a tremendous legacy of philanthropy.

They called him the mouth of the south. Early to bed, early to rise, work like hell and advertise. Ted Turner, a gutsy media titan that turned his father's billboard business into billions. That was my father's advice to me was do not set goals that are achievable during your lifetime set goals that are too high he saw gold rush coming in cable and satellite TV going into debt to buy a small failing Atlanta TV station which he turned into TBS calling it a super station and in cable single-handedly creating the 24-hour news cycle when he launched CNN this is CNN mocked at first it

grabbed the national spotlight during the first Iraq war the OJ Simpson trial and turned political bickering. Liberalism is on trial right now. Into must-see TV. Earlier today, the network announcing its founder's passing. For me very personally sad, breaking news coming into the situation room. Ted Turner, Ted Turner has died. But CNN was just the start for Turner, who was also a powerhouse in sports,

buying the Atlanta Braves and the Hawks and a giant of philanthropy, when he donated a billion dollars to the UN to promote world peace. I love this world of ours. It's a beautiful, wonderful place that deserves taking care of. He was also one of the largest private landowners in the country, some 2 million acres of land, using it to promote conservation, including bringing back America's bison. He married three times, including to Hollywood star Jane Fonda. He's a maverick.

He's quintessentially American. He's the underdog who made it. An underdog always willing to gamble. If you want to be successful in difficult circumstances, You have to get over being afraid. Eight years ago, Turner revealed he had been diagnosed with Louis body dementia. I think I've led an adventurous life, and that's really what I wanted to do. Ted Turner was 87.

And we're back in a moment here on Top Story. Dramatic video of father pulling a gun on an attempted carjacker, his whole family inside the vehicle. What happened next? Plus, the political showdown in California candidates set to face off on the debate stage tonight. in the races for governor and L.A. Mayor where the field stands and why one campaign ad is raising a lot of questions. We'll show it to you. And the stunning collapse caught on camera, an apartment building caving in. Look at that. As crews raised to put out a massive fire, we'll show you that scene ahead on top story. We are back now with dramatic video of father pulling a gun to fight off an attempted carjacker.

His entire family was inside the car forced to run. The deadly confrontation all caught on camera are Ryan Chandler has the details. Don't do it. No. Don't do it. Vente. Vente. Tonight, new video shows the moment a father opens fire in an act police are calling self-defense. Get the kids out of the way.

Watch as this man approaches a parked car and forces his way into the vehicle on Sunday. The driver tries to pull him away as a child runs out, fighting as the family scrambles for safety. Police say the driver, two women and several children, even a baby were in the car. I was able to help get them inside so that they weren't in the line of fire. Police tell us the suspect 30-year-old Jose Ramirez crashed into two cars at this gas station and then tried to force his way into at least four others. He then crossed the street into this parking lot where he targeted that car with the family inside. Tatiana Starks watched from her store just feet away, jumping into action to help the kids.

Hats off goes to dad because dad was able to stand his ground and, protect his family. The father fires 10 shots, killing the attacker. We are looking at this as a self-defense case. And Tom, police tell us they are not filing charges against the father at this time as the investigation continues. People here who saw it all happen tell me they're just happy. Those kids are safe tonight.

Tom. All right, Ryan, thank you. We want to turn out of California, which is at the center of politics tonight. High stakes debates are scheduled in the races for governor and L.A. mayor, but Tonight it's a new AI ad celebrating reality star and mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt that's raising some new questions. NBC's Dana Griffin reports. Is this the future of politics? This AI generated ad depicting Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt as Batman coming to save

Los Angeles from its current mayor. His opponent Karen Bass and other state politicians who appear in the video to mock residents begging for change. Children aren't safe. The ad reposted by Pratt was first posted to X by AI filmmaker Charlie Curran. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush calling it maybe the best political ad of the year. A sentiment Republican Senator Ted Cruz reposted. But it's raising ethical questions about AI in politics. NBC News reached out to Pratt Curran and those pictured in the ad. We're waiting to hear back. The controversial new video comes ahead of tonight's California debate double header hosted by NBC Los Angeles and Telemundo 52.

just weeks before the June primary. In the governor's race, more than 60 candidates are on the ballot. Seven will be on this stage tonight, but only the top two vote getters, regardless of party, will advance to the November election. Democrats Javier Bacera,

Katie Porter, Tom Steyer, and Trump endorsed Republican Steve Hilton, among those making their cases to voters. We need a unbelievable change to get back. We don't need MAGA values, but we also don't need more of the same. If an undocumented worker killed something, somebody, he should go to jail.

In the L.A. mayor's race, several pressure points are dominating the conversation. Homelessness, fallout from the deadly L.A. wildfires, and the cost of living, including sky high gas prices. Trying to get a more gas fishing car, travel less. Incumbent Karen Bass is facing questions over the city's wildfire response and recovery efforts, as home prices continue to soar among the highest in the country. Challenger's Nithia Raman and Pratt, now both looking to turn voter concern into change. All right, Dana Griffin joins us. Dana, I want to turn back now to that AI ad that's getting so much attention. How are people in L.A. reacting to it?

So, Tom, I can tell you that Pratt seems to endorse that AI-produced video by reposting it to his page. But the irony there is that the Hollywood TV and film industry is currently under threat by the use of AI. So he may draw some iron there from people in the industry who were fighting. to keep jobs here in California. Now, the people in that video that we reached out to have not responded to NBC News' request for comment, but some Democrats are questioning another viral video featuring the real Spencer Pratt as he's standing outside the actual homes of his opponents and a trailer he says he's been living out of since his home burned down last year during the LA wildfires.

He has since admitted that he is renting a home paid with insurance benefits. Tom? Oh, okay. We thank you for that one, Dana. Still to come tonight, our series, The Cost of Denial and the investigation into the challenges some military members say they're facing to get the care they desperately need. Plus, the daring water rescue first responders scrambling to save a family as their boat starts to sink during a storm. But first, Top Story's top moment in the Dallas School coming together to pull off a big surprise, the community at Lakewood Elementary buying a car for beloved crossing guard, Mr. Ernest, who has been Ubering to school after. car was deemed beyond repair. Take a look at the reveal.

250 families raising the money in just three days to support Mr. Ernest, showing what community is all about. That's a great ride. Stay with us. More Top Story on the way. We're back now with Top Story's news feed and an update in the search for a special forces veteran accused of shooting his wife. U.S. Marshals announcing that Craig Berry is dead, ending a day's long manhunt. Authorities say Barry fled into the woods in northwest Tennessee after the shooting, wife has survived. The Stewart County Sheriff's Office says Barry appears to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. And new developments in the murder case of Kristen Smart, a college student who disappeared three decades ago. Authorities in California serving a new search warrant today at the home of Susan

Flores. Her son was convicted of Smart's murder in 2022. Prosecutors say he killed her during an attempted rape in his dorm room. Smart's body has never been found. And dramatic video out of North Dakota capturing the moment, part of an apartment building just suddenly collapsed. Look at this. It happened earlier this week as crews raced to put out a fire. A local fire marshal says one firefighter was hurt and dozens of people were forced from their homes, but luckily everyone inside was able to get out safely. And an urgent water rescue caught on camera in central Florida. Here you can see six people stranded as their boat starts to sink.

Some jumping on board onto the lake, first responders speeding in, helping pull everyone from the choppy water before bringing them back to shore. They say a storm swept through the area causing dangerous conditions. That to our series, the cost of denial, where we investigate the challenges people face with their insurance and health care coverage. Aaron McLaughlin focuses on one company that administers health coverage known as TRICARE, specifically for active duty military personnel and certain veterans, and the number of members saying they can't get the service they should. This is the moment retired sergeant first class Guy Shoemaker feared most. The safest thing would be for you to get a feeding tube. Not. I know.

Not a fan. Cough. There you go. Guy is struggling to swallow. He needs weekly therapy to recover from the radiation that helped him defeat stage two throat cancer. For a while, he'd stop going to critical appointments. We've just been on pause for so long. And that pause?

Because why? Because of the lack of insurance coverage. Guy and his wife, Kathy, are both retired Army recruiters. They each serve for more than two decades. including Guy's time in Afghanistan. And like 4.2 million uniform service members, veterans, and family members, they have health coverage through a federal program administered by Tri-West Health Care Alliance. These are just all the latest bills. They say they face tens of thousands of dollars worth of rejected claims because of a simple mistake. Tri-West incorrectly saw the couple's

separate vision plan as their primary insurance known as O-H-I, or other health insurance and has been pointing to the so-called OHI to deny coverage for guys post-cancer treatments. It's a click. Somebody's just got to check the box and say this person doesn't have an OHI. So on the one hand we're talking about a checked box. Right. Yeah, a mouse click. And on the other hand, it's a question of your survival. Yes. He says these denials didn't used to happen that his health coverage for veterans, veterans through the federal government used to work great. But everything changed at the beginning of last year

when TriWest took over the contract to administer the plan for Guy's home state of Texas and 25 other Western states. I mean, you go from flawless, I'm being taken care of to just getting dumped. Denial, denial, denial. The transition to TriWest, a nine-year, $65 billion contract, was a problem for members from the start, reported on by NBC News and others. And yet, more than a year later, problems persist, with thousands joining social media groups dedicated to airing grievances with Tri-West. NBC News has been in contact with 13 beneficiaries,

in addition to the shoemakers, who report a litany of issues ranging from inability to get answers to basic coverage questions to denials of potentially life-saving emergency care. getting the problems resolved for some proving impossible. You faxed. Yes. You faxed. Yes. You called.

Yes. You contacted your lawmaker. Yes. You posted on social media. Yes. And the one thing that made a difference. You. NBC.

NBC. It was the first time I got a phone call back. They called us and said, oh, we're going to open a case. You deal directly with me now. They recorded one of those calls where TriWest representative acknowledged its mistake. I apologize for why it's not been communicated to you that way. In statements to NBC News, TriWest said it processes more than 2 million claims a month. And also acknowledged that Shoemaker has faced undue challenges during his treatment

and that their reprocessing has denied claims to ensure he receives proper coverage. After NBC News asked TriWest about the other 13 cases we've been tracking, TriWest says it assigned dedicated case managers to each of these beneficiaries to address and resolve concerns raised. Most now tell us that their initial problems have been resolved. Thank you, NBC Nightly News. After contacting NBC, once NBC got involved. Bills that just simply hadn't been paid, got paid. Several of the claims were paid correctly.

We just got our first reimbursement check in the mail. And we're so thankful. Ultimately, the Pentagon is responsible for all of these issues. Its defense health agency or DHA is charged with oversight of the program. Our investigation found that after TriWest was awarded the contract, the DHA was warned repeatedly that TriWest was not ready to take on the work, jeopardizing coverage for millions of active duty and veteran military personnel. That according to two sources with direct knowledge of the transition.

TriWest says not only did the DHA determine that TriWest was the most qualified company for the job, so did the courts and the government accountability office. But our sources say the defense health agency did not provide adequate oversight. The DHA says it conducted rigorous readiness validations before the transition to TriWest, but acknowledged unforeseen challenges. That one was denied. Our records indicate the patient has other health care insurance. It's still happening.

Yes. They say denials from the health coverage they earned. cut deep. Do you wonder what if? Always. Yep. I'm always thinking about my family. What could happen to my family? Come on. I feel betrayed. I upheld my end of the obligation. All of a sudden, that's just all wiped away. Okay, with that, Aaron McLaughlin joins us now. And Aaron, you say the shoemakers, and we saw it there, are still facing denials? Yeah, that's right. We spoke with Guy today. He said that while his initial issues have been resolved, He's facing yet another denial once again, citing the other health insurance that he does not have.

Other beneficiaries tell us they are continuing to face coverage issues. Some tell us that they have put off critical health care appointments because they're scared of yet another denial. And you're hearing from another beneficiary who is worried about young enlisted troops, explain what's happening here. Yeah, this is a retired beneficiary, retired veteran as well as lawyer. He said, look, he has the experience to navigate the system. In fact, he has devised an eight-point system to deal with these denials, but he's concerned about young enlisted soldiers with families that don't have that legal background. It's a concern shared by Guy. Guy was a military recruiter for 20 years.

He said he said it more times than he could count free health care for life as an incentive to join the military. Now he says he'd think twice. Aaron McLaughlin, great story by you and the team tonight. We thank you. When we come back, the growing fight over a form of speech therapy known as spelling. We'll show you how it works and why some critics are skeptical about its effectiveness. Plus, the professor accused of making up a prestigious award so he could give it to himself. How it all unraveled?

That's next. We're back now with the fight brewing over the right to communicate for non-speakers, people with physical disabilities that make it difficult to speak out loud. There are therapies and tools that enable them to communicate, but opponents say the methods are unproven and could lead to harm. Our Vicki Wynn explains. At Mouth to Hand Learning Center in Mount Kisco, New York, students learn how to communicate. Many are on the autism spectrum, with about one in three people considered non- or minimally verbal, including 14-year-old Abby Neubold. Abby's mom, Andrea, says for a decade, the family tried everything. We tried cards with pictures on it, right?

We tried devices with the iPad, also has pictures on it. She had speech therapy. She had ABA therapy, and they weren't working. They weren't working. Two years ago, she learned about spelling, a debated form of communication, where students are taught how to point to letters

or type them to spell out their thoughts. I definitely went into a skeptical. You know, I have a PhD in nursing. in nursing. I'm not somebody that just jumps on the bag wagon. We spoke to Abby with cameras set up to show the letters she's pointing to next to mouth to hand co-founder Judy Chinitz, who verbalized what Abby spelled. Abby, have you done a lot of these TV interviews before? No. No, I, G, A, and one. No, it's my. And it's done. No, it's my first. Chinitz has not worked with Abby, but, but, you know, it's my first.

Shinitz has not worked with Abby, but she's taught hundreds of students this method. How are you helping Abby? I am what we call a communication partner. My job is basically to keep Abby calm so that she can overcome her inherent motor disability. Who taught you how to speak like this? Speak, M, Y, M, O, M, my mom. My mom. Abby, what was it like the first time you were able to talk to your mom and dad?

I D-I-D-W-N-S-E-A-E-N-D-F-E-N-D-F-N. You started to get the responses. How did that make you feel? Unbelievable. She said to us, I need to learn how to take tests. And we're like, OK. She goes, so that I can go to college. And my husband and I were instantly in tears.

In June, a New York Senate bill was introduced to protect the communications rights of people with disabilities. But the bill is now under threat. Chair of the Senate Disabilities Committee, Patricia Feahey, amended it to require the preferred method of communication to be validated, though that standard is unclear. The amended bill would not protect spelling and typing.

Fahey declined to be interviewed. In a previous interview, she said she supports communication methods grounded in evidence-based practice. Diane Paul is with the American Speech Language Hearing Association. It's not independent communication. Why do you think this method of communication could potentially be harmful? Because there's the risk of influence by another person. But Chinat says she's seen the method work for hundreds of students, including her own son, Alex,

who types his answers that are then read aloud by a computer. What was it like being in your body and not being able to communicate? It is torture. He's now able to type. and is a college sophomore majoring in math. To be able to talk is a basic human right. We are freeing some of the most amazing, beautiful, brilliant, empathic people that you could ever come across.

We're freeing them from what we call the silent cage. Abby's mom says spelling has changed their lives. It's easy for people to say I want the evidence, but my daughter is the evidence. Vicki Wynne joins us now. Vicki, so where does this bill stand right now? So, Tom, it was Assemblyman Angelo, Santa Barbara, who introduced it. His own son has autism, and he says he has seen many non-speakers benefit from this communication method.

He and advocates are really hoping that someone in Senate leadership is going to step up and co-sponsor this bill without the amendment. They want to bring it to a vote next month. Some people watching the story may be wondering, are the non-speakers able to spell and type if someone's not holding the keyboard? It's a question we had to, and many can, Tom. But the way the advocates put it to us is think about when you were little and you were learning how to ride a bike and you were doing fine until you realize someone wasn't holding on anymore. You might have wobbled. You might have fallen. They say that's why non-speakers need that communication partner there. It helps them to regulate to stay calm. But that's the goal they're working toward is being able to do it without someone there. And many of them get there. So the board can be put down. But they say this is a step along the way for that learning process. All right. Vicki Wynn. So great to have you on Top Story. Appreciate it. Now at Top Stories, Global Watch, a check of what else is happening around the world. We're going to start in Indonesia with a deadly head-on collision between a bus and an oil tanker.

Here you can see smoke and flames billowing from the wreckage. First responders say at least 16 people were killed. Four others were worse to a nearby hospital with injuries. Right now, it's unclear what caused that crash. And in France, a professor is under investigation for giving himself a fake award similar to a Nobel Prize. His name is Florent-Montaclair, and the BBC reports, He was decorated with the gold medal of philology. It's the study of language through texts.

But here's the thing. The medal wasn't real and neither was the group that awarded it. Now his university has reportedly suspended him. We have reached out to the school and the prosecutor leading the investigation. But so far, we have not heard back. A prosecutor is on that one. Okay. And apparently, being the Pope doesn't excuse you from hassles with customer service.

A few months ago, Pope Leo called his bank in Chicago to update his number and his address. The woman on the line reportedly. told him he had to go to the branch in person. So Pope Leo tried pulling the Pope card, telling her his real identity, can you do me a solid? But she still wasn't buying it and simply hung up the phone. That's all according to one of Leo's close friends and fellow priest who recently recalled the bank incident to a group of Catholics. No word yet from the Vatican. Next tonight to the epidemic spreading across the music industry. Have you heard of the so-called blue dot fever? It's a term coined by the internet and tabloid newspapers after concerts are canceled

due to low ticket sales. The main symptom, represented by the little blue dots on Ticketmaster's venue map. Artists including Post Malone, the Pussycat Dolls, and Megan Trainer, all canceling concert dates as speculation grows over weak ticket sales. It comes as the average ticket price in 2025, hit $135, and as you know, skyrocketing during resale. So are concert goers at their breaking point over prices? Let's bring in Puck contributor and host of the Decible and Docket podcast, Dave Brooks. Dave, thanks so much for joining Top Story tonight. So what do you think is this? I mean, I know at some point

there's going to be a reckoning with Americans and the prices they're paying for live events. Is it this or is it the acts not just drawing enough fans? Oh, it's a little of both, I think. I think that, you know, there's obviously demand isn't really strong for some of these acts. I mean, look at

Post Maloney, just toured last year and just did stadiums, you know? He's definitely had enough demand to headline stagecoach festival last weekend, but, you know, fans are necessarily buying tickets for this stadium tour with jelly roll. It means a little bit of demand. I also think it's ticket prices.

Some of them are very expensive and fans are spending their money in other ways. Yeah, we're seeing resales climb dramatically. Do you think Americans are saying enough is enough, even with the resale market? Yeah, I think people have had major price fatigue. Prices have continued to climb year over year. They finally flattened from 2024 to 2025. We assume this she happens to 2026. But, yeah, people are tired of paying these absorbent prices for tickets,

and they're choosing their money out there. Post-pandemic, right, we saw this resurgence in people wanting to see live music. I'd argue it was also there with sports as well. Sports is still one of the only segments of television that is growing in streaming as well. Do you think the industry right now is oversaturated with performances? Are people just adding too many dates to their calendars? There's just, I mean, you can say oversaturated. There's a lot of stuff out there.

And like any marketplace, whether it's film or concerts, some things are going to fail and some things are going to work. There's plenty of things that are working right now. But it's just once we kind of get these high-profile cancellations all kind of calm together, And then, you know, somewhere in the newspaper, because of the funny term, like blue dot fever, it kind of sticks. And it resonates with people, you know? It's weird, though, because there are other,

I don't know, live acts that seem to be doing well. Like when you look at the sphere, it feels like any act that goes to the sphere does pretty well. Yeah, absolutely. And no doubt's about to play the sphere pretty soon. I think they're going to do tremendous. You know, we've seen debt company play there. Eagles.

YouTube. There's so many. Yeah, yeah. And that's because it's fair. I've been in the sphere. It's an incredible experience. It's unique. You're not going to see anything like it. And people will pay money to see it. There's been big bucks to go to sphere. Here's the complicated question for you now. Country acts, though, still seem to be selling out. So what's going on? Country music is very strong right now. You know, Luke Combs, Morgan Whalen. People really like to go to a country concert. And they're pretty reasonably priced. Oh, that could be it right there. All right, so great to have you on. We thank you for that. I'm sure we'll talk again soon.

And when we come back tonight, it's the end of an era at the Golden Arches. McDonald's pulling the plug on its self-served soda fountains. Can you believe this? Why it's getting canned and how customers are reacting. That's next. Finally, tonight, could an iconic piece of the McDonald's experience be going away? The fast food chain says they're in the process of phasing out their self-service soda machines over the next few years, and thirsty consumers are starting to notice.

NBC's Valerie Castro has this one. Breaking McDonald's news. Are soda fountains fizzling out? Conversations are bubbling online over McDonald's, and their plans to completely phase out self-serve soda machines over the next six years. Okay, so say goodbye to these things. While Mickey D's first announced these plans back in 2023, thirsty customers are now starting to notice.

They don't have a fountain drink machine anymore. they get you your drinks. Going and getting your meal and then going over and picking your soda was part of the experience. It's not clear how many of their more than 38,000 locations still have the self-service machines.

But McDonald says it's on course to complete the transition to behind-the-counter soda service by 2032. Is it kind of sad? Oh, yeah, for me, personally. Yeah. Gosh, I've been a heavy user of self-served drink stations. I'm a Diet Coke addict.

Editor-in-chief of restaurant business, Jonathan Mays, says he understands the online reaction. This thing that we had, like, you would get the ultimate amount of control on how much you wanted to drink. And it was a great bargain. You could mix match. You could do all sorts of things with it, and now you really can't. Some customers speculating theft is the reason Mickey Dees is pulling the plug. Apparently, too many people are going back to the well. You used to be able to walk into McDonald's axe for a water cup.

You take that water cup and get any drink you want. In light of the recent buzz on social media, McDonald's says the change is to ensure a consistent high-quality experience for customers and crew across all ordering channels, whether that's McDelivery, the app, kiosk, drive-through, or in restaurant. The classic soda fountain has long been a favorite of the fast food faithful. Quarter pound, french fries, pretty coke. At the center of that iconic McDonald's nostalgia. even inspiring miniature toy versions.

Fisher Price introduces the McDonald's soda fountain. But the real-life version going dry as the Golden Arches cut back on customer control. Valerie Castro joins us tonight, and she comes with the sodas. So Valerie, were these self-served or were these soda machines in the back of the franchise that you went to?

So our lovely colleague Taylor went and picked these up for us, and she said that these were not a self-serve machine. These were something that she had to order from the counter. But even though McDonald's is doing away with the self-service machines there, still jumping on the beverage trend. We know fast food places have added, you know, energy drinks, they've added protein in some cases. These are some of the new things that you can find

at McDonald's this week. This is the Spriteberry blast, and it's blue raspberry with cold foam. It's considered a dirty soda. Okay. That's a new thing. If you would like to try. This is the Blackberry Passion Fruit refresher. It's lemonade with freeze-dried dragon fruit. It is that's sweet. caffeinated. So clearly, these sorts of things are not going away. But just to note, as far as getting free refills, you might wonder about that. If you can't get your drinks anymore, I mean, you could go back. That was great. The company says it's really up to the individual franchisees if they will continue to offer free refills or if you go back. So store by store, case by case basis. Yep, some might charge it.

Can't believe that. Wow. End of an era. Anyways, Valerie, we thank you for being here. Thanks for bringing the drinks. And we thank you for watching Top Story. I'm Tom Yamis, New York. Stay right there. More news on the way. Thank you.