Friday, October 2, 2026

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1:01Breaking news tonight, the new special prosecutor taking over the Cornell rape investigation. New York's governor blasting the district attorney and the Ivy League schools police over their handling of the alleged rape, appointing Attorney General Letitia James the hundreds of pages of evidence NBC News just obtained. Also breaking tonight, new reporting on the fly Dubai attacker, how he was banned from flying in his home country, and the disturbing writings he posted on social media about Jews. Plus the hero pilot speaking out on how we saved everyone on board. Newly unsealed body cam video of Luigi Mangione's arrest.

1:35The never-before-seen moments of the alleged CEO killer getting caught. What he told officers. Violent protest erupted across France. A fire set in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. How student demonstrations quickly spiraled into chaos. Ferris wheel scare a child dangling from a ride. Frantic crowds screaming for crews to save him. The AI reversal, a court deciding this AI-generated video of a deceased victim should have never been played in court. Why his killer sentence was just tossed out. And goalie goal, the historic moment on the ice. This Rangers goalie becoming the first ever to land one in the net.

2:14Plus, is McDonald's using AI to help price your Big Mac while you could be paying more based on where you live? Top Story starts right now.

2:28Good evening. We begin tonight with a major update on the allegations of rape at Cornell University. A special prosecutor now taking over the case, calling it an active criminal investigation. In a fiery news conference, New York Governor Kathy Hochul saying she believes the former student who says she was gang raped by fraternity members back in 2024, tearing into the handling of the case and promising action. This woman, this young woman, had already endured something that is utterly unspeakable. And then at every turn, she was failed by people and institutions with an obligation to protect her.

3:07Hochul tapping New York Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor, who today faced tough questions about a statement she posted on social media calling what happened to Jane Doe horrific. And tonight, NBC News has obtained hundreds of pages of evidence from the school's investigation. And we have new details on who first brought the case to authorities and what the accused men said in the weeks that followed about the alleged assault. Our Maggie Vespa is tracking it all. She leads us off from Cornell's campus. Tonight, the Cornell rape investigation taking a dramatic turn, with New York Attorney General Letitia James vowing to pursue criminal charges if the evidence supports them.

3:44I know that you want answers. I do, too. A comprehensive investigation of this nature takes time, but my office is committed to seeing it through. Governor Kathy Hochul appointing James as special prosecutor, saying she's lost faith in the local DA, Matthew Van Houten, who two years ago declined to file charges after a female student now known as Jane Doe accused multiple members of the Chi-5 fraternity of assault. She spoke to the police. She sat for hours and told them exactly what happened to her. In what world does the district attorney not even interview her or anyone else involved or even request the full transcript?

4:28James also facing questions about her own comments on the allegations after posting earlier this week that what happened to Jane Doe was horrific and unacceptable. Why did you appoint an official who made a public statement affirming those allegations as fact, as someone who's supposed to be doing an investigation. I will answer that. I have every confidence in our attorney general. But Hochul defending her choice and James with this response. I will not comment on a Facebook post. Jane Doe's attorney, who's representing her in a civil suit against Cornell and seven KIFI members praising the appointment and blasting campus police over their handling of the investigation.

5:08They're not dealing with major crimes. They're not dealing with murders. They're dealing with breaking up keg parties, policing football games. NBC News obtaining hundreds of pages of documents from the school's disciplinary proceedings, revealing for the first time that Cordell police received several tips about a sexual assault at the fraternity house, including from someone identifying themselves as an ex-girlfriend of one of the accused. She said it involved several males, but said her ex was not involved. And included in those documents testimony from months after the incident from one of the accused.

5:42He says, girl never cried, never screamed, never asked for help. Adding, I asked the complainant if she was okay, to which she responded, yes. And tonight an attorney for one of the seven accused fraternity members speaking out on the appointment of this special counsel. A lawyer for Scott Kretschmar saying, quote, Scott welcomes a full and thorough investigation into Jane Doe's allegations, just as he would have years ago. Also stressing Scott specifically is not accused of rape. So far, three of the seven fraternity members have spoken out publicly, all three of them denying the allegations against them.

6:19Tom. We head overseas now to the new developments in that fly Dubai attack. The co-pilot stabbing his fellow pilot on an Israeli-bound plane in an alleged attempt to kill everyone on board. Tonight, new reporting that he was banned from flying in his home country of Oman over his radical views as social media posts surfaced about his hatred of Jews and growing questions over how he ever was allowed at the controls. Here's Matt Bradley. Tonight, a history of extremism. Alarming new details about the co-pilot who stabbed the captain of a flight to Israel and tried to fly the jet into the ground.

6:54The Wall Street Journal, citing sources familiar with the matter, reports that the co-pilot has previously been banned from flying by Oman over concerns he had adopted radical ideological views. But despite the ban, the pilot, an Omani national, was hired by Fly Dubai. The report saying it could not be determined if Oman ever shared its concerns with other countries or airlines. And tonight, for the first time, a presidential advisor from the United Arab Emirates called the attempted hijacking an act of terrorism. An Israeli official now telling NBC News investigators have discovered the co-pilot posted on his social media about killing Jews.

7:33All as we're hearing for the first time from the heroic Indian captain about those harrowing moments when his co-pilot started stabbing him. I was acting for my own life, Smit Machar says, but at the same time, I knew I couldn't let all of them die. telling India's prime minister from his hospital bed how he managed to open the cockpit door even as he was being attacked. I could sense the aircraft was going down. I said, Smit, just give one last push. And even while taking hits, I just opened it, he said. Brave passengers then rushing the cockpit, subduing the co-pilot and taking the aircraft out of the nosedive.

8:13Daniel Schlichter was in the second row and says he could hear Machar trying to fight off the co-pilot. It felt clearly like it's a fight for their lives. That was the type of sound that sounded like a terror attack. OK, Matt Bradley joins us live from Tel Aviv tonight. Matt, we know that the co-pilot is currently being questioned. Israel will play a role in the investigation? Yeah, that's right, Tom. We know he was transferred from Saudi Arabia to the UAE, where he's now under arrest. And Israeli officials told me today that Israel has sent representatives to participate in the investigation.

8:51Tom? All right, Matt Bradley, for us back here at home to the newly unsealed body cam footage of Luigi Mangione's arrest. Stephanie Goss with that video. Can you point your mask down real quick for me? New police body cam video released publicly for the first time. It was December 2024. The morning shocked officers in Altoona, Pennsylvania realized the most wanted man in America showed up at their local McDonald's and gave the police a fake ID. What's your real name? Luigi. Five days after he shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan, Luigi Mangione was caught. Why are you talking about your name?

9:34Clearly I shouldn't have one. I have a pocket. MANGIONI WAS SEARCHED AND ARRESTED. AT ONE POINT, AS MANY AS EIGHT POLICE OFFICERS WERE THERE TO ASSIST. THE VIDEO SHOWN IN A PRE-TRIAL HEARING LAST YEAR WAS UNSEALED BY THE NEW YORK STATE JUDGE AFTER CNN FILED A REQUEST. NOW MOMENTS LIKE THIS SEEN PUBLICLY FOR THE FIRST TIME. OFFICERS SEARCHING MANGIONI'S BACKPACK, SURPRISED TO FIND A MAGAZINE WRAPPED IN UNDERWEAR. It's f*** him, dude. It's f*** him. It's f*** him. 100%. Eventually leading Mangione to the police precinct. The Ivy League grad was searched again, a gun found in his backpack, along with a silencer.

10:18Oh my God. And the red notebook, where prosecutors allege Mangione wrote, whack the CEO. In August, Mangione appeared in federal court admitting he killed Thompson and was guilty of federal stalking charges. His sentencing in federal court is set for December. Stephanie Gosk joins us now. Stephanie, so where does the state trial hang right now? So the defense team wants it dismissed. They say it's double jeopardy. They have to decide, though he didn't be in court December 10th, the judge will eventually decide. But remember, in federal court, Luigi Mangione stood up and told a judge, I killed Brian Thompson.

10:55So what will that mean for a state case that remains to be seen? And he'll be sentenced in the federal court in December 18th. DO WE THINK WE WILL HAVE A DECISION BEFORE THEN? ON THE STATE CASE, YES, MOST LIKELY. AND WE'RE WAITING TO HEAR FROM PROSECUTORS AS WELL. THEY 'VE GOT A REPLY TO THE MOTION TO DISMISS THIS MONTH, AND THEN THEY WILL BE IN COURT ON DECEMBER 10TH. SO WE 'LL SEE. OKAY. STEPHANIE GOSKWY, THANK YOU FOR THAT. WE'RE GOING TO HEAD OVERSEAS NOW. PROTESTS IN FRANCE ARE INTENSIFYING. THEY BEGAN AS LARGE-SCALE STUDENT DEMONSTRATIONS ARE NOW TURNING INTO FIERY SCENES OF VIOLENCE. Richard Engel reports.

11:32Student unrest is raging across France. What started as a protest movement by high school students against poor conditions in their classrooms has exploded into nationwide violence. Riot police are firing clouds of tear gas and made thousands of arrests. So far, to no avail. Students claim there are chronic shortages of teachers and poor classroom conditions.

12:08But France's education minister says the movement has been taken hostage by small, violent groups. The demonstrators say they're fighting for principals. There are cockroaches and rats everywhere in the school, this student says. For us, adds another, it's about overloaded schedules. France's education minister tells NBC News more than 500 schools face protests or disruptions across France today alone. As these student revolts become a national crisis. Richard Engel, NBC News. Back here at home, we're learning new details after that botched execution in Tennessee. Death row inmate Krista Pike is hospitalized tonight after surviving two lethal injections.

12:58Now her legal team is speaking out about what went wrong inside that execution chamber. Let's bring in Jessie Kirsch, who's following this one for us tonight. Jessie, what are you hearing about her condition tonight? Tom Pike's attorney is now revealing she has intubated on a ventilator and remains unconscious. In part, that is a quote according to a Friday court filing requesting that the Tennessee Department of Correction the order to preserve all evidence related to Pike's failed execution. During Wednesday's execution attempt, the lawyers say, quote, she could be heard crying, whimpering, and breathing loudly throughout the procedure.

13:30Both of her arms were swollen, burned, and blistered. Pike's team saying it appears no one on the execution team ever realized the lethal pentobarbital was not being injected properly. The growing fallout coming after our exclusive reporting from inside the execution chamber. A source who was not authorized to speak to the media, telling NBC News Pike was not breathing effectively for at least 45 minutes. The Tennessee Department of Correction has said it, quote, followed every step of the state's lawful established execution protocol. Still a lot of unanswered questions, though, with potential appeals action still to come in the legal process.

14:07Tom. OK, Jesse Kirsch for us on this Friday night. Jesse, thank you. President Trump on the road again tonight, rallying his base in Mobile, Alabama as part of a midterm blitz. He's taken the stage just hours after the release of a disappointing new jobs report. Gabe Gutierrez is inside the Mitchell Center in Mobile. Gabe, viewers are going to be watching this going, what is the president doing campaigning in Alabama? Well, Tom, he's trying to rally his base here, as you said. He has a lot of supporters here. He's going to be rallying for a gubernatorial candidate, Tommy Tuberville. And he's hoping some of the media coverage from all this kind of spills over into the Florida panhandle.

14:43But there's another highly contested gubernatorial race with Byron Donalds over in Florida. But he said it over the next coming weeks. He plans to hit at least 17 states across the country, including some of the more contested races in the next couple of days. Yesterday, he acknowledged that he's, quote, worried about some races, specifically key Senate races in Texas and in Michigan. So we're expecting to hear from the president any moment now here in Mobile already. Tuberville took the stage to introduce him. He urged the crowd not to worry so much about the high gas prices, but that the war in Iran has been worth it, that it will soon be over.

15:26And some of the voters we've been speaking here with say that they are sticking by the president, but that they are urging other Republicans, not just here in Alabama, but really across the country, to come and turn out and vote, something the president says will be part of his message tonight, Tom. Gabe, give us a little more about the jobs report so our viewers understand what happened today. And then also talk to us about what's happening with Diesel and our allies overseas in Europe. Well, look, the jobs report came in last month, just 29 ,000 jobs added in the U.S., the unemployment rate ticking up to 4.2 percent.

16:00Those are less jobs than were expected. Economists had expected around 90 ,000 or so. A little bit of good news, though. Stocks did rise today because now some economists think that there's less of a chance that interest rates will rise. So it's definitely a bit of a balancing act there. But this is the last jobs report before the midterms. It shows that perhaps the economy is not humming along like the president says it is. But another huge concern, Tom, is what you mentioned, diesel prices. Those are record highs. And today the president announced that European allies had agreed to release 100 million barrels of their reserves over the next four months to try and bring those prices down.

16:40There had been some reports that the U.S. would have a diesel export ban. The president said that that was never really seriously considered today, but the reports got the attention of European allies. It could have been disastrous for some of their economies. So now, basically, this shows that the Trump administration is trying to do everything it can to try and contain these rising gas and diesel prices. And today we got that announcement of those 100 million barrels released by the Europeans. All right, Gabe Gutierrez, a lot of new reporting there for us. Gabe, always great to have you in the show.

17:09We're back in a moment with the stunning twist of fate. A man adopted decades ago learning that his biological father is Grammy-winning artist Michael McDonald. How about that? Plus, a court tossing out a killer sentence after an AI-generated video of the deceased victim was played during proceedings. And the terrifying scene, a little boy dangling from the basket of a Ferris wheel. You see him right there. How Cruz managed to get him down. That's ahead on Top Story.

17:40This message comes from Wise Business, the only account your business needs to scale globally. You're building a business with global ambitions, but hidden fees are eating into your margins. With Wise Business, you can pay overseas suppliers without exchange rate markups. Have customers worldwide get payment details in 22 currencies so you get more of each hard-earned payment without hidden conversion fees. Be smart. Get wise business. Download the app. T's and C's apply. This holiday, all plans, even unlimited, are just$15 a month. A holiday deal this good obviously deserves an enormously expensive holiday song, like All I Want.

18:20Right. Okay, we can't afford that. You know what? Forget the music budget. We're going to stick with whatever's in the public domain. Give it a try at mintmobile.com slash switch. Upfront payment of$45 for three months,$90 for six months, or$180 for a 12-month plan required. $15 per month equivalent. Taxes and fees extra. New customer offer for initial plan term only. Greater than 50 gigabytes may slow when network is busy. See terms. At Jared Jewelers, we know it's about more than fine jewelry. It's the moment they open the box. That smile they can't hide. Knowing you chose exactly right. because the right gift can bring a lifetime of meaning, a promise, a milestone, a memory in the making.

18:59Make every moment unforgettable. Find great gifts starting at$250. Jared, make the holiday last forever. Shop Jared Jewelers. We're back now with a story straight out of a movie. A man who was adopted nearly 60 years ago, now finding out his biological father is a Grammy Award-winning musician. You might recognize him from the Doobie Brothers. Steve Patterson explains.

19:30In a beautiful, lyrical twist of fate, music legend Michael McDonald says he heard a very similar tune from his long-lost biological son. What a crazy dream.

19:45St. Louis resident Michael Gessling says he was put up for closed adoption nearly 60 years ago. But when he became a dad, he took a 23andMe DNA test. Then last year, the phone rang. It was his biological mom, Diane. It was very emotional. He spoke to his dad over the phone, who might have mentioned something about being a touring musician. I say, are you Michael McDonald? And he chuckled and he said, yeah, afraid so. That's right. His biological father is five-time Grammy award-winning musician Michael McDonald. McDonald says he and Diane were just 14 when Michael was conceived and remained close.

20:24Both were actively searching, desperate to learn about their son's life. Just to know that he was okay and that he had a good life was, you know, a great reward. Last year, father and son took it to the streets to finally meet. What was meeting him, meeting your dad like? It was incredible. He just put his arms out and just gave me a big old bear hug and said that he loved me. The sweet freedom of a family's rediscovered love, all ending on quite a high note. Steve Patterson joins us from L.A. Steve, this is such an incredible story. Michael actually saw his father in concert before he knew they were related?

21:04Imagine that. The serendipity here is off the charts, Tom. Yes, not once but twice did Michael see his father, Michael, in concert before even knowing it was his father. The families have since come together for a massive family reunion where we should say that Michael McDonald also learned for the first time that he's a grandfather. Tom? Pretty incredible there. They look alike. You know, it's right there. The resemblance is there. Okay. Now to an unusual legal case out of Arizona. A manslaughter sentence tossed after an AI video of the deceased victim was played in court. In it, a simulation of Christopher Pelkey speaks directly to the man convicted of killing him in a road rage incident in 2021.

21:44Take a listen. To Gabriel Horkasidas, the man who shot me. It is a shame we encountered each other that day in those circumstances. In another life, we probably could have been friends. I believe in forgiveness. Wow. Andres Gutierrez is covering this one for us tonight here on Top Story. Andres, during sentencing, the judge said he loved the video, but now the Court of Appeals is taking a very different position. What happened here? Yeah, they sure are, Tom. So at sentencing, a judge can only consider information that is reliable. The Arizona appeals court says that this video wasn't. The victim, Christopher Pelkey, never said the words you just heard.

22:24AI made it look and sound like he did. The video did have a disclaimer that it was AI generated, but the appeals court said in their ruling, quote, no disclaimer could cure that error. And they also highlighted that the AI video presents a depiction of the victim and his thoughts created from the imaginings of the victim's sister. In its ruling, the court also wrote that the video clearly impacted the judge, who felt it was genuine, and eventually sentenced Gabriel Horkasitas to 10 and a half years in prison. So after this latest decision, the conviction doesn't go away, but he will be sentenced again.

22:57And Tom, our team ended up making calls and emails, and there is no word yet on when exactly that will happen. All right, good job working those phones. We are hearing from Pelkey's family about this. What are they saying? Yeah, we have Tom. His sister, Stacey Wales, still believes the message reflects what her brother believed. She says she has no regrets of using AI. But here's the thing. Even prosecutors at the time said they did not know the family was going to be using an AI video. So when it was played, no one objected in the courtroom. She calls this ruling from the appellate court as a setback in the family's journey to heal.

23:32He's protected for a redo. But when you die, there's no redo. Chris doesn't get a second chance at anything. It's final. And so the fact that we have to redo this all over again is just heartbreaking. And today, prosecutors and the defense told NBC News they cannot comment on this ruling while the case is still active, Tom. Andres Gutierrez here on Top Story tonight. Andres, we thank you. Still ahead on Top Story, is AI helping decide what you pay for a Big Mac? what one reporter found on how McDonald's and how McDonald's is responding. Plus, Tony Romo officially out at CBS Sports after he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, how he's responding tonight.

24:14But first, top stories, top moment, and an absolute pandemonium breaking out at the New York Rangers' home opener last night when goalkeeper, eager, I'm going to mess this one up, Shesturkin launched the puck across the ice in an incredible Hail Mary shot. Take a look. Shostarkin will shoot for the empty net. He scores! He scores! Igor has done it! The first Ranger goaltender to score a goal! That's incredible. It's the first Rangers goal by a goaltender in 100 years since they've become a team. And there's only been 17 other goalies to ever do that in the league's history. Pretty incredible. Stay with us.

24:56More top story after this.

25:06We are back now with Top Stories News Feed, starting with a scary moment cut on camera in Mexico. A little boy left dangling from the basket of a Ferris wheel. You can see that crowd of people scrambling to rescue him. The company running the ride says the boy was lifted up after getting into a restricted area, adding that he was safely brought down and reunited with his parents. And new dash cam video out of Indiana showing a school bus packed with kids crashing on the highway. Police say the bus and van both tried to merge into a lane. The bus driver then swerved, hitting a state police truck and causing the bus to flip on its side.

25:39Authorities say two dozen children were on board, eight were hurt and taken to the hospital, along with three adults and two state troopers. The NFL is now punishing the San Francisco 49ers owner after he was arrested in a prostitution sting. Jed York has been suspended six games and fined half a million bucks for violating the league's personal conduct policy. Police arrested him this summer at a mobile home park in Ohio where they say he was trying to pay for sex. Today he apologized for the incident saying he takes full responsibility. Also tonight, Tony Romo officially out as an NFL analyst for CBS Sports.

26:13It comes after the former quarterback was arrested back in July on suspicion of driving under the influence. The network says that both sides mutually agreed to part ways and that they thanked Romo for his contributions to the network. In a statement, Romo announced that he's now planning to take a break to focus on his health and family. Okay, tonight Dateline dives into a stunning cold case after more than 30 years. Investigators are solving a brutal rape with the help of the victim's daughter. But the case is shining a light on what critics say are outdated laws around the country. Here's Blaine Alexander.

26:46Cincinnati, August 1989. Dana Beatty, then a 29-year-old career woman on the rise, came home to find a masked man dressed in all black from head to toe. He took the butcher knife, took it to my throat, and I knew what was going to happen next. For the next five hours? He raped me at least five times. Police investigated every angle, but the case went cold. until I was like, no, that's not going to be the story. More than 30 years later, Dana's daughter, Andrea learned about advances in DNA and got in touch with Cincinnati police. It seems like something that could be solved and fixed. It's just somebody has to light a fire.

27:34Using forensic genetic genealogy, they identified Dana's attacker, Frederick Tanzer, a doctor and someone she knew. At the time of the assault, Tanzer was the husband of her best friend. Ever. A million years. Never would have thought it would have been him. But then, another shock. Tanzer couldn't be prosecuted for the rape. The statute of limitations had expired. Even though they knew this is the person, without a doubt, who raped you and attacked you. That's correct. They could not arrest him. That's correct. More than half the states have some form of statute of limitations on rape. Others, like Kentucky, have no time limit.

28:20Dana's condo overlooked the Ohio River and looked into Kentucky. And if she had just been on the other side of the river, we wouldn't be having this conversation because Dr. Tanzer would have been able to be prosecuted. Federal prosecutors Kelly Rossi and Julie Garcia. Do you believe that there are other rapists out there who, because of the statute of limitations, are walking around free and may never be prosecuted for these crimes? We know that for a fact. Some states are catching up. This summer, Massachusetts eliminated its statute of limitations for rape cases where DNA evidence identifies a suspect.

28:58In Ohio, Tanzer was convicted of lying to the FBI about Dana's case. As part of a plea agreement, he admitted to attacking Dana and was sentenced to 15 years, not for rape, but for lying about it. For Dana, that was not true justice. She's now on a mission. If we could get rid of the statute of limitations so that these criminals get the punishment they deserve, to me, that would be relief, true relief. Blaine Alexander, NBC News.

30:00Thank you. to bring the best out of people and his love for this country that makes him one great American. Our conversation coming up next.

30:31so you get more of each hard-earned payment without hidden conversion fees. Be smart. Get wise business. Download the app. T's and C's apply. This holiday, all plans, even unlimited, are just$15 a month. A holiday deal this good obviously deserves an enormously expensive holiday song, like All I Want F***. Right. Okay, we can afford that. You know what? Forget the music budget. We're going to stick with whatever's in the public domain. Give it a try at mintmobile.com slash switch. Upfront payment of$45 for three months,$90 for six months, or$180 for 12-month plan required. $15 per month equivalent.

31:05Taxes and fees extra. New customer offer for initial plan term only. Greater than 50 gigabytes may slow when network is busy. See terms. At Jared Jewelers, we know it's about more than fine jewelry. It's the moment they open the box. That smile they can't hide. Knowing you chose exactly right. Because the right gift can bring a lifetime of meaning. A promise, a milestone, a memory in the making. Make every moment unforgettable. Find great gifts starting at$250. Jared, make the holiday last forever. Shop Jared Jewelers. We're back now with a new report about McDonald's. You may have noticed over the years that not all Big Macs are priced equally, with customers paying more at different locations.

31:50Well, now a new report from Reuters suggests that an AI pricing engine could be magnifying those differences. Take a look at what they found. I bought a Big Mac from a McDonald's here in New York City. Just two miles up the road at a different McDonald's owned by the same franchisee, I paid 11 % more. Where you buy your Big Mac determines how much you're going to pay for it. In a statement to NBC News, McDonald's says that AI does not set the price of the Big Mac and that franchisees make their own pricing decisions, adding the pricing portal is a tool, not a mandate. Joining us now is the reporter behind this piece, Reuters' Waylon Cunningham.

32:29Waylon, so McDonald's has said that the AI does not automatically set prices, but it does recommend them. Walk us through what you found. Right. So in 2023, the CEO of McDonald's, Chris Kavinsky, said that about his customers, some of them are more price sensitive than others. And there has long been an opportunity for McDonald's to get more targeted in its pricing. So, looking at these comments, I want to know, what were these pricing tools? What is this pricing engine that he talks about here? What I learned is that this is a machine learning or AI-powered engine that takes millions of transactions and generates what's called the optimal price for every item at every restaurant, from Big Macs to discounted coffee for seniors.

33:20These tools produce these prices that McDonald's says the franchisees are free to accept or not. However, franchisees we spoke to said that pressure to adopt these recommended prices has been growing. In January, McDonald's changed the franchisee standards to ask whether franchisees are engaging with pricing tools like this. In the last earnings call, the CEO said to his investors, pricing noncompliance is now a part of the conversation when it comes to franchisees' eligibility to stay in the system, renew their stores, open up new ones. And franchisees we spoke to said that they will get phone calls when they deviate from them.

34:08I also saw screenshots of the portal and of other documents which showed that every time a franchisee deviates from these recommended prices, it records that in detail. So it's true on paper, at least, that franchisees are free. But the reality on the ground, I think, is a little more complicated if you ask a lot of franchisees. I mean, growing up in a few different cities, you don't notice a lot of McDonald's closing down. And that's usually because they make money. The franchisees are on top of their franchise. Do they need that AI tool? Because you think they would know the prices, know their customers, because that's their small business.

34:49That's right. And a lot of these franchisees, they don't like what they feel to be the erosion of control over some of their business decisions. First and foremost, being pricing. McDonald's has taken a stronger hand in these pricing decisions. I don't think that they would dispute that. And for the franchisees, they say, I know my community. I know the right price for my customers and for my own business expenses. But increasingly, it seems like McDonald's wants a role in that process as well. Yeah, I do want to ask you, you know, McDonald's, as you probably know, is not super happy with your report.

35:28They've sent us a couple statements, and they've been talking to our team over here. I want to put up what they said. They said these speculative and uninformed claims attempt to recast a standard business practice as something controversial. Are other fast food chains doing the same thing? So it's interesting here because there has been a quiet shift in pricing practices over the last few years. I mean, restaurants and businesses have always looked at what are our customers going, how much of a price increase can customers take before they walk out the door? That has been something for a very long time.

36:07And analytics, of course, has entered the picture in recent decades. And in the last few years, I mean, maybe shortly before the pandemic to afterwards, AI and machine learning algorithms have supercharged these kind of calculations. Other chains are experimenting with this kind of stuff. It's true. And McDonald's, however, has repeatedly boasted to their investors on Wall Street, our tools, this was actually at the Investor Day quite recently, they called their tools industry leading. And that 2023 earnings call where the CEO talked about McDonald's needing to get more targeted in its pricing, He said that these tools that they're using to do so are proprietary and give them an edge over the rest of the industry.

36:55Former employees of Tiger Analytics, which is the firm that runs the pricing engine, told me that in their estimation, because some of these guys work for different companies, McDonald's was among the most sophisticated. Their sales data is some of the largest in the world. This is the largest fast food chain by sales. So they've got a lot to work with here. So while it is true that this is quietly becoming a practice that is more done by many large chains, McDonald's is the biggest of the bunch and their algorithms are among the most advanced. And a lot of consumers might not realize how closely companies have begun to analyze the TRANSACTION DATA JUST TO FIGURE OUT WHAT ARE THEY WILLING TO PAY?

37:46YEAH, AND I THINK WE'RE SEEING THAT IN SO MANY INDUSTRIES. WE THANK YOU FOR EXPLAINING THAT TO US. THANKS FOR COMING ON TOP STORY. TURNING NOW TO OUR SERIES GREAT AMERICANS WHERE WE TALK WITH THOSE WHO HAVE ACHIEVED SO MUCH IN THIS COUNTRY. TONIGHT HE'S CONSIDERED ONE OF THE GREATEST FOOTBALL COACHES OF ALL TIME. KNOWN FOR HIS INTENSITY ON THE SIDELINES AND REFUSAL TO EVER SETTLE. OUR GREAT AMERICAN TONIGHT, LEGENDARY FOOTBALL COACH NICK Saban. What do you love about America? You know, there's not a day that goes by that I don't have a tremendous amount of appreciation for the opportunities that we have, you know, in our country.

38:22And I also think that nothing brings people together in our country any more than sports. No coach has dominated the landscape of college football quite like Nick Saban. This is what we train to do. We ain't anxious about nothing. We're aggressive about everything. Twelve conference titles, seven national championships, and 109 weeks at number one. Alabama back on top. More than any other coach in college football history. It's amazing to think about the legend of Nick Saban. But even after getting immortalized in bronze on campus, Saban never rested on his laurels. Touchdown, Alabama! The scoreboard doesn't matter until the game's over.

39:07It's a mentality he learned from his first coach, his father, Nick Saban Sr. I finally asked my mom, I said, we're in all these games, how come dad's still on me all the time? It's not about winning the game. It's about you being the best you can be at what you do. How close are you to reaching your full potential? Roll down! Roll down! Saban's full potential shined brightest at Alabama. A great pleasure to introduce the next coach at the Crimson Tide. Where he took on massive expectations and delivered. And the size and the will gets Alabama a touchdown. But not everyone is a fan, including those at his old job and Bama rival, LSU.

39:54It would be stupid for LSU to forgive Nick Saban. Now his career and signature coaching style, the focus of a new documentary series from ESPN. He was seen as brilliant, difficult, ambitious. Has anybody ever given you anything in your life? You're talking to your team and you say, this is what we trained to do. We ain't anxious about nothing. We're aggressive about everything. Talk to me about that quote. What did you mean to tell your players with that? Well, I always wanted the players to never have anxiety. You know, I think when in sports and a lot of things, people focus on outcomes. And when you focus on outcomes in sports, which is winning or losing, which is what everybody says that's what you should be focused on.

40:44But when you focus on the outcome, it creates anxiety. Rather than focusing on being aggressive, doing the things you need to do to get the outcome that you want and have enough self-discipline to be able, don't look at the scoreboard, you know, play the next play. And keep dominating the competition one play at a time. Saban may be known as a winner. Auburn's going to win the football game! Auburn's going to win the football game! But he says he's never stopped thinking about the losses. Everybody says you won seven national championships. Well, we lost five times in some kind of way. I spent a lot of time thinking about those things because I was trying to figure out how can we get better.

41:24Even after you win national championships, are you trying to be a better coach yourself than you were the year prior? No question. People might be surprised about that. Well, but look, the way I always put it is you climb the mountain successfully, you become the mountain. But success is not a continuum. Success is only momentary. A mindset that would make his own coach proud. Your father passed away right when you started coaching. And so he never saw this part of your life, any of it. Have you ever thought about that? He saw me coach in one game. He didn't see it. But I was a coach for one game.

42:04Called him after the game and told him, almost like, this is the last time I ever spoke to him. I finally know this is what I want to do. The thing that makes me most proud is when somebody that knew my dad comes to one of our games and says, your dad would be proud of the way your team plays. That's as good as it gets.

42:34Nick Saban, this week's Great American. Still ahead tonight on Top Story, everything you can binge watch and listen to, including the beloved Great British Bake Off whipping up new episodes and a new series starring Florence Pugh in the book inspired East of Eden. Plus, Noah Kahn out with music for the new Hunger Games movie.

43:02Welcome back. It is Friday, which means it's time for Binge Worthy, our look at the best things to watch and listen to this weekend. And joining us tonight is one of our good friends, Chris Witherspoon, entertainment journalist and an awesome friend to the show. Chris, happy Friday. Thanks for being here. What's up, Tom? Happy Friday. We're going to start with one that our producer, Natalie Bennett, loves so much. It's called The Great British Bake Off, which has been around forever. But there's a new judge, Nigella Lawson, and she's getting a lot of feedback. The internet is talking, yes. She likes to take apparently big bites of, I guess, the cakes and the desserts.

43:34Here's the trailer. Let's watch and we'll talk on the other side.

43:51I'll see you after class. But only one can be crowned the winner. I want it as an angle, please. Of the Great British Baking Show. Uh-oh. So we didn't get to see Nigella eating there. So what's the deal? She's taking big bites? Yes, but just know that this show has a ravenous fan base. Oh, huge. 17th season, and people don't even get a cash prize. You get, like, a big baking stand and a cake. And these are all amateurs, right? They're not looking over the bakery. Yes, and these judges are very real and raw. THEY WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THEY KEEP IT 100. NIGELA HAS THE STREETS TALKING. 66 YEARS OLD.

44:25THE STAR OF THE BRITISH FOOD WAR. THE INTERNET IS BUZZING. THIS DROPPED LAST FRIDAY. THE FIRST EPISODE. EACH FRIDAY. LAST FRIDAY WE'RE WATCHING AND SHE'S TAKING THESE HUGE BITES. THE INTERNET WAS INTERNETTING. THERE WERE MEMES EVERYWHERE. SHE'S EVEN RESPONDED AND SAID SHE'S GOING TO TRY. How big are these big bites? Are they just like a big... They're pretty sizable. Pretty sizable, yeah. They're a little awkward. A little odd, yeah. Now I want to watch just to see how big these bites are. Next up, East of Eden. A lot of people are talking about this one, including our friend Chris Witherspoon here, who loves this.

44:55Let's take a look. You need to get rid of her and slow her out. She's going to tear you the pieces, and I don't want to watch it. Your wife left them motherless. Don't leave them without a father. When they find out the truth, and there's no trust in you, you will lose them. There's a beauty in the truth, even if it is a dreadful beauty. Based, of course, on the John Steinbeck novel, who you might have read that, you might have seen the movie with James Dean back in the day, 1955. And actually, the director of that film, his granddaughter, is producing this, so that's pretty cool. So why do you like this so much?

45:37I love this. I WATCHED THIS LAST NIGHT. IT CAME OUT. I BINCHED THE WHOLE THING. AND LISTEN, I LOVE THE SHOW LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE. THIS IS BITTER HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE. IT IS VERY DARK. THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS IN THIS SHOW. WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT IT? WHY SHOULD WE WATCH IT? IT'S KIND OF DECEITFUL. IT'S BASED ON THE STORY. IT'S INSPIRED BY THE STORY OF Cain AND ABEL. SO THESE TWO BROTHERS, THIS BIBLICAL STORY OF Cain AND ABEL, THESE TWO BROTHERS ARE RIVALS AND THERE'S A LOT OF I THINK IT'S A LOT OF HATRED BUT ALSO A LOT OF LOVE. IT'S VERY COMPLICATED. AND THEN FLORENCE PUE IS AT THE CENTER.

46:06SHE'S THE WOMAN THAT'S GETTING ALL THE TENSION. AND I THINK SHE'S ONE OF THE MOST BRILLIANT ACTRESSES. YOU'RE A BIG FAN. I KNOW. YOU MENTIONED HER A LOT. AWESOME. MAYBE WE 'LL WATCH THAT. THAT'S ON NETFLIX. NEXT UP, ONE I WANT TO WATCH IS CALLED WAR. IT'S ON HBO MAX. LET'S TAKE A LOOK. WHY ARE WE GETTING A DIVORCE? PEOPLE FALL OUT OF LOVE. That's the sad truth. No. Why so cruel? Nice question. This is the biggest divorce trial in British legal history. There are lies, betrayals. We're the better lawyers. They have the better case. So a tough and sad topic, divorce, of course, but you have these two big legal eagles, and they're getting divorced.

46:51Dominic West, Sienna Miller, love the cast already. And I can tell from the trailer this is probably up my alley. Yes, it is the biggest divorce in British history. It's fictional, though. But we love a fictional drama divorce, as you mentioned. But it's between a tech entrepreneur and a film star. And this has already been greenlit for a second season. Is that good? Yes, this drops this weekend. New episodes each week on HBO Max. What will people love about it? Is it the writing? Is it the acting? Is it a little bit of everything? I feel like people miss Succession, and this has those vibes. It's high in.

47:19It's premium. It's prestige. It is that. OKAY, NEXT UP, I THINK WE HAVE AMERICAN HORROR STORY. WE DO. OR WE DON'T. WE DO. WE'RE ACTUALLY GETTING SPOOKED OUT HERE BY THESE SHOTS. AMERICAN HORROR STORY. THIS IS LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, WHAT, THE UMTEENTH AMERICAN HORROR STORY? 12th SEASON, YEAH. PEOPLE LOVE THIS ONE. AND IT HAS A STACKED ROSTER. LET'S TAKE A LOOK. WHAT DO YOU SENSE? HARBINGER. OF OUR DOOM. SO MUCH TERRIFYING AND VENGEFUL DEATH. Something wicked this way comes.

47:56He's a vegetable. Time for the Spongebob.

48:04How about this cast? There's so many stars. This actually looks great. I'll watch this one. This is on Hulu, in case you were wondering. And what do fans love about American Horror Story? Because they keep making them and people keep eating them up. I will use one word for you. It is campy. Ryan Murphy knows how to do a campy drama. It is campy. It's over the top. But it's also brilliant acting. When you have people like Jessica Lane, Gabriela Sidibe, Sarah Paulson, they know how to act. Those folks are Oscar nominees. And if you're jumping to make it, you know it's going to be good. Yes. Okay, next up, this one is crazy.

48:34You may remember The Swan. It was a reality show in 2004 where people competed to, I guess, become the most beautiful. And by become, I mean plastic surgery. I used to watch this, Tom. Take it away. In real time. Set it up, then. Go toss to it. This is a docu-series about that show and how kind of toxic it was then and even is now. But just to be clear, before we roll the clip, they casted these women and then they said, we're going to make you undergo plastic surgery? Literally, the producer says that they told them they're going to take you from ugly to hot. So they casted women who felt ugly unattractive and they gave them surgery for 10 hours.

49:09Let's go to the clip. Okay, let's go. How much say did the women have 1 %? There's a certain level of evil there. I had rhinoplasty, brow lift, breast augmentation. When did they let you know that you would be competing against the other women? Last week leading up to the pageant, all the manipulation started again. We didn't sign up for a pageant. I gave up so much. I don't know if it was worth it. There are no victims in life. There are only volunteers. You want to see drama. So, I mean, this is a tough one here, right? And this woman, they clearly don't look too happy. No, no. So what happened?

49:44I mean, the show was in the reality, the heyday of reality TV back 2004, and Fox was competing. It became number one. It ran for two seasons. But they took these women who felt unfortunate looking, not pretty, and said, we'll take you from ugly to hot. And they would do surgery, 10 hours of surgery minimum. I mean, you're talking about every part of the body, sometimes full body makeovers. Then they would hide them away in hotel rooms, et cetera, for two or three months and then bring their family to a restaurant, family and friends to meet them for a reveal. and they did sometimes look better, but now we're kind of learning that there were all these different side effects.

50:18The surgeries weren't done well. They didn't even have nurses with them. It's crazy. Oh, my gosh. All right, let's turn now to music. Noah Kahn, I know we have a lot of fans out there. He's got a new one. It's a new single for an upcoming movie, if I'm not mistaken. Oh, The Hunger Games. Hello. Let's watch it. I'll draw you out From the edge of my mouth It feels good to say your name And so I know what a wonderful sound it makes This definitely feels like a soundtrack. It definitely feels like a music, a song made for a film. Pretty good, though. Not bad. I'll take it. I mean, it's good. I'm excited for this.

51:02I'm so excited for The Hunger Games, the new film Sunrise on the Reaping. And this song is all about Hey Bitch, Amber Matthews' character. That's the shows, the films about it, the songs about it. And it takes place like 50 years before the first Hunger Games movie. What was the name? What was that name? It is Hey Mitch Abernathy. You said something else. Yeah, he's Woody Harrelson's character, the younger version of him. Okay, okay. What do you think I said? I think I know what you think I said. It sounded like it both times. Hey Mitch. Like, hey Mitch. Okay, hey Mitch. Because you say it real fast, you got to be careful.

51:31Guess who's got a comeback song? Guess who has got a comeback song? I am so excited for this. Are you really? Hillary Duff, let's go. No. Oh, man. I love this. We changed it up. Let's go. She's got a comeback song, but somebody else has too. I bet I'm ready. Let's roll the clip. Let's surprise Chris because he has no idea what he's doing. Let's surprise Chris. Oh, I know this one. I hope you're changing. I hope you're green because I'm the blue. I hope you learn to love again. I hope you learn to trust the plan. I hope the rest is up for you. I hope they never laugh at you. Lil Nas X. Lil Nas X.

52:12No Hilary Duff up in here. Lil Nas X. Even though Hilary Duff, she does have a song. We just changed it at the last minute. So we should have told you. But yeah, Lil Nas X. I just thought this song. I said, wow, look who's back. No, I love this. You know what? He's been through so much the past couple of years. The last time we saw him, he had the cone on his head. I feel like I've been on your show talking about what he's gone through and the mental health issues. This is him kind of standing 10 dones, actually dancing 10 toes down. AND HE'S A TALENTY GUY. SO TALENTY. AND WE NEED THIS. WE NEED TO SEE YOU HAVE THESE KIND OF STORIES WHEN THEY COME BACK AND THEY HAVE ONE.

52:42HOW'S THE HILLARY DOVE SONG? NOW I FEEL BAD. OH, IT'S REALLY GOOD. IT'S REALLY GOOD. WE 'LL COVER IT NEXT TIME. AND IT'S FROM A MOVIE, TOO, RIGHT? YEAH, IT'S FROM THE NEW DR. SEUS FILM COMING OUT. OK, COOL. WELL, CHECK IT OUT. IT'S ON SPOTIFY. ALSO A COMEBACK. CHRIS, ALWAYS GREAT TO HAVE YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. WE THANK YOU FOR WATCHING TOP STORY. I'm Tom Yamas in New York. Stay right there. More news on the way.

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