Tuesday, November 10, 2026

0:00If you're a small business, the right hire can be make or break. Indeed Sponsored Jobs gets you quality candidates when you need them most. Join the 3.3 million employers worldwide that use Indeed to connect with quality talent that fits their needs. Listeners of this show will get a$75 sponsored job credit to help get your job the premium status it deserves at Indeed.com slash podcast. That's Indeed.com slash podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Hiring now? Then this is a job for Indeed Sponsored Jobs. I'm pretty confident talking into a mic. Hey, I'm doing it right now. But home projects? I second guess everything.

0:37Is that noise normal? Is that water damage? Who do I even call? That's where Thumbtack comes in. Just upload a photo or voice note, and it uses AI-powered search to match you with the right top-rated local pro. So instead of guessing, you get clarity and can hire with confidence. For your next home project, try Thumbtack. Hire the right pro today. Breaking news tonight. The vote just in the House moments ago, the push to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth failing. House Republicans voting down the articles of impeachment. Tonight you'll hear Hegseth's fiery speech calling impeachment a farce.

1:14Also breaking, a top U.S. Army soldier arrested, accused of spying for Russia. And new charges against three men suspected of plotting an attack on a U.S. airbase. Former President Biden pelted by protesters in Ireland. Security blocking one projectile with an umbrella, police then tackling the protesters. NVIDIA's investigation into the Chinese spy scandal and new reporting about what Secretary of State Rubio told President Trump just before CEO Jensen Wong joined them on Air Force One to China. The suspected Central Park rapist now in custody. U.S. Marshals tracking him down in Miami while they're trying to tie him to other sexual assaults in the park just years ago.

1:57Fiery car rescue caught on camera the moment officers pulled an unresponsive driver from the flames. And the robot attempting to run an extreme marathon against humans in Antarctica. Why he flopped before the finish line. Plus, would you get a drone to protect your home? The new surveillance tech from Ring hitting the market will show you what it looks like. Top Story starts right now.

2:25And good evening. We come on the air tonight with breaking news. Pete Hegseth narrowly fending off the bipartisan effort to impeach him, surviving the House vote and blasting the Republican lawmaker leading the charge. The Secretary of Defense on defense in his first news conference at the Pentagon in six months remaining defiant and calling the articles of impeachment a farce. Just moments ago, the Republican-controlled House voting to reject that effort, referring it to the Judiciary Committee, which effectively kills the measure. The only Republican to vote with Democrats, Representative Thomas Massey, who spearheaded the impeachment effort and is a vocal critic of the Trump administration.

3:02President Trump once again defending Hegseth after weeks of speculation he might replace him. Writing on social media, Hegseth's briefing, quote, gets an A+++. So, is this the end of the road for impeachment, or will Democrats push to oust him in the new year? Our Courtney Kuby tracking it all and leading us off. LISA DESJARDINS - Moments ago, the House rejecting impeachment articles against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Republicans uniting to block them from moving forward, following Hegseth's fiery rebuke of the outgoing congressman who introduced them, Thomas Massey, a fierce critic of President Trump, who was defeated in a Republican primary.

3:41What one disgruntled and defeated congressman is attempting is not oversight, and it's not accountability. It's a political spectacle, a personal manifesto driven by ego and resentment. It's a farce, and it's a stunt, and everybody knows it. The charges Massey alleged included waging the Iran war without congressional approval, illegally targeting suspected drug traffickers, and kidnapping Venezuela's authoritarian leader, Nicolas Maduro. We destroyed terror regime's capabilities. We sank the boats carrying poison into our communities. We put a narco dictator in handcuffs. These are not high crimes.

4:24This is the job. LISA DESJARDINS - But Massey says Hegseth's actions are endangering the troops. He has violated the norms of war, and it's to the disadvantage and the dishonor of our country and to the danger of our soldiers. LISA DESJARDINS - And, tonight, bipartisan criticism of Hegseth. HESLEY HAYGZETH , The best thing that we can do is move him along, get somebody in there that can help. Last week, two people familiar with the discussions telling NBC News President Trump told allies he was considering replacing Hegseth. But tonight, President Trump giving him an A++ plus for his briefing performance.

4:58Okay, Courtney joins us tonight from D.C. And Courtney, this is done for now, but Democrats could push to impeach Hegseth again in January? Yeah, and remember, Tom, in January, the Democrats will have a majority in the House. So they'll be able to pass articles of impeachment. It's going to be more than 50 members, their majority. But the Senate's really unsure. Now, it's still not clear how big the Democratic majority is going to be. But it's not just a simple majority in the Senate. They need a supermajority. That means 67 people would have to actually vote to convict. And the other question is, if the House introduces different articles of impeachment in January, when both the Democrats control both houses, will the articles look the same or will they go after Secretary Hegseth for different charges?

5:45All of that still remains to be seen, Tom. Okay, Courtney, thank you. Now to some breaking news overseas that we're tracking tonight here on Top Story. The U.S. soldier that has been arrested in the U.K. accused of spying for Russia. It comes as we get new details on the foiled terror plot at a U.S. airbase. Kelly O'Donnell is covering this for us. Tonight, a developing espionage drama. an American soldier accused of spying for Russia, jailed in the United Kingdom. A member of the U.S. Army arrested near Gloucester. The U.K.'s Metropolitan Police announced the arrest of a 41-year-old but have not named the American, charged under British law for handling secrets and assisting a foreign intel operation.

6:29The U.S. Army described the detained American as a senior soldier, While three people familiar with the matter tell NBC News the soldier was based at NATO's Allied Rapid Reaction Corps. Also tonight, more about a separate scheme in the U.K. With new charges in a foiled potential terror plot against U.S. forces there. All tied to the Iranian regime. And involving multiple suspects, including a designated terrorist commander, Iraqi citizen Mohammed al-Sadi. who despite being held in an American prison cell, allegedly passed coded messages during phone calls with relatives in Iraq, including for Muhammad Ali al-Hassani.

7:11Seen here allegedly looking at a map of London for potential terror targets, with attacks happening soon after, including on Jewish groups. According to charging documents today, al-Hassani also took part in a disrupted terror plot at Britain's Royal Fairford Base, where U.S. troops are stationed. Tonight, a U.S. official says several American military aircraft left another British base as security measures to protect U.S. troops have increased. Tom? All right, on Capitol Hill tonight, the fight for the future of the Republican Party, the GOP holding leadership elections for the next Congress after losing control of both chambers in the midterms.

7:49Ryan Nobles joins us from the Hill to break it down. So, Ryan, what's the new leadership lineup for Republicans looking like now? Yeah, so on one side of the Capitol, Tom, we've got to change. And on the other side of the Capitol, things are going to stay the same. Let's start on the House side. And that's where Republicans have picked the former chair of the Freedom Caucus, Jim Jordan, as their new leader. This was a bit of a surprise. He ran against Steve Scalise, who's the current majority leader and had had a foothold in leadership and was thought by many to be in a poll position to take over their leadership responsibilities.

8:20But Jordan is someone who represents more of the MAGA wing of the party. He's somebody that's very close with President Donald Trump, and he's someone thought of as being an effective communicator, can go out on television and make the Republicans' case, which will be a powerful weapon for them, given the fact that their minority will be so small in the upcoming Congress. Now, on the other side of the Capitol, the Senate Republicans decided to stick with John Thune as their leader. It did come with a little bit of back and forth. There were some Republicans that wanted to delay this vote and have a conversation about the future of the party, especially given the fact that Republicans took such a beating in the Senate.

8:55Some seven seats with the potential of nine seats total could flip. But at the end of the day, they decided to stick with John Thune, Tom. All right. And, Ryan, Democrats won't hold their elections for leadership until next week, but it's already a heated debate. Explain to our viewers what's going on. Yeah. So in both the House and Senate, there's been a call by rank and file members for a generational change. They believe the election results show that voters are asking for that type of change. And so there's been some question of whether or not Hakeem Jeffries will ascend to the speakership.

9:25He'd be, of course, the first African-American speaker. It doesn't look as though the opposition is enough to knock Jeffries from that post. But over on the Senate side, more than 10 different Senate Democrats have said that they want someone other than Chuck Schumer, who's the current minority leader, to lead their party once they take control. That's probably not enough to topple Schumer from his leadership post. And in both cases, in the House and in the Senate, there really isn't another alternative. There isn't a specific member of the House or Senate that has emerged with the type of constituency that could topple these leaders from their posts.

9:58So at the very least, Tom, it's a message to these leaders that they want to see a different direction for the Democratic caucus in the wake of these election results. But at this point, it doesn't look like either of them are going to lose their positions once the Democrats take control in January. Okay, Ryan, thank you. We have new video tonight of former President Biden facing violent protests while traveling in Ireland. Demonstrators in Dublin throwing objects at the former president as security shields his car with umbrellas. Local media there reporting at least two people were arrested. Biden was there to surprise his son Hunter, who was at Trinity College getting an award.

10:32The former president just announced plans to scale back a book tour as he battles cancer. OK, now to new developments in the investigation into NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang. Tonight, growing backlash after he admitted to having an affair with a woman U.S. intelligence agencies determined was a Chinese spy. The chipmaker's shares continuing to fall today. Our Brian Chung has the details. Tonight, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang's affair with an alleged Chinese spy driving more losses for the tech giant, the stock sliding 5.5%. NVIDIA's board today announcing former acting U.S. attorney Jun Kim will lead the independent investigation into Huang's affair and if company or national security secrets were compromised.

11:12And we're going through the single largest infrastructure buildout in human history. Huang, a key figure in the artificial intelligence boom, has long been a close advisor to President Trump, who is publicly defending the CEO. Tonight, the New York Times reports that according to people with knowledge of the matter, in May, President Trump was told on Air Force One while en route to China that Huang was in a relationship with a woman believed to be a Chinese spy. The message coming from Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Huang, initially not on the trip, was invited by President Trump to join and met Air Force One at a refueling stop in Alaska.

11:44Tonight, Huang's reputation as a CEO with total control over NVIDIA is coming under fresh scrutiny. Number one obligation of a board of directors is succession planning, and you always have to have that envelope in the drawer with the name of somebody who could take over today in case of emergency, and they don't have that. And more is being learned about Alice Huang, the woman who also goes by Huang Li, and at the center of an international scandal. She is believed to be a former TV reporter who pivoted to a business career. The New York Times, citing corporate documents, reports she used a Singaporean shell company to start a data center company called Megaspeed.

12:18The Times said that company sidestepped an American ban on NVIDIA chip sales to China. The Department of Justice now conducting a criminal investigation into Megaspeed and Alice Huang, according to a source familiar with the matter. Okay, Brian Chung joins us now with more developments. So one of the interesting parts of this is that apparently NVIDIA's general counsel contacted the Justice Department when they knew that the Commerce Department was sort of looking into this and it had turned into a criminal investigation. Yeah, this is part of the drip drip that is, you know, part of this overall story.

12:46NBC News confirming through a first person familiar with the matter that the Justice Department had actually asked the Commerce Department to pause their investigation into whether or not Megaspeed, the company behind that was stood up by that alleged Chinese spy, whether or not they were smuggling chips into China. The Commerce Department then after that backed down from that investigation. The Justice Department does say for their part that they were already investigating the matter for quite a while. And the Commerce Department saying in a statement that the BIS, that's their division that would be responsible for this, conducts all enforcement strictly by the book.

13:18Again, there's no direct tie to Jensen Huang's relationship with regards to NVIDIA counsel reaching out to the department. But again, this is a relatively unfamiliar way for this investigation to be done. Okay, Brian, thanks so much. Appreciate it. Now to the big question, Wayne, heavily on the stock market. What happens to tech titan Jensen Wong, the embattled CEO, transformed NVIDIA from a struggling video game chip startup into an AI powerhouse? So can he survive a scandal of this magnitude? An article in The New York Times suggests it's possible, writing today that NVIDIA's board has a history of letting Jensen Wong get his way.

13:52The reporter behind that article, Don Clark, joins me now. He's a freelance tech reporter for The New York Times. Don, I know you don't have a crystal ball, but what do you think? Does he survive this scandal? I mean, because this involves not just an affair. It involves potentially, you know, spies. It involves China. It involves at least potentially a criminal investigation as well. Well, as your show already noted, there's no plan B for running NVIDIA at the moment. So it's a very strange situation to have the investigation go on with the CEO under the investigation still running the company.

14:25Under most circumstances, you would have at least an interim person come on and run the company just to give total appearance of neutrality and independence. So I think it's it all depends on what this investigation finds, of course. But I think that they're going to have to look at whether any technology was leaked to China, whether there was some improper funneling of chips to the Singapore company, and also whether this woman could have influenced Jensen from a policy perspective in his lobbying with the U.S. government. But, Don, every big company has a board, and the board is supposed to check the CEO or at least be able to tell the CEO what's right and what's wrong.

15:07You point out in your article, this is, and I don't want to say it's unusual, because sometimes CEOs have a very tight board that is always backing them, and NVIDIA is no different from those companies, correct? Well, it's like that. And some of the people were on the board were very early investors in NVIDIA. And basically, Jensen has made them billionaires. So there would be tendency to give him the benefit of the doubt. But he's also a very unique man in the way he runs the company. He's at the center of every decision. He doesn't delegate to, you know, like a number two or a COO type position.

15:43So it's very hard for them to pick somebody who would run the company in an interim basis. Yeah. You know, it's clear that this is still ongoing, right? And it's far from over. As you point out, there's no heir apparent for Wong. I want to take a listen to what he said when Bloomberg's Emily Chang asked him whether his children could inherit that responsibility. Take a listen. There is talk that your daughter is in line to be your successor. Is that true? Well, first of all, I don't hope the job on her. And the reason for that is because that's their aspiration, Spencer and Madison's. They have to go earn it.

16:20I'm really hoping that the next CEO of the company is already at the company. So for a company this size, do you know why there's not a clear succession plan? Is it just because of the way that the CEO is? I mean, there have been a lot of companies that have had sort of number twos in place, and then those number twos either get whacked, quote unquote, they get fired because the CEO doesn't want to have anyone threatening him. Is that the way NVIDIA runs or is it just it's a very sort of top down business and everything goes through Jensen? Well, one thing I've definitely heard is that Jensen opposed this idea because he feared it would set up competition between executives and jockeying for position and causing people to get unfocused on their job and think about who's next running the company.

17:04So I think it was done for, you know, the thing about Jensen is he runs the company at lightning speed. NVIDIA moves much faster than other companies its size, and that's all because he centralizes all the decision makings and knows where to go. So any kind of other structure would tend to slow NVIDIA down. Don, do you foresee anything happening, anything changing with the stock price or this narrative with Jensen on Tuesday when they report earnings? Well, that's an interesting question. I bet they will. You know, this last few days has been brutal on the stock market. As somebody joked on LinkedIn, you know, it's probably the most expensive affair that's ever happened from a standpoint of market share loss.

17:49But as far as the earnings should be very good, and I have the feeling that, you know, who knows which way earnings will tech. But this hasn't affected their business yet. So if the numbers go as it have been going, it should be solid earnings. All right, Don, thanks for coming on Top Story and talking about all your great reporting. We appreciate it. Thank you, Tom. Now to the other major AI headline we're following tonight in the blockbuster IPO that could inject a new surge into the cooling AI market. A new filing shows Anthropic is targeting a valuation of roughly$1 trillion. That's about half of what investors were expecting earlier this summer.

18:28The Claude chatbot creator's public offering could raise as much as$64 billion when it goes public as early as next week. And that's on top of a separate$26 billion investment from some of the biggest names in tech, including NVIDIA, Microsoft and Google. Our Ali Canal is here to break it all down for us. And Ali, before we get started, I mean, let's connect the dots here. Does this NVIDIA scandal affect Anthropix IPO offering? Yeah, I think you can just look at what's going on in the stock market right now. We're sort of in uncharted territory. We have this huge NVIDIA CEO scandal. We have a Democratic sweep in Congress, which is creating more concerns that we could see a pullback in AI spending, which would hit the bottom lines of many of these companies.

19:04And then over the past few months and really over the past year, there's been greater concern around the sky high valuations of many of these names. So all of that is sort of compounding and creating a more cautious environment for AI. And that's totally going to affect Anthropik's debut. And so do we think that's why the valuation took a hit? Yeah, I think that's certainly part of it. And look, it's common for these companies when they go public to throw out these big, ambitious targets for valuation. And then as you get closer to the debut, that number naturally goes down. Now, it's not normal to see hundreds of billions of dollars being changed here.

19:36I mean, earlier this summer, the valuation was closer to$2 trillion. At least that was what the company was eyeing on Wall Street. So I think that is why we're seeing it take such a hit. But Anthropic, they could have hit the brakes, right? They could have said, let's wait till next year. 2027 is right around the corner. Is there a reason why they want to go now? Yeah, you would think that. But analysts are saying, you know what? You actually want to go right now because there is a chance that the market could further deteriorate and those expectations could continue to fall. Even just last week, the valuation was pegged closer to$1.5 trillion.

20:07That was a whisper number on Wall Street. Now we got this filing, it's closer to$1.3 trillion. So that number continues to go down and down. And remember that IPO filing we got a few weeks ago where we dug in a little deeper to the financials. This is a company that even though it's unprofitable, it's bringing in significant revenue. Its customer base is highly diversified. Wall Street likes that. Anthropic is, so to speak, THE FEDERAL IS A LITTLE BIT IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF THE FEDERAL INVESTORS. INVESTORS ARE CLEARLY INTERESTED IN THIS NAME. HOW INTERESTED? WE 'LL SEE NEXT WEEK. EVERYDAY INVESTORS BE ABLE TO GET IN ON THE ANTHROPIC IPO?

20:38YOU WILL HAVE EXPOSURE TO THIS WITHIN YOUR 401K.

20:45THAT COULD BE A GOOD THING WHEN WE LOOK AT THE HUGE GAINS WE 'VE SEEN. and there have been massive gains, but you also will probably deal with a lot of this volatility that we've been seeing too. But financial experts will say, stay invested. Try and ride it out. All right, Ali, thanks so much. Appreciate it. It's a crazy ride, but thank you. Tonight, a nor 'easter taking aim, targeting millions across the Northeast. The storm set to bring the first snow of the season across New England and torrential rains from D.C. up to Boston. Bill Karens is here with us. Bill, do we need to get the snow shovel out, the snow boots, or not really?

21:15Not really for about 95 % of the population in the Northeast. This is the first chance for a widespread snow, but typical of early season, you have to be at higher elevations to get it. So the storm is now forming in the Midwest. Tomorrow it's going to move through Chicago, Indianapolis, some rain, some gusty winds, minor probably traffic problems for about an hour or so. Then the storm gets to the East Coast. It gets a little bit stronger. Heavy rain likely to move into areas like New York City as we go throughout the day on Thursday. And then you notice the blue on the map. This is snow. So during the day Thursdays, we get towards the evening.

21:46That's when the snow will start accumulating in the southern tier of New York into the Catskills, the Adirondacks. Then as we go throughout the night into Friday morning, still snowing pretty hard in areas like some of the Berkshires, especially the Green Mountains, maybe the Presidential Range in New Hampshire, too. And there will be windy conditions, too, developing. So the beginning of the storm doesn't really feel like a nor 'easter, but by the time we get to Friday and Saturday, that's when it'll be windier and colder for everyone. And as far as snow accumulations go, mostly the high elevations.

22:12We could have some problems with drainage in and around New York City. The leaves are down, so the drains could get clogged easily. And if you want snow and you want to see accumulating snow, you have to go into Catskills areas in Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and upstate New York. That's where they'll get their first snow of the season. Everyone else, we have to wait. If I see a single snowflake, I'm coming after you, Bill. All right. I feel like you're safe. All right. Bill Kerens, we thank you. Still ahead on Top Story, a lot of news. New body cam video of the Central Park rape suspect being arrested.

22:42The surprising place authorities tracked him down. and why he's being accused of other assaults. Plus, Meghan Markle's estranged father allegedly cutting off his ankle monitor, what it means days after his arrest. In our series, The Vaccine Divide, two mothers taking different approaches as the measles outbreak gets more dangerous. Stay with Top Story.

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24:24To see if you qualify, go to Rho.co slash choices. Rx only. Go to Rho.co slash safety for serious side effects and boxed warning associated with GLP-1s. We're back now with an update in the Central Park rape case. Tonight, police say they have a suspect behind bars tracking him down all the way in Miami Beach, and authorities say he could be linked to other attacks in Central Park. Sam Brock has the late details. Get on the f***ing ground! Do it now! Tonight, new body camera footage of an accused serial rapist arrested on the streets of Miami Beach. On your face! On your face now! A combination of Miami Beach PD officers and members of the U.S.

25:02Marshal's Fugitive Task Force arresting Derek Rivera de Leon, who the NYPD says raped three women in New York City's Central Park over five years. You guys confusing me with somebody else? No, no, we're not. Come on. Most recently, a 39-year-old woman in late October, and ultimately tracked down in South Florida at his place of work, a Burger King. The manhunt, taking city detectives on a journey nearly 1 ,300 miles to Florida, is part of that task force. But the U.S. Marshals writing, they successfully located and apprehended Derek Rivera de Leon in Miami, Florida. in connection with multiple sexual assaults committed in New York City's Central Park.

25:37Utilizing support from the U.S. Marshals' Florida Caribbean team to track down their man, police say Rivera de Leon will be charged with two other rapes stemming from incidents in 2023 and 2021. Park goers reacting to the shocking developments. As a woman, my first thought is personal safety for myself and other women. And then secondly, you know, what are we doing to protect the people from these things happening? The arrest comes as sexual assaults in Central Park overall appear to be on the rise. It's the fifth rape or attempted rape in the Central Park precinct this year. That's according to NYPD data, up from three all of last year.

26:16Police say that the armed suspect displaying a knife approached his victim at about 830 at night, right near the entrance here to Central Park on the Upper East Side of Manhattan during the day. As you can see, there's tons of foot traffic and families, and he did all of this, according to police, steps away from Fifth Avenue. In light of recent events, police say they've ramped up staffing in the Fame Park, which is a refuge for many, though some locals say is a known site to avoid after daylight. Locals know you do not walk on, like, this side of the park, especially if it's getting dark. You walk along the doorman buildings.

26:50You walk Fifth or you walk the park because every step you can see a doorman and you feel safe. Central Park. Tonight, a mega attraction turned focus for public safety. All right. And Sam Brock joins us tonight from Central Park. So Sam, I understand we just learned some late breaking information about the suspect and his arrest. We did. So Tom Rivera de Leon, according to the Miami Police Department, had just arrived in South Florida and Miami Beach PD played a key role in all this. They said the U.S. Marshals Service had reached out to them and said that Rivera de Leon was homeless. They had a very difficult time tracking him, but ultimately pinpointed him to Miami Beach.

27:28And it turns out, Tom, that it was DNA and also victim identification. Those were the routes that they used. The DNA component of this, he obviously is accused of three rapes, which means there must have been another crime potentially in a federal database they would have used to be able to pinpoint it. But at the end of the day, this Burger King is right across the street from the Miami Beach precinct there. And those officers were able to step up, those robbery detective officers, and assist in his arrest. And now he's going to be extradited back to New York. Not clear the timeline on that, but it should be pretty soon.

28:00Okay, Sam Brock with some new reporting there for our viewers here on Top Story. We thank you. A major update on Thomas Markle Sr., the estranged father of Megan, the Duchess of Sussex. Federal authorities say he's now back in custody after allegedly cutting off his ankle monitor overnight. He had been under house arrest after being charged with possession of child pornography late last week. Markle has previously denied having that type of material. Still to come on Top Story, the fiery roadside rescue, a driver trapped inside a burning car, how officers got him out. Plus, would you use a security drone inside your home?

28:32Take a look at this. The new tech hitting the market. Stay with us.

28:45then a top stories news feed and we start with the former massachusetts police officer convicted of murder a jury finding ex-stoughton police officer matthew farwell guilty of killing sandra birchmore and causing the death of her unborn child birchmore's death in 2021 was initially ruled a suicide but the medical examiner later changed the manner of death to inconclusive prosecutors alleged the two met when birchmore was just 15 years old and that far well staged the murder to look like a suicide. And in Northern California, new body cam of a man being rescued after getting trapped inside of a burning car.

29:18You can see that vehicle engulfed in flames on a highway in Davis. As a police officer runs up shattering the window, he quickly unbuckles that driver and pulls him to safety. Authorities say he was arrested on suspicion of DUI after being treated for his injuries. And you probably know Ring for its popular doorbell cameras. Well, now the Amazon company just launched a new indoor security drone. They say it can fly around your home going room to room, reaching areas where it's hard to see with a fixed camera. Price tag,$250. Ring also rolled out a larger rover cam option for businesses, and you can make sure to tune in to Top Story tomorrow night when I'll speak with the company's CEO, Jamie Siminoff, about that new technology.

29:56Okay, a humanoid robot joining a group of runners for an ultra marathon in Antarctica. Organizers say it's the first time a machine has ever run a race like this competing in temperatures around negative 10 degrees. Some of the runners doing a 100 miles. It got so cold the robot had to put on this jacket, but it didn't help much. The humanoid called it quits after less than two miles. Its battery totally drained. The bot left curled up on the ground inside a tent. Better luck next year. Turning now to Top Story's Global Watch and renewed negotiations to end the Russian-Ukraine war. The U.S. mediating talks between the two countries.

30:33The first peace focus sit down in nine months. It's been nearly five years since Russia's invasion with the war taking a deadly toll on both sides. Our Keir Simmons has been following this and joins us now. Keir, what is the U.S. and the other sides talking about right now, and how did the talks today go?

30:51Well, Tom, the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, described this as a test of whether the Russians are serious and said the first test was whether they turned up, and they did turn up in Abu Dhabi. Meanwhile, President Zelensky, Ukraine's leader, said Perhaps they weren't fully substantive, but they were constructive talks. And as you say, they are the first talks in months, the first time that these three sides, the US, Ukraine and Russia, have got together since before the beginning of the Iran war back in February. There were nerves that the Europeans were concerned that they weren't invited.

31:27In the end, they were invited, but only for a meeting with the Americans and Ukrainians, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, President Trump's son-in-law and his envoy, before the full meeting with the Russians. Still, they were there, but there is plenty of animosity still, Tom. The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, who wasn't at the talks, said that the Europeans could be there, but they could sit in a hotel and wait. so that there is a mountain to climb if the U.S. is right, if the Trump administration is right, that this is a step towards, you know, ending this terrible war. Kier, we've seen these talks happen in Alaska.

32:08We've seen these talks happen all around the world, in the Middle East. Do we have any sense that this time is different? Yeah, it's a great question, and I don't think we're at the position where we can know that for sure yet. The talks will resume tomorrow. I don't expect some big breakthrough. And I think there are other reasons to be maybe a little cynical too. The Russians have demanded that these should be talks about the security of Russia and Europe, so the whole region, if you like. But, Tom, what they mean by that is their continuing demand that NATO should be defanged, that it should be pulled away from the Russian border, all of those kinds of issues that they've brought up before, which would leave the Ukrainians and the Europeans deeply concerned that all they're doing is setting up for another attack by the Russians sometime in the future.

33:01And then there's another piece here, too, isn't it? It always hangs over all of this, and that's what will President Putin agree to. He's not at the talks, but in the end, he will be the final decision maker, Tom. All right, Keir Simmons for us tonight. Keir, thank you. Now to our series, the vaccine divide and the record surge of measles cases across the U.S., now at a 35-year high. The situation taking such a dramatic turn that the Pan American Health Organization could remove the U.S.'s measles elimination status this week. Our Aaron McLaughlin traveled to hard-hit Pennsylvania to find out what's happening there.

33:36Over the summer in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the epicenter of a deadly measles outbreak. All eight of Gina King's children came down with the virus, including her son Bryson, who was so sick he had to be rushed to the hospital. It was something that can kind of be scary because there's so many unknowns and even the doctor's offices haven't seen very much of it for a long time. All eight of the children unvaccinated. As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by blinds. Something Gina and her husband Sean say they decided for religious and health reasons. There is the vaccine, and the vaccine is very effective.

34:12My husband and I, when we started having children, we had that conversation. We did a lot of research, reading. We were more comfortable with not vaccinating. I mean, when you look back at this entire ordeal, do you have any regrets? I don't. As odd as this sounds, I feel like it was a bonding time for our family. it's never pleasant to be sick and I certainly wouldn't wish it on anyone. While the King family says they self-quarantined to avoid spreading the virus to others, Lancaster County has reported more than 500 cases of measles in the past few months, a likely undercount according to doctors.

34:51Vaccination rates there have been falling at what health experts say is an alarming rate from above 95 percent in 2017 to 88 percent in the last year. I'm seeing babies who are suffering or in pain who are struggling to breathe or who can't take a bottle. I'm seeing kids that have encephalitis and you're unable to recognize their own mom or their own dad with six measles related deaths now reported across Pennsylvania. Dr. Evan Shirey, a pediatric infectious disease specialist near Lancaster, says misinformation is fueling the outbreak. The vaccine is extremely safe and extremely effective. We are seeing this outbreak now because of a failure to vaccinate.

35:28An NBC News investigation shows the decision not to vaccinate is becoming more common across the country. Our team working with researchers at Stanford University analyzed school immunization data from every state. Since 2019, 82 percent of counties and jurisdictions in the U.S. have reported declines in childhood MMR vaccination rates. 57 percent saw a drop in just the last year. A national trend experts say is fueled by backlash to COVID mandates, online misinformation, and prominent vaccine skeptics. Lauren Shoup and her family live outside of Pittsburgh. Entire baby. Lauren's baby Kieran is too young to be vaccinated.

36:08I just felt a little bit of anger towards the public at large because we're not doing what we can to protect those that can't protect themselves. Two months ago, Lauren got the call that Kieran had been exposed to measles during a doctor's visit. It's scary. It's devastating. Two months is just such a fragile age. Because measles can be deadly for babies. Absolutely. I mean, we're relying on the community to make good choices. Lauren said she was told Kieran needed to quarantine for weeks and received an injection of protective antibodies. Now that Kieran's cleared for daycare, Lauren's counting down the months until she's old enough to get the vaccine.

36:42It's frightening because she's still very susceptible. While Lauren and others say they're living in fear, Dr. Shirey says he's bracing for the outbreak to get worse as winter sets in. Are you concerned that more will die because of this outbreak? Yeah, it's nearly a certainty that we will continue to see more fatalities. Joining us now is Erin McLaughlin and health reporter Erica Edwards, who's traveled the country covering this issue as well. Erin, I guess the first question is, were health officials in Pennsylvania ready for this outbreak? WE ARE HEARING THAT THE ENTIRE WE ARE HEARING THAT THE ENTIRE HEALTH SYSTEM THERE IN PENNSYLVANIA WAS COMPLETELY CAUGHT OFF GUARD BY THIS OUTBREAK.

37:18KEEP IN MIND THEY HADN'T SEEN MEEZLES LIKE THIS IN DECADES. EXPERTS SCRAMBLING TO PUT PROTOCOLS IN PLACE NOT ONLY TO TREAT THE PATIENTS BUT ALSO ISOLATE THE PATIENTS. FOR EXAMPLE, GINA SAID WHEN HER TWO-MONTH-OLD BABY WAS EXPOSED TO MEASLES, THEY WENT TO THE HOSPITAL, SAT IN THE WAITING ROOM, WAITED FOR THE ANTIBODY TREATMENT. SHE LATER FOUND OUT THAT IMMEDIATELY Kieran, HER DAUGHTER, SHOULD HAVE GONE INTO QUARANTINE. BUT THAT INFORMATION WASN'T THERE. SHE SAID THERE WAS A REAL INFORMATION VACUUM. NOW, WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FOR COMMENTS ON THAT. YET TO HEAR BACK.

37:52BUT EXPERTS TELL ME THAT AS THE OUTBREAK PERSISTS, THE SITUATION IS GETTING BETTER. So, Erica, you've traveled the country, as we said, covering this issue. What are some of the trend lines you've noticed over the last year or two? Yeah, you know, all of these outbreaks from West Texas, Arizona and Utah last year to now Pennsylvania and other states this year are all happening in these really close knit, unvaccinated communities. And as these vaccination rates continue to plummet, it's allowing that virus to get into these once shielded areas. Well, that leads to my next question, Aaron, right?

38:19Because people will be listening, watching and listening to this saying, well, I don't live in those Amish communities or those other communities. Why should I be worried? Is it spreading outside these communities as well? Well, look, undoubtedly the Amish community has been hit hard. They have faced fatalities, but this has spread throughout Pennsylvania. Cases recorded in some 45 counties. Gina King, she's not Amish. She's Christian. She said that half the families within her community have had measles so far. She believes that the CDC numbers on this are vastly underreporting the outbreak as it stands now.

38:52And then, Erica, explain to our viewers if they have concerns or they want to learn more. We have something called the Vaccine Dashboard on NBCNews.com. What is that? Yeah, this is an interactive county-by-county map. You can zoom in. All over the country. All over the country. You can look in your own backyard to see your own vaccination rates, exemption rates. And overall, as Erin mentioned, three-quarters of the counties that track the state are now below the threshold needed to stop outbreaks. And so the trends that you're seeing, the places that have the lowest vaccination rates still remain rural areas.

39:22In rural areas, we're seeing hospitals, clinics closing. That means people have to travel farther. And that's good. Explain that, because people may be thinking, oh, it's just the people that live out in the rural areas. But it's also because in some of these areas, there's just like health care deserts. They can't get vaccinations, right? Absolutely. As you see these places closing, people have to travel farther to get care. That means fewer pediatricians, fewer opportunities for parents to get their kids vaccinated. Erica and Erin, thanks so much for being here. We appreciate it. Okay, just ahead, a gut check from one of our own.

39:48Chloe Malas on the disease she almost ignored, writing a new book about her journey with irritable bowel disease, the symptoms she says you should look out for. Stay with us. You know, recommendations can be great. Maybe someone recommended this podcast and here you are. But home projects are different. If a podcast isn't your thing, you lose a few minutes. If you hire your cousin's neighbor to mount your TV, you might end up with a lopsided screen and wall damage. Maybe I know a guy just isn't enough for your home. That's why Thumbtack works. It matches you with top rated local pros with photos, reviews, and credentials all in one place.

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41:07Start with Rowe's free insurance checker. Just upload your insurance card to see if you're covered for certain GLP-1 shots. Whether you use insurance or pay cash, Rho helps you find an option that works best for you. Plus, Rho's membership plans help you save even more. See if you qualify at Rho.co.health. Rx only for side effects of GLP-1 medications including boxed warning. Go to Rho.co.safety. Additional Rho membership fee required. Now to one of our own getting candid about a deeply personal journey in the hopes of breaking down the stigma around gut health. NBC Entertainment correspondent Chloe Malas speaking out about her inflammatory bowel disease diagnosis in a new book called The Girl's Guide to Guts, Everything Your Doc Didn't Tell You But Your Bestie Would.

41:46Chloe Malas joins us now on set. Chloe, thanks for being here. Yeah, of course. I'm your bowel bestie. There you go. So the book is open, and you're an open book about this, right? And it's interesting because people know you as an entertainment correspondent. You break a lot of stories for us. This is deeply personal, and it's not something that's, like, easy to talk about, and yet you've written a whole book about it and you can't stop talking about it, which is a good thing, and explain why. Well, my senior superlative in high school was most likely to never stop talking, Tom. So here we are.

42:14It tracks, all right? I have breath. I go from Sean Diddy Combs to bowel disease, right? So, look, a few years ago, it was the first week I started here at NBC News, I posted something on Instagram about living with IBD, and I got all these messages from people saying, oh, my gosh, I can't believe you're being so candid and finding humor in this and the silver lining. And the Today Show wrote about it. People magazine wrote about it. I didn't think anybody would care. And one of the people that reached out is Judy Battalion, co-author of my book, a best-selling author. We had coffee and she said, I have IBD.

42:46I had my entire colon removed as a teenager. I live with the complications of a J pouch inside of me every single day, but I've managed to live a big, beautiful life. And I said, me too. And we were laughing and crying. And as we left this coffee here at Rockefeller Center, I looked at her and I said, I think we need to write a book. Wow. So you find out you have this, or at least you get diagnosed in your 20s. How did you know something was off and people may be watching this and may not know they have it? Sure. I mean, I was working around the clock at a startup website and going out every single night, of course, doing all the things that you probably shouldn't be doing.

43:24You know, drinking too much, not sleeping enough, not exercising, smoking cigarettes. I mean, youth is really wasted on the young. I mean, truly. And I had blood in my stool. I ignored it. And it wasn't a lot. It was on the toilet paper. But I just didn't think it was that big of a deal. I thought maybe it was a hemorrhoid. And my mom said, you have to go to a gastroenterologist. I had a colonoscopy. And I was diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease. This is something that affects 3 million Americans in the United States. I ignored it. I pretended if I thought that if I didn't acknowledge the disease, it would go away.

43:55What did the doctor tell you? The doctor said to take some medicine, some medicated suppositories, and that I might be okay. Unfortunately, it escalated, and the inflammation continued to spread throughout my colon. And I experienced something called tenesmus, which is the urge to go to the bathroom, and I would be racing to the bathroom 30 times a day. This is post your 20s, or your whole life, are you this? This is the age of 25 years old to about 30, until I got pregnant with my children, and I did go into a bit of a remission, and then I went into a full remission for five years. and I deal with flares here and there, but I really, really am living a full, healthy life.

44:31But that is after years of steroids, medication in both ends, and a very unglamorous disease. Yeah, so what's the difference? Because people are going to be thinking, oh, I've heard about this, but there's a difference between IBD and IBS. Yeah, so IBD is inflammatory bowel disease. The only way you know if you have it is if you get testing, you get a colonoscopy. IBS is irritable bowel syndrome. 45 million Americans suffer from IBS. But here's the thing, a lot of those symptoms overlap. A lot of my girlfriends self-diagnosed themselves with, I have bloating. I think I have a gluten allergy are the conversations we have over cocktails.

45:07But really, it's a very serious thing and you have to go to a GI to rule out one or the other. If you have IBS, you can do an elimination diet. If you have celiac, let's say you eliminate gluten. If you have IBD, there is no known cure. There are a lot of hypotheses as to what causes it. And in my research over the last several years and speaking to experts all over the country, a lot of things point to our environment and over-processed foods and sugars. There could be a genetic component as well. And your immune system is attacking your colon. And I have made some major lifestyle changes that is really I've seen a shift in my microbiome.

45:48But, Tom, let's be serious right now. Anybody in the United States who's under the age of 50 is at high risk of colon cancer. Why? Because it's the number one killer now, cancer killer, of men and women under 50. This is very important to talk about. We are ashamed as women to talk about our bowels. We call it the final taboo in the book. We've been told over the years that it's not sexy. Don't talk about these things. It's embarrassing. But, you know, if we don't talk about it, then we're not going to share this knowledge that can build community and shed stigma. Did you give this to yourself?

46:25I mean, you talked about your lifestyle when you were young and you were at that startup. You were probably very stressed. You're drinking the coffee. You're having the cocktails. You're having the after-dinner sig, maybe the early morning sig. Who knows? But you're doing all kinds of stuff. You're living a young life in Manhattan, right? And you're stressed, though, too, because you're starting your career. Did you give this to yourself or you don't know? I definitely believe that it was my environment. I was also on tons of antibiotics when I first moved to New York because I was always getting sick.

46:53I write in the book that going to urgent care was like getting a pedicure. And after a round of something called ciproflaxin, I write in the book, which is a very necessary antibiotics for many things, I noticed a change in my microbiome. But all of the doctors early on who I spoke to said, you know, we don't have enough data. There's not enough clinical research to show that anything in your environment could have caused your IBD. We believe it's genetic. Well, now we know enough 15 years later that that really is not the case. For some, it is genetic. The mother passes their microbiome on to their child, especially if you have a vaginal childbirth.

47:26But really, your environment and your food affects your everyday life and your microbiome. And I think what's really important, Tom, to also point out, and again, I'm not a doctor, is that 90 % of your serotonin is produced in your gut. So the mind-gut connection is very, very real. And so we write about that in the book as well. And so, look, there's a lot of information. And this book is not just IBD. Why do you think you're in remission? Did you change your lifestyle? Yeah, so I increased fiber. So women need 30 grams of fiber a day. I fell in love with something called partially hydrolyzed guar gum and resistant potato starch.

48:03These are all the things that feed the bag of bugs that is your microbiome. It's very necessary and increased my body. What is that second one? Is that a pill or is that a food? So you can get it in a daily prebiotic fiber. There's a lot of fiber supplements out there. For me, I love something called psyllium husk. It is an insoluble fiber, so when it goes into water, it's very sticky. And I call it like a colon broom. I do think everybody out there should at least try psyllium husk. But I also increased my sleep. I stopped drinking alcohol for a while. I very rarely drink alcohol now. I HAVEN'T SMOKED A CIGARETTE IN, YOU KNOW, MAYBE 12 YEARS.

48:42YOU HAVE A STRESSFUL DAY. YOU DON'T BURN ONE AT THE END OF THE DAY. YOU'RE GOOD. YOU'RE DONE WITH THOSE DAYS. THOSE DAYS ARE DONE. IN ALL SERIOUSNESS, SOME PEOPLE... WILD CHLOE IS GONE. IN ALL SERIOUSNESS, SOME PEOPLE MAY BE, OH, THIS IS CHLOE MALAS. SHE'S ON TELEVISION. SHE'S TRYING TO SELL A BOOK. I MEAN, MY PRODUCERS WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH THE BOOK, I JUST GOT MY COPY. NOW I'M GOING TO READ IT WHEN I GET HOME. You mean your executive producer, Matt Frucci, who loves the book? Yes. No, but people who have read the book say there was a time in your life when, is this true you were going to the bathroom 15 times in a day?

49:09Yeah, I mean, sometimes. How were you able to work and do that? That just sounds, that sounds, that sounds like unbearable. Yeah, I mean, there were, I've canceled plans from the toilet. I've missed soccer games with my kids. I've missed really important moments. I've spent afternoons sitting in a bathtub as recently as this summer because of the inflammation. Yeah, it can be painful. Unfortunately, when you have inflammation, especially in your rectum, it triggers all these nerve endings and you think you have to go. And sometimes you go and it's not an actual bowel movement. And so that's the thing is that I have girlfriends that have been dismissed by some of their doctors when they have blood in their stool as a hemorrhoid.

49:52And then it turns out they have stage three colon cancer. And so, again, like, you can dismiss the symptoms, you can treat the symptoms, but you really need to go to a GI, especially the fact that these diseases and syndromes are drastically on the rise. I also want to tell you, though, the book is not just about IBD. It's about celiac, and it's also about diverticulitis, which is growing in young adults. And, of course, colon cancer. So if you don't identify with one of those things, we did try to broaden it out to a whole variety of different gut issues. I know you're not a doctor, but do you know how GLP-1s are affecting people with IBD, or can people with IBD take a GLP-1?

50:33Does it help them? I've been on a GLP-1. I was diagnosed, given it by my endocrinologist at Weill Cornell in May to see if it would help my inflammatory markers. A lot of people lately have been saying, you look like you've lost weight. And I have lost weight as a result of being on the GLP-1. But it was to see if it would counteract a lot of the inflammation. Did it help you? And my blood work shows that it's working. Do you feel it? I feel it. I'm not racing to the bathroom as much. And again, I've been in periods of remission, sometimes for as many as five years with this disease. I DIDN'T HAVE A FLARE IN THE SPRING.

51:06I DIDN'T HAVE A FLARE IN THE I HAVE TAPERED OFF THE GLP-1S BECAUSE I DIDN'T DO IT FOR WEIGHT LOSS. OBVIOUSLY THAT'S AN EFFECT. I'M SEEING AMAZING BENEFITS WITH THE REDUCTION IN MY INFLAMMATION. I'M GOING TO TELL YOU THE DOCTORS AT CORNELL THAT I SPEAK TO IN THE GI SAY IT'S A MIRACLE DRUG FOR PEOPLE WITH IBD AND THEY'RE DOING ALL OF THESE CLINICAL TRIALS. Again, I am in not a clinical trial, but Dr. Ellen Schurl, who we interview in the book, who is a very famous GI over at Weill Cornell here in New York City. She thinks it's incredible, GLP-1s, for people living with IBD. But, of course, talk to your doctor.

51:42Not everything is going to be the right thing for everybody. I'm sure this book is incredible. It's called The Girl's Guide to Guts. Everything Chloe does, she does 110%. She is so tenacious as a reporter, and I'm sure she's put all that into this book, too. and it sounds like you know everything about it. Chloe, thanks for opening up. I hope and I know for sure you maybe saved some lives, at least changed some lifestyles. Do you want to join our bowel movement movement, Tom? I don't know what that is, but maybe. Anyways, Chloe Malas, thank you so much for being here. I appreciate it. All right.

52:11When we come back tonight, striking a chord, Stanford's football team showing off some unexpected skills off the field and at the Keys. This is a wild story, but a lot of fun. Stay with us.

52:24finally tonight the Stanford football team is known for big hits on the field but it turns out they also know a thing or two about hits at the piano take a listen

52:37for Stanford's football team it's a different kind of score

52:46the team known for big plays like this 3 and he's in for the touchdown. But during their bye week, the plays looked a little different. Hi, I'm Mickey. I've been playing piano since my sophomore year of high school. It turns out the team has a musical streak. We have some guys on the team that can play the piano. We're going to show you what we can do. Some newer to the game. I'm an offensive liveman and I've been playing piano for about 30 minutes.

53:13Others have been playing for years. My name's Fisher Anderson. I play offensive line. I've been playing piano since COVID.

53:23It was Anderson's idea to bring the team together. I don't think it's common across football teams to have as many extraneous talents as we do. I'm totally inspired by my teammates. Striking a chord and making some new fans.

53:47A lot of talent there. All right, that does it for us here at Top Story. Thanks so much for watching. I'm Tom Yamas in New York. Stay right there. More news on the way.

54:05Hi, I'm Angie Hicks, co-founder of Angie. From roof repair to emergency plumbing and more, when you use Angie for your home projects, you know all your jobs will be done well. Angie, the one you trust to find the ones you trust. Find a pro for your project at Angie.com.