Morning News NOW Full Episode – Aug. 6

[0:01] Right now on Morning News Now, new political lightning rod, President Trump and other top [0:06] Republicans attacking the new Democratic Senate nominee in Michigan, a battleground state that [0:11] could play a key role in determining the balance of power in Congress this November. [0:16] Their harsh words issued just hours after his victory. [0:21] Abdul El-Sayed, lovely gentleman, he's a man of hate. [0:25] We don't want the next administration, whoever, you know, God forbid you're going to have [0:30] President El-Sayed in three years. [0:34] How El-Sayed is pushing back on their attacks coming up. [0:37] Deal or no deal, President Trump claiming a deal to reopen the critical strait of Hormuz [0:42] could come as soon as today, but Iran continues to deny that there have been direct negotiations [0:48] with the U.S. in recent days. [0:51] We are on the ground in Qatar with where things stand this morning. [0:55] Plus, new hope for recovery. [0:57] Research is finding that the human brain can recover from the damage of drinking alcohol. [1:03] What people can do to reverse it and improve long-term health later this hour. [1:08] And finally, all the working ladies, put your hands up. [1:11] A new report shows that women now outnumber men in the U.S. workforce for just the third [1:15] time in history. [1:16] We're breaking down what's behind the trend and what it could mean for the job market long-term. [1:22] Good morning. [1:22] Thanks so much for being here. [1:23] I'm Savannah Sellers. [1:25] Joe's off today, but Christine Romans is going to join us later in the hour. [1:29] We are going to get started, though, with the president's effort to energize his base [1:32] ahead of the midterm election. [1:34] So the president was in Las Vegas yesterday to tout his economic policies and highlight [1:38] tax cuts. [1:40] But polls show voters are not happy with his handling of the economy, especially right [1:45] now with the high prices from the war in Iran. [1:47] President Trump did say, though, once again, that a deal is near to reopen the strait of Hormuz. [1:52] NBC News correspondent Chris Pallone joins us now with more on this. [1:55] Chris, good morning. [1:57] Savannah, good morning to you. [1:58] Less than three months to go until the midterm elections, and President Trump's message for [2:02] voters is coming into sharper focus. [2:04] The president is battling low poll numbers as Republicans try to hang on to control of [2:09] the House and the Senate. [2:12] President Trump returning from Las Vegas after touting his economic record there with the [2:17] fall midterm elections in view. [2:18] In just 18 months, we've turned this country completely around. [2:22] The president and his party facing headwinds in convincing voters things are as rosy as [2:26] he claims. [2:27] Polls consistently showing Americans give the president low marks on the economy and the [2:32] war in Iran. [2:33] Trump now seizing on a tug of war among Democrats for direction of that party between moderates [2:38] and progressives. [2:39] Abdul El-Sayed, lovely gentleman. [2:42] He's a man of hate. [2:43] The president taking aim at the latest progressive Democratic primary winner, Abdul El-Sayed, [2:48] a Michigan doctor running for Senate on a platform of Medicare for all and abolishing [2:53] ICE, a candidate Trump baselessly calls a communist. [2:56] We do better against the communists, according to every poll. [3:00] The poll says we do better against the communists. [3:04] So he won. [3:05] And so I think I'm happy. [3:06] El-Sayed hitting back at a soft spot in the president's record. [3:09] This is a guy who can't even focus on our affordability. [3:13] He's more interested in saying my name in an interesting way or calling me a lovely gentleman [3:16] than he is interested in actually solving our problems. [3:20] AAA reporting the average gas price in the U.S. now topping $4.08 a gallon, largely because [3:26] of the Iran war, which the president insists is nearing an end. [3:30] I'm not looking to kill people and totally obliterate everything. [3:34] And that's where we were headed. [3:35] And they wanted to negotiate, and we're doing that, and it seems to be working out quite [3:39] well. [3:40] What makes you think this will be different? [3:41] Because they tend to never... [3:43] It may be, it may not be. [3:45] Iran denies there are ongoing negotiations with the U.S. to end the war. [3:49] And a spokesperson for Iran's foreign ministry says negotiations with Oman over control of [3:54] the Strait of Hormuz are in their final stages. [3:57] Iran insists the strait will not go back to being an open international waterway like it [4:02] was before the war. [4:03] The Trump administration has previously ruled out any deal that would give Iran control [4:07] over the strait, and the U.S. Navy still has a blockade on Iran's ports. [4:11] Savannah, back to you. [4:13] All right, Chris, thank you so much. [4:14] Well, over on Capitol Hill, Dr. Fauci is in more hot water this morning. [4:18] In just a few hours, a Senate committee is set to vote on whether to hold Anthony Fauci [4:23] in contempt of Congress today after he pled the fifth several times during a hearing last [4:27] week on his handling of the COVID outbreak. [4:30] This comes as Florida's attorney general joined others in Louisiana and West Virginia yesterday [4:35] in issuing subpoenas for records from Dr. Fauci. [4:38] They allege Dr. Fauci profited from the recommendations he gave during the COVID pandemic. [4:44] NBC News political reporter Megan Brand joins us with more on this and some other headlines [4:47] from Washington. [4:48] Megan, good morning. [4:48] So just start by breaking down these reasons for the subpoenas against Dr. Fauci. [4:53] Good morning, Savannah. [4:54] Yeah, so as you mentioned, there were three state attorneys general in Republican-led states [4:59] in Florida, West Virginia, and Louisiana who had issued these investigative subpoenas to [5:05] Dr. Fauci yesterday, arguing that he made money off of the way that he had advised handling [5:12] of COVID-19 during the pandemic when he was the face, in many ways, of the U.S. response [5:17] to COVID. [5:17] So the Florida attorney general had said in a statement that was released yesterday that [5:22] this was related to an official investigation into awards, professional opportunities, financial [5:28] incentives, grants, and COVID-19 guidance that impacted Florida businesses and consumers. [5:34] So the subpoena had asked Dr. Fauci to provide documents ranging from 2020 until now, by the end [5:41] of the month, things that include grants or book deals that Dr. Fauci was considered for [5:47] or that he received. [5:49] And of course, this all comes right before a Senate committee is going to vote in just [5:54] a couple of hours on whether to hold Dr. Fauci in contempt of Congress, Savannah. [5:59] Yeah, let's talk about that, Megan. [6:00] So on that vote today, what are Republicans' arguments for that? [6:03] And what happens if the vote does pass? [6:05] So Republicans are basically breaking this down in two ways. [6:08] They're arguing that Dr. Fauci was not able to assert his Fifth Amendment privileges. [6:14] One of those reasons that they argue is because Dr. Fauci had received a preemptive pardon from [6:19] President Biden in the final hours of President Biden's term. [6:22] And they argue that because of that, he was not able to assert his Fifth Amendment privileges. [6:27] Now, another reason as well that they're arguing is that because Dr. Fauci had delivered opening [6:32] statements that they say are relevant to the subject matter that senators then went to go [6:37] question him on. [6:38] They say that that effectively waived his Fifth Amendment rights. [6:41] Now, that is up for some legal debate in the legal community. [6:45] But I want to point you to what Senator Rand Paul, he's the chairman of the committee, [6:50] had said in a statement. [6:51] He said, [6:51] I ordered him to answer and warned him about contempt, yet he still refused. [6:55] That is obstruction of a congressional investigation. [6:58] The committee will act accordingly. [7:00] So today, this needs a simple majority to pass. [7:03] And Chairman Paul has said that if it does pass, as it seems that it might, because Republicans [7:08] have a majority on that committee, then he would refer it to the Department of Justice. [7:13] Now, if the Department of Justice then decides to pursue this case, then U.S. Attorney for D.C., [7:20] Janine Pirro, would have to secure an indictment from a grand jury, Savannah. [7:24] Megan, I do want to ask you about a couple of things before I let you go. [7:26] So one, the FAA says that they're reviewing an incident, this was on Tuesday, involving [7:30] Marine One, that is the president's helicopter. [7:32] What do we know? [7:34] Yeah, so first things first, Savannah, the FAA and the White House have both said that [7:37] the president was never in any danger during this incident. [7:41] This had stemmed from when commercial flights were not paused by Reagan National Airport, [7:48] the D.C. area airport, when Marine One, which holds the president, was taking off. [7:55] You can see that on your screen. [7:56] Now, the FAA had created more flight restrictions in the area after that deadly crash last January, [8:04] when a military helicopter and a flight had collided, killing 67 people. [8:12] Now, the White House had released a statement on the situation yesterday, [8:16] saying that Marine One flights are piloted by some of the best aviators in the world, [8:20] and at no point was the president in harm's way, Savannah. [8:23] Megan, one other thing. [8:25] Have we learned anything more about the man arrested outside the president's golf course [8:28] in California over the weekend? [8:30] So the man who was arrested, he was 38-year-old Janine John Thiel. [8:35] And now investigators are turning to get warrants for things like the suspect's digital devices [8:41] and emails to try to learn more about him. [8:44] But a federal law enforcement official told NBC that Thiel is a disabled veteran and that he is described as someone who has PTSD and mental health issues as well. [8:57] Records indicate that the man who was arrested had been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, [9:03] and the suspect also does not have recent employment history, and a court appearance has not yet been scheduled. [9:10] We're not sure yet when we will see him in court, Savannah. [9:13] All right, Megan Brand covering quite a bit for us this morning. [9:15] We appreciate it. [9:15] Thanks, Megan. [9:16] Well, the attorney general for the state of New Mexico is now suing the Department of Justice, [9:21] accusing it of blocking the state from investigating sex crimes at Jeffrey Epstein's Zorro Ranch near Santa Fe. [9:27] At least 10 women say Epstein groomed or abused them at the 10,000-acre ranch going back decades. [9:34] Some were teenagers when they say it happened. [9:37] Right now, state prosecutors in New Mexico have the only active criminal investigation open into Epstein, [9:43] but the state attorney general says the feds are stonewalling them. [9:47] It's been 173 days since we first asked for unredacted access to the complete Epstein files, [9:55] and we still don't have that access, despite repeated assurances from Mr. Blanche, Jay Clayton, [10:01] and others that they would cooperate with this investigation and help us move things forward [10:06] so we could try and hold people accountable here in New Mexico. [10:10] NBC News Justice reporter Ryan Riley joins us now from Washington, D.C. on this. [10:14] Ryan, good morning. [10:14] So what exactly does New Mexico want, and how are they the only jurisdiction with an active criminal investigation? [10:21] Yeah, well, the statute of limitations factors play a major role here, [10:25] and obviously the fact that Jeffrey Epstein is dead also complicates it, right, [10:29] because you're maybe looking for associates, someone you could actually charge. [10:33] But what New Mexico would want here would be those unredacted files that would allow them to piece together [10:38] more of this investigation, to fill in some of the blanks here. [10:42] And, you know, this has been this ongoing effort and really coming out of New Mexico [10:46] that we've seen, as you said, sort of the only ongoing sort of criminal investigation related to this, [10:53] and basically they're trying to push forward some new answers from the Justice Department. [10:57] How is the Justice Department responding, Ryan? [11:01] Yeah, so DOJ said in a statement that there's no lawful basis to justify sweeping disclosures [11:07] of this victim identifying information. [11:10] And they're basically saying that they can't provide this, that there's these binding court orders [11:16] that prevent them from being able to give over more information. [11:20] They haven't formally responded to the lawsuit yet, but we should see that in the coming days. [11:25] It's going to, all of this is going to play out in federal court in D.C. [11:29] where they filed this lawsuit to begin with, Savannah. [11:31] Ryan, what are Epstein survivors saying about this? [11:35] Yeah, so they are encouraged by this investigation in New Mexico, [11:38] and obviously some of them have been critical of the Justice Department, [11:42] of Todd Blanche in particular, about the handling of these files. [11:45] And they would, like, they're contrasting the action that they saw. [11:49] They're saying that unlike acting AG Todd Blanche, AG Torres is requesting evidence [11:54] for the purpose of actually pursuing justice. [11:56] So they're supportive of this investigation moving forward, [12:00] and there's been some disappointment from them about how the Justice Department handled all of this. [12:05] Ryan Riley, thank you very much. [12:07] Well, a dangerous, rapidly spreading salmonella outbreak has now been detected in 27 states. [12:13] Federal health officials are investigating it. [12:15] It's being linked to jalapeno peppers. [12:18] And now two of the nation's most popular Mexican restaurant chains [12:22] are responding by removing jalapenos from hundreds of their locations. [12:26] NBC News correspondent Anne Thompson has more. [12:30] The issue of tainted jalapenos is much bigger than just Minnesota and Chipotle. [12:35] The CDC saying 27 states now reporting salmonella cases related to the peppers. [12:41] Minnesota, Colorado, and Illinois topping the list. [12:45] More than 300 people sickened, 36 hospitalized. [12:49] Now another fast food chain, Qdoba, says it's removed jalapenos from its restaurants, [12:55] saying food safety is our highest priority. [12:58] Chipotle did the same after Minnesota officials traced many of their salmonella cases [13:03] to a lot of peppers used by the chain. [13:06] Chipotle said it replaced the suspect jalapenos with ones from different growers. [13:11] How do peppers get salmonella? [13:14] Typically through a variety of ways, [13:15] but most likely contaminated water that it's used to irrigate or come into contact with that food. [13:22] Unlike the lettuce-linked cyclosporiasis triggered by a parasite, [13:27] salmonella is a bacteria that causes fever, stomach cramps, and diarrhea. [13:32] Symptoms most people develop within 8 to 72 hours of eating the bad food. [13:38] These high-profile outbreaks involving three popular fast food chains, [13:42] Taco Bell for the lettuce, Chipotle, and Qdoba for the jalapenos, [13:46] have some concern about our nation's food supply. [13:49] We have to remind ourselves that our food supply is fairly safe. [13:54] But things happen, accidents happen, [13:56] and contamination certainly can happen at any point in the food supply. [13:59] Anne Thompson, NBC News. [14:02] Well, in the midst of that outbreak, [14:04] there's a new leader taking the helm at the CDC this morning. [14:07] Yesterday, the Senate confirmed Dr. Erica Schwartz to be the newest director, [14:11] making her the agency's first permanent director in almost a year. [14:14] The 51 to 44 vote in the Republican-controlled Senate was largely split along party lines. [14:21] For more on this, let's welcome an NBC News health reporter, Aria Bendix. [14:24] Aria, good morning. Always great to have you. [14:25] So first, just tell us about Dr. Schwartz's background. [14:27] Yeah, so she has the credentials to fit this role. [14:31] She was the deputy surgeon general, actually, under the first Trump administration. [14:34] And then she has a record of public service going back throughout her career, [14:38] a Navy physician, a chief medical officer in the Coast Guard. [14:42] So there's really no question about her resume at her confirmation hearing. [14:46] The questions were more along the lines of would she be able to stand up to Secretary Kennedy [14:50] if he encouraged her to go against scientific truth and, you know, question vaccine safety. [14:56] And how were her responses on that? [14:59] Because there was some concern about is she distancing herself enough from that? [15:02] Like, what do you think her leadership means in that regard? [15:05] So I think many experts were hoping she would more emphatically [15:08] denounce some of the scientific misinformation we've seen from this administration and particularly [15:12] from the health secretary. [15:14] We have a statement from an advocacy group that's made up of former CDC officials. [15:18] They said they were hoping for more clear commitments about how she would protect [15:22] CDC from political pressure. [15:24] They found her statements often vague. [15:26] She did dodge questions frequently at the hearing. [15:29] But she was clear on one thing, that vaccines are safe and effective. [15:32] So I think some experts are approaching her tenure with some cautious optimism. [15:36] She's well-liked by her colleagues. [15:38] Again, she has this record of public service. [15:40] And they're hoping that privately she might be able to resist some of that political pressure. [15:44] OK, and it's there's a lot going on. [15:46] I mean, we were just talking about a new salmonella outbreak, cyclospora outbreak that we've been [15:51] talking about for quite a while now that has sickened over 10,000 people in this country, [15:55] at least. [15:56] Also, by the way, don't forget about a measles ongoing crisis in this country. [15:59] I mean, there's a lot to step into this job. [16:01] Just how important will these first few months coinciding with things like that be for her [16:07] sort of future in the role, for the perception from the public of her in the role? [16:11] Yeah, she has, as you mentioned, some big tests ahead. [16:14] I think Congress and quite frankly, the public is going to be watching closely to see how she [16:18] performs for measles in particular. [16:20] We'll see how emphatically she sort of recommends the MMWR vaccine. [16:25] I'm watching that very closely. [16:27] And then how she addresses really these growing rates of vaccine hesitancy in this country. [16:31] At her confirmations hearing, she said she essentially wants to be [16:33] this bridge between vaccine skeptics and mainstream medicine. [16:37] That's a tough feat under any administration, but particularly this one, [16:41] I think experts are willing to give her the benefit of the doubt and see how she does there. [16:44] No kidding. [16:45] All right, Aria, thank you so much. [16:47] We want to bring you an update on those historic wildfires burning in Washington state. [16:51] Now, while progress is being made in fighting them, [16:53] investigators now believe all three fires that have destroyed hundreds of homes near Spokane [16:59] were caused by humans. [17:01] And whether they were started intentionally is still under investigation. [17:05] NBC News national correspondent Morgan Chesky has the latest. [17:11] Air and ground crews fighting for every inch in a fiery battle as one of Washington's most [17:17] destructive wildfires ever rages on. [17:20] Everything I can to save my house, I can get this house to circle. [17:24] The race for containment creeping forward. [17:27] Our fire teams right now are working on establishing fire lines around all of these fire zones. [17:34] Progress here largely dependent upon the wind, but an emerging heat wave now brings new risk. [17:40] We still have a lot of interior heat, and even a little gust can grab an ember and throw it. [17:44] The Hollywood star and Spokane native Sidney Swinney was back home, [17:48] helping with community relief efforts. [17:50] More than 1,500 firefighters are on the ground, [17:54] taking on the three fires that officials now believe were all human-caused. [17:58] Do we believe that to be intentional? [18:01] That's why it's under investigation. [18:02] There was clearly no lightning in the area, so it's a human-caused fire, [18:05] but to be determined whether it was accidental. [18:08] Aaron Farnacci, the man charged with starting the most destructive fire, [18:11] is due in court to enter a plea. [18:13] Authorities crediting witnesses in catching him. [18:16] My daughter was sitting on the porch out there, and she says there's a fire. [18:22] So I ran out and looked and saw a column of smoke rising exactly where that individual was standing at. [18:29] The Spokane fires have now burned more than 10,000 acres, [18:32] with fire officials telling us full containment could take weeks. [18:37] We'll send it back to you. [18:38] Morgan, thank you very much. [18:39] Well, for more on the fire and the heat threat across much of the Pacific Northwest, [18:44] let's bring in our Angie Lassman. [18:45] Hey, Angie, good morning. [18:46] Hi there, Savannah. [18:47] Good morning to you. [18:47] Not much of a change when it comes to those same kind of ingredients that we've been watching [18:51] over the past couple of days for the fire issues across the West. [18:54] Here's those air quality alerts, [18:56] so you can see all the fires burning specifically focused across the Pacific Northwest [18:59] and across the Great Basin. [19:01] Those are going to be ongoing today. [19:03] We still have plenty of smoke that is going to drift across those regions, [19:07] leaving us with air quality issues for a lot of folks. [19:09] Again, focused mainly across the Pacific Northwest, [19:12] where we've been seeing those air quality issues for days and days now. [19:16] That doesn't change today. [19:17] We're also going to see our temperatures kind of surging over the next couple of days. [19:20] 73 million people under these heat alerts. [19:22] Most of it is stretched across the West, Salt Lake City to Reno, down through Los Angeles, [19:27] Phoenix, Albuquerque included, Oklahoma City as well included in these heat alerts [19:31] as we gear up for warmer than normal temperatures yet again in some of those areas. [19:37] Las Vegas at 111, 99 for Salt Lake City, El Paso, you top out at 101 today. [19:42] These temperatures, of course, above where they should be for this time of year, [19:46] and it's not getting any better as we look to tomorrow. [19:49] Boise, Salt Lake City, 100 plus, Medford, 104. [19:53] That temperature more than 10 degrees above where they should be for this time of year. [19:57] So not, of course, helping with that intense heat and all of the fire concerns [20:01] that we have across that region. [20:02] We'll still remain hot well into the weekend and into our upcoming work week. [20:07] 100 degrees across the board for Saturday and Sunday in Salt Lake City, [20:10] and we only improve a little bit with a high of 98 degrees on Monday. [20:14] So you get the picture. [20:15] It's going to be warm out across the West. [20:18] We're also going to see some changes across parts of the Northeast, [20:21] specifically in the Mid-Atlantic, where we've kind of been enjoying milder, [20:25] more comfortable conditions. [20:26] We had lower humidity kind of work into this region, [20:29] thanks to this front that has been kind of hanging around. [20:33] That front migrates a little bit farther to the north. [20:36] That allows us to see some of this humidity being pumped in by this high [20:39] that's sitting across parts of the Atlantic. [20:42] That is really going to make a difference when it comes to the later parts of our work week. [20:45] But even today, you'll notice the difference. [20:48] Philadelphia heads to 91 degrees, will feel like 102. [20:51] We've got New York City at 89, but look at that heat index value, [20:54] 99 degrees farther down the coast, Norfolk, Washington, D.C. [20:58] You will feel like 100-plus through the day today. [21:00] And that continues as we get even into tomorrow. [21:03] But we'll get a little bit of relief on the back end of the weekend. [21:06] So high 90s Friday in New York City, 94 is going to feel a whole lot better by Sunday. [21:11] And we'll see that humidity level kind of gradually drop across this region as we get through our weekend. [21:16] One note, we've got a couple of areas of potential strong to even severe storms today. [21:22] Wind gusts are going to be our main threat. [21:23] That's centered across parts of Springfield. [21:25] And we'll see some general thunderstorms across parts of the northeast. [21:28] Washington, D.C., up through Union, will be included in that. [21:31] And that's part of this kind of broader system that's sliding to the east [21:34] and leaving us with some showers and some thunderstorms across parts of the Great Lakes and the Ohio Valley. [21:40] But we'll also see some of that kind of scattered activity across the northeast stretching down through the mid-Atlantic. [21:46] Potentially looking at some locally heavy rain that could cause some travel delays. [21:50] Savannah through the day today, we'll still be looking at some pockets of rain even as we get through tomorrow as well. [21:57] All right, Andrew Lassman, thank you so much. [21:59] We've got much more to come here on Morning News Now. [22:01] Later this hour, cost of denial in our series investigating the challenges people face with health insurance. [22:07] We are taking a look at the growing debate over whether costly weight loss drugs should be covered. [22:13] But at first, near a deal, the U.S. and Iran signaling they are close to a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. [22:19] We are on the ground in Qatar with the details. [22:21] Christine Romans will have that for you up next. [22:29] And welcome back. I'm Christine Romans. [22:30] Savannah will be back later in the hour. [22:32] We want to bring you the latest on the war with Iran. [22:35] This morning, both the United States and Iran are signaling that a deal over how to handle the Strait of Hormuz is close. [22:41] But Iran insists the critical waterway will not reopen as it was before the war. [22:47] For more, let's bring in NBC News Chief International Correspondent Keir Simmons, who joins me with the latest. [22:52] Now, good morning, Keir. [22:53] What more can you tell us about the talks and the outline of this possible straight deal? [22:58] And what does Iran mean when it says the Strait of Hormuz won't be open like it was before the war? [23:03] Well, I mean, what Iran means, and frankly, the way that she's shaping up, I think it's true, is that the Strait of Hormuz before the war was free to shipping and it will now be managed in a different way. [23:17] So we're on a knife edge here, Christine, with President Trump saying we should know soon. [23:22] As you suggest, the Iranian foreign ministry is saying that a draft agreement with Oman and Iran, so those are the two countries on the other side of the Strait of Hormuz, is being reviewed. [23:36] And that agreement will set out how the Strait of Hormuz is going to be managed. [23:41] Clearly, one of the controversial questions is whether vessels will be charged to pass through that vital shipping lane. [23:48] And the Trump administration has been very clear that it is utterly opposed to that. [23:52] Meanwhile, of course, Christine, millions of Americans are waiting for the news, knowing that it will have a real impact on how much they pay at the pump. [23:59] Absolutely. And that's part of the leverage that Iran apparently thinks it has, you know, to continue keeping the pain on the American people. [24:06] Maybe it gets more from the administration than it would have otherwise. [24:11] OK, if an agreement is reached over the Strait, would it mean an overall end to the war with Iran? [24:15] Iran? Is that would that mean that's also in the near future or are these two separate things? [24:20] Yeah. Yes and no, I guess the answer is. It's baby steps is one way of looking at it. [24:28] So those mediating Qatar here, for example, Oman and other countries in this region. [24:35] This negotiation will tell you privately that they the way they do this is they try and get a small agreement and then another agreement, another agreement. [24:43] By the way, it's notable. And we mentioned this yesterday that what they're really negotiating over now is just one point in that memorandum of understanding the question of the Strait of Hormuz. [24:52] Now, President Trump has said that the negotiations second phase would involve talks over Iran's nuclear capability. [25:00] But contrast that with Iran, which has said it's not talking to the U.S. [25:04] I mean, there are ultimately indirect negotiations happening between the two sides. [25:09] And President Trump has said and has insisted overnight, despite Iran's denials, that Iran did contact him last weekend and ask him to call off strikes that he said would have been bigger than World War Two, his words. [25:23] So it's just the beginning, not the end, I'm afraid, if there is a deal. [25:26] And we still don't know that there is one. I think if there isn't one by the weekend, then we may be back to escalation. [25:34] All right, Keir Simmons, thank you so much for following that for us. [25:36] Now to more developing news out of Europe, where officials are raising new concerns about a drone found at an airport in Germany. [25:43] NBC News international correspondent Danielle Hamamjen joins me now to take us around the world in 60 seconds. [25:49] Good morning, Danielle. [25:49] Good morning, Christine. That's right. We begin with an update on the story we told you about yesterday, what German officials are now calling a new level of danger. [26:01] Flights had to be diverted from Leipzig-Halle Airport due to a drone carrying explosives. [26:07] The interior minister is saying they're treating the incident as part of a professional hybrid threat scenario, which could have been planned by a foreign power. [26:15] Now to South Korea, where defense officials sit there, say North Korea has launched an unidentified projectile towards the waters off the East Coast. [26:25] They say the launch took place today, but didn't say what type of weapon was fired. [26:29] A reminder that Kim Jong-un has been focusing on enlarging North Korea's nuclear and missile arsenal since diplomacy with the U.S. collapsed in 2019. [26:38] And finally, to Kazakhstan, where a tiger has been released into the wild. [26:45] Now, why is this news? [26:46] Well, it's the first time it happens in decades. [26:49] That's because the tiger disappeared from Kazakhstan back in 1948. [26:53] The release is part of a wildlife restoration project. [26:57] The adult female tiger named Umet, meaning hope in Kazakh, [27:01] is equipped with a satellite tracking collar and now moving independently. [27:06] Christine? [27:06] Wow, that's fascinating. Danielle, thank you so much. [27:09] Coming up, hope for recovery. [27:11] New research is finding that the brain can recover from the negative effects of drinking alcohol. [27:16] How you can get your brain power back next. [27:25] And we're back with another installment in our series, The Cost of Denial, [27:28] where we investigate the challenges people face with health insurance. [27:32] Today, we look at a growing debate among providers and the medical community [27:35] about whether popular and costly weight loss drugs should still be covered after slimming down. [27:42] NBC News correspondent Liz Kreutz spoke to one patient who was denied renewal coverage, [27:47] but said he believes the drugs are crucial to maintain his health. [27:50] It's improved my sleep. It's improved my energy. [27:56] For Sacramento Sheriff's Deputy William Meehan, the GLP-1 drug Zepound changed just about everything. [28:02] His sleep apnea is gone and he's down from 250 pounds to 170. [28:07] My appetite just got to a level where I stopped thinking about food all the time and I could just live normally. [28:13] But now, William is caught up in the insurance industry's debate over whether and when to cover weight loss drugs. [28:19] When he recently went to renew his prescription, he was told this. [28:23] You are denied because your current BMI is under 30. [28:27] To be on this medication, your BMI has to be greater than 30. [28:31] Essentially, William's insurer, Sutter Health, which initially covered the Zepound for sleep apnea, [28:36] told him he no longer qualified because he'd lost so much weight, his body mass index was now too low. [28:42] 30% BMI is around 200 pounds for me. [28:45] You feel like you're being encouraged to gain weight right now. [28:47] I do. By the way, I interpret it is that Sutter Health wants me to be 200 pounds to stay on this medication. [28:53] And I don't think that's anyone's recommendation. [28:56] It's something many people on GLP-1s are now facing when it comes to renewal. [29:00] It's a real challenge right now to keep the drug for maintenance. [29:04] Yes. [29:05] Professor Lisa Kroon runs the Medication Outcome Center at UC San Francisco. [29:09] She believes insurers should treat GLP-1s like maintenance drugs, the way they do blood pressure or cholesterol medications, [29:16] but says the cost of these drugs, along with their exponential popularity, has led to a gray area in many health plans. [29:23] Can the insurance companies afford this, to pay for all of these people to have this drug for the rest of their lives? [29:30] That's the challenge. Some health plans had to increase the BMI to cover them, [29:37] just because they were costing millions, tens of millions of dollars to a large health plan. [29:43] Her advice? Be persistent. That's exactly what William did. [29:47] Another denial. [29:48] He appealed and appealed again, and finally turned to NBC News. [29:53] Within weeks of us reaching out to Sutter Health to ask about his case, [29:57] William received a notice that he was now approved. [29:59] I think the only reason that I was approved for this is because the cough to denial and NBC reached out [30:06] and asked, what's going on? Why isn't he being approved? [30:10] But Sutter Health told us the prior denials were due to an administrative submission error [30:15] on the part of William's doctor, who also works for Sutter Health, [30:19] saying that the initial request was denied as submitted under the obstructive sleep apnea indication, [30:25] while the subsequent request was approved under the separate weight management indication. [30:30] We also reached out to William's doctor for clarification, but received no response. [30:35] Sutter added that no exception was made for William, but also noted that his approval [30:39] should not be interpreted as a universal policy applying to all Sutter members. [30:45] There might be people who are like, well, you've lost the weight, you've changed your lifestyle, [30:50] why do you need the drug anymore? Is it just for vanity reasons? [30:54] I don't view it as for vanity reasons. I think that this genuinely has improved my health. [30:59] I don't want to go back to being heavier and unhealthier. [31:04] And we should also point out that while there have been early studies that showed that people [31:08] who stopped treatment from these drugs did gain the weight back, there are now three recent studies [31:13] that just came out showing 45 to 70 percent of people are able to keep the weight off for the first [31:18] two years. So all of that mixed data adding to the debate and questions about whether the health [31:24] care industry should be treating these drugs like maintenance medications. Back to you. [31:30] All right, Liz Kreutz, thank you so much. In other health news, new research is offering hope for [31:35] people recovering from alcohol addiction. While even low levels of alcohol can have negative effects [31:40] on the brain, a growing amount of evidence suggests the brain can recover from it when a person cuts back [31:46] on alcohol or stops drinking altogether. Experts say it's best to limit drinking to a minimum, [31:52] but the findings suggest it's never too late to make changes that can benefit long-term brain health. [31:57] For more on this, I'm joined by Richard Seema. He is a brain health reporter for The Washington Post [32:01] and who also happens to be a neuroscientist who recently covered this topic for his Brain Matters column. [32:08] Richard, thank you so much for joining us. Good morning. We'll get to the brain's recovery power in just a minute, [32:13] but first let's talk about how alcohol affects the brain. You know, some people like to enjoy a drink [32:17] at a happy hour, social events, maybe wine with dinner. How does alcohol affect the brain and what [32:23] is considered a high level of alcohol? Yeah, so as people who drink know, it is a very potent drug. [32:32] It affects our overall system. When you drink alcohol, your brain releases endorphins, which are our [32:38] like built-in opioid system and also activates our reward system and releases dopamine. At the same [32:45] time, it's, you know, reducing brain activity. So it's a depressant, but that also helps with [32:51] relieving stress and anxiety. So it's both pleasurable and stress-relieving. So we know that, [32:58] you know, there's healthy levels of drinking, like less than one glass a day or so is usually okay. [33:05] But, you know, these brain changes over time can have longer effects. We know that if you drink more, [33:13] it becomes less pleasurable and you drink, instead of having fun, you're drinking to reduce feelings [33:19] of stress. And that's because your brain will need more alcohol to feel more, to feel pleasure. And it [33:25] brings in these stress systems so that you're more stressed out in general. But when you drink, that [33:32] reduces the stress. Right. So it becomes less for fun and more for just getting rid of that stress [33:37] that alcohol has caused. What can heavy drinking or prolonged alcohol use do to people's long-term [33:42] health? Yeah. So alcohol is not a vitamin. It's fun, but it doesn't have any health benefits. It [33:50] disrupts sleep. It makes people feel worse in general, more feelings of anxiety, depression. It also [33:57] increases dementia risk, as well as risk for cancer and things like that. So it's something to really [34:03] think about when you're balancing the pleasure of having it with your meal or going out with friends [34:08] versus these health impacts. I want to ask you about one quote from a researcher you spoke to that [34:15] really struck with us, really stuck with us here. This is the quote, people stop drinking as much to feel [34:21] good and start drinking more to feel less bad. Unpack that a little bit for us. [34:28] Yeah, it's a really interesting thing. It's something that happens in all drugs, really. [34:33] You know, your brain gets used to the rewarding feeling that comes with taking many of these [34:37] substances, including alcohol. And it also starts incorporating these stress responses as a result. [34:45] So what happens over time is you'll need more and more of it to even get that glimmer of pleasure you had [34:50] before. But also, you know, the stress that you're reducing while you're drinking, it roars back when [34:56] you stop. So you start just having to drink more to get rid of that feeling of anxiety that comes when [35:02] you're not in the process of drinking. You spoke to some health experts for your report. What did you learn [35:08] about the brain's ability to recover from the effects of alcohol? Yeah, that's a really interesting field of [35:17] research right now. So we know that with heavy drinking over time, your brain's gray matter starts [35:22] producing in volume. This especially affects your frontal cortex, which is important for your [35:29] attention, your memory and executive function. But when you stop drinking, we know that your brain can [35:35] adapt back. So there's studies showing that people who have alcohol use disorders and they abstain for a [35:42] period of time over a month to over a year. You actually see that they improve in these cognitive [35:48] domains that like got diminished from alcohol use. So they had better attention, better focus, better [35:55] energy, better sleep. But also there's evidence from neuroimaging studies that the brain areas that were [36:01] shrinking were actually able to recover to some extent. We don't know whether it could be full recovery, [36:07] but there's also signs that your brain is compensating as well. Yeah. Experts say, okay, [36:13] so it's okay to enjoy a drink on occasion. Being sober is the healthiest option for your brain and your [36:19] body. Are there any resources for people if they're listening to us this morning and they say, you know, [36:25] maybe I need to cut back on alcohol? Yeah. So I want to emphasize what researchers told me is that, [36:31] you know, you abstaining is healthiest, but actually all the researchers I speak to on this topic [36:37] actually drink on occasion themselves. But you could sign up for these sober curious movement [36:42] events such as dry January or sober October to, you know, see what the effects of reducing alcohol [36:47] does to your health. There's also these alcohol reduction apps such as Sunnyside that you could [36:53] try out. Richard Sima, thank you so much for joining us this morning. Really interesting stuff. [36:57] Thank you so much. All right. Coming up, women in the workforce. A new report shows women are [37:02] outnumbering men in the workforce for just the third time in history. What's behind that trend? [37:07] Next. All right. We're back with an emerging shift in the American job market. A new report [37:16] from Indeed in partnership with the Federal Reserve shows women outnumber men in the labor [37:21] force. This is only the third time that's ever happened. More than one million jobs were added [37:27] over the past two years and women filled nearly two thirds of them. Much of that growth has come [37:32] in fields like health care, education, social services, while many traditionally male dominated [37:38] industries, including tech, financial services and construction, have slowed hiring or cut jobs. [37:44] Joining me now is Yahoo Finance senior reporter Brooke De Palma with more. Brooke, good morning. [37:48] These numbers are so fascinating, right? Women have outnumbered men before only a couple of times [37:53] during the Great Recession and again just before the pandemic. Both times that trend reversed. [37:58] I wonder if this time could be more lasting. [38:00] It seems like it's sticking around for quite a bit now. I mean, compared to pre-COVID, [38:04] the amount of men within the workforce has come down even further than the amount of women in [38:09] the workforce. When you take a look at that stats, compared to February 2020 until June 2026, [38:13] we saw about a 2.3 percent decline in the amount of men in the workforce. That same exact timeline, [38:19] only 1.4 less women are in the workforce. And so it seems like although we've reversed trends in [38:26] the past, it seems like this time it's sticking around. The amount of men in the workforce [38:30] is pretty similar to what we saw in May of 2020, of course, when there were so many layoffs during [38:35] COVID. So there are more women entering, but there are men leaving the workforce or fewer men [38:40] entering. A fewer men entering, exactly. And what we are seeing is that those who are hiring [38:44] are traditionally female-dominated type of positions. I mean, think about health care. [38:49] During June 2026, we saw about 46,000 jobs added in health care. Then on top of that, [38:56] where you look at construction, only 11,000 jobs were added. And so these are the type of jobs that [39:02] are hiring. And so therefore, there are less men getting added to the workforce. We also have this [39:06] other dynamic where perhaps you have younger men staying at home. They're not going in as much as [39:11] their fathers were early on. You also have that opioid epidemic that impacted non-college-educated [39:16] men more dominantly. And you also have video games, Christine, that might play a factor there. [39:21] About 70 percent of non-working hours are apparently used to play video games or on the computer for [39:27] men. You talk about parts of the economy that are growing. There's a term that we use called [39:31] eds and meds, education and health care. Those are traditionally or more dominated by women. So [39:36] you could have this growing part of the economy overall. And now we're like 20 years into saying, [39:43] hey, girls are good at STEM. Girls can code. And now those girls are entering the workforce. [39:47] Yeah, exactly. Those girls are entering the workforce and they're going after jobs that [39:51] are typically dominated by men. They're going after those tech jobs. They're going after [39:55] those other science dominated roles. And so now what we are seeing here is there's this desire [40:02] to now reverse that, encourage men to go into jobs like nursing, health care, education, because [40:08] the fear is that with more women entering these type of tech science dominated jobs, there's going to [40:14] be less people for those other type of jobs. If the trend continues, I wonder what it means [40:18] for the American economy. I mean, I've heard demographers say for the first time in American [40:23] history, really, the advantage of marriage goes to the man, not the woman. The woman has the [40:27] education. The woman can, you know, she can make the money. She can bear the children. You know, [40:31] the man is the one who gets the advantage, economic advantage of marriage. That's really upside down [40:36] from what it had been traditionally. Yeah, but also at the same time, if you have one partner out of the [40:40] workforce, that can tighten the household budget dramatically. So that's really the fear here. [40:44] Is that if women are holding that financial pressure, will they spend less when they go [40:49] out? Will they have less money within their budget? And then you also have this factor where [40:53] since they're going for higher earning jobs, then does this sort of take away from these [40:57] care sectors, from health care, from nursing, from daycare, from education? That's the fear as [41:03] well. And also, Christine, the big question that we continue to ask in the show is how is AI [41:07] going to impact all of this? How will this change entry-level positions for both men and women? [41:12] Yeah, the AI question is still the big unknown. The big unknown. If you ask, it's either going to get [41:17] rid of all these jobs or it's going to make everybody, you know, healthier and wealthier [41:21] and working three-day weeks. Who knows? Who knows? We'll be reporting on it. Brooke DePalma, [41:25] so nice to see you. Thank you. Thank you for joining me this morning. All right, a massive tech [41:29] project is underway as AI infrastructure continues to reshape the U.S. Tens of millions of miles of fiber [41:35] optic cables are being installed nationwide to connect Americans to high-speed internet amid a [41:41] growing demand for AI-powered data centers. NBC News correspondent Brian Chung explains how a labor [41:46] shortage is making it harder to lay these new cables. It's checkup time for these telephone [41:52] poles in Covington, Georgia, where technicians are rewiring the grid for an AI future. [41:58] This is new fiber. In the truck, it looks like this. AT&T technician Matt Johnson pulling wires in [42:04] and stripping, trimming, and splicing fiber optic cables capable of transmitting information at the [42:11] speed of light. And then the machine does all the work. These wires will soon serve as the [42:15] information highway in and out of a data center going up in town. And this is going to connect [42:20] data centers in the neighborhood? This is going to connect everything. Everything's connected now. [42:27] A lot faster than the old copper cables that his dad, who also worked for AT&T, [42:32] used to lay down decades ago. I joke around with him that, you know, I'm upgrading. I'm taking out [42:37] everything that he put in and upgrading it. The upgrade will need more workers like Matt, [42:41] as well as his field team mounting fiber high above and down below. So you're digging holes to put this [42:48] cable in there too? Yes. Where neighborhoods are getting fiber too? It's ready. At least people are [42:54] ready for fiber. So now it's connected? It's connected. By some industry estimates, [42:57] the US will need an additional 66 million new miles of fiber by 2029 to accommodate the explosion of AI [43:04] use. For providers like AT&T, it's not the fiber itself that's the limitation. It's finding the [43:10] people to install it. These are real human beings putting together the infrastructure for artificial [43:16] intelligence. Absolutely. You know, the cloud, the data centers, super important. But what you saw today, [43:23] it's our fiber network expanding. Todd Zeiler is the vice president of construction and engineering [43:29] and says the company hired 10,000 technicians over the last three years, but is looking to hire 3,000 [43:35] more by the end of the year. How do you find those people? It has been very difficult. We have to [43:40] hyperscale our workforce as we hyperscale our fiber build plan. A 2024 report estimates that the industry will [43:47] need more than 58,000 workers to install fiber by 2032. Prepare both sides of it. It's not work that [43:54] can be picked up overnight. Splicing is a technical job. The work trucks require commercial driver's [44:00] licenses and safety trainings are critical. This is a job that AI can't really, can't really do. No, [44:06] you're not going to get AI to do this. This is, this is, this is a human intelligence. This is [44:11] manual labor though. You need people to go up there and put this infrastructure in place. Yes. Yes, [44:15] sir. AT&T saying they're greasing the wheels on onboarding workers with no four year degree [44:19] requirement and a four to eight week crash course training program. As people continue to order our [44:25] fiber and deliver in the homes and businesses at the pace in which they're building and ordering, [44:31] we cannot hire fast enough. So you're going to see us continue to stay on top of our community colleges, [44:39] our trade schools, our military partners, our referral fees. States are getting on board too, [44:45] with broadband access also increasing the general need for technicians. Texas established a workforce [44:50] grant program in 2025. And this year, New Mexico announced a plan to offer free certification [44:55] classes across the state. In Georgia, the high demand means Johnson's busy at work. [45:01] I'm only one spoke in this big wheel, but, um, but yes, it, it, it just connects everything. [45:06] With an AI supercharge requiring the need for more human help. Brian Chung, NBC news. [45:14] Great piece, Brian. All right, coming up Hollywood home run, the iconic film, [45:17] a league of their own brought the story of the relatively unknown all American girls professional [45:22] baseball league to the world. After the break, we're hearing from some of the league's original [45:27] players and stars of the film about its lasting impact on baseball. That's next. [45:31] We end this hour with the incredible legacy of a Hollywood classic and its lasting impact on [45:42] women's sports. So the all American girls professional baseball league was formed during [45:48] World War II after male players were drafted. Their story was largely unknown until the release of the [45:54] iconic film, a league of their own in 1992. More than three decades after its release, the film brought [46:00] hundreds of girls from all over the world together for a baseball tournament recently in Illinois. [46:06] NBC news correspondent, Maggie Vespa spoke with some of the original players and actresses behind the [46:11] film, proving that a baseball diamond can be a girl's best friend. [46:13] She's under it. An iconic tribute to American sports and the women who redefined it. [46:27] Next year marks 35 years of a league of their own, a legacy rooted in Rockford, Illinois, [46:37] home to the Rockford Peaches and home base to this year's Baseball for All Nationals tournament. [46:43] Actresses and players behind the film blown away by the fanfare. [46:49] I got my Rockford Peaches gear. Have you guys noticed this city is buzzing with you all here? [46:55] Yeah, they get very excited. They get very excited. [46:58] And so do we. [46:59] I've only been here once and that was in 1953 when I tried out for the team. [47:03] The stars of our panel, Mary Moore and Gloria Mack McCluskey Rogers, [47:09] both early players in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. [47:13] You just wanted to play. [47:14] I just wanted to play. They had us throw the ball and I had the distance measured and it was 179 feet [47:22] and seven inches and my mother was impressed. [47:24] We played in New York and at Yankee Stadium and. [47:28] You played at Yankee Stadium? [47:30] Yeah, before one of their Yankee games, we got to meet them. [47:33] Oh. [47:34] Joe DiMaggio, Casey Stengel, Yogi Berff. [47:37] Tracy Reiner's mom, Penny Marshall, directed the film and demanded the actresses be able to play ball. [47:44] Maureen, this one. [47:45] She was an athlete herself. [47:47] So she'd get pissed off if you couldn't do what she thought she could have done. [47:51] That's amazing. [47:52] The movie sheds light on women's struggles, including this scene where a prospect can't read. [47:58] Can you read, honey? [48:01] No. [48:05] This is you. [48:06] You're with us. [48:07] You're Rockford Peach. [48:10] The teammate who helps. [48:11] Go join your team. [48:12] Played by Ann Ramsey. [48:14] Penny had this much real estate to catch all those points and send those messages. [48:21] Remember the black athlete, the woman? [48:24] Penny made sure she touched on that. [48:25] Black women were barred from playing in the women's league when it first began. [48:31] Another insight, the focus on players' looks. [48:35] The hair, soften and shorten. [48:37] That was real. [48:39] Yes. [48:40] Your hair had to be so long, had to be at least shoulder length. [48:45] You had to make up every day. [48:47] God forbid the athleticism be the focus while you're out there. [48:50] Right. [48:52] That pressure perhaps personified in Marla Hooch, portrayed by Megan Cavanaugh. [48:58] I would put spit in my hair to make myself like, feel like more frumpy. [49:02] And I, I really wanted her to be understood as a, a girl that wasn't good looking, but that [49:11] blossoms through baseball. [49:12] Empowerment not lost on young players. [49:16] Are boys better than girls at baseball? [49:18] Looking at all those little girls out there today. [49:22] If one of them were to ask you, is there crying in baseball? [49:26] Yeah. [49:27] What would you say? [49:28] Yes? [49:29] Hell yeah. [49:31] There's nothing wrong with crying. [49:32] Nothing. [49:33] Yeah. [49:33] That's a good thing. [49:36] An origin story that decades later still hits a home run. [49:41] Maggie Vespa, NBC News, Rockford, Illinois. [49:46] What a cool look there. [49:47] Our thanks to Maggie for that. [49:48] That's going to do it for this hour of Morning News Now. [49:50] Stay with us so the news continues right now. [49:52] I'm Savannah Sellers. [50:05] Thanks so much for joining us. [50:07] Christine Romans will join us later in the hour. [50:09] Right now on Morning News Now, in the spotlight, [50:11] President Trump going straight on the attack [50:13] against Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul Al-Sayed. [50:17] It comes after the progressive won the battleground state's primary, [50:21] all with the balance of power in Washington up for grabs this fall. [50:25] The president calling out Al-Sayed during a rally with supporters. [50:30] He doesn't love Israel. [50:32] He doesn't love Jewish people. [50:34] He hates them. [50:35] He hates them with a passion that burns in his heart [50:38] and there's not a freaking thing he can do about it. [50:42] We'll tell you how Al-Sayed is responding this morning. [50:45] Deal do-over. [50:46] Iran says it's in the final stage of an agreement with Oman over the future of the Strait of Hormuz, [50:52] the critical waterway at the center of the five-month-long war with Iran. [50:56] But the agreement is likely to depend on how the Trump administration handles the blockade in the [51:01] strait. The latest ahead from the Middle East. [51:04] Salmonella spike. The outbreak of salmonella cases has now spread to dozens of states, [51:09] sickening hundreds and leading popular chain restaurants to pull one ingredient from their menus. [51:14] We'll tell you what the CDC is tying this new outbreak to. [51:18] And recess reboot. It's a beloved tradition, a highlight of the day for many students. [51:24] And this school year, it's making a big comeback. [51:26] We'll tell you why some states are pushing for students to get outside later this hour. [51:32] Of course, it was the best part of the day. It should have never gone anywhere. [51:35] Thanks again for joining us. We're going to begin this hour with President Trump really throwing the [51:38] White House right into the 2026 midterm fight. The president and top Republicans have unleashed [51:43] the series of attacks on Abdul El-Sayed. He's the new Democratic Senate nominee in Michigan. [51:49] That, of course, is a key battleground state that could help determine the balance of power in [51:53] Congress. NBC News Chief White House correspondent Garrett Hayek has more. Hey, Garrett, good morning. [51:57] Abdul El-Sayed is the rare political figure generating excitement on the wings of both parties, [52:04] but for different reasons. Progressives see him as a fighter, fresh off a tough primary, [52:09] ready to battle for causes that the left cares deeply about. But Republicans, led by the president, [52:14] are painting him as an extremist. And they're hoping to make Democrats running for office across [52:19] the country answer for his sometimes controversial stances. This morning, Democrats have a new Senate [52:25] nominee in Michigan, a critical battleground state. And Republicans have a new top political target. [52:31] Just hours after Abdul El-Sayed's primary win, President Trump going on the attack. Abdul El-Sayed, [52:41] lovely gentleman. He's a man of hate. When I watch Abdul, he's full of s**t. [52:48] El-Sayed firing back overnight. This is a guy who can't even focus on our affordability. He's more [52:54] interested in saying my name in an interesting way or calling me a lovely gentleman than he is [52:58] interested in actually solving our problems. Also responding to critics, highlighting his opposition [53:04] to aid to Israel. El-Sayed saying he stands with Jewish people, adding. I think there is a [53:10] challenge when folks try to use the specter of antisemitism to extend toward protecting a foreign [53:16] government against criticism. Republicans also trying to link the outspoken progressive, [53:21] a supporter of programs like Medicare for all, to Democrats nationwide. A lot of Americans look at [53:27] this rising tide of socialism and say, how did we get here? Vance echoing the president, [53:31] who also tried to tie the primary results to the national party in that Las Vegas speech. [53:37] The communists want to take their ruinous and deadly ideology of misery and squalor [53:43] to every state in America, but we're not going to let them. Trump arriving back from that trip last [53:48] night on Marine One. But his departure for that West Coast swing now drawing headlines. After a close [53:54] encounter between Marine One and a commercial airliner on Tuesday, the two taking off moments apart. [54:06] The FAA saying there was a, quote, momentary loss of separation during which controllers maintained [54:11] contact with both aircraft and that, quote, the president was never in any danger. Frequent flyers [54:18] in and out of D.C. know that typically when the president is in the air here, nothing else is allowed [54:23] to be. So how that passenger jet and the presidential helicopter came to be as close as they were in that [54:28] video is now the subject of investigations by both the FAA and the NTSB. All right, Garrett, thank you. [54:35] Well, now to the latest on the war with Iran this morning. Both the United States and Iran are [54:39] signaling that a deal over the Strait of Hormuz is close, but Iran insists that the critical waterway [54:45] will not reopen as it was before the war. NBC News chief international correspondent Keir [54:50] Simmons is following the story and has the latest. Keir, good morning. [54:55] Hey there, things are on a knife edge here with President Trump saying that we should know [55:00] soon. The Iranian foreign ministry saying that a draft agreement between Oman and Iran, [55:07] so those are the two countries on either side of the Strait of Hormuz, is being reviewed. Now, [55:13] that agreement will likely set out how the waterway should be managed. One controversial question is [55:20] whether it will allow Iran to charge vessels for passing through that crucial shipping lane. The Trump [55:27] administration has been clear that it is opposed to that. And of course, millions of Americans are [55:34] waiting for news knowing that whatever happens will have a real impact on how much you pay at the pump. [55:41] Meanwhile, President Trump overnight saying that despite Iran's denials that it is in negotiations with [55:49] the United States that it was that he was contacted by Iran over the past weekend and asked not to go [55:57] forward with strikes on Iran that he says would be worse, and these are his words, than World War II. The [56:05] question of what happens if there is an agreement after that agreement, well, this is just one [56:10] negotiation over one point in the Memorandum of Understanding .5, which is about the Strait of Hormuz. [56:17] President Trump says Iran's nuclear capability will be addressed in a second stage, but Vice [56:24] President Vance suggesting that it will be a slow process. In his words, it will be messy. And all of [56:30] that assumes that we will get an announcement. It is also possible that they don't get to the finish [56:36] line. And there are concerns here in the region that if that happens, then there will be another [56:44] escalation this weekend. Guys? All right, Keir Simmons, thank you so much. Well, here at home, [56:49] the salmonella outbreak is growing rapidly across the U.S. The CDC is now tracking hundreds of cases [56:55] across 27 states, and that includes dozens of hospitalizations. The surge is now prompting a [57:00] second popular Mexican-style food chain to pull jalapeno peppers from its restaurants. NBC News [57:07] correspondent Maggie Vespa is following this for us and has the latest. Maggie, good morning. [57:12] Hey there. First it was Chipotle, and now Codoba following suit, announcing they're proactively [57:17] pulling jalapenos from all locations. This is the CDC ties the tainted peppers to a California-based [57:23] distributor, and Americans try and wrap their minds around yet another rapidly growing outbreak. [57:30] This morning, new concerns about another foodborne illness outbreak hitting at least 27 states across [57:36] the country. The CDC now tracking close to 350 cases of salmonella, including three dozen [57:42] hospitalizations. Every time there's another recall. Colorado and Minnesota accounting for more than 200 [57:50] cases combined. This as the Mexican-style food chain Codoba announces it proactively removed [57:56] jalapeno peppers from all of its restaurants out of an abundance of caution. Codoba following [58:02] and rivaled Chipotle's footsteps, which announced the same move earlier this week after state health [58:07] officials found more than 100 people sickened with salmonella in Minnesota, most of them after eating [58:13] Chipotle. The chain writing the health and safety of our guests and employees is our highest priority. [58:19] Overnight, the CDC tying cases to jalapenos grown in Sinaloa, Mexico and distributed by California-based [58:26] coast citrus distributors. The CDC says the company has agreed to recall the hot green peppers. Food safety [58:33] experts say finding a root cause will take time. The FDA will visit that location and they'll do [58:40] their investigation to try to figure out exactly what caused it. The salmonella surge is just the [58:45] latest food scare in America, with health officials also tracking that cyclospora outbreak [58:50] linked to tainted lettuce served at Taco Bell with more than 10,000 confirmed infections and two deaths. [58:57] Taco Bell has since removed the tainted lettuce. The damage rippling across the industry with Salad and [59:04] Go, a regional chain in Arizona and Nevada filing for bankruptcy, in part they say because customers [59:10] afraid of getting sick are avoiding lettuce. Now the CDC is stressing that because Chipotle and [59:15] Codoba pulled those peppers from their restaurants, their food should be safe to eat. And food experts that we [59:21] talked to agree saying the same goes for Taco Bell. And they also say these outbreaks don't appear to be [59:27] linked. They say the timing just seems to be a horrible coincidence. Back to you, Maggie Vespa. [59:33] Thank you so much. Well, not of those wildfires burning in Washington state. Officials say a heat [59:37] wave is complicating efforts to contain the three major fires burning near Spokane. Meanwhile, the suspect [59:44] accused of setting one of those fires is scheduled to be back in court today to face a first degree arson [59:50] charge. NBC News national correspondent Morgan Chesky is in Spokane. He joins us with the latest. Morgan, [59:55] good morning. Good morning. And Aaron Farnacci is charged with starting the old trails fire. That [1:00:02] is the most destructive of the three fires that have just horrifically ravaged this entire area. [1:00:08] And officials tell us they believe all three were human caused, but they're still investigating the [1:00:13] source of ignition of those other two. This morning, a glimmer of hope in the fight to contain three [1:00:21] devastating wildfires, crews finally halting flames and creeping closer to containment. The Spokane [1:00:28] complex fires now responsible for burning more than 10,000 acres and scorching some 800 homes and [1:00:34] buildings. I think we're making great progress right now. And if our lines hold through the weekend, [1:00:39] I think they're going to be, we're going to be on the path to not having this fire move anymore. [1:00:43] As thousands of firefighters work around the clock, arson suspect Aaron Farnacci is scheduled to be [1:00:49] back in court today. His arrest, the Spokane County Sheriff says made thanks to those residents who [1:00:54] noticed a stranger acting suspiciously. When he saw us, he kind of stood up and kind of turned and [1:01:00] faced us and got a little fidgety. Paul Child says he first noticed the man near this wooded area. My [1:01:07] daughter was sitting on the porch out there and she says there's a fire. So I ran out and looked and [1:01:15] saw a column of smoke rising exactly where that individual was standing at. The fires here among [1:01:22] dozens currently burning across the western U.S., creating plumes of thick smoke visible high above [1:01:27] the mountains and even from outer space. All part of a wildfire season that isn't letting up. In [1:01:34] Washington, an outpouring of support for those who have now lost everything. Actress and Spokane native [1:01:41] Sydney Sweeney back home to help with ongoing relief efforts. This morning, thousands of residents are [1:01:47] still unable to return home with official stressing conditions are still too unpredictable and life [1:01:54] threatening. We still have a lot of interior heat and even a little gust can grab an ember and throw it. [1:02:01] And that is why fire officials say it truly is a race for containment. [1:02:05] Also keep in mind that the National Weather Service says the next two days could bring near [1:02:09] triple-digit temperatures and Saturday we could see a return of some of those gusty winds. Those [1:02:14] two factors combined, Savannah, could change the face of this firefight in a major way. [1:02:19] All right, Morgan, thank you very much. Well, that smoke still lingering out west, of course, [1:02:24] and also another round of storms is now moving across the northeast. There's a lot going on. We have [1:02:28] Angie Lastman with us with our Morning News Now forecast. Hey, Angie, good morning. Hi there, [1:02:32] Savannah. Good morning. Morgan just said it. We've got some kind of iffy conditions as we go ahead [1:02:36] through the next couple of days. But let's start with where we are right now when it comes to that [1:02:40] containment of those fires. Seen some minor improvement because our winds have been light [1:02:44] over the past couple of days. But as Morgan mentioned, those temperatures are going to go up, [1:02:48] those winds are going to go up as we get into the weekend as well. So air quality alerts will remain [1:02:52] a concern. This is going to be something that you're mainly going to see impacting folks' air quality across [1:02:57] the Pacific Northwest. But we could still see, and parts of the Great Basin, I should add, but we [1:03:01] could still see those hazy kind of milky skies across parts of the Midwest. That'll be something [1:03:06] that we likely see at least through the end of our work week and into our weekend in many of these [1:03:10] locations. I mentioned our temperatures are going to surge across parts of the west. This has been [1:03:16] kind of what we've been dealing with for the past couple of days. No different today. 73 million people [1:03:20] with plenty of heat alerts up across the west, stretching across parts of the south as well. [1:03:25] Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and much of the Pacific Northwest included in that [1:03:31] as our temperatures rise above normal yet again. Medford, 105 today for your actual temperature. [1:03:36] We've got 99 in Salt Lake City. Across the Southern Plains, 99 in Albuquerque, 101 in El Paso. And even [1:03:43] looking ahead to tomorrow, not much improvement. We see those triple-digit temperatures remaining across [1:03:48] the Pacific Northwest. Medford at 104. Boise at 101. Salt Lake City tops out at 102. And we keep this kind [1:03:55] of heat in place at least through the weekend and even into the upcoming part of our work week. [1:04:01] Again, on top of this, we're also going to see those elevated winds across parts of the Pacific [1:04:05] Northwest as we get to Saturday. Those gusts with these temperatures 20 to 30 miles per hour [1:04:10] and temperatures into the 90s, if not on 100s, that is going to make the containment of these fires [1:04:15] so much more difficult. So we're going to watch for that here to kind of ramp up as we get into [1:04:19] the weekend. Otherwise, we've got this heat and humidity that is going to take shape across parts [1:04:24] of the East Coast. Today is the first day for some folks where we're going to see those temperatures [1:04:28] surge and the feels like temperatures be just really uncomfortable in a lot of spots. Washington, [1:04:33] D.C., 100 degrees for what it feels like today, tomorrow, 101 on Saturday. We've got Norfolk even warmer [1:04:40] than that, 102 today, but ending up at 104 by the time Saturday rolls around. And really, you name it [1:04:45] across parts of the Northeast and the Mid-Atlantic, this is the kind of vibe that you're going to see [1:04:49] at least through the weekend where we've had these kind of comfortable conditions for days and days, [1:04:54] and that changes today where we see more of that humidity working in and our actual temperatures on [1:04:59] the rise as well. New York City, 102 for your feels like today. We get to 100 on the mark on Friday. [1:05:06] Even as we get into Saturday plans, it's still going to feel like 97 degrees. So the heat, [1:05:10] the humidity here to stay at least for the short term. Otherwise, we've got a couple of spots we're [1:05:15] watching for some stronger storms this afternoon, mainly parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri. [1:05:20] Springfield is right in the bullseye of that. We're looking for essentially some strong wind gusts. [1:05:25] Maybe we'll see some hail and one or two tornadoes will be possible. This is all part of this bigger [1:05:31] system though, Savannah, that's going to bring some heavy rain and unfortunately [1:05:34] may delay folks in the air and on the roadways as they get through the day-to-day in that region. [1:05:39] All right, Andrew Lassman, thank you so much, Dan, a bit. [1:05:41] Much more to come here on Morning News Now. Later this hour, the popular gas station chain, [1:05:46] Buc-ee's, is making headlines this morning over a lawsuit it's filed against a mom-and-pop shop. [1:05:51] We'll tell you what they're accusing the rival store of doing. [1:05:54] Up first though, the record-breaking heat in Europe this summer leading to dangerously low levels in many [1:06:00] rivers. After the break, we'll explain why that has some countries going to extreme lengths. [1:06:05] Welcome back. We've been telling you about Europe's record-breaking heat. We'll get this. [1:06:12] High temperatures and droughts are now impacting some of the continent's biggest rivers. Water [1:06:17] levels are falling dangerously low, disrupting shipping, threatening power supplies, and forcing [1:06:23] some countries to take emergency action. NBC News international correspondent Raf Sanchez joins us now [1:06:28] from London with the latest Raf. Good morning. So right there, our viewers can see you are along a river. [1:06:32] You're standing right on the river Thames. What are you seeing? How has the drought affected the river [1:06:36] there? Savannah, good morning. Yeah, so we're in West London. We're on the banks of the river Thames. [1:06:43] This is the usually mighty river that runs all the way through the British capital. But if I step out [1:06:48] of the way here, you can see it is looking a little bit underwhelming this morning. On this side of the [1:06:53] river, you can see this bank is almost completely exposed. A lot of mud. The birds are walking around here. [1:06:58] You can actually really smell it here. And this is the picture that you're seeing all across the UK. [1:07:05] The Thames is the longest river in England, but half of England is in drought right now. [1:07:12] The Thames is a tidal river, so the water levels here will get lower over the course of the day. [1:07:17] They'll get higher later. But this is causing a major, major problem for a country, of course, [1:07:21] associated with a lot of rain, not used to dry weather. There were wildfires in England last [1:07:26] week, not something we're used to seeing happening. And all across Europe right now, [1:07:30] you have these major rivers, these arteries of commerce, of tourism that are at record low levels [1:07:37] and are causing major, major disruption all across the continent. Savannah? [1:07:41] We're at the Danube. That's Europe's second longest river. It's also fallen to record lows in Hungary. [1:07:47] It's forced a nuclear power plant to operate at just 10% capacity. In Romania, they are blasting [1:07:53] rocks to divert water to one of its reactors. How does all this work? And tell us about these [1:07:57] things officials are doing. Yes. So this is an enormous problem for a number of Central European [1:08:04] countries where you have nuclear power plants. They are reliant on the river to keep their reactors [1:08:09] cool, to keep those plants running safely. And with water levels as low as they are, they can't get the [1:08:15] water they need. So in some places, they are scaling back the work of the reactors. You mentioned in [1:08:20] Romania, they are going through really extreme measures. They called in the Navy to start blasting [1:08:25] through rock formations on the river Danube to try to get more water flowing on the path towards those [1:08:32] reactors. They also, Savannah, took a couple of big old barges, these old ships, they filled them with [1:08:39] rocks, and now they are sinking them at different points of the river. And they're trying to create a [1:08:43] kind of new artificial path to get the water where it's going. But in Hungary and in Romania, [1:08:49] they are calling for people to consume less electricity, to ease back on their electricity [1:08:55] use to try to make sure that they don't overwhelm the grids. They don't overwhelm these power plants [1:08:59] that are so dependent on this river water. Savannah? Raph, another thing that we're hearing about is [1:09:03] as these rivers dry up, and this is something we see, right, it's revealing unexpected things that were [1:09:08] under the water that were hidden. I mean, things, woolly mammoth remains, World War II shipwrecks. [1:09:13] Tell us about this. Yeah, there's some pretty extraordinary history that's kind of emerging [1:09:20] from the mud banks, which you can see now because the water levels are so low. So in Serbia, they've [1:09:25] found dozens of World War II era battleships, warships. These are Nazi naval vessels that were [1:09:32] scuttled by the Germans in the last stage of the war as they were retreating. And now for the first time, [1:09:38] they're visible, these kind of ghostly skeletons of these 1940s warships. Speaking of skeletons, [1:09:45] they also found the remains of a woolly mammoth. It's pretty extraordinary. It looks like something [1:09:51] out of Jurassic Park, just in this now dusty, dry riverbed where the water would normally be. [1:09:57] They found the rib cage, what looks like the tusks of one of these woolly mammoths. So [1:10:02] those remains are going to be sent away for study. And if the water levels continue to drop, [1:10:07] who knows what else they're going to find. Savannah? I got to say, I wasn't expecting [1:10:11] just like a guy in a short pair of shorts and t-shirt taking out the woolly mammoth remains, [1:10:16] but that is pretty incredible video. Raph, meteorologists say the heat is not over yet. [1:10:20] What are officials worried about in the days to come? Yeah. So here in the UK, things are cooling [1:10:26] down. The weather was nearly 90 degrees earlier in the week. We're now kind of down into the mid 70s. [1:10:31] So it's starting to feel temperate here. That is not the situation in a lot of the rest of Europe. [1:10:36] In Italy right now, all major cities from Milan to Rome to Naples are under heat alerts right now. [1:10:43] Very, very intense heat in Italy. Austria is just setting national records for this time of year [1:10:50] in terms of how hot it is right now. And we've been talking a lot about these major wildfires in [1:10:55] France, in the Bordeaux region, down in the south of the country. They're not as bad as they were, [1:11:00] but it remains very hot. It remains very dry. And that means all it takes is one ember and a little [1:11:05] bit of wind, and you can have those flames bursting up again. So we're really, really not out of the [1:11:10] woods in terms of this intense heat that's been baking Europe so far this summer. [1:11:14] Savannah. Raph Sanchez, thank you so much. Stay cool. [1:11:17] Now let's get you more international news this morning. Russia and Ukraine are exchanging a new [1:11:21] round of deadly attacks. NBC News international correspondent Danielle Hamamgin [1:11:26] joins us now to take us around the world in 60 seconds. Danielle, good morning. [1:11:31] Good morning, Savannah. That's right. We start with the latest in the war in Ukraine, [1:11:36] a day after 17 Ukrainians were killed in Russian strikes. President Vladimir Zelensky [1:11:42] says Ukraine's military hit two Russian oil refineries in long-range attacks. The Russian [1:11:47] governor of that region called it the largest ever attack by enemy drones, saying 93 of them [1:11:53] had been destroyed. In recent weeks, Ukraine has launched a series of strikes on Russian [1:11:58] infrastructure, including warehouses similar to Amazon. To Mexico now, where a popular influencer, [1:12:05] Cesar Gastelum, was shot and killed earlier this week. According to authorities, it happened while he [1:12:11] was live streaming with friends outside a fast food restaurant in the city of Culiacan. Two people on [1:12:17] a motorcycle approached him, one of them appearing to fire a gun directly at Gastelum. [1:12:23] He was in his early twenties, had hundreds of thousands of followers, and was known for his [1:12:28] comedy videos. And finally, the Vatican announcing Pope Leo will be making his first trip to South [1:12:34] America as pontiff. In early November, Leo will travel to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru. The visit, [1:12:41] especially significant given his long-standing ties to Peru. The first U.S.-born pope spent decades as a [1:12:47] missionary in Peru, where he also served as bishop. And of course, Savannah, he also has Peruvian citizenship. [1:12:54] All right, great to see him on a trip, Danielle. Thank you so much. Well, closer to home as Southern [1:12:59] California prepares to host the 2028 Olympics, scientists at Cal State Long Beach are developing [1:13:05] technology they hope will keep athletes and beachgoers safe from sharks. Reporter Mikalo Medina from NBC Los Angeles [1:13:13] has a look at how it works. It's designed to go out and patrol off a beach to surveil for sharks. Just [1:13:21] about 10 feet long and a little wider than a surfboard, researchers hope this autonomous vehicle [1:13:26] could become one of the newest members of Southern California's lifeguard team that can do more than [1:13:32] swim. It will have a drone on it that will fly around, find sharks. Developed by Cal State Long Beach's [1:13:38] Shark Lab, Director Chris Lowe tells us the robotic craft is designed to patrol the water all on its [1:13:44] own, powered by solar, scanning for tagged sharks below the surface while transmitting real-time [1:13:52] information back to lifeguards on the beach. It'll be listening for our acoustically tagged sharks. [1:13:57] It'll take water samples to look for white shark DNA. The vessel's just one piece of a growing high-tech [1:14:03] network. The Shark Lab has tagged hundreds of juvenile white sharks, deployed underwater listening [1:14:08] stations along the California coast and use aerial drones to spot sharks from up above. By 2028, [1:14:14] that information could be helpful to officials to monitor Olympic competition venues in real time, [1:14:20] from open water swimming here in Long Beach to surfing events in Orange County. We're going to have [1:14:25] athletes swimming in Long Beach Harbor where we know there have been white sharks before. So having [1:14:29] this device out patrolling for lifeguards and warning them if sharks are present will help them better [1:14:34] protect athletes. Lowell says it'll give lifeguards another tool to make informed decisions without [1:14:40] unnecessarily clearing the water. The challenge now, though, isn't the technology. It's the funding. [1:14:46] Shark Lab says state funding that helped build the monitoring systems expires this fall. Without [1:14:52] additional support, researchers tell us that some of the technology being developed for the Olympics [1:14:57] could be scaled back before the games even begin. [1:15:00] It won't work if we don't have tag sharks out there. So we've got to keep tagging sharks, [1:15:05] and that's part of the California Shark Beach Safety Program. And in order to keep this program [1:15:10] running, make this boat work, we've got to keep running that program. Our thanks to, excuse me, [1:15:17] Mikalo Medina for that report. Lowell says the goal is to build on this technology to make the water [1:15:21] safer for swimmers far beyond the Olympics. Well, coming up, it's turning out to be a hot country summer [1:15:27] across the U.S. Up next, we'll explain why the genre has become a mainstay on so many people's [1:15:31] playlists in a way we haven't really seen before. Grab a cowboy hat. We'll be right back. [1:15:36] We are back now with a closer look at what's making news in the world of politics this morning, [1:15:50] starting with a $25 million bounty as the U.S. seeks the capture of an alleged Mexican cartel leader. [1:15:56] NBC News senior national political reporter Sahil Kapoor joins us now. Hey, Sahil, good morning. [1:16:02] Good morning, Savannah. We begin today in politics with the U.S. government offering a $25 million reward [1:16:08] for information that leads to the capture of Juan Carlos Gonzalez, also known as Pelon. [1:16:13] That's a jump from the earlier $5 million reward for Gonzalez, an American citizen who the administration [1:16:19] says recently became the leader of a powerful Mexican cartel. It's considered the largest cartel [1:16:24] in Mexico with a presence in most of its states and even operations here in the U.S., according to [1:16:30] the Associated Press. Meanwhile, drama for Democrats in Texas? Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett told NBC News [1:16:37] this week that she doesn't know if her former Senate primary rival James Tallarico can turn [1:16:42] Texas blue this year. Crockett telling me in St. Louis, Missouri, that she doesn't buy the polls [1:16:47] because they often overrate Democrats' chances in Texas and that she's following the money. She said [1:16:52] she'll be more convinced it's a real race if the Senate Republicans' campaign arm were to actually [1:16:57] invest in Texas, which they have not done yet. And staying with Texas, three Asian American groups [1:17:02] supporting James Tallarico say he needs to step it up with outreach to the community. [1:17:07] One of them commissioned a poll that found nearly half of Asian American voters know little to [1:17:11] nothing about Tallarico. And finally, President Trump seems to be canceling plans to display the [1:17:17] new Qatari-gifted plane at his presidential library. That's according to his son, Eric Trump, [1:17:23] who is developing the library in Miami and told NBC News that it's not the plan to send the plane [1:17:28] there, contradicting what President Trump said last year. The twist leaves the fate of the new jet [1:17:34] unclear after the President leaves office. And that is a look at what's making news in politics [1:17:39] this morning. Savannah? All right, Sahil Kapoor, thank you so much. All right, coming up, the popular [1:17:43] chain Buc-ee's is taking legal action against a mom-and-pop shop in the Midwest. When we come back, [1:17:49] details from the lawsuit and why the store being targeted may have an unexpected ally by its side. [1:17:54] Stay with us. Welcome back. As Americans continue to deal with economic uncertainty, [1:18:03] it's affecting what we buy in a way that might surprise you. It's called the lipstick effect. [1:18:09] That's when U.S. consumers are still finding ways to afford the so-called little luxuries in life, [1:18:14] even with concerns over bigger things like rising gas prices, inflation, and an unpredictable job [1:18:20] market. Let's dive into this more with NBC News business and economy reporter Allie Canal. Allie, [1:18:25] good morning. We've talked a lot about how Americans feel just nickeled and dined. It's so [1:18:29] interesting. They're reaching for a lipstick or they're reaching for something small or a fancy [1:18:33] coffee as a way to feel good about things, but not spend too much money. Yes, it's these small [1:18:38] little luxuries, the little tree economy, the lipstick effect, whatever you want to call it. And [1:18:44] it is because Americans feel financially strained right now. There's a lot of angst around job [1:18:49] security with artificial intelligence, inflation, gas prices are higher due to the war with Iran. [1:18:56] And because of that, they're turning to these sort of purchases that feel smaller than the big [1:19:03] discretionary purchases. And also, sometimes you have to delay renovating a home, purchasing a home, [1:19:08] purchasing a car due to some of that financial uncertainty. But what's interesting to me, [1:19:13] Christine, is that we're not in a recession. I mean, the economic data has been pretty strong. [1:19:19] The economy has been resilient, but it's how consumers actually feel. And the data actually shows [1:19:24] this. So nearly one in five Americans say they're postponing or canceling a summer vacation [1:19:28] due to some of these higher costs. That's according to the American Hotel and Lodging Association. [1:19:32] So really just reallocating those purchases. It's so interesting because there had been [1:19:37] fear of missing out and you only live once. FOMO and YOLO were after the pandemic. And now, [1:19:44] with all the higher prices and just kind of the grind of costs, people are starting to step back a [1:19:49] little bit on. What other kinds of things? Just mostly vacations? Yeah. Like, it's the home [1:19:53] renovations, the purchasing of the home. I mean, mortgage rates are hovering near their highest [1:19:58] levels in nearly a year, purchasing that car. But what is doing well? I mean, we talked about the [1:20:03] lipstick effect. Beauty is one of those categories we heard from companies like L'Oreal who said that [1:20:08] they're seeing significant demand. Also, the movies, they're having a moment. They're having a [1:20:13] comeback. AMC said May was the highest attendance since 2019. So those affordable experiences are [1:20:20] still top of mind for consumers. And toys as well. Adults actually accounted for 35% of toy industry [1:20:27] growth during the first four months of the year. That's according to data from Circona. And [1:20:31] interestingly, what drove that was collectible. So trading cars, Lego sets, and then we can't forget [1:20:37] about the latte. That's my personal favorite. Even though there's coffee at the office, I still like [1:20:41] going out there and getting, purchasing my car. I can't stand it. I cannot spend $8 for a glass of [1:20:47] coffee. I know, but it does make you feel good sometimes. Especially working these early hours, [1:20:51] Christine. We're so alike, but on that we're different. I'd rather have the $8 in my pocket. [1:20:55] But you have your latte. That's fine. I will. Any sign that this could have staying power, [1:21:00] this kind of trend? Yeah, well, I'm going to be watching the retail earnings. So we're going to hear [1:21:03] from some of those major retailers in the next couple of weeks, names like Best Buy, Target, [1:21:08] Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe's, to see what they're saying, how executives are [1:21:11] describing the current moment in the economy. And I am curious whether this is a temporary [1:21:17] shift in behavior, or if this is the start of a longer-term trend. Because if it is, [1:21:22] that's going to show up in different areas of the economy, in different businesses, [1:21:26] and also the data that we watch very closely. It is so much human behavior, [1:21:29] because this lipstick effect has been going on forever. Oh, it has. [1:21:32] Like, all the way back even before the 80s. Like, this has always been something that economists are [1:21:36] like, wait, lipstick sales are up. What is that telling us about how people are feeling? It's so [1:21:40] interesting. Yeah, so delaying some of those longer-term financial pain points to some, [1:21:44] you know, short-term fun. Like our latte. Exactly. At least for me. [1:21:48] I'm telling you, I just want the $8 in compound interest, not in the latte. [1:21:53] I know, I know. Thanks, Christine. [1:21:56] Well, we can help. Thank you. Thank you. [1:21:57] Right, a battle of the beavers is emerging this morning. The popular gas station chain, [1:22:02] Bucky's, is suing a small corner store in Ohio over its beaver logo. It's not the first time Bucky's has [1:22:08] made a trademark claim in court. But that mom-and-pop shop may have an unexpected ally. [1:22:14] Late-night comedian John Oliver. NBC News correspondent Jesse Kirsch joins us now from Miami. [1:22:19] Jesse. Christine, good morning. This may be the ultimate tale of two beavers. When people see [1:22:27] this little guy, they're probably thinking about one very specific place, Bucky's. But now the massive [1:22:34] gas station chain is saying this brand's value is being threatened by a single small mini mart in [1:22:42] Ohio, and it is stirring up all kinds of controversy. When you hear the word Bucky's, [1:22:49] you might think of rest stop heaven. Fresh barbecue, seemingly endless snacks, [1:22:57] and all kinds of merch featuring this buck-toothed beaver. But this morning, [1:23:02] the wildly popular gas stations are fueling outrage too. It's time to boycott Bucky's. [1:23:07] This is ridiculous. When does this end? In a new federal lawsuit, [1:23:12] Bucky's accuses Beavers Mini Mart in Beaver Creek, Ohio of trademark infringement. The mega chain claiming [1:23:19] the convenience store's use of a cartoon beaver with wide eyes and a smile is unauthorized and is [1:23:25] likely to cause confusion among consumers. Ohioans, we don't play, okay? Support for the store quickly going [1:23:31] viral with a burrito spot, a bakery, and a law firm joining in. If you've been injured by a large [1:23:37] corporation coming after a little guy, you need the beaver on your side. These cookies, a fundraiser [1:23:42] to help cover the Mini Mart's legal costs. And I would argue between those two logos, an issue with you. [1:23:53] It all comes just days after comedian John Oliver mocked Bucky's and its multiple trademark lawsuits. [1:23:59] As one legal expert has said, the more you do this, the more you might run into somebody who has the [1:24:04] means or the will to fight with you about it. Oliver revealing a lineup of merch branded Buck Off. [1:24:14] He says the proceeds will help battle hunger in the U.S. Legal experts say when a company wants to [1:24:20] protect its brand, they can only go so far. Bucky's does not and will never have the right to exclude [1:24:28] everybody else from using cartoon beavers. The key is, are they similar enough in the same marketplace [1:24:35] to cause a likelihood of confusion? Regardless of the legal outcome, in the court of public opinion, [1:24:42] this furry guy may have bit off more than he can chew. This is absolutely disgusting. How dare y'all? [1:24:50] Now, Jesse, put this into perspective for us. Just how similar are these two businesses to each other? [1:24:56] Yeah, I don't think we could have made it any clearer, Christine. They both rely on something [1:25:01] that looks at least somewhat like this, a beaver, but we'll leave it to everyone at home watching [1:25:05] to decide if they think that the Bucky's beaver looks too much like the Mini Mart's beaver. [1:25:11] But all of that aside, there are also some key differences, including a pretty big one. [1:25:16] According to a local Ohio newspaper, there are no gas pumps at the Mini Mart. We're also talking [1:25:21] about one store in Ohio as opposed to a multi-state chain, that being Bucky's. And there are also [1:25:27] some in this community asking now, where does this go next? How far does Bucky's go? According [1:25:32] to that local paper, there are multiple places with beaver's imagery across town, [1:25:39] and that wouldn't surprise you in a city called Beaver Creek, Ohio. We should note [1:25:42] that we have reached out to both the Mini Mart and Bucky's, but so far we have not heard back, Christine. [1:25:46] All right. We know you'll continue to follow this for us as this winds its way. [1:25:51] All over the beaver beef. [1:25:53] On the beaver beef. All right. Jesse Kirsch, thank you so much. [1:25:57] All right. Do you guys remember recess? This beloved school day tradition might bring back [1:26:02] some pretty great childhood memories for many of you. Today, many students are actually spending [1:26:06] less time outside to meet academic demands, but some states are looking to change that with new [1:26:11] efforts to bring back play during the school day. NBC News senior national correspondent, [1:26:16] News Now anchor Kate Snow joins us now with the details. Kate, nice to see you. Good morning. [1:26:20] Good morning, Christine. So yeah, students, if you ask them, will say recess is the best part of the [1:26:25] school day, right? It's a chance to run around, socialize, blow off steam from the classroom. [1:26:30] And a growing number of researchers say that unstructured playtime is not just fun, [1:26:35] it's actually more important to their success than we may realize. Now some states [1:26:40] we're going to make sure kids get more recess. [1:26:44] For kids getting hit with the reality of summer vacation coming to an end, [1:26:50] there might be something to look forward to this fall. More recess. 13 states making sure [1:26:56] students get more of the school day's most anticipated break. Oklahoma's physical activity [1:27:01] law just doubled recess time from 20 to 40 minutes. It's so important. The kids need to play. [1:27:06] They need to get their energy out. They need to run around and they need to have time for each [1:27:11] other and talk to their friends out on the playground. When school starts next week in Oklahoma City, [1:27:16] Superintendent Dr. Jamie Polk says the school day will be 20 minutes longer to make room for learning [1:27:22] in class and at recess. Recess time is an opportunity for them to problem solve, for them to literally [1:27:32] learn each other. That social emotional learning is done more so on the playground than in the classroom. [1:27:40] And so it's an extension of the learning. So you see a benefit to that extra 20 minutes of recess? [1:27:47] Yes, I see a benefit. The state joining a growing movement to protect unstructured play [1:27:53] after the CDC says up to 40 percent of school districts nationwide reduced or eliminated recess [1:27:59] starting around 2005. Acute recess is too horrible for words. Now the trend is starting to reverse. [1:28:06] Pennsylvania now requiring 30 minutes of daily recess this school year. The research around the [1:28:12] link between recess and academics is really strong. Experts at Johns Hopkins University say the payoff goes [1:28:18] far beyond burning energy, linking regular recess to higher academic performance, getting kids off [1:28:24] screens, improving their physical and mental health, as well as increased social skills and better [1:28:29] behavior. When kids come back in from recess, they actually have more time on task and classroom [1:28:34] disruptions go down. And so having recess really builds out a lot of different opportunities for kids [1:28:40] to grow in different ways than they can during the school day when it's overly structured. The American [1:28:45] Academy of Pediatrics calling recess a necessary break in the day that supports healthy child [1:28:50] development. And for some parents, that message hits close to home. I had noticed that my daughter [1:28:56] was just coming home from school like a jumping bean. Tennessee moms Morgan Garner and Katherine Truman [1:29:02] helped push for a law expanding daily recess from 15 to 40 minutes in their state after seeing the difference [1:29:08] too little playtime was making in their own children. My son went from not wanting to go to school every [1:29:14] morning and crying about school every single morning to being excited about the day. Now they're on a [1:29:22] mission through their organization Say Yes to Recess to help others across the country advocate for a more [1:29:27] balanced school day. We just want that shift in the mindset when it comes to, hey, what does recess [1:29:33] provide? It's not extra time. It's essential time and it's teaching them essential tasks that they can carry [1:29:39] through life. As more states rethink what helps kids succeed, more students are finding that one of the best [1:29:46] lessons of the day happens on the playground. So the Oklahoma City superintendent told me that they are [1:29:57] actually extending the day with more break time for all of their students, K through 12, and that's something [1:30:03] that the Johns Hopkins expert is also advocating for, saying that students all the way through the end of high [1:30:08] school can benefit Christine from taking even small breaks throughout the day. So Kate, now that we have [1:30:13] all this research about how beneficial this is for kids for their learning, what's next in the movement, [1:30:19] I guess, to bring recess back to American schools? So it's interesting. It's like the pendulum has swung [1:30:24] back the other direction now. As we said, there's 13 states that have passed laws like this and those moms [1:30:30] that you met in the piece, they're still advocating for more states to make those changes. We'll have to see how [1:30:34] many more follow that lead, Christine. But it's an interesting balance, right? Because the superintendent [1:30:40] was telling me, like, they actually, by extending the day for all their kids, they now have to pay [1:30:45] their teachers more, too. Yeah. So that has a budget impact on them as well. I know for so many working [1:30:50] parents, the school day is much shorter than the work day, too. So an extra 20 minutes, it might help [1:30:55] a little bit for all the other time you have to cover. All right, Kate Snow, so nice to see you, Kate. [1:30:59] Coming up, a special closet giving kids in foster care a big opportunity. After the break, [1:31:04] we'll show you how it's making a difference one item at a time. Stay with us. And we end this hour [1:31:14] in Ohio, where one very special boutique is giving kids in the foster system more than just free clothes, [1:31:21] but the freedom to express themselves. Reporter Lindsey Buckingham from our Cleveland affiliate WKYC [1:31:26] takes us inside. In this 9,500-square-foot Cleveland warehouse. Each and every element of the order is [1:31:34] saying we see you and what you love really matters to us. Every rack, shelf, stuffed animal has a purpose. [1:31:42] That I'm stocking things that I would give my very own biological children. Welcome to Honey from the [1:31:47] Rock, Cleveland's first foster care closet. You're looking at stuffed animals that came [1:31:52] actually from the Cleveland Monsters teddy bear toss. Everything here donated by people and [1:31:56] corporations across Northeast Ohio. All put here with intention. The goal is, can we make it look [1:32:03] like a boutique? Can we elevate that experience for them? And we can only do it through community support. [1:32:09] Kathy DiVincenzo is a foster parent herself. She found her calling in her own home. [1:32:15] So it wasn't until I literally lived to the need that I saw the need. Here in Cuyahoga County, [1:32:19] we lead in the number of kids experiencing foster care in the state of Ohio. That statistic didn't [1:32:25] sit well with Kathy. So in January of last year, she did something about it. Now, children can come up [1:32:32] here up to four times a year to get exactly what they need, either in person or by placing a custom [1:32:39] curbside order. Our support actually starts the moment they come into care in MetroHealth Triage. [1:32:45] We have what's called our gap pack program providing that emergent support for a child [1:32:49] coming into the triage process. And then we have our emergency order within 48 hours. [1:32:54] Every child who walks through these doors gets something most of us take for granted. A choice. [1:33:00] Being able to welcome them in and say, who are you? Let's discover that sometimes for the first time [1:33:05] together of a safe space that they can really choose who they want to be and how they want to represent [1:33:10] themselves. Kathy says every child deserves a city that shows up for them in every way that matters. [1:33:18] Watching Cleveland link arms and see these kids, it's hard to see. It's hard to pull back that curtain [1:33:24] and say this is the reality of children experiencing care. I mean, there is truly nothing better than to [1:33:30] be able to see a need and with the help of Cleveland, be able to fill it. I'm Lindsay Buckingham [1:33:35] for NBC News Now. What a great story. That does it for this hour of Morning News Now. The news continues right now.