Massive quake triggers tsunami warnings; EPA proposes climate regulation rollback

Summary

Here's the Scoop
Episode: Massive Quake Triggers Tsunami Warnings; EPA Proposes Climate Regulation Rollback
Release Date: July 30, 2025
Host: Andrea Mitchell

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1. Devastating Earthquake and Tsunami Warnings

Introduction to the Event
The episode opens with Andrea Mitchell addressing one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded: an 8.8 magnitude quake struck off Russia's east coast, triggering tsunami warnings across the Pacific. The ensuing tsunami waves reached the shores of the western United States, inducing widespread concern.

On-the-Ground Reporting
Co-host Morgan Chesky reported live from Santa Monica, California, providing real-time updates on the situation:

"There was a real concern for, if not a massive wave for potential flooding. But we've seen tsunami advisories lifted in the Los Angeles area down to San Diego, the remaining in certain portions up to Oregon."
[01:06] Morgan Chesky

Chesky further emphasized the lingering dangers despite the lifting of advisories:

"Officials are making it very clear, Andrea, that even if these advisories are lifted, these waves can create incredibly dangerous currents beneath the surface of the water. So they're discouraging people to be in the ocean, at least for the time being."
[01:06] Morgan Chesky

Assessing the Impact
Andrea Mitchell reassured listeners with early reports indicating no deaths or significant damage:

"Thankfully, early reports don't indicate any deaths or significant damage."
[01:43] Andrea Mitchell

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2. Scientific Breakdown of the Earthquake and Tsunami

Understanding the Tsunami Mechanics
Andrea Mitchell introduced NBC News meteorologist Bill Cairns to delve into the science behind the earthquake and tsunami:

"This earthquake did show signs. And it was the type of earthquake to displace significant. It came in as an 8.0 magnitude. When we say magnitude, it's just kind of numbers. All you need to know is that on this planet, we only average one 8.0 higher a year. That's it. And this was an 8.8. And so this was way even above that. And this actually is going to go down as ranking as the sixth strongest earthquake we've ever recorded."
[02:14] Sean Williams

Tsunami Propagation and Safety Measures
Further explaining the speed and impact of tsunami waves, Sean Williams highlighted the rapidity with which these waves can travel:

"These tsunamis can move roughly up about, you know, give or take little 500 miles per hour."
[04:26] Sean Williams

He provided critical safety advice for those near the coast:

"You have to listen to your emergency managers. And that water just as they say, got sucked out first. So it's called like a trough. So if you think of a wave first, it gets sucked out. And so the beach grows, it grows significantly. And so if you ever see that and you're at the beach, that's the first sign to run and head in the opposite direction."
[05:51] Sean Williams

Consequences and Relief
Sean Williams concluded the segment by noting the minimal damage outside Russia:

"But that was right on the coast. So Hawaii, because of the math, roughly had about five to six hours of anticipation time... So the actual water rise was about 9ft. It only took 15 minutes for that to occur. So if you think of like a one and a half story building or you know, the second floor of your house, you know, 15 minutes. So that's, that's what happened. In this case. That water rise wasn't enough to cause a lot of damage, thankfully anywhere."
[05:51] Sean Williams

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3. EPA's Proposed Rollback of Climate Regulations

Introduction to the Policy Change
Transitioning from natural disasters, Andrea Mitchell addressed the significant policy shift proposed by the Trump administration:

"The Trump administration is now pushing an Environmental Protection Agency rule change that would gut the agency's power to regulate it."
[09:21] Andrea Mitchell

Expert Analysis with Dr. Michael Mann
Dr. Michael Mann, Presidential Distinguished Professor of Earth and Environmental Science at the University of Pennsylvania, provided an in-depth analysis of the proposed rollback:

"This was a finding, I believe it was actually back in 2007, Massachusetts versus the EPA sued the federal government to recognize that carbon pollution endangers our health. It endangers our planet and should be recognized as a pollutant under the Clean Air Act. And the Supreme Court said that's right. The Obama administration in 2009 implemented that finding. It's been official EPA policy ever since."
[10:25] Dr. Michael Mann

Implications of the Rollback
Dr. Mann emphasized the critical role of the EPA's endangerment finding in regulating carbon emissions:

"If you take that away, then basically there is no means to regulate carbon emissions to protect people from the ongoing worsening of human caused warming."
[10:25] Dr. Michael Mann

He further clarified that the science behind carbon dioxide's impact remains robust:

"If anything, the science has become ever more definitive in the years since the endangerment finding was implemented."
[11:24] Dr. Michael Mann

Political Motivations vs. Scientific Consensus
Addressing the motivations behind the rollback, Dr. Mann criticized the political impetus:

"What's going on here isn't science. This is pure politics."
[11:25] Dr. Michael Mann

He also lamented the erosion of bipartisan support for environmental protection:

"For so long there was bipartisan support for environmental preservation. And it's just very sad right now to see this schism emerge because it doesn't matter whether you're Republican or a Democrat, we're all being hurt by the consequences of these policies."
[13:16] Dr. Michael Mann

Call to Action
Dr. Mann concluded with a call for political engagement:

"It falls upon all of us to turn out and vote in droves in this next election and elect politicians who will do what's right by us rather than what might benefit a small handful of polluters."
[12:44] Dr. Michael Mann

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4. Additional Headlines

Federal Reserve Holds Interest Rates Steady
The Federal Reserve decided to maintain current interest rates with a decisive 9 to 2 vote, amidst President Trump's criticism. Two Trump-appointed governors dissented, advocating for a 0.25% rate cut. The Fed remains vigilant, ready to adjust policies to balance inflation control and job growth.

US-Imposed Tariffs on India
President Trump imposed a 25% tariff on imports from India, signaling no extension to the upcoming Friday trade negotiation deadline.

Judicial Appointment Controversy
The Senate confirmed Emile Beauvais to the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in a tight 50 to 49 vote. The nomination faced opposition from all Democrats and two Republican senators due to whistleblower allegations of misconduct during Beauvais's tenure at the Justice Department, which he denies.

Tragic Midtown Shooting in New York
A gunman, Shane Temuro of Las Vegas, opened fire at 345 Park Avenue, killing four individuals, including an off-duty NYPD officer. Investigations revealed recent mental health incidents and possession of ammunition and prescription drugs. Notably, discrepancies arose regarding Temuro's sports background, with claims he played college football being refuted.

Railroad Consolidation: Union Pacific's $85 Billion Acquisition
Union Pacific unveiled an $85 billion plan to acquire Norfolk Southern, aiming to establish the first coast-to-coast freight railroad in the U.S., spanning nearly 50,000 miles across 43 states. While proponents cite faster deliveries and cost savings, concerns regarding competition and service have been raised by regulators and various stakeholders. Approval is anticipated by early 2027, potentially heralding a new era of rail consolidation.

Unexpected Baseball Trade Featuring Sir Anthony Dominguez
In an unprecedented move during a doubleheader, the Baltimore Orioles traded reliever Sir Anthony Dominguez to the Toronto Blue Jays between games. Dominguez pitched for both teams within the same day, striking out two former teammates in a clean inning for Toronto. This marked the second consecutive year Dominguez was traded at the deadline, becoming a unique mid-season tradition.

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5. Closing Remarks

Andrea Mitchell concluded the episode with a lighthearted nod to the day's unusual baseball events and signed off, reaffirming the podcast's commitment to delivering comprehensive news coverage.

"Well, that's it for us at here's the scoop for NBC News. I'll be back here again tomorrow before I'm traded back to D.C. signing off, I'm Andrea Mitchell at 30 Rock."
[17:57] Andrea Mitchell

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Note: This summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights from the episode, providing a comprehensive overview for those who haven't listened. Notable quotes are included with appropriate timestamps and speaker attributions to enhance engagement and clarity.

Transcript

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[Andrea Mitchell]

Welcome to here's the Scoop from NBC News. I'm Andrea Mitchell, back in the host chair today. Coming up, could one railroad line finally bring us coast to coast? And what happened during a Major League baseball game that had one player switching dugouts? But first, let's talk about one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded. The 8.8 magnitude quake struck off Russia's east coast, triggering tsunami warnings across the Pacific, with tsunami waves reaching shores up and down the west coast of the US Co host Morgan Chesky was on the ground in Santa Monica, California.

[Morgan Chesky]

There was a real concern for, if not a massive wave for potential flooding. But we've seen tsunami advisories lifted in the Los Angeles area down to San Diego, the remaining in certain portions up to Oregon. But officials are making it very clear, Andrea, that even if these advisories are lifted, these waves can create incredibly dangerous currents beneath the surface of the water. So they're discouraging people to be in the ocean, at least for the time being. However, knowing the potential of what this tsunami could have brought, there is a real sigh of relief tonight.

[Andrea Mitchell]

Thankfully, early reports don't indicate any deaths or significant damage. But I'm sure for a lot of people, seeing those tsunami warnings caused tremendous fear, tremendous confusion. So we want to turn to our climate expert to dig into the science. Joining me now, NBC News meteorologist Bill Cairns. You're exactly the person I want to talk to. First of all, this is an earthquake that struck off the coast of Russia, yet the tsunami warnings were threatening the west coast of the US how is that possible?

[Sean Williams]

Well, it was scary because people didn't know what was coming. And when the geologists and the tsunami experts are the ones that are saying we just don't know yet. That's when it really got everyone's attention. And that's when even the government officials and like the governor of Hawaii, they were like, let's get out of the way. Let's, let's not have a repeat of what happened in, say, 1946 in Hawaii, that was the biggest tsunami ever in Hawaii. You know, so it's a ways back, but they lost over 100 lives. And there was an earthquake in a similar location, similar strength. And so we try to learn from history. And so that's why they said, everyone get away from the coastline.

[Andrea Mitchell]

How does the earthquake affect how much of a tsunami wave we get?

[Sean Williams]

Right? So the first thing we understand is that a tsunami is just water that has been displaced. Tsunamis can be created by meteorites, landslides in the ocean, but earthquakes are the most common one. And not every earthquake is the same either. We have different types of earthquakes. So earthquakes are our tectonic plates. Those are, you know, the big plates that are well beneath the ocean, deep in the ground, that are colliding against each other. And when they stretch fast enough, we get earthquakes when they hit each other. Now, some can actually go up and down, some can slide past each other. The ones that create tsunamis is when the whole plate itself displaces upwards towards the ocean surface. And so that's, you know, it's almost like a flap. If you ever put your two hands in a. In your pool and you put one hand up in the air, that's kind of what this does. And that displaces water upwards, and that's what creates the tsunami wave. It's as simple as that. It's just a displacement. And this earthquake did show signs. And it was the type of earthquake to displace significant. It came in as an 8.0 magnitude. When we say magnitude, it's just kind of numbers. All you need to know is that on this planet, we only average one 8.0 higher a year. That's it. And this was an 8.8. And so this was way even above that. And this actually is going to go down as ranking as the sixth strongest earthquake we've ever recorded.

[Andrea Mitchell]

And how fast can the tsunami travel? What was the time that the west coast of the US had to get ready?

[Sean Williams]

The worst case scenario is if a big earthquake happens near you, close to you, because then you just don't have time to react. These tsunamis can move roughly up about, you know, give or take little 500 miles per hour.

[Andrea Mitchell]

That's. That's huge.

[Sean Williams]

So that's extremely fast. So that's why worst case scenario would be a big earthquake off the west coast of the United States. And everyone has very. First of all, if you have the problems of the earthquake and the shaking and the damage, and then you have the potential for if we actually had a tsunami and how much time lead time would everyone have? That was right on the coast. And that's why the first concerns were closer to the epicenter of this earthquake. So Hawaii, because of the math, roughly had about five to six hours of anticipation time. And you know, we're well prepared. We know how deadly these events can be. So there are buoys that are actually out there. This is a tsunami warning system, so we know we can see it on our computers. So the first thing that we saw was, okay, is there a tsunami? Did this earthquake create one? And yes, we did. We knew that that was happening. We don't quite know what that peak is going to be. We didn't really know until it started reaching Japan like an hour or two later. They had a one to three foot rise. So that was the first time that I was like, when I was looking at my information, I was like, okay, we have a tsunami, it's one to three feet. This isn't like this huge incredible one like 2011, but that was in that direction. Tsunami waves don't always go equally in all directions. So we still had to wait to see what was going to hit Midway, what was going to hit Guam, what was going to hit Hawaii, and what was going to hit the west co. And we do know that we did get a 6 foot, you know, about 5.7ft was the official height in Hawaii.

[Andrea Mitchell]

And what should people do?

[Sean Williams]

You have to listen to your emergency managers. And that water just as they say, got sucked out first. So it's called like a trough. So if you think of a wave first, it gets sucked out. And so the beach grows, it grows significantly. And so that if you ever see that and you're at the beach, that's the first sign to run and head in the opposite direction. So that's when people take off, they leave and then the wave comes in and the water actually went up. So the actual water rise was about 9ft. It only took 15 minutes for that to occur. So if you think of like a one and a half story building or you know, the second floor of your house, you know, 15 minutes. So that's, that's what happened. In this case. That water rise wasn't enough to cause a lot of damage, thankfully anywhere. I haven't heard of anything significant damage besides right near where that epicenter was in Russia.

[Andrea Mitchell]

Has it now decreased, diminished as it's traveled across the ocean?

[Sean Williams]

So it does decrease a little bit as it goes. The only thing we're still dealing with on the west coast of the United States is, you know, tsunami isn't one wave. It's a bunch of waves. And, you know, underneath the ocean, there's all sorts of geography. So the wave can actually break up and bounce in different locations. The water currents are going to be much different than what you normally see. And that's why stay away from the water, stay out of the water. But the threat of anything like deadly is long gone.

[Andrea Mitchell]

And at this point, do people have to worry overnight tomorrow?

[Sean Williams]

There's always the concern that you could get aftershocks. You know, so we had this huge earthquake. There's always going to be aftershocks. But all of the threats and dangers appear to be gone. And if nothing else, this just proves that when you have a system in place that we were ready for, everything can go smoothly, no lives lost, everyone can return to business as normal. We're prepared for these tsunami events. As I mentioned, as long as they don't occur right off the coast, as long as we have lead time, everyone can be safe and we can move on.

[Andrea Mitchell]

No surfing in tsunamis.

[Sean Williams]

These are waves that even the best surfers would not want to mess with.

[Andrea Mitchell]

Bill Cairns, thanks for reassuring us.

[Sean Williams]

Thank you.

[Andrea Mitchell]

All right, we're going to take a quick break and when we come back, we'll talk about the EPA proposing to roll back a key climate regulation. We'll break it down.

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[Andrea Mitchell]

Welcome back to here's the Scoop. Wildfires in LA, floods in Texas, tornadoes tearing through the Midwest. 2025 has already been a brutal year for US weather disasters, and the damage is costing us $93 billion so far this year, according to the world's largest reinsurer, Munich Re. Their report also found that the US accounted for more than 70% of global weather damage. Scientists warn it'll only get worse with climate change. But the Trump administration is now pushing an Environmental Protection Agency rule change that would gut the agency's power to regulate it. For more on this, I'd like to welcome Dr. Michael Mann. He's the Presidential Distinguished professor of Earth and Environmental Science at the University of Pennsylvania. Professor Mann, thanks so much for being with us today. We wanted to talk to you because the epa, the Environmental Protection Agency, is considering revoking sort of the bedrock rule about endangerment of global warming. Talk to me about that, what it means.

[Dr. Michael Mann]

Yeah. Thanks, Andrea. It's good to be with you. So this was a finding, I believe it was actually back in 2007, Massachusetts versus the EPA sued the federal government to recognize that carbon pollution endangers our health. It endangers our planet and should be recognized as a pollutant under the Clean Air Act. And the Supreme Court said that's right. The Obama administration in 2009 implemented that finding. It's been official EPA policy ever since. This is our main tool for regulating carbon emissions. And if you take that away, then basically there is no means to regulate carbon emissions to protect people from the ongoing worsening of human caused warming.

[Andrea Mitchell]

When you talk about carbon dioxide, this change doesn't stem from any change in the science. There's no evolution of science that says, oh, wait a second, carbon dioxide's not a problem for human health.

[Dr. Michael Mann]

Yeah.

[Sean Williams]

No.

[Dr. Michael Mann]

If anything, the science has become ever more definitive in the years since the endangerment finding was implemented. We have far more data now that show that the planet continues to warm up as we predicted it would. If we continue to burn fossil fuels and elevate carbon pollution in the atmosphere, some of the impacts of that warming are actually exceeding the predictions that we had made just decades ago. The extreme weather events that we are suffering through this summer here in the United States, we're seeing similar things in Europe. This is a manifestation of the impacts of human caused warming. So no, the science has become ever more definitive. What's going on here isn't science. This is pure politics.

[Andrea Mitchell]

The EPA administrator, Lee Zeldin is saying that this is a deregulatory measure to free the reins on industry. How do you respond?

[Dr. Michael Mann]

Yeah, well, you know, I don't have the freedom to dump all of my trash in my neighbor's lawn. And that's essentially what's going on. What this allows the fossil fuel industry to do is to pollute our atmosphere, the air we're breathing and the climate we're inheriting, and to worsen our environment for their own financial benefit. And that's just wrong.

[Andrea Mitchell]

Now, Zeldin's rule, this proposed rule, is just a proposal. It still has to go through some legal hurdles and certainly some challenges.

[Dr. Michael Mann]

That's right. I'm not too optimistic, given many of the court decisions we've seen recently, that the court is going to push back on this particular effort. And so in the end, it falls upon all of us to turn out and vote in droves in this next election and elect politicians who will do what's right by us rather than what might benefit a small handful of polluters.

[Andrea Mitchell]

And it's always been politically bipartisan. The Republicans have led the way in many years for environmental protection.

[Dr. Michael Mann]

Yeah, for so long there was bipartisan support for environmental preservation. And it's just very sad right now to see this schism emerge because it doesn't matter whether you're Republican or a Democrat, we're all being hurt by the consequences of these policies.

[Andrea Mitchell]

You can Read more from Dr. Mann in his forthcoming book, Science Under Siege, out this September. Dr. Mann, thanks.

[Dr. Michael Mann]

Thank you, Andrea. Always a pleasure to talk with you.

[Andrea Mitchell]

All right, moving on now to some headlines. The Federal Reserve is holding interest rates steady. Jerome Powell and eight other members of the committee voting to stay on pat. Two Trump appointed fed governors dissented supporting a 1/4 percentage cut. The 9 to 2 vote came despite President Trump slamming the Fed chair again today in a White House appearance. In a written statement, the Fed said it would be prepared to adjust its position if risks emerged to its twin mandated goals of bringing inflation down while encouraging maximum jobs growth. Even though inflation has been mostly subdued, price pressures due to Trump's tariffs are starting to show in the economic numbers, creating uncertainty. Speaking of tariffs, the president slapped a 25% levy on imports from India. It's the latest announcement ahead of a Friday trade negotiation deadline Trump says will not be extended. The Senate has confirmed Emile Beauvais, the president's former defense lawyer and currently a top Justice Department official, to a lifetime seat on the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals. The controversial 50 to 49 vote saw all Democrats and two Republican senators, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, opposing the nomination. Bove's confirmation followed whistleblower allegations of misconduct during his time at the Justice Department. Those included claims that he suggested ignoring court orders and misled senators about his role in dismissing a corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Bove firmly denying the allegations. Overnight, New York paused to remember the victims of the Midtown shooting at 345 Park Avenue. 4 people were killed, including an off duty NYPD officer, a security guard, a Blackstone executive and a Cornell grad, when a gunman opened fire with an AR style rifle inside the office tower, then died by suicide. Law enforcement sources tell NBC News that the shooter, 27 year old Shane Temuro of Las Vegas, had two recent mental health incidents. Back in Vegas, investigators found a second note at his home, echoing the one found in his wallet. They also discovered ammunition and prescription drugs, including antidepressants. Yesterday we said that Timura played football in college. Apparently he only played in high school and never professionally. Union Pacific just rolled out an $85 billion plan to buy Norfolk Southern and finally give the US something it somehow never had a coast to coast freight railroad. Better late than never, right? The deal would link Union Pacific's vast western network with Norfolk Southern's Eastern Routes, stitching together nearly 50,000 miles of track across 43 states. The companies say it'll mean faster deliveries, streamlined logistics and big savings. But not everyone's on board. Regulators are eyeing it warily, and shippers, unions and local communities are already raising concerns about competition and service. If Approved by early 2027, this could be the start of a whole new wave of rail consolidation. Hopefully they can hook up their rail systems faster than Amtrak's northeast passenger lines still waiting to be modernized to be able to run those new Acela cars sitting for years in the yard in Philly. So here's one you don't see every day. Sir Anthony Dominguez started Tuesday as a Baltimore Oriole and finished the day pitching against them. Yep, in a rare mid doubleheader trade, the Orioles shipped the reliever to the Blue Jays between games. He literally just walked across Camden Yards, swapped dugouts and suited up for Toronto in the nightcap. Then came the kicker. Dominguez took the mound for the Jays and struck out two of his former teammates in a clean inning.

[Al Roker]

So here's something nobody could have predicted just a few hours ago. Sir Anthony Dominguez entering the game here at Camden Yards. But not against the Blue Jays As a Blue Jays.

[Andrea Mitchell]

The trade gave Toronto an instant bullpen boost and gave fans one of the weirdest, wildest deadline moments in recent memory. Oh, and fun fact, this is the second year in a row Dominguez has been dealt at the deadline. The guy's basically a July tradition at this point. Well, that's it for us at here's the scoop for NBC News. I'll be back here again tomorrow before I'm traded back to D.C. signing off, I'm Andrea Mitchell at 30 Rock.

[Unknown]

Foreign.

[Tom Yamas]

Over the helm of NBC Nightly News, a 75 year old broadcast. It's a great responsibility.

[Sean Williams]

Good evening.

[Tom Yamas]

I'm Tom Yamas. You have to go out there to bring people at home closer to the store. Wildfires continue to be a threat. With that massive hurricane comes the massive response. The best reporters in our business know how to listen. And when you listen, you get the truth. For NBC News, NBC News, I'm Tom Yamas. That's what we do every night, NBC.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Nightly News with Tom Yamas, evenings on NBC.