The security guard responsible for failing to prevent an intruder from entering the TODAY show studio has been terminated from his role.

Page Six reports intruder suspect Andrew Truelove was able to slip past two security guards with surveillance video capturing the oversight. One guard stepped away while the other “missed the intruder,” as he walked in.

Law enforcement officials reported that on Thursday, a man named Andrew Truelove breached NBC’s TODAY show studio in New York City, seeking famed host Al Roker. The intruder allegedly shouted racial epithets before he confronted host Craig Melvin.

The NYPD acted promptly, taking Truelove into custody. He now faces two counts of hate crime charges due to his confrontational actions.

Truelove’s lawyer, Lawrence Gerzog, informed News Media that a judge has issued a protective order, requiring Truelove to maintain a safe distance from both Al Roker and Craig Melvin.

Meanwhile, Melvin was back on the anchor desk Friday morning and appeared to be in good spirits. He remained on the show for two hours before secondary hosts stepped in during the show’s 9 a.m. hour.

About 30 minutes into the 7 a.m. hour, Melvin and the team addressed the Thursday security breach.

Melvin said, “We want to take a quick moment to address what happened yesterday. You may have heard that unfortunately an intruder made his way into an unauthorized area here at Studio 1A. Thankfully, he was apprehended quickly, he was placed under arrest. We are cooperating fully with the NYPD as they investigate the matter and we are just very happy that everyone is safe.”

Melvin also noted he is “safe and sound,” following the incident.

Al Roker also addressed the situation Friday morning just before the 7 am hour in a post to Instagram and said, “A really heartfelt thank you to all who reached out over the last 24 hours to check in on my brother,” he said.

The post goes on to say, “We are both okay. It’s moments like these that serve to pull us together. You all, like Craig, said  ‘You come after one of us, you come after all of us.’ We’ll talk about it this morning on the TODAY show.” 

Just before Thursday’s security breach, Melvin’s co-host Savannah Guthrie, announced she would be stepping away from the morning show for a few weeks to film a new ‘Wordle’ gameshow.

Friday morning, Guthrie was not on the desk with her co-hosts stating she was taking a “long weekend.” Melvin left early Friday for a reported previously planned vacation.

News Media has reached out to NBC for comment.

Prince Harry’s understated visit to the UK underscores the notion that discretion might be a more effective safeguard than constant police surveillance, as suggested by Richard Kay of the Daily Mail.

Even though Harry reportedly considered not traveling along with Meghan and their children due to security worries, Buckingham Palace confirmed last week that the family shared a private tea with King Charles and Queen Camilla at Highgrove.

The media only became aware of this gathering after the family had departed, thanks to an official statement from the Palace. Details regarding Meghan and the children’s travel logistics for the event remain undisclosed.

During an episode of Palace Confidential, Editor-at-Large Kay remarked that this meeting could serve as a model for future visits by the Sussexes, suggesting that earlier safety concerns might have been overemphasized.

‘Harry and Meghan can come in and depart the United Kingdom whenever they like,’ he began.

‘We don’t see photographs of them – unless they want to be photographed. They make such a drama about all of this, and yet the public don’t need to know.

‘By and large, they can slip in and out. All this talk that Harry’s in danger and he needs this wraparound security – well, anonymity is the best form of security of all. No one can cause them harm.

‘I know that sounds slightly glib, but I think it’s an important part of this whole package.

‘Where did they come from? We don’t know… it’s absolutely proof positive that they are able to drop in and drop out of the UK as they please.’

Elsewhere in the YouTube show, Kay questioned whether the Queen would have wanted to attend the meeting with the Sussexes at all, given the ‘astonishing criticisms’ of her in Harry’s 2023 memoir Spare.

The meeting marked the third time Harry has seen his father since Charles became King, and the first time the monarch had seen his grandchildren, Archie and Lilibet, in more than four years.

The veteran royal reporter speculated that Camilla would have been there on her ‘husband’s orders’, playing the role of ‘referee’ between father and son.

He said: ‘You can understand why Camilla would have wanted to support Charles. I don’t know whether she actually wanted to meet Harry and Meghan, with all the water that’s gone under the bridge.

‘She’s got a very good reason not to want to spend any time in the same room as him. However, she is an important referee… if Harry had tried to persuade his father to do something he was reluctant to, she would have wanted to make sure she was a witness to it all.’

Kay highlighted the selection of Highgrove as a meeting point, given its attachment to childhood memories for Harry.

Highgrove, the King’s private Gloucestershire estate, is where Harry spent much of his childhood, complete with the treehouse and swimming pool he knew as a boy.

‘I think the choice of Highgrove was critical’, Kay said.

‘The playground, the treehouse, the swimming pool are the things Harry remembers from his childhood. Things he’d want to show his children.

‘It was a great diversion… I can imagine it would have helped smooth the time and avoid any awkward silences.’

For more on Harry’s trip to Britain, watch the full episode by subscribing to Palace Confidential on YouTube.

ATLANTA (AP) — An alert has been issued by federal health officials pinpointing lettuce sourced from Mexico and served at Taco Bell locations in five U.S. states as the culprit behind a widespread outbreak of the parasite cyclospora, which causes diarrhea.

On Thursday evening, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised consumers to avoid eating shredded iceberg lettuce from Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. This comes amidst a surge in cyclospora cases reported across more than 30 states, though experts suggest that not all recent U.S. illnesses may be linked to a singular source.

Taylor Farms, known for its connection to past foodborne illness outbreaks, has yet to respond to requests for comments on the matter.

The CDC revealed, “FDA is working with the iceberg lettuce supplier to assess if any potentially contaminated shredded iceberg lettuce remains available,” adding that this could include other states. They further noted, “Taco Bell has promised to cease using lettuce from the supplier identified through the FDA’s traceback investigation.”

Taco Bell says it will use a different supplier

The CDC, in collaboration with the FDA and state public health officials, is deeply engaged in probing a multistate outbreak of cyclospora infections, seeking to mitigate its impacts.

The illness is not usually life threatening and is typically treated with antibiotics.

On Thursday, ahead of the federal government’s confirmation, Taco Bell issued a statement saying that it had taken “immediate action to voluntarily remove potentially impacted lettuce from a supplier in select states. The affected ingredient from our supplier is being indefinitely removed from our supply chain nationwide and will be replaced within 24 hours in select states.”

It’s possible other businesses could be linked to the outbreak

In a statement, federal health officials stressed that other “brands, restaurants, retailers, or distribution channels” could be tied to the outbreak as the investigation continues.

Michigan investigators are trying to figure out if the lettuce went to other restaurants or stores because many of the ill people said they didn’t eat at Taco Bell, state health officials said Friday.

There is no evidence the outbreak “is related to poor food handling or preparation at any single restaurant or fast-food chain,” Michigan health officials said in a statement.

For that reason, they continue to recommend that consumers purchase whole heads of lettuce instead of pre-washed, bagged lettuce or pre-mixed salad kits.

Cyclospora cases have been rising for years

Cyclospora is a microscopic, spherical parasite that commonly causes watery diarrhea “with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,” according to the CDC. Outbreaks tend to occur most often in the late spring and summer.

The heat-loving parasite infects the bowels and spreads through feces. In the past, people have been infected by consuming fruits or vegetables that were exposed to feces-contaminated irrigation water.

The illness, called cyclosporiasis, is less common than foodborne illnesses caused by other germs, including salmonella and E. coli. Many cases are never linked to a specific food or other source and, for years, few U.S. cyclospora outbreaks were reported. But the number started rising about a decade ago, with a particularly notable spike in 2018 and 2019.

Previously, 2019 saw the most reported U.S. cyclosporiasis cases, with about 4,700. The current surge has far surpassed that. Michigan — the apparent epicenter of the current outbreak — is reporting more than 5,000 cases, and more than 2,000 additional probable and suspected cases have been reported in other states.

No deaths have been reported. But Michigan officials say more than 100 people in that state have been hospitalized, and federal health officials say dozens more have been hospitalized in other states.

Experts attribute the increasing trend in cases to climate change and better detection. They also say it’s likely that cyclospora cases historically were underreported, for several reasons.

Some common tests used to check for food poisoning have not been geared to detect cyclospora. Technicians aren’t able to grow the parasite in labs, making it hard to draw evidence from contaminated produce. And it can be hard to figure out what food sick people had in common because sometimes it’s a single ingredient that might be common in multiple recipes — like basil or cilantro.

Taco Bell and Taylor Farms have been tied to past outbreaks

The FDA’s traceback investigation identified a single supplier of iceberg lettuce from Mexico used by the Taco Bell locations where people who got sick ate, federal officials said.

The Mexican food chain is among the restaurants linked to foodborne illness outbreaks in the past.

Taylor Farms also was tied to a 2013 cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to salad mix and a 2024 E. coli outbreak tied to onions served at McDonald’s.

___

Stobbe reported from New York.

___

In a separate but equally alarming event, a Texas dentist finds herself under arrest after an investigation linked her to the tragic death of a young girl. The 4-year-old, tragically, succumbed to a toxic opioid dose following a supposedly routine dental procedure. Authorities allege the child’s deteriorating condition went unnoticed until it was far too late.

Dr. Chrishelle Hemphill, who is 48, was detained on Wednesday, facing charges of recklessly causing serious bodily injury to a child. This serious felony charge stems from claims that her actions during an April 1 dental appointment directly led to the untimely death of young Aithana Rodríguez-Arriaga.

Law enforcement reports that an extensive investigation, involving interviews with witnesses, consultations with medical experts, and input from state dental investigators, culminated in Hemphill’s recent arrest.

Jail records reviewed by News Media show Hemphill was booked into jail Wednesday afternoon before being released on a $10,000 surety bond.

According to the Fort Worth Police Department, firefighters responded to Cuddle Kids Dental after staff reported the 4-year-old had become unresponsive following the procedure. She was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

🚨 Know something we should investigate?

📩 stepheny.price@fox.com

📸 IG: @fndstephprice

🎥 X: @StephenyPrice

“The Crimes Against Children Unit (CACU) began an investigation into this case,” police said in a statement provided to News Media. “Upon their findings, it was determined by the investigators that an offense had occurred and that the doctor that was performing the procedure on the victim was responsible.”

According to an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by News Media, Aithana’s mother told investigators she felt rushed into signing paperwork before the procedure and watched as Hemphill handed her daughter a cup containing liquid medication, encouraging her to drink it before she was taken into the treatment room. 

Aithana’s mother said she was not allowed to remain with her daughter during the procedure.

About an hour later, she was brought back into the room and found her daughter unresponsive while Hemphill attempted to wake her with a popsicle, according to investigators. Emergency crews were then called.

The tragic case has since prompted police to encourage parents to advocate for their children during medical procedures.

“The last thing you would expect as a parent,” Fort Worth Police Department spokesperson Brad Perez told affiliate FOX 4 Dallas.

“The one thing I would suggest is, if you feel like you want to be there when your child is having a procedure, insist on that,” Perez told the outlet. “I believe this mother wanted to check on the child but was unable to do so as the procedure occurred. Perhaps the mother could have seen signs that the doctor did not at the time.”

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner later ruled Aithana’s death an accident caused by meperidine toxicity, according to records obtained by News Media.

The arrest affidavit alleges the 4-year-old had 793 ng/mL of meperidine in her system — a level investigators say medical experts believed would have been toxic even for an adult.

As detectives dug deeper into the case, they consulted with the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners, reviewed the board’s investigation and sought opinions from outside medical specialists.

According to the affidavit, Aithana received chloral hydrate, hydroxyzine and meperidine in addition to nitrous oxide gas. While each medication individually fell within recommended limits, investigators allege Hemphill failed to account for the powerful combined effect of the drugs.

Police also allege Hemphill failed to recognize signs that Aithana was slipping into respiratory distress and administered flumazenil, which reverses benzodiazepines, instead of naloxone (Narcan), the medication used to counter opioid overdoses. 

The affidavit notes no benzodiazepines were found in the girl’s system.

Investigators also cited findings from a board-certified anesthesiologist, who concluded Aithana was not properly monitored during the critical recovery period after sedation and that the emergency response failed to address opioid-induced respiratory depression.

Perez told FOX 4 that Hemphill had no prior disciplinary actions and that her dental license remained active with the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners at the time of her arrest.

The investigation uncovered additional concerns inside the dental office. According to court documents, investigators found syringes containing leftover medication that staff allegedly intended to save for future patients, as well as confusion over where Narcan was kept during the emergency.

“Throughout this investigation I have learned from Hemphill’s own statements, her staff’s statements and from medical professionals, that there was evident neglect on Hemphill’s part that led to Aithana’s death,” a detective wrote in the arrest affidavit.

For Aithana’s family, the arrest comes more than three months after they lost what a GoFundMe describes as a “beautiful 4-year-old girl, filled with life and kindness” whose presence “always lit up a room.”

“She was sweet, loving, and touched the lives of all who knew her,” the fundraiser says.

It adds that donations will help cover funeral expenses, support her grieving parents and bring Aithana home to Mexico for burial. 

She is survived by her parents, an older sister and a younger sister.

The Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office confirmed to News Media that Fort Worth police submitted the case Wednesday and that prosecutors are currently reviewing it.

News Media has reached out to Hemphill’s attorney and the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners for comment.