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Protests Following Police Report ICE-Involved Shooting In Austin, Texas; Interview With Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX); Trump To Face U.N. Leaders As Iran War Continues; Florida Republican Runs Ad Distancing Self From Trump Ahead Of Midterms; Midterm Countdown: 44 Days Until Election Day; New Video Of Shooting Involving ICE Agent In Austin, Texas; Hollywood Turns Out For George Lucas' Museum Debut. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired September 20, 2026 - 19:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[19:01:01]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Danny Freeman in New York.

And that breaking news we're following is coming out of Austin, Texas. You're looking at live images right here of a protest that has started in Austin. This is a footage from our affiliate KI. And this is where officials say an ICE agent shot a man in the torso just before 1:00 p.m. today. He was brought to a medical center in serious but stable condition.

Now, I spoke with Texas Democratic Congressman Greg Casar a short while ago, who is now calling for an independent investigation. He told me he's in touch with representatives for the man's family and that the man in question is a delivery driver.

The Trump administration has prioritized immigration enforcement, placing federal agents in cities across the country. While the crackdowns have resulted in arrests and deportations, they have also led to violence, some deaths and protests.

For more on all of this, we bring in now CNN's Rafael Romo. He's been following this story all afternoon.

Rafael, what are you hearing as the latest?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Danny. Well, this is what we know based on a press conference where we heard from Austin city officials, including its mayor, chief of police and chief of EMS, as well as Congressman Greg Casar, who represents part of Austin. Chief Luckritz, chief of EMS, said the shooting happened at exactly 12:56 p.m., just before 1:00 this afternoon in Austin.

And Austin-Travis County EMS personnel responded within three and a half minutes. One person was shot, Luckritz said, and is listed in serious but stable condition at a local hospital where the male patient was transported within nine minutes of the arrival of the first responders, Austin police chief Lisa Davis said that the Austin police Department Special Investigation Unit, which investigates any officer involved shooting in the city, is now on the scene and will be working side by side with the Texas Rangers.

Congressman Greg Casar, who represents part of Austin, is already calling for an independent investigation into the shooting. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. GREG CASAR (D-TX): I think it is appropriate for this community to ask for independence, to ask for transparency and to ask for accountability. This is a pattern. It's a disturbing pattern, and it's got to stop. ICE has arrested 5-year-olds in Austin in the last few weeks. They've arrested pre-K teachers, and now someone has been shot. And this has to stop.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: We've been looking at the images from the site of the shooting, Danny. A protest has already broken out in Austin across the site of the shooting this afternoon with several protesters waving -- some of them before they were waving Mexican flags. And the police, as you can see at the images, are keeping an eye on the protesters nearby. So far, so far, it's been peaceful.

Congressman Casar told CNN the last hour that the man who was shot is a delivery driver, but did not know if he is in the country legally. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Austin police chief Lisa Davis said the incident may have included a foot chase with the ICE agent.

And finally, Danny, Mayor Watson expressed doubts regarding ICE being able to do an independent investigation when one of their own, he said, was involved in the shooting.

Now back to you.

FREEMAN: Rafael Romo, thank you for the latest on this investigation.

For more on this, I want to bring in Texas Democratic Congressman Lloyd Doggett.

Congressman Doggett, thank you so much for joining us as your community is really processing this ICE involved shooting earlier today. I just want to start here by asking if you have heard any more details about who exactly this man is and his condition.

REP. LLOYD DOGGETT (D-TX): No, we lack the details that should be out there because ICE acts in such a secretive way. And so this is a very alarming development for our community. As was just noted, we've had a series of big uptick in the amount of ICE interference in our community of late.

[19:05:05] We all want to have a safe community, but having ICE chase people who are not posing any danger to our community and indeed are contributing to our community is really harmful. But ICE acts in a secretive way, as if it's above the law and its officers have impunity. And that's why I think there is so much anger and alarm in our community this afternoon.

FREEMAN: And Congressman, I think I can actually shed some light on this with you, because our Priscilla Alvarez is getting reporting that the man shot, according to a law enforcement source, is an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela and had a final order of removal.

With that information, does that change your perspective on what has unfolded in your community today?

DOGGETT: Not with reference to shooting someone. We don't have the details. And normally we might say, well, we give law enforcement the benefit of the doubt, but we can't do that with ICE because it has lied so often in the past. It's engaged in wanton violence against protesters and against immigrants. If someone had a valid court order, it may have been appropriate for ICE to detain them, but not to act in a violent way, though, again, we don't have all the facts, since ICE does not make those facts available.

I am encouraged by the leadership of our mayor, Kirk Watson. He and the police chief have got the same kind of investigation going on the scene right now that they would do for any law enforcement involved shooting. We also have the Texas Rangers there. They were apparently present at the time that this incident occurred. So hopefully we'll get a full investigation because we clearly cannot rely on ICE to investigate itself.

FREEMAN: Congressman, have you heard from any federal officials since this shooting happened earlier today?

DOGGETT: No, I have not. And that's pretty much the standard when it comes to ICE. You have to really try to pry the facts out of them. They are not forthcoming. And they do a great disservice to our country when they are not focused on the bad ones, the ones that our own law enforcement officers could handle but are out just trying to fulfill a quota with any number of people that they can remove from the country.

FREEMAN: And Congressman, I spoke with your fellow Texas Democrat earlier this evening. He's calling for an independent investigation into this incident. Do you have confidence that we will see that play out?

DOGGETT: Well, I share his view. We're in complete accord on the alarming nature of this and the need for an independent investigation. I'm hopeful that the Austin police Department will be able to do a thorough investigation of the same type they would do if one of their own law enforcement officers was involved. And that will provide us some independence if they get cooperation from ICE that is so often missing. FREEMAN: And Congressman, what message do you have now for your

constituents and other folks in that area, some who clearly are very upset about this shooting already, but also those who may have questions or concerns about what happened today?

DOGGETT: You know, I see there on the screen that the protesters out there are waving Mexican flags, and I understand that. But I would like to see them waving American flags because ICE is not pursuing the principles of America. They are out rounding up people that are contributing to our community. This person, they may have had a legitimate reason to do it. There may be other circumstances we don't have, but we have no credibility with ICE when it comes into our community and disrupts those who are helping, instead of backing up our law enforcement to focus on those who pose some danger to the community.

FREEMAN: Congressman Lloyd Doggett, thank you so much for jumping on in the midst of tension in your community.

DOGGETT: Thank you.

FREEMAN: And after this shooting that has impacted at least this one man and many others as well. Thank you. Appreciate your time.

DOGGETT: Indeed. Thank you for focusing on this.

FREEMAN: Still to come, tensions escalating in the Middle East as President Trump prepares to meet with world leaders. Plus, new polling shows a majority of voters want to see a shift in power in Congress. We'll tell you how those numbers could impact what happens in the November midterm elections.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:14:00]

FREEMAN: President Trump is preparing for a busy week of diplomacy as world leaders gather in New York City for the United Nations General Assembly. The president is set to address the assembly on Tuesday. This as there have been no publicly reported U.S. strikes on Iran for more than two weeks. President Trump telling FOX News that he's in, quote, "deciding mode" and, quote, "very big things could happen soon."

This coming as the Houthi rebel group backed by Iran claims it's attacked sensitive sites, including Riyadh with large plumes of smoke seen near Riyadh's airport on Saturday.

CNN's Julia Benbrook joins us now.

Julia, tell us about President Trump's critical meetings with world leaders this week.

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you touched on a lot, but we'll take a closer look at his schedule. President Donald Trump, he travels to New York tomorrow for the United Nations General Assembly. And then on Tuesday, that is when he will give remarks. He'll give a speech. He's also going to take multiple meetings with foreign leaders. And according to a senior White House official, those remarks are going to touch on a number of subjects.

[19:15:01]

But the conflict in Iran will be one of those areas. Trump is expected to reiterate his stance that Iran cannot, under any circumstance, have a nuclear weapon. Now, Trump, it is important to note that at the beginning of this conflict, those first joint U.S.-Israel strikes against Iran, that Trump said that this could last a matter of days. It could last several weeks. The conflict is now nearing the seven- month mark, and it's also coming as poll after poll shows that the American people do not approve of the way that Trump has handled this conflict.

This speech, of course, will be for a big audience, a global audience. But it also comes as the midterms are quickly approaching. One other area of focus will be the conflict in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he and Trump spoke earlier today, and that the two have agreed to meet while they are in New York. He said that today's discussion was an important one. He said that the meeting could change a lot.

And that is coming not long after Special Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner made stops both in Kyiv and in Moscow to discuss potential ways to bring this conflict to an end. At the time, the White House said that those talks were substantive and that there would be an update in the coming weeks.

Now, the diplomacy doesn't stop there. After Trump returns to Washington, that is when he is scheduled to have a state visit to host Chinese Leader Xi Jinping. That will include a formal state dinner and both of those leaders are expected to give remarks.

FREEMAN: All right, Julia Benbrook, thank you so much for that update on, again, a very packed schedule, as you noted.

And for more on all this, we're joined now by CNN national security analyst Alex Plitsas. He's also director of the Counterterrorism Project at the Atlantic Council.

Alex, thank you so much for joining us on a busy pre-UNGA week. It's been nearly two weeks without strikes on Iran. And their military command is now saying the U.S. is planning to resume military action with regional backing. Tell us, what's the motivation for Iran saying this now, in your view?

ALEX PLITSAS, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: So there's still been a divide between Iranian military commanders and the civilian negotiators, as I'm told by regional sources and allies. And it's an important week as President Trump is set to meet with Gulf allies on the sidelines of UNGA here at the United Nations, which, as you noted, begins this week, to try to figure out what comes next. And there's also a possibility that he may meet with Iranian President

Pezeshkian also on the sidelines. He expressed a possibility that could happen. So did the Iranian president. But even if that does happen, the hardliners at home, the security apparatus that's really calling the shots may or may not allow it to happen. And he's not the decision maker anyway. He'll have to take whatever the president says and come back.

I think the president is at a point where his patience is worn thin. The Iranians haven't budged. We haven't moved closer towards a resolution to the Strait of Hormuz, and they've been now using proxy forces to attack Saudi Arabia. So I think things are getting to a boiling point again if something doesn't move.

FREEMAN: Well, and to that point, can you shed a little more light on what reaction you're hearing from other countries in the region?

PLITSAS: Yes. So exasperation from a number of countries. So there was supposed to be a meeting about a week ago between the Gulf allies and Iran, specifically to try to get the Strait of Hormuz reopened and to get Oman and Iran, who control both sides of the Strait of Hormuz in terms of their immediate perimeter, to agree on that. So if we look at the map that's up right now, well, you see it says the UAE there and then you'll see that sign pointing towards the Strait of Hormuz in blue.

Where that tip juts out in the -- into the Arabian Gulf there, the Persian Gulf, it's actually Oman. It's a piece of Oman there. So -- but no country in the region or the world for that matter believes that any one country should control that waterway or any of those international waterways. So there was an attempt to get them to agree to a regional consortium, and it was going to be based on the Straits of Malacca model, which is in Asia.

And in that case, it's a voluntary system where you pay in for search and rescue, clean up fees, that kind of thing. But no mandatory tolls. Iran issued some maximalist language about control of the waterway and also a bargaining chip in the future, signed Oman up for the statement, even though they weren't behind it, and the talks were called off. I'm told that if that went through and they could get an agreement on that, the next steps would have been for Iran to agree to some sort of cessation of hostilities for about seven days in return for humanitarian relief, and then afterwards a potential lifting of the blockade.

And then the third phase would be to get back to negotiations with a 14-point plan. That hasn't come to fruition. So regional allies are still trying to make that happen. But the clock is ticking, and we're now 49 days before the U.S. midterm elections. And for the Iranians, they believe that that's the pressure point they need to push on for President Trump. They're still talking past one another at this point.

FREEMAN: Yes. And again, to your point, so many countries feeling these impacts acutely of this ongoing war. Tell me, though, how does this escalating conflict with the Houthis in Yemen fit into this bigger picture of how you're assessing the situation right now in the Middle East?

PLITSAS: So, great question. For the map that's up right now is what we were just talking about, was the Strait of Hormuz off to the top right of the Arabian Peninsula. There is a second potential strategic chokepoint, which is called the, which you see right there. And it's labeled in blue. And on one side you have Africa, the other side you have Yemen. And that portion of the country is where the Houthis control.

[19:20:05]

They are, by and large, Shia. And if we're looking at religious divides inside of the region there, the Shia share the same faith as about 97 percent of the Iranians. The Iranians believe they have a responsibility to take care of the diaspora. So they have these proxy groups in the region who they share religious faiths with in most cases. And in this case, the Houthis do operate independently to a certain extent.

But for right now, they broke through to the coast in a critical operation over the last week or so, taking some of those strategic islands. They could choke off the Bab El-Mandeb at any point that they want. But that didn't occur in a vacuum. Iraqi militias, also state- sponsored by Iran, fired on the East West pipeline. So Saudi Arabia has a pipeline that cuts across the peninsula, basically to where you see the S in Saudi Arabia there almost coming out, the Port of Yanbu, which bypasses the Strait of Hormuz.

And they were getting a decent number of barrels coming out across there, and they were able to bypass that. And the U.S. had come out publicly and said, hey, we're getting seven million to eight million barrels a day out of the Arabian Gulf, out of the 21 we used to get out before the war, small ships, ship-to-ship transfers. That stabilized oil prices to a certain extent, even though there was still a shortage.

The Iranian strategy has been to put pressure on the oil and gas markets to force the U.S. to come back to the table. So after the U.S. was making those statements, all of a sudden we see Saudi Arabia under attack from the Houthis. And we saw the Iraqis attack the pipelines there to put pressure back on world oil markets.

FREEMAN: Alex, only about -- have about 15 seconds left. Just quickly, on that front, do you see the U.S. getting involved in that part of this region?

PLITSAS: I think the ceasefire from last year that the U.S. and the Houthis reached has held for right now. I believe the U.S. wants the Saudis to make good on their commitment to lead that naval task force and any operations to take place there. But if the Houthis move to close off the Bab al-Mandeb to all shipping or of any U.S. or international ships come under fire there, that is a potential trigger point for U.S. military action.

FREEMAN: Wow. OK. Well, thank you so much again for breaking all of that down. I really do appreciate it. Alex Plitsas, we'll speak to you again soon, I know.

have about 15 seconds left. Just quickly, Thank you.

FREEMAN: Switching gears now, with just 44 days until the midterm elections, new polling released gives Democrats the edge. We're going to be joined by our political panel after a quick break. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:26:29]

FREEMAN: There are now just 44 days until the critical midterm elections and new polling today from NBC News shows more voters would rather see Democrats in control of Congress. 43 percent of voters also say they are using their midterm ballot to signal opposition to President Trump. That's the highest share of people saying their vote is motivated by opposition to a president in NBC polling since the 1990s.

Now, some Republican candidates seem to be picking up on that voter pushback to Trump. Here's a part of a campaign ad that Florida Republican Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar put out this week. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MARIA ELVIRA SALAZAR (R-FL): Mr. President, some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far. In July, 50 percent of the 50,000 people that were detained had no criminal record. Be careful what your advisers are telling you about immigration policies. The same Hispanics who helped you get to the White House in 2024 feel betrayed today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREEMAN: Now, this morning, the congresswoman told CBS News she spoke with the president after releasing the ad.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SALAZAR: It was a very good conversation. He was a gentleman, very courteous, very receptive. And I told him exactly what you just repeated. Sir, you have this this moment in history where you can keep the pot of gold that you brought to the GOP in 2024.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREEMAN: Our panel joins us now. CNN political commentator, Republican strategist and co-founder of OnMessage Inc., Brad Todd. Also with us, CNN political commentator and Democratic strategist Maria Cardona.

Thank you both for joining us on a Sunday night to talk politics.

Brad, let's start with you. This comes as President Trump is telling voters to pretend that he is on the ballot. What, from your perspective, is the winning message for vulnerable Republicans in the homestretch here with the president's approval so underwater?

BRAD TODD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, it's going to depend on where the candidates are. And, you know, this is a bipartisan thing. I mean, Adam Hamilton, who's the Democratic nominee for Senate in Kansas, recently said he was not going to vote for Chuck Schumer. I mean, the reality is both parties' political brands are in the toilet. And this is an election where the people who will decide the election are people who don't like either party. And that's a challenge we have as people who run campaigns.

FREEMAN: And Maria, I was very curious to get your read on Rep. Salazar's ad there. She said she told the president, you have this moment in time. Let me see if I have this right here. You have this moment in history, rather, where you can keep the pot of gold that you brought to the GOP in 2024. What do you think? Do you think Trump has done permanent damage to some Latino voters who maybe took a chance on him back in 2024?

MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Without a doubt, Danny. And you know, the congresswoman's way of describing Latino voters, I think is exactly the problem. Latino voters are not pieces of gold to be had. Latino voters are real people. They are families that are hurting because of Donald Trump's egregious, frankly, criminal way that he is enforcing immigration law.

And the problem that I have with Congresswoman Salazar's ad is that it's not just too little, too late, but that it's incredibly hypocritical because she's doing it understanding the numbers. This is a district, Danny, that she won by 15 points, right? Donald Trump won this overwhelmingly. And she is now saying this to the president on camera because she is politically scared. She's panicking. It's not because she cares about the Latino community. If she did, she could have done this last year because ICE has been attacking and killing people in our community from the moment Trump took office.

[19:30:14]

So that's why Latino voters are not buying it from her. Latino voters have had it from this President. They feel like he has betrayed them, not just on the issue of immigration, but also on the issue of the economy, where they trusted him to actually do what he said he was going to do, which is lower costs, lower inflation.

And everything that he has done, from the tariffs to the Iran War to these egregious criminal enforcement efforts, has done everything to skyrocket prices. And so they're not going to vote for an administration who is killing and separating their families, and who is keeping them from finding a way to actually acquire the American Dream.

FREEMAN: Brad, what is your response to that? I mean, let's start with just the concept of, again, has President Trump done permanent damage with Latinos, a group that he brought into the fold really in a new way in 2024?

TODD: Well, I actually contend it wasn t only -- it wasn t Trump bringing them into the fold, it was Democrats driving them out of their party, and I think it is ridiculous, Maria, for you to say that Maria Elvira Salazar does not represent Hispanics and Latino community. She has been a dominant political force in her district in South Florida, and the South Florida region has been moving away from Democrats for some time.

It is because Democrats have become a party of the elites, top down driven, wedded to big government in Washington and most Latino voters want to experience the American Dream. They want to own small businesses. They want less taxes. They want less regulation. And they want traditional values.

You know, Latino voters are far more devout in America than White voters are. And so as the Democratic Party has become hostile to religion, Latino voters who are predominantly Catholic have gravitated to Republicans. So it is a lot more complicated than oh, Donald Trump did this or Donald Trump did that.

FREEMAN: Yes, and again, let's be clear. Latinos are not a monolith either in this country as well.

TODD: Right. Correct!

CARDONA: Exactly. If you look at if you look at the numbers, that doesn t -- does not square away with what Brad just said because right now, 66 percent of Latino voters are now with the Democratic Party. He is tanking. His numbers are tanking with Latinos because they feel betrayed.

At one point, what you said, Brad, might have been true in 2024. That was true. It is no longer true. They have had it. They feel betrayed. They are not going to vote for Donald Trump or Republicans in these midterms.

FREEMAN: Well, let's talk about the issue that is so important to so many voters across the country, Latino or otherwise, Brad, the quote perhaps of the week from President Trump when it comes to the midterms may have been that gas prices are a very inexpensive price to pay, basically, for the Iran War.

We know that Americans and voters have been feeling the actual literal higher prices. But what's your sense here? Do you think that voters are going to buy the way that President Trump is trying to sell them on this high price spike over the past several months?

TODD: Well, first off, high gas prices are bad for the incumbent party. That's just a fact. It took me $138.00 to fill up my Ford F-150 yesterday, and that's ridiculous. And so high gas prices are always a barometer of success.

And as a Republican strategist, I would be lying if I told you I wasn t worried about it. However, the job in Iran is something that was seven presidents overdue. Seven presidents in both parties failed to do the job. And you know, I am hoping President Trump will take out the Iranian Guard and get regime change. We have to solve this problem once and for all. Elections be damned! So it is my hope that he will do that. I hope he will show that leadership. But, you know, this is again, it is a complicated problem and there is a complicated set of consequences. Nobody likes high gas prices, but we need a president to do what a president must do.

FREEMAN: Maria, I want to get your perspective on something. Oh, yes, go ahead. Yes, please respond.

CARDONA: I was going to say if Republicans and Trump had listened to Brad, they would be in a much better place about the Iran War. But they have not been able to articulate why they went into Iran. Everyone at one point said a completely different thing, 75 percent of voters across the board are against this war in Iran. That is also going to cost Republicans in the midterms.

FREEMAN: Well, listen, again, I think that it's amazing that we all have our eyes glued to the big signs in front of gas stations. But again, that's what often, especially in midterm elections, wins or loses elections.

Maria Cardona, Brad Todd, thank you both so much for coming on and talking politics on a Sunday night. Really appreciate it.

TODD: Thank you.

CARDONA: Thanks so much, Danny.

FREEMAN: All right, we are continuing to follow this breaking news out of Austin, Texas. A shooting involving an ICE agent in a protest as you can see right here now growing near the scene. We are getting new video that's going to come in next right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:39:29]

FREEMAN: Let's get back to our breaking news tonight. We are getting new video of today's shooting in Austin, Texas involving an ICE agent.

CNN's Rafael Romo joins us now live.

Rafael, tell us the latest about this video.

ROMO: Danny, I had mentioned earlier, there were indications that there might have been a chase before the shooting. Based on images posted on social media that CNN was analyzing, one of those videos was shot live by a woman on Facebook, and it happened to capture the moment gunshots rang out.

In the video, as the woman records herself, the sound of squealing tires and blaring law enforcement sirens can be heard approaching and getting louder and louder, followed by gunshots.

[19:40:10]

Before I show you the video, I have to warn our viewers that it may be disturbing, so viewer discretion is advised.

This is the part of the video that shows the moment it happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was nice. You guys, like, way back when --

Holy (bleep)! Whoa! Whoa! Oh my God.

(GUNSHOTS)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Holy (bleep), dude! Oh my God!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: Later, the video shows a blue vehicle riddled with bullet holes and what appears to be a man wearing a police vest and a DHS agent standing nearby wearing a mask.

From this vantage point, it is hard to determine whether the DHS agent seen in the video is the agent who fired the shots. What we know from city of Austin officials is that one person was shot in the torso and is now in stable, but serious condition at a local hospital.

A protest broke out in Austin across the site of the shooting this afternoon, with several protesters waving Mexican flags and police keeping an eye on the protesters from a distance.

Congressman Greg Casar told CNN in the last hour that the man who was shot is a delivery driver, but did not know if he is in the country legally. Casar told CNN he is calling for an independent investigation into the shooting and told reporters the city has seen an ICE surge come to Austin, particularly in North Central Austin, where Sunday's shooting occurred.

Danny, the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment this afternoon.

FREEMAN: All right, Rafael Romo, thank you so much for breaking down that new video again, just in to CNN.

And we will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:46:27]

FREEMAN: Get your brackets ready because it is that time of year again. Your chance to vote for the fattest bear of the year. Alaska's KatmaiNationalParkandExplore.org are hosting the 12th year of Fat Bear Week. Voting will start on Tuesday, and last year's champion, Chunk is back to prove himself and gorge on salmon once again with a broken jaw and all.

Joining us now to give us all the details on this year's bears is the founder of Fat Bear Week, Michael Fitz. Michael, so good to see you. Chunk, a runner up three times, as I understand, before finally claiming victory last year. He has got this, as understand also quite a story with a broken jaw. What have we learned about him over the years? And do you expect him to make it to the top two again?

MICHAEL FITZ, FOUNDER, FAT BEAR WEEK: He has a strong likelihood of making the Finals again this year. Chunk has a really interesting story because he has been a dominant bear for a number of years. But last year he broke his jaw probably in a fight with another bear. And he showed his adaptability, his resilience, his ability to persevere.

I can't imagine trying to eat raw salmon just with a healthy jaw, but he did it with a broken jaw and he looks great again this year.

FREEMAN: Yes, Chunk seems like an early frontrunner for sure and a fan favorite. Can you though, tell us about the other bears that are competing this year?

FITZ: This year was a really special year at Brooks River in Katmai National Park because we saw more bear families than ever. Something like 19 bear families were counted, something like 37 cubs. So we included more cubs in the bracket this year than ever, more bear families.

So we have some bears who have never been in Fat Bear Week before, like the Mother Bear known as 132. She is an experienced mom. She has had four litters, and has three cubs to care for this year. So her success is basically reflected in the success of her cubs. She has three very large cubs right now.

Another Mother Bear that I find her story fascinating is one just called 610. She probably was separated from her mom accidentally. She was a yearling, maybe when she was separated from her mother. We don t know why or how, but she had a big wound on her hips at that time. So she survived an attack and this year, she has her first litter of cubs. So she has shown her resilience and adaptability as well.

FREEMAN: Oh man! That's incredible. And I so appreciate that there are stories behind every single one of these bears, and as we understand as well, the bears are building up their fat reserves to survive the winter. That's perhaps why it is an opportune time to host Fat Bear Week.

But can you talk about some of the other variables, too? Like, as you were noting for mama bears or bear cubs, what are the different factors that could play in fattest bear?

FITZ: Yes, Fat Bear Week is a subjective competition, so it is just not based on body mass. If it was, then, you know, a bear like Chunk would win every year because he is probably like a 1,200-pounder at least.

FREEMAN: Sure.

FITZ: But the Mother Bears have to work extremely hard to raise their cubs. There are single females that are preparing to go into the den. They could give birth in mid-winter. And again, bears are getting fat to survive winter hibernation. But a female bear gives birth while she is hibernating. And then she nurses those newborn cubs until -- you know, throughout the rest of the winter, and then they exit the den in the spring time.

So they need those fat reserves not only to for their own survival, but for that of their cubs as well. So, we ask people to really consider the bear's stories when they are deciding to cast their vote.

[19:50:10]

FREEMAN: You know, it is amazing, Fat Bear Week has become literally a thousand times more popular than when it started, going from just 1,700 votes to more than 1.7 million last year. How does this popularity translate to, hopefully, real impact on the ground there in Katmai?

FITZ: The bears are a symbol of the productivity and wealth of Katmai National Park's ecosystem. It is home to one of the last great salmon runs left on earth. It is part of the Bristol Bay sockeye salmon run and tens of millions of salmon return to that area each and every year. So I hope we can look at the fat bears at Brooks River in Katmai and use them sort of as a symbol of the wealth and success of the ecosystem.

And maybe we can also look to that area of the world and say, you know what? Maybe our watersheds elsewhere should be full of salmon, including, you know, where I live in in Northern Maine, salmon are endangered and they have been for quite a long time and it takes a lot of work to get those salmon runs back.

But Katmai showcases like the opposite end of that spectrum, what watersheds look like, what ecosystems look like when healthy runs of salmon return year after year.

FREEMAN: Well, I cannot wait to see who the winner is this year. I am rooting for Chunk, but it seems like there is a lot of good competition. Michael Fitz, thank you so much as always for breaking down Fat Bear Week.

FITZ: Happy Fat Bear week!

FREEMAN: All right to this now.

Some of Hollywood's biggest stars from Leonardo DiCaprio, Oprah, Samuel L. Jackson, Katy Perry and more came out last night in Los Angeles to celebrate the opening of George Lucas' new Museum of Narrative Art.

The filmmaking icon and his wife, businesswoman, Mellody Hobson, founded the billion dollar institution dedicated to the art of visual storytelling, which opens to the public on Tuesday.

Now, inside are plenty of "Star Wars," of course, and "Indiana Jones" exhibits, along with an extensive library and vast collection of modern and contemporaneous illustrations.

CNN's Elex Michaelson has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Welcome to the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. For more than 20 years, George Lucas, the director, and his wife, Mellody Hobson, have been envisioning this. It is now a reality. It looks almost like a spaceship, a 300,000 square foot facility that had cost them over a billion dollars.

Of course, it has "Star Wars" in it, but it has also got a lot more than that, a look at storytelling over the years.

Mellody Hobson, emotional seeing Oprah at the opening event.

Is the emotion hitting you?

MELLODY HOBSON, GEORGE LUCAS' WIFE: It is really -- it is like, I saw Oprah and I just like, you know, you see idols at your event. It is deeply moving.

OPRAH WINFREY, MEDIA PERSONALITY: To see them accomplish this really is one of the most meaningful things I've seen.

MICHAELSON: It brings you to tears.

WINFREY: It brings me to tears to see what they have been able to do here is -- it is beyond words.

MICHAELSON: What is the big thing you want people to see when they walk through those doors?

HOBSON: Themselves. We want them to see themselves when they're here, and their stories.

MICHAELSON: You ve dedicated your life to storytelling.

GAYLE KING, CBS NEWS ANCHOR: You, too. Right back at you.

MICHAELSON: Why does storytelling matter?

KING: Because we know it changes people's lives.

MAGIC JOHNSON, FORMER NBA PLAYER: It is the heartbeat of what, what, and who we are, right?

DEBORAH ROBERTS, ABC NEWS: It tells us a lot about where we've been, who we are, where were going.

RUSSELL WESTBROOK, NBA LEGEND: They give people something to look forward to, to talk about and I think it is good for our youth.

DAVID ALAN GRIER, ACTOR AND COMEDIAN: If you have children, if you ve ever had a loved one who is older, younger, sick, what is the first thing you do? I will read to you. If not read, I will tell you a story.

AL ROKER, NBC NEWS: Especially now, stories told with narrative art have a certain universality about them. You know that you almost don t need to speak a language to understand what that story is.

MICHAELSON: What does this museum mean to the "Star Wars" legacy?

MARK HAMILL, ACTOR, "LUKE SKYWALKER" IN "STAR WARS": Well, it is an acknowledgment of how George created something that has become a permanent part of pop culture through the ages.

FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA, DIRECTOR: He has inspired young people, which is the most important people to inspire.

JON M. CHU, DIRECTOR: "Star Wars" made me believe in magic, made me, you know, sit in that theater and want to change my whole life.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): I invited George to come to the Capitol a number of years ago. There's nobody who ever showed up at the Capitol who got more attention from the staff, from the members.

BRIAN GRAZER, PRODUCER: Just think about it, he invented a museum. I mean, a lot of it is his stuff, too. It is all his stuff.

SIR LEWIS HAMILTON, RACE CAR DRIVER: It is mind blowing. I mean, this building is really -- Mellody always describes it, it is like going through George's brain, you know, and the fact that he has collected 50,000 pieces of art.

MICHAELSON: This museum officially opens to the public on Tuesday.

Elex Michaelson, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[19:55:03]

FREEMAN: Elex, thank you very much for that reporting.

Still ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM, President Trump says the 250-foot planned arch he wants to build in the middle of D.C. could also be used for military drones and snipers.

The details we are learning about this project coming up after a quick break.

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