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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson
Venezuela Orders Military Mobilization Amid U.S. Naval Buildup; At Least 12 Killed In Islamabad Suicide Attack; Dallas Mavericks Fire GM Responsible For Doncic Trade; DOJ Investigating after Protesters Disrupt Turning Point USA Campus Event; How to Heal from Burnout, Anxiety Social Disconnection; Maryland Veteran Finds New Mission in the Classroom; More Couples Tie the Knot after China's Marriage Reforms. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired November 12, 2025 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: The next hour of The Story Is starts right now.
[01:00:04]
The Story Is, the end of the shutdown.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN (D-PA): Enough Democrats realized that this has run its course.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Congress set to act. How long will it impact your air travel?
The Story Is, suicide attack. Live in Islamabad after the deadliest assault on the Pakistani capital in years.
The Story Is, GM fired.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's going to go down as the worst trade maybe in sports history.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Rachel Nichols is here to break down the rise and extraordinary fall of Nico Harrison.
And The Story Is, burnout. Therapist Minaa B. is with us to help you out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Los Angeles, The Story Is with Elex Michaelson. MICHAELSON: And welcome to The Story Is, I'm Elex Michaelson. After night after night of saying that there's no end in sight to the U.S. government shutdown, there is now an end in sight for the U.S. government shutdown. This is a live look from Washington where there is finally movement tonight.
The House was actually in session, at least committees of the House in session today, which we haven't seen in eight weeks. Lawmakers expected to vote on the Senate approved funding bill as soon as Wednesday afternoon, when the full House officially gavels back into session tomorrow.
Although Republicans appear to have the upper hand, they've got tight margins to do this. Speaker Mike Johnson can only afford to lose two Republican votes if all the Democrats stick together in voting no. The House Democratic leader, Hakeem Jeffries, believes that the Democrats will all strongly oppose this. Now, hours ago, the House Rules Committee started a tense meeting.
We're just talking about it. Here's some video of that showcasing Democrats and their anger over the bill. They say it doesn't address the soaring costs of healthcare, but remember, eight Democrats in the Senate voted for it. That's why we're in this situation in the first place.
President Trump, during an interview with Laura Ingraham on "Fox News," is scoffing at the idea that affordability is an issue for voters at all.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAURA INGRAHAM, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Are people saying they're anxious about the economy? Why are they saying that?
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't know that they are saying that. I think polls are fake. We have the greatest economy we've ever had.
INGRAHAM: Is this a voter perception issue of the economy, or is there more that needs to be done by Republicans on Capitol Hill, or done in terms of policy?
TRUMP: More than anything else, it's a con job by the Democrats. So, are you ready? Costs are way down. Gasoline is going to be hitting $2 pretty soon, or around $2.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Remember, there's about 42 million Americans who right now rely on food stamps. Earlier, the Supreme Court extended the short- term order allowing the Trump administration to avoid paying November benefits in full. This whole case really could be moot, though, if there's an agreement on the shutdown in a few days. Democrats, though, upset about the whole thing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GOV. JOSH STEIN (D-NC): I'm immensely frustrated, and frankly angry, at the federal government. This administration has shutdown SNAP benefits. People do not have their full benefits. People are not able to put food on their table to the degree that they need to keep children from being hungry, 1.4 million North Carolinians have SNAP.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: U.S. airlines cut their flights by 6 percent on Tuesday in compliance with an FAA order due to staffing shortages because of the shutdown. By Thursday, 8 percent of flights could be cut. That number could go up to 10 percent on Friday unless a shutdown deal is signed, which probably would happen by then. Still, delays, cancellations, going to get worse tomorrow, and it could get worse beyond that. And the Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, says passenger safety is his highest concern.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN DUFFY, U.S. TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: To be clear, we are concerned about people having flights delayed and having their flights canceled. That's a problem. But that is a secondary problem to safety. Safety is the number one issue. I want you to get safely to where you're flying.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: On Tuesday alone, there were more than 1,200 flights canceled either within, coming into, or leaving the U.S. And after much delay and protest, Arizona's Adelita Grijalva will finally be sworn into Congress. That swearing-in is set to take place seven weeks after she was elected. House Speaker Mike Johnson has defended his decision to delay, arguing she won her race when the House was already out of session amid the shutdown. Grijalva says she plans on confronting Johnson at Wednesday's ceremony and claims he broke the law.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ADELITA GRIJALVA (D-AZ), U.S. HOUSE DEMOCRAT-ELECT: It's unconstitutional. It's illegal. Should never happen. This kind of obstruction cannot happen again. Regardless of party, their job is to swear people in, and 813,000 Southern Arizonans haven't had support during the shutdown because of Speaker Johnson's lack of transparency and willingness to do his job.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[01:05:13]
MICHAELSON: So Grijalva's swearing-in comes at a critical juncture when it comes to Jeffrey Epstein. She is expected to provide the final signature needed to force a vote on compelling the release of the Epstein case files. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries says that, that fact that she's going to be the vote is the real reason why Johnson waited all this time. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY), U.S. HOUSE DEMOCRATIC LEADER: Representative-elect Adelida Grijalva was elected in late September, decisively has been denied the ability to serve more than 800,000 people in Arizona. And why is that the case? It's because Republicans are running a pedophile protection program. They are intentionally hiding the Jeffrey Epstein files, but those days are over.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Speaker Johnson says that that is offensive and that that is also not true. That's not why he did this. Now earlier, Grijalva was on with Kaitlan Collins and said that releasing the Epstein files will be a top priority for her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRIJALVA: We're hoping to be able to get this expedited as soon as possible, have a vote, and people can vote their values. And express to their community why they voted or why they didn't vote to bring, finally bring justice to the survivors.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Big story developing right now, the United Kingdom is suspending some of its intelligence sharing with the U.S. over the Trump administration's deadly strikes on those suspected drug boats in the Caribbean. You've been seeing this video for weeks now. It's quite dramatic. It's like a video game, doesn't it? Sources tell CNN that British officials believe that those strikes actually violate international law and the U.K. says, we do not want to be complicit with this.
The strikes have killed at least 76 people over the last couple of months. Now this break between allies comes as the U.S. Navy's most advanced carrier strike group has now arrived in the waters near Latin America. USS Gerald R. Ford relocated from Europe amid tensions with Venezuela.
Experts -- experts are estimating that there are now roughly 15,000 U.S. personnel in that region. In response to the U.S. military buildup, Venezuela says it is launching what it calls a massive mobilization of military personnel, weapons, and equipment of its own. CNN's Stefano Pozzebon has the latest.
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Now as of late on Tuesday evening, the streets of Caracas were calm, even though just a few hours before on Tuesday afternoon, the Venezuelan defense minister, Vladimir Padrino Lopez, had announced that over 200,000 soldiers and members of the militia had been mobilized to join military drills to prepare the country against what he says was an imperial threat from the United States.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) VLADIMIR PADRINO LOPEZ, VENEZUELAN DEFENSE MINISTER (through translator): We love peace. We deeply love peace. We don't want war here nor in any other place around the world. But if they dare to touch Venezuela, they're going to find us in every street.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
POZZEBON: Now this is happening while the U.S. Navy welcomed the largest aircraft carrier in the world, the Gerald Ford, which joined an operation in the Caribbean Sea, which allegedly target narco- traffickers. So far, the United States have conducted almost 20 kinetic strikes, killing at least 76 people, all of these without showing any conclusive evidence that those people were indeed involved in narco-trafficking.
However, here in Caracas, many people both inside the government and in the opposition believe that the real goal of that operation is to put pressure on the authoritarian president, on Nicolas Maduro, and pressure him to step down. And they see in that operation and in those drills that the Venezuelan military just announced as a way to respond to that pressure, as tensions both on land and outside offshore in the Caribbean Sea continue to escalate.
For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Caracas.
MICHAELSON: Thank you, Stefano.
A faction of the Pakistani Taliban has now claimed responsibility for a suicide attack that killed at least 12 people on Tuesday. Pakistan's interior minister says a man tried to enter a courthouse in Islamabad, but when he failed to do so, he detonated an explosive on the streets in front of him. CNN's Sophia Saifi is following developments live from Islamabad near where that attack happened. Sophia?
SOPHIA SAIFI, CNN PRODUCER: Yes, Elex, this is -- I'm standing exactly where the blast took place almost 24 hours ago. This is in front of a very large judicial complex in the heart of the capital of Pakistan in Islamabad. Such attacks are incredibly rare in a city like this, which is very secure. It's got different sections of the city, which have different checkposts to even get into the city.
[01:10:17]
So the fact that even 12 people, like a suicide attacker came and attacked a police van right outside this judicial complex is a pretty big deal here in Pakistan. The country is on edge. The Pakistani defense minister has come out and said that the country is in a state of war. The Pakistani prime minister has condemned the incident and placed the blame squarely on the Afghan Taliban, as well as saying that they've been backed by India, which India has obviously vociferously denied.
It's a very odd situation in the country. Everybody's wondering what's going to happen next. Attacks like this do not happen in Islamabad. They've been happening in the periphery of this country on the northwestern border close to Afghanistan. There's been a situation with Afghanistan where peace talks were taking place.
However, those failed. There is a ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan that also failed. So there is a lot of trepidation to see whether Pakistan is going to go ahead and take out strikes against Afghanistan. The Afghan Taliban have released a statement condemning the incident. They, however, did not address the remarks by the prime minister, as well as by the defense minister. So we'll just have to wait and see how the situation unfolds.
The situation -- the security situation in this country has been increasingly bad when it comes to militancy, especially on the northwest, ever since the fall of Kabul in 2021. And it's only gotten worse. We're just going to have to see how it unfolds. Elex?
MICHAELSON: We will, Sophia. Thank you for your reporting, as clearly it looks like traffic is returning to that region. Thank you so much.
Let's head now to southwestern China, where dramatic video shows the collapse of a part of a newly constructed bridge. Look at this. The Hongqi Bridge had opened just months ago along a national highway linking the country's heartland with Tibet.
But on Tuesday, a landslide wiped out one end of almost 2,500 foot long bridge, turning it into dust and debris. Local authorities had closed the bridge on Monday after they spotted cracks on nearby roads and slopes. Thank God they did. There were no deaths or injuries reported because they saw those cracks and got people off in time. Wow.
A stunning sight in the skies across the U.S. Look at this. A aurora borealis seen in Iowa and Virginia. Powerful burst of energy from the sun sent solar wind crashing into the Earth's atmosphere. Severe geomagnetic storm means the northern lights could be seen as far south as Florida. Spectacular.
Are you or someone you know feeling burnout or anxiety right now? Well, you're not alone. Stick around because we will be getting some help from a licensed therapist who knows a thing or two about this.
[01:13:17]
And the glittering career of a soccer superstar may soon come to an end. We talked to Cristiano Ronaldo about his plans to walk away from Portugal's national team. Rachel Nichols with us next to talk sports.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MICHAELSON: Donald Trump may enjoy watching football, but there's one part of the game he definitely doesn't like. President called in the Pat McAfee Show on ESPN this week where he covered a variety of topics, including the government shutdown and college football. One topic that got the President fired up, the NFL's new kickoff format.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I do have to say, and I'll probably get myself in a little trouble with this, I hate the kickoff.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, come on, Mr. President.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. That's weird.
TRUMP: I think it's so terrible. I think it's so demeaning. And I think it hurts the game. It hurts the pageantry. I've told that to Roger Goodell, and I don't think it's any safer. I mean, you still have guys crashing into each other.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Of course, Pat McAfee used to be a kicker in the NFL, so he's especially interested in that topic.
Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo says next year's World Cup will definitely be his last. The Portuguese soccer legend was asked about it by CNN's Becky Anderson during an event in Saudi Arabia.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: Do you expect this World Cup to be your last? Do you?
CRISTIANO RONALDO, PORTUGAL SOCCER CAPTAIN: Definitely yes, because I will be 41 years old, and I think will be the moment, and in the big competition, that's to, I don't know yet. As I told you before, I'm enjoying the moment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: He's like the biggest star on the planet. We couldn't get him a better microphone and camera. What is that? Cell phone? Ronaldo is the sport's all-time leading goal scorer in international competition. He didn't say when he would retire for good, only that he hopes his son, who plays for Portugal's under-16 team, becomes a better player than his dad. His son is already very jacked if you follow him on Instagram like hundreds of millions of people do.
Four months now, Dallas Mavericks fans have chanted, fire Nico, fire Nico. That's their GM. Well, on Tuesday, they got their wish. The Mavericks fired embattled GM Nico Harrison after he executed one of the most shocking trades in the history of the NBA, dealing away a superstar who didn't want to leave Dallas.
[01:20:00]
Now, Luka Doncic is a Laker, and the Mavericks are looking for a new GM. Joined now by the perfect person to break this all down, Rachel Nichols. To leave Dallas. Now, Luka Doncic is a Laker, and the Mavericks are looking for a new GM. Joined now by the perfect person to break this all down, Rachel Nichols is the host of Headliners with Rachel Nichols on Showtime, one of the best NBA reporters around. Rachel, welcome to The Story Is for the first time.
RACHEL NICHOLS, HOST SHOWTIME'S "HEADLINERS WITH RACHEL NICHOLS": Thank you. It's great to be here. I like the new digs.
MICHAELSON: Thank you very much.
NICHOLS: It's super fancy in here.
MICHAELSON: I love it.
NICHOLS: Yes.
MICHAELSON: Yes. We love having you here. So the moment that -- that he -- he basically traded away Luka Doncic, one of the most popular players in the history of the franchise, for Anthony Davis and some change.
NICHOLS: Yes, basically.
MICHAELSON: Max Christie, with respect. Was it kind of over for him at that moment?
NICHOLS: Yes, I mean, you called it one of the most shocking trades in NBA history. It is undoubtedly one of the worst trades in NBA history. In fact, you've got a lot of people who do my job trying to find a worse one, and nobody has in the last nine months. Not only did he not get much back for a generational superstar, who was only 25 years old at the time, the fact that he dealt him in the first place, Luka was so tied to that community. It was a blow that not only went beyond the basketball court, but to the entire city and state of Texas, because they felt that even though he's not even from America, they felt he was one of theirs.
And the repercussions for the franchise have been enormous. Ticket sales, sponsors pulling out, and you mentioned the Fire Nico chants. These have followed them not just for every home game they've played since that trade, but on the road. These guys have had to hear it on the road. And the morale in the locker room has been getting very bad, because they feel as if their home court is not even their home court anymore.
MICHAELSON: Well, and there's been a lot of bad luck that's followed them as well. Kyrie Irving getting injured. Anthony Davis, who was traded for him, getting injured. Although both those guys, very injury-prone before this whole thing started.
NICHOLS: Right.
MICHAELSON: Not exactly huge surprises there.
NICHOLS: Yes.
MICHAELSON: And you think about his philosophy was that Luka was fat, Luka then gets thin.
NICHOLS: Yes.
MICHAELSON: His philosophy was AD would be able to play defense, AD's not even on the court. Now AD's getting fat. NICHOLS: Yes.
MICHAELSON: It's like everything that he thought kind of went the opposite.
NICHOLS: Yes, well, number one, we got to look at what they're serving at the team facility in Dallas.
MICHAELSON: Yes. What's going on there?
NICHOLS: Because people just keep gaining weight when they walk in there.
MICHAELSON: I mean, maybe it's really good food. They do have good barbecue in Dallas.
NICHOLS: They absolutely do.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
NICHOLS: But -- but look, you don't know what's going to happen. We can't predict the future, right? So no general manager, they can absolutely guarantee 100 percent of their draft picks are going to go. They can't guarantee that every guy they're traded for is going to be a huge hit. But your job, if you're in the front office of any sport, is to use your judgment. That's why you're in that seat.
And the judgment of, I'm going to trade a 25-year-old who is definitely a perennial MVP candidate and could be the best player of his generation, who is sometimes occasionally injured for a guy who is six years older, who is always injured.
MICHAELSON: Always injured.
NICHOLS: That is not --
MICHAELSON: Literally his nickname is street clothes by Charles Barkley.
NICHOLS: Not good judgment. And they already had a guy on their team in Kyrie Irving who when he plays is electric.
MICHAELSON: Right.
NICHOLS: But he is also older. He's a year older than Anthony Davis and he is often always injured. So it is just one of those things where the judgment in this was so far off in every facet of it. I am not at all surprised it's worked out this way. And as soon as Kyrie Irving got hurt, I actually was telling my colleagues over at Sports Illustrated where I do a podcast, they should have traded AD then. And they're going to now try to trade him now. But he's old.
MICHAELSON: The Mavericks are now thinking about trading AD because their season is essentially over.
NICHOLS: So the problem is Anthony Davis alone without Kyrie Irving there isn't going to raise their ceiling very high. They just don't have the pieces around him. Cooper Flagg is still learning. He's the number one overall draft pick that Dallas lucked into. And they -- they don't have a high ceiling. And this year is the only year they have their own draft pick until 2031.
MICHAELSON: Well, and then you also look at the success of Austin Reeves for the Lakers this year. And you would think that they would have been able to get Austin Reeves in Dallas in that trade for Luka Doncic. The Lakers were able to hold on to him. And now he looks like an all-star himself.
NICHOLS: Austin Reeves is the reason that LeBron's Lakers career is probably going to end at the end of this year. He's been playing so well that the Lakers feel they can just move forward with him paired with Luka.
MICHAELSON: And so then what about Nico, just on a human level? Like where does this guy go? Like who -- who's going to hire him in the front office? Who would hire him as an analyst? Like where does he go?
NICHOLS: I think Nico's going to have to take some time. Fortunately, they pay well in the NBA. But I always do feel bad when we talk about this. These are real human beings. And I say nobody should be judged on their worst day. The problem with Nico was his worst day was that trade. And then every day after that, he has been making decisions that are not in the best interests of the Dallas Mavericks. So what's in Nico's best interest is justifying this bad trade.
[01:25:00]
So he doubled down on bad decision after bad decision after bad decision when the Dallas Mavericks' interests were do this, do this, do this, and admit that the trade wasn't a good one.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
NICHOLS: And really that's at the bottom of this firing is that they can now say, OK, we're changing -- we're cleaning house, we're going to use our draft pick this year to build around Cooper Flagg, and frankly, we'll see what they can get out there for Anthony Davis. Elex, he has played 14 of the possible 44 Dallas Mavericks games since he has been traded.
MICHAELSON: And you think about it, Nico's had one good moment since then, and that was a lottery ball that happened to go in his way.
NICHOLS: Yes.
MICHAELSON: He had nothing to do with that --
NICHOLS: No, no, not at all.
MICHAELSON: -- getting Cooper Flagg, which for a moment, we thought maybe would he look smart after all this, but unfortunately not for him. Meanwhile, you think the Lakers are real contenders? NICHOLS: Absolutely. I think that they are in that top echelon in the West. The Western Conference of the NBA is so good that I think really, you know, where the bracket falls will depend on how far different teams get, who they end up facing in early rounds.
The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder certainly do still look like a class within themselves, but the Lakers are dangerous. You know why? Because they have Luka Doncic.
MICHAELSON: Yes. But you say not LeBron James for long based off of what you just said. You think this is his last season with the Lakers?
NICHOLS: LeBron James is playing on an expiring contract. We saw this summer with the social media post how unhappy he was about that. And look, he's right. He's made All-NBA for so many years in a row, 21 years in a row. He's playing at an All-NBA level going into the summer. Why wouldn't you continue with him? Well, the reason is he'll be turning 42 next season. And once Luka Doncic arrived in L.A., the Lakers knew, oh, it's time to build around the younger guy. And as you said, Austin Reeves has been spectacular.
He's on Luka's timeline. LeBron isn't. You can only pay so many people. And so this trade that Nico Harrison decided to pick up the phone and make has affected not only the Dallas Mavericks and their fans, not only the Lakers and their fans, but possibly the best player in the history of the league. His career trajectory changed because Nico Harrison picked up the phone.
MICHAELSON: Wow. And -- and it ends for Nico Harrison today. Rachel Nichols, great to see you.
NICHOLS: Yes, absolutely.
MICHAELSON: So fun to talk sports with you. Favorite part of the whole day.
NICHOLS: I love it.
MICHAELSON: Coming up, a campus demonstration erupts into anger at protesters at U.C. Berkeley disrupt an event hosted by the late Charlie Kirk's activist group. Now the justice department is investigating. I speak with the assistant attorney general who is leading that investigation. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:32:18]
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to THE STORY IS. I'm Elex Michaelson. Let's take a look at today's top stories.
U.S. Airlines are expected to cut up to 10 percent of flights from 40 of the nation's busiest airports by Friday if the government shutdown doesn't end by then. It probably will.
The FAA ordered the move due to staffing shortages. It's caused thousands of flights to be delayed or canceled in outright in the last few days, and is expected to get even worse.
But Capitol Hill may soon be home to another Kennedy. Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, has announced his bid for the U.S. House. Schlossberg is running to replace retiring Democrat Jerry Nadler. In a video announcing his campaign, Schlossberg says the country is at a turning point.
Protesters clashed with security guards at the U.N. climate change conference in Brazil's Amazon region. Dozens of indigenous protesters forced their way into the COP30 climate summit venue on Tuesday.
They were demanding climate action amid forest protection. Protesters had been part of a group of hundreds who marched to that venue.
The U.S. Justice Department is launching an investigation at the University of California in Berkeley after a protest over a Turning Point USA event on campus turned ugly. That is the group founded by the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
DOJ officials say nearly half of the people who had tickets to the event were unable to attend because of angry demonstrations gathered outside the venue. The school says the protest was mostly peaceful, with just a few issues.
I spoke earlier here on THE STORY IS with Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general leading the investigation, and asked what she sees as the main issues.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARMEET DHILLON, ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR CIVIL RIGHTS: The Berkeley police literally had on their Web site in 2017. If you're having a protest, here's how you apply for a permit. And if you'd like symbolic arrests, here's how you check the box and apply for symbolic arrests.
It is kind of a sport and a joke in Berkeley, but it isn't funny for the American citizens who came and wanted to see this event, and half of them are turned away because of the violence or other misconduct there on the campus.
And sorry, they're funded by the taxpayers. The First Amendment applies at U.C. Berkeley. You know, even the dean has acknowledged that over the years. And so now we're going to see what the facts find.
And I want to say one more thing, which is everyone online is like, where are the arrests? What's happening? We have to investigate.
[01:34:45]
DHILLON: So we've issued document holds. We will be sending requests for evidence and information. The FBI is also going to be investigating the Antifa side of this.
And only after we gather the evidence will we then have civil or criminal action here in this case.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Ireland has inaugurated its new president. Catherine Connolly was sworn in Tuesday as the country's 10th president in a ceremony at Dublin Castle. She succeeds Michael D. Higgins, who held that post for 14 years.
Higgins was greeted by a crowd of well-wishers as he left the presidential residence for the last time on Monday.
Do you ever feel like you're working too many hours and simply burning out? Or maybe you just started a job in the last few weeks and you've sort of lost any balance in your life?
Ok, maybe that's just me, but Minaa B. is a licensed social worker, mental health educator, and author of this book, Owning Our Struggles.
She's also the host of "The Mindful With Minaa" podcast, and she joins us now from New York. Minaa, congratulations on the book and the podcast. Both are great.
JESSMINA "MINAA B." ARCHBOLD, LICENSED SOCIAL WORKER, PODCAST HOST, AUTHOR: Thank you. Thank you so much.
MICHAELSON: And I love how you keep it real. It's not just about the clicks or all the rest of it. It's like telling people how it is.
So this concept of feeling burnt out, which I know is not just something that I'm feeling, a lot of people are feeling.
When that happens, what actually happens to your body? What's happening to you physically?
ARCHBOLD: So a few things are happening. I always tell people that your body is often the first responder. so you might notice that your experiencing increased headaches or migraines.
You might notice that you're experiencing a lot of tension. I always tell people right here in your shoulders, do you carry a lot of tension there? Because that might mean that you're experiencing prolonged stress that's being stored in the body.
There are also people who experience gut imbalances. And since when we're experiencing stress, our cortisol levels are raising, it can also impact the immune system. And so you might find that you're actually feeling sick very often.
And those are some signs that you might be experiencing burnout, especially if you realize you've been going to the doctor. You're getting all your blood work, and there's nothing that you can really pinpoint it to. It might be a sign that you're experiencing chronic emotional exhaustion.
MICHAELSON: And so this burnout is not only a you problem, it can become an everybody else in your life problem as well, right? ARCHBOLD: Absolutely. Because when we're experiencing burnout, what's
happening is were experiencing that emotional exhaustion. And that exhaustion then leads to a reduction in productivity. Productivity, or even personal effectiveness.
So this can manifest as us feeling really drained and really tired, not wanting to engage with people, not wanting to socialize with people. We might find ourselves canceling plans often.
We also might find a shift in our attitude. We might become a bit more irritable. We might find ourselves feeling really annoyed more often than usual.
Another chronic symptom of burnout is cynicism. So you might have a really negative attitude toward everyone in your life, or even about your own life and the circumstances that you're experiencing.
But then also that reduction in performance. And so that can also look like a reduction at work, but also think about in the home, you may struggle to clean your home, you may struggle to be there for others. You don't want to do laundry anymore.
There's a lot of things that's impacting your ability to show up, not just for yourself, but for other people.
MICHAELSON: I feel like I'm getting a free therapy session because I think I just checked too many of those boxes you were just talking about.
So I know I'm not the only one. So what are practical steps for me and everybody else who has been experiencing this in their life to actually deal with this?
ARCHBOLD: So here's a few things I recommend. First, it's essential to have boundaries. Boundaries are the rules and guidelines that you place on yourself where rules and requests are the guidelines that you impose on other people.
And I'm sharing that because I think it's very important for us to understand the difference between a boundary and a request.
A boundary is all about what you are going to do. And so that might mean if you realize that this whole entire week you have plans back- to-back-to-back, a boundary might look like saying, you know what, I don't think I'm going to be able to make it this weekend.
Or being able to say that meeting, is there any way that I can put it to next week or even two weeks out because my calendar is really full.
Having boundaries is very essential so that you can recognize what your limits are and start putting those limits in place.
Another core thing that I say is learn to delegate. If you can hire help, do it, but also a core reason why I find a lot of people, especially clients, can be burnt out is because we struggle to ask for help. [01:39:48]
ARCHBOLD: It's really important to lean into interdependence, which means learning to engage in mutual aid and interconnectedness where we say, I don't have to do this alone.
Are there people in my life who can help me right now because I'm experiencing a reduction in productivity? Are there people in my orbit that I know can support me with a task? Maybe it's work related.
Maybe they can come over and support me with doing laundry, cooking dinner, doing things in my home, or even just my social circle to help improve my personal effectiveness.
So having boundaries, but also delegating and asking for help are two core things that I highly recommend people do to mitigate burnout.
MICHAELSON: Well, Minaa, I know I'm not the only one who could really use that advice and really feel seen listening to you.
So thank you very much for your great advice. You again, can check out her work in her book, "Owning Our Struggles" or in her podcast as well.
Minaa B., thanks so much for joining us here on THE STORY IS for the first time.
ARCHBOLD: Thank you.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, there. I'm Lilypad. Let's play.
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MICHAELSON: Get ready. Toy Story 5 is coming to the big screen next summer. But this original Toy Story hit theaters 30 years ago.
We explored what happens when humans leave and toys are left to their own devices. And speaking of devices, the new film is set to tackle the rise of technology as the toys once again fight for relevance. And yes, the old cast is back.
You're watching THE STORY IS with Elex Michaelson. For our international viewers, WORLDSPORT is next. For our viewers here in North America, I'll be right back to pay tribute to our veterans.
[01:41:44]
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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Today, to every veteran, we love our veterans. We say the words too often left unsaid. Thank you for your service. Thank you very much. Generation after generation, America's warriors have left behind the
comforts of home and family to face violence, evil and death so that our families could know joy, goodness, and peace. We honor them so strongly.
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MICHAELSON: President Donald Trump there speaking at a ceremony marking the celebration of Veterans Day in the U.S. He also laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington Cemetery.
During his speech, the president praised congressional Republicans for what he called their very big victory over Democrats in ending the government shutdown.
He also reiterated his call for Veterans Day to be renamed Victory Day, a proposal that has drawn criticism that it will honor the conflicts instead of the veterans who actually fought in them.
There are many ways that U.S. veterans continue in public service, even when they leave the military.
Cierra Williams from our CNN affiliate, WMAR, brings us the story of a veteran who is using his decades of experience in the classroom.
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CIERRA WILLIAMS, REPORTER, WMAR: At Hereford High School, the sounds of learning fills the halls. And inside one social studies classroom, history isn't just taught --
MARCUS ROBINSON, U.S. ARMY VETERAN AND TEACHER: Let's get those essays started.
WILLIAMS: It's lived.
ROBINSON: By George. Thank you.
WILLIAMS: Meet Marcus Robinson, a U.S. Army veteran who spent 20 years in service before finding a new mission -- teaching.
ROBINSON: I wanted to be a teacher since I was a kid, like it is -- it has always been my passion. And, you know, I took a short detour for 20 years in the military.
But this is -- this is where I -- where I've always wanted to be.
WILLIAMS: Robinson served as a Patriot missile specialist defending skies and training soldiers.
Now he uses those same lessons like discipline, preparation and purpose to guide his students.
ROBINSON: A classroom doesn't -- there's really no place for, like, a military structure in a classroom. However, like the discipline and preparation, all of that is like really important. Because the students, they deserve to have the best, most well-prepared instruction that they can possibly get.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
ROBINSON: Your dad's a veteran? Why did you never tell me this?
WILLIAMS: He says his military background helps him meet students where they are, even using real life experiences to help teach subjects.
ROBINSON: I teach U.S. history, so it is definitely something that comes up. A lot of the countries that we talk about, I've been to, I've served in. I've got experience with lots of different cultures.
And so they absolutely know.
WILLIAMS: Robinson says teaching is just another form of service.
ROBINSON: That call to service like that, that never leaves you. It's the reason that that I'm a teacher, and it's the reason that why a lot of veterans do what they do even after getting out of the military.
And so, like, I think that's the one big takeaway that I think everybody should understand that like veterans that live within the community, they still want to serve their community. That never leaves you even when you take the uniform off.
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MICHAELSON: Robinson says he knew he wanted to serve in the military after September 11th. He signed up as soon as he turned 17.
Mr. Robinson, thank you for your service.
As we go to break, a live look at the Empire State Building in New York, all lit up in red, white and blue to celebrate our nation's veterans.
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MICHAELSON: In China, citizens can now get married at nightclubs, shopping malls, even subway stations. It's part of the governments push to encourage young people to tie the knot following years of declining marriage rates.
CNN's Mike Valerio takes us there.
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MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: China has changed its marriage rules to combat the country's ongoing demographic crisis. Since May, mainland couples can register for marriages outside of their hometowns, a move officials hope will increase marriage rates and in turn, birth rates. Marriage registration offices have popped up all over the major cities
and tourist destinations like Chengdu's picturesque Xiling Snow Mountain.
At Shanghai's UNS Land nightlife complex, officials have set up a marriage office so couples can get their certificates while enjoying the club's activities.
At a Confucius Temple in southwestern China, couples can have a Ming Dynasty-themed ceremony.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think this policy really makes everything simpler, convenient and streamlines all the future procedures.
VALERIO: The new rules seem to be working. Second quarter marriages in 2025 are up 18 percent from a year ago. That's a stark change from the country's declining marriage numbers in the last few years.
[01:54:47]
VALERIO: But some experts say changing the marriage paperwork rules may not be enough to reverse larger trends.
WANG KAI, NEWLY MARRIED FROM A DIFFERENT DISTRICT: People's decision about marriage and about childbearing encompass expensive calculations and intimate desires about what kind of life they want. How they see themselves in relation with the family, with other social forces.
VALERIO: This couple is from an eastern province, but they both work hundreds of miles away in Beijing. So the new rules helped their wedding plans.
WANG JIEYI, NEWLY MARRIED: This government service has made things very, very convenient. And as for us working in Beijing, it greatly helps our life here
ZHAN YONGQIANG, NEWLY MARRIED: There is no need to go back and forth between the two places. We can register and get everything else done here at the local office in Beijing.
VALERIO: One thing has not changed with marriage -- the need for some good wedding photos.
Mike Valerio, CNN -- Beijing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Thanks to Mike.
There were no big winners in the latest mega millions lottery drawing. So now the jackpot is approaching $1 billion. Three tickets won the game's second tier prize. One ticket worth $5 million. Two tickets will pay $3 million each.
The estimated prize for Friday's drawing, $965 million. That's the eighth largest since the game began in 2002. Odds of winning the whole enchilada, one in about 290 million.
Thanks so much for joining us. Tomorrow, Jewel is with us here on THE STORY IS talking about her fight for mental health.
Thanks so much for being with us for this broadcast. I'll see you tomorrow.
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