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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson
Trump: "Making Progress" In Talks, Witkoff To Visit Moscow; Erika Kirk: Support For Vance In 2028 Is "In The Works"; Viral VW Bus Gets Makeover After Surviving Palisades Fire; Netflix: "Teen Wolf" Will Return To Streaming Monday; "Dancing With The Stars" Crowns New Champion; Thousands To Gather In L.A. for "Festival Of Gratitude"; Pope Urges Gratitude Ahead Of Thanksgiving Holiday. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired November 26, 2025 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[01:00:00]
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: Cincinnati Bengals quarterback confirming he'll start Thanksgiving night against the Baltimore Ravens.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BURROW, CINCINNATI BENGALS QUARTERBACK: I'm not going to ever go to somebody and say, yes, I'm healthy, but I don't think -- I don't think I should go out there and play. That doesn't make a lot of sense to me. I'm not going to live my life and play this game scared of something happening at all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Got a new headband, for his time away. Burrow was injured in the season opener against Jacksonville. It's surgery on his toe. Since then, the Bengals are one and eight with Jake Browning and Joe Flacco at quarterback.
Congrats, by the way, to Robert Irwin and Witney Carson, who just won "Dancing with the Stars." That's it for this hour of The Story Is. The next hour starts right now.
The Story Is, a deal on the table for Ukraine, the U.S. pushing for negotiations with both Russia and Ukraine. We speak live with Ukrainian Member of Parliament Kira Rudik.
The Story Is, the FBI interviewing the lawmakers that called for service members to disobey illegal orders from President Trump. With us, CNN's Scott Jennings.
Story Is, nearly a year since the Palisades fire, Nick Watt shows us how this bus represents hope for so many.
And The Story Is, what to watch. Entertainment critic, Gray Drake, with us live to talk about the best holiday week.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Los Angeles, The Story Is with Elex Michaelson. MICHAELSON: And welcome to The Story Is. I'm Elex Michelson, live in Los Angeles. The President of the United States says that he believes that negotiations are, "making progress on a peace plan to end the war in Ukraine."
President Trump is sending his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week. The President had said he wanted an agreement by Thursday. By not anymore, here's the president late tonight aboard Air Force One.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't have a deadline, I just, you know, the deadline for me is when it's over. And I think everybody's tired of fighting at this moment. They're losing -- they're losing too many people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: President Trump's original 28-point plan is now being whittled down to 19, with some of the provisions deemed unacceptable by Kyiv now been reportedly removed. The President posting on social media, quote, there are only a few remaining points of disagreement. However, the Russian foreign minister has indicated that Moscow could reject an amended peace plan if its terms are, quote, fundamentally different.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's national security chief says President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's may head to the White House for the end of the month to speak with President Trump directly.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: That framework is on the table and we are ready to move forward together with the United States of America with personal engagement of President Trump.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Kira Rudik is a Ukrainian member of parliament. She is the leader of Ukraine's Golos party. And she joins me live from Kyiv, where it is 8:02 in the morning on Wednesday. Kira, welcome to The Story Is.
KIRA RUDIK, UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER: Hello, Elex, and thank you so much for having me.
MICHAELSON: Good to see you again. What is your reaction to the current plan that's on the table?
RUDIK: Well, we cannot -- cannot -- not be hopeful, right? We should allow our country all the path that can lead to peace. There is no other country that wants peace more than Ukraine does. However, I have one simple question. If President Trump was not able to get Putin to a ceasefire prior to this point, how does he think he will pressure him into agreeing into this peace plan? And if he does not, then what's going to happen next?
Ukrainian people has gotten hope, but right now it seems that Russia is just dragging time in these negotiations, trying to evade sanctions and is not intended to end the war.
MICHAELSON: So, by the way, your cat seems especially fired up by this, which -- which everybody can relate to. It's very cute. But -- but on this serious issue here, you know, President Trump has said that you all don't have the cards, that you don't have leverage.
And so you've got to kind of do what he wants and what Russia wants. What do you say to that? What is the leverage that Ukraine has in this negotiation?
RUDIK: So in the beginning of full-scale invasion, we are told that we don't have the cards and we will last for two or three days. Right now, we are three and a half years in and we keep fighting.
[01:04:55]
Our leverage is Ukrainian people who are fighting and continue doing so. And our leverage is our European partners who are standing with us and would not allow a deal that would not Ukrainian, but also would not be good for European continents. It is critical that European security is taken seriously by the United States and its president.
MICHAELSON: Is there a red line for you and for Ukraine? Is there a non-negotiable in this negotiation?
RUDIK: Of course they are. And President Zelenskyy was very clear about it. It's giving up Ukrainian people and giving up Ukrainian territories. And this is why right now it remains unsolved, unresolved points of this plan that should be discussed between the presidents. However, we will not accept that Russia has taken over our territories.
And this is something that not only President Zelenskyy should be deciding, but Ukrainian people. So we should realize that there are limitations of what he can discuss because for any massive changes like territorial gains or losses, we will still have to have a referendum in Ukraine according to our constitution.
MICHAELSON: Do you feel like we're close? Do you feel like after all this time, we're almost there?
RUDIK: I do not allow myself to think that. Because if we are not close, then we have a long fight in front of us and we have to be ready for a long fighting, exhausting winter with nightly attacks by Russia, when we will have support each -- to support each other. We are doing everything possible and impossible to bring peace, but we should be ready that this will not be over soon. You know, like my mom says, only bad things happen quickly. For the good things, you have to work and sacrifice.
MICHAELSON: Kira Rudik, thank you so much for sharing your views. And by the way, on a lighter note again, what's the name of your cat? RUDIK: I have a couple of them. It's Socks, it's Mindy and it's Draco.
MICHAELSON: OK. One of them got a starring role in this segment, which we -- which we appreciate. Nice to have a smile. I know it's been a very tough few years, so it's nice to have something to smile about. Kira, thank you so much. Appreciate it.
RUDIK: Thank you.
MICHAELSON: The Trump administration is turning up the heat on six Democrats over their videos, urging service members to refuse unlawful orders. The FBI is looking to interview the lawmakers whom President Trump has called traitors.
Those Democrats did not reference what orders that they're suggesting might be illegal, but they and others have raised concerns about U.S. military strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean and the deployment of troops to U.S. cities. Here's the director of the FBI, Kash Patel.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KASH PATEL, FBI DIRECTOR: What goes through my head is the same thing that goes through my head in any case. Is there a lawful predicate to open up an inquiry and investigation, or is there not? And that decision will be made by the career agents and analysts here at the FBI.
CATHERINE HERRIDGE, CBS SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Is the FBI getting involved?
PATEL: Based on the fact that it's an ongoing matter, there's not much I can say.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Kash Patel talking to Catherine Herridge there.
Meanwhile, the widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk is making it clear who she wants to be the next president. Turning Point USO -- USA CEO, Erika Kirk, says efforts are already underway to support J.D. Vance in 2028. Charlie Kirk was an early advocate for Vance to be Donald Trump's running mate last year, and the two remained close until Kirk's assassination in September. Here's what Erika Kirk told Megyn Kelly.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIKA KIRK, TURNING POINT USA CEO: Don't worry, it's already, you know, it's in the works. But that was a thing that my husband was very direct about. It was, interestingly enough, one of the last few conversations we had was how intentional he was about supporting J.D. for '28.
(END VIDEO CLIP) MICHAELSON: CNN senior political commentator Scott Jennings joins me now. He's also the author of "A Revolution of Common Sense: How Donald Trump Stormed Washington and Fought for Western Civilization," which no doubt is President Trump's favorite book by somebody on CNN right now. Scott Jennings, welcome to The Story Is for the first time.
SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Thank you and congrats on the show. By the way, you could have stopped at just favorite book. You didn't have to qualify it.
MICHAELSON: That's true. So, I mean, I just want to start with you've obviously become a massive star, especially online every day, sort of explaining for folks what's going on in the Republican Party.
And there -- there are millions and millions of Americans that literally don't understand President Trump and don't understand Trumpism. And yet there's 70 million Americans on the other side that voted for him. What do you think is that disconnect? What's the thing that Democrats don't get about President Trump that half the country does?
[01:10:01]
JENNINGS: Well, you know, for a lot of Americans, I think millions of Americans, and I think about people like my dad, who was a garbage man and a factory worker and a union Democrat for years in West Kentucky. They believe President Trump speaks for them about issues in a way that they would speak if anybody ever bothered to hand them a microphone. And he comes along.
He sort of breaks the political pablum that had taken hold of our politics. He's not willing to be hemmed in by old party ideologies or, you know, people who say things like, well, we've never done it that way before. He comes along and he does it his own way. And he does it in a voice that gives regular people, frankly, the idea that, hey, this guy gets me. I know it's strange because, you know, he comes from New York City and a lot of his strongest supporters are in Middle America. But that's the feeling that he gives them.
They elected him, frankly, to be a wrecking ball of the political elites and of the political establishment. And love it or hate it, you can't argue that he's been anything other than that for 10 years.
MICHAELSON: Yes, he's definitely been a wrecking ball, even more than Miley Cyrus ever was. So but -- but -- and sometimes there's damage that comes with that. Like this latest incident of this idea that the FBI is now seeking interviews with the Democratic lawmakers who said to the military, if there is an illegal order, don't follow it. Aren't folks in the military not supposed to follow illegal orders?
JENNINGS: So this is an issue where, obviously, you're going to have two groups of people that see this completely differently. I mean, when I saw that video, I was outraged for the President because it's obvious what the Democrats were trying to do. They were trying to create a narrative that the President had, in fact, given illegal orders. Nobody's yet named an illegal order. All the people in the video went on T.V. and got asked, what are the illegal orders? None of them can name an illegal order. Elissa Slotkin, who's supposed to be the moderate and the smart person in that group, said, well, you know, we have this movie, "A Few Good Men." I mean, it was so unserious.
But the point was clear. They're trying to program their political party, half the country, into believing that the President has given an illegal order, which has not happened. And so he's outraged. Every Republican that I know is outraged. The legalities of this, the investigatory part of this, I'm less sure about.
But I'll tell you this. It's not good to treat the military like pawns. These Democrats shut down the government 43 days and didn't pay them. And now they're out here using them in this illegal order video, which is obviously political. I think some people in our coalition are thinking they keep treating the military like pawns. It's very disrespectful to treat the military this way.
MICHAELSON: But do you think that -- that potentially recalling Senator Scott, Mark Kelly, and having some sort of penalty for him is appropriate to this?
JENNINGS: I don't know. I'm not an expert on the military code of justice. And, you know, I think there's a process for that at the Pentagon. And look, every Democrat, you know, their -- their highest calling in life right now is to be turned into a victim.
And they've certainly, you know, turned Mark Kelly into a victim. He's now the victim of the day for the Democratic Party. So will it ultimately, you know, come back to his political benefit? Maybe. And -- and I don't want to interfere with what the process might be over there. But at a minimum, this was highly irresponsible.
MICHAELSON: It seems early to be talking about 2028. Yet, the discussion has certainly already started. We've seen a lot of the discussion on the Democratic side, not as much discussion on the Republican side. But we have news just today that Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk's widow and the head of talk -- Turning Points USA, has now said that there's an effort to support J.D. Vance in 2028 that is in the works. What do you make of that? Is he the clear heir apparent? Or is there potentially a real race in the Republican side?
JENNINGS: Well, I'm not surprised that Erika said that because Charlie Kirk was a massive fan of J.D. Vance. He backed him in his Senate race. You know, J.D. Vance was the kind of politician that they love to get behind. And so that didn't surprise me at all. And look, J.D. Vance is a sitting vice president. Donald Trump likes him. Donald Trump's very popular among Republicans. The idea of him not being the nominee, you know, it'd be hard to take it away from him. And even Donald Trump himself has said some combination of Vance and Marco Rubio together would be an unstoppable ticket.
So it's highly, highly likely that if all those conditions remain the same, Vance would be the nominee of the Republican Party. I did talk to, interestingly, former Speaker Kevin McCarthy from California, where you are today. And he did raise one issue, which is having a coronation and not having a little bit of a primary might not work to J.D. Vance's benefit because, you know, going through that process, you know, exercising those muscles in a campaign can often make a candidate stronger.
But that having been said, if J.D. Vance is in good stead with the president and the president's in good stead with Republicans, and I have no reason to believe either condition will change, it's highly likely that he, especially if teamed up with Rubio, would be the nominee for the party.
MICHAELSON: Yes, the Democrats learned a thing or two about coronations and the problems with that last time around. Scott Jennings, you're going to be coming here to L.A. on our show, on our set next week. We'll get to do a deep dive into your book and all things Scott Jennings. We really look forward to that. But in the meantime, thanks for joining us for the first time here tonight.
[01:15:06]
JENNINGS: Yes, thanks. Proud to be your colleague. Congrats on the show. And I look forward to being on the West Coast.
MICHAELSON: See you next week.
Speaking of live on our show, Congressman Eric Swalwell was here live on our show, on our set last night. Tonight, he is accusing a Trump administration housing official of abusing his position to make claims of fraud. Swalwell's civil lawsuit alleges that Bill Pulte scoured federal debt bases for the private mortgage records of prominent Democrats.
Pulte has referred a number of Democrats to the Justice Department for prosecution, including Swalwell, Senator Adam Schiff of California, and New York Attorney General Letitia James. CNN has reached out to Pulte for comment. So far, we've not heard back.
The social media platform, X, is introducing a new feature that allows users to see where other accounts are located. The update aims to bring more transparency to sources of online information, and it's already exposing pockets of foreign influence in U.S. politics. Several pro-MAGA accounts with large followings appear to be based outside of the U.S. This MAGA Nation profile, for example, with nearly 400,000 followers, shows a location in Eastern Europe.
Experts say they aren't surprised by the attempts to influence the American public, but many are concerned that X's payouts for increased user engagement will financially incentivize more foreign actors to get involved. It's really interesting if you look at these accounts, many of whom are not from America, who constantly talk about the concept of, quote, America first.
Meanwhile, protesters around the world are marking the International Day to End Violence Against Women. We'll have a report on a demonstration that's happening in Mexico City. Plus, an incredible update on one of the sole structures to survive the devastating L.A. wildfires earlier this year. Nick Watt takes us to the L.A. auto show. Stay with us.
But first, we take you live to Hawaii. Check this out. Lava flowing right now from the Kilauea volcano located in National Park on Hawaii's Big Island. Right now, it is actually 7:08 --7:16 there. That time is wrong in Hawaii. This is one of the world's most active volcanoes, and it's amazing to watch it flow.
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MICHAELSON: Law against femicide. In Italy's parliament approved a law against femicide, which is the killing of a woman or girl that is punished by life in prison. The legislation also includes stronger measures against other gender-based crimes like stalking and revenge porn. This coincides with the U.N.-designated International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, which is now in its 25th year.
In Spain, thousands of protesters marched throughout Madrid on Tuesday to mark the occasion. There were also demonstrations in Mexico City. And CNN's Valeria Leon was there.
VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: With demonstrations across Mexico, the country marks the International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women in a country that still faces one of the highest rates of gender-based violence in the region. Official data shows that, on average, 10 women are killed in Mexico every day.
And activists say that very few cases are investigated and even fewer lead to convictions or remain unsolved. Here at the National Palace in Mexico City, this group of women representing the National Network of Shelters for Abused Women are showing this map of Mexico, representing 70 security houses for abused women where they can be safe.
And this morning, Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum talked about violence against women and the problem in the country. This is part of what the president said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM PARDO, MEXICAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Harassment and abuse against women must be punished. It is a crime and we have to classify it as such. There must also be an educational process for everyone, men and women. In this way, any act of violence against women will not be seen as customary or something that has always existed, but rather will be questioned and behaviors will change.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEON: Authorities have presented new reforms and tougher penalties for abusers. This morning at the National Palace in Mexico City, they also launched a new awareness campaign nationwide and tougher penalties to tackle this problem. But many families have to lead their own investigations dealing with a system that often fails them. So for many women, November 25th is not just a day of protest, but a reminder that safety and justice remain urgent in the country.
Valeria Leon, CNN, Mexico City.
MICHAELSON: Thank you to Valeria. And President Nicolas Maduro is reaffirming his vow to defend Venezuela against any imperialist threat. He led a civic march through Caracas on Tuesday and echoed the words of the country's 19th century liberator saying, quote, if the homeland calls, it shall have our lives if necessary.
That show of defiance comes as the U.S. amasses thousands of troops and more than a dozen warships in the Caribbean. In an exclusive interview with CNN's Isa Suarez, the president of Colombia said he knows why President Trump is pressuring Venezuela and he believes that drug trafficking has almost nothing to do with it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GUSTAVO PETRO, COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): A negotiation about oil, I believe that is Trump's logic. He is not thinking about the democratization of Venezuela, let alone the narco trafficking.
[01:25:10]
They are going to get the oil almost for free because that's what the anecdotal evidence suggests. Trump is not negotiating with Maduro when it comes to drugs because Trump is not a fool.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: You can watch the full exclusive interview next hour on CNN Newsroom. If you're watching us on CNN International, as well as an extended edition on YouTube as well.
Let's take a live picture right now. This is from San Francisco where it's 10:25 p.m. San Francisco International Airport. The busiest travel day of the Thanksgiving holiday is technically behind us for the East Coast, not technically behind us for the West Coast. This is a live picture from the East Coast. We're looking now in Atlanta, Hartsfield, which is the busiest airport in the country.
So there are 50,000 flights forecast for Wednesday across the United States alone ahead of Thanksgiving. There are some expected delays though, mostly on the East Coast and the Great Lakes area because of the weather. You're looking at a picture of the forecast right now.
Some of those flight delays are due to a cold front, which is moving east. It's bringing a blast of Arctic air to the Eastern and Southern U.S. with temperatures as low as 20 below degree, 20 degrees below average in some places. It is also causing thunderstorms and snow storms with millions of people under winter storm and blizzard warnings. As we approach the one year anniversary of the Palisades fire here in Southern California, there's a sign of hope at the L.A. Auto Show. CNN's Nick Watt is there with a look. And Nick, it's literally behind you.
NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is. This is a 1977 VW micro bus. It is 48 years old, nearly as old as me. And it looks a whole lot better. This thing looks like a newborn. So why is it here? What's the symbolism? Let me explain.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WATT (voice-over): So many people saw hope in this picture. The little blue miracle, a 1977 VW micro bus among the grays and blacks of destruction and despair.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This went through the fire. You see the burnt headlight.
WATT (voice-over): Out front was on the case. This was back in January. Found the bus and --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So we wanted to know who owned it to get the story here. And we found them.
MEGAN WEINRAUB, MALIBU SURFER: Wow, it is magic.
WATT (voice-over): Current owner, Megan Weinraub, Malibu surfer.
WEINRAUB: I'm speechless to see all the houses burn. And I can't believe that Azul, the bus, that's what we named it, survived. I think it's -- I'm just in shock.
WATT (voice-over): Now more shock, good shock. The magic bus has had a makeover. Now reunited with her owner.
WEINRAUB: She's beautiful.
WATT (voice-over): How did this happen? Well, Volkswagen folks also saw that viral pic of the little singed survivor. And they asked if they could help. Picked Azul up. And got to work.
GUNNAR WYNARSKI, VEHICLE TECHNICIAN, VOLKSWAGEN: We found the car with the busted rear windows. We had ashes inside. We had embers inside and nothing combusted. And we drained 11 gallons of fuel out of the car. Why didn't it burn? I don't know.
WATT (voice-over): They worked on Azul for 2,000 hours to bring a bus back to life. Every part was restored. That eye-catching blue paint had to be custom mixed.
But what about the Palisades? Then, now. Nearly 7,000 structures destroyed. So far, only one home has been completely rebuilt. A certificate of occupancy was issued just last week.
Azul is now back. Charm intact and even better than before. Can we hope for the same for the Palisades?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Let's hope so. Even that certificate of occupancy was for a home that was already, had plans to rebuild before the fire. And there's a lot of folks there that are frustrated by it. Yet, Nick, I wonder what it's like in terms of the reaction to the bus there at the auto show.
WATT: You know, Elex, people are still amazed that Azul survived. Wow. One guy is like, it must have been an act of God. And one person said to me, you know, Azul was this symbol of survival after the fire. Now Azul is a symbol that -- a sign that you can rebuild, you can restore, you can come back. And one little nugget that I just heard. So they restored pretty much this entire thing. There was one engine part that they just couldn't find.
Eventually they found it at a warehouse in France. It had been sitting on the shelf for 40 years. And now it's inside Azul. The other thing that struck me was the detail that people had. I heard one guy talking to his wife and he was like, oh yes, that's -- that's the light that was all melted. And he's right. Like people really remember this symbol from back in January and they are happy to see it now.
[01:30:02]
Honestly, it looks amazing in the video up front. I cannot explain to you how perfect this refurbishment is. Mind blowing, Elex.
MICHAELSON: And it's wild to see all the newest, latest and greatest cars around you. And yet, that's probably the one that's getting the most attention.
Nick Watt reporting from the L.A. Auto Show. Nick, thanks so much.
WATT: Cheers (ph).
MICHAELSON: Coming up, a supernatural teen favorite is coming back to Netflix. We'll discuss that. And the biggest hits this week in our TV roundup. What should you watch as you're getting ready for the holidays? Grae Drake with us live.
[01:30:39]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MICHAELSON: Welcome back to THE STORY IS. I'm Elex Michaelson.
Let's take a look at some top stories.
President Trump says he is sending his special envoy to Moscow for talks on the Ukraine peace plan. Steve Witkoff is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, while Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll is expected to meet with the Ukrainians.
President Trump says there are only a quote, "few remaining points" of disagreement between Ukraine and Russia on the deal.
Israel has received remains said to be that of a deceased hostage held in Gaza. The remains were identified as those of Dror Or. This means the remains of only two deceased hostages taken on October 7th are still in Gaza.
Brazil's supreme court has ordered former president Jair Bolsonaro, I should say, to begin serving his 27-year prison sentence. Bolsonaro was convicted of plotting a coup in 2022 to overthrow his successor.
Bolsonaro's attorney says he will pursue an appeal despite the supreme court's ruling that their decision is final.
Let's talk entertainment now. "Teen Wolf" fans have something to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. The teen drama series is returning to Netflix in the U.S. On Monday.
The show follows Scott McCall, a teen who gets bitten by a werewolf and must balance every day high school issues with supernatural challenges. "Teen Wolf" ran on MTV for six seasons, but it has not been streaming on Netflix for quite some time.
To break down some shows to potentially watch on this holiday week, let's bring in our film critic Grae Drake talking streaming this week.
Grae, great to see you.
There you go.
GRAE DRAKE, FILM CRITIC: "Teen Wolf" is on Netflix.
MICHAELSON: You're into it.
So we were thinking a lot of people are off this week.
DRAKE: Yes.
MICHAELSON: They're going to be spending time at home. They may be trying to avoid talking to their family and looking for something to watch, right. They have time to binge something on those days off.
DRAKE: Yes.
MICHAELSON: We want to give people some suggestions. And you're starting with "Pluribus".
DRAKE: Oh my God. This --
MICHAELSON: It's a new show.
DRAKE: This pilot is a banger. Yes, that's a technical term in the entertainment world. So Vince Gilligan is back, right? He has got -- he's back in Albuquerque.
MICHAELSON: This is the guy from "Breaking Bad" --
DRAKE: Absolutely.
MICHAELSON: -- the guy behind "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul".
DRAKE: Yes. And he has pulled Rhea Seehorn into this show. Now imagine that you were just hanging out with your publicist, and all of a sudden everyone around you stops moving, stops responding to you, stops being what appears to be a human being, right?
That's her experience in this pilot. And she learns that something is going on, on the entire planet. And she's one of 11 people that are immune to whatever is happening.
MICHAELSON: It's -- it is -- it's crazy. I've watched it, too. It's really, really good. The whole seasons not out, but there's a few episodes --
DRAKE: Yes.
MICHAELSON: -- that are out. And when I last checked, I think the score was 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
DRAKE: Right? This is such a great concept and it's all about sticking the landing. If there's anybody who could do it, I have faith in Vince Gilligan and this cast.
MICHAELSON: Right.
DRAKE: So fingers crossed.
MICHAELSON: Because his finales for both "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul" were some of the best finales in TV history.
DRAKE: Solid.
MICHAELSON: "All Her Fault". This is on Peacock with somebody a lot of people remember from "Succession".
DRAKE: Yes, and that is Sarah Snook. And so another incredible concept where a mom is -- she just goes to pick up her son from a play date. Her son is not there. It is not the house of the person that she thought her son was playing with.
And she has to sit down and figure out like, where is the mom? Where's the kid? Where is her son?
And so you've got Jake Lacy in this. You've got another fantastic cast. And it just ends up being a gigantic whodunit. Where is her child?
And, I mean, I was hooked from the second this, this TV show started.
MICHAELSON: And it's on Peacock for people that want to check it out.
Meanwhile, "All's Fair", which is on Hulu with Kim Kardashian and one of the biggest casts ever and some of the worst reviews in the history of anything. DRAKE: How dare those people.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
DRAKE: Ok, this show is fun because it is garbage and it is nothing but garbage.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
DRAKE: Ok. So it is a bunch of women who form a divorce attorney coalition specifically for women getting a divorce. They are out to right the wrongs of any man who's doing wrong in this world.
[01:39:48]
DRAKE: It is fabulous. They are, by the way, so mean to both each other and these defendants in this case -- like it is so great. Like Sarah Paulson says to Glenn Close, "I can't believe they haven't sent you to the glue factory yet, you plow horse." It is delicious.
MICHAELSON: Oh my God.
DRAKE: It's so good.
MICHAELSON: Elizabeth Wagmeister from CNN begged me to watch this just to watch it. And it is so good. It's so bad, it's good.
DRAKE: Exactly.
MICHAELSON: It is.
Meanwhile, we have some breaking entertainment news from the world, very popular, the best season of "Dancing with the Stars" in years.
DRAKE: Yes.
MICHAELSON: And now we have a new champion, Robert Irwin, and his partner, Whitney Cummings -- Witney Carson, I should say, have won Season 34.
DRAKE: Look at that.
MICHAELSON: The wildlife conservationist was crowned champion ten years after his older sister, Bindi, won the competition.
Irwin danced to a rib injury to beat fellow finalist Alix Earle, Jordan Chiles, Elaine Hendrix and Dylan Efron. What do you think of that?
DRAKE: Oh my God, what a -- what a blessing this family is to the entire world. Like every animal in the world is rejoicing right now.
He is so charismatic and seems to be just such a kind person. I love that someone like this is on the show and was so successful.
MICHAELSON: Yes, and he really took that -- that show really had had quite a year this year for them.
DRAKE: My God, those hips.
MICHAELSON: My recommendations by the way, in terms of shows, because we're running out of time. "Beast In Me" on Netflix with Claire Danes is really good.
DRAKE: Love that.
MICHAELSON: "The Morning Show" is so crazy, and so bizarre, and so dramatic. But I can't stop watching it.
"The Diplomat" on Netflix is awesome this season with Keri Russell. Allison Janney and Bradley Whitford are a part of it. It's a "West Wing" reunion.
And I also love "Land Man", which is also just so juicy. Billy Bob Thornton and Demi Moore. Great, great show.
DRAKE: Yes.
MICHAELSON: Grae, thank you.
DRAKE: You bet.
MICHAELSON: Great to see you.
DRAKE: Such great TV.
MICHAELSON: Weve got to -- we say goodbye to our international viewers. But here in North America, I'll be back with more of THE STORY IS.
[01:41:48]
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MICHAELSON: President Trump used his pardon powers to spare two turkeys from becoming Thanksgiving dinner. Gobble and Waddle received the honor this year.
They hail from North Carolina. They were only hatched in July. Gobble actually won the competition hosted by the first lady's office. But Waddle was ultimately given a pardon as well.
Let's continue the conversation about the season of giving with David Levinson. He is the founder and executive director of the Big Sunday Community Service organization, one of the biggest service organizations in southern California.
David Levinson, welcome.
DAVID LEVINSON, FOUNDER/EXEC. DIRECTOR, BIG SUNDAY COMMUNITY SERVICE: Thanks for having us.
MICHAELSON: Happy Thanksgiving. LEVINSON: Same to you, Elex.
MICHAELSON: So Big Sunday -- talk to us about the story of what is Big Sunday.
LEVINSON: So Big Sunday, our mission -- Well, first of all, we're called Big Sunday because we used to be one day a year on a Sunday. But the fact is, people really want to help and people really need help.
So now we're 365 days a year. Our mission -- people think we're a community service organization, but we're not. We're a community- building organization. And our mission is to connect people through helping.
We see the world not as haves and have nots, but as haves and have mores. Absolutely everyone has some way they can help somebody else. Absolutely everyone has some time they need help, and we all have to look out for one another.
MICHAELSON: And tomorrow, huge event.
LEVINSON: Yes it is. We will be -- we're having 2,500 of our best friends all come together. We're going to be filling bags of food for people who are going to be providing Thanksgiving dinner for 18,000 people.
MICHAELSON: 18,000 people.
LEVINSON: More than 125 different nonprofits and schools throughout the greater L.A. area. And they pick them up in the morning, they bring them back to their community in the afternoon. So people have them in time for Thanksgiving.
MICHAELSON: So at this point, you sort of don't need any more volunteers, but you can always use more money and there's more events to come.
LEVINSON: Absolutely. People, they can go to our website, BigSunday.org. You can sponsor a bag of food for $35. You can buy a can of green beans for $0.89. There's something for everyone to do.
One of the things I love about this event is that some of the people receiving bags are there to help fill them, too, because they want to give as well as receive.
MICHAELSON: Yes, so you see a lot of that out there. People that before had been giving or now need to receive or people that now are able to give because they once had received.
You see people coming back year after year. I've covered it for many years. I was out there a few years ago. Kamala Harris, as the active vice president of the United States, was out there. Her husband, Doug Emhoff, had been a part of Big Sunday as a volunteer before he ever even met her.
(CROSSTALKING)
MICHAELSON: And so he wanted to bring her back out. And so when she was in Los Angeles as the vice president, she was out there handing out food. And it was interesting to see her as part of that as well.
And so what do you think we all can learn about humanity from what you see each and every day?
LEVINSON: Well, everybody has something they need, some way they can help. Some people, it's really obvious what they need. If they're lying on the street, they need a meal and they need a roof over their head and they need a shower.
Some people, they might be living in a palace, but they might be ailing. They might be grieving. They might be lonely. It's harder to see, but they have needs too.
And that's why our target audience is everyone. And we really were proud of the fact we have unhoused people who help us. We have CEOs and movie stars.
We're all just folks at the end of the day. And people talk about the great divide in our country, what we see over and over again is that most people really want -- don't want to be divided. They really want to see.
That's about what we do, is bringing people together, working side by side. So you know their name, you know where they're from. You know what they care about, and it's a lot harder to hate them.
MICHAELSON: Yes. And that sense of community can be so fulfilling at a time when so many people are so focused on their phones.
LEVINSON: Absolutely.
MICHAELSON: It's nice to see real human beings.
Congratulations.
LEVINSON: Thanks so much.
MICHAELSON: Mazel tov. Great, great, great work.
LEVINSON: Thank you very much for having me. You didn't make me dance. So that's good too.
MICHAELSON: Yes. BigSunday.org, right, where people can check it out.
LEVINSON: Please. Check it out.
MICHAELSON: We'll be right back to wrap things up here on THE STORY IS. Stay with us.
[01:49:42]
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POPE LEO XIV, ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH: I would encourage all people, especially with this beautiful feast that we have in the United States, which unites all people. People of different faiths, people who perhaps do not have the gift of faith, but to say thank you to someone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Pope Leo there encouraging gratitude ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday here in the U.S. His comments come as he prepares for his first trip abroad as pontiff.
His travels begin on Thanksgiving Day, visiting Turkey and then Lebanon, where he's expected to call for peace in the region. Yes, he'll be in Turkey on Thanksgiving.
The original agreement that created the Apple Computer company is going up for auction. Christie's is auctioning off early next year as a part of the "We the people America at 250" sale.
[01:54:48]
MICHAELSON: Founders Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ron Wayne signed the three-page document on April 1st, 1976. It will be sold as a lot with a second document detailing Wayne's decision to leave and sell his 10 percent share in Apple for $800.
Christie's estimates the lot could fetch up to $4 million. You thought you made a bad financial decision? How about that?
Last night we had L.A. Mayor Karen Bass on our set. The mayor had a lot to say about the Palisades fire and addressed one of her most vocal critics, Spencer Pratt, the former reality show star who lost his own home in the fire and has been very, very active in talking about it almost every day on social media.
Well, Pratt turned out, was watching our interview last night. Here's what he posted on social media.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAREN BASS, MAYOR, LOS ANGELES: Spencer Pratt Is deliberately not accurate, but I was not just referring to him. There are several people who deliberately put out misinformation. And to me, that just --
SPENCER PRATT, LOST HIS HOME IN PALISADES FIRE: Well, look at this. It's not every day that the mayor of Los Angeles goes on national television and calls you a liar. It's not just Spencer Pratt. It's thousands of Palisades residents that got screwed over by your failures. And we aren't going to stay quiet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Spencer, if you're watching, we'd love to have you on. We welcome everybody to the table here on THE STORY IS.
Tonight we had Republican Congressman Kevin Kiley. Tomorrow we have Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters here on set on THE STORY IS.
Thanks so much for joining us for this edition. I'm Elex Michaelson.
I'll see you tomorrow. And if I don't, I hope you have a very happy Thanksgiving.
[01:56:24]
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