Return to Transcripts main page
The Story Is with Elex Michaelson
Police Release New Images Of Brown University Shooting Suspect; Nick Reiner Charged With Murder In Parents' Death; Alleged Bondi Gunman Charged With 15 Counts Of Murder; Trump Orders Blockade Of Sanctioned Venezuelan Oil Tankers; JetBlue Pilot Narrowly Avoids "Midair Collision" With Air Force Plane Near Venezuela; CDC Approves Major Child Vaccine Change, Rejects Controversial One. Spreading Awareness about Suicide Among Firefighters; Mexico's Efforts to Stop Violence against Women; Remembering Rob Reiner; New York Knicks Win NBA Cup; Beloved British Novelist Remembered on her 250th Birthday. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired December 17, 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: Tough to have animals in the show. Check out the animals at the London Zoo getting into the holiday spirit. And it seems like Santa arrived early there. Monkeys were treated to stockings garnished with sweet corn while the gorillas had to rummage through festive bags of their favorite snacks. Who doesn't love that?
I could just watch that all hour. Thanks for watching. We've got another hour of news here on The Story Is, which starts right now.
The story is person of interest, what authorities want you to pay attention to help them find the Brown murderer.
The story is criminally charged. What we're learning about Rob Reiner's son days after the killing of his parents.
The story is total and complete blockade. President Trump wants to do to Venezuela's oil tankers.
The story is Tony Robbins.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY ROBBINS, AUTHOR: It's just fun to see what human beings can come together to do when they have a higher purpose.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Bringing together some of the biggest names in music to record a new song to fight hunger. And CNN has exclusive access inside.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Los Angeles, The Story Is with Elex Michelson. MICHAELSON: Welcome to The Story Is. I'm Alex Michelson. Our top
stories in Providence, Rhode Island, where police are asking for the public's help finding a person of interest in the mass shooting at Brown University over the weekend.
Authorities released these new images and video providing a zoomed in look at the person on Saturday afternoon before the shooting at the Ivy League school. Police are asking residents to share any video footage they may have, including from home surveillance cameras and vehicle dash cams going back a week.
They're also warning people to avoid potentially harmful speculation about who the shooter might be. That attack killed two students, wounded nine people. City officials say they are examining the suspect's travel route and they need the public's help because the school's network of cameras could not follow the suspect into the surrounding neighborhood.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF OSCAR L. PEREZ, JR., PROVIDENCE POLICE DEPARTMENT: You want to focus on the body movements, the way the person moved their arms, the body posture, the way they wait, they carry the weight. I think those are important movement patterns that may help you identify this individual.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Mourners gathered at a church for memorial service on Tuesday. The family of one of the victims wants people to remember him as somebody who impacted so many people every in such a short time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAMIRA UMURKZOKOVA, SITER OF MUKHAMMAD AZIZ UMURZOKOV: He was the most kind hearted, funny. He was the most -- he was the smartest person I've ever met. He, you know, he always helped someone before helped himself, you know, without any hesitation. He never, you know, lost sight of who he was as a person.
And, you know, so many people have reached out to me giving me little stories here and there of how he was. And it's just sort of reinforced what he was like to our family. And it's just so nice hearing that from other people's perspectives, too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: According to the Gun Violence Archive, the United States has seen 393 mass shootings this year. CNN and the GVA define a mass shooting as one that injured or killed four or more people, not including the shooter.
The LA County D.A. is charging Nick Reiner with two counts of first degree murder, allegedly that he -- alleging that he fatally stabbed his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner. The charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. They could also result in the death penalty, but prosecutors have not yet said whether they will pursue that. The district attorney's office added it will consider the family's wishes before finalizing that decision.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NATHAN HOCHMAN, DISTRICT ATTORNEY, LOS ANGELES COUNTY: Now prosecuting these cases involving family members are some of the most challenging and most heart wrenching cases that this office faces because of the intimate and often brutal nature of the crimes involved.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: The son of the famed Hollywood director was arrested near the USC campus on Sunday after police gathered evidence from the crime scene at his parents' home. CNN's Randi Kaye gives us a closer look into Nick Reiner's troubled past.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICK REINER, SON OF ROB REINER: Well, I think I'm lucky in the sense that I have parents that care about me when I would go out and do, you know, things like drugs and stuff like that, I'd feel a tremendous amount of guilt because I'd think, oh, they're thinking about me right now.
RANDI KAYE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): That was Nick Reiner in 2016 talking about his struggle with drugs and his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner. Nine years later, at age 32, he's in jail, charged with their murders. Since he was a teenager, Nick Reiner battled addiction. Here's why he says he turned to drugs.
REINER: I had no identity and I had no passions. And I think the reason I had no identity was because, you know, I have a famous dad and a famous grandpa. I wanted to etch out my own identity with a more rebellious, angry, drug addicted sort of Persona.
[01:05:00]
KAYE (voice-over): Nick is not only the son of legendary director Rob Reiner, but he's also the grandson of the famous comedian Carl Reiner. When Nick was living in his parents guest house, he says he got so high on drugs he destroyed part of it. He shared that story in 2018 on a podcast.
REINER: I got totally spun out on uppers. I think it was coke and something else, and I was up for days on end and I started punching out different things in my guest house. I think I started with the TV and then I went over to the lamp, and then progressive, I just, everything in the guest house got wrecked.
KAYE (voice-over): In 2016, he told People magazine he had lived on the street instead of going to rehab as his parents recommended. If I wanted to do it my way and not go to the programs they were suggesting, then I had to be homeless, he said. In 2015, Nick worked with his father on a semi-autobiographical film
called "Being Charlie." It's the story of an actor running for governor of California and his drug addicted son.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who is this kid with the silver spoon in his mouth and why does he keep cooking heroin in it? Total waste of a good utensil.
KAYE (voice-over): Nick co-wrote the film and Rob Reiner directed it.
ROB REINER, FILM DIRECTOR: It definitely brought us closer together.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What was the most difficult part about working together for the two of you?
N. REINER: I mean, it was a pretty nice experience for me.
KAYE (voice-over): In September, Nick was photographed in this family photo at the premiere of his father's comedy musical the "Spinal Tap 2." The LA Times quoted a family friend saying Rob and Michele Reiner did everything for Nick and put aside their lives to save Nick's, repeatedly adding they had never known a family so dedicated to a child. Randi Kaye, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Joining me now live is retired FBI Special Agent Bobby Chacon, who is in Palm Springs. Thanks so much for being with us. Welcome back to the show.
BOBBY CHACON, RETIRED FBI SPECIAL AGENT: Thanks, Elex.
MICHAELSON: So you say it's really important to focus on where this person went and also who was shot first. Why is that so important?
CHACON: Well, as an investigator, I would want to know that, you know, almost immediately if I could, because if this is in fact a targeted murder, the first person that the killer would look for when they enter that room is the target of their anger. And so they would go up to them first. You would think that they would -- because once that first shot goes off, they know there's going to be pandemonium in there. People are going to be diving on the desk, running for doors, so they want to go to their intended target as quickly as possible.
Now, the good thing for investigators is in a crowded room like that, when somebody walks in and they're not supposed to be there, people often take notice. They'll look at them. Once that first shot is fired, then all bets are off.
But oftentimes you do have witnesses say where the first. What they saw the first shot go. They may not see the second shot because they're diving for cover. But normally the first shot comes as a shock, and they see it. And so you get some witness statements to that effect.
And so that leads you to the intended victim, while the intended victim tells you a lot about the perpetrator, because now you can concentrate on this one person and say, who wanted this victim dead in their life? What was going on? Did they have any beefs? Were they getting stalked? Did they have any romantic rivals?
You know, all of those things kind of can be explored once you know who the intended victim is.
MICHAELSON: What do you make of the way that police release this video today, asking people to focus on the gate, asking for more video? Does that give you an indication that they're stuck?
CHACON: Yes, unfortunately, I think they are, and I think they're getting more video in. But they've got to vet all that video first, maybe enhance it a little bit, and then get it out to people. You know, they also have to make sure that this is the person they're most interested in.
You know, if there's somebody else wearing similar clothes, you don't want to put that person out there in the video because you could come up with, you know, people going after the wrong person.
So, yes, I think that they're -- I think that they missed a lot of video on campus. So now they're having to rely on, you know, further and further out. They're trying to find his pattern or his path out of there, and then go to people in that neighborhood along that path to try to see if they can get more video.
And I think the one good thing they said at the press conference was it doesn't have to be after the incident. People should look at even days and weeks before if they can, and see if they see anybody that looks like that person, because I think they know now that, you know, 10:30 in the morning, he was spotted in that neighborhood maybe casing the building and stuff. So all of that is valuable.
MICHAELSON: Meanwhile, let's talk about the investigation when it comes to the death of Rob and Michele Reiner. We learned today that Nick Reiner was found in Expedition Park near the USC campus, out in the public was arrested. There's been questions about his mental ability and physical well-being in order to even appear in court.
What were sort of your big takeaways from what we learned today?
[01:10:00]
CHACON: Well, the big thing was, like you said, I think he was deemed not mentally capable of participating the hearing today. So they put it off until another day. And the fact that they initially had $4 million bail and then revoked it, that means that the prosecution is seeking what we call in California special circumstances. So murder with special circumstances.
And the special circumstances could be any number of things. In this case it's multiple victims. And so that's an automatic possible life with no parole, which means it's a no bail charge. And then the second thing is the mental defense. California is very difficult, is a very high bar, the insanity
defense. It shifts the burden to the defense. If you're going to try to seek an insanity defense, the burden is on the defense to prove the insanity.
And in California we have something called the McNaughton Rule, which means if you absolutely know the quality of your and the reason of your attack, it means if you're angry at somebody and you know they're your parent, that's not going to hold an insanity defense.
You're not going to be able to claim that as part of. You need to be not aware of what you're doing when you're doing it. And that just doesn't seem to be the case in the Reiner case because there's such a history here of his drug abuse and his addictions.
And in 1994 the penal code in California was amended to say that drug abuse and addiction, it can't solely be used as an insanity defense. So it's a high bar if his lawyer intends to seek that as a defense.
MICHAELSON: We'll see. He's got a very pricey, very well respected lawyer in Alan King. Bobby Chacon. Thank you so much for your perspective. Really appreciate it.
Breaking news in Australia. Police there have charged a surviving suspect in the Bondi beach massacre. 24 year old Naveed Akram is now facing 59 offenses including murder, attempted murder and committing a terrorist act. His father was shot and killed at the scene.
First funerals have now been held for some of the 15 people killed in the terror attack. Heartbreaking emotional scenes erupted earlier at the funeral of the late Rabbi Eli Schlanger. He had organized the Hanukkah by the Sea event at Bondi Beach on that fateful day. Known as the Bondi rabbi, his death marks a profound loss for the Jewish community at large.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RABBI ARON MOSS, NEFESH SYNAGOGUE AND COMMUNITY CENTRE: This loss is massive for the entire Jewish nation. But for our community here and for Chabad of Bondi, the loss of is unspeakable. The thousands of souls that Rabbi Eli Touched will be forever grateful to have known him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: New South Wales Police Commissioner explained earlier that there may be delays in processing the crime scene in order to respect mourners' rights. CNN's Angus Watson live for us in Sydney. Once again, Angus, let's start with that breaking news. 59 counts.
ANGUS WATSON, CNN PRODUCER: Exactly, Elex. They have 15 counts of murder for those people that Naveed Akram and his father Sajid killed right here down in Bondi on Sunday evening as they were celebrating the first night of Hanukkah. That's 15 murder charges, 40 attempted murder charges, as well as other offenses including committing a terrorist act. The police on Sunday night very quick to label this antisemitic terror
attack as these two men opened fire on these families, the elderly, here celebrating the Jewish festival. Now, you mentioned there that police have been processing the crime scene now ever since. It's a very complicated crime scene right behind me.
But what they are now allowing is for families of the victims, families that lost people on that terrible afternoon to come inside the crime scene to take a moment to try to process that. I don't know how they have quite come to that, Elex. An extraordinary thing to have to do to come to the scene in which your family members were killed.
I spoke to one lady who just said that she was imagining what it must have been like for them in their final moments here at what was meant to be a joyous celebration of Hanukkah, a children's playground there right behind me that was part of this event.
So, earlier we found out that the two gunmen, Sajid and Naveed, were motivated by ISIS ideology. They got out of a car right here with their weapons and they had two makeshift ISIS flags in that car. We also found out that the father, Sajid, flew to the Philippines with his son Naveed. And Sajid flying on an Indian passport, Naveed flying on an Australian passport.
[01:15:04]
There they flew to Mindanao, a hotbed for insurgency including ISIS groups such as Abu Sayyaf operating there for the past 10 years. There they may have had military training in November of this year before they returned to Australia to commit this heinous terror attack in Bondi Beach on Sunday evening. Elex.
MICHAELSON: Angus Watson, thank you for your reporting from Sydney. Those pictures were looking at, by the way of that memorial was live pictures. And we can see the just outpouring of love and condolence that continues days later. That is that live picture. And you see all those flowers. It really is an emotional thing to look at. 5:15 in the afternoon, Wednesday afternoon. Angus, thank you.
Other news now, President Trump has ordered a, quote, total and complete blockade of oil tankers to and from Venezuela. He made that announcement in a post on Truth Social referring to the blockade and all capital letters. It is the latest escalation from the U.S. President as he puts pressure on Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
President Trump also made reference to the size of the military fleet surrounding Venezuela, saying that the U.S. had positioned, quote, the largest armada ever assembled in the history of South America around the country.
Pilots of a private jet say they narrowly avoided a midair collision with a U.S. Air Force plane near Venezuela. It happened just today after a JetBlue airliner also came close to colliding with an Air Force refueling tanker. CNN aviation correspondent Pete Muntean has more. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: We're able to piece this incident together from the air traffic control audio from liveatc.net. This close call was detailed by the pilots of a private jet that just departed from Aruba on its way to Miami. It's only about 15 miles from the coast of Venezuela where the airspace is sensitive to say the least.
The pilots reported essentially what the crew of a JetBlue flight reported just the day before, a large United States Air Force aerial refueling tanker appearing without warning without triggering their in-cockpit collision warning systems.
The pilots of this private jet say they were climbing through an altitude of 26,000 feet when they said they would have climbed into the Air Force jet. I want you to listen now to the radio transmissions in which they describe this close encounter in being too close for comfort.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We just got that traffic. I don't know how we didn't get an RA for that, but they were really close.
MUNTEAN: The pilots also told air traffic control that this plane looked pretty big, like a Boeing 777 or 767. Remember, just one day after the pilots of a JetBlue flight said they had to abruptly stop their climb due to an Air Force refueling tanker that crossed directly in front of their flight path. Sounds pretty familiar. That incident happened after that JetBlue flight took off from Curacao,
So roughly the same area of the Caribbean Sea where this new incident occurred. The Pentagon and Dutch officials are reviewing the case involving the JetBlue flight. The National Transportation Safety Board tells me it's gathering information on both of these incidents, but it has not yet launched official Investigations. Pete Muntean, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Thanks to Pete. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is no longer recommending universal hepatitis B vaccines for newborns. Tuesday, the agency signed off on its vaccine Advisor's recommendation for individual decision making. That means if the mom tests negative for the virus, she and her doctor can decide to wait until the child is at least two months old for that vaccine.
The CDC had recommended a dose at birth since 1991. It helped to slash childhood infections from an estimated 18,000 cases a year to about 20 a year.
Tony Robbins bringing together some of the biggest names in music to record a new song to help fight hunger. Here's a sneak preview.
That is the chorus recorded as part of a Zoom event raising money for Tony Robbins efforts to serve 100 billion meals around the world. Legendary producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis are producing the music,
which includes Janet Jackson, Dr. Dre, Will.I.Am of the Black eyed peas, Michael McDonald of the Doobie Brothers. People zoomed in from all around the world for the recording session. I got exclusive access during that recording here in Burbank.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBBINS: It's just fun to see what human beings can come together to do when they have a higher purpose.
MICHAELSON: Yes. I mean, 100 billion meals seems like such a crazy.
ROBBINS: We've already done 62 billion.
MICHAELSON: But you're there, you're making it happen. Right. I mean, it's proof that if you come up with a vision, you can make it happen. Right.
ROBBINS: Well, you can scale anything if you understand a little about scaling. But I think it's having something that people care enough about. And I think this is something, you know, a child dies every 10 seconds if people are hungry. We're a country, maybe the third largest country in the world. That's how bad it is today.
[01:20:03]
We went five years ago it was 80 million people that were on the verge of starvation. This year it's 385 million just five years later.
WILL.I.AM, RAPPER AND SINGER-SONGWRITER: So I've stood in food lines, I've been in food lines, I've given meals.
MICHAELSON: After that experience does especially fill your soul to be a part of this cause?
WILL.I.AM: Doing, being a recipient of do gooding and then having success, you want to always contribute.
MICHAEL MCDONALD, THE DOBBIE BROTHERS SINGER: I believe that, you know, when you wipe the tears from a child's eyes, you're looking in the face of God, you know, and that's why we're here.
JIMMY JAM, PRODUCER, THE NEXT VERSE: Giving people the chance to give. People want a chance to do something and this allows them to do it but also have some fun and be creative. And in this era of TikTok and Instagram and all those types of things, people are utilizing it social media in a way where it's truly social good.
MICHAELSON: And it's a reminder also of the unifying power of music. Right?
MCDONALD: Yes. I like to think that, you know, I like to think that's what otherwise I'm just trying not to grow up.
(END VIDEO CLIP) MICHAELSON: How cool is it to talk to all them today? That song releases on Christmas day. We will have an in depth look from behind the scenes Christmas week here on The Story Is and for more information on how you can donate, get involved with the effort, head to 100billionmeals.org.
Coming up. It's going to be emotional. California fire official is working to combat a serious mental health issue among his peers. He's sharing his personal experiences. It's shocking. It's candid, it's important. It's really something. Brian Rice joins us live for an exclusive interview in just a few moments here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:26:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIAN RICE, PRESIDENT, CALIFORNIA PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGTHERS: If you're out there, you're not the only one. You are not the only one that is going through this right now, a month ago, into the future. And there's a way to put those bags down for a moment so you can take a breath and feel relief in your soul and get help.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: That video message posted on the X account of the California Professional Firefighters Association. The president is Brian Rice. He says he himself considered suicide. Now he's working to spread the word about the increasing number of firefighters who die by suicide, at least 100 per year, according to 2016 study. Firefighters and other rescue personnel developed PTSD at a similar rate to military service members returning from combat.
Brian Rice here now to talk with us live on The Story Is. Brian, thanks so much for being here. Thank you for talking about this. You decided to speak out after four of your members committed suicide in the last 90 days.
RICE: Starting in about September. And it really hit me, kneeling down in front of a family and trying to find words of comfort and knowing that there aren't any. And I knew at that moment that I had an experience in life that I, you know, I'm going to be retiring out in April. But it hit me. I couldn't not say anything and share what I had been through.
MICHAELSON: And talk about what you've been through. I know it can't be easy to talk about, but you considered killing yourself and almost did so.
RICE: I did. I had a shotgun. I had sized it up. It was on the floor. I, you know, was ready to go. I didn't have any ammunition. If I had ammunition, I wouldn't be sitting here today. I chewed the razors out of a safety razor and decided to cut my wrist. But as soon as I did that, the second I did it, I knew that I had made a mistake. On top of that, my blood alcohol level was well over 3.85. And I managed to get to help. And that kind of started the process to heal.
MICHAELSON: And that moment, you instantly knew.
RICE: I instantly knew I made the biggest mistake of my life. And that's part of why I wanted to speak out to our members and anybody. I just know that people suicide, it's a finality. When you do it and you're successful, it's over. But I just know in that nanosecond, before life ends and death begins, I just know that people have that I just made a mistake.
And for me, it's talking to other firefighters. Put the bags of life and death down just for a minute. Make a call. 988. Talk to somebody.
MICHAELSON: Yes. And you got into serious counseling and dealt through a lot of issues, including issues with addiction and struggles over that. And you sort of came to the realization a lot of this has to do with the loss of a parent at a young age, right?
RICE: 100 percent, Elex. I lost my dad when I was 8. And, you know, that was the late 60s. And grief and dealing with grief was very different. It was taboo. You didn't talk about it. You moved on. And I grew up to be a very angry boy, my mom had said, and then angry young man. And drugs played a part. But my -- I don't know, substance of choice really turned into alcohol, and that's kind of what soothed the beast inside.
MICHAELSON: And so now you've been able to deal with that. I know you're open and encouraging other people and speaking to firefighters.
RICE: Yes.
MICHAELSON: You have 36,000 members that are part of your organization. What do you think it is specifically about firefighters? We know it's been a challenging year, not only with the big fires that we had here in California, but every day is a real challenge.
[01:30:00]
RICE: You know, and somebody just said, as I've been on this -- this recent journey, you know, a person can experience three traumatic events in their lifetime. Firefighters will experience probably ten a month.
MICHAELSON: Wow.
RICE: And we all bring baggage to this job. For me, it wasn't necessarily the job that caused my stress and brought me to that point of considering suicide, but I also learned about post-traumatic stress and how it does. And I've watched it in my -- in the membership and have lost dear friends and, it's real.
This job of being a firefighter in an urban area, it's twice as busy today, and it's twice as violent. And that's something that most people don't understand.
They see being the job of a firefighter. You have no idea what it feels like, smells like, sometimes tastes like. And it really wears on the men and women that do this job.
And unless we really begin to address it and it's hard --
MICHAELSON: Yes.
RICE: -- it's hard to do.
MICHAELSON: And you have to sometimes deal with mentally-ill people or their own addiction problems, dealing with homeless people almost every single day in California as well.
So you're about to speak tomorrow to a group in downtown L.A. What is your main message for people that may be watching this right now?
RICE: Put the bags of life and death down. Call somebody. Call 988.
If you're a firefighter, call somebody in your peer support team. Call somebody that you trust, that you know you can trust with what you're going through, and that will get you to the next level of help.
I've gone as far as to put my number out to the membership. I don't want to see us lose another firefighter. I know that reality is vastly different than that.
And as we come into the holidays, think about a job that is incredibly stressful. You see things that no one should see. You know, is your family intact? Are you having family problems? Are you having financial problems?
All those things add up. And when you really get into your mind and they start swirling, and that's what it did to me, you lose control of that, you lose sight, you lose focus and that impulse just takes over.
MICHAELSON: Well, I know this cannot be easy to talk about. And I think it's very brave that you decided to do so. Come forward with your story. And I hope that this may help save a life tonight.
So thank you so much --
RICE: I appreciate it.
MICHAELSON: -- for coming out.
RICE: Thank you very much.
MICHAELSON: Thank you. And thank you for your service to our community over many years as well.
RICE: Honored to do it and the community is worth it.
MICHAELSON: Thank you.
And we said this, but if you or a loved one is struggling with thoughts of suicide, we encourage you to call or text 988.
If you want to share your story with Brian, you can text (916)287- 1663.
We'll be right back.
[01:32:47]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MICHAELSON: Parts of western Washington State are under a flood watch right now one day, after a temporary levee burst on the White River in the town of Pacific, about 30 minutes south of Seattle.
The city's mayor says several flood barriers along the river failed early Tuesday morning. Officials ordered hundreds of people to evacuate their homes.
Meanwhile, the National Weather Service is warning some in Washington to prepare for blizzard conditions. Mountainous areas could see up to 20 inches of snow.
The Pentagon is launching a new phase of its investigation into Democratic Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona. The Defense Department is considering punishment for the retired Navy captain, which could be as severe as a court martial.
The expanded probe could take up to 30 days to complete. Kelly and five other Democratic lawmakers released a video last month reminding service members that they have a duty to refuse illegal orders.
President Trump called the remarks treason, even though legally they do have a duty to refuse illegal orders. Kelly has said his statement is consistent with military training.
Mexico is taking steps to increase protections for women and strengthen penalties for gender-related crimes after a series of prominent harassment incidents.
CNN's Valeria Leon reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WOMEN: Fatima, Fatima, hay que bonita.
VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The attacks against Fatima Bosch have finally eased, at least back home in her native Mexico.
WOMEN: Fatima.
LEON: The warm reception at her first public appearance in the state of Tabasco, just weeks after winning the Miss Universe crown, stands in stark contrast to what the 25-year-old faced online.
The government says Fatima reported death threats and harassment, a form of digital violence that affects more than one in five women in Mexico.
A new study by the Citizen Council for Security and Justice shows digital violence against women has surged by two-thirds over the last year, a reality Fatima publicly denounced on social media.
[01:39:46]
LEON: Her decision to speak out praised by Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico's first female president.
"Women look their best when we raise our voices and take part," says the president. "That's about recognizing our rights. My respect to this young woman."
Since Sheinbaum herself was assaulted in public last month, she has proposed a constitutional reform to toughen penalties for crimes against women. A package of 17 laws already approved by the Senate and the most ambitious effort yet to curb gender violence.
MARIA DEL ROCIO CORONA, MEXICAN SENATOR (through translator): This bill aims to stop a reality that has been normalized through silence and the macho culture that still exists.
Leon: A culture of misogynist violence that has followed Fatima even after her crowning. The harassment Fatima faced emerged in response to a corruption scandal involving the Miss Universe pageant leadership.
She has stressed that her win was not due to outside influence, instead highlighting the personal impact.
FATIMA BOSCH, MISS UNIVERSE 2025: I'm here to speak up and I'm here to do philanthropy -- to do philanthropy.
So it's like really hard. All the things that are going on because sometimes I think that people forget that we are humans.
LEON: A message that has struck a chord with women across the country.
Valeria Leon, CNN -- Mexico City.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: President Trump is expected to sign an executive order on Thursday that would put marijuana in a lower drug classification. Sources say the move would ease federal restrictions, but would not mean full legalization.
The change would put marijuana in the class of drugs with a low to moderate potential for dependence, and that could have big implications for research or use for medical purposes. We'll have a lot more on that later in the week.
You're watching THE STORY IS. For international viewers, WORLDSPORT is next. For our viewers in North America, I'll be back with my man, Segun. Stay with us.
[01:41:47]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) MICHAELSON: Cast members of the 1986 cult classic "Stand By Me" are sharing their heartfelt condolences in the wake of director Rob Reiner's tragic death. Actors Jerry O'Connell and Corey Feldman said Reiner was like a father figure to them. And Wil Wheaton believes, quote, "the world is a better place thanks to his activism".
Despite his beloved catalog of work, Reiner himself described directing "Stand By Me" as the richest experience he had making a film.
Joining me now here in Los Angeles is Emmy Award-winning journalist and media personality Segun Oduolowu. Segun, welcome.
Rob Reiner, what a -- what a legacy. I mean, how do you describe his legacy in terms of work?
SEGUN ODUOLOWU, JOURNALIST AND MEDIA PERSONALITY: A movie for everyone? If you want a military drama, "A Few Good Men", Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson. If you want a coming-of-age drama, "Stand By Me" with a young River Phoenix, Wil Wheaton and some of the other cast members. Corey Feldman that you mentioned. If you want a rom-com, "When Harry Met Sally".
It didn't matter where you entered entertainment. He had something for you and it was all good.
And if you want a cult classic that will live on forever with quotes, "A Princess Bride". So it's -- his -- Rob Reiner's art, his movies, his films, all generations they're accessible to. And they were fun. They were good to watch. And they stayed with you.
MICHAELSON: And still are good to watch.
ODUOLOWU: Still are good. Still stand the test of time.
MICHAELSON: Aging -- aging well.
We hear his son, now arrested for murder, facing charges. We know that they could potentially face the death penalty. I mean, your thoughts on this family drama.
ODUOLOWU: The thing that I believe is being overlooked is Rob's daughter, Romy. She discovered her parents. How do you grieve in this moment when your brother is in jail for having possibly committed the crime and could face the death penalty?
I feel for her. What she witnessed. And now you're caught in this limbo where you are probably angry and disappointed in your brother. But then he's still your brother and you know his struggles. And now your parents are gone.
All of that being played out on television with everyone from either aisle commenting and not allowing you to just grieve on your own.
MICHAELSON: Well, and Nathan Hochman, the district attorney, said that the family's wishes will be part of his decision on whether to pursue the death penalty.
Death penalty has not been enacted in California in many, many years. Governor Newsom has said it will not happen while he is governor. He will make sure of that. So death penalty is in some ways almost a moot point.
But it's just so sad to think about what has happened there and to think about what that family is going through.
For some escapism -- it's been such a tough --
ODUOLOWU: Yes. We need it. We need it because we've been talking about this for --
MICHAELSON: -- time. We need a break.
ODUOLOWU: -- a while.
MICHAELSON: So the NBA has this thing called the in-season tournament --
ODUOLOWU: Yes.
MICHAELSON: -- the NBA Cup --
ODUOLOWU: Yes.
MICHAELSON: -- as a way to try to make the games in the middle of the season mean something because they have way too many games, because they want everybody to --
ODUOLOWU: Well it's -- and it's the Emirates Cup. You got to get that there -- sovereign wealth money.
MICHAELSON: So this is -- this is what just happened tonight.
ODUOLOWU: Oh the Knicks.
MICHAELSON: All right. The New York Knicks, the Knickerbockers are the champions of the NBA Cup. We haven't seen them host a Larry O'Brien trophy in many, many years. But Karl-Anthony Towns and the boys host -- hoisting this up after defeating the San Antonio Spurs, who had defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder, who had only lost one game in this whole season before this cup.
Do you think this NBA Cup as a win is a good thing?
ODUOLOWU: I want to make fun of all of my Knicks friends -- and my Knicks friends who are saying, yes, we want -- like it's the first thing they won in like 40 years.
However, we live in L.A. and the Lakers won the inaugural one, so it's --
MICHAELSON: It's exciting when we won it. ODUOLOWU: If you're going to hang a banner in your, you know, these
are -- these are story teams. The Knicks are story team. The Lakers are story team.
Winning this cup is kind of humorous. But if you're a Knicks fan, maybe it's the catalyst for a much better season. All right. Who knows?
MICHAELSON: The confetti was kind of ridiculous. The two teams that have won it so far did not go on to win the NBA championship --
ODUOLOWU: This is true, too.
MICHAELSON: -- in the NBA Cup, but I kind of like it.
ODUOLOWU: Why?
MICHAELSON: I think you could --
ODUOLOWU: Why do you like it?
[01:49:43]
MICHAELSON: Because I think it makes them try harder. Part of the problem with the NBA is that the players take games off. They're not trying in every single game.
(CROSSTALKING)
ODUOLOWU: It is hard to try really hard when you're guaranteed, you know, $60 million a year whether you shoot a basket or miss them.
MICHAELSON: I know. But then they give them more money and then they try harder.
(CROSSTALKING)
ODUOLOWU: But you know -- but that's on the owners. That's the one thing about sports that people seem to have forgotten. Never blame the players. I'm always pro players.
The players get paid a salary by someone who can pay it. So don't cry for the billionaires. If you want them to play harder, don't sign ridiculous $300 million guaranteed.
MICHAELSON: We need way fewer games, but that would mean everybody loses money. And so that's never going to happen.
By the way, you were on with Audie Cornish in Washington this morning.
ODUOLOWU: Yes. I'm a -- frequent flier miles. This is what I do for CNN. I was on with Audie in the morning. I'm finishing my night with Elex. This is a great turnaround.
MICHAELSON: Oh, my God, that's amazing. Thank you for making this happen. ODUOLOWU: Anytime, brother.
(CROSSTALKING)
MICHAELSON: Good night. You need to -- you need to sleep even more than me.
We'll be back to wrap things up right after this.
[01:50:46]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MICHAELSON: I wish a happy birthday to Jane Austen. The legendary author was born December 16th, 250 years ago. That might sound old, but in this case, age is really just a number.
Austen's work is still celebrated today, two centuries after its first release, and her star is showing no sign of fading.
In 2025 alone, movie studio Focus Features announced a star-studded cast for its upcoming take on "Sense and Sensibility". And Netflix announced its plan to remake "Pride and Prejudice" as a series.
Jane Austen scholar, Ellie Dashwood explains why the author is still relevant today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELLIE DASHWOOD, JANE AUSTEN SCHOLAR: She really was great at portraying what women feel and how they perceive the world.
And too, like I think throughout Jane Austen's like 250 years, there has been peaks and ebbs in her popularity. And one of them was in the late Victorian era, where she actually became very popular with men. A lot of men in the Victorian era were like in love with Elizabeth Bennet.
And then in the 90s, there was another peak following, of course, the '95 "Pride and Prejudice".
And so as we see these movies come out from like Netflix, it's just going to make more characters, and available to more people for them to fall in love with them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: She's barely older than the United States.
Thanks for watching THE STORY IS. I'm Elex Michaelson.
Tomorrow we'll be joined by U.S. attorney Bill Essayli here on THE STORY IS. I'll see you then.
Thanks for watching. Have a great night, morning or whatever time it is. [01:56:29]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
