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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson
Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA), Is Interviewed About Trump Appears In New Batch Of Documents Released By DOJ; Zelenskyy: Russia Launches Massive Aerial Attack On Ukraine; Cartel-Built "Narco-Subs" Grow More Sophisticated; Unforgettable Moments in Sports; Tony Robbins Trying to Provide 100B Meals to Fight Hunger. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired December 24, 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: We talk live with the National Weather Service to map out where and when severe storms will hit.
The Story Is, new releases from the Epstein files raises new questions about 10 potential co-conspirators. A member of the House Oversight Committee is with us.
And The Story Is, Timothee Chalamet. Going viral over and over again promoting "Marty Supreme." But is the movie any good? Movie critic Grae Drake here with what to watch and what to skip this holiday week.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Los Angeles, The Story Is with Elex Michaelson.
MICHAELSON: And welcome to The Story Is live from Los Angeles. We are tracking that big storm which is headed our way. We will have more on that in a moment.
But we begin with confusion, outrage and more questions. The reaction after the Justice Department released a trove of heavily redacted Epstein files. They posted nearly 30,000 documents related to the convicted sex offender. That is still not all of the files that they are mandated by law to release.
This batch includes many more mentions of Donald Trump than the previous release including a note. It seems to have surprised a federal prosecutor. He wrote in a 2020 e-mail that flight records show Donald Trump traveling on Jeffrey Epstein's private jet at least eight times, which is more than had been reported or what prosecutors were aware of.
Trump has not been accused of or charged with any wrongdoing related to Epstein. Justice Department claims "some of these documents contain untrue and sensationalistic claims against Trump." The documents were released without explanation or context. And experts say that makes it really hard to tell what's authentic and what's not.
With us now is U.S. House Democrat Suhas Subramanyam who serves on the Oversight Committee. He's a congressman from Virginia joining us from New York. Welcome. Thanks so much for being here. Welcome to The Story Is.
REP. SUHAS SUBRAMANYAM (D-VA): Thank you.
MICHAELSON: We've seen a lot of files come out today. Anything surprising to you? What's your big takeaway?
SUBRAMANYAM: Well, you know, the previous release was, you know, a lot of files, but not a lot of interesting information. Not a lot we were learning. Half of them were public already. But this batch has been pretty interesting to say the least. It's been very revealing.
For instance, we're seeing a lot about Donald Trump's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. We're seeing a little bit more generally about sort of the nature of Jeffrey Epstein's crimes and the types of people he's associating with. And then we -- we also are starting to learn about these co-conspirators, which we didn't know, I didn't know about before this that there were 10 co-conspirators.
And so we want to learn more, but we want more files. We wanted them all released last week because in the end, this whole thing has been against the law that we passed that Donald Trump signed into law, which is releasing all the files by last Friday.
MICHAELSON: This idea of these co-conspirators, you know, if we learn more about them, is that potentially criminal charges or what could happen to these people?
SUBRAMANYAM: That's a good question. I mean, we don't know what the DOJ and FBI were looking into. We don't know exactly who they are. Are they American citizens? Were they just enablers of Jeffrey Epstein's crimes or were they committing them with him? What was their role?
Well, there's so many questions to answer, and that's why it's very frustrating to see this administration continue to hide and cover up some of these files. There's really no reason to not release all of them at this point. They've had plenty of time to redact them, plenty of time to protect victims. Seems like they're only protecting certain powerful people rather than the victims at this point.
MICHAELSON: Well, and we've seen sort of this drip, drip, drip in terms of the release. I know you've suggested potential penalties for the attorney general. What would be the -- the standard in which that would happen? Because they might say, look, we're putting more stuff out today. We're going to continue to put stuff out. So, you know, it's not fair for us to potentially face impeachment or anything like that.
SUBRAMANYAM: Well, we're talking about, the Congressman Thomas Massie from Kentucky and Congressman Ro Khanna from California. They've talked about potentially putting sanctions on holding the attorney general in contempt. That is unprecedented. It hasn't happened in a long time. But these are unprecedented times.
We've also never had a Department of Justice continue to go against the will of Congress multiple times and the will of the American people, really. And so, yes, these are really serious, you know, things that we're going after. But it's because it's a very serious situation where they're basically flaunting the law and saying that they're not going to follow the law. They're going to do whatever they want and redact whatever they want at this point.
They've said that they had these files since January. They are ready to release since March. We had a subpoena that's four months old at this point in the oversight committee in Congress. That was a bipartisan subpoena. So at this point, there's no excuse. They're just not following the law at this point.
MICHAELSON: Is there a specific deadline that you think would invoke that?
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SUBRAMANYAM: The deadline for me was four months ago when we subpoenaed them for the documents. We were going to work with them on redactions. We're going to work with them on protecting the victims. The victims themselves were involved in that process with our oversight committee. And now we're at a point where the law said to release them last Friday.
And so now at this point, we don't even know how many files they have. We don't know what they have. The one thing that we do have on our side is the victims and many people who know a lot about this case, know a lot about this story. And so they're helping us sort of work backwards and letting us know what we don't have, so that if something is missing, we can at least know that it is missing and go after it later.
MICHAELSON: Meanwhile, big development today in the United States Supreme Court. The court ruling against President Trump and saying, at least for now, he cannot put in the National Guard into Chicago. We know there's been similar lawsuits in places like California, the question of presidential power. Interesting. Are you surprised that some of the conservatives on the court are voting against the President?
SUBRAMANYAM: Well, I'm not surprised that they lost the decision because it is the law. And he is not allowed to send in the National Guard to a place like Chicago, where, you know, the Illinois government there did not want the National Guard in there in the first place. They did not need it. They had not cited, stated a real need for it.
We had the same thing happen in D.C., only in D.C., the mayor supported the National Guard being there. But, you know, I am a little surprised that finally we had some conservative judges stand up against President Trump. I wonder if this will be a trend as they start to see more and more lawlessness from this administration.
MICHAELSON: And I always like to end on something fun. So this is this holiday week. What's your favorite holiday tradition?
SUBRAMANYAM: Well, I've got a five and four-year-old and they love making ornaments for the tree. And so we love putting up, you know, paper ornaments on the tree. So that's our holiday tradition.
MICHAELSON: Well, happy holiday to you and to your five and four-year- old. I'm sure they're not watching CNN tonight, but hopefully they're watching something fun tomorrow for the holidays. Thank you so much, Congressman. Appreciate it.
SUBRAMANYAM: Thank you. Happy holidays.
MICHAELSON: We are following a severe weather threat here in Southern California. A major storm system set to dump months worth of rain on the region in the coming days. There is a high risk of flooding, level four out of four.
Millions of people across L.A. and surrounding areas fall under this rare threat. Evacuation orders warnings have already been issued to at risk communities where flooding and high winds could also trigger mudslides and debris flow. Experts predict at least nine inches, nearly 230 millimeters could fall in less than a day.
In some areas in L.A. could potentially get hit with a yearly half a year's worth of rain just this week. Ariel Cohen is the meteorologist in charge of the National Weather Service in Oxnard. He joins us live once again. You were with us last night talking about the timing. What do we know now? What's the latest on the timing?
ARIEL COHEN, METEOROLOGIST IN CHARGE, NATL. WEATHER SERVICE IN OXNARD, CALF.: We're already seeing the heavy rain approaching the Southern California coastline right now as we speak, as multiple rounds of energy with this large storm system are already approaching the area. Confidence continues to grow in this very dangerous situation materializing across Southern California in the next few days.
MICHAELSON: What makes this so dangerous?
COHEN: What makes this so dangerous is the long duration of repeated rounds of moderate to heavy rain, bringing a cumulative effect of several inches in many of the higher terrain areas, perhaps upwards over a foot or more in the mountains of the parts of central L.A. County and to Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.
When you bring that much precipitation over the high terrain, you have so much in the way of landslide activity, rock slides, mud slides that can get going around, in this case, a holiday time period when a lot of folks typically are traveling out and about. In addition to the rock slides and mud slides that can be damaging or potentially deadly to folks on the roads, many areas will experience significant flooding.
We're talking about many inches of flowing water, potentially even feet of water collecting in many areas over roadways, the potential for creeks and streams to flood, even some minor larger river flooding or rather main stem river flooding also possible. When you bring about all of these circumstances and combine it with the holiday time period, it's -- it's -- it's a recipe for potential extreme impacts and life threatening conditions. And so right now is the time to be wrapping those preparations up in advance of the weather. Make sure that you can do whatever you can to avoid being out on the roadways. And remember, never drive through a flooded roadway.
MICHAELSON: But to that point, you made that point last night as well about avoiding being out on the road with a lot of people are like, I'm going to grandma's house for Christmas. You know, I -- I got to go. What do you say to those people?
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COHEN: Ultimately, if you are out and about on the roads, remember, if you see a flooded roadway, turn around, don't drown. If you drive through that water, you're risking your life. Those of your loved ones do not drive through flooded roadways at all.
And if you're driving through some of the canyon roadways and through the terrain, you're -- you're really putting yourself in danger when it comes to the potential for rockslides and mudslides. And it may be in the latter portion of the event until when the bigger impacts come about, owing to the cumulative impacts from all of the heavy rain stacking up.
And again, I want to remind everyone, there's going to be a lot of variability from place to place. If you're in the L.A. basin and you're only getting a few inches of rain, you're not going to see as much the way of impacts compared to once you get to the mountains and the valleys and the foothills. So there's going to be a lot of variability from place to place.
MICHAELSON: And it can change quickly as we have the microclimates here. Ariel Cohen, thank you so much. I know you're going to be busy, probably not a lot of time off for the holiday, but we appreciate your work and appreciate you coming on once again tonight.
COHEN: We're here to keep everyone safe. Take care, everyone.
MICHAELSON: Thank you very much.
New South Wales is officially tightening its gun and anti-terrorism laws. This comes in the wake of a mass shooting at Australia's famed Bondi Beach, which killed 15 people and wounded dozens during a Jewish Hanukkah celebration. The state's parliament voted to further restrict the firearm cap on most individual gun licenses. Police also will be granted more power to curb public protests in the months following a declared terror attack. And public displays of prohibited terror organization symbols will now be banned in a bid to combat anti- Semitism. Look how quickly Australia moved on gun legislation compared to America.
In Ukraine, the President Zelenskyy is signaling some progress after the latest round of peace talks over the weekend. But inside Ukraine, the fighting continues. Russia launched one of its largest aerial attacks last night. CNN's Clare Sebastian has more. CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ukraine's air defenses tested again overnight into Tuesday. Russia's rejection of any notion of a ceasefire at Christmas or otherwise once again laid bare in a widespread attack targeting multiple regions of Ukraine, from Odessa in the south, which has come under repeated attack over the past two weeks, to the capital of Kyiv, and the western part of Ukraine, causing Poland once again to scramble jets, it said, as a preventative measure to protect its airspace.
Energy facilities among the main targets causing widespread blackouts, thermal power plants were hit. And the International Atomic Energy Agency said two nuclear power plants had to reduce power generation following attacks on electrical substations and concerns about the grid becoming unstable.
And it was a deadly attack for civilians. This is the aftermath of a strike in the western Zhytomyr region that killed a four-year-old child. Two adults were also killed in the Kyiv region. President Zelenskyy had warned about Russia stepping up attacks ahead of Christmas. But in a war that sees attacks on this scale pretty regularly, this was the second biggest in December. What it does underscore is Moscow's clear intention to ramp up the pressure on Ukraine militarily to try to weaken its position in talks.
And that applies also to the front lines. Ukraine's military saying Tuesday it had withdrawn from the small Donetsk town of Siversk almost two weeks after Russia claimed to have captured the town. Not a strategic loss, but it does reinforce Russia's manpower advantage, and the fact that the front line is moving, albeit slowly, as Ukraine races to try to reach a durable peace settlement.
Clare Sebastian, CNN, London.
MICHAELSON: Now to Venezuela, where the country's National Assembly has approved a new law over its tension with the U.S. That law allows up to 20 years in prison for anyone found supporting piracy or naval blockades. The move is in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's ordering a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers from Venezuela. The country's president, Nicolas Maduro, praised the law and said that Venezuela will emerge stronger.
The U.S. military seized two oil tankers in the region over the past two weeks and has been pursuing a third since Sunday. All this follows months of U.S. strikes against alleged drug trafficking boats, which have killed at least 105 people.
And it's not just ships that the U.S. is worried about. The Coast Guard and international authorities are reporting an increase in so- called narco-subs. These are homemade subs used by traffickers to smuggle cocaine across the ocean. CNN's Patrick Oppmann has our story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): U.S. Coast Guardsmen raced to board a so called narco-sub in eastern Pacific with 17,000 pounds of cocaine aboard. They don't have a moment to lose. Drug traffickers will often flood and sink the vessels before law enforcement can seize the illicit cargo they transport.
[01:15:04]
Since this 2019 incident, officials say the phenomenon of DIY subs built to traffic narcotics and the distances they travel have increased dramatically.
JOSE FERREIRA, MARITIME ANALYSIS AND OPERATIONS CENTRE: This is a modus operandi that the criminal groups are now using a lot of more and more. It's clearly a growing threat towards Europe and it's very hard for us not just to detect but also to interdict.
OPPMANN (voice-over): Experts say narco-subs travel just under the surface of the water and are painted to match the color of the ocean. They're often built in mangroves near the ocean in South America, where thick tree cover hides them from law enforcement and satellite surveillance.
Increasingly, the narco-subs are traveling to new markets thousands of miles from where they are assembled. Last month, this narco-sub believed to have crossed the Atlantic from South America was seized off the coast of Portugal with nearly two tons of cocaine aboard. Portuguese police arrested the four man crew aboard.
Even though narco-subs can cost up to $1 million to build, Maritime authorities say they are often discarded after only one successful drug run. In January, police discovered this sunken sub mysteriously abandoned near the coast of Spain.
Police divers managed to raise the damaged sub and tote it into port as potential evidence. Increasingly, alleged smugglers transporting drugs by sea face a new threat. In October, the U.S. military destroyed the suspected narco-sub in the Caribbean.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: That was a drug carrying submarine built specifically for the transportation of massive amounts of drugs. Just so you understand, this was not an innocent group of people. I don't know too many people that have submarines.
OPPMANN (voice-over): Two alleged crew members of the sub were killed in the strike. Two survivors were transported to their home countries where they were released for lack of evidence. The threat of U.S. strikes is an added danger to an already risky profession.
HENRY SHULDINER, INSIGHT CRIME: There's many, many risks that are that can happen, whether it's a mechanical failure, whether it's rough seas, you know, bad weather that they encounter. Law enforcement, you know, if something goes wrong, there's almost no margin for survival.
OPPMANN (voice-over): But once again, the smuggler's knack for adaptation may be one step ahead. In July, the Colombian navy seized what they say was an unmanned narco-sub equipped with a star like dish. Soon, counter narcotics officials say drug cartels may deliver their dangerous contraband across oceans by remote control.
Patrick Oppmann, CNN. (END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Our thanks to Patrick.
"Marty Supreme" is already on track to be one of the most talked about films of the year. Up next, our movie critic Grae Drake is going to be with us live, talk about which films she thinks will carry for the holidays and the awards season. Maybe she'll talk about narco-subs. I mean, the typical intro for her, a narco-sub story. Stay with us. Grae is with us next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[01:22:01]
TIMOTHEE CHALAMET, ACTOR: Marty Supreme is an American film that comes out on Christmas Day 2025.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: One of Hollywood's most in-demand actors, Timothee Chalamet there, promoting his new film, "Marty Supreme." Now, he is at the top of the sphere in Las Vegas. Talk about promotion. He stars as an inspiring ping pong champion who goes to hell and back in pursuit of greatness. Directed by Josh Safdie, one half of the duo behind "Uncut Gems." The film is already getting awards buzz before its wide, critical release on Christmas Day, theatrical release on Christmas Day.
Joining me here in the studio, Grae Drake, film critic at CBR.com. Welcome back to The Story Is. Great to see you.
GRAE DRAKE, FILM CRITIC, CBR.COM: Hello. Timmy Tim's on top of that big old ball.
MICHAELSON: Yes, I mean, he is everywhere --
DRAKE: He is.
MICHAELSON: -- doing very viral, strategic promotion, which is amazing.
DRAKE: Yes, and it's totally aligned with the film and with his character.
MICHAELSON: So, tell us about the film.
DRAKE: So, "Marty Supreme" is about this table tennis champ. There's one guy he can't beat. He has to raise the money to go to this tournament to really try and get victory over this guy. And in order to do that, he has to hustle. So, this movie is just about the hustle.
It is about -- he hustles people that are playing ping pong with him, his girlfriend, his family. No one is safe from the hustle. He's so obnoxious. And Timothee Chalamet is perfect in this role. It's basically like, this movie is so exhausting. It makes you feel like you ran 25 miles, but you have no cardiovascular benefit in real life.
MICHAELSON: See it, skip it.
DRAKE: See it. It's great. He's great. If Leonardo DiCaprio was not in a movie this year, he would probably win the Oscar.
MICHAELSON: So, he's going to end up as the runner-up again?
DRAKE: I think so.
MICHAELSON: Yes, last year a lot of people thought maybe it was this year.
DRAKE: I'd love to be wrong, though. Love to be wrong.
MICHAELSON: Yes. "Anaconda." What's that?
DRAKE: Oh, my God. My favorite movie of the year, question mark?
MICHAELSON: Really?
DRAKE: So funny. So dumb. It's exactly what my heart needed. Jack Black and Paul Rudd love the 1997 film "Anaconda." OK? Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube. It is a disaster, and it is great. They want to reboot it in this movie.
So, they grab their friends, Steve Zahn and Thandiwe Newton, and they go to the jungle to make this movie. Chaos ensues. It's a disaster. It's so fun. I'm so happy people have this. Like, on the Christmas holiday here in the U.S. to watch? Awesome.
MICHAELSON: They're so watchable, right?
DRAKE: Oh, yes. And they're doing what they do best, and they're doing it perfectly.
MICHAELSON: "Song Sung Blue."
DRAKE: Who loves Neil Diamond and Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson? This is a magical triumvirate, OK?
MICHAELSON: OK.
DRAKE: Those two are in a Neil Diamond experience, not just a tribute band. And it's based on a true story. The true story is bananas. So, this movie actually seems fake, but the plot points are true.
[01:25:01]
MICHAELSON: Wow.
DRAKE: And the highs and lows are unparalleled. So, just get ready for a little bit of emotional whiplash. But when Kate Hudson and Hugh Jackman are singing together, it's magical. And the rest of it is a little perplexing. People actually went through this stuff. But I -- I -- you can't beat this one either. It's a great Christmas here.
MICHAELSON: So, just stream the soundtrack or see the movie?
DRAKE: No, I'd say see the movie, but just get ready to be like, what? Because some things that happen in it are shocking, but they really happened.
MICHAELSON: So, it is -- it is of course, Christmas week. A lot of people are going to be off. A lot of people have time to go to the movies. But a lot of people also are going to be at home looking to not talk to their family. And maybe put something on to stream, right?
DRAKE: Right, yes.
MICHAELSON: Yes. Here in Southern California, it's going to be raining because you don't want to go outside. What's your favorite holiday movie to stream?
DRAKE: Oh, hands down, my favorite is "Scrooged" with Bill Murray. Oh, I love it because he's this heartless exec at a T.V. studio. And he's like putting on a little --
MICHAELSON: What a concept, right?
DRAKE: I know.
MICHAELSON: Can you imagine?
DRAKE: I don't understand it at all.
MICHAELSON: What is that?
DRAKE: He is putting on a live version of Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve. What a monster, right? But he gets visited by the three ghosts. It's the best.
MICHAELSON: OK, my favorite is "Home Alone." I do think it is -- there you go. The perfect Christmas movie. It's still good. He's so great. The storyline, the family, the music, the soundtrack is perfect.
DRAKE: Yes, yes, yes.
MICHAELSON: The whole thing. The way it's edited, it still feels good. Did you see on SNL this weekend, they did a skit about "Home Alone"?
DRAKE: Did I?
MICHAELSON: OK, so Ariana Grande is on. And they make fun -- this is --
DRAKE: That's right.
MICHAELSON: The family -- this is what would happen if all the stuff was still there when the family shows up.
DRAKE: And just everyone's getting torn to pieces. MICHAELSON: Yes.
DRAKE: Right?
MICHAELSON: Yes.
DRAKE: Yes. Macaulay Culkin has actually jokingly apologized for everyone who feels reluctant to burgle families over the holidays. He's like, I did that. I'm so sorry.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
DRAKE: It's a great movie.
MICHAELSON: That is so funny. And the favorite show to stream or to start streaming right now if people have extra time.
DRAKE: Oh, actually, all her fault. Don't go with the Christmas theme at all.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
DRAKE: Just go with like --
MICHAELSON: It's really good. I started -- I watched it because of you. That's on Peacock.
DRAKE: Yes, yes, yes.
MICHAELSON: I would recommend also "Pluribus" on Apple TV.
DRAKE: Yes, that too.
MICHAELSON: It's really, really fantastic. All right, Grae, thank you so much.
DRAKE: Yes.
MICHAELSON: Merry Christmas to you.
DRAKE: Merry Christmas.
MICHAELSON: Up next, 2025 has been an exciting year in sports.
And our World Sports team counts down the year's biggest moments and the links to the ice to the hardcore. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:32:08]
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to THE STORY IS. I'm Elex Michaelson.
Let's take a look at today's top stories. The latest release of the Epstein files has sparked more questions
than answers, according to Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer. One of the concerns is about possible Epstein co-conspirators.
Internal FBI messages asked for a status update on ten people believed to be working with the convicted sex offender. Those names have been redacted. No more details have been released.
The Supreme Court has dealt a rare but major loss to the Trump administration. On Tuesday, the court rejected President Trump's request to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago in order to protect ICE agents. That ruling limits President Trump's options if he wants to continue to deploy soldiers into cities.
Pennsylvania's governor says two people are dead after a fire and explosion ripped through a nursing home near Philadelphia. Police say five people may be missing, others are injured. The cause of the explosion remains under investigation. Governor Josh Shapiro says authorities believe it may have been a gas leak.
Thousands of Union Berlin fans transformed the club's stadium into a sea of candlelight and song for the Christmas holiday.
Nearly 29,000 people filled the stadium for the annual tradition, which began about two decades ago with less than 90 people. What started as a small gathering has now snowballed into a festive event, drawing fans from across Germany to spread some holiday cheer.
From sports gambling scandals to a trade that rocked the NBA, our Andy Scholes has a look at CNN's top ten sports stories of the year.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: 2025 delivered some of the most unforgettable moments in sports. Championships, heartbreak, history and headlines that shook the entire sports world.
Here are the top ten moments that defined the year.
At number ten, we start in college football, where Ohio State climbed the mountain, winning the first ever 12-team playoff.
And the timing of the expanded playoff could not have been better for the Buckeyes. They were the eight seed and won four games, culminating with a victory over Notre Dame to claim the ninth title in school history.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I think this is just what a player dreams of.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't put it into words. It's the best feeling.
SCHOLES: And the drama of college football continuing even after the 2025 regular season as Lane Kiffin's coaching decision captivated the entire sporting world. In the end, Kiffin left Ole Miss right before their first trip to the
playoffs to take the head job at LSU. [01:34:47]
LANE KIFFIN, COACH, LSU: Leaving Ole Miss was extremely difficult, an extremely difficult decision.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news of a massive sports gambling investigation. Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers' head coach Chauncey Billups have been arrested in connection with that probe.
SCHOLES: At number nine, the sports world continued to grapple with gambling scandals.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Here's another betting scandal that is rocking professional sports. And this time it's two Major League Baseball pitchers who are accused of fixing the outcome of so-called prop bets.
Emanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz of the Cleveland Guardians have been indicted and could face years in prison.
SCHOLES: More athletes faced investigations and leagues partnered with sportsbooks to limit specific wagers, a sign of just how fast the landscape is changing.
At number eight, we have "the Great 8," making hockey history. Alex Ovechkin breaking what many thought was an unbreakable record. In April against the Islanders, Ovechkin scored his 895th goal, breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time record.
ALEX OVECHKIN, WASHINGTON CAPITALS: A special moment. It's great for hockey.
SCHOLES: A Stanley Cup final in June was a rematch between the Panthers and Oilers, and it would be Florida going back-to-back, winning the series four to two.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a champion right here.
SCHOLES: Number seven, the Florida Gators pulling off one of the best comebacks in national championship game history, rallying from 12 down against the Houston Cougars in the second half to win their third title.
TODD GOLDEN, FLORIDA HEAD COACH: We're thrilled, man. It's a heck of a moment. An incredible opportunity to be here. And the fact that we finished it up means everything in the world.
SCHOLES: On the women's side, nine years after claiming their last title, the UConn Huskies returning to the mountaintop. In her last collegiate game, Paige Bueckers leading UConn to a win over South Carolina. For head coach Geno Auriemma, it was his 12th national title.
GENO AURIEMMA, UCONN HEAD COACH: I don't know that any program's meant more to their sport than what UConn has meant to women's basketball. SCHOLES: At number six, Lionel Messi does it again, this time in America. The Argentinian legend leading Inter Miami to their first ever MLS Cup title. Messi's the most decorated player in the history of soccer, winning 47 team trophies. Will he add another World Cup? Argentina are the defending champions for the World Cup that is set to take place the summer of 2026 in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
At number five, the Chiefs' quest for an historic third straight Super Bowl was thwarted by the Eagles. In a rematch from two years ago, Jalen Hurts and company getting the best of Patrick Mahomes, and the Eagles dominating winning Super Bowl 59, 40-22.
JALEN CARTER, DEFENSIVE LINEMAN, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: It feels good, man. You see the smiles. You see what family, brother, I'm happy, man. This is what it's all about.
SCHOLES: And before the current NFL season, tragedy struck the NFL offices in Manhattan.
ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: New details on the deadly mass shooting in New York City. A police officer and three others are dead after a man walked into a busy midtown office building with an assault-style rifle, opening fire.
ROGER GOODELL, NFL COMMISSIONER: There are no excuses for those senseless acts. They're hard for all of us to understand.
SCHOLES: At number four, 2025 was an incredible year for golf. Rory McIlroy finally having his green jacket moment and getting the fourth major that had always eluded him. Rory, winning the Masters, with the win joining an exclusive club, becoming just the sixth golfer ever to complete the career Grand Slam.
RORY MCILROY, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: It's the greatest year of my professional life. I don't know how I'm going to top this.
SCHOLES: And the Grand Slam club could soon get a new member, Scottie Scheffler, with an incredible 2025, winning the PGA Championship and the Open Championship. Scottie now has won four majors and is only missing the U.S. Open for the career Grand Slam.
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: Life out here is pretty cool right now. This is a lot of fun.
SCHOLES: And 2025 was also a Ryder Cup year that saw the European team jump out to a huge early lead, despite a raucous and sometimes offensive crowd at Bethpage Black in New York. The U.S. made a run on Sunday, but it would be Rory and the Europeans winning their second straight, and first on foreign soil since 2012.
SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Five and a half hours -- that's how long it took to seal one of the wildest comebacks in French Open history.
SCHOLES: And number three in 2025, we saw one of the greatest tennis matches of all time. Carlos Alcaraz saved three match points and rallied from two sets down to defeat Jannik Sinner in a five-set thriller at the French Open.
Alcaraz and Sinner would split the men's Grand Slams this year, setting a foundation for what is now the best rivalry in men's tennis.
CARLOS ALCAREZ, PROFESSIONAL TENNIS PLAYER: It's a better taste when you win a Grand Slam or a tournament, when you beat the best player in the world.
SCHOLES: On the women's side it was a big year for the Americans. Madison Keys won her first Grand Slam at the Australian Open, and Coco Gauff claimed her second at Roland Garros.
[01:39:49]
COCO GAUFF, PROFESSIONAL TENNIS PLAYER: I'm just glad to get another title to my resume.
SCHOLES: At number two, we have the trade that rocked the sports world. Dallas fans waking up February 2nd to find out that the Mavericks had traded their hero, their star, Luka Doncic, to the Lakers. The trade was so shocking it sparked protests outside the Mavs arena.
CROWD: Nico, Nico got to go.
SCHOLES: The Oklahoma City Thunder then finished off a dominant season, beating the Indiana Pacers in seven games to win their first- ever NBA title.
And at number one on our list is the Los Angeles Dodgers edging out the Toronto Blue Jays in one of the most dramatic World Series of all time. The Blue Jays, an inch away from winning it all in game seven. But the Dodgers coming through in the clutch thanks to amazing performances from Japanese stars Yoshi Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's kind of amazing, crazy, and I'm just glad we won.
SCHOLES: And the Dodgers will look for the three-peat in 2026, which will be one of the busiest sports calendars in a long time, with the Winter Olympics in February and the World Cup kicking off in June.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Thanks to Andy Scholes for that comprehensive look back. Can't wait. Big year next year in sports.
Thanks so much for watching THE STORY IS. For our international viewers, WORLDSPORT -- more of that team is up next. For our viewers here in North America, I'll be right back with an inspiring story of Tony Robbins and how he is using music right here in Burbank, which you're looking at right now, to help change the world.
Amazing, amazing story as we await the rain here in southern California. Stay with us.
[01:41:45]
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MICHAELSON: Did you know that bestselling author, life coach, and motivational speaker Tony Robbins was once hungry? When he was struggling to put dinner on the table, a stranger's kindness changed his life. So now Robbins is making sure others don't have to experience the same and using music to help achieve that.
CNN got exclusive access to his new effort called "The Next Verse".
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC)
MICHAELSON: As the chorus of "The Next Verse" is recorded, author and life coach Tony Robbins is in tears watching his vision become a reality. Stars like Bruno Mars, Jon Bon Jovi, Dr. Dre all uniting in song.
TONY ROBBINS, "THE NEXT VERSE": This is -- we have -- we figured out 780 years of music experience here.
(MUSIC)
MICHAELSON: 40 years after the song, "We Are the World" raised more than $80 million to support humanitarian efforts in Africa, Robbins envisioned a modern twist to support his effort to feed 100 billion meals to the hungry.
100 billion meals seems like such a crazy --
ROBBINS: Well, we've already done 62 billion.
MICHAELSON: But you're there. You're making it happen, right?
ROBBINS: 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.
MICHAELSON: As a young man, Robbins himself experienced hunger. At 17, he moved out of what he described as an abusive house and became a janitor. And he's not the only one here who suffered.
WILL.I.AM, AMERCIAN RAPPER AND SINGER-SONGWRITER: I've stood in food lines when my family didn't have the means.
MICHAELSON: Before Will.I.Am's Black-Eyed Peas sold an estimated 80 million records, his own family needed help to eat.
After that experience, does it especially fill your soul to be a part of this, to be a part of this cause.
WILL.I.AM: Being a recipient of do-gooding and then having success, you want to always contribute.
ANGIE EVERHART, ACTRESS/MODEL: I've been hungry before, so it's not fun.
MICHAELSON: Actress and model Angie Everhart says she once could not afford groceries.
So when you hadn't eaten for two days and a friend brought you groceries, what did those groceries represent to you?
EVERHART: I cried when they -- when she brought me the groceries, I cried.
MICHAELSON: Now she owns a food company, Bear Organics, the first to support 100 billion meals.
And does this feed your soul?
EVERHART: Absolutely.
ROBBINS: The two of you together is wild.
MICHAELSON: Robbins recruited rock and roll Hall of Famers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis to produce and help write this song.
JIMMY JAM, PRODUCER, "THE NEXT VERSE": This is the song that never ends. I mean, this song could go on forever.
(MUSIC)
JAM: The call to action. I can change the world. You can change the world. We can change the world. Love can change the world.
(MUSIC)
MICHAELSON: Tony, emotional watching Michael McConald of Doobie Brothers fame recording.
MICHAEL MCDONALD, AMERICAN SINGER/SONGWRITER: This is what most of us look for in our lives to be a part of McDonald says he was an immediate yes.
MCDONALD: When somebody says we have a chance to feed a billion kids in a world where a child starves to death every 10 seconds, you can't say no.
MICHAELSON: For musicians like Siedah Garrett, this is a unique opportunity to collaborate.
SIEDAH GARRETT, SINGER: I just saw Michael McDonald.
(MUSIC)
GARRETT: The only white man that can hold a candle next to Patti Labelle? Come on, he's amazing.
MICHAELSON: This is the music video for "Man in the Mirror".
(MUSIC) MICHAELSON: An anthem Garrett co-wrote with Michael Jackson to promote
global change.
In some ways, you feel like this song is like a sequel to this.
GARRETT: This song is the -- is the entree to "Man in the Mirror".
MICHAELSON: Yes.
GARRETT: It's a call to action, and I'm hoping that you answer that call.
DARRYL MCDANIELS, AMERICAN RAPPER AND MUSIC PRODUCER: DMC in a place to be in.
MICHAELSON: Darryl McDaniels of Run DMC says music can prompt change like nothing else.
How's music the universal language?
MCDANIELS: It's a spirit. Once you hear it, you know who you are.
[01:49:48]
MICHAELSON: To expand reach, Tony partnered with iHeartRadio and with Zoom, which brought in live feeds of people from all around the world.
Andy Carluccio is head of innovation for Zoom.
ANDY CARLUCCIO, HEAD OF INNOVATION, ZOOM: We bring in video at super low latency from everywhere in the world through our tiles app. And then that goes out to these LED walls so that we make sure that the presenters and the remote audience feel like they're part of the event.
MICHAELSON: But behind all this fancy technology is a very simple, powerful purpose.
What's the big, big lesson you want people to take from this day from seeing this video?
ROBBINS: I think it's that unless you have something you care about more than yourself, you're going to always have problems. I mean, there's a unification here because all of us are trying to serve something more than ourselves.
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Love them. The song comes out on Christmas day, first on iHeartRadio stations. You can find out more about the efforts by going to 100BillionMeals.org.
Coming up, Santa Claus getting ready before he heads to a chimney near you. We take you to the North Pole to take a look at the preparations happening right now.
[01:50:57]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
Now to a special holiday message from space.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Greetings to planet earth. All of our friends and family from Expedition 74 aboard the International Space Station, flying high above. Thinking of you during this holiday season.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Do they -- do they pack outfits for different holidays and have to fly up to space? Astronauts aboard the ISS are wishing everyone on earth a very merry Christmas, a happy holiday season. They're in the middle of a long duration stay to test new technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions in space.
Final preparations are officially underway for Santa Claus' long journey ahead of Christmas. He was spotted in his official hometown in the Arctic Circle, setting up his sleigh, reindeer and all, as he gets ready to deliver gifts of children around the world.
Thank you so much for joining me for the last three hours of THE STORY IS. I'm Elex Michaelson.
I'll be off for the next few days. I want to wish you and your family a very merry Christmas for those celebrating that.
For those of you here in southern California, hope you're safe with all the rain that is coming. I'll see you right back here on Monday. Thanks so much.
[01:56:15]
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