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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson
Minneapolis And Portland Mayors To ICE: Get Out Of Our Cities; Protests Erupt In Minneapolis Over Deadly ICE Shooting; U.S. Senators Advance War Powers Resolution For Venezuela; Rebuilding Continues One Year after Devastating Fires; Interview with California Attorney General Rob Bonta; "Avatar: Fire and Ash" Expected to Stay at Top of Box Office; Award Season Officially Underway. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired January 09, 2026 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[01:00:00]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN Breaking News.
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to a special edition of The Story Is. I'm Elex Michaelson reporting live from Los Angeles. And the story is the mayors of two major American cities telling Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to get out of their communities.
This comes after federal agents opened fire in Minneapolis on Wednesday and in Portland just hours ago. You see the scenes playing out just within the last few hours right here.
The Minnesota shooting killed an American mother of three. We don't know the status of the victims in Portland. We're told they're a married couple who are hospitalized and later arrested. They are live. The violence unleashing protests in both of those cities and in other cities across the country right now.
In Portland, the Department of Homeland Security says Border Patrol agents were going after a Venezuelan gang member during a targeted vehicle stop. They accused that couple of then trying to ram the agents with their car. Local leaders condemning the shooting and the ongoing presence of ICE.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEITH WILSON, PORTLAND, OREGON MAYOR: Portland is not a training ground for militarized agents. We are calling on ICE to halt all operations in Portland.
KAYSE JAMA, OREGON STATE SENATOR: We do not need you. You're not welcome, and you need to get the hell out of our community.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Andrea Valderrama is a Democratic state representative from the district where the shooting happened. She's with us live right now from Portland.
What is your reaction to what is happening in your community right now and what is your message to the nation?
ANDREA VALDERRAMA, OREGON STATE HOUSE DEMOCRAT: Thank you for having me. It's been a tough day. As a mom, as a neighbor in this neighborhood of Hazelwood in Portland, Oregon. We've been processing this excessive use of violence against our community members. And we are standing strong.
We're having tough conversations with our kids. We are doing what we can as elected leaders to call for an end to this excessive force, for an investigation and ultimately for peace and a safer neighborhood.
MICHAELSON: You called it excessive violence. Do we know that it was excessive violence? We haven't seen any video of this yet. What Homeland Security says happened is that they were going after gang members who were in this country illegally who were then driving a car at them and they feared for their life. How do you know that it was excessive?
VALDERRAMA: I'm absolutely supportive of our Department of Justice's call for an investigation into what happened today. So I am eager with many of my neighbors to learn more about what happened.
What I do know is that over the last several months there have been incidences of excessive use of force. We've seen just teenagers at Dutch Brothers being targeted. I've heard stories of guns being drawn and as we've seen in other cities that has been the case. We've seen damage to public property.
So it is important to me that as a mom and as a Portlander, we can feel safe taking our kiddos to school, going to medical appointments, and also have accountability to those who need it.
MICHAELSON: What are you hearing from your constituents tonight?
VALDERRAMA: I'm hearing a lot of concern, a lot of outrage, and ultimately a lot of heartbreak. We are doing what we can in this moment to stabilize our kids and our families in the face of families being torn apart.
I believe that families deserve to stay together, that children deserve a stable household and our communities deserve transparency in these types of incidences. So we're doing what we can to provide them answers as quickly as possible. And that's why we fully support an investigation and hope to get that information to them soon.
MICHAELSON: State Representative Andrea Valderrama in Portland for us live tonight. Thank you so much for joining us.
VALDERRAMA: Thank you so much for joining us. Thanks for having me.
MICHAELSON: Protesters in Minneapolis are calling for justice for Renee Good, who was killed when an ICE agent shot into her car. Police have been gathering a few blocks away from where the shooting happened Wednesday, demanding that ICE get out of that city.
Protesters gathering there, you see some of that video there. They played music, they blew whistles, they beat drums before hosting a moment of silence. The governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, raising concerns about the investigation into that shooting, which comes after state officials said the FBI blocked them from joining the probe.
[01:05:04]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. TIM WALZ (D) MINNESOTA: It feels very, very difficult that we will get a fair outcome. And I say that only because people in positions of power have already passed judgment from the president to the vice president to Kristi Noem have stood and told you things that are verifiably false. When Kristi Noem was judge, jury and basically executioner yesterday, that's very, very difficult to think that they were going to be fair.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Governor Walz has authorized Minnesota's National Guard to help support local law enforcement. As tensions rise, Vice President J.D. Vance is slamming the governor's comments.
(BEGIM VIDEO CLIP)
J.D. VANCE, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: Tim Walz is a joke. His entire administration has been a joke. The idea that he's some sort of freedom fighter, he's not. This is absolutely a tragedy, but it's a tragedy of the far left. They have radicalized a very small segment of the population, taught them that ICE agents are engaging in wide scale violation of people's rights.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Meanwhile, we're learning new details about the ICE agent involved in the shooting. He had more than 10 years of experience with the agency. He was on its special response team. A source tells CNN he was dragged by a car in a separate incident last year while trying to make an arrest. CNN's Leigh Waldman is on the ground in Minneapolis.
LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Elex, throughout the day today we have seen people gathering here where Renee Nicole Good spent her last moments. This is where her car crashed following that shooting that happened. And you can see this growing beautiful memorial, people singing "Amazing Grace," leaving candles, flowers, leaving signs honoring her life, honoring how her life was ended and demanding that ICE get out of their city.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALDMAN (voice-over): A group of women sing at a vigil Thursday in memory of Renee Nicole Good killed in her vehicle in Minneapolis spied an ICE agent. The mood outside of the memorial somber where just one day ago the 37-year-old mother's encounter with ICE turned deadly.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't imagine like that they came home and their mom isn't going to be there for them anymore. WALDMAN (voice-over): The Department of Homeland Security has accused
Good of attacking ICE officers with her car. Graphic video captures the moment it all unfolded. Federal agents drive up and approach Good's vehicle, telling her to get out of the car. One agent appears to pull on the door handle and as Good starts to drive away, she is shot.
While some in Minneapolis are mourning, some are protesting outside of the federal building. Federal agents deploy a chemical agent as protesters and law enforcement clash. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called on protesters to remain peaceful.
WALZ: We're not going to win this through violence. We're going to win it through justice. We're going to win it through compassion.
WALDMAN: But Governor Walz referred to the event as a brazen use of force and says the Trump administration has excluded the state from the investigation. Vice President J.D. Vance joined the White House press briefing Thursday, where he placed blame on Good and seemingly justified the agent's actions.
VANCE: That guy is protected by absolute immunity. He was doing his job.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALDMAN: A large group of protesters marched from about a mile away to the area of the vigil here, where the community has blocked off these streets so they have a place that they can safely gather.
This is not the only place where we have seen protests throughout the day. They've been happening here in Minneapolis, but also across the country. People using their voices, using their First Amendment right to demand action, to demand accountability, as we still have so many questions remaining regarding this shooting, including the moments directly before this shooting happened. Elex, back to you.
MICHAELSON: Leigh Waldman reporting from Minneapolis. Thank you. Protests have spread to other cities in solidarity with Minneapolis after that ICE shooting. Large crowds turning out in Boston, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Dallas, Atlanta.
In Washington, demonstrators held a peaceful protest. They blocked an intersection for about 30 minutes for speeches before marching towards the White House.
I want to go live now to Knoxville, Tennessee. A retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent Jason Pack joins us live. Jason, thanks for being with us.
What is the training like for an agent if a vehicle is coming at you? Because that seems to be the story in both of these incidents. If you're in law enforcement in that situation, what are you supposed to do?
JASON PACK, RETIRED FBI SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT: We train for this at Quantico quite a bit. However, in practice, usually we don't do that many car stops. So when a car is coming at you have a millisecond to make a decision.
[01:10:00]
And what's important to know is what that officer's frame of mind of what he thought the threat was at the time. So the policy says you can use force only when necessary. That's when the agent believes that there is imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury. And that doesn't imminent means you don't have to wait for somebody to hit the accelerator or hit you. You don't have to wait for somebody to shoot at you first.
So in that context, that's the training that the Department of Justice deadly force policy is. I think also that's similar to the Department of Homeland Security, where ICE falls. In 2023 they did add a bit of an update to that policy that says, if possible, you need to get out of the way. So, you know, it's all going to go back.
We've had the luxury these past 24 to 36 hours of looking at different angles and interviewing different witnesses. And, you know, you have this armchair quarterback perspective. And people one side see it one way, people on the other side see it a separate way.
But legally, what -- what's going to that matter is what that agent thought at the same time and what could be true is that the person may not have meant. She may not have meant to cause harm, but the agent perceived that there was harm.
So those two things can be true at the same time. I think that's why it is important for this investigation to continue and find out the facts and what happened before. And I think we've seen some video come out today that showed what happened a little bit before that.
MICHAELSON: And quickly, because I know we're having some audio challenges with you. In terms of this new information, that this agent in Minneapolis had been dragged by a car before, and that may have been fresh in his mind, that trauma may have come to him right away.
How would that potentially impact him? And after an incident like that, you know, you get your job back in the field. Is there anything that happens to ensure that there isn't some sort of like, PTSD?
PACK: There usually is what's called a critical incident stress debriefing, where agents go through that particular scene and talk about it and then they are cleared and good to come back for duty. But that still remains part of your training and experience for future operations. He'll carry that within four now and from now on, as well as the shooting.
So it's hard to second guess somebody in a moment. And legally, as I mentioned, what's going to have to happen is they're going to have to see what the agent perceived that threat was and judge that against a reasonable standard. So while he may win the court case, that court is opinion case may not be as successful. MICHAELSON: Jason Pack with us live in Knoxville, Tennessee. Not the
greatest audio, but a great picture and important words from you. We appreciate it.
Coming up, more on the aftermath of the ICE shooting in Minneapolis. After the break, we've got quite the political panel to discuss what this could mean for President Trump's immigration crackdown. John Kobylt, Lisa Bloom, both here live on set.
And lawmakers pushing to limit the powers of President Trump in Venezuela saying there'll be no more scenes like this, at least not without the say so of Congress. A lot to get into. You're going to want to see this, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:17:08]
MICHAELSON: We continue to follow breaking news. Two shootings involving federal agents in the US. Police say Border Patrol agents opened fire at a husband and wife in Portland, Oregon, sending them to the hospital. Oregon's attorney general says state officials are now launching a formal investigation.
In Minneapolis, protests are flaring up after an immigration officer shot and killed a 37-year-old U.S. citizen. Crowds of people there calling on the federal government to end its immigration crackdown in the city.
As the White House defends ICE, Minnesota officials say the FBI has blocked them from joining the investigation.
Let's go to Portland and Katherine Cook, who is a reporter at our local station there, KGW. Katherine, what are you seeing on the scene there tonight?
KATHERINE COOK, KGW REPORTER: Good evening, Elex. Well, behind us at the medical clinic here, crime tape is still up. This is still an active scene, but a lot less exciting, shall we say, than the last hour or so.
In fact, just a few moments ago in the last five minutes, we saw a tow truck taking out a vehicle that was presumably involved in this. The front bumper was missing. It's unclear how it was associated with this case, but it's been here for, well, since 2:30 this afternoon. They just towed it out.
It's unclear if it was the agent's car or not, but it was certainly involved in the case. We also watched federal agents walk inside the medical clinic. Now, after several hours of processing the scene out here.
MICHAELSON: And what are we seeing in terms of protests or any conflict? I know we saw earlier, last hour, people starting to be arrested. COOK: Yes, Portland is known for its robust protests. There have been
several across the city. But from as far as we can tell, things have remained relatively, I say relatively peaceful. Right now there is a small group of folks off to the side here. Actually, if you turn the camera, you can see it's not really much of a protest, but really a very peaceful small demonstration. Some folks have candles here standing by to protest what happened earlier this afternoon.
MICHAELSON: Katherine Cook, thank you for your reporting. Really appreciate it. Now to a stinging rebuke of Donald Trump in Washington.
Five Republican senators broke ranks and voted with Democrats to rein in the president's war powers when it comes to Venezuela. They advanced a resolution that would limit future U.S. military force in that country, meaning troops cannot go in without congressional approval.
The full measure poised to pass next week. President Trump not happy about this, saying the Republicans who voted for this War Powers Act should never be elected to office again.
Venezuela says at least 100 people were killed during that raid last weekend when then President Nicolas Maduro was captured, a raid Congress never had the chance to approve.
[01:20:07]
California Governor Gavin Newsom delivered his final State of the State address on Thursday. Remember, he's term limited. He drew a sharp contrast between California and what he called the carnival of chaos in Washington.
Newsom spoke for more than an hour, laying out his budget priorities, criticizing the Trump administration and defending California's economic and cultural successes in his words. The governor said his administration created a blueprint that other states can follow.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D) CALIFORNIA: But in California, we're not silent. You're not silent. You're not hunkering down. We're not retreating. We're a beacon. The state is providing a different narrative, an operational model, a policy blueprint for others to follow. The state, this people, this experiment in democracy belongs not to the past, but it belongs to the future.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Newsom is closing out his second term. We'll see if that ends with him announcing a run for president.
Joining me now to talk about all of this and more is civil rights attorney Lisa Bloom on the left and on the right, John Kobylt, the host of the John Kobylt Show on KFI AM640 here in Los Angeles and the iHeartRadio app. Welcome to you both.
LISA BLOOM, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY, THE BLOOM FIRM: Thank you.
MICHAELSON: People see this issue of immigration so differently and they see these stops so differently. You've worked on these cases before in court.
BLOOM: Yes.
MICHAELSON: How do you see? Let's start with the incident in Minneapolis, because that we've actually seen the video of.
BLOOM: That's right.
MICHAELSON: What do you see when you see that?
BLOOM: So I've litigated a lot of excessive force cases. And what's the most important thing to a jury is going to be those videos. And a jury is going to look at all of those videos. Of course, if it ever gets to a jury, if the officer is even charged, there will certainly be a civil case.
And what I see looking at those videos is a car that is turning. Now, let's remember the officers are very close. The officer who shoots is very close. The only way a car can turn is if the woman is turning the steering wheel of the car. He had to see that.
Now, police officers cannot shoot to kill because they're angry, because she didn't follow commands, because she's obstructing traffic, because they don't like her, because she's not listening to them.
We do not have the death penalty in America for any of those things. And especially law enforcement does not administer the death penalty just because they're angry. So I see her turning away. I don't see justification for deadly force against this young American citizen.
MICHAELSON: What do you see, John?
JOHN KOBYLT, HOST, "THE JOHN KOBYLT SHOW": Well, he can shoot to kill if he reasonably thinks he's getting run over by the car.
BLOOM: Reasonably.
KOBYLT: And we don't -- we don't know what his perspective is. He was in front of the car. I mean, the bullet went through the front windshield. So obviously he was in front of the car. If from his angle, he thinks he's going to get hit, run over, sideswiped, of course he's going to shoot. If I was in his position, I would shoot too.
MICHAELSON: Well, and he has been hit by a car in the past. How does that impact this whole thing?
BLOOM: It has no impact.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
BLOOM: He still has the same level of responsibility. And no, you don't just get to shoot because you think that maybe the car is coming towards you.
KOBYLT: Yes, you do. If you think your life is in danger.
BLOOM: No, you don't. Police officers and ICE officers have that. Excuse me, John. You can try to shout over me, but one of us.
KOBLYT: I will try.
BLOOM: One of us has actually litigated these cases.
KOBYLT: That's right.
BLOOM: We have a legal obligation to deescalate.
KOBYLT: They don't have a legal obligation to die.
BLOOM: To try to save human life.
KOBYLT: They don't have to die by. They don't have to commit suicide.
BLOOM: Step back. And he knows.
KOBYLT: Step back. You have a fraction of a second.
BLOOM: And not to take a life of a woman who has no history of violence, is a poet and a mother. Come on. She wasn't trying to kill anyone.
MICHAELSON: So you think he's not going to be convicted criminally because there's not going to be a case brought against him most likely?
BLOOM: First of all, we only have another federal agency, the FBI, who is handling this case. They've said that the state and the locals cannot do it. Why? Because they're trying to cover it up. Who runs the FBI? Kash Patel, who answers to Donald Trump.
Donald Trump has already given an opinion in this case. Let's keep in mind what used to be normal in situations like this, that the President would say, I'm very sorry for the family. We're going to have an investigation. We're going to let law enforcement play out. Instead, what he said is, she ran over the officer. I think we can all agree that's a lie. She did not run over anyone.
KOBYLT: She did not run over the officer.
BLOOM: So Trump lied.
KOBYLT: He thought he was going to get run over. And so he's got to make that split decision.
MICHAELSON: We don't know because we haven't. We haven't heard from him.
KOBYLT: That's right.
BLOOM: Of course he's going to say that they know that's what they're supposed to say.
MICHAELSON: But in terms of the immigration itself and immigration enforcement, I think is the most divisive issue in all of American politics.
BLOOM: It is.
MICHAELSON: The Rorschach's test of having one side saying this is a domestic terrorist and the other side saying it's a murderer.
KOBYLT: And why is this? Because what Trump is doing is enforcing the laws that have been on the books for many decades. And when Democrats had every level of power in government, they had the presidency, the Senate, and the House. They never changed the laws.
[01:25:05]
And the president has always had total discretion on how to enforce the law. He's not doing anything illegal by enforcing the law. He was voted into office largely on that issue. People are just not used to seeing immigration law being enforced.
BLOOM: The president can't just do anything he wants to enforce.
MICHAELSON: But isn't there, Lisa, a legal right for them to go in? I mean, all these -- these local agencies that are saying, get the F out of our city.
BLOOM: Not in the way that they're doing it with the masked agents. Look at this woman. I put myself in her shoes. She's got, what, half a dozen armed men in masks surrounding her car.
KOBYLT: I have a radical idea.
MICHAELSON: Let Lisa make a point.
BLOOM: Of course she wants to get out of there, right?
MICHAELSON: Yes.
BLOOM: And listen, I live here in Los Angeles. We have many, many immigrants. When ICE was here, I felt terrible for my friends and neighbors who had been here for so many years who were getting dragged off by these masked agents. Of course, it's upsetting.
KOBYLT: Lisa -- she knew exactly who they. She was a professional protester. She was an activist.
BLOOM: That has not been proven at all.
KOBYLT: Look at the New York Post this evening. Oh, you'll see, it's true. She belonged to ICE watch. She and her wife were tailing. Yes. Most of these groups are funded. A lot of these protesters are paid.
BLOOM: Does that mean she deserved to die?
KOBYLT: That you're changing the subject.
BLOOM: No I'm not.
KOBYLT: My point is, you were claiming she didn't know who these masked men are.
BLOOM: No, I didn't say that.
KOBYLT: Yes, she knew who they were. And I have an idea. Here's something really radical.
BLOOM: I said it's terrifying being surrounded by them.
KOBYLT: Let me finish. Here's something radical. When they tell you to get out of the car, shut down the engine, put your hands up and get out of the car.
BLOOM: And you want to have the death penalty if she doesn't do that?
KOBYLT: I didn't say that. But that's -- that's what I do.
MICHAELSON: Both --
KOBYLT: And that's what you do.
MICHAELSON: Both can be -- both can be true.
BLOOM: Every day people don't comply with law enforcement orders. Of course, it's better to do that. They can take her license plate. They can go to her home and arrest her later. They do not need to shoot her for that.
MICHAELSON: Let's talk about another issue of the day, which is the Governor Newsom and the State of California. Governor Newsom is seen by many as a frontrunner to be the next President of the United States, who has talked very openly about a very different approach when it comes to immigration. A very different approach to everything.
He called California today a blueprint, policy blueprint for the others to follow. John, do you think California is the policy blueprint the country needs to follow?
KOBYLT: Well, let's go through the blueprint. We have by far the most homeless in the country. I think we have half of the unsheltered homeless.
MICHAELSON: 25 percent.
KOBYLT: We got the highest income taxes, highest sales taxes, highest gas taxes. We're paying two bucks more than in Oklahoma right now. We got the highest housing costs, highest rental costs. I mean, I can go on for quite a while there.
So what's the blueprint? Everybody's going broke in this state. We got the highest unemployment rate. We got the highest inflation rate. So what's the story here? BLOOM: Well, actually, I think the economy is booming in California. I
have actually walked the entire length of California on the Pacific Crest trail, talked to people in big cities and small towns, and I can tell you this is a beautiful state. We do have high gas prices. Why? Because we used to have a lot of smog in L.A. and a lot of the taxes go to reduce the smog. We very rarely have that anymore. We encourage electric feedback.
KOBYLT: A lot of it goes to the global warming. That whole scam.
BLOOM: 99 percent of scientists agree.
KOBYLT: Wait a second. That we all experience much more --
BLOOM: Yes.
KOBYLT: -- than in Oklahoma gas.
(CROSSTALK)
BLOOM: Listen, let's talk about --
KOBYLT: I want to drive my SUV and I shouldn't have to pay. Where's the -- where's the money going? It's like -- it's like the 24 billion that disappeared for homelessness. There's -- there's tens of billions of dollars that have disappeared into these climate.
BLOOM: Why does everybody come here? Because the state is gorgeous, because it is efficient. Do we have problems? Yes.
KOBYLT: Six years in a row? U-Haul says California is the number one state for people.
BLOOM: That's not true. That is not true.
MICHAELSON: Well, the fact the last year of California had do recover.
BLOOM: Have you turn on the 4:05 rush lately?
MICHAELSON: Yes, maybe some people need to leave. Los Angeles though, you know, we just had the one year anniversary yesterday of the fires that devastated.
BLOOM: Yes.
MICHAELSON: And there was a lot of mistakes that led to those fires. You went to a rally that was called They Let Us Burn. And Spencer Pratt, who a lot of people know from his reality TV show days, was a Palisades resident, lost his home, lost his family's home, has been all over this issue and announced this, he's running for mayor. This is what he said to you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SPENCER PRATT, LOS ANGELES MAYORAL CANDIDATE: First, it's negligence. I think there's just a lot of stupid people running these positions. And then I also think they don't care.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: What do you think of Spencer for mayor?
KOBYLT: You know, everyone's saying he's a reality star. He's crazy. It'll never work. Which is what they said about Trump, too.
MICHAELSON: Correct.
BLOOM: And now it's a threat.
KOBYLT: A reality star hothead. Let me tell you, I talked to a lot of people there. The level of anger and frustration and disgust and hopelessness towards Karen Bass and all city government is at the kind of level where something crazy could happen.
[01:30:00]
MICHAELSON: The question is, though, is that representative of the larger city of Los Angeles, which is overwhelmingly Democrat, in which Karen Bass won by 10 percent last time around? Your thoughts on the whole thing.
LISA BLOOM, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY, THE BLOOM FIRM: I really like Karen Bass. I think she's terrific. Can we improve our fire response? Absolutely.
The biggest issue in the fires was climate change, which 99 percent of the world's scientists --
KOBYLT: What? It was started by an arsonist.
BLOOM: Yes. And it was.
(CROSSTALKING)
KOBYLT: The fire department didn't put out the fires.
(CROSSTALKING)
KOBYLT: -- what it started rekindled.
(CROSSTALKING)
BLOOM: You can tell me --
MICHAELSON: But those are --
(CROSSTALKING)
MICHAELSON: Last point because we're over time. But go ahead, make your point.
BLOOM: But the scientists understand that these massive fires and drought cycles and flood cycles are exacerbated by climate change. MICHAELSON: But Lisa, to John -- to John's point, the --
BLOOM: We have had arson --
(CROSSTALKING)
MICHAELSON: We had -- we had -- we had a fire a couple of days before that was not put out. There was not pre-deployment of firefighters there. We had no water in the hydrants. I mean, were those not all issues?
BLOOM: But we have not had these extreme weather events --
MICHAELSON: Yes.
BLOOM: -- over and over and over again in the prior years. We have them now. They've become -- they've become normalized, but we should not ever let them become normalized.
MICHAELSON: Yes, those are a lot to get into there. Both of you thank you so much for bringing very strong views.
(CROSSTALKING)
MICHAELSON: Yes, I know we need to give more time.
BLOOM: There's one thing we agree.
MICHAELSON: Yes. More air time for both of you guys. Thank you.
Coming up, five Democrat-led states are suing the Trump administration over frozen social assistance and child care funding.
After the break, I'll talk with the attorney general of California, Rob Bonta, about that lawsuit and his possible plans. He could be running for governor.
Stay with us.
[01:31:35]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROB BONTA (D), CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL: This is just the latest example of Trump's willingness to throw vulnerable children, vulnerable families, seniors under the bus if he thinks it will advance his vendetta against California and Democratic-led states.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: That is, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announcing a new lawsuit to stop the Trump administration from freezing $10 billion in federal funding. California joining New York, Colorado, Minnesota and Illinois in this lawsuit. California Attorney General Rob Bonta joins me now from Sacramento
after filing his 53rd lawsuit against the Trump administration this year.
Mr. Attorney General, welcome back to THE STORY IS.
BONTA: Great to be with you, Elex. Thank you for having me.
MICHAELSON: We'll talk about the new lawsuit in a second. But some of your previous lawsuits were on the issue of immigration. This week, we have seen breaking news out of Portland, Oregon and out of Minneapolis, Minnesota with folks driving at law enforcement and then being shot.
Your reaction to both of these? And also, do you bear some responsibility if you're driving at law enforcement officers?
BONTA: Well, I think the facts are important. And there has been some video that's been released with respect to the incident in Minneapolis. And I think the whole world had a chance to see it.
And you can clearly see the wheels turned away and two shots being fired into the driver's side after the wheels have cleared the ICE agent, and he's at no risk from the vehicle.
You got to look at the totality of the circumstances, of course. These are individuals whose job is to promote safety and they are killing people, including U.S. citizens.
So -- but the facts matter. And, you know, of course, whether there's reasonable justification here or not will be determined after a full review, but there needs to be independent, complete, thorough investigations and reviews of what happened here to make sure that accountability is provided if necessary, and that trust is built with community.
MICHAELSON: Let's talk about your lawsuit. This latest lawsuit, the Trump administration freezing $10 billion, $5 billion of that going to California. Why are you suing them? Tell us what this money does.
BONTA: Absolutely. We are suing the Trump administration for the 53rd time for his lawlessness and lack of compliance with the U.S. Constitution. Here, the Trump administration is targeting five Democratic states because they're Democratic and they're led by Democratic governors and for no other reason.
And what he's doing is shutting off critical funding for vulnerable, community members, including funding for children, for families, for seniors, for those with disabilities. These funds are safety net services that provide child care for the poor or job training and job opportunities or at times food, as well as housing, sometimes emergency relief.
And it's $10 billion amongst the five states, $5 billion for California alone. And it affects millions of Californians. And this is all, mind you Elex, turning off this critical safety net
funding without a shred of evidence. We got letters from the Trump administration that alleged fraud, but cited not one bit of evidence, not one shred of data, facts to back up their allegations.
So they are hurting cruelly, vulnerable Californians and others in the other four states without any basis for it. This is contrary to law. This funding has been appropriated by Congress.
And the president is in a different branch. He can't stop or block that congressional funding. He's also violated other aspects besides the separation of powers, including the Administrative Procedures Act.
But there are many things wrong about what the president has done, and it is consistent and on-brand with his lawless approach to governance.
MICHAELSON: Lastly, the last time that we spoke, you said that you were going to make a decision about your political future. Probably the first week of the year you were considering running for governor of California.
[01:39:49]
MICHAELSON: We're about at the end of the first week of the year. Where are you at in terms of decision-making process? What are you thinking?
BONTA: I'm getting closer, Elex. I'm getting closer. I know I need to make a decision. I will make a decision soon. I haven't made a decision.
I've been honored and grateful for all of the encouragement and outreach, people encouraging me to run for governor. I'm just honored for their belief in me.
I -- as you know, you've heard me say it. You even showed me a clip of me saying it. I love my job -- as attorney general, and we're on the front lines in the trenches right now, supporting Californians in so many ways, whether it be public safety or tackling the affordability crisis or preventing the president from lawlessly harming them.
And so I haven't made a final decision, but I will soon, and I promise you will know about it when I make a decision.
MICHAELSON: Ok. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, great to see you.
I know your daughter just got married. You got to walk her down the aisle. So congratulations to you and your family on that.
And hope to be talking with you, I'm assuming pretty soon, based off of your timeline.
BONTA: Yes, we're talking to you soon, Elex. Thanks for having me. Great to be with you again. MICHAELSON: Still to come, don't we need a break after all the news of
this day. The new horror film "Primate" will try to win the battle for the box office this weekend.
Our favorite film critic, Grae Drake, is standing by live. She's going to talk about that, her big weekend at the Critics' Choice Awards with big stars, what's going to be happening at the Golden Globes? Let's have some fun, people. Grae Drake next.
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MICHAELSON: James Cameron's sci-fi hit "Avatar: Fire and Ash" expected to extend its reign atop the weekend box office. It's already grossed more than $1 billion, expected to bring in another $20 million in ticket sales, easily beating new releases like "Greenland 2" and "Primate".
Meantime, Hollywood's 2026 award season is officially underway. On Thursday, they rolled out the red carpet for Sunday's Golden Globe Awards show. And for the first time, the Globes will honor podcasts in addition to film and television.
Joining me here to talk about all things entertainment is Grae drake, film critic at cbr.com. Grae, welcome back to THE STORY IS.
GRAE DRAKE, FILM CRITIC, CBR.COM: Hello.
MICHAELSON: All right. Let's talk about the new movies first, and then we'll get into some of the awards stuff.
"Primate" -- what is this?
DRAKE: All you need to know is it's a chimpanzee with rabies terrorizing a poor family. Done. That's it.
MICHAELSON: I'm in.
DRAKE: It is 90 minutes of the most fun, the most focused violence that I've seen. It is -- I can easily say this is my favorite movie of the year.
MICHAELSON: Really? Seriously?
DRAKE: I loved it.
MICHAELSON: Ok.
DRAKE: I love nature gone wrong movies because it justifies my lifestyle indoors, watching films.
Nature is gross. That's why I'm a movie critic.
So its rated R for sure. This is not for the faint of heart. And very realistic, like a chimpanzee strikes fast and brutally. And that is what the movie is like. So be careful.
MICHAELSON: Ok.
DRAKE: And everyone respect nature.
MICHAELSON: All right. I don't know if you sold me on that, but it sounds great for you. Awesome.
"People We Meet on Vacation".
DRAKE: Right. So this one is streaming on Netflix and it is absolutely more of like, we've seen this a million times where it's like, gosh, are these two kids who are so unlike each other ever going to fall in love?
MICHAELSON: Yes.
DRAKE: You know. Now, fans of the book have been very excited about this adaptation for a few years. I think they're going to be happy. And I do think that it's an ok pick for streaming.
While I liked the zaniness of it, I was -- it was a little too familiar for my taste.
MICHAELSON: Yes, I mean, Netflix sometimes makes movies that are just ok.
DRAKE: Sure. And I think they get away with it because we're doing a million other things while we're streaming.
MICHAELSON: Yes, interesting. It's a different experience, right?
DRAKE: It is. It absolutely is.
MICHAELSON: You're not as focused and maybe not as focused on the mediocrity.
Ok. "Tron: Ares".
DRAKE: So this is streaming on Disney Plus. And I will say, I think that if you haven't seen it yet, you miss the boat because this is definitely a big screen movie.
But the vibe is if you went to a laser light show with the guy from IT trying to explain to you what a DNS server is.
Like, I didn't really understand what was going on at any point, but it was pretty. And the soundtrack of Nine-Inch Nails was really good. And so also, if you're not a huge fan of Jared Leto, who stars in this, he disintegrates easily four or five times in the film, which I found very satisfying to watch.
MICHAELSON: Ok. So not a classic. We don't expect that to win any awards based off of what you just said.
DRAKE: I don't think so. But you know what? It's a trilogy and all of the Tron movies are much more appreciated very long after they come out.
MICHAELSON: Later. Later on.
So speaking of award show on Sunday, I'm watching the Critics' Choice Awards, and then all of a sudden who pops up on my screen but Grae Drake. Here's some pictures of you on the red carpet. And we got that beautiful popcorn. And there you are with Sterling K, Brown.
You were sitting at the "Paradise" table. Maybe we can show the moment where we see you on camera, which was really interesting for everybody.
Here we go in the middle of the show. And there she is guffawing.
DRAKE: Boy. Was I laughing at Chelsea Handler's joke. She's hosted four times for the Critics' Choice and she is -- she just kills it every time. She sets the tone.
And the award show was really fun this year. It was the first award show of the season. Normally it's a little bit later.
And everybody was so fresh. They were excited to talk to us, excited to take photos and excited to win.
MICHAELSON: Yes, because the cool thing with the Critics' Choice Awards, it's your guys award show so then the critics sit at the table --
DRAKE: Right.
MICHAELSON: -- with the stars. You got to hang out with Sterling K. Brown" and Jimmy Kimmel for the night.
DRAKE: Yes.
[01:49:50]
MICHAELSON: So the goal, if you don't get to sit at the table, neither do I.
DRAKE: Right. Yes. But my invite is still in the mail, I guess.
MICHAELSON: So the Globes, they separate comedy and drama. And "Sinners" apparently is a drama, which it was.
DRAKE: Yes.
MICHAELSON: But "One Battle After Another" somehow is a comedy. It's about as funny as "The Bear" --
DRAKE: Yes. Exactly.
MICHAELSON: -- which sometimes is in the comedy category.
DRAKE: Exactly that. And so they give out more trophies at the Globes, and so more films win their quote, "best picture". And I think "Sinners" and "One Battle After Another" are going to win
on Sunday. And I think when the Oscars rolls around, they're going to be the main contenders duking it out for best picture.
So enjoy the trophies while you can, everybody. Somebody is not going to win at the Oscars.
MICHAELSON: Yes, "One Battle After Another" probably the frontrunner at this point, right?
DRAKE: I think so. It has a lot of momentum, now a Critics' Choice. Timothee Chalamet won best actor.
But at the Oscars, I don't think anybody can beat Leonardo DiCaprio for "One Battle.
Bob -- he's so great. He's wearing a bathrobe.
MICHAELSON: Timothee Chalamet it's about time.
You know, DiCaprio's got one already.
DRAKE: It's about time. He's an embryo. He has plenty of time to win.
MICHAELSON: And he looks like he's 12.
DRAKE: Yes.
MICHAELSON: Grae Drake, thank you so much. More news right after this.
[01:51:04]
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MICHAELSON: NASA has decided to bring the four astronauts of SpaceX Crew 11 back to earth early because one of them has a medical issue. That unnamed crew member in stable condition, not expected to receive special treatment during the trip back from the ISS.
Their return expected in the coming days, more than a month ahead of schedule. Nasa revealed that issue on Wednesday after postponing a spacewalk. NASA's next four-member team was set to take off from the space station in mid-February, but they could launch sooner -- take- off for the International Space Station.
Well, the University of Miami football team is headed to the national championship in their home stadium. Quarterback Carson Beck led the Hurricanes to a 31-27 victory over Ole Miss. It was an epic fourth quarter with four lead changes.
Miami will now take on the winner of Friday's Indiana-Oregon game for the national championship on January 19th.
The NFL playoffs begin this weekend. What a great time for football.
Thank you so much for joining us on a very busy news night here on THE STORY IS. We appreciate you watching.
I'm Elex Michaelson well see you tomorrow for more.
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