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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson
Outcry Over DOJ Investigation into Fed and Chairman Powell; Iran's Security Forces Violently Crack Down on Protesters; Iranians Facing Near-Total Internet Blackout Since Thursday; A Look at Past U.S. Attempts to Acquire Greenland; ICE Shooting of Renee Good Rattles Minneapolis Communities; Health Secretary RFK Changes Dietary Guidelines. The Pitt Wins Best Drama at Golden Globes. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired January 13, 2026 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to THE STORY IS. I'm Elex Michaelson live from Los Angeles. Ahead this hour.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: THE STORY IS criminal charges? CNN's Richard Quest with us to break down the Trump administration investigating their own Fed chief, Jerome Powell.
THE STORY IS Iranian revolution. Mehdi Yahyanejad is here talking about his efforts to make it easier for Iranians to communicate despite an internet blackout.
THE STORY IS new food pyramid. Celebrity fitness trainer Joey Thurman here live. Why he said you shouldn't go to the gym.
And THE STORY IS "The Pit." One day after winning the Golden Globe, actor Shabani Aziz in our studio.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: Live from Los Angeles, THE STORY IS with Elex Michaelson.
MICHAELSON: President Trump's own pick to run the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, is now being investigated by Trump's own Justice Department. Officially, prosecutors are looking at whether Powell mismanaged a $2.5 billion renovation, the Fed headquarters, and then lied about it to Congress in testimony under oath.
Unofficially, this is seen as an escalation of tensions between the White House and the Fed that have been building for months. Critics believe the president is trying to push Powell out as Fed chair because he has not lowered interest rates to Trump's liking. The White House, though, trying to distance the president from this investigation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president has every right to criticize the Fed chair. He has a First Amendment right, just like all of you do. And one thing for sure, the president has made it quite clear, Jerome Powell is bad at his job. As for whether or not Jerome Powell is a criminal, that's an answer the Department of Justice is going to have to find out. And it looks like they intend to find that out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Critics of the investigation include every living former Fed chair. They say it threatens the central bank's independence. In a joint statement, Janet Yellen, Ben Bernanke and Alan Greenspan, who served both Democratic and Republican presidents, called the probe an unprecedented attack on the Fed's autonomy. Powell echoed those claims in a video released on Sunday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEROME POWELL, U.S. FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIR: This new threat is not about my testimony last June or about the renovation of the Federal Reserve buildings. Those are pretexts. The threat of criminal charges is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the president.
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MICHAELSON: Republican lawmakers tell CNN the investigation needs to wrap up quickly, or it could impact other important matters on the Hill.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Do you think the White House is trying to stop the independence of the Fed?
SEN. THOM TILLIS (R-NC): Somebody at DOJ, I mean, the president said he wasn't in the mix. Another example of amateur hour, as far as I'm concerned.
RAJU: Should they drop the investigation?
TILLIS: I'm not going to get into that. What I'm going to do is drop any consideration for any board confirmation until it's done.
RAJU: Are you concerned about that?
SEN. STEVE DAINES (R-MT): Well, I support the independence of the Feds. And I hope that this investigation wraps up very, very quickly.
RAJU: And what's the impact if it isn't wrapped up quickly?
DAINES: It will wrap up quickly. It needs to.
(END VIDEO CLIP) MICHAELSON: Joining me now from New York is Richard Quest, the anchor of "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS," CNN business editor at large, the man when it comes to these issues.
Richard, thanks for being with us.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN ANCHOR, QUEST MEANS BUSINESS: Delighted, delighted.
MICHAELSON: Has anything like this happened before?
QUEST: No. Next question. Look, the reality, the reality is there have been disputes between Fed chairs and presidents. Nixon had one. There was some during -- that's not unique. The way it's transpired with Donald Trump and Jay Powell is unique in that it's been so vitriolic. We've never had presidents come out and say lower interest rates, lower interest rates, lower interest rates. But this next move to actually have an investigation.
And remember, Elex, this is not an investigation into the overruns and the over costs of the Fed building, which are considerable, which might be legitimate. This is an investigation into Jay Powell's testimony. Did he perjure himself? So this nonsense idea that somehow taxpayers' money, we need to make sure that there was no overruns -- no.
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The investigation is into Jay Powell, and that makes it personal. And that's why Powell said it's a pretext.
MICHAELSON: Well, and a lot of folks certainly on the left and even some folks on the right think that this whole thing is politically driven. Is there a possibility, though, that Jay Powell may have actually perjured himself in this congressional testimony? Does he have any reason to worry?
QUEST: The perjury involved, by the way, is what was going to be involved in the Fed building. For instance, the marble, the dining rooms, the elevators, all those sort of things. And by the way, there has been numerous subsequent testimonies clarifying, correcting, amplifying on and on about this project and how it's a massively old building requires vast reconstruction.
But to your point, is it possible? Absolutely. Totally. Of course. But can I think of a person more unlikely to perjure himself than Jay Powell, who has been with the Fed years, who is a man of probity, whose integrity, who has not risen to the bait? People are laughing. I cannot think of somebody that you would put that.
Now, does it mean he couldn't have done it? Let's be clear. Let's be honest. Let's be fair. Of course he could have done it. Is it likely? No.
MICHAELSON: And let's remind everybody who picked Jerome Powell to be the Fed chair. Donald Trump.
QUEST: He did.
MICHAELSON: So that was during the first term. So why does any of this matter to the average American? Because it seems like the Fed chair may be the most powerful person in America that almost nobody knows. What does the Fed do?
QUEST: The Fed is responsible for the security, the sanctity, the integrity of the American financial system. And that sounds very pompous and very officious. But, you know, none of us have any money in our pockets. Have you got a dollar bill? I bet you haven't. I bet you haven't got a dollar bill in your pocket. If you've got a dollar bill, take it out and look at it.
MICHAELSON: I don't make your kind of money, Richard. I haven't been here long enough.
QUEST: Cheap shot. Just pull the knife out. At least you went in there.
MICHAELSON: You earned it. You earned it. You deserve it.
QUEST: The reality is, the sanctity and the security and the integrity of the American financial system. The way the banks run, the way the markets, the way the dollar is run, the way monetary policy is run. The fact that the banks are insured.
Now, at one level that will continue. But if the Fed loses the plot or is perceived to be political or perceived, perceived, write that word down. If it is perceived not to be independent, then costs will go up, interest rates will go up, bond market rates will go up. The dollar will be weaker. There will not be the safe haven America is the safest investment in the world. That will diminish.
MICHAELSON: Big stakes. And I've written down the word perceived to remember this conversation by Richard Quest. There's nobody like him.
QUEST: Thank you.
MICHAELSON: You can check him out every day on CNN International. Thank you so much, Richard. Appreciate the perspective.
QUEST: Thank you, sir.
MICHAELSON: Now to the Iranian government's brutal response to protests in that country. President Trump says he will issue a 25 percent tariff on countries that do business with Iran. He says he's also considering some, quote, "very strong military options" if protesters are killed. In response, Tehran is reiterating its threat to target U.S. military bases, ships and personnel in the Middle East if the U.S. launches strikes.
The White House press secretary says Iran's private messages to the Trump administration are quite different, and Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson says back channels of communication between the two countries remain open. According to a U.S. based human rights organization, at least 512 protesters, including nine kids, have been killed so far. CNN has not been able to independently verify those figures.
But CNN's Nada Bashir has our story from the region.
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NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For yet another night, the streets of Iran are filled with protesters, risking their lives in the face of a brutal and deadly crackdown by the Islamic regime. What began as organized demonstrations over the country's economic crisis has now grown into a nationwide protest movement against the country's theocratic regime.
"This is our last fight," these protesters chant. "Pahlavi will return," a reference to the U.S. based son of the last shah of Iran.
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A total internet and communications blackout has made it near impossible to access real time updates on what is unfolding inside the country. What little video has emerged paints a grim picture. Body bags lining the streets outside this medical complex. Distraught families desperately trying to identify their loved ones. So far, more than 500 protesters have been killed since demonstrations began in late December, according to the U.S. based Human Rights Activist News Agency.
Some 10,000 others are said to have been detained, though CNN cannot independently verify these figures. U.S. President Donald Trump has reiterated his warning to take direct action if protesters are killed.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The leaders of Iran called. They want to negotiate. A meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what's happening.
BASHIR: In response, Iran's foreign minister had this to say.
ABBAS ARAGHCHI, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: We do not seek war, but we are fully prepared for it. At the same time, as I have repeatedly said, we are also ready for negotiations.
BASHIR: Within Iran, the regime has attempted to shift the narrative, calling on people to rally in support of the Islamic Republic on Monday. A show of force broadcast across state media. President Trump, meanwhile, is said to be considering a series of potential military options focused on targeting Tehran's security services, two U.S. officials have told CNN.
But in the face of growing international uncertainty and an increasingly deadly regime crackdown, protesters in Iran remain defiant.
Nada Bashir, CNN, in London.
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MICHAELSON: Our next guest is helping Iranians get around that internet blackout. Mehdi Yahyanejad is co-founder of NetFreedom Pioneers. He's helping to send 300 Starlink receivers into that country.
Mehdi, welcome to THE STORY IS for the first time. You've sent those Starlinks over the last few years. For people that don't really know what Starlinks are, this is something that Elon Musk has helped to create, and it's a way around this blackout. Explain.
MEHDI YAHYANEJAD, CO-FOUNDER, NETFREEDOM PIONEERS: So Starlink terminals are basically terminals that are pretty much small enough to put in a backpack and carry it, and most people use it at their house. It's independent of the Iranian government infrastructure. So you don't need to connect to the internet. You don't need to connect to phones. It works directly with the satellites provided by Starlink company.
So it works independent of the Iranian government and can circumvent all that censorship firewalls that Iranian government has set up. And that's why they are still working, even though all the communication channels have been disconnected.
MICHAELSON: Basically, it's this little box that connects up to Elon Musk's satellites up there, and Iran can't really stop it. And it's kind of the only thing they haven't been able to stop. Right?
YAHYANEJAD: Absolutely. So basically it works. You connect to the Wi- Fi, a Starlink WI-FI, and you work as normal. So it's like normal internet for people who have it. Of course, not everybody in Iran has it. Maybe one every 2,000 Iranians have access to internet. It's expensive, but it's crucial at this moment.
MICHAELSON: Because you are one of the people that got it in there. You're in communication with a lot of people that do have it, which is some of the only sources of news that we've gotten out of this country. What are they telling you?
YAHYANEJAD: So they are a lot of them, of course, are activists. They are citizen journalists. They are reporting what's happening on the ground. A lot of them have been to these protests in Tehran and other cities, and they've been reporting on mass killings that has been happening, taking place in the past few days in Iran. They are -- hospitals are full of casualties. People who are dead or injured.
And these are individuals who are reporting this from Iran. They send videos, images, all the things we have seen on online. They come through these channels from Iran.
MICHAELSON: We've seen literally body bags built up in the streets of Iran during the day, which is just a harrowing thing.
How is that impacting the protests themselves, this real crackdown?
YAHYANEJAD: So people have, of course, these videos come out and they are broadcasted back through satellite TVs to Iran. So a lot of Iranians who don't have access to internet and don't have access to Starlink, they are still watching these videos through satellite TVs, which is more popular, more frequently used in Iran. So they are aware of what is going on. And a lot of them, of course, have seen it in their streets firsthand. And they are shocked.
They are in -- it's a totally unprecedented event, even with all the extremes of Iranian government and the mass killings and crackdowns before, what happened in the past few days is just something that people just can't believe it, and they are shocked.
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MICHAELSON: Meaning it's a more -- it's a bigger protest and a more dramatic crackdown. Right?
YAHYANEJAD: Absolutely.
MICHAELSON: More violence from the regime.
YAHYANEJAD: Absolutely. Absolutely. The numbers are horrendous. The number of dead people and injured are horrendous. A lot of people are not making it to the hospitals. From what we hear on the ground, they just -- they are afraid if they go to the hospitals, they might get arrested by the Iranian government. So a lot of people are -- even though they have serious injuries, they are staying home from what we hear on the ground.
MICHAELSON: I know three years ago you communicated with Elon Musk and actually he made some improvements to Starlink based off of your recommendations. I know President Trump and Elon Musk have been in communication about expanding Starlink there in Iran to try to get more communication out there.
What would your message be to President Trump, to Elon Musk, if they're watching tonight?
YAHYANEJAD: So they really have to make a serious effort considering how Starlink has been effective in Iran. We need more terminals to get into hands of Iranians inside Iran to be able to report on all these mass killings that are happening. Starlink company needs to be more focused on resolving some of the issues that we've seen in the past few days. Iranian government has tried to jam the Starlink signal.
Of course, it hasn't been fully successful, but the performance of these terminals have been impacted. Starlink engineers can do a lot more to counter those jamming signals. And also maybe issue guidance on how to counter these jamming in Iran.
MICHAELSON: I mean, hearing that crackdown, it is kind of amazing that these folks are still out there in the streets and still risking their lives to try to change the situation on the ground.
YAHYANEJAD: Absolutely. The amount of risk that they are taking not only go to these protests, but also to report on these things. I mean, people who are reporting are sending these videos. They are -- any of these videos they are sending, they are risking to be identified who has taken them, who is sending it. And of course, the repercussions for people who are taking these actions, who are reporting on these issues is far higher than ordinary Iranians because they could easily be accused of spying, working with foreigners and foreign agencies and so on.
MICHAELSON: Well, Mehdi, you grew up in Iran, right? And then graduated from MIT and Stanford, and now using your technical know-how to help the people of your home country. Appreciate you coming on and sharing your perspective here tonight.
YAHYANEJAD: Thank you for inviting me.
MICHAELSON: Coming up, we want to go to another part of the world, Venezuela, where the opposition leader is asking the Pope for his support during her country's political transition ahead of her meeting with President Trump. Maria Corina Machado met with the pontiff at the Vatican on Monday. According to a statement from Machado, the Nobel Laureate asked the Pope to help her secure the release of Venezuela's political prisoners.
Pope Leo has said that he is closely monitoring developments in Venezuela with deep concern. Machado is scheduled to meet President Trump at the White House on Thursday, according to a senior official.
Greenland says it will not accept a takeover by the U.S., quote, "under any circumstances." That comment from the prime minister's office coming as President Trump again threatened his desire to acquire the self-governing territory of Denmark. Greenland maintains that it will remain part of NATO defense alliance, quote, "for all time."
CNN's Nic Robertson takes a look at how previous U.S. attempts to gain control of Greenland have failed.
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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: It's not the first time a U.S. president has been interested in Greenland. Over 150 years ago, after the United States purchased Alaska from the Russians, then Secretary of State William Seward floated the idea of buying Greenland and Iceland from Denmark. Even back then, Greenland was recognized for its wealth of minerals and resources.
The purchase never materialized, but Greenland remained on the U.S. radar. In 1910, the U.S. ambassador to Denmark suggested the United States give Denmark an island in the Philippines in exchange for Greenland and the Danish West Indies. But that didn't happen either. By 1916, leaders signed the Lansing Declaration, a U.S. proclamation saying that they would not dispute Denmark's control over the entire territory.
But after World War II, U.S. President Harry Truman offered Denmark $100 million in gold for Greenland. Denmark rejected the offer. The bid was secret at the time, but was made public in 1991 by a Danish newspaper after documents had been declassified two decades earlier.
Despite the U.S. not gaining control of Greenland, they were given permission to operate military bases, including the Thule Air Base, now known as the Pituffik Space Base, where they still have a presence of U.S. forces.
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TRUMP: But we need it really for international world security. And I think we're going to get it. One way or the other we're going to get it.
ROBERTSON: While the world waits to see if President Trump's threats about Greenland come to fruition, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to talk about buying Greenland, history has told us it may not be so easy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Have you ever seen a history lesson that looked colder than that one?
Nic Robertson, thank you for reporting all the way from Greenland.
Coming up, Minnesota is filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration on what it describes as a federal invasion. Still ahead, the growing unrest there as immigration enforcement ramps up. We'll take you to the ground. Plus, a wild card battle in Pittsburgh as the Steelers and the Texans grind it out for the final game this round of the playoffs.
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MICHAELSON: Minnesota is suing the Trump administration and seeking a court order to stop the immigration crackdown on the state, calling it a, quote, "federal invasion." Minnesota's attorney general says the lawsuit is over immigration operations in Minneapolis and Saint Paul.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEITH ELLISON, MINNESOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL: It never should have started. These agents have no good reason to be here. Minnesota, Minnesota's non-citizen immigrant population is just 1.5 percent, which is a -- which is half the national average.
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MICHAELSON: State officials are accusing the federal government of violating the 10th Amendment in targeting the Twin Cities due to its sanctuary policies.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR JACOB FREY, MINNEAPOLIS: What we are seeing right now is not normal immigration enforcement. We are not asking ICE not to do ICE things. We are asking this federal government to stop the unconstitutional conduct that is invading our streets each and every day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Sources tell CNN that about 1,000 more immigration officers are now headed to Minneapolis. That deployment comes as protesters clash with federal agents in the city following the deadly ICE shooting of a Minneapolis woman, Renee Good, last week.
CNN's Ryan Young describes the scene on the ground in Minneapolis.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RYAN YOUNG, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: People are calling 911 to report this, and it ends up sending the Minneapolis Police department out to figure out exactly what's going on. So they believe that some of these actions are unlawful. So that's part of the conversation.
You talked about the numbers and the surge of 1,000 more officers coming into the area. You got to think about this. Saint Paul has 600 officers and Minneapolis has 600 officers. So that's 1200 altogether. When you add the two, you can see that they're going to be outnumbered. And that's why they're using the word invasion in all this. And they're very scared about what this means. You got people who are not going to work. You have people who are afraid to go to school. Some schools are actually shut down.
I do want to pause for a second because we've had several conversations over the years at several sites where people gather when there's pain. And this -- and community, this is the spot where Renee Good lost her life. You can see this growing memorial. This is where some of the protesters have been showing up to leave messages, to actually stand actively as we speak, as people drive by, really yelling out.
They want ICE to leave this area because they believe this is a violation of state rights. And on top of all that, there's real emotion here. This is a community that feels somewhat broken and constrained by the idea that they can't kick the federal government out. Take a listen to the people that we talked to here at this site.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I cannot believe this is happening in our community. That Minneapolis used to be known as an open city, as a loving city, and now it is invaded. It's invaded by ICE.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fellow Minnesotan was killed. And all I see order in our country, order in my state falling apart. And it's not a time to sit on the sidelines.
YOUNG: You feel the emotions here and people are upset and they have not moved on from this. And you start seeing people walk around here with tears streaming down their face. People who have never met this woman and they are all screaming out loud, trying to figure out what the next steps are.
Now I will tell you, they are happy to see this government fighting back. They're not sure what's going to happen in court. We know it was just filed today, but obviously the entire country is watching this to see exactly what happens next. But you can feel the ramifications of all these extra agents coming to town. And one of the things they pointed out, and I'll end on this, is the fact that the tactics that they are using, they feel are heavy handed.
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MICHAELSON: Ryan Young in Minneapolis. Ryan, thank you.
The man accused of murdering an Ohio couple in their home has made his first court appearance. Michael David McKee waived his right to an extradition hearing Monday in Illinois, where he was arrested on Saturday. He faces two counts of premeditated aggravated murder in the shooting deaths of his ex-wife Monique and her husband Spencer.
Police say they were found dead in their home on December 30th after Spencer failed to show up to work at his dental practice.
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Their two young children were also inside the home but unharmed. An attorney for McKee, who is a physician and a surgeon, says he'll enter a not guilty plea.
Still to come, new food guidelines are here in the U.S., and while some are not very surprising, others (ph) are raising questions about them. I'll speak with celebrity fitness trainer Joey Thurman, who joins us live right here on set after this to talk about that and how to get you healthy in the new year. Stay with us.
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MICHAELSON: Welcome back to The Story Is. I'm Elex Michaelson, and let's take a look at today's top stories. U.S. Senator Vance Mark Kelly is suing the Defense Department and its Secretary, Pete Hegseth, for cutting Kelly's retirement pay and reducing his rank. Punishment came after Kelly and other lawmakers appeared in a video urging service members to refuse illegal orders from the Trump administration. Kelly's legal team says the retaliation is meant to stifle criticism.
A Swiss court has ordered the co owner of a bar that was the scene of a deadly New Year's Day fire to remain in custody. Jacques Moretti will be held for a three month provisional period, but that could change with measures to minimize his flight risk. Moretti and his wife, the bar's co owner, have expressed their grief over the fire that killed 40 people.
Thousands of nurses in New York City are expected to walk off the job for a second day. They're demanding increased staffing, better funded health benefits and protection from workplace violence, often at the hands of patients. The new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, joined the picket lines on Monday saying nurses aren't asking for multimillion dollar salaries, but for what they deserve.
The U.S. Health Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., unveiled new dietary guidelines on Wednesday that echo past advice, but with some changes. For instance, the MyPlate diet chart is gone, replaced with a new inverted food pyramid. It recommends so-called healthy fats and proteins and avoiding ultra processed foods and added sugar. The American Heart Association agreed with the need to eat more vegetables, but worried that promoting meat consumption could lead to more cardiovascular disease. The Health Secretary calls the new guidelines common sense.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR., U.S. HEALTH SECRETARY: The dietary guidelines rest on three pillars: protein, healthy fats, vegetables and fruits and whole grains. These guidelines replace the corporate driven assumptions with common sense gold standard scientific integrity. These new guidelines will revolutionize our nation's food culture and make American -- make America healthy again.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Joining me now live is Joey Thurman, a celebrity fitness trainer. He is the author of The Minimum Method and creator of The Minimum Method home fitness product line. Joey, welcome to The Story Is for the first time.
THURMAN: Thank you, sir.
MICHAELSON: Great to see you. So, do you agree, does this pyramid make sense?
JOEY THURMAN, CELEBRITY FITNESS TRAINER: You know, I -- you don't have to agree with the entire administration -- administration to agree with some things. And I do agree with this for the most part. It's never going to be perfect, but we've had a public health crisis for a long time, especially since we cut back on, you know, the fat is bad. That created more ultra processed foods with high sugar, which, you know, we have 88% of people are metabolically unhealthy.
MICHAELSON: Metabolically unhealthy, what does that mean?
THURMAN: So basically, if you have one of these few things here, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, cholesterol, excess of abdominal fat, insulin resistance or high blood sugar. If you have one of those, you're metabolically unhealthy. 88% of us are. So, we have a massive crisis and we need to tackle it and this is a good step forward.
MICHAELSON: Well, we know there's a lot of people that are watching us right now in Europe, and sometimes when they travel here they might think, what is that? Because when you travel to Europe you see a lot of people that are thinner. And a big reason of that is the food is different. Right? I mean, in terms of the ingredients. So what should people be doing when it comes to their food?
THURMAN: Yeah, I mean, I do like prioritizing protein. I do think that potentially people might have too much saturated fat based off of looking at it, but they still say only 10%. So, if you're having lean proteins, if you're vegan, you can have a wide array of that. I would say definitely have more fiber. I wish they emphasized more fiber on us because most Americans aren't getting enough fiber. So 25, 30 grams a day is what you should get. Most people are getting around 15, so we need to double that. That will help with colon cancer risk and all sorts of things and also keep you satiated.
MICHAELSON: Yeah, and it seems kind of basic also, like eat real food.
THURMAN: Yeah, right. I mean --
MICHAELSON: That (ph) comes out of the ground.
THURMAN: Yeah, it's -- it's -- it's this flipping the pyramid is basically like a soft elimination diet. So, I like it, like we don't have this ultra processed food, and you eat the real food. So, I mean, if you want one thing, just think like eat things that move before, they swam before, they grew before, they -- they had a life. Eat it, you're probably going to be okay.
MICHAELSON: And in terms of alcohol, what's the guidance?
THURMAN: Well, we've tried -- we've tried to pretend that alcohol is healthy for a long time, but we've just been better at justifying it. Right? So one to two drinks a day in moderation is healthy. No, it's not. If you need one to two drinks a day, Elex, that's called an alcoholic my friends.
MICHAELSON: (LAUGH) What about the -- There is some research though in terms of, like, red wine. Right?
THURMAN: Yeah. You know, just (ph) the (ph) little nuances. I mean --
MICHAELSON: Because that does come from the ground? Sort of, right?
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THURMAN: Yeah. I mean. Yeah.
MICHAELSON: Not quite. Okay.
THURMAN: It's okay. If you want your red wine, go ahead.
MICHAELSON: Yeah. You've said, some of your advice for this new year, don't go to the gym. What do you mean by that?
THURMAN: Okay, so yeah, don't go to the gym if you haven't yet. If you are, keep going to the gym. Good on you. Because most people, they try to hit it too hard, too fast. They go hard 30 or 100 days of push ups or whatever it is. Right? We don't have a motivation problem. We have a consistency and lifestyle problem. So right now, take care of yourself, start taking care of your sleep. Just work -- (inaudible)
MICHAELSON: There's an acronym we want to put up on the screen, you call it SHREDS.
THURMAN: SHREDS, yes.
MICHAELSON: And this starts with sleep.
THURMAN: Sleep. Yeah. So get your sleep on point. Go to bed around the same time every night. Wake up around the same time. Yes. Seven days a week, as much as possible, within an hour. H is hunger. So, you want to regulate the hunger. High protein, high fiber, lots of vegetables, lots of fruit. That'll take care of you right there. Recovery. If we're adding stress on top of stress and working out too hard, we're just going to be continually stressed. Okay? Digestion, make sure your digestion is really good. High fiber. And make sure you're actually satiated. And then make sure the stress levels. You don't want to be so stressed. So Sleep, Hunger, Recovery, Energy, Digestion and Stress.
MICHAELSON: And energy. I think you skipped that one.
THURMAN: And energy. Yes, we need the E in that one. So energy. How are you feeling, right? If you're too tired and you go to the gym and you get fried out and then it's just going to have that cyclical issue. Right? So make sure you're taking care of your energy and the SHREDS will take care of that. And actually Sam Miller came up with that. That's not mine.
MICHAELSON: Okay, but just -- and be consistent and try to do stuff that you can actually do.
THURMAN: Yes.
MICHAELSON: Instead of just let's do all things at once and burn out from it. And then we get to look like you. Is that the end? Is that the end result?
THURMAN: Oh, that's a good spray tan. (LAUGH)
MICHAELSON: You did the muscle thing on the way in. Do you want to do it on the way out? Show off a little bit?
THURMAN: I think we can do that. Boom. A little bicep.
MICHAELSON: There we go. Get a nice close up. There we go. That's -- That's something to strive for. Joey, congratulations. Well done.
THURMAN: Thanks, sir.
MICHAELSON: A little bit tighter shirt next time, will you?
THURMAN: This is an XL. I don't know what to do, man.
MICHAELSON: (LAUGH) Okay, thank you very much. Up ahead, I'm joined by Shabana Azeez, one of the stars of The Pitt, HBO's medical drama that just won the Golden Globe for best TV drama series. She's here on set with us to take us behind the scenes of that show, which I love and so many other millions do. Stay with us. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:45:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(UNKNOWN): And the Golden Globe goes to.
(UNKNOWN): The Pitt.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: This weekend, The Pitt won the Golden Globe for best drama on TV after winning similar awards at the Critics Choice Awards and the Emmys. The Pitt shares the same parent company as CNN, at least for now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(UNKNOWN): How did I get it?
SHABANA AZEEZ, ACTRESS, THE PITT: So, the -- the -- the appearance of the bacteria in your eye suggests that it's -- it's gonorrhea. Traditionally, that's the sexually transmitted.
(UNKNOWN): I know what gonorrhea is, Dr. Javadi. I'm a nun, not a numbskull.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: That clip features Shabana Azeez, who plays Dr. Victoria Javadi, a very young medical student working inside this Pittsburgh emergency room. Shabana Azeez joins us now. Welcome to The Story Is, and congrats on the success of the show.
AZEEZ: Thank you so much for having me.
MICHAELSON: I mean, the Golden Globe, Critics Choice, the Emmy, it's like every award you guys seem to win. How does -- How do you comprehend that the way that this show has really become a cultural phenomenon?
AZEEZ: Oh, I think you don't. I think you turn that stuff off when you go to work because it's just that we're still shooting season two, and it's like the same set it's always been, and it's the same people, it's the same background. You know, like, it's the same crew. So, I feel like all the bells and whistles and the, like the glamor of all the awards is so great, but, like, that's not why we're doing it. We're doing it for the health care workers. We're doing it for the people that watch the show. And to get recognized for it is very exciting.
MICHAELSON: So let's talk about Dr. Victoria Javadi. For people that may not have seen the show up until now. What's wrong with you, first off? But secondly, if you get caught up, tell us a little bit about this sort of child prodigy in a way?
AZEEZ: Yeah, she's really, really smart, really book smart, but not so street smart. She's really socially figuring herself out. She lived a very isolated childhood, a very lonely childhood. Graduated school at 13. So she's socialized in a very strange way. Did, you know, also she's studied partially during COVID, and I don't know if you've talked to the COVID kids, but they -- they had a trickier time than I think the rest of us, in terms of like learning how to be a person. So she's a very socially stunted person, just trying her best in a really extreme environment.
MICHAELSON: Well, and in some ways you've talked about how this show and her is sort of an examination on loneliness and Gen Z and the way that the younger generation deals with people differently.
AZEEZ: Yeah, I mean, Gen Z is one of the loneliest generations to date. There is like, there are massive issues with, like, the way that, you know, third spaces are going away. Where are young kids supposed to go to hang out? You know, it's dangerous outside. There's iPads inside. Like, people are growing up on the Internet and socializing predominantly on the Internet. And that does something to the way you can interact with people and the way you relate to people.
And so I think I'm really excited to be telling the story because young people get so not marginalized in popular culture, but they're so dismissed, I think, so easily. I think we dismiss them really easily.
[00:50:00]
And I think that actually there's some really specific things that young people are going through because of the way technology is evolving, because of the way society is changing. That I think we need to examine before it's just too late.
MICHAELSON: What has Dr. Javadi taught you about you?
AZEEZ: Oh, so much stuff. I'm very like, I've never asked anybody out. I've never, like, put myself out there in a lot of ways. And so she's challenged me in a lot of ways to, like, learn to put myself out there, which has been a crazy, crazy journey.
MICHAELSON: She's also got a complicated relationship with her parents who work in the hospital. Her mom a big part of the show. And in the first episode of season two, we saw this awkward interaction between her and her mom. Let's watch that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
AZEEZ: Are you here to see a patient?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was. I did. And now I'm here to learn why you aren't returning my calls or texts.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Okay, I'm out. Nice seeing you again, Dr. Shamsi.
AZEEZ: As soon as I get a little free time, I will make plans for all of us to do something together.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What about Tuesday?
AZEEZ: I'm working. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: On your birthday?
AZEEZ: I will call you and dad tomorrow, and we will come up with something to do together, I promise. But right now, actually have a bunch of night shift handoffs.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: So what's going on there?
AZEEZ: In her home life, I think with her mom, Javadi feels really like if she's not excelling, she's not loved. That her mother's love is incumbent on her ability to succeed and to excel and to be impressive, which is a really painful thing for a young girl who just wants to be unconditionally loved by her parents.
And so I think that has sort of just that pressure cooker environment has just sort of been boiling and boiling and boiling over the last 10 months. And turning 21 is a really big moment for a young person, and particularly in America, where the drinking age is 21. And I think that there's something about Javadi where she's really just trying to be her own person and learn how to be her own person. She just can't do that under, like, the -- the tight sort of grip of her mom's expectations.
MICHAELSON: Real quickly on sort of how the show is made. So all of you guys famously went to a boot camp, right?
AZEEZ: Oh, yeah.
MICHAELSON: Where you trained for a couple weeks on how to do medical procedures. And then you during your hiatus over between the two seasons, shadowed actual doctors, right?
AZEEZ: Yeah, yeah, yeah, like trauma centers, med schools and people were so generous and like going to med school and like taking a tour of like where people study and seeing the hospitals and how the waiting room works and how you know who does what and the relationships between the doctors was --
MICHAELSON: Are you ever freaked out by blood? Does any of that ever make you squeamish when you see it?
AZEEZ: No, I'm pretty good at it, but eyes freak me out. Like eyes, just like in season one we had like a lateral canthotomy where we like cut open an eye, to relieve the pressure in the eye, we just like open more, and that was nasty.
MICHAELSON: And lastly, any preview of the next episode, any tease you can give us?
AZEEZ: Well, I haven't seen it.
MICHAELSON: (LAUGH) Okay.
AZEEZ: They won't show me them. So probably blood, probably gore. MICHAELSON: Okay, good, safe assumption.
AZEEZ: Drama. It'll be fast paced, probably.
MICHAELSON: Love it. Thank you so much, Shabana. Congratulations on the success. It's great to catch up with you.
AZEEZ: Thank you so much.
MICHAELSON: We'll be back with more. You're watching The Story Is. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:55:00]
MICHAELSON: A live picture at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, where it is almost one o'clock in the morning. The AFC Wild Card battle went down tonight, and unfortunately for them, it's the last game that they're going to play at that stadium this season because the season is over. Let's show you some highlights. It's Houston Texans who will advance after handing the Steelers their seventh consecutive playoff defeat.
The Texans turned in a dominating defensive performance, picking off Aaron Rodgers in the final moments of the game, leading to two defensive touchdowns. The Steelers quarterback facing questions about his potential retirement, saying he's not going to make any emotional decisions after a fun year, but a tough loss. Remember, Aaron Rodgers is in his 40s.
Big news for men's golf, Brooks Koepka is returning to the PGA Tour, but at a hefty price. The five time major champion's return to the PGA comes just five weeks after his departure from LIV Golf. In order to resume his PGA career, Koepka and the tour agreed to a financial penalty that could cost him tens of millions of dollars this year and could rank as one of the largest in sports history. The PGA CEO said that Koepka's deal is, quote, not a precedent for future situations, which many are taking as a warning to other top talent who left the tour for the Saudi funded league.
Look at this spectacular live pictures right now from Hawaii as lava flows from the Kilauea volcano there. Pretty amazing to watch that as it has been going all day long. Thanks so much for watching this hour of The Story Is. The next hour of The Story Is starts right now.
The Story Is in Iran. The largest protests of the regime in decades are underway right now.
The Story Is in Minneapolis, and more than a thousand new federal troops are headed to the streets after last week's officer involved shooting.
And The Story Is in California, where Steve Hilton and Gloria Romero are trying to be the first Republicans to lead the golden state in more than 16 years. They're here, live. --
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