Return to Transcripts main page
The Story Is with Elex Michaelson
House Moves Closer to Passing Bipartisan Spending Bill; Gavin Newsom Memoir Due Out This Month; Mother of Savannah Guthrie Still Missing; Top U.S., Iranian Officials Plan to Meet Friday; Rafah Crossing Partially Reopens After Nearly Two Years; Seahawks & Patriots to Face Off for NFL Championship; Docuseries Chronicles 50 Years of Buccaneers Football. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired February 03, 2026 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[00:00:00]
LAURA COATES, CNN ANCHOR: I want to thank you all for watching. "THE STORY IS WITH ELEX MICHAELSON" starts right now.
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Elex Michaelson live in Los Angeles. THE STORY IS starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON (voice-over): THE STORY IS on Capitol Hill. Republicans only have one vote margin in the House and they're struggling to find the votes to reopen the government.
THE STORY IS in Arizona. Officials say Savannah Guthrie's 84-year-old mother was abducted from her bed while sleeping, and they have no idea where she is.
And THE STORY IS in California, where Politico's Melanie Mason got her hands on Governor Gavin Newsom's tell-all book. She's live with us with the juiciest tidbits.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: Live from Los Angeles, THE STORY IS with Elex Michaelson.
MICHAELSON: We're following two big stories out of Washington right now. President Trump's desire to, quote, "nationalize elections."
Let's begin with the partial U.S. government shutdown, which is now entering day four as we start a new day in Washington. It's technically after midnight there. And there is still no deal as we look live in Washington.
Now, last week when we joined you, we thought this would be done by now. The main sticking point, funding for the Department of Homeland Security and its controversial ICE agents. A bipartisan spending bill passed the Senate late last week. We're told two Republican House holdouts will vote for the deal after speaking with President Trump tonight. Now, worth noting the House Democrats are not yet on board. The top
House Democrat says he's trying to block the deal because Republicans no longer have a clear mandate in Washington due to recent election losses. Right now the Republicans have such a small majority they can only afford to lose one single vote.
Now, this is one of the reasons why Democrat Christian Menefee of Texas won a special election runoff over the weekend and was sworn in not too long ago tonight. The district he won had sat empty since March following the death of the late Democratic Congressmember Sylvester Turner.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): We have a one vote margin now, so what could go wrong? That's fine. We're happy for him, though, and hope the first vote is not to shut the government down. That's not a good way to start.
CHRISTIAN MENEFEE (D-TX): You know, I just got elected on Saturday and just jumped off the plane to get here. So my first job is to figure out where the bathroom is. But, no, look, I think the people of the 18th Congressional District sent me here to vote the conviction of my values. And I plan to do that. But I'm just very grateful to the speaker for getting me sworn in. Our seat had been left open for far too long, and I think that it just represents the worst of politics when stuff like that happens. So I'm very grateful to the speaker for this moving quickly, and I look forward to getting to work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Meanwhile, President Trump is calling on Republicans to, quote, "nationalize future elections." He floated the idea during an interview with Dan Bongino, the former deputy director of the FBI, back on his talk radio gig. It comes just days after FBI agents searched a Fulton County, Georgia, elections office. Agents seized 700 boxes of election materials as part of an investigation into alleged voter fraud.
Georgia and Fulton County, in particular, have long been targets of Trump's claims without evidence that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The Republicans should say, we want to take over. We should take over the voting, the voting, and at least many, 15 places. The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting. We have states that are so crooked and they're counting votes. We have states that I won that show I didn't win.
Now you're going to see something in Georgia where they were able to get with a court order, the ballots. You're going to see some interesting things come out. But, you know, like the 2020 election, I won that election by so much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Join me now to break all of this down is Melanie Mason, senior political reporter for Politico here in California.
Melanie, welcome back to THE STORY IS.
MELANIE MASON, SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER, POLITICO: Thanks for having me.
MICHAELSON: This idea of nationalizing elections, is that legal? Is that possible?
MASON: Well, according to the Constitution, the power to operate elections is that power is delegated to the states. So I think that, yes, on its face, that seems like it's going to run into a constitutional problem.
MICHAELSON: So that's not likely to happen anytime soon.
MASON: No. But again, this -- we've seen this with President Trump where he'll say something which seems again on its face to sort of violate the Constitution, but he seems to be pressing forward. And so I guess the question is, how much further would he like to press this particular line of attack?
MICHAELSON: Meanwhile, the government shutdown, in layman's terms, because there's a lot going on. Take Washington, translate it to us into English. What's really going on right now?
[00:05:00]
MASON: Well, I think what's really going on, and we saw Speaker Johnson sort of allude to this, is like one vote margin means that things get real when they're trying to pass these bills and the fact that he has such a tiny margin of error -- for error in order to get this across. That's why we saw the White House doing the lobbying that they were doing.
And I also have to say, it strikes me that to see the House Democrats and the Senate Democrats be totally on a different page about this and about passing the spending bill, just reminds me that, yes, the opponent is the other party. But oftentimes in legislatures, the enemy is in the other House. And so you're watching the Senate and the House, even among the Democrats, kind of squabble among each other.
MICHAELSON: Well, because the Republicans, if they have to pass this on their own, they all have to stay together, which means that one person makes their own pet project, their own pet peeve, their own thing, and then they can screw up the whole thing for everybody. Right?
MASON: And remember, this has gotten even harder because we've seen folks like Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, she resigned early. And so this is just the tightrope that Speaker Johnson has to walk. It is just the slimmest, slimmest of tightrope.
MICHAELSON: So do we think that there's a vote tomorrow? Do we think this thing gets done?
MASON: Again, I think that trying to make predictions about the U.S. Congress usually doesn't serve people very well. But look, I do think when you have the president lobbying, as it seems like he's doing that, I mean, that's a pretty powerful force when you're talking about the Republican conference. And so I do think that there are probably odds that this is going to move ahead.
MICHAELSON: Now to somebody who it seems like wants to be president, which is Gavin Newsom, and the news from this weekend that you helped to break was his new book, which is not out yet, not out for a few weeks, but you already read it and we've got the cover. It's called "Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery."
So sort of what's the cliff notes version of this? Because this is not like a policy book where we get into the weeds of what he believes in, right?
MASON: No, this is not a political manifesto at all. In fact, if you're looking for any clues about what Governor Newsom would be like if he were president, this is really not the book. But if you're trying to understand this person who has, you know, is governor of California, has sort of captured the zeitgeist, it is a deep dive, I think, both into his personal life and his kind of personal psyche.
And also, there's a little bit of strategy here. It's open the oppo books. Let's put everything on the table. And if he decides to run for president, he can say, I was transparent. I told you about all of the sort of skeletons in my closet.
MICHAELSON: And then he gets to be the one to say it.
MASON: Absolutely.
MICHAELSON: And cast it instead of it coming out. You know it's going to come out anyway, so why not put it out there? One thing you found particularly interesting is 2018, Gavin Newsom had just been elected as governor of California, hadn't been sworn in yet. Donald Trump is president of the United States. Jerry Brown is still the governor. Donald Trump comes here to visit terrible wildfires in two different parts of the state.
I actually was a pool reporter that day. I was there. And now we get a sense of what was happening on Air Force One.
MASON: It is actually one of the most interesting parts of the book because everything else there's kind of these quick vignettes. Here's a scene from my life, but this is almost like a minute by minute recounting of what it was like to travel with President Trump and then Governor Brown, first in Marine One, as they're sort of surveying the damage, and then Air Force One.
And so one of the things that the governor gets into is this very unusual tour that he got of Air Force One from the president. The president was very keen to show him all of the gadgets of Air Force One, including the presidential bedroom suite, including he was very insistent that he check out the presidential lavatory. And so it kind of tells you a little bit about how much President Trump really enjoys the trappings of the office, and he was so eager to show it.
MICHAELSON: And this is the first time that Newsom and Trump ever met each other.
MASON: Yes.
MICHAELSON: And he showed him that there were two beds.
MASON: Yes, two beds.
MICHAELSON: Not one bed.
MASON: He said that Melania wanted one, however, so we can grab -- take whatever inference we would like.
MICHAELSON: There we go. There's also gets into some other interesting things, including the fact that Governor Newsom is a Tony Robbins superfan?
MASON: And apparently sort of, as he was sort of a young man in business trying to find his way, he would repeat the sort of mantras that this self-help guru would tell himself. And part of it is just, if you find somebody who you admire, imitate them, essentially become them. And that's how you can project this confidence. And I think people who have followed Governor Newsom's career probably sees a little bit of that Tony Robbins advice in the way that he's operated.
MICHAELSON: And some of the Bill Clinton mannerisms that he does.
MASON: A little bit of this. Yes.
MICHAELSON: And other things that maybe he was trying to. Also interesting, he talks about there's a Bill Clinton mannerism, Barack Obama and Obama's reticence to embrace Newsom when he was San Francisco mayor.
MASON: Right. Well, the reason that Newsom became a national figure while he was mayor of San Francisco was in 2004, he decided to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, which was against the law in California and most of the country at that time. He knew it was against the law. He thought the courts would shut him down that day. Instead, it actually lasted for several weeks. And so Newsom became somewhat of a political celebrity.
But Democrats were not thrilled with this. They thought that he was getting out too far ahead, and Barack Obama was one of those people who I think was reticent. Remember he at that time and even when he ran for president the first time, he wasn't for gay marriage. He was for civil unions.
[00:10:01]
And so what Newsom says is that Obama did not want to be pictured with him at fundraisers I think because that maybe Newsom was seen as a little toxic.
MICHAELSON: And he was seen as too pro-gay rights at the time. So you write about all this in an article called "The Wildest Stories from Newsom's Book," which is on Politico right now. That is one of the headlines there. And then you also write extensively on the California Political Playbook, which everybody can check out and subscribe to for free.
Melanie Mason, thank you very much. Great to --
MASON: Thank you.
MICHAELSON: Thank you for the book report. We appreciate it. I don't even have to read it. Thank you.
We are following developments out of Arizona. What a story here where authorities believe that the mother of "Today" show anchor Savannah Guthrie was abducted from her home. And at this hour, she remains missing. 84 year old Nancy Guthrie last seen Saturday night near her home just outside of Tucson. The Pima County sheriff says evidence at the scene indicates she was taken in the middle of the night against her will.
CNN's Ed Lavandera in Tucson for us tonight -- Ed.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Elex, the sheriff here in Tucson says that they believe that Nancy Guthrie, Savannah Guthrie's mother, was taken against her will from her home here in Tucson. And the family knows that it is a race against the clock at this moment to find her.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAVANDERA (voice-over): 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her home in the foothills of Tucson, Arizona, on Saturday night. More than 40 hours later, officials say her home is considered a crime scene and are asking the public for help.
SGT. DAVID STIVERS, PIMA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: It's still a very active investigation. There were circumstances on scene that we believe are suspicious in nature, I think is the best way to put it.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): A widespread search of the area was shut down once officials say they determined she did not leave her home alone.
SHERIFF CHRIS NANOS, PIMA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: She was removed from that scene against her will. Time is of the essence. And so we also initiated our homicide, our criminal investigation team out there.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): The mother of "Today" show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie lived near Tucson, about 60 miles from the U.S. border with Mexico. She appeared on the set of the "Today" show in 2023, holding a cane, and on the show last November, when Savannah returned to her hometown.
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, "TODAY" CO-ANCHOR: Cheers, cheers. I love being home.
What made you want to stay in Tucson and plant roots?
NANCY GUTHRIE, MOTHER OF SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: It's so wonderful. Just the air, the quality of life.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): The Pima County Sheriff's Department calls Nancy a vulnerable missing person, but says her disappearance is not dementia related and that she is sharp as a tack. News of her disappearance headlined the "Today" show Monday morning.
CRAIG MELVIN, "TODAY" CO-ANCHOR: A deeply personal story for us. Nancy Guthrie, Savannah's beloved mother, has been reported missing in Arizona.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Savannah's colleagues are asking for her safe return.
JENNA BUSH, "TODAY" CO-ANCHOR: Nancy Guthrie, Savannah's beloved mom, she takes daily medication and she needs them for survival. She's without her medication, so we are thinking of our dearest, dearest Savannah.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): And Savannah shared a statement on behalf of the Guthrie family that says, quote, "Right now our focus remains on the safe return of our dear mom and asks anyone with information to contact the Pima County Sheriff's Department."
Savannah Guthrie frequently spoke of her close relationship with her mother on the "Today" show.
S. GUTHRIE: When she would say to you, you can do it, I believe you can, now get out there and go for your dreams, I believed her.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): And included her in segments about Mother's Day.
S. GUTHRIE: You may have heard me talk about my idyllic childhood growing up in Arizona.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Even taking her mother back to Australia, where Savannah was born after her dad was transferred there for work.
N. GUTHRIE: We got you from the store here.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Time and again, referencing her mother's unwavering support as a single mom of three. Savannah's father died when she was just 16 years old.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAVANDERA (on-camera): While investigators have said that they do believe that Nancy Guthrie was taken from her home against her will based on what they saw inside the home, they have not shared many details as to what that evidence might be. We did ask the sheriff here in Tucson if this could have been a
kidnaping ransom situation, and the sheriff says that there's no evidence at this moment to suggest that that's the case -- Elex.
MICHAELSON: Ed Lavandera for us in Tucson. Thank you.
Just a short time ago, Savannah posted this plea for prayers on Instagram. She said, quote, "We believe in prayer. We believe in voices raised in unison, in love, in hope." She went on to say, "Thank you for lifting your prayers with ours, for our beloved mom, our dearest Nancy."
Again, authorities asking anyone with information to contact the Pima County Sheriff's Department at the number on your screen. 520-351- 4900. And just late tonight, there is now a reward of up to $2500 for information leading to the arrest of a person or people involved in this disappearance.
Still ahead, the Rafah Border Crossing has reopened in Gaza for the first time in nearly two years, but there are multiple conditions in place. We'll take you there when we come back.
[00:15:06]
And later, the Clintons agree to depositions before Congress after months of dodging the meetings. We'll tell you why lawmakers think they had a change of heart.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MICHAELSON: Russia launched a massive overnight ballistic missile attack on Kyiv, according to Ukrainian officials. CNN's staff report hearing strong explosions across the capital city, and authorities are reporting damage to a number of residential buildings, commercial sites and an educational institution. Kharkiv, the country's second largest city, and Dnipro in Eastern Ukraine, were also reportedly struck.
[00:20:06]
These attacks come as Ukraine is coping with extreme winter cold in the face of energy infrastructure crippled by targeted Russian strikes. This latest missile barrage marks the end of a brief pause in attacks the Kremlin agreed to at the request of President Trump following last round of trilateral peace talks in late January. The Kremlin confirmed the next round of talks between the U.S., Russia and Ukraine will take place in Abu Dhabi this week.
Kremlin spokesperson said there was, quote, "no clarity on whether Moscow and Kyiv were approaching a peace deal, but that some common ground could be found. In a post on X, President Zelenskyy said Ukraine is ready for substantive talks that will bring an end to the war. Top U.S. and Iranian officials are planning to meet in Turkey on Friday. Sources tell CNN that special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to meet Iran's foreign minister in Istanbul. President Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and officials from Egypt,
Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Pakistan also expected to attend. All this comes as regional allies scramble to find a diplomatic off-ramp to avert U.S. Military action against Iran. U.S. and Iranian officials appear optimistic about negotiations to reach a possible nuclear agreement. But the defense secretary of the United States, Pete Hegseth, says the country is, quote, "prepared to act if Iran does not make a deal."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE HEGSETH, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: The president has been clear from the beginning, as he was before Midnight Hammer. Iran will not have nuclear weapons capabilities. And so they can either negotiate on that front or we have other options. That's why the War Department exists. He doesn't want to go that route. I don't want to go that route. But our job is to be prepared.
And so, of course we are. And we are -- we're more than prepared. But President Trump is committed to peace. He's committed to a deal if Iran is serious about making a deal. And we'll see. It's up to -- that's up to Iran.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Is regime change a possibility?
HEGSETH: It's not. Right now our job is to be prepared. And Iran has a choice about whether or not they want to negotiate on their nuclear capabilities or not.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Sina Azodi is the director of the Middle East Studies Program at George Washington University. He joins me live from Washington, D.C.
Welcome to THE STORY IS.
SINA AZODI, DIRECTOR, MIDDLE EAST STUDIES PROGRAM, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY: Good to be with you, Elex.
MICHAELSON: So the secretary there is talking about a potential deal. What would a potential deal look like? What do both sides need in order to claim victory here?
AZODI: Well, I think President Trump has laid out three conditions based on what we know. That's no nuclear weapons. And I think the president really insists on the issue of enrichment in Iran. He has also discussed the possibility of limiting Iran's missile program. And this proxy forces or what some people call the non-state allies that Iran has in the region. For Iranians I think lifting sanctions is the highest priority. And, of course, avoiding a potential conflict with the United States.
And just a few moments ago, just to, you know, have that in context, president of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, confirmed that the foreign minister will participate in talks with the United States. MICHAELSON: So everything you just said, does that all jive? I mean,
is that a deal that -- can both sides agree to those terms? Because what, you know, President Trump wants is not traditionally been something that Iranians have agreed to.
AZODI: Well, I think we have had instances in the past that Iranians offered to negotiate over the non-state allies that Iran has, especially in the case of Hezbollah. In 2003, Iranians did offer to help Hezbollah be transformed into a purely political organization rather than military. Back then, the Bush administration really ignored the Iranian offer.
I think the main sticking point for Iranians is the issue of enrichment. That, I mean, there are options that, you know, people can find out solutions that can be reached, such as a multinational enrichment facility. This way, President Trump can claim that he has stopped enrichment in Iran and Iranians can also claim that they didn't give up on their -- what they call their NPT rights. So there are solutions.
And for the missile program, Iranians have a self-imposed range of 2,000 kilometers on the range. This could be codified in a -- in an agreement with the United States. And again, everybody can claim victory.
[00:25:01]
MICHAELSON: Interesting that you point that out. So, you know, coming into the last few weeks, there's huge protests in the streets. There was a lot of momentum for people that are against the regime. We all heard, you know, from folks that felt like this was going to be the moment the regime was finally on its way out. And then there was this violent crackdown. There was the internet being turned off. Thousands and thousands of people killed in the street by the regime.
From a sort of brutal perspective, did that work? Did that stop the momentum? Did that change the dynamics and the leverage for the regime?
AZODI: It did certainly change the dynamics in favor of the Islamic Republic, at least in the short term. They, in, you know, you know, plain terms, they killed their way out of the situation by killing, as you pointed out, thousands of people. But I think that as the famous saying goes, this is the beginning of the end for the Islamic Republic, and nothing goes back to what it used to be prior to where the protest started.
So, again, the Islamic Republic did survive this time around. But they failed to address the fundamental issues that really led to the start of the protest, which was really economic protest. We have to keep in mind that when the protests started, it was because of the economic situation and the fluctuation in the currency.
MICHAELSON: Sure. And those issues still need to be dealt with.
Sina Azodi, joining us from our nation's capital, George Washington University, thank you so much for sharing your insights. Really appreciate it. Thanks for staying up late with us.
AZODI: Thanks for having me.
MICHAELSON: The Middle East, the Rafah Crossing has partially reopened after nearly two years. It is the main border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, and it is critical for the delivery of humanitarian aid. Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there would be no passage of aid or commercial goods. For now, only 50 people will be able to cross in each direction per day, according to Egyptian state media affiliates.
CNN's Nic Robertson takes a closer look at what that means for Palestinians in Gaza.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): For a lucky few of Gaza's war-wounded, a day they've dreamed of. Boarding busses in Gaza to take them to treatment in Egypt.
Fareed Khaled al-Qazzaz (PH) hoping he'd make it across.
"We want proper, lasting treatment," he says. "We are people who want life and love peace."
The once bustling Rafah border post closed by Israel 20 months ago, and still controlled by them, opening for the first time. According to Gaza's Ministry of Health, an estimated 20,000 Gazans need medical treatment outside of the war-torn enclave.
Ibrahim al-Batan (PH) is war wounded and needs dialysis. He's hoping to get out soon, too.
"There used to be a hospital in the north, another in the city center. All of them destroyed," he says. "I came out of intensive care two days ago. There's no treatment at all. So what am I supposed to do?"
On the Egyptian side, more hopefuls. Gazans who fled the war, desperate to go home, facing Egyptian, then E.U., and then IDF controls before they're free to reunite with loved ones.
Omar Xuereb (PH) left with a sick relative last year and is desperate to go back.
"I own a piece of land," he says. "But when the war began, it was too dangerous to work there. And now I struggle for regular contact with relatives."
Israeli officials said the border could only reopen once the remains of the last hostage was returned. That was a week ago. But Rafah is far from back to pre-war business as usual. No trucks crossing and for now only a few dozen carefully vetted Gazans able to do so.
Nic Robertson, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE) MICHAELSON: Still ahead, THE STORY IS football. It's called "Raise the Flags," a new Amazon docu-series that chronicles 50 years of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I'll talk with the director, plus Bucs legend Gerald McCoy, both here in our studio on THE STORY IS.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MICHAELSON: Thanks for watching THE STORY IS. Here are some of the stories making headlines.
[00:34:47]
Colombian President Gustavo Petro will visit President Trump at the White House on Tuesday. It marks a big diplomatic shift following a year of insults, threats, tariffs and sanctions. But the two leaders seem intent on putting their bitter feud behind them.
They're expected to discuss drug trafficking concerns, Venezuela, and regional security.
Congress is on the cusp of ending the partial government shutdown after a fierce lobbying push by President Trump and Republican leaders. Key House conservatives now appear ready to support the bipartisan spending bill that's already cleared the Senate.
But House Republicans have just a one-vote majority, and Democrats are expected to vote against the deal.
Elon Musk is merging two of his most ambitious companies, SpaceX and xAI. Together, they will form what's being described as the most valuable private company in the world.
The merger could indicate that xAI needs more money to compete with other A.I. companies, also highlighting the growing importance Grok will play in the future of space exploration.
Former President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have agreed to appear for an in-person deposition by the House Oversight Committee.
Lawmakers want to know about their possible connections to the late Jeffrey Epstein.
The Clintons reversed course after months of pushing back against testifying before Congress. They pushed back and then reversed course, just as the House is expected to vote this week on whether to charge them with criminal contempt over the matter.
In the U.K. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is urging the former Prince Andrew to testify before their version of -- or before Congress, as well. American Congress.
The former royal appears to be shown in photos like these in the latest release of files, in addition to previous claims of abuse in connection to Epstein. The former prince has repeatedly denied all allegations of wrongdoing and said he never witnessed or suspected any of the behavior that Epstein was accused of.
Now, despite these new developments, President Trump says the Justice Department needs to move on from the Epstein investigation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I have nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein. And in fact, if you look at the DOJ, they announced -- you know, they released 3 million pages. It's like this is all they're supposed to be doing.
And frankly, the DOJ, I think, should just say, "We have other things to do," because that whole thing has turned out -- I mean, other than Bill Clinton and, you know, Bill Gates and lots of people that have -- there are a lot of questions about it, but nothing on me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: The death of Alex Pretti has been ruled a homicide by the Minnesota medical examiner's office. Pretti was shot during a deadly encounter with federal agents last month.
The official cause of death has been given as multiple gunshot wounds after being, quote, "shot by law enforcement officers." It does not comment on whether the killing constitutes a crime.
All this comes as a U.S. district judge lifts an emergency order barring federal investigations from -- federal investigators from destroying or altering any evidence gathered from the scene of that shooting.
The judge now says federal officials have assured him that evidence would be properly maintained.
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem says all Homeland Security officers in Minneapolis will now be issued body cameras.
This comes after the recent shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. DHS agents have sometimes resorted to using personal devices to film interactions with protesters, including the officer who shot Good.
According to investigators, body camera footage was used to help piece together the events leading up to Alex Pretti's shooting.
Ahead, Super Bowl's opening night. CNN is there as a week of festivities kicks off ahead of the big game. We'll check in with Andy Scholes in Santa Clara right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:43:21]
MICHAELSON: A live picture from Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, where the prep work is already underway in building the massive infrastructure in place for the Super Bowl.
We are less than a week now from Super Bowl LX. It will be the Seattle Seahawks versus the New England Patriots. Festivities have already kicked off right here in California.
CNN's Andy Scholes is in Santa Clara for us tonight at Super Bowl opening night.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORT: Well, Super Bowl week is now off and running as the Patriots and Seahawks participated in opening night here in San Jose, California.
Media members from all over the world were here to talk to the teams ahead of Super Bowl LX.
Now, the biggest crowds by far are around the two quarterbacks, Drake Maye and Sam Darnold. And these two guys taking much different paths to get here.
Maye is in just his second season. And at just 23 years old, I asked him what would it mean to become the youngest starting QB to ever win a Super Bowl.
DRAKE MAYE, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS QUARTERBACK: I mean, I think it would mean the most just for this team. I think, you know, the stat of the youngest, or if I was the oldest, just being a chance to -- to win the Super Bowl in general is what I'm most worried about.
And knowing that this team, how far we've come and just not to come this far, just to come this far and make it worthwhile.
SCHOLES: Now Darnold, meanwhile, was considered a bust with the New York Jets. But he rejuvenated his career with the Vikings and now has the Seahawks in the Super Bowl in his first year with the team. And I asked him how is he able to just turn his career around?
SAM DARNOLD, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS QUARTERBACK: For me personally, like, I really -- I don't think it's anything more than just doing my job every single day.
I don't think about anything else. I just, you know, think I have a job to do, and I have a job to do every single day. And if I can lock in on that, you know, I won't have time to think about any other, you know, B.S., I guess, that I might be able to think about.
[00:45:12]
SCHOLES: Now, opening night is the time this week to have some fun and ask some off-the-wall questions. So, I got with some of the players, and I asked them, with the Winter Olympics right around the corner, what winter sport do they think they could compete in.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hockey.
SCHOLES: Hockey. You a good hockey player?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've skated since I was 3.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I had to choose, it would probably be bobsled.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is the bobsled?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Skiing? Is that a winter sport?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Snowboarding would be fun. I've never done it, but I'd be willing to try it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Give me about a year. I could be really good at curling.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Honestly, no, there isn't one. I don't think I'd be good at any Winter Olympic sport.
SCHOLES: So, after tonight, it's down to business. The Patriots, they're trying to win a record seventh Super Bowl. The Seahawks, meanwhile, are trying to win their second.
And this is actually a rematch from Super Bowl 49. And if you remember that game, it was the one where Malcolm Butler had the interception of Russell Wilson on the one-yard line, just devastating Seahawks fans. So, for all of Seattle, this is the Malcolm Butler revenge game.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Thank you, Andy. That guy doesn't know about bobsled? We need to get him some "Cool Runnings" to check out.
All right. This is exciting. Andy and I will be hosting a live post- game show from the field at Levi's Stadium on Sunday. Right after the game, I'll be up there with him: 8 p.m. on the West Coast, 11 p.m. Eastern. And if you really love football, 4 a.m. on Monday for all the NFL fans in the U.K.
I did that once when I was studying abroad there and watched the Super Bowl in the middle of night. It was kind of fun, at a pub.
All right, let's talk more football now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Baker Mayfield, take one marker. Sound speeds again.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One set, take one, mark.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mike Evans, take one.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mike Alstott, Doug Williams.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jon Gruden.
TOM BRADY, FORMER NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS QUARTERBACK: Tom Brady, take one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: There is a new documentary series now streaming on Amazon Prime that takes us behind the scenes of the 50-year history of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It's called "Raise the Flags."
Joining me now is the director, Trent Cooper, and Bucs legend and current NFL game day morning co-host Gerald McCoy. Welcome to you both to THE STORY IS. Congratulations on the documentary.
TRENT COOPER, DIRECTOR, "RAISE THE FLAG": Thank you.
MICHAELSON: So, some people will see this and say, of all teams, why the Bucs? But for you this is personal.
COOPER: Well, it's personal and also here with you THE STORY IS. This -- we believe this is one of the great underdog stories in all of sports. And to be able to -- to work on this doc has been really, really fun as a storyteller.
MICHAELSON: And your first memory of -- of the Bucs, you're seven years old.
COOPER: Yes.
MICHAELSON: You're in the stadium for their first ever home win.
COOPER: First home win.
MICHAELSON: which happens in the second season, because the first year, they didn't win anything, right?
COOPER: Yes. The team was famously "Oh" and 26, which was -- which was horrible to suffer through.
MICHAELSON: And a national punchline. Right?
COOPER: And they'd won their first game the week before in New Orleans against Archie Manning. And -- but they'd never won it home. So, the fans had never lived through it.
And I got to go to that game. It was my first game ever. There's people in the stands chanting something, and I asked my brother, what are they chanting?
He says, "They're saying, 'Let's go; two in a row.'"
"Why two in a row?" He explains it all to me.
They win the game. Fans storm the field, tear down the goalpost, and I've been hooked ever since.
I've been hooked ever since.
MICHAELSON: And you also grew up a fan of this. You grew up in Oklahoma.
GERALD MCCOY, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS DEFENSIVE TACKLE, 2010-2018: Yes.
MICHAELSON: But the Bucs were your team, not the Dallas Cowboys.
MCCOY: Right.
MICHAELSON: Because of somebody named Warren Sapp, right?
MCCOY: Yes, I was a defensive lineman, and Warren Sapp was the best in the league.
And in Oklahoma, you feel one of two ways about the Cowboys. You either love them or you hate them. Well, we didn't have a pro team. University of Oklahoma was our pro team.
So, imagine how polarizing this team is for a kid to sneak out of church into his pastor's office and turn the Super Bowl on because he's rooting for a team all the way in Florida.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
MCCOY: That's how polarizing this team was to me when I was a kid.
MICHAELSON: And then.
MCCOY: Yes.
MICHAELSON: You get drafted. Let's look at this clip from the documentary.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With the third pick in the 2010 NFL draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Gerald McCoy.
MCCOY: You get drafted third overall. You were the third overall pick, because the season prior they were not very good. So, they're bringing you in to revamp this defense. And you're supposed to be the piston that drives the engine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: So, you were the first person to ever go hug Roger Goodell, the commissioner, like that.
MCCOY: I was. I was. I was --
MICHAELSON: Because you were so excited. What did it mean for you to become a Tampa Bay Buc, the team that you grew up rooting for and wanting to be a part of?
MCCOY: Well, as a kid, you grew up -- you just want to experience the NFL. You want your dream to become a reality.
But imagine that reality being you playing for the team that you grew up loving? There's no better feeling than that.
But not only that, you were brought in to follow in the footsteps of Warren Sapp, Lee Roy Selmon, in that position. You played on the side of ball that made that city famous.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
MCCOY: Which is defense, and you're supposed to be the next guy? Oh, there's no better feeling than that.
MICHAELSON: That's unbelievable.
And you sort of had these themes throughout this documentary --
COOPER: Yes.
MICHAELSON: -- of loyalty, risk taking, perseverance, and serving the community.
COOPER: Yes.
MICHAELSON: And somebody who really epitomizes that is Tony Dungy, who a lot of people know now. He's a broadcaster for NBC. But he was a great coach --
COOPER: Yes.
MICHAELSON: -- for the Tampa Bay Bucs and then a great coach for the Indianapolis Colts after that.
How is Tony Dungy so different than other coaches up until that point?
COOPER: Well, first of all, he changed everything, and he changed the culture, day one.
But -- but what he -- what he wasn't was a yeller or a screamer. And back in those days, you know, football coaches had to be a certain kind of guy.
And so, Tony was passed up for jobs year after year. Partly because of the color of his skin --
MICHAELSON: Right.
COOPER: -- which -- which we talk about quite a bit. But -- but also because of his demeanor.
And the Glazer family took a chance on him. They believed in him, and he changed everything.
So suddenly, this team that was the worst in in all of sports starts to turn things around. I think that's one of the reasons the doc is -- is so well-received, is because people love to go on that ride and see a team turn it around and go, you know, here to here.
MICHAELSON: Right. And for -- for a young black kid in Oklahoma, seeing Tony Dungy was probably, you know, felt represented, right?
MCCOY: Yes, it did, because you didn't see it much. You didn't see it at the head coach level. You've seen white coaches was the norm.
So, for Tony Dungy to be leading that group with the demeanor he had, because I grew up in church, and that's what he represented.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
MCCOY: He led with his faith. Both my parents were youth pastors. So, me growing up in church and then rooting for the team where the head coach is talking about his faith nonstop, that's that was a plus for us, too.
MICHAELSON: Yes. I mean, if like, Jesus had a representative as a coach, it would be Tony Dungy.
MCCOY: Right.
MICHAELSON: I mean, that guy really, really lives it, right, as well.
And, you know, you go through the Bucs history, and then they go to Jon Gruden, who's a very different kind of personality. Right?
COOPER: Right.
MICHAELSON: And then they struggle for a while. And then they go to a coach named Bruce Arians. And when Bruce Arians is the coach, a guy named Tom Brady wants to be a part of the team.
COOPER: Never heard of him.
MICHAELSON: Let's show that clip of what that was like.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRUCE ARIANS, FORMER COACH, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS: Tom started talking about, I can still do this.
I said, bro, we watched every film for the last three years. I know you can still do it. Do you want to do it?
And Tom gets a look in his eye. To me it was like, oh, (EXPLETIVE DELETED), he's serious, boy. He wants to prove to the world he's still the best.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: And Tom had won six Super Bowls at that point with the Patriots. He was about as old as any quarterback had ever been.
COOPER: Yes.
MICHAELSON: What do we learn about Brady in this doc that you didn't know before?
COOPER: I think you learn that he -- it reawakened something inside of him. You know, a fun, a personality, a let-loose side of him that he was -- He says in the doc, he wasn't even sure it was still there. And he kind of found it again in Tampa.
But what I think the world learned and the organization learned is they learned how to win. And he taught, day one, everyone from his teammates to his fellow coaches to the, you know, the marketing people are learning how to win at his level.
MICHAELSON: I mean, it really is, if you think about it, one of the great wins --
COOPER: Yes.
MICHAELSON: -- in modern sports, in his mid-forties, to be able to pull that off with that franchise.
So, now, we're going to the Super Bowl. You both are literally going to the Super Bowl after this.
MCCOY: Yes.
MICHAELSON: You're flying there. So, you do analysis for the NFL network.
MCCOY: Yes.
MICHAELSON: What are we thinking of -- of this matchup, Seahawks versus Patriots?
MCCOY: Well, when I look at this matchup, I look at top to bottom. And winning the Super Bowl is momentum. It's a momentum thing. So, you've got to start with the quarterback play.
And Sam Darnold currently, even though Drake Maye was MVP finalist regular season, currently Sam Darnold is playing better.
But then you got the offenses rolling. But both defenses, these are defensive-minded head coaches. So, you look at who's playing the best, top to bottom. And I've got to go with the Seattle Seahawks.
I believe the Seattle Seahawks are going to win. But not just win. But I think it's going to be a double-digit score game.
MICHAELSON: Wow.
MCCOY: They're just playing with that much momentum. And the offense of the New England Patriots, they've been stagnant. And you can't get stagnant versus this group, because they --
MICHAELSON: That defense is good.
MCCOY: Absolutely.
COOPER: I'm going Patriots.
MICHAELSON: Are you?
COOPER: For that exact reason. Because the whole world is going to be thinking Seahawks.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
COOPER: And we're thinking how did the Patriots get back in a post- Brady, post-Belichick world? And they're back. And they're going to do it again. And it's going to drive everybody crazy.
MICHAELSON: That is a franchise that would be interesting to do a history of documentary: the New England Patriots.
COOPER: Totally.
[00:55:03]
MICHAELSON: But for now, the documentary is all about the Tampa Bay Bucs. People can check that out on Amazon Prime.
Congratulations again.
COOPER: Thank you.
MICHAELSON: Thank you guys so much for being here. Really enjoyed the conversation. We'll check out your work on Sunday, 8.5-hour pregame show.
MCCOY: Yes, sir. For 8.5 hours.
COOPER: Game on.
MICHAELSON: All right. Thanks, guys.
We'll be back with more of THE STORY IS right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MICHAELSON: The annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is now underway in New York, and this year.
