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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson
DOJ Releases More Than 3 Million Pages Of Epstein Files; Candidates For Governor Prepare To Debate On Tuesday; Candidates for Governor Prepare to Debate on Tuesday; Interview with California Gubernatorial Candidate Antonio Villaraigosa; Seahawks & Patriots Face Off for NFL Championship; Disney Shares Slump Despite Beating Earnings Expectations; Former Dodger Leads Fundraiser for Children's Charities. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired February 03, 2026 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: The annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog show is now underway in New York. And this year more than 2500 dogs representing over 200 breeds are participating. In recent years, a giant schnauzer and miniature poodle have won best in show. A new top dog will take the crown on Tuesday.
Doesn't this remind you of Catherine O'Hara in the film "Best of Show" as we honor and celebrate her work? That was such a great movie.
Finally, if you want toss a coin and make a wish at the famous Trevi Fountain in Rome, it's going to come at a price. Visitors will now have to buy a euro 2 ticket, just over two U.S. dollars to approach the fountain and then throw coins into the water. So you got to still pay for the coins after that. Rome's city government introduced the new ticketing system for non-residents to help manage the massive crowds at one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city and one of the more popular attractions in the world.
By the way, still free to watch us. Next hour of The Story Is starts right now.
[01:01:09]
The Story Is the federal government is shut down. It's not clear Republicans have the votes to get it reopened. The Story Is Savannah Guthrie's 84-year-old mother abducted while sleeping in Arizona. The Story Is California's race for governor. Candidate Antonio Villaraigosa with us live in studio.
The Story Is Super Bowl's opening night. Andrew Siciliano takes us live to the Bay Area. And The Story Is polar plunge. I'm with some baseball legends as they raise money in a very fun way.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Los Angeles, The Story Is with Elex Michaelson.
MICHAELSON: The second government shutdown of President Trump's second term could soon draw to a close. House Republicans are signaling that they now have the votes to pass the bipartisan spending bill and a vote is expected in the hours ahead. That's a live picture from Washington where it's after one 1:00 in the morning. Tonight, President Trump pressured some of the conservative holdouts to get in line with the rest of the party to end the partial shutdown. And it seemed to be working.
House Democrats are expected to vote against fast tracking the deal. The Republican House majority is razor thin. They can only afford to lose one Republican vote whenever the bill hits the floor. Now much of the debate has been focused on funding for the Department of Homeland Security and its controversial ICE agents. The current spending plan only gives them two weeks of funding while lawmakers debate reforms.
I spoke not too long ago with House Democrat John Garamendi of California and asked him to take us behind the scenes of what's really going on in Washington right now as negotiations commence to reopen the government.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JOHN GARAMENDI (D-CA): Well, I think you need to look way, way west of Washington to understand what's going on here. You need to understand what's going on in Minnesota and what happened in other states, Chicago, Los Angeles and the like. The American public is rightfully very, very angry at the way in which ICE and Customs and Border Patrol are conducting themselves in our city. Most of us, and I'm including myself, and I'm including neighbors up and down this entire continent, are looking at a paramilitary police force. And they're going, no way.
Not in America. We do not -- we do not need a Gestapo operation in America. But that's what it's beginning to look like. And so that is seriously influencing everything that is going on here in Washington. It certainly did in the Senate, where they took the appropriation bills and structured a bit of a deal in which all of the bills would be voted on at once, except one of those bills would only be appropriated for two weeks.
That is a continuing resolution. Money would flow for only two weeks. Now the reality, and here's where it gets into the details, excuse me for being in the weeds, but the reality is that the Department of Homeland Security has guaranteed funding for five full years, and it's well over $140 billion. And that goes to all of their operations, Customs and Border Patrol, ICE detention facilities, and so on and so forth. So all of that is the foundation upon which we will be voting tomorrow.
There's going to be interesting votes. Not sure how it's going to turn out. I know most Democrats are not anxious to vote for anything in custom -- in Homeland Security at all, although they may have to, depending upon what the Republican vote count is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[01:05:04]
MICHAELSON: Meanwhile, President Trump is calling on the Republicans to, quote, "nationalize future elections." He floated that idea during an interview with Dan Bongino, the former deputy director of the FBI. It comes just days after FBI agents searched a Fulton County, Georgia, elections office. Agents sees 700 boxes of election materials as part of an investigation into alleged voter fraud. Georgia, Fulton County in particular, have long been targets of President Trump's claims, without evidence, that he won the 2020 election and it was stolen from him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STUDENT: The Republicans should say, we want to take over. We should take over the voting -- the voting in 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: Former President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have agreed to appear for in person depositions by the House Oversight Committee. Lawmakers want to know about their possible connections to the late Jeffrey Epstein. The Clintons reverse course after months of pushing back against Congress, just as the House was expected to vote this week on whether to charge them with criminal contempt over the matter. They were even losing some Democratic votes, which is part of the reason they flipped.
Oversight Committee Chair, James Comer, a Republican, says the details of their agreement still haven't been set, but it is a big deal for a former president to go testify before Congress. The last time that happened was Gerald Ford.
Now, last week's release of more than 3 million pages of material from the Epstein files is raising more questions about other people connected to the late sex offender and new criticism of the Justice Department for errors in their release. New York Times reports that the DOJ published dozens of unredacted nude photos as part of the latest batch. One victim was quoted as saying that the news of that imagery being public was, quote, "extremely disturbing." Times has now said, quote, "Officials have largely removed or redacted the images at the Times flagged for them."
Now, reopening those old wounds comes as the deputy attorney general says the DOJ does not expect to charge anybody else in connection with the Epstein investigation. He says the evidence has failed to meet the standards for prosecution. He told Fox News this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAURA INGRAHAM, FOX NEWS HOST: Is there any chance that any of these individuals who partied with Epstein and engaged in, you know, relations with minors will be prosecuted? Any chance?
TODD BLANCHE, U.S. DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL: Well, look, we -- I'll never say no. And we will always investigate any evidence of misconduct. But as you know, it is not a crime to party with Mr. Epstein. And so as horrible as -- it's not a crime to e-mail with Mr. Epstein and some of these men may have done horrible things and if we have evidence that allows us to prosecute them, you better believe we will. But it's also the kind of thing that the American people need to understand that it isn't a crime to party with Mr. Epstein.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: President Trump, who we know did party with Mr. Epstein initially resisted releasing the files. Now he says the Justice Department should just move on.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: 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: Now to Arizona, where authorities are offering a $2,500 reward for information on whoever is responsible for the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie. The mother of "Today" show anchor Savannah Guthrie was last seen Saturday night near her home just outside of Tucson. The Pima County sheriff says evidence at the scene indicates that she was taken in the middle of the night against her will. CNN's Randi Kaye has more details on the investigation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHERIFF CHRIS NANOS, PIMA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT.: We just want to find her and bring her back safe.
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 84 year old Nancy Guthrie hasn't been heard from in days. When she didn't show up at church on Sunday, people there alerted her family who then alerted authorities around noon in Pima County, Arizona.
NANOS: We saw some things at the home that were concerning to us. We believe now after we process that crime scene, that we do in fact have a crime scene, that we do in fact have a crime. And we're asking the community's help.
[01:10:03]
KAYE (voice-over): Officials say Nancy Guthrie was asleep in her bed at the time this occurred. They won't say what they found at Guthrie's home to lead them to conclude it was a crime scene, but they are convinced she was removed against her will.
NANOS: She is very limited in her mobility, right? We know she didn't just walk out of there. That is -- that we know. There are other things at the site that the scene that indicate she did not leave on her own. We know that.
SGT. DAVID STIVERS, PIMA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT.: There were circumstances on scene that we believe are suspicious in nature.
KAYE (voice-over): Homicide detectives were called to the scene, which officials say is not standard for a missing person case. Nancy Guthrie is the mother of NBC's "Today" show host Savannah Guthrie. Her mysterious disappearance was their top story this morning.
CRAIG MELVIN, NBC NEWS ANCHOR: We want to get right to what is a deeply personal story for us. Nancy Guthrie, Savannah's beloved mother, has been reported missing in Arizona.
KAYE (voice-over): Savannah Guthrie released a statement through NBC saying the family is grateful for the, quote, "thoughts, prayers, and messages of support," adding their "focus remains on the safe return of our dear mom." Nancy Guthrie has appeared on the "Today" show with her daughter numerous times. In 2016, cooking up her special fried chicken.
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, NBC NEWS ANCHOR: Today I am thrilled to welcome a very talented cook to our kitchen.
NANCY GUTHRIE, SAVANNAH GUTHRIE'S MOTHER: Oh yes.
S. GUTHRIE: One I know well, my mom, Nancy Guthrie.
KAYE (voice-over): And in 2022, Savannah honored her mom on air for her 80th birthday.
S. GUTHRIE: It is my mom's 80th birthday. She loves us, her family, fiercely.
KAYE (voice-over): She described her mom as a truth teller, well read, daring and adventurous. Officials say Nancy Guthrie lived alone. They say they've recovered her cell phone and are examining video from cameras at the home.
NANOS: This is a 84-year-old lady who suffers from some physical ailments, has some physical challenges, is in need of medication. Medication that if she doesn't have in 24 hours, it could be fatal.
KAYE (voice-over): Given her famous daughter, a journalist and T.V. host, the sheriff isn't ruling out the possibility Nancy Guthrie may have been targeted.
NANOS: We don't know that. We look at all of that, but we just don't know that.
KAYE (voice-over): Search and rescue teams, including volunteers, dogs, border patrol agents, and helicopters, search through the night for Guthrie. The FBI is also now involved.
Savannah Guthrie lost her father when she was in high school. Authorities say she is in Arizona now, hoping for the safe return of her mother.
S. GUTHRIE: Mama, great job. Love you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE (on camera): The sheriff was asked about whether or not Nancy Guthrie may have some cognitive issues. And he said that she is sharp as a tack and this is not a dementia issue. He also said that they are making a desperate plea for the public's help. Now, I mentioned that they are going through the video from the cameras at Nancy Guthrie's home. They are also looking at some other high tech options that would include license plate readers in the area as well as traffic cameras.
They're also asking neighbors to review the video on their ring cameras as well in case that caught anything. Now, if anybody does see anything, they should report that right away to the Pima County Sheriff's Department, to the tip line. That number is 520-351-4900. And once again, authorities here are up against the clock because as the sheriff says, Nancy Guthrie needs medication within 24 hours or this could prove to be fatal.
Randi Kaye, CNN.
MICHAELSON: Our thanks to Randi.
This thing is so sad. 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."
And as Randi just mentioned, it's worth putting up there a second time. We're asking anyone with information to contact the tip line on your screen, 520-351-4900. And just within the last hour or so, they offered a $2,500 reward.
[01:14:09]
Still to come, the race to replace California's governor Gavin Newsom is heating up. After the break, we'll speak to one candidate about his vision for the state. Antonio Villaraigosa, you see him there, former mayor of Los Angeles, is live standing by to talk about a big week in the governor's race. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MICHAELSON: Russia launched a massive overnight ballistic missile attack on Kiev, according to Ukrainian officials. CNN staff report hearing explosions across the capital city. Authorities are reporting damage to a number of residential buildings, commercial sites, an educational institution. Kharkiv, the country's second largest city, and Dnipro in eastern Ukraine were also reportedly struck. These attacks come as Ukraine is coping with extreme winter cold in the face of energy infrastructure that's been crippled by targeted Russian strikes.
President Trump says the U.S. has reached a new trade deal with India. As part of the agreement, the U.S. will reduce tariffs on Indian goods in exchange for India's promise to stop buying Russian oil. The Indian prime minister welcomed the news in a social media post on Monday, but did not mention cutting ties with Russian oil. CNN's Matt Egan breaks it down for us.
MATT EGAN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Yes, this is a significant development in the president's global trade war, and it's one that he hopes will help end Russia's actual war in Ukraine. Now, we still don't have all of the details here, but one thing that we do know is that the U.S. tariff rate on India is going to come down. Going to come down to 18 percent based on this new agreement. Now, make no mistake, that's still high. It's way higher than it was before the president took office last year, but it is also down from this 50 percent tariff rate that was previously imposed on imports from India.
[01:20:04]
Now this 50 percent included a 25 percent penalty on India for buying Russian oil. But a White House official tells me that 25 percent penalty is going away and the so called reciprocal tariff that was at 25 is now going to go down to 18 percent. And just to remind everyone, India is a leading source of imports into the United States. The US Imports a lot of medicine, telephones, diamonds, refined petroleum and jewelry. And all of these items were facing steep tariffs that are expected to now come down.
And the tariffs were putting pressure on both sides, right? Putting pressure on companies in India that wanted to sell to the U.S. but had to overcome high tariffs and also on U.S. consumers and businesses that were having to actually pay the tariffs.
As far as what else is in this agreement, the president says that India has agreed to lower tariffs on U.S. goods, also India to reduce non-tariff barriers, agreeing to buy more American goods. And most critically, the president says that India has agreed to stop buying Russian oil and instead buy oil, more oil from the United States and potentially oil from Venezuela as well. Now, this is a big deal because India is Russia's second biggest oil customer, second only to China. And in December alone, India imported 1.5 million barrels per day of Russian oil.
Now, one of the questions here is how fast will this number go down? How close will it get to zero? One energy analyst has pointed out to me that in the past, Moscow's found ways around some of these sanctions and penalties. So we've got to watch this closely. But the thinking is that the lower this goes, the more pressure is going to put on Moscow and Russia's economy.
And the hope is that it would force Vladimir Putin to come to the negotiating table and try to reach some sort of an agreement on ending the war in Ukraine. Back to you. MICHAELSON: Thank you, Matt.
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 are 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, Pete Hegseth, says the country is prepared to act if Iran doesn't 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 are 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, that's up to Iran -- that's up to Iran.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 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: Earlier on The Story Is, I spoke with Sina Azodi, the director of Middle East Studies Program at George Washington University. And I asked him what type of deal would allow both Iran and the U.S. to save face and declare victory.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SINA AZODI, DIRECTOR, MIDDLE EAST STUDIES PROGRAM, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIV.: 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 these proxy forcers, 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 potential conflict with the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP) MICHAELSON: Well, there is a lot of competition among those looking to replace, California Governor Gavin Newsom in this year's election to be the governor of California. A major debate, the first televised forum in the 2026 governor's race set to take place tomorrow in San Francisco. One of those candidates who will be on stage joins me now here live tonight.
[01:25:03]
Antonio Villaraigosa, former mayor of Los Angeles, former speaker of the California State Assembly, welcome back to The Story Is. Always great to see you.
ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA, CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR CANDIDATE: Great to see you too.
MICHAELSON: Thank you so much. So you made some news today. You called on Steve Hilton, the Republican candidate to drop out of the race because his name was included in the Epstein files. I've got the document of how it's included. It's not him writing, it's somebody else writing, saying, dear Jeffrey, just in case your friend Woody Allen is interested, this is from David Cameron's office, Rohan Silva, head of Prime Minister's policy unit and Steve Hilton, director of strategy, if he's in London anytime soon, love to welcome to number 10.
So Steve Hilton was working for David Cameron and they were interested in potentially having lunch with Woody Allen. Do you have any evidence that Steve Hilton ever was with Jeffrey Epstein or even on the island?
VILLARAIGOSA: Well, this is what we know. When that e-mail was written, Jeffrey Epstein was already a convicted sex offender. OK. He's asking through surrogate.
MICHAELSON: We don't know if he's asking. Somebody --
VILLARAIGOSA: Well --
MICHAELSON: -- somebody else is asking. It's not even his e-mail.
VILLARAIGOSA: He's saying --
MICHAELSON: Yes.
VILLARAIGOSA: -- that Steve Hilton is keen on meeting Woody Allen who had already married his daughter, who he -- stepdaughter who he had raised. I find that disgusting and I think most people do.
Look, Democrats and Republicans don't agree on a whole lot --
MICHAELSON: Yes.
VILLARAIGOSA: -- but they do agree that what's been coming out about Jeffrey Epstein is disgusting.
MICHAELSON: But there are a lot of people that not only met with Woody Allen, that worked with Woody Allen since then. I mean, Timothee Chalamet, Elle Fanning, Jude Law, Selena Gomez, Cate Blanchett, Scarlet Johansson, they all were worked for Woody Allen. Should they all be cancelled?
VILLARAIGOSA: That's not canceling. You know, look, as I said, he tried to meet with Woody Allen. He asked Jeffrey Epstein.
MICHAELSON: Somebody else asked Jeffrey Epstein.
VILLARAIGOSA: On his behalf --
MICHAELSON: Yes.
VILLARAIGOSA: -- to meet Woody Allen. Jeffrey Epstein was already a convicted sex offender by then. Woody Allen had already married his stepdaughter who he had --
MICHAELSON: Yes.
VILLARAIGOSA: -- raised by then. I think that's what most people would find offensive --
MICHAELSON: Yes. And so you think he should be --
VILLARAIGOSA: -- and disgusting.
MICHAELSON: -- -- you think he should be out of the race?
VILLARAIGOSA: I think he should be out of the race.
MICHAELSON: He's not going to be out of the race by tomorrow though. You're going to be on stage with him at a forum that's going to be televised. Sort of, where do you see as your lane right now and what's your strategy in this race?
VILLARAIGOSA: My lane is a common sense lane, the competence lane. I think most people who remember, and not everyone does, but the people who remember the city was safe. I mean --
MICHAELSON: City of Los Angeles when you were a mayor.
VILLARAIGOSA: City of Los Angeles was safer than any time since the 1950s. And when I started, it was one of the most violent big cities in America. Graduation rates went up 60 percent. My lane is the competence lane, the common sense lane, a lane that says we have to focus on affordability. You said in our last interview that I've been talking about affordability, not just in this race, but for years now.
MICHAELSON: For years.
VILLARAIGOSA: And I have, because I have my ears to the ground. You know, I grew up in a family with a single mom who struggled to make ends meet.
MICHAELSON: Yes. VILLARAIGOSA: You know, I know what it means to struggle. And too many people can't afford the price of gas, rent, utilities, which have gone up 60 percent. Gas is the highest in the nation. We have got to focus on the problems we face, and I intend to do that. While at the same time challenging Donald Trump on these ICE raids --
MICHAELSON: Yes.
VILLARAIGOSA: -- which, frankly, most people feel irreprehensible.
MICHAELSON: So, like today, we saw Governor Newsom at the border talking about fentanyl. He's taken a very aggressive approach fighting Donald Trump, trolling him online. Do you think that that approach actually is good for the people of California? Do you think that sometimes it might cost us money, that it might hurt the people of California when you antagonize him?
VILLARAIGOSA: Look, I intend to take on Donald Trump not by trolling him, but by using -- by passing laws that ensure that ICE agents aren't able to go into our neighborhoods, separate kids from their families.
MICHAELSON: How do you do that when it's federal law? I mean, what can you do from a state level to sort of supersede federal law?
[01:29:45]
VILLARAIGOSA: States have a right to say that states have their own laws, and they have a right to say that, federal agents ought to do as law enforcement does in this state, and that is, respect the rule of law.
Two people have been killed in the last couple of weeks, Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Alex Pretti was shot in the back after they disarmed him with multiple agents on him at the time. Renee Good was trying to leave that area when she was shot by an ICE agent. I think those killings need to be investigated.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
VILLARAIGOSA: And in California, we're going to do everything we can to do that when I'm governor.
MICHAELSON: And lastly, Matt Mehan, the mayor of San Jose, just got into the race. We just interviewed him last week. What's your take on his entrance? Because he's trying to do a sort of a similar lane.
VILLARAIGOSA: I think he's been a mayor for a couple of years, but San Jose is a city that has a city manager. So the city manager makes a lot of the decisions that happen in San Jose. But I welcome him in this race like I've welcomed everyone else.
I think people are looking for a proven problem solver. Let's just remember, this L.A. is bigger than San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose and San Diego combined. It is a country in many respects. There is no one in this race that has the record on crime, on
education, on you know, infrastructure like I do. And I think that's what separates me from the rest of the candidates.
I'm the only person that has been a chief executive of the second largest city in the country, very similar to what a governor does.
MICHAELSON: Yes. I mean, bigger than some states. The city of Los Angeles --
VILLARAIGOSA: Well, bigger than many, many states.
MICHAELSON: Yes. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Always great to see you.
VILLARAIGOSA: Thank you. And good to see you as well.
MICHAELSON: We'll continue the conversation in the months ahead.
VILLARAIGOSA: I look forward to it.
MICHAELSON: Ahead, we take you to Super Bowl's opening night, speaking of California. A week of festivities just kicked off. We will speak with Andrew Siciliano live from the Bay Area right after this.
[01:32:10]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MICHAELSON: A live look at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, where Super Bowl LX will kick off on Sunday. Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks face off against Drake Maye and the New England Patriots. The festivities have already kicked off here in California.
Joining me now from San Francisco is Andrew Siciliano, host of "Inside Coverage" on Yahoo! Andrew, you were at Super Bowl opening night, this bizarre mix of everybody who likes attention all in one space. Take us behind the scenes.
ANDREW SICILIANO, HOST, "INSIDE COVERAGE" YAHOO: Elex. That's a great way to describe it. It is kind of a bizarre circus.
You have the players on these podiums, a massive humanity in front of the podiums for the bigger name players. And then you have the other players kind of milling around. And you have national media, local media, international media. You have children with microphones, you have late night talk shows doing wacky bits. You have people doing things for TikTok, media interviewing media.
All the while there are fans that are there in the corner kind of penned off, cheering and watching media interview media. It's all very meta.
MICHAELSON: Any big takeaways, any news?
SICILIANO: I think the news would be from Drake Maye, the Patriots quarterback. He didn't practice much last week. He was officially limited. They have to give a designation.
He said, however, that on the flight here to San Jose landed on Sunday that his right shoulder, which he injured in the AFC championship game, is doing better.
He surmises that he threw today in a limited session more than he did last week. So any injury concerns for the Patriots quarterback, and they were legitimate, were at least for now, put to rest tonight.
MICHAELSON: So Bad Bunny is going to be the halftime performer, which has become controversial. President Trump says it's the reason he's not coming to the Super Bowl.
There's a whole other conservative halftime show that's being put out by Talking Points USA. Bad Bunny -- big night, big winner at the Grammys last night. What's Roger Goodell saying about all this?
SICILIANO: So every Monday at the Super Bowl, the commissioner has his State of the League address, if you will. It's where all the difficult questions that have been pent up for the year are thrown at the commissioner.
He was asked about Bad Bunny and the comments that he made last night. And he was supportive of the halftime show, as he has been for these last couple of months since Bad Bunny was announced.
He says it's going to be a great show. He supports the show. I mean, Bad Bunny had 20 billion streams on Spotify last year. I think those numbers speak for themselves. And the commissioner said that he still supports the halftime show.
MICHAELSON: And Bad Bunny, of course, last night said ICE out, which was controversial in some parts of this country.
The NFL also announced more international games. What are we talking about?
SICILIANO: So were going to have nine games next year, which is an expansion. It had already been announced that the Rams will play a game in Melbourne, Australia next year, likely in September.
What they added today was a long-rumored game finally confirmed, the very first game in France. So next year, likely in October at Stade De France, the Saints and their Florida league fitting will be at least one of the teams.
[01:39:51]
SICILIANO: They'll be the home team. We don't yet know who else will play the Saints.
And also the NFL is going to return to what used to be known as Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. They had played five previous times there, most recently in 2022, but they had put that series on pause while that stadium was renovated. So back at Stade De France next year for one of -- I'm sorry -- back
in Mexico City and Paris for the -- for two of the nine games on the international schedule.
MICHAELSON: And I've got like 20 seconds. Is Clint Kubiak of the Seahawks the offensive coordinator, is he going to be the next coach of the Raiders?
SICILIANO: He would not confirm nor deny. It has widely been reported that it is his job on Monday. He can't officially take that job right now. But wink-wink, nudge-nudge, he's the next head coach of the Raiders come Monday.
MICHAELSON: Lastly, who do you got? Seahawks? Patriots? Who do you got?
SICILIANO: I'm going to go Seahawks. I reserve the right to change it. But I will not Elex.
MICHAELSON: Well, you picked the Broncos and the Patriots beat them. So there you go. Do you remember that?
SICILIANO: Yes that didn't go too well. Thanks for bringing that up. I appreciate that.
(CROSSTALKING)
SICILIANO: Thanks, dude.
MICHAELSON: I think you also picked the rams too, didn't you. Yes.
SICILIANO: Yes. 0 for 2 -- go ahead.
(CROSSTALKING)
MICHAELSON: All right.
(CROSSTALKING)
SICILIANO: So let me pick the Patriots for --
(CROSSTALKING)
SICILIANO: -- purposes only.
MICHAELSON: So bet against -- bet against them.
Yes. Andrew Ciciliano, thank you for joining us. And we'll check you out also on NBC's Olympic Zone starting this weekend, the Gold Zone. You can check them out at Peacock when that starts.
You can check me out on Sunday night. I'll be anchoring a postgame show live from the field with Andy Scholes at Levi's Stadium. Starts at 8:00 here on the West Coast, 11:00 Eastern, 4:00 a.m. in London. If you want to get up early with us and maybe have a beer in a pub.
Thank you so much for watching this portion of THE STORY IS.
For our international viewers, WORLDSPORT is next. For our viewers here in North America, I'll be right back.
[01:41:47]
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MICHAELSON: Trouble in the Magic Kingdom? Despite beating Wall Street's earnings expectations, Disney shares slumped on Monday after the company warned of a decline in international visitors to its U.S. theme parks and a drop in earnings across its film and TV division.
Now, all this comes as Disney looks to appoint a successor for its longtime CEO, Bob Iger.
CNN's chief media analyst Brian Stelter here with that, Brian.
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: Hey, Elex.
Yes, the Disney succession race is nearing the finish line, and we're likely to hear about a new CEO later this week. The longtime Disney CEO Bob Iger, he is expected to leave later this year.
His contract expires in December. But according to the "Wall Street Journal", he is signaling that he might be ready to step down even sooner, maybe in the next few months. That might be a sign that he is confident in his chosen successor.
We're told that Disney board of directors is expected to meet as early as Tuesday to discuss who to name as Iger's successor and the frontrunner, according to various media reports, is the Disney Parks chairman, Josh D'Amaro. Josh has been running the parks for years. I had a chance to interview him a couple of years ago. And his love of Disney parks like Disneyland in Anaheim, but also Disney World and the ones all around the world.
It really came through in that interview. You can tell this is a guy who loves the experience of the parks and cares deeply about bringing those Disney characters to life through animatronics, through rides, and all the rest.
He has been auditioning for the CEO role for quite some time, but he's not the only contender. Disney TV boss Dana Walden was also said to be a top contender for the CEO job.
Meanwhile, Disney reported quarterly earnings on Monday morning and the company exceeded Wall Street expectations. But the stock was pummeled anyway. And that's largely due to a comment on the earnings call about international headwinds.
What does that mean? It means that some international visitors are not coming to the U.S. in as great numbers as they usually do.
Typically, Disney expects big influxes of tourists at Disneyland, at Disney World, but those numbers have been down somewhat, perhaps due to international visitors being reluctant to visit during Trump 2.0.
So that was a factor that weighed on the stock on Monday. But it's a factor that's out of Disney's control. And it does go to show how powerful the Disney brand is all around the world.
So, the board of directors are expected to meet as soon as Tuesday. I expect we will hear something new about the Disney CEO succession plan later this week.
Elex, back to you.
MICHAELSON: That will be very big news. Brian Stelter, thank you.
Up next from the baseball diamond to the deep blue sea. Current and former members of the Dodgers take the plunge for children's charity.
I was there with them in the ocean. Backstory and the video next.
[01:48:30]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MICHAELSON: The Artemis 2 mission space launch system is undergoing a crucial wet dress rehearsal, as NASA pushes ahead to its upcoming lunar mission. The test involves filling the rocket's tanks with hundreds of thousands of gallons of super-chilled propellant before a mock countdown.
If all goes well, the launch to send astronauts around the moon and back could take place as soon as February 8th.
But this rehearsal has already encountered some issues with hydrogen leaks. The problem had also impacted the uncrewed Artemis 1 test flight, delaying that launch for months back in 2022.
Well, sports now. Former National League Championship series MVP Chris Taylor is currently a free agent hoping to find a new home for the new baseball season. But his bond with his former Dodgers teammates in southern California itself will certainly last a lifetime.
We join Chris for a wet, cold, but meaningful event this weekend.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CROWD: Three, two, one -- take it away.
MICHAELSON: And they're off in Manhattan beach's version of a polar plunge. Leading the way, two-time World Series champion Chris Taylor, uniting this group to raise funds for kids.
How's it feel?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good. It's refreshing.
MICHAELSON: Chris Taylor and his wife Mary established the CT3 Foundation after Chris lost his childhood friend Kyle due to bone cancer. The Taylors often showing up themselves to support a series of youth-based nonprofits.
CHRIS TAYLOR, CT3 FOUNDATION: Doesn't require a whole lot from us, and it can make such a world of difference for these kids. And you know, they see us on TV and they view us like we're heroes. And it's cool to be able to go and put smiles on their faces. And it resets me.
And thank you all so much for being here. It means a lot.
[01:54:45]
MICHAELSON: This year's third annual polar plunge, benefiting the Friendship Foundation, which helps kids with special needs, and the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation.
TAYLOR: I love the camaraderie of everybody coming together.
MICHAELSON: Taylor's former Dodgers teammates Will Smith, Tyler Glasnow, Ben Casparius, Emmet Sheehan all showing up.
The best part about a day like today?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, just getting to spend time with everybody and support this cause.
WILL SMITH, LOS ANGELES DODGERS: We get close to each other, you know, it's a tight clubhouse. You know, our wives become friends.
TYLER GLASNOW, LOS ANGELES DODGERS: It becomes so much of your life like you're around them, sometimes more than you're around your family.
So it's just nice to even when you're on different teams, it's just good to support one another. And it's always good to have an excuse to just come hang out.
MICHAELSON: Here in sunny southern California, it's not quite as polar as other regions of the country. It's about 75 degrees outside, but that water is still a brisk 62 degrees.
BEN CASPARIUS, LOS ANGELES DODGERS: I'm from Connecticut, so I'm used to the cold water anyways, so we'll see. We'll see how it fares today.
MICHAELSON: Do you think for people in Connecticut watching this, they say, polar plunge, Are you kidding me?
CASPARIUS: Yes. Honestly. Yes.
MICHAELSON: All right. I got to try it, right? It was so nice I decided to join in holding a GoPro camera.
It was good.
The players having a blast.
How's it feel?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very cold. Refreshing.
MICHAELSON: Perhaps the biggest smiles -- from the kids meeting their heroes and experiencing the cold water themselves.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's really cool.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it was crazy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's cold, but it's worth it. Definitely worth it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: For more information, you can head to CT3Foundation.org.
Thanks so much for joining us. I'm Elex Michaelson.
We'll see you tomorrow for more on THE STORY IS.
[01:56:29]
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