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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson
Ceasefire Begins in Lebanon; Pope Speaks Out Against War While Traveling in Cameroon; Trump Hosts Tax Policy Roundtable in Las Vegas; Swalwell's Exit Scrambles Governor's Race; Singer D4VD Arrested on Suspicion of Killing 14-Year-Old Girl; Police: Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Kills His Wife and Himself; Hunters Find New Target as England to Ban Trail Hunting. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired April 17, 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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LAURA COATES, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you all for watching. THE STORY IS with Elex Michaelson is next.
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Elex Michaelson, live in Los Angeles. Here's what's coming up on THE STORY IS.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON (voice-over): THE STORY IS possible deal. CNN's Ivan Watson live on the first negotiations in decades between Israel and Lebanon.
THE STORY IS pope in Africa. CNN's Larry Madowo on how Cameroon paused a civil war just for Leo's visit.
And THE STORY IS D4VD arrested. Legal analyst Dina Doll live, with the musician now in custody for the murder of a missing teenage girl.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: Live from Los Angeles, THE STORY IS with Elex Michaelson
MICHAELSON: It is 9 p.m. here in Los Angeles, 7 a.m. in Beirut. And it's been in effect for only about seven hours, but Lebanon's army is already accusing Israel of violating their ceasefire.
The sounds of fireworks and celebratory gunfire filled the streets of Beirut after the ten-day truce went into effect. Hezbollah says it will abide by the agreement as long as Israelis' attacks stop.
The hours before the ceasefire were marked by Israeli strikes on nearly 400 targets, including ambulance crews in Southern Lebanon and a key bridge.
Israel says it will not withdraw its forces from Lebanon during the ceasefire.
President Trump, posting on social media that Hezbollah should, quote, "act nicely during the truce." He invited the leaders of Israel and Lebanon to the White House in the next week or two to work on a more permanent agreement.
In the meantime, he's claiming progress in ending the war with Iran. The President says round two of talks could happen this weekend, and he might even travel to Pakistan to sign a deal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I will say the war in Iran is going along swimmingly. We can do whatever we want. And it should be -- it should be ending pretty soon. It was perfect. I mean, it's perfect. It was the power. We have our military. We have the most powerful military anywhere in the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Let's bring in CNN's senior international correspondent Ivan Watson, live for us in Hong Kong. Ivan, so, is the ceasefire actually holding?
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: For now, it looks like it. And it's being celebrated by governments around the world, including some of the stakeholders here.
Elex, this time yesterday, President Trump was saying that the leaders of Israel and Lebanon were going to be speaking in a historic conversation. That did not happen. The Lebanese president would not talk to the Israeli prime minister.
But the ceasefire was agreed to, going into effect at 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday. The Israeli prime minister made an announcement about this. Take a listen to what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): I answered that call, and I agreed to a time out -- or more accurately, a temporary ten-day ceasefire -- to try and advance the agreement we began discussing during the meeting of ambassadors in Washington.
We have two fundamental demands for peace talks. First, the disarmament of Hezbollah. Second, a sustainable peace agreement. Peace through strength.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: So, he's referring to that historic meeting of Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors at the U.S. State Department on Tuesday, the first such bilateral contacts between these two governments in -- in decades. And President Trump has invited both leaders to the White House.
So next, we saw these scenes of celebration in Lebanon, in some cases involving celebratory gunfire, which the Lebanese army denounced, saying this wasn't safe.
And to me, that's a little bit reminiscent, Elex, of what I saw after the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel. I was on the ground when the ceasefire was declared. Much of Southern Lebanon was a smoking ruin. More than a thousand people had been killed in the conflict.
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And yet, Hezbollah emerged, declaring victory amid all the wreckage and the destruction that had been caused over the course of that conflict. And seeing some similar signs of that here.
The Lebanese army has also warned Lebanese citizens not to move South, or to be careful about it, because Israel still, its military, is still in large parts of Southern Lebanon.
And as you mentioned, the Lebanese army has accused Israel of some ceasefire violations.
But as we've heard from some Hezbollah leaders in Lebanon, they are agreeing, for now, to the ceasefire, under the caveat, as long as nobody violates it.
Back to you.
MICHAELSON: Yes. So, Ivan, can you break down this six-point plan that's now being talked about?
WATSON: Sure. So, this was negotiated again by the U.S. with Lebanon and Israel. Hezbollah was not a party to the talks directly.
But here's kind of a summary of it. First of all, a cessation of hostilities beginning 5 p.m. Eastern on April 16. This ceasefire can be extended with mutual agreement.
No. 3 is really important. Israel shall reserve its right to take all necessary measures in self-defense at any time against planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks. This shall not be impeded by the cessation of hostilities.
Why is that important? There was a previous ceasefire agreement negotiated by the U.S., France, the United Nations in 2024 after the second war in 20 years between Hezbollah and Israel.
And Israel continued to carry out airstrikes on almost a daily basis on alleged Hezbollah targets in Lebanon from that point on, basically. And that's one of the accusations from Hezbollah of why it reserved the right to -- to fire back.
So, that will leave an opening, potentially, for Israel to carry on similar behavior after this ceasefire.
No. 4, the government of Lebanon will take steps to prevent Hezbollah from carrying out attacks on Israel. Time has proven that -- decades have proven that the government of Lebanon is feeble and cannot control the most powerful Iran-backed militia in Israel. So, that is a potential problem point.
All parties agreed that the government and the Lebanese government security forces should have a monopoly of the use of force. Again, we've seen problems with that.
And that Israel and Lebanon agreed to the possibility of future negotiations heading towards a ceasefire. That is the goal up in the sky.
But they're -- Lebanon is a sharply divided country. Hezbollah has accused the Lebanese government of stabbing it in the back, engaging in negotiations with Israel. And Iran will clearly play a role in whether or not Hezbollah will engage further in ceasefire negotiations with Israel.
It's a very complicated picture, but for now, it seems the killing has stopped.
MICHAELSON: It's very complicated. But we're grateful for your decades of reporting from the region to help break it down for us. Ivan Watson in Hong Kong, thank you so much.
Now to forceful remarks from Pope Leo as he pushes ahead with his tour of Africa, the pope telling crowds in Bamenda, Cameroon, that the world is being ravaged by what he calls a, quote, "handful of tyrants." And he rebuked world leaders who use religious language to justify war.
Leo XIV didn't name names, but his latest warning follows days of insults from President Trump over the pope's opposition to the war with Iran.
Thousands turned out to see the pope in Bamenda, which is the epicenter of a bloody civil war. While there, he condemned the exploitation of African resources, saying those who rob your land generally invest much of the profit in weapons, which leads to an endless cycle of destabilization and death.
Cameroon is the second stop on Pope Leo's four-country swing through Africa.
The host of AFRICAN VOICES on CNN International, Larry Madowo, is standing by live.
But let's start with CNN's Vatican correspondent, Christopher Lamb, who is traveling with the pope.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, thousands have turned out to see Pope Leo here in Bamenda in Cameroon.
LAMB (voice-over): Leo coming to this part of the country where there has been so much conflict between English-speaking separatists and the francophone government.
And people giving him a joyous welcome. And Leo himself seemed to be in his element in this part of the world.
Of course, Leo, a former missionary in the global South, spending years in Latin America, here feeling very much at home in Africa.
LAMB: Now, Leo had a very strong message at a peace meeting in Bamenda. This is what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POPE LEO XIV, LEADER OF CATHOLIC CHURCH: Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic, or political gain; dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth.
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The masters of war pretended not to know that it takes only a moment to destroy. It often -- a life is often not enough to rebuild.
They turn a blind eye to the fact that billions of dollars are spent on killing and devastation. Yet, the resources needed for healing, education, and restoration, nowhere to be found.
LAMB: Leo concluding his day in Bamenda with a mass here at the airport --
LAMB (voice-over): -- with thousands here waiting to see him and to take part in this very special celebration.
Leo here in Africa, in Cameroon, as part of a long, four-country visit to the continent.
LAMB: Christopher Lamb, CNN, Bamenda.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Now to Larry Madowo, who's usually based in Kenya, who is here with us, live on set in Los Angeles. Great to have you here.
LARRY MADOWO, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR/CORRESPONDENT: Thank you for having me. It's very exciting.
MICHAELSON: Yes. And it's -- it's a big day for Africa. We see the pope literally has the power to pause a civil war, right? I mean, talk about the context here.
MADOWO: Only the pope can do this. So, the region where Pope Francis had this massive peace meeting in the Northwest of Cameroon has been ravaged by a war for nearly ten years.
It's known as the anglophone crisis. And these two English-speaking regions of Cameroon are trying to secede from the rest of the French- speaking country.
Cameroon, like many other African countries, is a colonial construct, and they feel marginalized and excluded from Cameroonian political, economic life. And they have been running -- ravaging this war where 6,000 people have died. Nearly half a million people have been displaced. But for Pope Francis's [SIC] visit -- Pope Leo's visit, they paused it
for three days. They declared a three-day ceasefire, so Christians could come to the meeting and see the pope.
MICHAELSON: And he brings --
MADOWO: They've never done this before.
MICHAELSON: He brings everybody together, which is interesting.
And he used that phrase, "world is ravaged by tyrants." Who's he talking about?
MADOWO: Well, that could mean the leaders in Cameroon. It could mean the leaders here in the United States. The fact that Pope Francis chose these words -- "the world is ravaged by a few -- a handful of tyrants, and they wreak havoc around the world."
Cameroon is led by Paul Biya, who's been president for 43 years.
MICHAELSON: Wow.
MADOWO: He just won reelection last year for another seven years. It will bring him to 100. He's the world's oldest leader.
MICHAELSON: Yes, he's 93.
MADOWO: He's 93.
MICHAELSON: And he won another seven-year term.
MADOWO: And the population of Cameroon is very young. A lot of them have only ever known Paul Biya as their leader.
At the same time, obviously, Pope Francis has been not feuding with President Trump. But suddenly, the Trump administration has been feuding with him. And I think that's the top of mind for people watching this in Cameroon, but also around the world. And that message fits for both audiences.
MICHAELSON: I mean, because Catholicism is really growing in -- in Africa. We heard the last time, when they were considering who the next pope would be, there was some talk that maybe there would be an African pope.
MADOWO: There were a few frontrunners who are African cardinals.
MICHAELSON: Instead, we end up with an American pope. You yourself almost became a Catholic priest, which is --
MADOWO: Now my secret is out.
MICHAELSON: So, how do you -- how do you sort of feel about what's happening in Africa when it comes to the Catholic Church right now and the way that the president here's comments have been interpreted there? MADOWO: Catholicism is huge in Africa. It's nearly 300 million
Catholics across the continent. It's one of the fastest -- actually, it is the fastest-growing Catholic region in the whole world.
And Pope Leo has done some work there as cardinal. And that's why I said in Algeria. He was an Augustine priest. And that's the place where Saint Augustine was born.
And many Catholics, many Christians, I think, are on Pope Leo's side.
The pope is the vicar of Christ. He's a man of peace. His job is to be against war. That's sort of the whole pope thing, is to not support a war.
And I think it's not controversial for Christians in Africa or any other part of the world that a pope is opposed to war.
I don't think anybody would think it's a political statement. So, he's got a lot of support from people he's speaking to, not just in Cameroon, but as he's traveling around Africa.
MICHAELSON: Obviously, Africa is a continent. There are 55 different countries. There are different takes there. But what is the overall feeling about President Donald Trump on the continent of Africa?
MADOWO: President Trump is surprisingly much beloved in Africa, and people don't realize this.
Part of the region -- part of the reason why President Trump is beloved in Africa is because he's got a strong opposition to abortion. People feel like he probably is not pro-LGBT rights.
People are very religious in Africa. Many people are religious, either Christian or Muslim. And so, they feel that President Trump represents those conservative values that they agree with.
Obviously, President Trump has made some decisions that affect Africans moving to the United States. There's a lot of visa restrictions. There's aid cuts that affected USAID.
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In Cameroon, where Pope Leo is right now, maybe 600,000 people might not have food in the next few months because of the aid cuts that affect USAID and foreign aid by the United States.
But overall, I think when I go around Africa, people like President Trump. They like that he speaks his mind, and they remember him from "The Apprentice."
MICHAELSON: Oh, interesting.
MADOWO: It was very well-syndicated across Africa.
MICHAELSON: That's interesting. Speaking of well-syndicated across Africa, your show, INSIDE AFRICA
VOICES, which -- which we see especially on the weekends on CNN International. You're here reporting some for that.
MADOWO: Right.
MICHAELSON: Talk to us a little bit about you and what we can expect for your reporting, upcoming.
MADOWO: So, as you mentioned, I did try to become a priest, and that didn't work out. When I went to the Catholic seminary, which is basically high school, but essentially led by priests, we used to be told that many are called, but few are chosen. So, I guess I was not chosen. And that's why I do this now.
MICHAELSON: Your backup option was CNN correspondent.
MADOWO: This is my -- my backup option was CNN. So far so good.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
MADOWO: But if the pope calls me, I'll go back.
And the show AFRICAN VOICES highlight some of the innovation, the creativity, the art, the music, the sport from -- coming from the continent. We do a lot of Africans in the diaspora.
And so, we're here speaking to people like Yvonne Orji, who's a brilliant comedian. We just interviewed a Ghanaian fashion designer who's building an African luxury brand here in Los Angeles.
And some of that content airs all across CNN International. It's online. It's beautiful.
MICHAELSON: Yes. Yes, it is. It's great talking to you. It's great to have you here. You'll be back in our next hour with more.
MADOWO: Yes, I live here now. You can't get rid of me.
MICHAELSON: Our newest correspondent. All right, Larry, thank you so much.
The crew of Artemis II mission has given their first news conference since returning to Earth. Fresh off their historic slingshot around the Moon's far side, the astronauts reflected on how the mission was able to unite people during a time of increased division.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REID WISEMAN, ARTEMIS II COMMANDER: We would also be remiss if we didn't thank the media, if we didn't thank the content creators, and if we didn't thank the world for just tuning in for a second and getting hooked on this mission.
We were certainly hooked on this mission, but when we came home, we were shocked at the -- the global outpouring of support, of pride, of ownership of this mission.
And really, I think, at the beginning, that's what the four of us wanted. We wanted to go out and try to do something that would bring the world together, to unite the world.
JEREMY HANSEN, ARTEMIS II MISSION SPECIALIST, CANADIAN SPACE AGENCY: The sense I had was the sense of -- of fragility and feeling small, infinitesimally small.
But yet, this very powerful feeling as a human being, like, as a group. And that is what, to me, is what I would try to share. I saw it in all these sights over and over again. I kept seeing that same thing and that same feeling: small and powerless but yet powerful together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: During their ten-day journey in space, the crew took some breathtaking photos of the Moon's far side. This part of the lunar surface had never before been seen by humans from that angle.
In addition to seeing the Moon's far side, the mission also made history by breaking the record for traveling the deepest ever into space. That record had been held by Apollo 13 since 1970. This one a little less stressed than Apollo 13.
The California governor's race is scrambled now that former congressman Eric Swalwell has dropped out. A crowded field, a nonpartisan primary could mean Democrats are locked out of the general election if two Republicans lead the pack.
Peter Hamby is here with me to discuss that race, next.
Also, later this hour, alt pop singer D4VD has been arrested on suspicion of killing a teenage girl. It is a wild story. We'll bring you the latest developments coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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MICHAELSON: President Trump is predicting a deal to end the war with Iran, with more talks possible this weekend. Pakistan's army chief in Tehran on Thursday is working to bring U.S. and Iranian negotiators together.
President Trump says there's a lot of common ground, but without a deal, the fighting resumes. He also claims Iran has agreed it will not have a nuclear weapon and hand over its nuclear material.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Iran wants to make a deal, and we're dealing very nicely with them. We've got to have no nuclear weapons. If we do, that's a big factor.
And they're willing to do things today that they weren't willing to do two months ago.
If it happens, it will be announced fairly soon, and that will give us free oil, free Hormuz Straight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Iran denies the U.S. naval blockade of its ports is causing shortages in the country. But here's how President Trump characterized that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We have a very good relationship with Iran right now, as hard as it is to believe. And I think it's a combination of about four weeks of bombing and a very powerful blockade. The blockade is maybe more powerful than the bombing, if you want to know the truth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Now, Britain and France will hold a virtual meeting of 40 countries in the day ahead to discuss reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
An Iranian lawmaker says a plan to charge tolls for ships passing through the waterway could net up to $15 billion a year.
President Trump hosted a roundtable discussion on taxes just a few hours ago in Las Vegas. The economy is expected to be a key issue for voters heading into the midterms later this year.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Every single American at every income level has more money in their pockets this week because of the Republican tax policies.
And we've got to win the midterms. If we don't, these policies are going to be taken away from you. The taxes are going to go through the roof.
We had the best economy in the history of our country in my first term, and we're blowing it out now. We're blowing it away now. And despite our little diversion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: The president there, looking to boost Republicans' prospects heading into the midterms as the war with Iran takes a toll on the economy.
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Joining me now is Peter Hamby, founding partner of Puck News and host of Snapchat's "Good Luck, America." Also host of Puck's podcast, "The Best and the Brightest."
Peter, welcome back to THE STORY IS. "A little diversion," I think is what he's referring to. Really, he means the war with Iran. PETER HAMBY, FOUNDING PARTNER, PUCK NEWS: Excursion, diversion. He
uses a bunch of, you know, words to distract from the fact that it is an actual war.
MICHAELSON: But can't say "war," because you would need Congress to authorize war. And that's a legal term. And so, he didn't want to do that. So, it's not technically a war.
HAMBY: That is true. And also, as he mentioned in those remarks in Nevada, we're in a midterm year. You don't want to be going around saying that you started a war when you ran for president on ending the wars.
MICHAELSON: Right.
HAMBY: And he just started a big one.
MICHAELSON: Yes. But it's a reminder, though, the reason he won was this idea, I'm going to lower costs, and the economy is No. 1.
Yes. So, I think the storyline of the second Trump presidency, a little bit of the first, is that Donald Trump is incapable of staying on message. He consistently steps on his own accomplishments.
If you think about governors, mayors, presidents, they always face crises in their terms in office. And a lot of them are external.
The thing with Donald Trump is that the crises he's faced as president are of his own making: tariffs, unleashing ICE agents on American cities. And now the war in Iran, which does two things.
One, it contradicts his message during the campaign that he was going to end the wars.
But also, it's hurting the economy. And him going to Nevada and saying that he's helping people. That's fine. There is a good story to tell.
You know, if you look at GDP, the labor market, the stock market, wages adjusted for inflation, there are good storylines for the economy. And Trump has a good story to tell.
But gas prices are up. In Nevada, they are $5 a gallon right now, compared to 4 -- to $4 just a year ago.
And so. the Treasury Department is saying, Elex, that people are getting around a $350 rebate from the Trump tax cuts. Again, that's a pretty good story to tell. Not bad. Up 11 percent from the previous year.
But if you drive a car in Nevada, right -- say you drive a Toyota Corolla. You have a 12-gallon car. The average American fills up their car 35 times a year.
A year ago, it cost you about $1,700 to fill up a Toyota Corolla in the state of Nevada. Now, gas prices are $5. It costs $2,100 a year to fill up your Toyota Corolla in Clark County, Nevada. So, that completely invalidates, that $400 gap, the $350 average that
Americans are seeing from their tax rebates.
Now, everyone's finances are different. You know, that's just some math I did right here on this little blue card.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
HAMBY: But Trump, for every good storyline, there's a bad storyline with the economy. And people are feeling a bad economy right now. The consumer -- the -- the consumer confidence is at its worst level since Trump came back into office.
MICHAELSON: I'm just impressed that you do math.
HAMBY: I rarely do, but it is tax season.
MICHAELSON: That is impressive. It's impressive.
Let's talk about some of your writing. You just put out in puck a new article on Eric Swalwell, which has been the big story of the week, called "The Talented Mr. Swalwell."
And part of what you look at is his connections to Hollywood, because Eric Swalwell was a congressman from Northern California. Yet, he spent a lot of time here in Southern California, would stay at Stephen Cloobeck, this billionaire's house frequently; and talked with you and talked with us here behind the scenes, often, about an AI company that he had an ownership stake in. And being a Hollywood screenwriter himself.
HAMBY: Yes. The thing with Swalwell is running for governor is a good example of this, actually.
It was very interesting that he only represents a single congressional district in California and has no statewide profile outside of the East Bay, outside of Oakland, and yet was like, huh, I'll jump in that race.
To your point about the AI company; hanging out with Hollywood donors and Hollywood stars; spending time here. You know, lots of his travels have been revealed in various pieces of reporting over the last week. He was always looking for something bigger and better, you know. And a lot of politicians are.
MICHAELSON: A lot of politicians. Both sides.
HAMBY: A lot of them. I know. But for him, in particular, and I've -- I've known him for a decade, and you've known him for just as long. He just loved the spotlight. He loved the game. And again, a lot of politicians are thirsty. It just feels like the game kind of went to Eric Swalwell's head over the years.
And a lot of politicians, a lot of lawyers get elected to Congress. They go to Washington. They're away from their families. And in his case, he starts paying attention to women outside of his
marriage. It's just like -- it's a tale as old as time when it comes to politicians and people in Washington.
But Eric Swalwell in particular, just loved the cameras. He just loved it. And so, some of the stuff in hindsight is not surprising.
MICHAELSON: And the clicks. Although his family was living there in the D.C. area, which was part of the controversy here, was people were saying that he didn't actually necessarily live here, although he was renting a house, a room in a house up in Northern California.
So, he also would -- would send you, and send me, and send other people screenshots of the betting markets --
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HAMBY: Yes.
MICHAELSON: -- which showed how well he was doing. And you think that that symbolized more than that?
HAMBY: I think it did. I mean, someone from his congressional district this evening tweeted out a piece, one of his last pieces of direct mail for his congressional reelection campaign, and what was on the piece of direct mail. It was stuff about democracy. It was stuff about fighting ICE.
He -- he embodied, in part because of his role in the impeachment hearings with Nancy Pelosi against Donald Trump, the, you know, resistance Democrat.
But beyond that and the spotlight that it brought for him, he was never known as a policy person. He didn't have any big ideological underpinnings.
And yes, for both of us, I would -- I texted him when he jumped in the governor's race. I was like, give me -- I wanted a point of view on governing California or his strategy against these other candidates running for governor.
And he just sent me a screenshot of his Kalshi odds, you know, and at the time he was surging, surging loosely. It was like 14 percent.
But, you know, that just symbolized to me that he cared more about the -- the power and the ambition than actually having a rationale for being governor of California.
MICHAELSON: But also, didn't it show something that he was doing so well there? And that maybe he interpreted it, that the constituents were looking for more of a fighter against Trump than maybe the policy specifics, which says something larger about the electorate as a whole.
HAMBY: Totally. Totally. And it does. And yes, I mean, that's -- the Prop 50 campaign sort of showed that. But why would you say that to a reporter? Why would you post that on
Twitter? He was posting his Kalshi odds all the time. Just talk about Trump. Don't post your Kalshi odds.
MICHAELSON: Yes, interesting.
And now the race, who knows what's going to happen as we go forward; kind of all up in the air.
Peter Hamby, thank you so much. You can check out his work on Snapchat and Puck, as well.
Still to come, alt pop singer D4VD has been arrested on suspicion of killing a teenage girl. We'll hear from a legal expert on the developments there and the evidence that could be used against him. Stay with us.
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MICHAELSON: Thanks for watching THE STORY IS. I'm Elex Michaelson. Let's take a look at today's top stories.
Lebanon's army is accusing Israel of multiple violations just a few hours into their ceasefire. The IDF and Hezbollah traded heavy fire in the hours leading up to the ten-day truce.
Israel says it will not withdraw its forces from Lebanon during the pause in fighting, and residents of Southern Lebanon are being warned to not return to their homes.
President Trump has picked Dr. Erica Schwartz to lead the embattled Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Schwartz is a public health veteran who has led vaccination programs, which could be a new sign of the administration's shifting views on vaccine safety.
She served as deputy surgeon general in Trump's first administration and also served as a rear admiral in the Coast Guard.
Netflix says its co-founder and executive chairman will step down when his term expires in June. Reed Hastings, his exit comes less than two months after the company dropped out of the bidding war for Warner Brothers Discovery.
Netflix's co-CEO pushed back on rumors that Hastings' departure was linked to that decision. The company says Hastings will, quote, "focus on his philanthropy and other pursuits."
Now to this bizarre story. Alt pop singer D4VD has been arrested on suspicion of killing a 14-year-old girl whose body was found in his car last year.
L.A. Police have confirmed that the artist, whose legal name is David Burke, is being held without bail, and investigations into the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez continue. The teen's body was discovered in an abandoned Tesla registered to
Burke in the Hollywood Hills after being towed by authorities.
Joining us now live in studio to talk about all this is MeidasTouch legal analyst Dina Doll. Welcome to THE STORY IS for the first time.
Quite the backstory here. I mean, so, give us a little update on in terms of what -- what's the context here?
DINA DOLL, LEGAL ANALYST: Well, so they found the body of this 14- year-old girl, Celeste Rivas Hernandez, back in September. They say that her body had actually been in the car for months.
She evidently had been dismembered, put into two different cadaver bags and was badly decomposed by the time the police found her.
And then she had been missing for nearly a year and a half before they found her body.
MICHAELSON: Wow. And so, D4VD is this -- this music star who's an up- and-comer. His music is featured in Fortnite, so that's why so many people know him. Has millions and millions of followers on TikTok and all over the place.
And there were streams on Twitch of D4VD and Celeste together, with some of the commenters commenting that they were, you know, boyfriend and girlfriend. And the fact is, she was 14 years old or 13 years old during this whole thing.
DOLL: Yes, absolutely. I mean, there were -- we are hearing, not from the LAPD. They're very buttoned up about this case, but we are hearing other sources that they may have had a relationship.
In fact, she may have told her teacher before she disappeared that she was leaving with her boyfriend, D4VD.
So, there seemed to be some sort of preexisting relationship with the singer, prior to the fact that she was killed.
MICHAELSON: And apparently, they also had matching tattoos, as well. And -- and so all that is being investigated.
[00:40:06]
But when we heard back in September that her body was found in his car, a lot of people were thinking, well, he would be arrested then. Why is he being arrested now so much later?
DOLL: I think there's a few key reasons.
One, of course, is the state that they found her body. You know, the medical examiner has to show that there was a homicide here. The cause of death. Because of how decomposed she was, that may have taken some time.
You know, they -- they -- if they want to charge him with murder versus just disposing of a body, let's say. That probably took a while.
Also, his fame. There was a similar case, a murder charge against a rapper out of Florida. If you remember YNW Melly. And in that case, the prosecutor said that his cell phone was at the location of the murder.
But he said, well, this is a community phone. You can't -- everybody in my entourage, let's say, uses this phone. You can't pin this on me.
And there's a very similar -- you know, the prosecutors are well aware of this. A lot of people in his entourage may very well have also used that car. Being registered to him may not have been enough because of his fame.
MICHAELSON: And so, you're saying that could be a big part of his defense, right? That look, everybody used this car. It's not -- it wasn't me.
DOLL: Exactly. And so, that's why they most likely convened this grand jury for -- they didn't need to do it for charging him. Although the charges that he will have are coming out Monday, maybe more than just murder, for all we know.
But probably, for investigative purposes. Because of this entourage, because of the idea that a story might develop, let's say, about who had the car and when. And people may be getting pressured to change stories. They are pinned down. Testimony from his friends prior to them knowing what the police and prosecutor had in the case.
MICHAELSON: Wow. And another interesting factoid, which I don't think would be used necessarily in court, is that he had a lot of music about violence.
He had a song called "Romantic Homicide" about a dead girl who was killed after a relationship. He had another song called "One More Dance," where in the music video, he put his body in the trunk of his car. Of course, her body eventually found in the trunk of his car.
So interesting sort of weird connections here. And we'll learn a lot more on Monday, as you said.
But Dina Doll, thank you for coming in tonight from MeidasTouch. We appreciate it.
DOLL: Thanks for having me.
MICHAELSON: A horrific ending for the family of a man who was once a rising star in the Democratic Party. What police are revealing after a former lieutenant governor of Virginia killed his wife and then himself. Stay with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:47:26]
MICHAELSON: CNN has obtained a new video showing the police response after the suspected murder-suicide involving the former lieutenant governor of Virginia.
The footage shows officers outside Justin Fairfax's home early on Thursday. That's where investigators say Fairfax shot and killed his wife before taking his own life.
CNN's Brian Todd has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A massive police response to a horrific crime scene. Former Virginia Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax, a once high-profile politician, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot after killing his wife, Cerina, in the basement of their Northern Virginia home.
CHIEF KEVIN DAVIS, FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT: It all kind of culminated last night when Justin Fairfax shot and killed -- shot several times, killed his wife, ran to a different part of the home and then killed himself with the same firearm.
TODD (voice-over): Police described the shootings as part of an ongoing domestic dispute, noting the couple was in the middle of a complicated and messy divorce. Fairfax was recently served with paperwork associated with an upcoming court proceeding.
DAVIS: That may have been a spark -- detectives will figure that out -- that -- that led to this tragedy here.
TODD (voice-over): The couple had separated but lived in the home together in separate bedrooms.
In court documents obtained by CNN issued on March 30, a judge ordered Justin Fairfax to leave their home by the end of April and described his deteriorating emotional and mental state in recent years, withdrawing from his family and abusing alcohol.
Police say the couple's two teenage children were at home when the shooting took place. Their son was the first to call 911 around midnight after finding his mom on the ground bleeding.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Caller stating that his dad might have stabbed his mom and that she's laying on the ground bleeding, can see holes in her shirt.
TODD (voice-over): Police say cameras set up throughout the home as part of the couple's ongoing divorce proceedings were used to clear assault accusations Justin Fairfax made against his wife earlier this year.
DAVIS: We were able to go to those cameras and determine that that -- that never occurred.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So help me God.
JUSTIN FAIRFAX, FORMER LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA: So help me God. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Congratulations.
TODD (voice-over): Fairfax served as Virginia's lieutenant governor from 2018 to 2022 and was once considered an up-and-coming politician, often speaking out on the issue of gun violence.
FAIRFAX: I've lost a lot of friends to gun violence, to the prison system, to drugs, to gangs. And so, I have myself also lived that reality.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Anything to say to your accusers, sir?
TODD (voice-over): In 2019, explosive sexual assault allegations against Fairfax surfaced that led many to call for his resignation. Fairfax denied all the accusations.
FAIRFAX: I cannot begin to tell you the pain that these false allegations have caused me and my family.
[00:50:05]
First of all --
TODD (voice-over): And when he ran for Virginia governor in 2021, he finished fourth in the Democratic primary. After his loss, Fairfax returned home to practice law.
Now, neighbors are in shock and left wondering why this all happened.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think a lot about the children. Both parents are gone now. What does that do for them and their futures?
KASH ALI, NEIGHBOR OF FAIRFAX FAMILY: That's the worst. I was talking to my wife about that. So, we have two kids that are younger. That's scary. Yes. I mean, did they see it? I hope not.
TODD: According to Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis, Justin and Cerina Fairfax's two teenage children are now being cared for by their grandparents and other family members with support from the Fairfax Police Department's Victim Services Division.
Brian Todd, CNN, Annandale, Virginia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Brian, thank you.
A final round of dangerous, widespread severe storms will be heading for the central U.S. in the coming hours. Those storms had caused more destruction to parts of the Great l=Lakes, already grappling with historic flooding.
The most serious threat extends from Oklahoma to Wisconsin, affecting more than 10 million people.
In Michigan, the floodwaters washed out a bridge, and residents in some areas have been advised to prepare for possible evacuation.
In Wisconsin, people used sandbags to shore up their property where the ground is waterlogged from one of the wettest starts to spring on record.
Lightning is believed to have struck and killed a man in Wisconsin on Wednesday.
The British government is planning to ban trail hunting, but hunters aren't ready to give up the chase just yet. The new target after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:56:15]
MICHAELSON: The British tradition of hunting with hounds has undergone significant changes in recent years. Twenty years ago, England and Wales banned hunting most wild animals with dogs.
This year, the government is set to ban trail hunting, which has been a popular replacement as part of its animal welfare strategy. But hunters had already found another replacement.
CNN's Christina Macfarlane joined the chase.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN SPORTS (voice-over): The great British hunt, known for its pageantry, aristocracy.
MACFARLANE: So, the stereotype that this is an elitist sport is --
LYDIA FREEMAN, SENIOR FIELD MASTER, HAMILTON BLOODHOUNDS: It's not true.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): And controversy, too. For centuries, pack dogs have chased and killed foxes and other wild animals. But since that was banned decades ago, hunts have needed another prey.
MACFARLANE: I'm here in the Suffolk countryside, where I'm about to be chased by a pack of horses and hounds in something called a clean boot hunt.
Now, traditionally, this hunt would have chased an animal scent like foxes, but now it's humans or runners. And today, that means me. And I'm a little bit nervous.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): James Chadwick is the master and huntsman of the Hamilton Bloodhounds. He's been rearing these bloodhounds from birth to track human scent.
MACFARLANE: Am I going to get torn to pieces?
JAMES CHADWICK, MASTER/HUNTSMAN, HAMILTON BLOODHOUNDS: Not at all. You might get licked to death, but far from that. You'll find out in a minute. They're so friendly. They love people.
Watch your head.
MACFARLANE: Oh, my God.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): We enter a tiny cage so the dogs can sniff our scent.
MACFARLANE: Not on my mouth. Thank you.
Do you know all their names?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's Sunday.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): With our dignity just about intact --
(DOGS BARKING)
MACFARLANE (voice-over): -- we're given a 15-minute head start as the riders assemble.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Fudge, just behave yourself.
FREEMAN: As you know, I'm your field master. Please stay behind me.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): And then the hunt begins.
(TRUMPET)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stand still.
MACFARLANE: There goes the horn.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): If hunting is to continue in the U.K., this could soon be the only way to do it, with the government proposing a ban on all forms of hunting involving animal scent in England and Wales.
Dogs have been used to track foxes and other wild animals in Britain since the 16th Century. It only became popular as a sport a century later.
After animal hunting was banned in 2004, hunts were permitted to chase a pre-made scent without any killing, but some think that's been used as a smokescreen to continue illegal hunting.
Which is why clean boot hunting is taking off.
MACFARLANE: I can hear them.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): As the runners make good progress, excitement is mounting at the back of the pack.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Fudge, just be sensible.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): On this occasion, we finished the trail before being caught and lie in wait.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Here they come.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good old boys, good old girl.
Well done!
(TRUMPET)
MACFARLANE: It's strangely exhilarating. A lot more fun than a park run.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): There's a round of port for everyone who completes the course.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Cheers!
MACFARLANE (voice-over): Including the runners.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good boy, Fudgie.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): And time for a catch up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People think you're crazy, but it's -- It's -- I love it. I love it. And to keep it going is -- it's necessary, because it keeps the community together. Because you have all walks of life that come here.
MACFARLANE: What do you say to people who think this isn't a real hunt?
FREEMAN: I would say that this is the most brilliant compromise because no one gets hurt.
