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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson

Iran disputes Trump's Claim It - Agreed To Everything; Trump Says Hormuz Open But U.S. Blockade Will Continue; Oil Prices Fall, Stocks Rise On Hormuz Strait Reopening; Lebanese President Calls For - Permanent Agreements; New Poll - Xavier Becerra Gaining In California Governor's Race; California Gas Prices Significantly Higher Than National Average; Pope Leo Celebrates Mass Before Huge Crowd In Cameroon; Aired 1-2a ET

Aired April 18, 2026 - 01:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[01:00:00]

ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN HOST: "The Story Is" in the Strait of Hormuz. Is it open or closed? What does it mean for your gas prices? We'll go live in the region.

"The Story Is" here in California. Xavier Becerra's campaign is surging after Eric Swalwell dropped out of the race for California Governor. Becerra is live on our set.

And "The Story Is" on the hardwood. The NBA playoffs tipping off this weekend. NBA insider Jovan Buha is here live.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Los Angeles. "The Story Is" with Elex Michaelson.

MICHAELSON: Thanks for watching "The Story Is." I'm Elex Michaelson. The top story, cautious optimism with lots of contradictions. Iranian officials tell CNN they expect the next round of peace talks to happen in Pakistan on Monday. President Trump says if no deal is reached, he may not extend the Iran ceasefire after it expires on Wednesday. President Trump claims that Iran has "agreed to everything." But Tehran says, no, we haven't.

A senior Iranian official says Trump's claims that Iran will make concessions, including forfeiting uranium stockpiles, are false.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We'll go in with Iran, and we will take it together, and we will bring it back, a 100 percent of it, back to the United States. If we don't do that, we will get it in a different form, in a much more unfriendly form.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: Iran's Foreign Minister says the Strait of Hormuz is open, but only a handful of ships pass through the vital waterway on Friday. Tehran is threatening to close the strait again unless the U.S. lifts its blockade of Iranian ports. Joining me now live from Dubai is CNN's Eleni Giokos. So we've got contradictory statements from both sides. Cut through it for us. What's really happening? Who do we know to trust here?

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. Well, firstly, I barely slept because I was constantly monitoring marine traffic to see what was going on. But you've got to remember that words are -- they have the ability to move markets, and everyone gets excited, and there's a dose of elation that comes through. But we're back to reality. And as one expert told me yesterday, we have to see it to believe it. So we can put rhetoric on one side and actually see what's happening in the Strait of Hormuz.

This was posted by Kepler data and shows that more than a dozen vessels went close to the Strait of Hormuz, and then they stop, and then they turn around. And they also just seem to be approaching what we call the Iranian checkpoint. So this is the dose of reality that we are seeing right now, despite the fact that we had this grand announcement, this declaration of the Strait of Hormuz being open for commercial vessels, but it comes with a caveat. And this is what we always hear from Iran.

The Parliamentary speaker, Ghalibaf, are also posting on X of short while ago, in fact, a few hours ago, saying that as long as the U.S. naval blockade is intact, that the Strait of Hormuz is not going to remain open. And if you want to cross the strait, well, then you have to be completely going through the designated routes and with Iranian authorization. So that's still the same set of rules as before this announcement.

And then importantly, we've also seen that the straits is open, whether it's open or closed. It's got to do with the governing regulations and not determined by the field and not by social media. And it really comes to the fact that President Trump even thanked Iran yesterday, and then he also said this. Take a listen, Elex.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: This process, we're getting along well, but who knows -- who knows with anyone, but who knows with Iran in particular. This process should go very quickly and that most of the points are already negotiated and agreed to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GIOKOS: And we always knew this was going to be tough, because Iran was saying that they've placed mines in certain parts of the strait, and they're still maintaining the Iran approved route, which is very far removed from the international maritime routes that has been in place for decades.

MICHAELSON: And, Eleni, let's -- why the strait, of course, matters is it really impacts oil prices, gas prices. Where are we at in terms of the markets right now?

GIOKOS: So we saw both benchmarks, Brent crude and the U.S. benchmark WTI losing north of 14 percent at one point yesterday. So we saw massive sell offs, and this was because of excitement around the potential opening of the strait. But we've spoken about this before. This isn't a light switch that you turn on and off. We've got over 800 vessels that are trapped in the Persian Gulf and waiting for some kind of signal that it's safe enough that the threats have been eliminated to transit, and it's not going to be an easy feat.

But interestingly, the futures market responding aggressively, U.S. markets responding aggressively, and to the positive. But the physical market is telling us a different story because there's still a lot of oil that hasn't hit the market for every single day. The strait is closed. Think about a tanker not being loaded and sent to international markets.

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The International Energy Agency had said this is going to take two years to unwind. So just putting that into perspective, all the fuel shortages we're seeing, the jet fuel price increases, the concerns about Europe running around, running out of jet fuel in the next six weeks, these are still very much real realities, and it really is going to come down to what agreement can be reached and also whether Iran is willing to give up clearly one of the biggest pieces of leverage it has not only on the United States, but also on the global economy, and that is de facto control of the Strait of Hormuz.

MICHAELSON: Yeah. Two years to unwind. Wow. Eleni Giokos starting us off in Dubai. Thanks to you.

European leaders are welcoming the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, at least partial reopening. The U.K., France, Germany, Italy have announced a plan to send naval forces to the Persian Gulf to protect merchant shipping. That comes after French President Emmanuel Macron held a virtual meeting Friday in Paris with leaders from 49 countries. He said the ongoing negotiations are, "Encouraging, even if we must treat them with prudence."

Meanwhile, Israel says it will hold on to its security zone in Southern Lebanon despite the ceasefire with Hezbollah. Israel's Defense Minister also says his troops will continue to demolish homes in the area, which he claims are being used by Hezbollah. But as the fragile ceasefire largely holds, displaced residents are rushing back home despite Israel urging them not to do that yet.

More than a million people have been displaced by IDF operations in Lebanon. That is happening as Lebanese officials accuse Israel of violating the ceasefire. President Trump has floated the idea of hosting Israeli Lebanese talks in the next week or two. Lebanon's President said Friday that permanent agreements should be the next objective.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSEPH AOUN, LEBANESE PRESIDENT (translated): I am ready to bear the full responsibility of these choices, and I am ready to go wherever necessary to liberate my land, protect my people, and save my country. Today, we negotiate for ourselves and decide for ourselves. We are no longer a card in anyone's game nor an arena for anyone's wars, and we never will be again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cross again. Just cross across. Oh my god. Debris raining out of the sky.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: Scenes of destruction from Illinois, tornadoes generated by severe storms swept across the Midwest on Friday. At least 20 twisters were reported across the region along with baseball sized hail and wind gusts over 70 miles an hour. More than four dozen tornadoes have been reported from Texas to the Great Lakes since Monday. The tornado threat is projected to lessen overnight, but forecasters are warning that some storms could still produce damaging winds and flash floods as they move east on Saturday.

Now to politics. President Trump is voting -- trying to get out the vote in Arizona. He told supporters at a conservative event in Phoenix on Friday to show up for the midterm elections this year. He brought up the historical tendency for people to vote against the party in power during midterm election years. He also said the government will release files on UFOs, "Very, very soon." He said the process is well underway, and they found many very interesting documents.

Some attendees on Friday spoke with CNN about their support and concerns heading into the midterms.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, I think you are starting to see concerns. We're OK with mean tweets as long as we get low gas prices.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just trust him. So I know it kind of hurts right now with the gas and all that, but I see it coming down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I voted for him. Like, this is kind of what I expected. But, like -- after like the Easter, though, yes, it's kind of like, what is going on here? Yeah.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: It has been exactly one week since CNN reported allegations of sexual misconduct, including sexual assault, against California representative Eric Swalwell. Swalwell denies the claims. But in the days since, he has resigned from his seat in Congress and left the race for California governor. New polling indicates one candidate in particular has really benefited from that chaos. His name is Xavier Becerra. He's a former Congressman, State Attorney General, and HHS Secretary. He's up seven points overall in a week. Becerra has gained 15 points among Democrats with Swalwell out of the race, according to that one poll from Emerson. Xavier Becerra, welcome to "The Story Is" for the first time. Good to see you. Nice to have you here.

XAVIER BECERRA, CANDIDATE FOR CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR: Happy to be here.

MICHAELSON: Why do you think you in particular, of all the candidates are sort of getting this second look in this bump right now?

BECERRA: I think folks feel very deceived, and voters want to see someone they can trust. It's a tough time in politics, and I believe voters are looking for someone that they can trust. And I believe one thing that makes them have that trust is experience. I think if I have something, it's experience.

MICHAELSON: Yeah. I mean, a resume of these very, very big jobs. And yet we've seen in the months that voters have not been paying that close attention to this race.

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About 20 percent of the electorate still undecided. Governor Newsom may be one of them. CNN's Edward Isaac Dovere reported this week and put up on the screen. According to people who have spoken to him, Newsom feels just as blase as many Californians about their choices for a larger than life job once held by Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger. And that traditionally has been the Governor of California. Are you larger than life? And what do you say to critics who say you're too boring for this job?

BECERRA: I'm alive. That's I could tell you that, Elex. What I could tell you is I get the job done. I may not be the flashiest. I'm sure certainly not the richest, but I certainly know how to get things done.

MICHAELSON: In terms of the big issues, gas prices remains a huge issue. We want to put up on the screen the gas prices right now in California. The national average is $4.07, which is way up since the war with Iran started. In California, we're at $5.85, and the gas tax in California is $0.61 a gallon. Matt Mahan, the Mayor of San Jose, fellow Democrat who's running, has said we should suspend the gas tax temporarily to try to give Californians some relief. Do you agree with that?

BECERRA: How about we suspend Donald Trump and we can bring the price of gas down much more than the $0.61 that we get from the gas tax? If you don't have a gas tax, how do you keep your roads repaired? How do you build bridges that you need? How do you fill the potholes?

MICHAELSON: I mean, what Mahan would say is that the gas tax is actually not very helpful when say folks have the money to buy EVs. They're not now paying for gas. So we've got to redo this, make this more progressive, and a lot of folks who have to buy gas vehicles because they can't afford the other are now paying the gas tax.

BECERRA: Whether it's an electric vehicle or not, you're using the roads. The gas tax provides us with the resources to fix the roads, to build the roads. How do you do that if you don't have money? And it's crazy. The gas tax hasn't changed in the last two months. The last two months, we've seen massive increases because of things like this Iran war. Let's tackle what's really causing prices to spike. And if you want to suspend anything, as I said, suspend the guy who took us to a war.

MICHAELSON: Although a lot of other states pay lower gas taxes, they still have roads that work.

BECERRA: Well, let's go take a look and compare.

MICHAELSON: OK. Let's talk about the biggest issue in this race. Every single candidate, Republican and Democrat, say the biggest issue is affordability. That is just too expensive to live in California. We know that you have a different style than everybody else and different resume, but in terms of actual policies, what is one policy difference of you versus everybody else in the field in terms of making it cheaper to live in California?

BECERRA: So one of the things I've said is that we've lost the confidence of voters that we'll actually get things done. So one of the things that I've said that I would do is there are -- we know that there are some 400 to 500 housing developments that are on the verge of being shovel in ground, but there's something missing. What I've said is within my first 100 days, I'm going to take it all those -- to look at all those projects, a total of about 40,000 housing units in those projects.

And I will get them clicked over so we have shoveling ground, because they are shovel ready except for something missing, probably the last tranche of funding, maybe it's that last permit. But why hold up 40,000 units when everyone's saying the price of housing is so high, we have such a demand that that increases the price of what we have in supply.

MICHAELSON: You think there's too many regulations in this state, and that makes it hard to build and makes it more expensive?

BECERRA: Yeah. In many areas, that's true.

MICHAELSON: So what are some of the regulations to cut?

BECERRA: Well, we have started to trim back what we call the California Environmental Quality Act, which really does control how we do some of our projects. We could trim that back, what we have to do is accelerate the process so developers don't have to wait so long to get permission and then to finish the bill. And we also have to remove some of the barriers that are put up by local government as well.

MICHAELSON: Everybody's sort of looking at everybody's background right now, and you had an incident with your former Chief of Staff, Sean McCluskie, who pled guilty to committing wire fraud and bank fraud. Prosecutors say that he conspired with Governor Newsom's then Chief of Staff, Dana Williamson to steal $225,000 from a dormant campaign of yours, campaign account. Now, you have not been charged with any wrongdoing. Nobody suggested that you did anything illegal. BECERRA: Right.

MICHAELSON: But it does raise some questions about your judgment in terms of this is somebody that you empowered, somebody you were close with, somebody you trusted, and this was your campaign that you were overseeing. What do you say to critics that are worried that they hear that you oversaw that?

BECERRA: Well, I didn't oversee that part, Elex. What I oversaw was the campaign itself, the structure. What was done outside of the structure, how that money was used is what's now under attack and under investigation by the Department of Justice. I had no sight on that because I was a Secretary of Health and Human Services. That was done separately. And so the reason I haven't been implicated in this because it's I had no role in those things.

[01:15:00]

When people do something wrong, you have to be held accountable. I think everyone agrees. No one's above the law.

MICHAELSON: I mean, what does it say about your judgment that this was somebody you were so close with that you made as one of your top advisers?

BECERRA: People make mistakes. Probably in our family, you can think of people who've made mistakes. We all make mistakes. I wish they hadn't made the mistakes. Some folks are going to pay the price.

MICHAELSON: Speaking of HHS, you were the secretary, the last secretary of HHS. Very different than the current secretary of HHS. This of week it was interesting. He was on the hill, and it seems like he's moved a little bit, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., in terms of his views on the measles vaccine, saying that it's safe for some people, which is a bit of a change in his position. What do you think of what he's doing? And probably more importantly, if you're Governor of California and he's Secretary of State, what is the relationship like between California and HHS?

BECERRA: Well, the relationship will continue because we've rely on HHS to provide us resources with opportunities to try to provide health care to our people. What we won't do is follow him when he uses politics instead of science. We should do our -- we should base our actions on science. Measles, we know how to take care of measles. A vaccine that's worked for decades should be used by our children. This guy is out there telling people, you should think about whether you should get your kids vaccinated. Kids have died this in the last couple of years, at least under the Trump watch, during the time that this guy's been saying, you may not have to give your kids a measles vaccine. That's crazy. Science has proved it saves lives.

MICHAELSON: Lastly, let's talk about sort of the state of this race. Debates are about to begin. You just qualified for a debate that's going to be happening next week on Nexstar. We've got a debate on CNN on May 5th. Caitlin Collins and myself will be moderating it. How do you sort of see your debate strategy, how you fit in on that stage, and how do you sort of see the next few weeks as we approach ballots going out on May 4th?

BECERRA: Yeah. Elex, I think it's the public, first and foremost, give them credit. They're now beginning to focus on race. They've been barraged by so much news all over the world. What I think is going to happen is folks are going to make an assessment. In these times of crisis, do they want someone who's going to need training wheels when they walk into the Governor's Office? I don't think this is a place, the governor's office, the fourth largest economy in the world to actually go through on the job training.

You got to walk in there having dealt with crises. I happen to have dealt with a number of crises, COVID, avian flu, monkeypox. I've had to deal with situations where I've had to declare a national emergency. I'm the only candidate who could say that.

MICHAELSON: Our President Biden declared it. You're technically right.

BECERRA: Well I'm seeing of the candidates well.

MICHAELSON: Yeah.

BECERRA: No, I declared. A state of a health emergency.

MICHAELSON: Yeah. Yeah.

BECERRA: I had the powers to declare those. Obviously, working with the White House, but I'm the one that declared them. I'd also say this. There's no candidate running for Governor in California who's actually balanced a budget the size of the budget of the State of California except me. In fact, my budget was larger than the budget of the State of California. Four years, I've balanced it.

Those are the things that I think people will start to look at. And if they really do want someone who can, day one, take the reins and get us out of these crisis, whether it's the housing crisis, whether it's the manmade crisis coming out of Washington, D.C., I think I've got a shot.

MICHAELSON: Xavier Becerra, thanks so much for joining us, and I look forward to seeing you in the weeks ahead as well.

BECERRA: Thanks, Elex.

MICHAELSON: There is much more to come here on "The Story Is," including Pope Leo's visit to the African Continent. We'll have the latest on his historic 10-day tour and tell you where he is headed to next.

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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MICHAELSON: Pope Leo the XIV will soon press on to Angola, the next stop on his Africa tour. Preparations are complete in the city of Luanda where the pontiff is set to arrive in a few hours. There he'll meet with President, along with civic and church leaders. Pope is on a 10-day tour of the African Continent. In Cameroon earlier, the pontiff referenced the problem the country is facing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPE LEO XIV: Despite the richness of the land in Cameroon, many experience both material and spiritual poverty. Do not give in to distrust and discouragement. Reject every form of abuse or violence which deceives by promising easy gains, but hardens the heart and makes it insensitive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: More than a 100,000 people turned out for an open air mass on Friday, the biggest crowd so far during his tour. CNN's Vatican Correspondent Christopher Lamb reports from a sea of people in Cameroon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: I just underlines how the Catholic church in Africa is such a crucial part of the church that Pope Leo leads today. Around a third of the country are Catholics. And, of course, this is a place where there has been huge amounts of conflict between the French and the English speaking parts. This is the French part of Cameroon.

Hopefully, it was in the English part, on Thursday. Leo has been emphasizing his message of peace throughout his time in Cameroon. Of course, at the same time, President Trump has continued to attack him, and Leo, though, showing his determination to keep on talking about peace, about the world who said being ravaged by a few tyrants with billions of dollars being spent on conflict and war.

Leo showing his determination and to keep emphasizing the message that are important to him and to the church in a part of the world so crucial to the future and the present of Catholicism. Christopher Lamb, CNN, Douala.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[01:25:00]

MICHAELSON: I love all that genuine joy behind him. Thank you, Christopher. Privately funded rescue group is continuing efforts to free a stranded humpback whale off the German coast. Nicknamed Timmy by captivated onlookers, the whale has been stuck on a sandbank since the end of March. Previous attempts to free Timmy have proved unsuccessful, but there is hope that new rescue method may return him to the Baltic Sea deeper waters.

This will involve rescuers using air cushions and a net to try to help move the whale away from the shallow sandbanks to safety. 15 penguins have been released into the sea in Argentina following months of rehabilitation by a conservation group. The creatures came into the care of conservationists after suffering from dehydration, malnutrition, and hypothermia.

Conservations release them together as they're social creatures that tend to migrate in groups. Love that video. Very nice. I'm Elex Michaelson. And for our international viewers, Inside Africa with our Larry Madowo is next. For our viewers in North America, I'll be right back with Jovan Buha and a look at the NBA playoffs starting this weekend. Thanks for watching "The Story Is."

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[01:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MICHAELSON: Thanks for watching "The Story Is." I'm Elex Michaelson. Let's take a look at today's top stories.

President Trump says he may not extend a ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran if negotiations fail to produce a deal by Wednesday. Iranian officials tell CNN they expect negotiators to arrive in Pakistan this weekend for the next round of peace talks on Monday, but the U.S. has not confirmed that the talks are actually happening.

Tornadoes generated by severe storms swelled across the Midwest on Friday. At least 20 twisters were reported across the region along with baseball sized hail and wind gusts over 70 miles an hour. More than 4 dozen tornadoes have been reported from Texas to the Great Lakes since Monday.

Privately funded rescue efforts continue off Germany's coast to save a stranded humpback whale. Timmy, the whale, has been affectionately known, has been stuck on a sandbank for nearly three weeks. Rescuers hope to help him move back to the Baltic Sea's deeper waters using air cushions and nets.

Let's talk sports. The first round of the NBA playoffs tips off on Saturday with four games, including the LA Lakers taking on the Houston Rockets. NBA reporter and host of the podcast Buha's Block, Jovan Buha joins us on "The Story Is." Yo-yo.

JOVAN BUHA, HOST, BUHA'S BLOCK PODCAST, NBA REPORTER: Yo-yo.

MICHAELSON: Good to have you back. Welcome back.

BUHA: It's great to see you, man.

MICHAELSON: So you cover all of the NBA, but your specialty is the Lakers.

BUHA: Yeah.

MICHAELSON: So let's start with the Lakers. The Lakers were having this unbelievable March, 15-2. And then Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves get injured in the same game. The big question now, will they -- when they come back, what do we know in terms of their timetable to return? BUHA: So the Lakers are preparing to not have either one of them in their first round series against the Houston Rockets. Right now, Austin Reeves had a four to six week timetable. This was as of April 2nd, so we're a couple weeks into that. So if he returns, it would be the end of the first round, if not potentially into the second round if the Lakers are able to advance.

With Luka, they've not given an official timetable. They just said he was out for the regular season, then he went overseas to Spain to get some treatment that, maybe isn't given in not legal --

MICHAELSON: Not legal in the United States.

BUHA: Will say. And then --

MICHAELSON: Yeah.

BUHA: So he just came back to LA today, actually, and rejoined the team, and will be there tomorrow for game one. So with him, typically a grade two hamstring is about three to six weeks. So there's a chance maybe he comes back in the middle of the series, but also with hamstring strains, you got to be careful. There's several, like, Jalen Williams of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Aaron Gordon of the Denver Nuggets. They've been dealing with hamstring injuries all season on and off and have both come back and then immediately gotten reinjured.

So even if Luca is able to return by game three or game four, there's no guarantee he could stay healthy.

MICHAELSON: So most everybody is picking the Houston Rockets in part because they are healthy or we think they're healthy. There was a report that Kevin Durant may be injured. Who knows if that's really true or just gamesmanship. What do the Lakers actually have to do to win?

BUHA: So I think LeBron James has to be the best player in the series, and the encouraging thing was how he closed the season because LeBron had adjusted, taken on a smaller role from a usage perspective offensively, and it was more like the number three option. JJ Reddick had talked about the offense is best when it's flown through Luca, then Austin, then LeBron. But we saw that those last few games to close the season, LeBron put the cape back on and was averaging in the high 20s and then get getting 10, 12 assists and looking like vintage LeBron.

So if he's able to do that and out duel Kevin Durant who might not be healthy in this first round series, I think that's a big step in in that direction. Lakers did a really good job defensively against Kevin Durant and the Rockets forcing a lot of turnover. So I think the combination of LeBron plus the defense is what's going to take them to at least extend the series, and then hopefully they get those guys back.

MICHAELSON: And somebody like Luke Kennard or Deandre Ayton or Marcus Martin stepping up and having like career games.

BUHA: Yeah. They need.

MICHAELSON: And so they do all of that, and they get the guys back, and they somehow get into the second round, then they most likely face the Oklahoma City Thunder. And how did it go with against them this season?

BUHA: They lost to them by 30 plus three different times. So and, honestly, I mean, that was the game that Luka and Austin both got injured.

MICHAELSON: And so they were the defending champions last year. I mean, do you think they have the best shot of anybody to defend to win again?

BUHA: I think they're a clear favorite. They won 64 games, and they were one of the least healthy contenders if you look at who I mean, Jalen Williams, who finished the playoffs as probably a top 15 guy if you were ranking guys.

[01:35:00]

He missed 49 games this season. So they just never were healthy. They always were without a starter, a couple key bench guys. Despite that, they still were the best team, still won 64 games. So, I think they should be the clear favorite, though there are a couple teams I like.

MICHAELSON: Well, let's talk about that. So also in the West, the number two seed is the San Antonio Spurs, who have Victor Wenbanyama, who's like 7 foot 6 or more. I don't know. I think on (inaudible) and he can shoot threes and dribble. He's like this unicorn crazy player like we've never seen before.

BUHA: Yeah.

MICHAELSON: But you actually think the Denver Nuggets are the team to watch out for.

BUHA: I think so. So, time is a flat circle, and I entered the season thinking that Denver was the second best team in the NBA behind Oklahoma City. They finished the season on a 12 game win streak. They had a couple wins against the Spurs late. Nikola Jokic is putting up MVP level numbers. He finished the season leading the league in rebounds and assists, and they really found something here as they started to get healthier.

So, Denver right now would be my pick as the number two team in the West. And I think they're going to make the conference finals.

MICHAELSON: And which is interesting. It means that that means they beat the San Antonio Spurs. In the East, you're hot on the Boston Celtics.

BUHA: Yeah. I think Boston is the clear favorite here, which this is going to be a tough segment for Lakers fans listening, talking about the Lakers, and then now Boston potentially getting to the finals. But, I think they should be the clear favorite in the East with Jayson Tatum has come back and looked great. And now you could say, like going into the playoffs, they arguably have two top 10 guys in Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Jaylen Brown's going to get some MVP votes, some first team all-NBA votes. So that combination, Joe Mazzulla is probably going to win coach of the year or at least finish second. Like, they're deep. They're talented. They win the possession game. I think Boston should be the favorite in the East.

MICHAELSON: So is it then Oklahoma City versus Boston --

BUHA: Against OKC vs Boston is the most likely finals right now.

MICHAELSON: But who knows? Maybe Denver gets in.

BUHA: Maybe Denver, and then you took up a seven last year.

MICHAELSON: And what you never know about the NBA playoffs, which we saw last year, injuries happen there, too. And then all of a sudden, series can change really quickly, like what we just saw with the Lakers, so you never know. That's why we watch. Jovan Buha, you can check out your work on YouTube. Really great place to check it out. Check out your podcast as well. Follow you on social media for all the details and the tea, all playoffs long. Thanks, Jovan. Good to see you.

BUHA: Appreciate you, Elex.

MICHAELSON: She describes herself as a scrappy New Jersey soccer mom who fight for her voters, and she definitely knows how to rally the crowd.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANALILIA MEJIA, U.S. DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT: We are at a turning point in this nation, my people. Do you feel it?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Still ahead, Analilia Mejia speaks on CNN after winning a special house election.

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[01:40:00]

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MICHAELSON: The singer David has been arrested on suspicion of killing a 14-year-old girl whose body was found inside his abandoned car. Now this is the moment the 21-year-old alt pop singer was taken into custody. The photo was obtained by the California Post. CNN Senior Correspondent Josh Campbell joins us now with more. Josh?

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Elex. A significant development in the ongoing investigation into the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. I'll warn our viewers that the details of her discovery are extremely disturbing. The Los Angeles Police Department says that tactical officers from its robbery homicide division as well as the U.S. marshals arrested the popular singer David on suspicion of her murder. That arrest occurring Thursday. The decomposed body of Rivas Hernandez was found last year in an abandoned Tesla that was towed from a location in the Hollywood Hills right here in Los Angeles. That vehicle was registered to the singer.

Now as AP reported, investigators searching the Tesla in a tow yard found a cadaver bag. They unzipped it. They discovered a decomposed head as well as a torso. According to court documents, the LA County medical examiner determined that her arms and legs had been severed. A second bag was found in the vehicle containing other dismembered parts. A cause of death has not yet been publicly announced.

Now David's defense team is vehemently denying their client's involvement here. I'll read you their statement. They say, let us be clear. The actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez, and he was not the cause of her death. There's been no indictment returned by any grand jury in this case and no criminal complaint filed. David has only been detained under suspicion. They say we will vigorously defend David's innocence.

Now as far as what happens next, Elex, he will remain in police custody for the time being without bail. Authorities say they will present the case to prosecutors at the LA County District Attorney's Office on Monday. Elex?

MICHAELSON: Josh, thank you. Of course, we'll have coverage of that here on Monday night. Out of this, New Jersey's new representative elect is accusing both parties of capitulating in the face of problems facing the American people. Democrat Analilia Mejia won a special election in New Jersey on Thursday for a seat once held by Governor Mikie Sherrill. She ran as a progressive and was endorsed by senator Bernie Sanders.

He has victory as a shot in the arm for Democrats who have reduced the Republican razor thin house majority. Interview with CNN's Erin Burnett a few hours ago, representative elect spelled out what she believes are voters' priorities.

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ANALILIA MEJIA, U.S. DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT: People have been watching the American government turn its guns on the American people. People have been watching a President bumble into bluster into a war that's costing upwards of $2 billion and then turn around and tell us that we have to make do with less. People have experienced an increase in their health care costs 175 percent.

In my district, people have experienced an increase in energy costs by 5 percent, housing by 6 percent. So folks are just feeling the pinch across the board. You add a doubling of gas prices, and folks are fired up to do something different. Again, I think progressives have been at the forefront calling out this President and calling out the capitulation of both sides of the aisle.

(END VIDEO CLIP) MICHAELSON: Trump administration has been saying gas prices will come down eventually now that we have an idea of how long it might actually take.

[01:45:00]

Petroleum tracking app GasBuddy estimates that reopening the Strait of Hormuz could lead the national average price of gas to fall $3.65 by Memorial Day. That's where they expect it will be at. Prices could drop down to $3.35 by Labor Day just in time for hurricane season. Of course, much higher prices here in California. Those high fuel costs right now are already impacting summer plans, including the grand American tradition of road trips.

CNN's Isabel Rosales looks at how the pain at the pump might impact this year's special celebrations along America's most famous highway.

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ISABEL ROSALES, CNN SOUTHEAST NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's the all American road trip. Route 66 is one of the most famous highways in the U.S., connecting the Midwest to California. More than 2,400 miles or nearly 3,900 kilometers of open road lined with small towns and panoramic landscapes. And this year, the legendary road turns 100. But some motorists say high gas prices caused by the U.S.-Iran war are putting the brakes on their travel plans.

BEAU HAAN, ROUTE 66 TRAVELER: You can't stand for America and then make it impossible people -- for people to actually enjoy the best parts of America. Route 66 is one of those things where it's like, you can go to a diner in Maine or you can go to Japan. You can go anywhere, and people know what Route 66 is.

ROSALES: Hotels, restaurants, and gas stations along Route 66 are frequent pit stops for passing travelers. But filling up can be costly, especially in California, where gas prices are usually higher than the national average. A regular tank of gas was recently $7.49 a gallon at this roadside motel and cafe, a bargain compared to $9.89 down the road.

KEN LARGE, ROY'S MOTEL & CAFE MANAGER: My concern is that it'll deter tourism overall. If it's -- all of a sudden your travel expense becomes 20 percent more or something like that -- that is a number people start looking at. Few pennies a gallon, $0.10 or $0.20, I don't think most of us would scoff at that. But when it starts becoming dollars, that's that becomes a big deal.

ROSALES: At this burger joint and roadside attraction in Arizona, one couple says they're still traveling, just going shorter distances.

JAMES O'CONNOR, ROUTE 66 TRAVELER: To fill up my truck is a $175. Yeah. It's bad. So when we do choose little trips like this, we are much closer to home than we would normally go.

ROSALES: This man attending a rodeo off Route 66 says he also drives a big truck for work and knows gas prices are hurting some families and businesses, but says the war will be worth it in the end.

CLAYTON CHAMBERLIN, RODEO ATTENDEE: I would say that the actions that we're taking are for the greater good of not only our country but the entire world. And we're trying to make things better for everyone. So if we got to pay a little bit more for fuel for a little bit, I'll take it.

ROSALES: But for this couple, spending their honeymoon traveling the iconic highway, gas has been one of their biggest expenses so far. So they say they're taking pictures in a lot of places instead of spending money.

MARLA BOWER, ROUTE 66 TRAVELER: I mean, it's still worth it considering all of the history behind Route 66 in America. So I think no matter what, even if prices were still kind of continue to go, I mean, it would still be worth at least seeing a portion of it even if you couldn't afford to do it all.

ROSALES: Isabel Rosales, CNN, Atlanta.

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MICHAELSON: So to come, more complaints over pricing at this summer's FIFA World Cup. Train fares are set to spike. We'll have reaction from fans. Next.

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[01:50:00]

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MICHAELSON: This summer's FIFA World Cup has already drawn its fair share of criticism over ticket pricing, but now soccer fans have a new expense to swallow, soaring train fares to and from the matches. CNN's Brynn Gingras visited New Jersey where transport costs are set to spike.

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BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: World Cup excitement is at fever pitch. With less than two months until kickoff, fans more and more feeling sticker shock. You had a big reaction when I said over a 100.

THATZ SUNDARAM, HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY RESIDENT: Yeah. But that's insane.

GINGRAS: A $150. That's not the price of a ticket to a match in New Jersey. That's how much it will cost to get there and back from New York city. The price tag announced today by state officials.

KRIS KOLLURI, PRESIDENT & CEO, NJ TRANSIT: This is no ordinary event. In order to move 40,000 people and to pay for the cost of $6 million, we have to charge a $150.

GINGRAS: Normally, the ticket for that 9 mile ride is about $13. Officials say because of heightened security, there will be no parking for fans at stadium. So public transit will be the best way to get to the games and partly why the cost is so high.

MAX LEVINE, NEW YORK RESIDENT: As a consumer, it'll push people away from going, and I don't think it's fair to overcharge for that reason.

SUNDARAM: One of the reasons we have public transportation to be able to go to these things without having to pay extra.

GINGRAS: New Jersey's Governor taking out her own frustrations on FIFA, the governing body of the World Cup.

MIKIE SHERRILL, NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR: FIFA is providing $0 for transportation to the World Cup. Zero.

GINGRAS: Promising to not let everyday commuters shoulder the cost. In a statement, FIFA responded saying in part, FIFA is not aware of any other major event previously held at New York, New Jersey Stadium where organizers were required to pay for fan transportation.

There are other options for fans, but again, not cheap. A shuttle bus from New York City will cost $80. And you see MetLife Stadium there? Well, we're across the street at the American Dream Mall where there will be a number parking spots reserved if you must drive, but they'll cost at least $225 and that price, well, it's expected to also go up.

SUNDARAM: And you pay another $100 for your popcorn and your hotdog as well.

[01:55:00]

So it's going to be expensive, but I think a ticket is expensive as is.

GINGRAS: It is. Right now, a top tier ticket for one of the seven qualifying games at New York New Jersey Stadium start at $1,800. The final, that's pricing out at more than $16,000 per ticket.

ALEXIS COLUCCI, JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY RESIDENT: It's not even worth it to me because, if I can't get into Penn Station, how am I going to get to and you can't drive to the Meadowlands. So what am I going to do? And I also like the ticket prices, so it's just not even worth it.

GINGRAS: You're not even looking.

COLUCCI: Nope.

GINGRAS: There are other host cities like Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Kansas City that aren't jacking up their transit fares. And New Jersey officials say that's because those stadiums are really within city limits. Therefore, fans have more transportation options. In East Rutherford, New Jersey, Brynn Gingras, CNN.

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MICHAELSON: Or LA Stadium doesn't even have a public transportation option. Man, that seems ridiculous. You could also just watch it at home for free. Thanks for joining us here on "The Story Is." I'm Elex Michaelson. Hope you have a great weekend. We'll see you back here on Monday. More news coming up next right here on CNN.

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