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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson

Trump: 'All the Time in the World' to Reach Iran Deal; U.S. Soldier Arrested for Allegedly Betting on Maduro Raid; Thousands of Acres Scorched, Dozens of Structures Destroyed in Georgia; Ukraine Develops Robots to Take on Russian Infantry; World Cup Starts in Less Than 50 Days; WBD Shareholders Approve Paramount Skydance Takeover; 'Michael' Actor Speaks on Portraying Pop Star in Early Years. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired April 24, 2026 - 00:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Elex Michaelson, live in Los Angeles. Here's what's ahead on THE STORY IS.

[00:00:44]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAELSON (voice-over): THE STORY IS ceasefire extended. What President Trump is saying about the conflict between Israel and Lebanon, and why he says he's in no rush to make a deal with Iran.

THE STORY IS historic arrest. As scrutiny intensifies for predictive betting markets, a U.S. soldier is charged with using insider information to win big on Nicolas Maduro's capture.

THE STORY IS countdown to the World Cup. With less than 50 days to go, Apple TV's Max Bretos is here live with tips on how you can get yourself a ticket.

And THE STORY IS the Michael Jackson biopic, in theaters now. The actor who plays young Michael is on our set to showcase his moves.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: Live from Los Angeles, THE STORY IS with Elex Michaelson.

MICHAELSON: Thanks for being with us. The top story is the prospect for a deal between the U.S. and Iran.

President Trump says he has all the time in the world to make it happen. And he told reporters in the Oval Office today he will not be rushed.

The president claims the U.S. is in total control of the Strait of Hormuz. Earlier in the day, he ordered the U.S. Navy to shoot and kill any vessels that are laying mines in the vital waterway.

But he expressed some skepticism over who is actually in charge in Iran.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: They're not doing well economically, financially. They're not doing any business because of the blockade.

They want to make a deal. We have been speaking to them, but they don't even know who is leading the country. They're in turmoil.

I don't want to rush myself, you know, because every story says, Oh, Trump is under time pressure. I'm not. No, no. You know who's under time pressure? They are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: Meanwhile, President Trump has announced a three-week extension of the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.

Diplomats from both countries met at the White House on Thursday. This extends the ten-day truce already in place, despite claims from both sides of scattered violations.

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations says the ceasefire is not 100 percent, and Israel will retaliate whenever it sees a threat.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANNY DANON, ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: The Lebanese government have no control over Hezbollah, and Hezbollah is sending rockets, trying to sabotage the ceasefire. And Israel, we have to retaliate. Every time we -- we see a threat, we take action.

And I think the main question is whether the Lebanese government is capable of enforcing a ceasefire or a peace agreement.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: Let's bring in CNN's Ivan Watson, live from Hong Kong. Ivan, let's start with Iran and President Trump insisting he's in no rush to make a deal. Now, what's the latest on that?

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I mean, the active fighting that we saw for more than a month, that has come to a halt. And instead, it's very much a contest of wills in the maritime domain.

Iran has shown that it will stop ships, attack them if they try to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, and is holding a chunk of the global economy hostage.

And the U.S. Navy is enforcing this blockade of all Iranian ports. It has seized Iranian ships as far as the Indian Ocean, and it is effectively holding the Iranian economy hostage.

Let's take a listen to what more President Trump had to say about Iran's actions in the strait against commercial shipping. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Their military is totally defeated. They're -- they're -- outside of the little wise-guy ships -- I call them the wise-guy ships, the little boats that they have running around with guns in them. We'll take them out, too, when we see them.

But their navy is gone. Their air force is gone. Their anti-aircraft is gone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: You know, he's referring to the use of these small boats to basically surround and -- and capture several ships this week.

In a separate written statement, President Trump wrote, quote, "I have ordered the U.S. Navy to shoot and kill any boat that is putting mines in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz."

[00:05:03]

But there are real questions about what can the U.S. do to really stop some of these asymmetric tactics that Iran has used?

There's another interesting dimension here. The Trump administration is pushing this idea that the Iranian leadership is in turmoil.

[00:05:17]

We've seen identical statements put out by the speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammed Ghalibaf, who led the first round of negotiations with the U.S. vice president, J.D. Vance, and the Iranian foreign minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, basically both saying that they are in unity, that there is unity in Iran in its direction and how it's going to face off against the U.S.

So, a test of wills in the sea lanes and a test of wills in messaging from Tehran and Washington, as well.

MICHAELSON: Yes. But yet at the same time, Ivan, "The New York Times" is raising questions about the health of the ayatollah leading Iran right now.

WATSON: Yes, I mean, a fascinating article by Farnaz Fassihi, who I know well and does incredible reporting on Iran.

I do urge viewers to -- to take a look at this article, because she describes in detail -- this is her reporting -- about the severe injuries that Mojtaba Khamenei suffered in those initial strikes that killed his father, the former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The measures, again, according to "The New York Times," that the Iranian officials have to use to try to ferry written messages and envelopes to the surviving son Khamenei, and back, through back roads and motorbikes to avoid detection and a risk of further assassinations in the future. And also, that the generals of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, many of whom were already close to the son, Mojtaba Khamenei, that they have come front and center as kind of decision makers in the Iranian regime since the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign began.

So, it -- Iran has always had divisions and factions, but there does seem to be some unity of purpose, at least in that. Again, very important article that Farnaz Fassihi has published in "The New York Times" and reported so thoroughly.

MICHAELSON: Yes, some remarkable reporting there. Meanwhile, news tonight about the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire.

WATSON: That's right. President Trump and the White House hosted the ambassadors from both Lebanon and Israel at the White House. President Trump took part in some of the discussions. And there is an extension of the ceasefire between these two governments.

Part of the problem, though, is that Hezbollah, that Iran-backed militia, is not under the direct control of the Lebanese government, and they have been at odds over the course of the past two months.

And Israel and Hezbollah continue to trade shots on Thursday, even as this meeting was taking place, with Hezbollah firing rockets into Northern Israel towards the town of Shtula, and Israel announcing that it retaliated and targeted what it says were rocket launchers.

That said, we have an extension of the ceasefire, which suggests that there will not be a resumption of the -- the full-scale Israeli bombardment of parts of central and Northern and Eastern Lebanon.

It does sound like the South of the country, which Israeli troops have occupied, that -- that in the Israeli interpretation, that that does not include that area.

You know, we had this Lebanese journalist, newspaper journalist, Amal Khalil, who was killed on Wednesday by an Israeli series of strikes that also injured a freelance photographer and got the Lebanese prime minister accusing Israel of -- of what amounted to war crimes.

But long story short, there seems to be more of a window for negotiations, and President Trump has actually once again floated the possibility of hosting both the Israeli and Lebanese leaders sometime in the future, which would be an historic meeting if it was, in fact, to take place.

MICHAELSON: Yes. But meanwhile, as we've seen, a ceasefire does not always mean that the firing ceases.

Ivan Watson, starting us off live in Hong Kong. Lots of good information. Thanks, Ivan, for that reporting.

Meanwhile, Pope Leo is denouncing the Iranian regime for killing protesters. But he stressed that he cannot support the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran and urged all parties to work together to end the conflict. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPE LEO XIV, LEADER OF CATHOLIC CHURCH (through translator): I would like to encourage the continuation of the dialogue for peace and urge the parties involved to continue their efforts to promote peace and to ensure that the threat of war is addressed in accordance with international law.

We must be able to think in this way as a church. I say once again, as a pastor, I cannot support war. I would like to encourage everyone to make every effort to seek answers that stem from a culture of peace. Rather than hatred, from a vision of peace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[00:10:08]

MICHAELSON: The pope's remarks followed President Trump's attacks on his stance on the Middle East war.

The pontiff has wrapped up his visit to Africa after traveling to four countries, including equatorial Guinea, which is ruled by one of the most repressive regimes in the world.

Now, a historic day when it comes to betting. A U.S. Special Forces soldier involved in capturing former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is now facing federal charges for allegedly betting on the top- secret mission.

The soldier's accused of misusing classified information after allegedly betting on Polymarket that Maduro would be out of power by January. Prosecutors say his long-shot bet made him $400,000 in profit.

CNN's Kara Scannell explains how these prediction markets are coming under major scrutiny.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tonight, a major arrest tied to a suspicious $32,000 bet that paid out in January by a trader who used the name Burdensome-Mix. The bet was a long shot that longtime Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro would be out by the end of January.

Shortly after it was placed, a covert U.S. military operation ensued, extracting Maduro.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: President Trump says the U.S. carried out large-scale strikes on Venezuela overnight.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro arriving in New York.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is unprecedented. This is history in the making for Venezuela. SCANNELL (voice-over): Law enforcement now alleging that the trader,

who made over $400,000, is U.S. Special Forces soldier Gannon Ken Van Dyke and that he was involved in the planning and execution of the Maduro raid.

Van Dyke is alleged to have misused classified government information for personal gain.

And tonight, more bets and trades timed suspiciously around major news developments are in question.

Fifteen minutes before President Donald Trump posted on Tuesday that he would extend a ceasefire with Iran, traders placed a whopping $430 million bet that oil prices would drop.

The trade is one of four massive bets that preceded major announcements in the U.S.-Iran conflict since late March, according to Reuters, raising concerns about potential insider trading.

Last Friday, investors bet $760 million that oil prices would drop. Twenty minutes later, Iran's foreign minister said the Strait of Hormuz would reopen.

After the post, oil futures fell 11 percent.

And earlier this month, less than three hours before President Trump announced on Truth Social a U.S. ceasefire with Iran, traders had bet $950 million that oil prices would fall.

That bet paid off, as well. Oil futures fell 15 percent after the post.

SEN. CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT): This is corruption. This is just astounding corruption.

SCANNELL (voice-over): These are not isolated incidents. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy called out a $580 million bet, placed 15 minutes before Trump posted on Truth Social he would delay striking Iran's energy infrastructure. It was another winner: oil futures plummeted 15 percent.

MURPHY: That kind of scale never happens on a Monday morning at 6:50. But it was happening for a reason, because people that were making those bets knew that, a few minutes later, Donald Trump was about to post something on social media.

SCANNELL (voice-over): There are no obvious ties between the trades and White House officials, and a White House spokesman told CNN any implication that administration officials are violating the law is, quote, "baseless and irresponsible."

ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: The key phrase that makes something insider trading under the law is if somebody is trading based on material nonpublic information.

The question is essentially, is this information that was known to the general public outside the halls of Congress, outside of the White House, outside of government itself?

SCANNELL (voice-over): Last month, the White House sent a memo to staff reminding them that, quote, "The misuse of nonpublic information by government employees for financial benefit is a very serious offense and will not be tolerated."

SCANNELL: President Donald Trump reacting to the arrest, saying it seems, unfortunately, that the whole world is a casino. He said, "I'm not happy with it."

Van Dyke is expected to make his first court appearance Friday morning.

Kara Scannell, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAELSON: Our thanks to Kara.

Let's bring in Dustin Gouker. He is the publisher of a Substack newsletter about the prediction markets industry called "The Event Horizon."

Dustin, welcome to THE STORY IS. Thanks so much for being with us.

DUSTIN GOUKER, PUBLISHER, "THE EVENT HORIZON": Cheers. Thanks for having me.

MICHAELSON: So, why is this particular incident illegal?

[00:15:04]

GOUKER: Well, it's a question of it's illegal. But the DOJ and the CFTC, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, have flagged this as violating a number of laws about insider trading on what is happening in national security and on all of this.

The soldier in question allegedly was a part of the operation to oust Nicolas Maduro, and he used that information to, then again, allegedly place a bet on Polymarket, saying that Maduro would be out of power by a certain date.

And that -- that -- using that information broke a nondisclosure agreement. Obviously, a huge threat to national security and to soldiers' lives.

And that's why we're seeing a strong response, I think, from the U.S. government, and the DOJ, and the CFTC here.

MICHAELSON: Have we ever seen a case like this before? And if not, is this really sort of a landmark watershed moment for -- for betting?

GOUKER: Absolutely. That we haven't seen anything quite like this before.

There have been rumors over the preceding months about insider trading that you just talked about on the -- on the segments, on all sorts of geopolitical events.

But we have never seen the Department of Justice actually get involved and say somebody did something wrong on a prediction market.

To be fair, prediction markets haven't been a thing for very long. They've kind of cropped up here in the last five years. And all of this has happened very suddenly, very quickly, to the point that we have betting on geopolitical events that we've never had before. And this is all new territory.

But yes, this is the first time we've really seen any kind of -- of -- of governmental action, a legal action against somebody for, allegedly, insider trading on one of these markets.

MICHAELSON: This whole thing feels like the wild, wild West right now. Is it possible to put the genie back in the bottle? Is it possible to regulate this at this point?

GOUKER: Well, I'll start here. It is regulated. This is federally regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

It was not necessarily meant to be all of these things. It was meant to be -- to start with relatively small events: election betting. It then morphed into sports betting and sports event contracts, and now event contracts.

Polymarket international technically operates outside of regulation here in the United States. We do have a lot of U.S. regulated markets that technically do not allow markets on war and death and, you know, things like the Maduro ouster and the death of Khamenei in Iran earlier this spring.

But so, we -- it's -- it's going to be hard to put this back in the bottle. We have accepted that prediction markets are a thing; that they're valuable. The Trump administration has -- and under the CFTC against, they're the regulator of prediction markets. They have said, This is OK. We want to support this.

Congress does have the option here to -- to pass a law. There are more than a dozen bills right now in Congress about insider trading, about whether -- what types of events should be allowed to be traded.

But it's going to be hard to put the genie back in the bottle. We'll see if that happens or not.

MICHAELSON: Kara just sort of references, but I want to play the sound bite of President Trump in the Oval Office today. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: The whole world, unfortunately, has become somewhat of a casino. And you look at what's going on all over the world, in Europe and every place they're doing these betting things.

I was never much in favor of it. I don't like it conceptually, but it is what it is. (END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: As we know, of course, Donald Trump is a longtime casino owner in Atlantic City and Las Vegas, as well.

We also know that his son, Donald Trump Jr., is a paid adviser to both Polymarket and Kalshi.

Can you talk about sort of the complicated nature of regulating these industries when so many of them have so much money to so many powerful people in so many different governments around the world?

GOUKER: It's fascinating, because prediction markets were this very niche industry before the Trump administration.

Under the Biden administration, they were actually fighting in court to stop Kalshi from allowing election betting happening in U.S. borders. And they were fighting that. And Kalshi won a court case there.

But this is -- this has just grown exponentially, partly because the Trump administration has been laissez-faire on this. They have said, This is OK. We are allowing event contracts. We want this to grow. We think this is a new asset class that deserves to grow.

And yes, there's a lot here. Back in the 2024 election, Trump was actually a supporter of -- of prediction markets. The prediction markets were saying that he was a favorite over Kamala Harris before the presidential election.

And afterwards, obviously, he won pretty handily in the election. And it went on to say prediction markets are really a source of truth. We are looking to prediction markets for truth.

MICHAELSON: Yes.

GOUKER: So, to hear him say now today, that this is different, that he's never been a big supporter. The Trump administration has definitely been a supporter of prediction markets in the recent past.

[00:20:05]

MICHAELSON: Dustin Gouker, who you can read his work at "The Event Horizon" on Substack. Really appreciate the insight on this growingly important field. Thank you so much.

Now to a big story. Parts of Southeast Georgia are being scorched by two wildfires as residents grapple with the devastation of losing their homes. We will have a report after the break.

Plus, a media mega merger. Shareholders approve Paramount's takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, which includes CNN. It's not a done deal yet. We'll explain later this hour.

You're watching THE STORY IS.

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[00:25:05]

MICHAELSON: Extreme drought conditions are fueling two large wildfires in Southeastern Georgia. The blaze in Clinch County, near the state line with Florida, has burned some 30,000 acres.

Meanwhile, dozens of homes have been destroyed in the Highway 82 fire in Brantley County. That's where CNN's Derek van Dam is with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My house is gone.

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): It's among the worst wildfires in Georgia in decades, leaving behind swaths of devastation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is what's left. Sad day here.

VAN DAM (voice-over): So far, officials say 87 homes have been destroyed in what's called the Highway 82 fire in Southeast Georgia, and many more are considered at risk.

A state of emergency declared in more than half of the state's counties, a region facing unprecedented drought conditions.

JOEY CASON, BRANTLEY COUNTY, GEORGIA, MANAGER: Be aware this situation is continuing to be fluid. It's not a really good situation for the folks that are in front of this fire.

VAN DAM (voice-over): Two of the biggest fires have already burned more than 30,000 acres, now, nothing more than ash and debris.

VAN DAM: Like a scene out of a movie, flames surrounding properties, sparing some and destroying others. Almost like the indiscriminate nature of a tornado.

Now, when these residents left their home, they left this sprinkler going, hoping to keep any additional flames at bay.

VAN DAM (voice-over): Hundreds of residents forced to evacuate as the fires quickly spread.

DRAKE SMITH, BRANTLEY COUNTY, GEORGIA, RESIDENT: It wasn't panic until we seen [SIC] -- well, until we seen [SIC] the fire over the tree line.

VAN DAM (voice-over): Drake Smith and his young family, among those who left their home quickly as flames threatened the nearby community.

VAN DAM: And when did you know that it was time to -- to leave?

BRASWELL SMITH, BRANTLEY COUNTY, GEORGIA, RESIDENT: When the flames got close to us.

VAN DAM (voice-over): Making the decision to leave everything behind, other than a change of clothes.

D. SMITH: A lot of stuff we had to leave. Like, all the toys and everything. And most of our life was just in the trailer.

VAN DAM (voice-over): Their home in hard-hit Brantley County spared this day, but the threat is far from over and their future uncertain.

D. SMITH: If we do have to leave, I mean, we're just -- we have to be in the cars, because we really don't have a plan.

VAN DAM (voice-over): Smoke from the fires in Southeast Georgia have reached the skies over Atlanta, hundreds of miles away, the air quality deemed unhealthy.

So far, there have been no reports of serious injuries or fatalities, but erratic winds and no rain in sight could make bad conditions worse.

CASON: Literally within the last hour, we went from no evacuation need to a crisis evacuation need. It's just a constantly changing situation with the wind.

VAN DAM: At a press briefing that we attended with other media covering this fire, we watched as the Highway 82 fire erupted and escalated in size, being fanned by winds that picked up throughout the course of the day.

It created what is known as a pyrocumulus cloud, almost creating its own weather and wind, helping force that front line, advancing it forward to the North.

Now, we also witnessed large air tankers and Chinook helicopters dropping fire retardant, trying to suppress that front line of the fire. For firefighters on the ground and in the air, trying to attack this from all fronts, it really is an all-hands-on-deck situation.

I'm CNN meteorologist Derek van Dam from Brantley County, Georgia.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAELSON: Derek, thank you.

Prince Harry is making a direct appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop the war in Ukraine. Earlier, the Duke of Sussex made a surprise visit to Ukraine, where he spoke at the Kyiv security forum and offered a message to Putin.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRINCE HARRY, DUKE OF SUSSEX: President Putin, no nation benefits from the continued loss of life we are witnessing. There is still a moment now to stop this war, to further -- to prevent further suffering for Ukrainians and Russians alike, and to choose a different course.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: Harry also urged the U.S. to step up its support for Ukraine. President Trump was later asked by reporters to respond.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Prince Harry today has said that he would like to see you do more to end the war in Ukraine. Do you think it's appropriate for a royal to make those comments ahead of the visit on Monday?

TRUMP: Prince Harry?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.

TRUMP: How's he doing? How's his wife? Please give him my regards. OK.

No, no, I don't know. I think I know one thing. Prince Harry is not speaking for the U.K. That's for sure. I think I'm speaking for the U.K. more than Prince Harry.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: Speaking of the war with Ukraine, military robots are now replacing humans in dangerous war missions. Melissa Bell has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Welcome to the future of warfare. A bird's-eye view of two robots and then their own as they zip through a snowy field in Kharkiv region, evading enemy fire and making it to their goal: a Russian infantry position under a damaged tank.

[00:30:02]

Russia may have more men in this four-year war, but Ukraine believes that its robots can help make a difference. Like here, one blows up part of a building, allowing a second to destroy a basement in which soldiers were hiding.

More losses for Russia. And again, zero for Ukraine. A crucial arithmetic as Kyiv battles Moscow's superior numbers.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The future is already here, already on the battlefield, and Ukraine is creating it.

BELL (voice-over): That was here, also in the region of Kharkiv, when a unit of robots did the work of soldiers with no blood spilled.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That unit took over the dugout's tree line in just 15 minutes. The entire strip was already ours, literally and without any losses. Not a single shot was fired.

BELL (voice-over): The robots even managed to take prisoners that day, a first in Ukraine's war.

President Zelenskyy says that 10,000 missions have now been carried out by robots.

ZELENSKYY: We have to stop altogether Putin, and we can stop it with weapon, because he doesn't want to speak.

BELL (voice-over): But Ukraine's military technology, which includes its C and fiber optic drones, is not just its pride. President Zelenskyy says it's also bringing in money now that Kyiv is helping Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar with their air defenses against Iranian drones.

We're witness to a global robotic arms race today. The United States, Europe, Russia and China are all developing robot systems and tactics.

But the pressures on its front lines have given Ukraine an advantage in figuring out what war might look like with more robots and less blood.

Melissa Bell, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAELSON: Coming up, change the topics. And excitement is building as four dozen countries get ready to come to North America for the FIFA World Cup. We'll talk about which are the favorites, what fans can expect, and how you can get tickets. Max Bretos, live, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:36:50]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the first pick in the 2020 NFL draft, the Las Vegas Raiders select Fernando Mendoza, quarterback, Indiana.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: Hey, surprise to absolutely nobody, Fernando Mendoza is headed to the Las Vegas Raiders, the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft.

The 22-year-old quarterback led the Indiana Hoosiers to a perfect record and a national championship. He also won the Heisman Trophy. He's having a pretty good year.

The New York Jets took Texas Tech defensive end David Bailey at No. 2. Arizona Cardinals picked Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love at No. 3.

Two Ohio State Buckeyes round up top five: wide receiver Carnell Tate going to the Tennessee Titans and linebacker Arvell Reese to the New York football Giants.

We are now less than 50 days away from the beginning of what is widely considered the biggest event in the world. The FIFA World Cup kicking off on June 11, hosted, of course, by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

The last U.S. World Cup was back in 1994.

Most of the upcoming matches, 78 out of a record 104, are being held on American soil, and some of them right here in Los Angeles, including the first game for Team USA.

FIFA's president says ticket demand is off the charts, the equivalent of the request for 1,000 years of World Cups at one time.

But there's been a lot of controversy over the very high ticket prices. With me here in L.A. is Max Bretos, who's a Major League Soccer play-by-play announcer on Apple TV.

Welcome to THE STORY IS for the first time. Great to have you here on CNN.

MAX BRETOS, MLS PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCER, APPLETV: Great to be here, Elex. Congratulations on this show. I watch it all the time.

MICHAELSON: Thank you very much. Great to have you on here. Watch you all the time on Apple.

So, a lot of people are wondering this. They want to go to this, and they wonder, how do I get a ticket?

BRETOS: Well, that's a -- that's a great question. That's a question everyone is asking right now.

And Gianni Infantino saying about the ticket sales. I get the feeling that it's going to be very well-attended. But this is --and I don't -- look, FIFA wants to sell the tickets. They want to make a ton of money, and I don't begrudge them for that.

We're seeing that in all of sports. Tickets are expensive. We saw it with WWE and Wrestlemania, the NFL, the Olympics. You're going to have to pay for it.

So, they had a presale for the World Cup tickets, and the tickets were very high. And then recently, they've had more and more, like, lotteries where you can get on, suggesting there are more tickets.

There was a report that the USA-Paraguay game here at SoFi, there are plenty tickets left.

So, if you want to go to one of these games, I'd say be patient. There are a lot of reports of people going on the FIFA website for hours on end and not really getting anywhere, so it's been frustrating for a lot of folks. We expect a lot of visitors.

I think at the end of the day, you could get a ticket. You're going to pay for it. It may not be like the thousands of dollars that have been reported, but if you're a family of four, you might have to sell the car or something to go see a World Cup game. It's going to be expensive, but all sports are expensive right now.

MICHAELSON: Yes, but this seems like it's kind of another level.

BRETOS: Yes.

MICHAELSON: Especially for the finals of the World Cup in New York area. I mean, it seems really --

[00:40:03]

BRETOS: We've got everything.

MICHAELSON: -- really overinflated.

BRETOS: Even the New York thing. We're there about taking a shuttle from New York, because there's not going to be any cars --

MICHAELSON: Right.

BRETOS: -- at MetLife Stadium. You have to pay, like, 100 bucks to get from the city there. So, it's just -- it adds up.

MICHAELSON: The subway ride is, like, $150.

BRETOS: Yes.

MICHAELSON: It's insane.

All right. Another question. Is Iran going to be in the World Cup in the midst of this war? There were some suggestions that President Trump maybe wanted to replace Iran with Italy.

BRETOS: There are a lot of reports, but no one actually said that Iran's not going. Donald Trump said something along the lines. They can come, but it may not be in their best interest.

The Iranian delegation have also said something along those lines. I go, look -- I go, wouldn't be -- wouldn't be the best idea. But no one said they're not coming.

Gianni Infantino, the head of FIFA, is hell-bent on having them come here. I -- a group that came through Donald Trump that suggested -- who are Italians -- said, why don't we replace Iran with Italy, which is really in bad faith.

If I was the Italian federation, who didn't qualify, I wouldn't want to be in this.

Now, I think Iran is going to be there. At the end of the day, FIFA wants it. I think there's a good reason, because the Iranian players are European-based, so they're not there.

And this may sound shallow, Elex, but the World Cup is that one moment, no matter if you're American or European or South American or if you're Iranian, where you stop what you're doing to watch the game.

So, I'm not saying it's going to end the conflict in the Middle East or the Strait of Hormuz, but I could truly believe they would be proud of it. And this is an opportunity where sports might help the situation.

MICHAELSON: Yes.

BRETOS: It won't end it. But I truly believe people stop to watch their national teams wherever they are.

MICHAELSON: And we know that, in the past, sometimes wars stop because of the Olympics.

BRETOS: Yes.

MICHAELSON: Or they will delay starting a war because of the Olympics. So, sports does have a unique ability to do that.

All right. Let's talk about the United States team. Strengths, weaknesses. What do we think?

BRETOS: The weakness for the United States. They've looked pretty good under Mauricio Pochettino in this build-up. Great news -- knock on wood -- because a lot of players are getting injured. The U.S. seemed pretty healthy from their stars like Christian Pulisic and Chris Richards and Tyler Adams.

In the pre-buildup, they have done very well against teams from Asia and South America. The problem is when they play the big European teams, they have lost. They've lost badly. And they're probably going to face a big European team.

This is an expanded World Cup: 48 teams. So, the group stages are a little more forgiving. With -- with regards to expectations, I think the U.S. will get through. They have a group against Paraguay and Australia, teams they should beat. Turkey's a European team. They might have some complications.

It's -- I'm optimistic. I -- you need a good draw once you get to the knockouts. The goal, I think, the expectations would tap out at the Round of 16.

MICHAELSON: Yes.

BRETOS: Remember, you have to go to the round of 32. There's an extra game. It's a monster of a tournament.

But once you're there, maybe they could do well. It just depends.

MICHAELSON: Yes.

BRETOS: And maybe the law of averages. They play a big European team. They could beat them. But they've had very poor luck. They have a deep team.

MICHAELSON: Yes.

BRETOS: This is a tournament for deep teams that will benefit them.

MICHAELSON: We're out of time. But you say three teams are the favorites. What are the three teams?

BRETOS: France, the prohibitive favorite. Spain and England. I don't think anyone outside of those three are going to win it. Not even the reigning champs, Argentina.

MICHAELSON: All right. We'll hold you to it. We've got to check back with you in a few months and see if you got it right. Max Bretos, thank you so much. It's going to be fun to follow that whole journey.

BRETOS: Once the game starts, it's going to be amazing.

MICHAELSON: Yes. We'll be back. More of THE STORY IS right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:48:07]

MICHAELSON: Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders have cleared the way for CNN, HBO and Warner's other media brands to join Paramount Skydance later this year.

This deal has been a no-brainer for many investors, with Paramount offering $31 a share. But the mega-merger has sparked intense controversy in Hollywood and beyond.

CNN's Brian Stelter is in New York right now with more on all this. Hey, Brian.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: Hey, Elex. Yes, Paramount just took another big step forward in its quest to buy Warner Bros. Discovery.

WB shareholders voted on Thursday to approve the deal. And if you look at the WBD's share price chart, it's easy to see why. The company's stock has been beaten down in the past couple of years. This time last year, WBD was trading around $8 per share.

Paramount is offering to buy up all those shares for about 31 bucks each. So, this is a profitable moment for investors.

But it's also a very stressful moment for employees, who are bracing for layoffs and other cost-cutting moves if the deal goes through.

That's because the combined Paramount WBD will be burdened with debt and will be under pressure to reduce that debt load.

There are obvious synergies between the two companies. Paramount has said it plans to bring together the HBO Max streaming service and the Paramount+ streaming service into one platform that's better able to compete with the likes of Netflix.

The companies could also look to merge this channel, CNN, with Paramount's CBS News unit. At the same time, Paramount is vowing to spend a lot of money on

content, with Paramount CEO David Ellison recently reiterating his pledge to release at least 30 movies in theaters each year using both the Warner Bros. studio and the Paramount studio.

Film buffs sure hope he's able to follow through on that pledge.

Ellison's also talked about harnessing technology in new ways in the A.I. era.

But before any of that can happen, first, Paramount has to get regulators to sign off. And let's be blunt about it. This deal has become a political football with Republicans in Washington favoring Paramount, likely signaling that the Trump administration will give the deal the green light.

[00:50:08]

At the same time, Democrats in states like New York and California are coming out against the deal. On Thursday, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani added his name to the list of opponents, saying the deal should be blocked.

And several state attorneys general have said they might try to do that. They might sue to block the deal.

California A.G. Rob Bonta said in an interview on Thursday that he sees red flags everywhere with this deal, saying it looks like prices will go up for consumers, and wages will go down for workers.

He said, quote, "If we decide to sue, it will be based on the law and the facts."

European regulators are also taking a close look. But Paramount seems prepared for those regulatory hurdles. It might be ready to make certain concessions, like selling off certain assets to get the deal done.

After the vote on Thursday, the companies reiterated that they expect this deal will take effect in the third quarter of this year, which means sometime between July and September.

Elex, back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): Let me tell you now -- when I had you to myself, I didn't want you around.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: That right there is a scene from the new movie "Michael," which is already a massive hit in international markets. It opens Friday here in the U.S. And my guest, Juliano Krue Valdi, is getting rave reviews for his

performance. Welcome.

JULIANO KRUE VALDI, ACTOR: Thank you.

MICHAELSON: Great to see you. Love the glove.

KRUE VALDI: Thank you so much.

MICHAELSON: Nice look.

And so, that's you actually singing, right?

VALDI: Yes.

MICHAELSON: Yes. I mean, how did you prepare to sing like Michael?

VALDI: Well, when I got the role, I trained with Miss Stephanie Spruill. And fun fact about her: in the new video. Well, in the -- in the song by Michael Jackson in the Jacksons, "Can You Feel It?" she played the -- (SINGING). She did that little voice back there, that high one.

And she -- she trained me for some months, and eventually, I sounded more and more like Michael Jackson. And then as you -- as you can see in that scene right there, that was me singing.

MICHAELSON: Let's talk about your journey. So as a -- as a very, very young kid, even as a baby, right?

VALDI: Yes.

MICHAELSON: You were into -- into Michael Jackson, right?

VALDI: Mm-hmm.

MICHAELSON: Talk about what -- what drew you to him, what you learned from him, and sort of what age you started really getting into him.

VALDI: OK. So around four years old, my grandmother turned on, you know, Michael Jackson. She turned on "Smooth Criminal" music video and she said, this is the greatest of all time, Michael Jackson. The most -- the most must-see superstar, the most must-see entertainer of all time. And she played "Smooth Criminal."

And I remember loving his music, you know, dun dun dun dun dun dun. You know that that beat right there. And ever since that day, I never stopped practicing, you know?

And from this movie, I learned that he was a really hard worker, and he cared for people. He was such a nice and genuine person.

MICHAELSON: Yes.

VALDI: And that's all something we can see in this movie, right? You know? MICHAELSON: Yes. And we're looking at videos of you right now. This

was you on the street on Hollywood Boulevard. This is before you even did the movie. You were already a --

VALDI: That's one of my most viral videos.

MICHAELSON: Yes, you were out there as a kid. And then -- and then you end up in this role for real in a movie.

VALDI: I know.

MICHAELSON: Isn't that -- that's crazy. It is crazy.

VALDI: That is insane.

MICHAELSON: And so, you look a lot like Michael there, but when you went in, they put on an afro wig, right?

VALDI: Yes.

MICHAELSON: And fake teeth and got you in the costumes. I mean, once you're in all that, how did it feel? What did it feel like to -- did you feel transforming like a new person?

VALDI: Yes, I felt like Michael Jackson. And, you know, before I -- I filmed the scene, I got a second in my dressing room to just look at me in the full costume. And I just told myself that we're really doing this.

And this is all for my family. And this is for Michael's family, and this is for Michael, as well.

MICHAELSON: Yes.

VALDI: And, I told myself that I was going to go out there and make everyone proud. And as you can see there, I did.

MICHAELSON: You did.

VALDI: Yes.

MICHAELSON: And not only was it for Michael's family.

VALDI: Yes.

MICHAELSON: It was with Michael's family.

VALDI: Yes.

MICHAELSON: Jaafar Jackson --

VALDI: Jaafar Jackson.

MICHAELSON: -- plays the older Michael Jackson. He is Michael Jackson's actual nephew.

VALDI: Yes.

MICHAELSON: And then a lot of Michael's family was there. You got to meet Michael's mom --

VALDI: Yes.

MICHAELSON: -- and his brothers, who, of course, made up the Jackson Five.

VALDI: Yes.

MICHAELSON: You were performing with the sort of the young fictional version of the -- of the Jackson Five. What did they tell you about Michael? What did you learn about Michael from Michael's family?

VALDI: I remember the first day when Jaafar was filming. They came, and they introduced -- They introduced themselves to me. And I just remember, I just remember being so excited to meet them, because I'm meeting people who knew Michael on a really deep level. Right?

MICHAELSON: Yes.

VALDI: But Michael's son was there a lot. And he told me some stories about Michael or how sometimes, he would wear disguises to not get recognized in public. Like, he would wear a mustache and glasses and a hat.

MICHAELSON: Yes.

VALDI: You know, it was really funny. And he -- and he was born in the middle of Michael's tour, you know. So, Michael took some time off to take care of his son, which is pretty cool.

[00:55:05]

MICHAELSON: That's so great. And you do such a great job.

VALDI: Thank you.

MICHAELSON: And I know your career also. You were in "Arco," which was Oscar-nominated, an animated film.

VALDI: Yes.

MICHAELSON: You did voiceover for that, which is so cool, as well.

VALDI: Yes.

MICHAELSON: Congratulations on that.

VALDI: Thank you. "The Loud House."

MICHAELSON: You also -- also at Nickelodeon, right where you see that, as well. Hopefully, going to be a director one day --

VALDI: For sure. MICHAELSON: -- and do big things. Juliano Valdi. Well done. You're making us so proud.

VALDI: Thank you.

MICHAELSON: Can you give us a little Michael as we go to break?

VALDI: Hey!

MICHAELSON: Back with more of THE STORY IS right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)