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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson
Votes Being Counted In Key Races Across Six States; CNN Projects Trump-Backed Gallrein Defeats Rep. Massie; Keisha Lance Bottoms Aims To Become First Black Woman Gov; Sandy Fire Forces Thousands to Evacuate in Southern California; Interview with Author of "Torched" Jonathan Vigliotti; "The Late Show" to End on CBS after 33 Years on Air. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired May 20, 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 ANCHOR (voiceover): The story is at the ballot box. Now President Trump's handpicked candidates are doing on this election night. The story is in China, Vladimir Putin meeting with Xi Jinping in Beijing. We're there live. And the stories in Los Angeles. A new book suggests the massive Palisades fire was preventable and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass made things worse. The author is here to react to my new interview with Mayor Bass.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Los Angeles. The Story Is with Elex Michelson.
MICHAELSON: And thanks for watching The Story Is. I'm Elex Michaelson live in Los Angeles.
Tonight, the top story is election night in America. Voters in six states deciding who will land on the ballot for the critical November midterms. Let's get right to it.
One of the most expensive primaries of all time happened in Kentucky where President Trump managed to knock out yet another Republican who he deemed disloyal. Congressman Thomas Massie, who is against the Iran war, pushed for release of the Epstein files, lost to Trump, endorsed former Navy SEAL Ed Gallery.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED GALLREIN, U.S HOUSE REPUBLICAN NOMINEE: My focus is on advancing the president's and the party's agenda to put America first, and Kentucky always.
THOMAS MASSIE, U.S. HOUSE REPUBLICAN: I mean, we stirred up something. There is a yearning in this country for somebody who will vote for principles over party.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: In Georgia, we know who's getting the Democratic nod for governor. That is former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who won in a landslide and could become the nation's first black woman governor. What we don't know is who she will face. Republican Governor race is headed to a runoff next month. It's between Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, who is backed by President Trump, and health care billionaire Rick Jackson, who is self-funding his campaign.
Also headed to a runoff, the Georgia Republican Senate race. CNN's Arlette Saenz has details from Atlanta.
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Republican contest to take on Democratic Senator John Ossup in November is heading into overtime. The Georgia Senate GOP primary will now head to a June 16 runoff as no candidate was able to secure more than 50 percent of the vote in Tuesday night's primaries. The runoff will include Congressman Mike Collins, a staunch MAGA ally of President Donald Trump, going up against Derek Dooley, a former college football coach who is running as a political outsider.
Dooley is running with the endorsement of a lifelong friend, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, who remains incredibly popular here in the state. Kemp is hoping that he can use his political sway to try to push Dooley over the finish line. As he has argued, a political outsider is needed to take off on Ossoff in November.
Now, Kemp was once thought to be the strongest candidate to take on Ossoff he was recruited by party leaders, but he passed on a run of his own. And now some in the Republican Party are worried that this long drive, drawn out and fractured GOP primary is complicating Republicans chances of flipping this Senate seat in November.
Ossoff is the only Democratic senator who is running for reelection in a state won by President Donald Trump back in 2024. But Ossoff is an incredibly strong fundraiser, one of the biggest and strongest fundraisers within the Democratic Party. And he has spent this time while Republicans are duking it out in general election mode. He has raised a substantial amount of money, has $32 million in his war chest, leaving Republicans to play catch up over the next few months. But now both Collins and Dooley will be duking it out for the next four weeks.
And then Georgia Republican voters will decide who they will send to the Republican nomination to take on Ossoff in November. Arlette Saenz, CNN Atlanta.
MICHAELSON: Thanks to Arlette. Let's bring in live now Lynn Vavreck, who is the Hoffenberg professor of American Politics at UCLA, author of the Bitter End and also author of the Identity Crisis. Lyn, welcome.
LYNN VAVRECK, HOFFENBERG PROFESSOR OF AMERICAN POLITICS, UCLA: Thank you.
MICHAELSON: A lot of the conventional wisdom about tonight is saying that it shows Donald Trump's dominance over the Republican Party. We look at somebody like Thomas Massie getting knocked out. But you say don't just follow the conventional wisdom on this. VAVRECK: Well, exactly. I think that's a pretty good snapshot, a
pretty narrow view. But why not take a wider lens and a bigger view and think about not just does Donald Trump have a hold on the Republican Party, but he's also changed the political fight that we're having in America. And he's changed the Democratic Party, too.
And so, it's bigger than just tonight demonstrates that he really has changed the right. He's changed the landscape of American politics.
[01:05:08]
MICHAELSON: And as you point out in your book, Identity Crisis, a lot of that has to do with identity.
VAVRECK: Yes. And not people's identities, but policies that are based on people's identities. So, it isn't just, oh, if you're a man or a woman or a Democrat or Republican, we know your politics. This is about writing down policies that turn on people's identities, like immigration policy, like policies about which bathrooms people can use and which sports teams they can play on. Those are hard problems.
They're very personal, they're very divisive. And Trump in 2016 came and said, this is what we're fighting over now and those policies have, have to get resolved. We can't just put them back in the, you know, in the bottle, so to speak.
We're going to be fighting about these things for some time to come.
MICHAELSON: Because they're also simpler to explain, right? They have very emotional reactions.
VAVRECK: Yes.
MICHAELSON: It's not like fighting over a marginal tax rate.
VAVRECK: Exactly.
MICHAELSON: Right? Which is -- which is a compromise and whatever. This is stuff that really impacts people, which is part of the reason that people are so different and it coincides with social media being so dominant in which is driven by divisive issues.
VAVRECK: Yes. It's a big circle that is just making politics feel really uncomfortable for people. So many people say to me, when is it going to go back? And back to fighting about the role and size of government and the tax rate. And my answer is always, that's 20th century thinking.
Like, we're not going to back to that.
MICHAELSON: We're not going back.
VAVRECK: No.
MICHAELSON: So this is -- this is for people that think of law. Speaking of that old show, we got to go back. You know, Jack, we got to go back. We're not going back. We're not going back to a pre-Trump era is what you're saying.
VAVRECK: That's right. We could keep on the lost metaphor, but we won't. But yes. And not only are they emotional and divisive, but you mentioned compromise and that's a really big part of this.
On things like the tax rate or the role of government, left and right could come together and compromise and then go tell their supporters, I gave a little, I got a little. But on something like same sex marriage, for example, you can't compromise on, we can be married on Monday and Tuesday, but not on Wednesday and Thursday and on Friday only if we want to be.
Compromise is harder on these kinds of issues. And that also makes it more difficult and it makes it feel more just unpleasant for voters.
MICHAELSON: So what drives the identity if you're a Republican?
VAVRECK: Well, this is interesting. The landscape I said of American politics has changed. And what I mean by that is that we are fighting over different things now than we were 20 years ago, 40 years ago. But that underlying left, right ideological dimension, the way we've always thought of that, that might still be the same.
So that on the left we typically think about the expansion of rights. And on the right, you would think about a more conservative view. And those kinds of things still apply to these identity inflected issues in the same way they would to the role and size of government. And it's just as you described, these issues just have a very different characteristic than those New Deal type issues that we fought about in the 20th century.
MICHAELSON: So in terms of where we go from here, you say even though when Donald Trump is out, this is something that continues and probably not just on the right, right? I mean, it seems like if you look at the left right now, especially somebody like Gavin Newsom here in California, he's learned the lessons that to lean in to the way that Donald Trump operates may not like his policies, but his style is something he's emulating.
VAVRECK: Yes. So maybe the style doesn't have to stick around forever. Maybe you fight fire with fire in the moment, but certainly this new debate, the new fight, the new political landscape, that is not going to leave when Donald Trump is out of the White House. And so, for people who are looking forward to, it's going to feel better, it's going to be better when he's no longer in the White House.
I would caution against that. This fight continues no matter who takes up leadership of the party next. They might have a different character and they might have a different style, but at some point, we have to write down policy on these issues. And until the sides get closer together or one, you know, something else really big comes along to displace this, which a global pandemic didn't do it. And insurrection --
MICHAELSON: They exacerbated it.
VAVRECK: At the Capitol. Right.
MICHAELSON: Exacerbated it.
VAVRECK: Exacerbated it. It didn't make it irrelevant, it exacerbated it. And so, I think this is the fight we're in for the foreseeable future.
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MICHAELSON: Yes. And this gerrymandering that's happening, both Democrats and Republicans will exacerbate it as well and make people more partisan and more tribal.
VAVRECK: These issues make the stakes of elections seem very high because neither side wants to live in the other side's world. And gerrymandering is a part of that.
MICHAELSON: And which is part of the problem why we have some of the political violence increasing as well. When everybody thinks the other side is your enemy, not just your opponent, then people feel like they have to shoot that person. The crazy people do. And obviously that is a horrible, horrible thing.
Lynn, on that uplifting note, thank you very much.
VAVRECK: Yes. Feel good broadcast of the year.
MICHAELSON: Check it out. It's important to talk about, though. We appreciate seeing you always.
The Internal Revenue Service is now barred from prosecuting or pursuing claims against Donald Trump for past tax issues. That language unveiled Tuesday as part of the Justice Department's settlement with Trump to resolve his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over the alleged mishandling of his tax records. The addendum also covers Trump's family trusts, companies and other affiliates.
Congressional Democrats call it outright corruption. Democrats are also denouncing the $1.8 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund in that settlement, which would give taxpayer money to people who claim that they were unfairly investigated by past administrations.
Trump administration says it's meant to be nonpartisan. Critics say it's merely a way for the president to enrich his allies. Vice President J.D. Vance defending that fund.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JD VANCE, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: this is about compensating Americans for the lawfare that we saw under the last administration. The people that would get the money are people --
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: White House officials, including Vance, are not ruling out that the fund could be used to pay people who violently rioted at the Capitol in January 6, 2021, even those who attacked police officers. President Trump, meanwhile, is getting pushed back on the war with Iran. The U.S. senate advanced a measure aimed at restricting his war powers by requiring congressional approval for any future military action in Iran.
That measure advanced 50 to 47, with four Republicans voting with the Democrats. That vote comes as President Trump says he was on the verge of launching new strikes on Iran and postponed the attack at the request of several Gulf nations.
But he says that pause is only temporary. The president also says the war with Iran is necessary despite being unpopular with voters.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Everyone tells me it's unpopular, but I think it's very popular. When they hear that it's having to do with nuclear weapons, weapons that could take out Los Angeles, could take out Major cities very quickly when they hear that, you know, when they're explaining, I'll tell you what, when we explain it to people, I don't really have enough time to explain to people. Too busy getting it done. When they understand, I think it's frankly very popular.
But whether it's popular or not popular, I have to do it.
MICHAELSON: Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are sitting down for talks in Beijing just days after Xi hosted President Trump there. Welcome ceremony helped kick off the summit between the two leaders. Looks pretty familiar. Looks almost identical to what happened with Trump last week.
We see an honor guard, a group of cheering children on hand for the event. Xi and Putin expected to discuss several issues, including cooperation on energy, the wars in Ukraine and the Middle east, and President Trump's recent trip to China.
The Russian president has hailed relations between the two countries as having reached a truly unprecedented level. CNN's Beijing bureau chief Stephen Zhang live in the Chinese capital with more.
Stephen, we're starting to learn some of what they're talking about.
STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Yes, Elex, One line we have just learned that Putin said to Xi Jinping during the opening remarks of their meeting is one day apart. It feels like three autumns has passed. It's a very poetic line from the ancient Chinese book of Songs. So the bromance is definitely back and very real.
But you know, it's also illustrative in terms of the closeness and this bond between these two leaders, which is quite different compared to the relationship between Trump and Xi. Remember, Trump said Xi was all business. There's no chit chatting or small talk when those two leaders were meeting just five days ago. So this contrast is not only a reflection of the personal, the nature of their personal relationships, but also the reality of geopolitical reality of the world. Now, Trump, of course, unlike Trump, Xi and Putin very much bonded over the years by their vision, their shared vision of a world order no longer dominated by the U.S. So that item definitely is very much on their agenda.
As you mentioned, Xi also is very much going to brief Putin what he and Trump has discussed just a few days ago, as Putin himself said, he was watching that summit very closely. But other topics they are going to cover the range from expanding continued expansion of trade and economic cooperation to other areas of cooperation like education. The two leaders are going to attend a opening ceremony of the year of education for Russia and China.
[01:15:16]
But not only that,1= they are also increasingly aligned on all these international hot button issues. You mentioned on Iran, but also on North Korea and not to mention on the war in Ukraine.
The other side of the coin though, here is even with that increasingly expanded cooperation, this so called no limits partnership, the relationship has also become more lopsided. Even with that, you know, 240 billion bilateral trade last year, it is very much China sending Russia all these industrial consumer goods, while Russia is sending China natural resources.
It could be crude oil, natural gas or metals increasingly conducted all these transactions conducted in the Chinese renminbi currency. So you combine all these factors in terms of the Chinese industrial dominance and Western sanctions against Russia.
Very much people are painting this picture of it's a vicious cycle for Putin and virtual cycle for Xi. So the key question here out of all of these talks and meeting in Beijing, of course is how is Xi is going to use this leverage, this massive leverage of Russia and its global implications for the rest of the world? Elex.
MICHAELSON: And what is Xi's thinking and sort of the Chinese thinking when it comes to the war with Ukraine and what potential leverage does he have there?
YMICHAELSON: ou know, Xi, of course, publicly China has stayed neutral and saying they are always just for one thing, that is a peace and stability in Ukraine. And of course they have never public condemned the Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Unlike the very quick condemnation of the US Israeli strikes on Iran, they have also continued to send Russia all these so-called dual use subs, that is goods that can be used for both civilian and military purposes and really providing the Russian military a lot of support in that sense. And that is something both the Biden and Trump administration have highlighted in the past.
And the Chinese thinking of course, is not only they want to maintain this alliance, this close relationship partnership with Russia, but they also want to be practical in terms of if and when the war does end. They want to go in and play a major part in the reconstruction of Ukraine as well.
So at the end of the day, the Chinese are pragmatic and very calculated when it comes to what they want. Elex.
MICHAELSON: Words that also sometimes are used to describe Vladimir Putin. Stephen Jiang for us live in Beijing, thank you so much for following this for us.
While the head of the World Health Organization says the scale and spread of the deadly Ebola outbreak in Central Africa, quote warrants serious concern. An American citizen who reportedly contracted the virus while working in the Democratic Republic of Congo is now being taken to a treatment facility in Berlin.
That comes after a diplomatic request from the U.S. It is now estimated more than 130 people are linked to the virus, 130 deaths linked to the virus among more than 500 suspected cases. And fear is starting to grow in some of the region's densely populated cities.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEGENDE BUHENDWA, MOTORBIKE DRIVE (voiceover): I am afraid of bringing the disease home to my family because I spend the whole day transporting people. I am afraid of dying. This is what scares me so much.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: As tensions remain high between the US And Cuba, Fidel Castro's daughter is warning that the U.S. should not underestimate the Cuban regime. Details of what else she told CNN just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:23:11]
HAWAA ABDULLAN, DAUGHTER OF SECURITY GUARD KILLED IN MOSQUE SHOTTING: My dad was the number one advocate for safety and keeping our community safe. Safe. He stood against any form of hate. He took his job seriously to protect everyone here. He would want our community to stand together as one -- as one. That's exactly what he would want.
And I hope this moment we can all come together and to be kind to one another and to remember who he truly was.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: An emotional tribute there from the daughter of the security guard who died as he defended the Islamic center of San Diego during a shooting on Monday. He was one of three people killed. The victims are being hailed as heroes for preventing the attackers from moving deeper into the mosque.
The FBI says two teen suspects who died of parent self-inflicted gunshot wounds appear to have been radicalized online where they met. And a manifesto has been recovered by law enforcement. The shooting now being investigated as a hate crime.
The story is in Cuba. The U.S. justice Department could potentially indict former Cuban leader Raul Castro on Wednesday. Sources tell CNN it is over his alleged role in the downing of two civilian planes 30 years ago that killed three Americans. This comes as the Trump administration has recently intensified sanctions on Cuba and imposed an oil blockade.
A daughter of the late Cuban President Fidel Castro, who is living in exile is warning against underestimating the Cuban government. CNN's Carolina Peguero sat down with her in Miami.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAROLINA PEGUERO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Inside a modest Miami home far from Havana and far from power.
PEGUERO: This is your home sweet home.
ALINA FERNANDEZ, FIDEL CASTRO'S DAUGHTER: Yes, this is my humble abode.
PEGUERO (voiceover): Alina Fernandez, daughter of Cuba's Fidel Castro, is opening a deeply personal window into a complicated legacy. She greets us with coffee.
FERNANDEZ: Well, this is a daily habit. Yes.
PEGUERO (voiceover): For the kids.
FERNANDEZ: This is home. Yes.
[01:25:01]
FERNANDEZ: Now, for the Cubans, it's just you cannot wake up or start the day without coffee.
PEGUERO (voiceover): Family photos.
FERNANDEZ: This is my sister. This is my little caricature.
PEGUERO: So you drew Fidel?
FERNANDEZ: Yes.
PEGUERO: Did he ever see these pictures?
FERNANDEZ: I don't know. I assume maybe.
PEGUERO: So this is your mother?
FERNANDEZ: This is my mother. I think she passed a speech speaking about him.
PEGUERO: And who's him?
FERNANDEZ: About Fidel Castro. I think she -- she lasted in love for as long as she lived, which for me is very difficult to understand.
PEGUERO (voiceover): But as the coffee cools, stories about family memories slowly shift to politics and an uncertain future for Cuba as relations with the U.S. reach a near breaking point with renewed pressure from President Donald Trump and Cuban President Miguel Diaz- Canel warning of a bloodbath should the U.S. attempt to attack the island.
PEGUERO: Do you see an invasion of the US in Cuba territory?
FERNANDEZ: I think that at this point it depends on the Cubans, which is very worrisome.
PEGUERO: And why does that worry you? What do you feel will be --
FERNANDEZ: Who can -- who can desire or want an invasion for this country? As easy as it is to say it sitting here.
PEGUERO (voiceover): she says decades of sanctions and confrontation have hardened Cuba's leadership, creating a government she believes has learned to survive under pressure and respond when challenged.
FERNANDEZ: This is not the first time they are told that an invasion is coming immediately. We've been under invasion for the last 67 years or the threat of an invasion. I'm sure they are prepared. I will remind everybody that the capacity for reaction of the Cuban regime shouldn't be undermined and underestimated.
That can make the difference between a bloodbath and something else.
PEGUERO (voiceover): We asked Alina if she had a message for her uncle Raul, Fidel's brother, right hand man and former Cuban president.
FERNANDEZ: I don't have any specific message for Raul Castro. There is nothing I can elaborate to tell him. I assume he knows, being almost 95 years old, what to do. And what has he done?
PEGUERO (voiceover): Alina believes Cuba will not cave to U.S. pressure. Yet she is short of saying an invasion is the only way to free the island from the revolution her father once led.
FERNANDEZ: I feel like every other Cuban these times, hopefully frustrated, sad, hopeful again, hope prevails.
PEGUERO (voiceover): Carolina Piguero, CNN, Miami.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: The son of the late founder of Spanish fashion giant Mango has been arrested in connection with his father's death. Jonathan Andic currently serves as the vice chairman of Mango's board. His family is reportedly confident in his innocence.
Isac Andic died after plunging down a 320-foot ravine in December of 2024 while hiking with his son, Forbes estimate his net worth was about $4.5 billion at the time. Jonathan's bail of 1 million euros has already been paid. The judge has ordered him to turn over his passport and make weekly appearances in court.
Just ahead, as the man accused of sparking one of California's most destructive wildfires head to court, will speak live with journalist and author Jonathan Vigliotti, who chronicled the devastating tragedy in a new book.
We talked to Mayor Karen Bass about that book. You'll hear Jonathan's response live next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:33:01]
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: Firefighters here in southern California are racing to contain a wildfire that has forced thousands of people to flee their homes.
It's called the Sandy Fire. It broke out on Monday morning in the hills above Simi Valley, about 30 miles north of Los Angeles, destroyed at least one home.
Officials say the fire has scorched 1,700 acres. It's just 5 percent contained. We are in Burbank, which is not that close to Simi Valley here, where we're broadcasting from. We can smell the smoke from that fire in the studio right now.
Fire crews say they have made significant progress as weather conditions become more favorable. No injuries have been reported. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Now let's talk about the biggest and most devastating fire in our area, the 2025 Palisades Fire. The man accused of sparking one of the most destructive wildfires in California history, is due in court on Wednesday for a pretrial hearing. 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht has pleaded not guilty to three federal arson charges.
The Palisades Fire burned more than 23,000 acres, 12 people were killed, nearly 7,000 structures and homes were destroyed.
CBS News national correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti was on the ground covering the Palisades Fire. His new book, called "Torched", suggests the fire was preventable. He joins us now live in the studio.
Jonathan, welcome to THE STORY IS. I read the book. It's very good. I think it's really important for people to read and to learn some of the lessons. What's sort of your main thesis of this book?
JONATHAN VIGLIOTTI, NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CBS NEWS: Thank you. First of all, that means a lot. This is a deeply personal project of mine -- personal, obviously, because I was a journalist, one of the first ones there on the ground from beginning to end of the Palisades Fire.
[01:34:44]
VIGLIOTTI: Personal, because I'm also a resident of Los Angeles. I live in Hollywood. And so many people that I have spoken to over the course of the past 16 months think they know everything there is to know about January 7th, and they have no idea.
So that was my goal, to lay it out very clearly, the timeline of events and doing so through the eyes of those that were trapped in the middle of this fire -- from residents that were fleeing, those that tragically did not escape alive, and the firefighters, the heroes in this story who felt helpless under a broken chain of command.
At the top of that broken chain sits the mayor. And from the sources that I have spoken with, many of them, and fire experts, they have made it very clear that this was a disaster that could have been prevented.
There could have been better planning when the fire did spark, there could have been a better response. And sadly, as we are now rebuilding, we are overlooking opportunities here through this tragedy to rebuild resiliency so that there is more safety in these communities like the Palisades.
I mean, I want you to think about how many homes, we're talking nearly 7,000 homes lost with 12 people lost their lives in this disaster. Those that I spoke with say you could have prevented this. You did not need to have an entire zip code erased from the map.
MICHAELSON: And there are so many different moments that it could have been prevented even that day.
VIGLIOTTI: Yes.
MICHAELSON: A cascading event --
MICHAELSON: And there has been a lot made of Mayor Bass. The fact that she was in Ghana.
VIGLIOTTI: Yes.
MICHAELSON: What happened? You get into that in in a real way with a lot of reporting that I had not seen anywhere else before.
I talked about your book with her. And so this we aired this in our last hour. But I want to play a portion of the story that we did last hour, talking to Mayor Bass about you. Here's some of that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR KAREN BASS, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: That's just simply not true. So I don't know what sources he's talking to, but that is a wholesale falsehood.
I will tell you that it wasn't just the city, the entire county was not prepared for this.
But what I also said to you, Elex, is that it was a horrible, horrible moment in my life. The point is, I wasn't here when my city needed me. And that is a profound regret.
MICHAELSON: But that book makes the point that you being in Ghana actually hurt the city's response. It argues that during the hour when the fire was building, that you were sort of out of touch because you were focused on the event in Ghana.
BASS: No, that's actually not true either.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
BASS: So I'll have to read this book. And it would have been helpful if the author would have interviewed me --
MICHAELSON: Well, he said that --
BASS: -- because --
MICHAELSON: -- he said that he asked for an interview for a couple of years and --
(CROSSTALKING)
MICHAELSON: -- he never, yes.
BASS: Yes. Well, that's news to me.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
BASS: Let me just explain to you that when the fire broke out, it was nighttime in Ghana and I was due to board a plane in a couple of hours, and I took the first plane out. I was in touch the entire time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: There's a lot to unpack there.
VIGLIOTTI: There is.
MICHAELSON: Let's start with the beginning of that.
So when I interviewed Mayor Bass on Fox 11 last year, right after -- it was the first interview she did after the fires. And I asked her about the fact that she went to the fires, and she said that there were warnings, but she didn't know about the warnings and that -- that nobody told her and that she went to Ghana. And then she found out about it.
Your reporting suggests that that's not true.
VIGLIOTTI: Exactly the case. And that's based on a number of sources inside city hall and beyond familiar with the conversations and having knowledge of those conversations.
There was nearly a week-long buildup from the National Weather Service of warnings going out, escalating every single day in severity.
My sources make it very clear that the mayor was very well aware of those warnings and still chose to go on that assignment to Ghana. She did not inform her cabinet of her exact whereabouts. So over the weekend leading up to January 7th, it was not entirely
clear who was in control, who was in command.
And the mayor is the commander-in-chief during extreme weather. She's essentially the conductor of an orchestra, trying to make sure every single agency is playing in tune. Without her there on the ground, she was not playing in tune.
I want to talk about something else, because this is the first time I'm hearing this. And I am really grateful that you asked those questions, because I tried to ask the mayor questions, and that's where I want to begin, because it calls into question the validity of everything else the mayor said, in that Q&A, with you.
I mean, I -- first she says, that author never reached out to her. I am obviously the author of the book, and she knows me well.
I was in those press conferences as the Palisades Fire was still burning, as lives were still being lost. And I asked several very pointed, difficult questions --
MICHAELSON: Yes.
[01:39:48]
VIGLIOTTI: -- to the mayor. She didn't answer them clearly at the time. And then during a pull aside, I even asked her specifically for an opportunity to sit down with her.
She pointed me in the direction of her staff to ask them. I did so for many months, many times -- reaching the point where I actually did something I typically don't do as a journalist. I put out an email where I outlined the specific reporting in the book, because I wanted to make sure I got full transparency. I got her perspective.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
VIGLIOTTI: I heard back from her staff, Zach Seidl contacted me and what he told me, both on and off the record, made me feel very confident in moving forward with my reporting.
Ultimately, he said, the mayor speaks for herself, and he told me that she would be in touch with me. I never heard back.
I am used to being ghosted as a journalist, but to me this rings -- sounds a lot like gaslighting. I have the receipts. I will happily post them on my social media account to just give people some insight into all of this.
My question now that I have for the mayor, if she can't even tell the truth on something that is so easy to prove like this, what else is she not being honest about?
And perhaps she truly believes what she is saying. But to believe what you're saying does not necessarily define the truth. And this book gets to the bottom of the truth. That was always my goal, and I really wanted the mayor to be a partner
in that. I reached out to everybody just like I did her, and she never got back to me.
MICHAELSON: Jonathan Vigliotti. The book is called "Torched: How a City was Left to Burn and the Olympic Rush to Rebuild L.A." It is available wherever you get your books.
Thank you very much for coming in and sharing your perspective. We appreciate it.
VIGLIOTTI: Thank you for having me.
MICHAELSON: Thank you for watching THE STORY IS.
For our international viewers, "WORLDSPORT" is next. For our viewers in North America, I'll be right back with a look at the final days of Stephen Colbert's "Late Show".
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MICHAELSON: After 33 years, "The Late Show" franchise is coming to an end. What does Stephen Colbert's legacy look like and what's next for late night TV?
Joining us is Mark Malkoff, former "Late Show" staffer, host of "Inside Late Night" podcast. Mark was an audience coordinator for Stephen Colbert when he worked on "The Colbert Report". Before that, he worked as an audience coordinator for "The Late Show with David Letterman", and he recently wrote the book "Love, Johnny Carson".
So when it comes to late night, he is the main man to talk to. Mark Malkoff, welcome back to THE STORY IS.
MARK MALKOFF, HOST, "INSIDE LATE NIGHT" PODCAST: It's so good to see you. Thanks for having me back.
MICHAELSON: Big moment for late night TV and for Stephen Colbert. What is Stephen Colbert's legacy when it comes to late night?
MALKOFF: I mean, for 11 years, he has hosted a late-night show, this franchise, "The Late Show", which is going away. And I mean, he did what -- the unthinkable thing for a late-night host. He picked a side. And he was in third place. He was getting trounced. And he picked a side and he became number one.
And for his ten years, almost the entire ten years, he has been on top. And for somebody on top to get canceled like this is just -- it really shows you where network television is. And it's unfortunate that this is going away.
MICHAELSON: Well, and you know, a lot of folks feel like this may be CBS doing something politically, but there also are very different financial elements when it comes to late night TV. A lot of people are now watching it on YouTube and not watching on TV.
And you can make a lot more money when people are watching it on TV, right?
MALKOFF: It's really true. I mean, Johnny Carson at one point was 25 percent of all of NBC's profits. I mean, these were cash cows.
I mean, you had people like Harrison Ford, these huge movie stars, going on for scale. I mean, they were piles of cash.
And the metrics have just changed. I mean, hot ones with Conan, I mean, got what, 30, 15 million people when you have really cheap budgets.
So yes, it's sad that this franchise -- I don't think we're ever going to see a late-night show like this again with, you know, 20 writers, a big band and these big studios. I think they're going to -- if we do see them, they're going to be very scaled back, unfortunately.
MICHAELSON: What do we know about Stephen, how he's going to sign off this week?
MALKOFF: Well, his dream guest I know are Beyonce and the Pope. And if anybody's going to get the Pope, it's going to be Stephen Colbert. He's a practicing Catholic, knows more scripture than anyone I've ever met. He has met the Pope before, and they've spent time in Chicago.
And CBS is not denying it. So we shall see.
MICHAELSON: That would be something if the Pope was his final guest. You were there for the first ever edition of "The Late Show" when David Letterman the franchise back in 1993. You were there night one.
This is the end of "The Late Show", the end of the Ed Sullivan Theater hosting "The Late Show". Dave Letterman came back last week to spend time with Stephen Colbert and reminisce about that building.
What do you think is the legacy of the late show?
MALKOFF: Well, Dave Letterman is comedy royalty. I mean, August 30th, 1993, Mark Malkoff, second row, 23 million people tuned into Dave and biggest thing in TV.
Six U.S. presidents going through that show. So many iconic moments with Letterman, with his irreverent, dangerous comedy. And then people like Stephen Colbert getting Michelle Obama to do a Barack Obama impersonation.
I mean, it's a time capsule of Americana, and it's unfortunately -- it's going away. But I think people are going to look back at these clips as history for years to come.
MICHAELSON: And what's next is Byron Allen.
MALKOFF: Yes.
MICHAELSON: And yet he's buying the time slot. How is that going to work?
MALKOFF: Byron Allen is a school -- is a student of late-night comedy. He went on Johnny Carson when he was 18 doing standup. And his dream is always to have a late-night show.
And he will have the whole time slot from 11:30 to 12:30, "Comics Unleashed". And then a game show that he's producing from 12:30 to 01:30.
And I don't know what the economics are, but CBS is all over it. And Byron is a smart, smart money man. I'm glad that comedians are going to get showcased on his show. It's really hard to say what's going to happen, but I know he has a strong appreciation.
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MALKOFF: And he requested that his first day be May 22nd, which was Johnny Carson's final show. So we'll see what happens.
MICHAELSON: Yes. I mean, essentially he's had this show, "Comics Unleashed" on --
MALKOFF: Yes.
MICHAELSON: -- syndication for many, many years, and now it's going to go on there, but very, very different than the late-night show that we've seen in terms of the size, scale and expense from Stephen Colbert.
MALKOFF: Yes. Byron does five shows, a five shows in a day. It's very, very different format and really cheap to produce. So yes.
MICHAELSON: Mark Malkoff. You can check out the "Inside Late Night" podcast for more of his thoughts. What a big week for late night.
Mark, thanks so much.
MALKOFF: Elex -- so good seeing you, Elex. Take care.
MICHAELSON: We'll be back with more of THE STORY IS right after this.
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MICHAELSON: THE STORY IS trucks of art. New York's Sanitation Department has turned five of the city's garbage trucks into giant murals with the help of local artists.
One pink truck is described as a love letter to honor the city's sanitation workers. Another resembles a Pac-Man game, which the artist says was designed with repurposed materials.
Each truck will head to one of New York's five boroughs. Officials say the event is a great way to show appreciation to sanitation workers.
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GREGORY ANDERSON, COMMISSIONER, NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF SANITATION: Our sanitation workers pick up 24 million pounds of trash, recyclables and compostables every single day. So you know, that takes an army of both people and equipment to get done. And, you know, it's great that we have this opportunity to celebrate that work.
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MICHAELSON: A handyman has found an unlikely solution to cope with rising fuel costs. He has transformed a Pink Power Wheels Barbie Dream Camper into a fully functioning vehicle that he can drive around a suburban Atlanta neighborhood.
He gave it power by installing an engine salvaged from an old power washer. Operating the toy car costs only a fraction of filling up his minivan, which now costs more than $60.
Thanks so much for watching THE STORY IS. I'm Elex Michaelson.
Tomorrow on our show, I'll go one-on-one with Spencer Pratt. plus one- on-one with Katie Porter, who is running for California governor.
That, and more tomorrow here on THE STORY IS.
The news continues here on CNN after the break. Thanks for watching.
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