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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson

Waiting For Details Of Update On Mountbatten-Windsor Inquiry; Stephen Colbert's Late Show Bids Farewell; More Pushbacks To $1.8 billion Weaponization Fund For Trump Allies; Cuba To Hold Rally At U.S. Embassy In Havana Friday; New Documentary Showcases U.S. Men's National Team; What Movies to Watch; Pope Leo to Bless Gaudi's Recently Completed Sagrada Familia. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired May 22, 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]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Federal Judge Carl Nichols today heard arguments from a nonprofit suing to stop the project. The judge didn't issue a ruling, but did say, it seems to me that if there is any harm to be done, it is both reparable and temporary.

SERFATY: And the judge did not rule from the bench, which means that for now the work is continuing on the reflecting pool. The lawsuit is still live. The question still remains here whether the judge will step in and halt the work or whether he'll decline to do so that the case play out. Sunlen Serfaty, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks for watching this hour of The Story Is. The next hour starts right now.

The story is breaking in New York where Stephen Colbert just wrapped up his final late show. CNN's Brian Stelter and TV personality Melissa Rivers standing by live.

The story is in Cuba where protests are scheduled on the island against the U.S. indictment Raul Castro. President Trump says aircraft carrier near the island not at all meant to intimidate the Cuban government.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, U.S. STATE SECRETARY: They're not going to be able to wait us out or buy time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: And the story is on the pitch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're representing something much bigger than yourself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: Director Rand Getlin spent four years following the U.S. Men's National Team. He's here to take us behind the scene.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN Breaking news.

MICHAELSON: And that's breaking news as we come on the air for the next hour of the story is former British prince Andrew Mountbatten Windsor is once again in the spotlight as we wait to learn from what's inside an update on the UK's misconduct in public office inquiry.

The government just releasing documents relating to his appointment as British trade envoy in 2001. Lawmakers agreed to make the documents public back in February after the former prince was briefly arrested. We are just starting the process of looking at them. We'll get a live report from London with details later in the show.

Now to breaking news in the entertainment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST, "THE LATE SHOW": World on night one of the Colbert Report. Back in the day I said anyone can read the news to you. I promise to feel the news at you. And I realized pretty soon in this job that our job over here was different.

We were here to feel the news with you. And I don't know about you, but I sure have felt it. And I just want to let all y'all know in here and out there how important you've been to what we have done, the energy that you've given us, we sincerely need that to have done the best possible show we could have for you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: The story is Stephen Colbert and his farewell episode of "The Late Show" just aired on the East Coast. Colbert has hosted "The Late Show" for 11 years, taking over after the departure of comedian David Letterman.

Over the years, he's lobbed many jokes at the expense of President Trump, CBS and his parent company, Paramount. But tonight he went out with a smile and gratitude for his staff, the studio audience and his viewers.

Let's bring in CNN's chief media analyst, Brian Stelter, who joins us live right now. I know you were watching his show and our show at the same time. Probably a two screen experience. Brian.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: Of course, of course. That's right.

MICHAELSON: Tim Meadows, Ryan Reynolds among those who made cameo appearances and a really iconic singer as well. What can you tell us about Colbert's final guest?

STELTER: That's right, Paul McCartney of the Beatles, who performed in the Ed Sullivan Theater on that stage back in 1964. He returned to help bid farewell to "The Late Show." And you know, you mentioned Letterman. Between the Letterman decades and now the Colbert decade, "The Late Show" was an American institution, one of only a handful of late night television shows that stood the test of time.

But times are very much changing. And now the Ed Sullivan Theater emptying out. Colbert's set being donated to a museum in Chicago. No new performance moving into that theater in midtown Manhattan either.

And CBS going a very different direction in late night, citing financial pressures. But is of course the political backdrop that everyone's been talking about President Trump railing against Colbert for years. CBS, Paramount -- CBS parent company Paramount trying to appease Trump in various ways for the past year. Plus, a lot of Colbert fans believe that Colbert was canceled for political reasons.

And so there was something really striking to me about the final episode, and that's the lack of any mention of Trump. Colbert didn't want to make this a show where he was railing against the administration, where he was continuing to have a feud with the president. He decided to focus much more on his staff, on his viewing audience at home, bring out his family and friends at the very end, but no mention of Trump during the episode.

[01:05:00]

I think that's kind of a telling statement by Colbert about how he wants "The Late Show" to be remembered, even though it was inevitable that his show and his commentary was pulled into the political fray for, well, the past decade at this point. You know, you played a clip a moment ago, Elex, of Colbert explaining how he viewed his role on the show. He said he was there to feel the news with the viewers, to make sense of the senseless.

And that's why his fans loved him. It's why his detractors wanted him off the air. And now we're all going to kind of wait to see a while what he's going to do next or if he even has a plan.

MICHAELSON: Yes, I mean, but there's, I think, a lot of options for him. I mean, there are, there are two things that are true at the same time. One, the business of late night has gotten worse. The shows are very expensive and they are not making the money that they did in the past.

But it is also true that Stephen Colbert was winning the ratings race and that the other two main networks that do late night TV, NBC and ABC, are staying in the late night business, which shows that we're not rating as well. And CBS making this decision to pull out of the business and they are going to make money with their replacement, guaranteed, right, Brian?

STELTER: Yes, that's absolutely right. Because what's happening starting tomorrow night is that CBS is leasing the time slot to a comedian, a media mogul named Byron Allen, who is then going to make up the money he's spending on that time slot with ad money. So it's a much cheaper show. He's putting on a comedy roundtable show that's not political.

In fact, it's not topical at all. The whole point of it is to be evergreen. And that leaves an opening for ABC's Jimmy Kimmel and for NBC's Jimmy Fallon and for NBC's Seth Meyers as well to take some of that Colbert audience and try to try to bring it in.

I've been thinking about where does the audience go more widely, Elex, because there is so much news noise and nonsense out there, so much craziness on any given day that people do want help making sense of. And a lot of that happens here on television news channels, but it also happens increasingly online when you scroll through your Instagram feed, your TikTok feed, and you see people doing reaction videos talking about what, for example, President Trump just said at some press conference.

Those kinds of videos, those are what Colbert was doing, you know, yes, he was doing it later in the evening with more polish and more humor. But that idea of reacting in real time, making sense of the world around us, that's increasingly a function that people are seeing happen on their phones at any given moment.

So yes, I think Kimmel will benefit in the short term. Fallon might benefit as well. The audience might move around that late night audience. But I think more broadly, what we're seeing is a breakup of the very existence, the very reason to have broadcast TV in the first place.

There were great reasons to have a Johnny Carson or Jay Leno. There isn't much of a need or a reason to have it now. And that's a reality the entire television business is facing.

MICHAELSON: Which is a shame because the unifying power of TV was really something special. And our country not having that as much is actually, I think, really bad for the soul of our country. Brian, thank you. We appreciate you staying up late for us tonight.

And we want to bring in somebody who's got a lot to say when it comes to late night TV. Fashion expert, TV personality Melissa Rivers. Her mother was the first woman to ever host a late night TV show. Melissa joins us live here in Los Angeles.

Welcome back to The Story Is. We've got a new clip that we're going to watch together for the first time from Stephen Colbert's last show. Let's watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLBERT: Technically, our first show back in July of 2015 was from a public access station in Monroe, Michigan for an audience of 12 people. And show business being what it is these days, it's probably where you'll see me next. There is so much history here in the Ed Sullivan Theater and we've been honored to have been just a small part of it.

Nichols and May played on the stage. The Beatles made their American debut here. And this is true. This is true. Backstage, Elvis used the bathroom and didn't die.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: And then of course, Paul McCartney, probably the most famous person to ever play there, then came back to close it out, which is a pretty nice way to end the whole thing. You know, you say goodbye, I say hello. A great sentiment.

MELISSA RIVERS, FASHION EXPERT AND TV PERSONALITY: Absolutely. Personally, I'm very -- I woke -- and I woke up this morning profoundly sad because, you know, I've had a front row to late night television my entire life and it's such a part of my family's history. A late night talk started in 1954 with Steve Allen. And I don't think people understand what a cultural touchstone it is.

[01:10:02]

It's what you were saying earlier and Brian was saying earlier. It's what -- it's what we call a day and date show which we're losing so many of which is something happens during the day and you talk about it that night, not necessarily in a news fashion. It's where you get your Entertainment Tonight and Access Hollywood.

And so much of comedy is us -- as comedians talking about what's going on in culture in real time.

MICHAELSON: Yes.

RIVERS: Comedians are really the social historians of us, of all of us. You know, during the anti-war, you had Lenny Bruce talking about it. You had my mom being the first one to talk openly about women's issues. So you can track social history through this.

And one of the big chunks is the late night space. And it pains me because I really do genuinely feel and I get very esoteric and academic about other reasons. I feel like this is the first domino to fall.

And I personally -- I've been so upset about this all day. I mean, I can read you the list of the greats who have hosted late night.

MICHAELSON: Yes.

RIVERS: You've got Steve Allen, Jack Carr, Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, Conan, Jimmy, David Letterman, Seth Meyers, obviously Stephen Colbert, you remember Tom Snyder, Craig Kilborn, Craig Ferguson, James Corden, obviously Kimmel, Jon Stewart, Trevor Noah, and my mother who broke the glass ceiling in late night. I mean, think of the level of talent and the commentary through comedy that these people have provided. And we lost it. We launched one tonight.

MICHAELSON: You call this the beginning of the end. And I'm thinking about it. It's not just a political aspect, which is obviously an important thing, but what your mom did, what Johnny did, what Jay did, what David Letterman did and all. They introduced comedians, but they also introduced actors, they introduced some academics, they introduced people to America.

And then we had a shared relationship with that person because we had a shared culture. Just like we read the same newspaper, we watched the same TV shows.

RIVERS: Yes.

MICHAELSON: So there were shared facts. We may have different opinions, we may have different reactions to it, but at least we're getting shared facts. And now we're in this echo chamber algorithm, liquid driven. And that's really bad for our country. At least I feel like it is.

RIVERS: It's really bad. And the thing is, within the late night space, if you didn't like one person, you could find another. Everybody had their version of late night commentary. The problem is, and this is going to become a much bigger discussion about why is this happening in linear TV.

So the late night shows have to post about what's coming up on their show. So basically by the time the show goes on the air, we've seen the best bits and you can watch it tomorrow. So that's a whole separate discussion about where we are in the media.

MICHAELSON: Yes.

RIVERS: But as far as the late night institution, it is an art form and I hate the word art form. That is so quintessentially American.

MICHAELSON: Yes.

RIVERS: We -- that's what we did. That was our communal experience. It's like what you said. The next day people would talk about it and it became something that the country in one way or another experienced together.

And you know, like I said, I've had a front row seat to late night and the going on. The goings on in late night, good, bad or indifferent, I've seen every side of it.

MICHAELSON: Yes.

RIVERS: And this I don't think people realize tonight by losing the entire late night franchise, not just Stephen Colbert, I think this is a moment we're going to look back and say we were starting to read the writing on the wall.

And yes, these are financially incredibly expensive shows, but they're also the tent pole shows. They're the biggest stars on the networks.

MICHAELSON: Right. RIVERS: And it's so frustrating because comedy is the social barometer of what is happening in the world. And we've lost someone who spoke to it. Whether you liked him or didn't like him, everyone had their person. And I super deep and say it's also going to affect the morning programming because our studies that show in the old days, whatever you watched at night, you watched in the morning.

MICHAELSON: Right.

RIVERS: So that's a whole different -- we can talk about that another time. But --

MICHAELSON: Yes.

RIVERS: -- I can go way down a really --

MICHAELSON: Me too. CBS is struggling there too is a whole other thing. But no --

RIVERS: It's a whole other thing.

MICHAELSON: Yes.

RIVERS: but I think we've shut, we've shut down part of the conversation --

MICHAELSON: Yes.

RIVERS: -- and part of it is our own doing with social media and with the way we now consume media.

[01:15:05]

And part of it is also our lack of continuity. We're all so fast to change. We lose the continuity --

MICHAELSON: Yes.

RIVERS: -- part of the group experience. And that for me is so disheartening. It's like I'm feeling like another piece of the fabric of my family's history being torn away. And I know that's very dramatic and it's not about me --

MICHAELSON: Yes.

RIVERS: -- but I don't think I'm the only one that feels that way. It's like losing a friend.

MICHAELSON: Yes. Well, we know. The good news is we're not losing Stephen Colbert.

RIVERS: No.

MICHAELSON: And I'm sure he's going to be incredibly successful with whatever he does next. And we've seen that with other folks like Conan O'Brien, who's been very, very successful in different spaces and very happy in there. And last thought, real quickly, Melissa, because we're out of time.

RIVERS: I heard he is going to be working on the script of the next "Lord of the Rings."

MICHAELSON: Yes, he is.

RIVERS: Apparently he's a super fan and that --

MICHAELSON: Yes.

RIVERS: -- is what he's going to be doing, which is great. Good for him.

MICHAELSON: Yes. Yes. Well, Melissa, thank you. Of course, your mother, one of the most important parts of late night history. And if you want to laugh tonight later, go onto YouTube and watch some highlights of her because she was one of the best to ever do it.

Thank you so much, Melissa. Appreciate it.

It's just after one o'clock in the morning in Washington where Senate Republicans are revolting, at least some of them, over the Trump administration's new anti-immunization fund and a few other unpopular moves from the White House. The pushback is apparently so intense that senators have now canceled votes for the rest of the week.

They went home for the Memorial Day recess. All this derailing plans for major legislation, including a bill that would have funded ICE and Border Patrol. This is a big priority for the president. That nearly $2 billion anti-weaponization fund would use taxpayer money to compensate those who claim that they were unfairly targeted by the previous Biden administration.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. THOM TILLIS (R-NC): This is, I mean, this is just stupid on stilts.

SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (R-ME) I do not believe that individuals who were convicted of violence against police officers on January 6 should be entitled to reimbursement for their legal fees.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: It appears that acting Attorney General Todd Blanche could not stem the mounting opposition despite meeting with lawmakers.

The sister of a Cuban military conglomerate chief has been arrested in Miami. Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted that Adis Lastras Morea (ph) was a permanent U.S. resident who also aided the Cuban regime. She's now in the custody of the U.S. immigration enforcement.

That is happening as Cuba is preparing to push back against the U.S. indictment of its former president, Raul Castro. As Patrick Oppmann reports, Cuba will use the U.S. embassy in Havana as a pressure point.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN HAVAN BUREAU CHIEF: Furious over the indictment of former Cuban leader Raul Castro. Government officials here are organizing a demonstration in front of the U.S. embassy early Friday morning. Security is going to be tight. So we do expect top Cuban leadership there.

Of course, bringing people to this demonstration, these kinds of demonstrations is becoming tougher and tougher, and it involves using oil, gasoline, petrol the Cuban government simply does not have. But it shows how upset this government is that their former leader, still by many counts the most powerful person on this island, is being targeted by the U.S. justice system.

You've heard Cuban officials ever since that indictment was released saying that there is absolutely no way Raul Castro is going to appear in a Miami courtroom to face allegations, charges now that he ordered the 1996 shoot down of the Brothers Rescue planes that left four people dead.

We have seen now that the United States is moving an aircraft carrier into the region, a group of U.S. Navy ships that were previously off South America as part of the operation that captured Nicolas Maduro.

Certainly there is concern here among regular Cubans as well as government officials that the U.S. could try to mount a similar operation here. And Cuba has vowed to resist that. But of course, at this point, the longer this crisis goes on, the harder it gets for the people who live here. Patrick Oppmann, CNN, Havana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAELSON: Patrick, thank you. Up next, we go live to London and new details just coming in from the investigation into former Prince Andrew. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:24:05]

MICHAELSON: Breaking news. U.K. authorities released a 41-page dossier just moments ago detailing the appointment of former Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor as British trade envoy in 2001. It was a role he held for a decade until he stepped down over ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The documents indicates Mountbatten-Windsor was never formally vetted.

They also show that his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth ii, pushed for him to get that position. Lawmakers agreed to make the documents public back in February after the former prince was briefly arrested. Nada Bashir joins us live from London. She is looking through the document as quickly as possible.

Nada, what are you learning from the report?

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we've actually just had an update from Thames Valley Police in relation to the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in February.

[01:25:00]

That brief arrest and, of course, the ongoing investigation that is taking place into misconduct in public office in relation to his time as Trade envoy for a decade after he took office in 2001. And this latest update from police that we have received just in the last few moments indicates that police are also now assessing reports that a woman was taken to an address in Windsor in England in 2010 for, quote, sexual purposes. That those assessments are ongoing currently by police officials.

They've also gone on to say that they have engaged the woman's legal representatives to confirm that should she wish to report this to the police formally, the matter will be taken seriously and with the utmost care, sensitivity and respect for her privacy and lifelong right to anonymity. So this is a significant update from Thames Valley Police in relation to that ongoing investigation.

As you mentioned, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the brother of King Charles III, was briefly arrested in February. The investigation into misconduct obviously also continues alongside this latest update on the police assessments.

And, of course, this is all centered around documents which were released by the U.S. Department of Justice which indicate that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor may have shared sensitive information pertaining to his role as trade envoy with the disgraced financier and sexual -- and sexual predator, Jeffrey Epstein during that time, of course, they held a close friendship, a close relationship.

That relationship was part of the reason why Andrew Mountbatten- Windsor was, of course, stripped of his role as trade envoy last year. He was stripped of his royal titles, as well as an attempt to shield and distance the royal family from this ongoing scandal.

And, of course, we have previously heard from Buckingham Palace, which has said that it holds this matter with the deepest concern, that it supports the police process and that this process and the due process of law must take its course. But important to note, of course, that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor continues to deny those allegations.

And as you mentioned, this follows the release of this dossier, which appears to indicate that there was no vetting process in place directly focused on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor before he was appointed as Trade envoy. And also indicates that the late Queen had also expressed her wish for Prince Andrew, then-Prince Andrew, to take on this role.

MICHAELSON: We have any word from the palace or from Andrew?

BASHIR: Of course, as this is an ongoing legal investigation and matter, there is a huge amount of sensitivity around the comments that are being made. Of course, Prince Andrew, former Prince Andrew, has continued to deny the allegations and maintain that he -- there was no misconduct in public office. And of course, as we've heard from Buckingham Palace, they've said

that they are treating the matter very seriously, but also are allowing the legal process to take its course.

MICHAELSON: Nada Bashir getting up early for us outside Buckingham Palace in London. Nada, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

Back here in the U.S., Jeffrey Epstein's longtime assistant Sarah Kellen has provided new names of alleged abusers to the U.S. Congressional House Oversight Committee. That committee's chair, Congressman James Comer, said the names provide a promising lead for the committee to investigate. Names have yet to be released. Comer said people were previously unknown to the committee's investigation.

Comer also promised to release a transcript of Kellen's closed door interview as soon as possible. Kellen remains a controversial figure. She had previously described by law enforcement as a potential co- conspirator of Epstein's, an allegation that she denies.

NASCAR is bidding farewell to one of its greatest drivers. This sudden death of Kyle Busch has shocked the world of auto racing and beyond. The two time Cup Series champion was only 41. Cause of deaths has not been released. His family says he had been hospitalized with a severe illness. Not clear what that was.

Busch was scheduled to race at the Coca Cola 600 this weekend. NASA paid -- NASCAR paid tribute to his sharp wit, called him a future hall of Famer. Bush leaves behind a wife and two children.

The long road to the World Cup winds through the United States. A new documentary shows how the U.S. team has been preparing for the world's biggest sporting event. My interview with the director who spent four years behind the scenes with the team. Coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:33:58]

MICHAELSON: Welcome back to THE STORY IS. I'm Elex Michaelson.

Let's take a look at today's top stories.

Gasoline prices have climbed to the highest level in almost four years, as millions of Americans prepare to hit the road for Memorial Day weekend. AAA, the American Automobile Association says it's the first time in almost four years that all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C., are at or above $4 a gallon. Here in the West Coast, it's more like $5 or $6.

Comedian Stephen Colbert's 11-year run as host of "The Late Show" has ended. Colbert has remained positive and grateful, but some have questioned whether CBS' decision to cancel "The Late Show" was politically motivated, given Colbert's frequent criticism of President Trump. The network has said it was purely a financial decision.

Netflix is preparing to launch its first daily live programing when it begins streaming iHeartMedia's "The Breakfast Club" next month.

[01:34:46]

MICHAELSON: The popular morning show, co-hosted by Charlamagne Tha God, DJ Envy and Jess Hilarious, will stream live every weekday beginning on June 1st. Netflix has invested in video podcasts, a space still dominated by YouTube.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 26 brothers doing anything it takes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're representing something much bigger than yourself.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We ride together, die together.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Traveling, training, recovering -- that is where you develop this chemistry that carries you into the World Cup.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have the opportunity to make history.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: That is a clip from "U.S. Against the World: Four Years with the Men's National Soccer Team", an HBO documentary that follows the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team in the lead up to the FIFA World Cup.

Filmed over the course of four years, the series follows players on their journey towards the summer's major showdown.

Rand Getlin is director and executive producer of the documentary. He joins me now.

Congratulations. What an ambitious project that you have here. And we'll get into how you built their trust and all the rest of that.

But you really think that this is a lesson in unity at a time when our country is so divided?

RAND GETLIN, director and executive producer, "U.S. Against the World": That's exactly right. And thank you so much for having me.

I think that it's, you know, a show that there's something in here for everybody, regardless of where you sit on the political spectrum, regardless of what your belief set is.

We've got a group of 26 young men from the United States of America who care about nothing more than -- or nothing more deeply than making this country proud.

They come from different backgrounds. They worship differently. They grew up on different, you know, places on the socioeconomic ladder.

And yet when they come together, they do everything in their power to go out there and fight and make the country proud. And I think that's something pretty much anybody can be into.

MICHAELSON: And so this is, you know, you don't necessarily have to know anything about soccer. And as we've seen, like NBC does a great job of this with the Olympics of telling the back story. So then you really care about the person more than you care about the sport.

And there's a lot of back story here.

GETLIN: Yes, that's right. And I'm glad you hit that because six years ago or seven years ago in 2019, I knew nothing about the sport. So --

MICHAELSON: Really?

GETLIN: Yes. And my partner, Janina Pelayo, who's my wife as well, you know, neither one of us knew anything about the sport.

We -- I covered the NFL for a living. And so I knew a lot about the NFL, American football, but not much about global football as it were.

And so we really wanted to make this show for people like us who once we learned how special the sport was and how special this young group of guys are, and most importantly, how human they are. You know, how much adversity they've overcome, how incredible their families are.

We were like, ok, we need to make this for people that do not care about the sport at all, but can be convinced that this group of guys is worth supporting and making it an ultra-human story that's accessible to anybody.

And I -- and I hope that the audience agrees that we've been able to do that.

MICHAELSON: And you got over 600 hours of footage, which you then condensed down to five hours, which is quite a process to think about that.

How did you get these guys to trust you at a time when there's so much apprehension about things being taken out of context at a time, having cameras in your face? How did you go about doing that?

GETLIN: Yes, I mean, it's something where you are granted access at the outset through the organizations, and the players wanted us to be with them. So we kind of had a unique situation where the U.S. Soccer Federation, the players association and the players all sat down at the table. We got them to sit down at the table and say, hey, this is going to be great for all of us. We should work on it together.

And everybody said yes. And then the hard work starts because it's not something that you're granted and you have forevermore. Access is earned and maintained every single day.

So we worked at it, Janina and myself and the rest of our crew spent every single day trying to make sure that our actions spoke far louder than our words.

And I think that over time, you spend enough time with these guys. We did 300 days of production. So we're with them for 300 days over four years, you get to know each other really well.

And we're grateful that they gave us that chance to prove to them that we are people who work in trust. And, you know, if they open up their doors to us, it's not that we won't cover tough stuff -- we are. And in the show, we cover a lot of tough stuff.

But we're also going to cover the mountaintops as well. And most importantly, we're going to be fair. And we're going to think about you guys as humans first.

MICHAELSON: How are they thinking about this responsibility of playing in America for the World Cup?

GETLIN: Yes. So a once in a 32-year event. And I tell them all the time, this young group of guys is mostly under 30 years old. So the last time that the World Cup was here, you guys weren't born yet.

The next time it's here, you're going to be in your 50s or 60s. And so you really got to take advantage of it.

And for them, it's a tremendous amount of pressure. Imagine being 21 years old and trying to change the way that your entire country perceives a sport and a team. But then also how the world perceives your country in the context of that sport.

And yet these young guys wake up every day, fight hard, dust themselves off when they fall down, get back up and do it again. All in pursuit of this one goal that I keep harkening back to. But they just want to make us proud.

So it's tremendous pressure. But they believe that pressure is a privilege and pressure builds diamonds. And so they're up for the task.

MICHAELSON: How do you think they're going to do?

[01:39:46]

GETLIN: You know, here's the thing I tell everybody all the time. We were there in 2022, the two exhibition games before the 2022 World Cup. They had a rough go of it. And people were pretty negative.

And then they went out to the World Cup and they made a memorable run. They ended up on, you know, all the great shows in the morning around the country, and people really fell in love with the team.

And they got out of the group stage and they had a good run. But not as well as they wanted to do.

I think this summer on home soil, if the U.S. gets behind them and we cheer them on and give them that extra 10 percent, I think that anything is possible.

You know, at the end of the day, we have bet a lot of time, energy, effort and capital on these guys over four years. We've seen the good, we've seen the bad, we've seen the ugly. And I think that they believe, and it is true, that they are capable of achieving anything they set their minds to.

So I will say this. I know they're going to go out there and make us proud. They're going to put on an effort that captivates the country, and I hope that means they win a lot of games.

But in either case, our show is for people that want to learn about the team before kick-off. And importantly, when the tournament does kick off, it's also going to be there for people that want to get caught up.

MICHAELSON: And you're going to be there also filming with them during this run for a future show as well, including their debut right here in southern California at Sofi Stadium on June 12th.

Rand, congratulations. And people, of course, can check this out on HBO. And CNN and HBO are both part of the Warner Brothers Discovery family.

Thank you for watching THE STORY IS. I'm Elex Michaelson.

We head to "WORLDSPORT" for those of you that are watching on CNN International. Those of you watching here in America, I'll be back with more right after this.

[01:41:20]

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I only hunt imperial war criminals. I'll take out every bad guy in your deck of cards.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This isn't about revenge. It's about preventing another war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: The wait is over. After seven years, a new "Star Wars" movie is back on the big screen. "The Mandalorian and Grogu", inspired by the hit Disney Plus series, is now out in theaters.

It follows the bounty hunter and his cute sidekick as they embark on a new mission to rescue Jabba the Hutt's son, Radha the Hutt.

Joining me now on set here in Los Angeles, Grae Drake, film critic for cbr.com. Grae, welcome. A lot of anticipation for this.

GRAE DRAKE, FILM CRITIC, CBR.COM: Yes.

MICHAELSON: Is it good?

DRAKE: Grogu plays with fireflies? Yes.

I don't care about this movie. I just care that he's cute and he's in it a lot, and he's lifting things up with the force. That's all you need to know.

It's basically two episodes of the show, and I think that's going to leave some people feeling dissatisfied.

But if you like the show, you'll love it because it's Mando doing some more bounty hunting, ok.

MICHAELSON: Ok.

DRAKE: This is a -- this is a fair review of the movie because it didn't have any big sweeping set pieces. It didn't feel like wildly impressive, like a "Star Wars" movie normally would. But it was perfectly pleasant.

I understood the plot and also Radha the Hutt is played by Jeremy Allen White, and he's disturbingly sexy in the movie. He's got pectoral muscles and biceps for days, like gone are the days of Jabba -- the opposite of what I just described.

MICHAELSON: So Jeremy. So it's like a buff Jeremy Allen White?

DRAKE: Doing just the voice. And so -- but yes, Jeremy Allen White, I guess contractually cannot be not hot anywhere.

And so they're -- basically Mando is looking for Radha. That's it. That's pretty much the whole plot of the movie.

MICHAELSON: Ok.

DRAKE: It's not complicated. There's tons of adorable stuff. And so I think some people will be a little mad. I wasn't.

MICHAELSON: Because they're going to want the big epic.

DRAKE: Yes.

MICHAELSON: This should feel special and feel like a movie. When we've gotten used to the TV show, it just feels like a TV show.

DRAKE: If you want a "Luke, I am your father" moment --

MICHAELSON: Yes.

DRAKE: -- you will not get it with this movie.

Grogu does some impressive stuff, but I don't think it's what people have been waiting for in terms of him coming into his powers. That's not even a spoiler because like I said, he's busy like looking at fireflies and you're like, I love it, yay, and some people won't.

MICHAELSON: Ok. "I Love Boosters". Do you love boosters?

DRAKE: I do love boosters. And boosters are shoplifters.

MICHAELSON: Ok.

And in the world of Boots Riley, whose movies are always wild, ok.

Keke Palmer is a fashion designer, and her big idol is played by Demi Moore. But Demi Moore's character is not a very scrupulous business person. She has stolen a design from Keke Palmer.

And Keke Palmer already boosts clothing and sells it at a reasonable price to people. And so she turns her sights on Christy.

Now, that's about as much sense as the movie makes, period, because this one is a Boots Riley movie. And like sorry to bother you, his last film, it goes so far off the rails, it's almost as though rails had never been invented in the first place, but I love that.

MICHAELSON: Ok.

DRAKE: It's a big swing. It's hard for me to describe to you, but.

MICHAELSON: Did we see pink hair in there?

DRAKE: Probably, and a lot of great costumes, unbelievable soundtrack. I mean, this has the makings of an unforgettable movie, even if you don't know what you just watched.

So I say give it a shot because I mean, I won't forget this movie.

MICHAELSON: Ok. Unless you watch it with some substances or something, which sounds, sounds like it. Maybe it was written on --

DRAKE: Maybe that would have made me understand it.

MICHAELSON: Yes.

What's "Ghost War"?

DRAKE: This is "Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan: Ghost War". It's a lot of words And that's the official title.

And so John Krasinski is back. He's done four seasons of this television show on Prime.

[01:49:50]

MICHAELSON: Yes.

DRAKE: Now, this movie is streaming.

MICHAELSON: Ok.

DRAKE: And it basically sort of picks up where the series left off, where he was living the life of a civilian. But he gets pulled back into this world because there's some bad organization that I didn't really fully understand or care about.

And then there are so many huge action set pieces. They spent so much money to make this movie. Those parts are incredible. John Krasinski is reliable, but did I care about said ghost

organization with their war? No. So maybe if I were a bigger fan of the show and had watched it all --

MICHAELSON: Ok.

DRAKE: -- this would have meant a little more to me. But as it was, I was impressed with the undertaking. But it's very hard for me to articulate what it even really was.

MICHAELSON: Yes.

DRAKE: Shame.

MICHAELSON: And even though he's been doing it for so long, it still is interesting that that guy from "The Office" --

DRAKE: I know.

MICHAELSON: -- is like the superhero --

DRAKE: I know.

MICHAELSON: -- basically.

DRAKE: I keep waiting for him to spike the camera, you know?

MICHAELSON: Yes. But he's doing it and doing a great job and clearly in great shape to pull it off as well.

DRAKE: Yes.

MICHAELSON: Grae, thank you so much. Some interesting reviews. I think it's -- it's maybe -- maybe don't watch any of them. Maybe "The Mandalorian", I don't know.

DRAKE: Fireflies.

MICHAELSON: Ok.

It's been more than a century in the making. Barcelona prepares to inaugurate the Tower of Jesus Christ. That's ahead.

[01:51:14]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MICHAELSON: Pope Leo is set to inaugurate and bless the new Tower of Jesus Christ in Barcelona, Spain. The Pope will celebrate mass at the Basilica on June 10th. The ceremony marks the 100th anniversary of the death of its architect, Gaudi.

Construction of what is now the tallest church in the world began in 1882. Gaudi worked on his defining project until he died in 1926.

Fans of the world of Pokemon will be lining up to see a special new exhibit. The Pokemon Fossil Museum is making its North American debut Friday at Chicago's Field Museum.

It's an interactive experience that combines Pokemon and paleontology. Field Museum scientists play along as Pokemon professors who explain how real fossils inspired the design of the franchise's most popular creatures. The display runs through next April.

Thanks for watching THE STORY IS.

I'll see you tomorrow on "INSIDE POLITICS" with Dana Bash. I'll also be filling in for Kaitlan Collins on "THE SOURCE" at 9:00 Eastern, 6:00 Pacific.

And then right back here on THE STORY IS at midnight Eastern, 9:00 Pacific.

[01:56:28]

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