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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson
Poll: No Clear Leader Ahead Of Primary Election For Governor; Hilton: "We Need Change" After 16 Years Under Democrats; CNN Visits Hospital Grappling with Rare Strain of Virus; Polls Show Extremely Tight Race for Los Angeles Mayor; Candidates Make Final Push Before Iowa Democratic Senate Primary; Cleveland Browns to Trade Myles Garrett to L.A. Rams. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired June 02, 2026 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: Swifties will be likely to catch the newest "Toy Story" movie. That's because Taylor Swift just announced a new original song will be on the soundtrack. The single "I Knew It, I Knew You" is set to be released this Friday, two weeks ahead of the film. Cowgirl Jessie inspired the song, which marks a return to Swift's country roots.
That movie looks awesome. Thanks for watching the first hour of The Story Is. The next hour starts right now.
The Story Is the war with Iran, how a dispute between the U.S. and Israel could impact talks with Tehran. The Story Is Election Day, on the final day of campaigning in the California primary, we're talking to the leading contenders. And The Story Is Ebola. CNN's Clarissa Ward takes us exclusively inside the Democratic Republic of Congo as they fight a growing health crisis.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Los Angeles, The Story Is with Elex Michaelson.
MICHAELSON: Thanks for watching The Story Is. I'm Elex Michaelson live in Los Angeles.
The top story this hour is the war with Iran. President Trump now predicting a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and extend the ceasefire with Iran is reachable over the next week. He told ABC News he just has to get a few more points in order to get sign off. Negotiations appear to fall apart earlier, according to Iranian media, over Israel's continued strikes on Lebanon.
But now a regional source tells CNN the talks are back on track with President Trump saying they are continuing at a rapid pace. That follows what other sources describe as has an expletive filled phone call between President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Mr. Trump venting his anger over Israeli plans to strike Hezbollah targets in Beirut which threatened to derail the U.S.-Iran talks. At one point, the sources say, the president reminded the prime minister of how he supported him in the past and warned him that bombing Beirut could isolate Israel even further.
For more on all of this, let's bring in CNN's Mike Valerio live for us in Beijing.
Mike, this phone call is spicy. I mean, this is not the kind of stuff that you could air on broadcast T.V.
MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Do you want to call it spicy? I'm going to call it something else and I'm not going to call it something else. I mean, let's just get to the phone call, shall we? This is it. It's definitely the most eye popping geopolitical development of the day reported by our own CNN global analyst Barak Ravid in the pages of Axios, leading axios.com right now.
This is summarized by a U.S. official with Trump telling Netanyahu, quote, "you'd" -- well, I should say, quote, "You're expletive crazy." That's how it begins. "You'd be in prison if it weren't for me. I'm saving your expletive. Everybody hates you now.
Everybody hates Israel because of this."
How do we even unpack that, Elex? Well, let's begin here. The Strait of Hormuz is still closed. And according to the White House train of thought and their thinking on this issue, Iran came back to the table a couple hours ago, I should say more than 12 hours ago, keeping track of time across time zones here and said our negotiations are off because Israel is still attacking targets in Hezbollah and the ceasefire should apply to what is happening in Lebanon. So Trump, according to our own CNN reporting and that of Barak Ravid from Axios, is furious that the clashes, the war in Lebanon, could potentially torpedo his ability to have a deal with Iran.
Barak Ravid describes this, Elex, as perhaps one of the worst phone calls between Trump and Netanyahu. So now we're at a place where Trump posts on Truth the negotiations between Iran and the United States are, quote, "continuing at a rapid pace." He also posts, we didn't talk about this last hour, but lest we forget, the president also posts on Truth that he has spoken with Hezbollah, which can we just save some space for that? That is the first time that a sitting U.S. president through quote, unquote, "high level representatives" has spoken with Hezbollah. But that is part of this conflict, this war with Iran, which is reaching day 100.
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And that's going to happen on Sunday. So now it's 8:30 in Tehran, 8:30 in the morning. We're waiting to see how Tehran responds to all of this. And of course, you know, I should note, we are broadcasting from China right now. And a phone call like this, this certainly plays into China's point of view when it's trying to become the number one superpower and partnering with myriad states.
You hear politicos and people representing Beijing saying that if you want to partner with China, you're going to get stable relationships. You're not going to get a phone call like this where the relationship devolves into expletives. So, of course, our job here is to think, what's the China angle? How is Beijing reacting to all of this? This certainly is not lost among the politicos here in East Asia.
So bottom line, we're waiting to see how Iran reacts to all of this. But what a wild day. What a wild day --
MICHAELSON: Yes.
VALERIO: -- as we're now on day 95 of the war with Iran, Elex.
MICHAELSON: There are several books about the Biden administration that quoted him privately cussing out Benjamin Netanyahu because of his frustration with him. So this isn't the first time that that's happened with the U.S. president. Maybe that's one thing that Biden and Trump now agree on.
VALERIO: That's a good one.
MICHAELSON: Do we know of President Xi ever having a conversation like this with any other world leader?
VALERIO: There's no way anything like that would leak out between his biographers or Chinese state media. I will go back and research that question, but I am 99 percent confident saying on international television that there has most likely never been a conversation like that between Xi Jinping and any world leader.
MICHAELSON: Yes, or -- and if there was, we probably wouldn't hear about it.
Mike Valerio live for us in Beijing to start things off.
VALERIO: Got it. Yes.
MICHAELSON: Wow, that was quite something.
Mixed signals from the Trump administration over the future of the president's $1.8 billion anti weaponization fund. It was meant to compensate people who claim that they have been wrongly targeted by past administrations, which include some of the January 6th rioters. The fund was also created in part to settle President Trump's massive lawsuit against the IRS. On Monday, the Justice Department said that it disagreed strongly the federal court decision to temporarily pause the fund, but added that it will abide by the decision. CNN's Manu Raju has the latest reaction from Capitol Hill.
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The Trump administration's $1.8 billion anti weaponization fund has completely stalled President Trump's agenda on Capitol Hill. Right before the Memorial Day recess, Senate Republicans revolted on news of this fund, particularly over the idea that perhaps January 6th convicts, including ones who were convicted of assaulting law enforcement, that they could have access to the taxpayer money. It led to a very heated closed door meeting with the acting attorney General, Todd Blanche, and Republican senators. Senators said they couldn't move forward with a separate plan, a plan dealing with tens of billions of dollars in funding, Donald Trump's immigration priorities, his immigration enforcement priorities. They said that couldn't go forward because this would be open to a very extensive amendment process and there would be a push by Democrats and a lot of Republicans to rein in that fund and it was too complicated.
They wanted more information and they wanted the administration to drop it altogether before moving ahead with that plan. Well, then fast forward to now where senators are just returning into town and they are learning about this new Justice Department statement in the aftermath of a court decision setting back their efforts to move ahead with that anti weaponization fund, that Justice Department statement saying it would abide by the court order.
Is that enough, though, to get Republicans on board? A lot of them still have serious questions about how this plan will move ahead.
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SEN. JONI ERNST (R-IA): And I think the acting attorney general did a good job coming and visiting with us the week before we left. But there's a lot more that our leadership will want to work out with the White House. And we hope we can get it worked out, because reconciliation is really important. We need to be focusing on CBP, we need to focus on I.C.E. We need to make sure they're funded.
RAJU: Should they drop the fund altogether?
ERNST: That will be up to the administration.
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RAJU: But I am told from top Republicans that they want a lot more. In fact, that they want this fund completely dropped. And to be abundantly clear from the administration that they will not move ahead whatsoever and that this plan to provide this money for people claiming they've been victimized by the Justice Department, they wanted dropped altogether and they wanted to be abundantly clear from the White House before moving to proceed. So that's going to be the big question for Republican leaders.
Will they get more from the White House? If they don't get more from the White House, will they decide to move ahead on this proposal and try to bear Republican senators in voting down one of the last big agenda items before the midterms? All huge questions at this moment is a lot of Republicans still are concerned about this plan and are aghast at the decision by the administration to put this out, particularly as they were contemplating a complex agenda item that they wanted to send to the president's desk a couple weeks ago.
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Manu Raju, CNN, Capitol Hill.
MICHAELSON: Manu, thank you. Tomorrow is the last day to vote in California's gubernatorial primary election and it is not clear who's going to advance. According to a recent poll by the Public Policy Institute of California, a clear frontrunner is yet to emerge as voters prepare for a competitive ballot on Tuesday. Remember, the top two advance regardless of party, on the Republican side, endorsement from President Trump appears to be lifting Steve Hilton into striking distance of the top two. Meanwhile, Democrats Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer are both looking to consolidate their party's support.
Last hour I spoke with Steyer here live on our set. Take a listen to what he says his biggest policy changes will be if he's elected governor.
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TOM STEYER, CANDIDATE FOR CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR: I've said we will break the monopoly power of the electric monopolies and reduce electric costs by 25 percent -- electricity costs by 25 percent. I've said we will push for single payer starting on day one.
MICHAELSON: Single payer health care?
STEYER: Yes, single payer health care. That health care is a right for every Californian and we will deliver it and we will get single payer. I have said we will -- on day one, I will call a special election to close a corporate tax loophole that's worth over $20 billion to the state of California, money that we need both to step up our educational system, K through 12, but also to deliver health care because there's a huge hole in the budget that's been caused by Donald Trump and his big bill kicking people off medical.
I could keep going. You know --
MICHAELSON: Those are a lot.
STEYER: I'm saying we're going to build a million houses. And I can take you through very clearly the way we're going to do that. Look, California is unaffordable for most Californians. And they're really stressed.
And so even though the state, the richest people in this state are killing it, the truth is the majority of Californians can't make ends meet. And so the idea that we're not going to do anything about that, that we're not going to structurally change things, I'm saying corporate special interests are driving up the costs for Californians. That's why they have record profits. And I'm saying we're going to have to take them on. In order to change things structurally, we're going to have to take on these corporate special interests. And they've heard me say it and they've spent tens of millions of dollars to stop me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Yes, they have. So a lot to unpack there with our panel. Matt Klink is a Republican strategist and owner and president of Klink Campaigns. And Ian Calderon is the former California State Assembly majority leader. And he ran for governor this race against Tom Steyer, Xavier Becerra, Steve Hilton, and all of them did debates, stand on stage with them, deformed, all that stuff.
Welcome, both of you. We saw you in our last hour. You were here when Tom Steyer was on. I was struck, frankly, by how strong he was, especially compared to maybe other interviews that we've seen. He was trying to make a point that when Xavier Becerra was on our show and I asked him, what's one policy that you would change?
He didn't come up with anything. And Tom Steyer came ready to bear with lots of policy. That's a radically different California if all that stuff passes. What did you make of Steyer?
IAN CALDERON, FORMER CALIFORNIA STATE ASSEMBLY MAJORITY LEADER: I thought Tom was actually really good tonight. And he's kind of at this point where you get this candidate high and everything is clicking. You know what you're talking about. You're not worried about hitting all your talking points are coming from your gut, you're coming from your feeling. I mean, he understands that right now is the moment to leave it all on the table and you can't control tomorrow what happens.
Everything that you've worked hard for, it's culminating tomorrow. And we are in a position now where we're looking at a dead heat between three top polling candidates for governor. And we're in a position where you're looking at what's likely to be potentially two Democratic candidates making it through to the general election. And I have to say, for all of the grief that the Democratic Party chair in California has taken Rusty Hicks about a potential shutout for Democrats, I think he handled this really well. He handled it the right way.
He didn't put his finger on the thumb -- on the scales. He let this thing play out. And now we could be seeing two Democrats in the runoff election.
MICHAELSON: How do you see it?
MATT KLINK, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: I think that Ian is pretty spot on. I think that Steve Hilton is really being hurt by Chad Bianco polling 10 percent of the Republican votes from him.
MICHAELSON: So Steve Hilton is the Republican former Fox News host. Chad Bianco is a Riverside County sheriff --
KLINK: Correct.
MICHAELSON: -- who is running as well as a Republican. And some have suggested on the right maybe he should drop out after Trump endorsed Hilton, but he's staying in and he's got a dedicated group of supporters.
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KLINK: Yes, he's had roughly that same 10 to 12 percent since he started. He hasn't really dropped or grown. But every vote that the sheriff gets comes right out of Steve Hilton's hide. And with Tom Steyer, who I agree he was really good tonight, we can talk about his, quote unquote, "solutions." They would be disaster for California, but $200 million is going to likely buy Tom Steyer a seat at the big boy table for the November general election.
MICHAELSON: So to the point about Hilton and Bianco, I want to bring up on the screen a post that Hilton put up on X. It said, "Many of you have asked, why don't you reach out to Chad, get together, offer him a role so you can work together. I've tried. So have many others. And my door is still open 24 hours to save California."
How do you read that, Matt?
KLINK: Yes, I mean, look, there's a reason why a lot of these people who had no chance to win stayed in the race, it's all about ego. You've gone this far. You're one day away from the election. Let's just write -- ride it out. I mean, Chad Bianco is not a stupid man.
He knows he's not going to win. Clearly he has a point that he wants to prove. But his point may also self-destruct Steve Hilton and keep a Republican out of the runoff.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
CALDERON: Elex, it's also. Illegal quid pro quo, you can't call somebody, say, hey, why don't you get out back me and I'll give you this position. Not a good look. And I don't -- you know, I think a lawman probably understands that.
MICHAELSON: So Steve Hilton was on Erin Burnett tonight. Here's some of that.
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STEVE HILTON, REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR: You've seen Tom Steyer spend a lot of money on this race. Nearly $220 million I think it is now. And so it's basically a three horse race for two slots. I think that we will make it because actually the big number that I pay attention to and I think, which is why we'll get change in November, is that there's a majority of Californians who think we need change. We've had 16 years now of Democrats running everything in California and the results are just pretty disappointing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: How do you respond to that argument that the Democrats in charge is not working?
CALDERON: Well, how do we feel about how things are going in Washington, D.C.? Republicans control every branch. They're the ones that are in charge. Yes, you need change and you need people to wake up and our elected officials to realize that people are struggling. But also at the same time, just because you elect a Republican doesn't mean it's going to get any better or anything else is going to change.
You could just be inviting a whole new set of other problems and challenges that could very likely just be worse.
MICHAELSON: But you could argue, and I'm sure Matt would argue, that California has the highest gas prices, the highest number of homeless people, the highest housing costs. I mean all sorts of problems that are worse here than other places in the country, including other Republican led states and cities.
CALDERON: Yes, every state has its challenges. And I'm not trying to diminish the challenges that California is facing, but we're a progressive state. We have a full time legislature. We are dealing with issues every single year that other states will deal with every two years. Because the conversations start here.
And you can't be a progressive state and a progressive governing body unless you're continually trying to new things. I think the biggest issue with government is that they don't like to admit that they're wrong because they're always looking at, well, what's next? What's my next position going to be? And if I admit that I was wrong on this policy, then that is going to be -- I'm going to be judged by that in my next run.
MICHAELSON: If Hilton makes it through, is the math there for him to get over 50 percent in November?
KLINK: Absolutely not. If Steve Hilton makes it through. Xavier Becerra runs a full legitimate campaign, but it's a different campaign. He does more with the California Democratic Party. He goes out and he helps candidates across the state of California from the federal level all the way down to the lowest level possible.
And I think that -- I mean it's a 60-40 race unless something fundamental happens that upsets that apple cart.
MICHAELSON: And then the counter to that, if it is to Democrats, we sort of saw a preview of that tonight. Xavier Becerra was on with Midas Touch with Ben Meiselas talking about Steyer. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
XAVIER BECERRA, DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR: Certainly in California there's some folks are out to prove that they can actually buy elections. We're going to prove that just the opposite. Money does not buy you leadership in California, work does. Results do and votes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Steyer with us is making the argument I can't be bought, whereas Xavier Becerra is bought by the oil companies and other people that are donating him. We're already starting to see that race play out.
CALDERON: Yes, I mean, I think Tom is actually making a very good argument. You know, and I think Tom's biggest challenge is that there's always been this skepticism that California voters, especially have had of people that have a lot of money that choose to run for office and this idea that, you know, they're buying the election. And, you know, Xavier Becerra, he's doing what he needs to do, and he's running the race that he needs to run. But at the end of the day, people, they just are might be -- they might just be looking for something a little less exciting, a little more boring. Don't forget Gavin Newsom, great politician, but he's been at odds and at war with the Trump administration, and that has hurt us in a lot of different ways.
[01:20:18]
And so, you know, the steady hand of experience and of leadership I think is something that voters -- that's why they're going to Becerra and attracted to him.
MICHAELSON: Last question, one word from each of you or two words. Top two are?
CALDERON: I'm going to go with Becerra and Steyer.
MICHAELSON: Top two are?
KLINK: Becerra and Steyer.
MICHAELSON: Wow. Interesting.
All right. Well, we'll see. We have to tune in tomorrow to find out. We might not know tomorrow.
KLINK: Two weeks.
MICHAELSON: You think it's going to take two weeks to find out? Most like -- OK. Most likely scenario is that Hilton is there tomorrow night, right? And then Steyer slowly gets there.
CALDERON: Elex --
MICHAELSON: Yes.
CALDERON: -- what you're going to see is you're going to see Hilton start up top, Becerra is going to catch him and pass him and then Steyer is going to keep pushing Hilton. That's what you need to watch for the next couple of weeks after the election.
MICHAELSON: All right. We'll have to bring you back to talk it through and see if you were right. Thanks, guys. Great to see you.
Still to come, CNN goes inside a hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo treating Ebola patients. Will show you how the deadly virus is taking a toll on those infected, their families and the doctors trying to help them.
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MICHAELSON: Ukrainian officials report at least 10 people have been killed in large scale attack by Russian forces on the cities of Kyiv and Dnipro. They say the assault on the Ukrainian capital wounded more than 100 people. Strikes reportedly hit multiple buildings, a clinic in a children's school, sparking fires and burning cars. Officials say people have been trapped under the rubble of a residential building. The attack comes after warnings from President Zelenskyy that a, quote, "massive strike was possible."
Russian state media reported last week that troops began systematic strikes at military facilities in the Ukrainian capital.
The World Health Organization reports at least 43 people have died so far from an outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. Nearly 300 confirmed cases of the virus are being treated, but experts suspect there are hundreds more that haven't been diagnosed. CNN's Clarissa Ward gained extraordinary access to the so called red zone at a hospital in the DRC and shares the heart wrenching mix of grief, fear and fading hope among those affected by this disease.
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CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is a surreal but now all too familiar ritual. Healthcare workers painstakingly disinfect the coffin of the latest suspected victim of the Ebola virus at Bunia's General Hospital. His family members look on in anguish, unable to get close to their loved one. Torn apart by grief and consumed by fear.
Oh my father. Why God, this woman cries. Oh God, this is my only father.
As the dead are carried out, new potential cases are arriving. At the entrance to the hospital, everyone's temperature must be taken.
WARD: So this is the room where they take people who are found to have a fever. There is a woman in there now, obviously they don't know if she has Ebola or not, but they're going to keep her here until they do more tests and get a better sense of what's going on.
WARD (voice-over): At a makeshift coordination center inside the hospital, Dr. Richard Kajol and his team are working round the clock to keep up with an outbreak they say is out of control. They agreed to show me and photojournalist Alex Platt what they're up against.
WARD: We are now getting ready to go into the so called red zone of this hospital. That is the area where all suspect Ebola patients are put and there is a lot of protective gear, unsurprisingly, that one needs to wear to go inside.
WARD (voice-over): Bundibugyo is a strain of the virus that few were expecting. There is no vaccine and no cure.
The doctors write our names on our backs so they can recognize us, and then it's time to go in. At the moment, patients are treated in hastily constructed tents. Thirty-year-old Gloria is a lab technician, one of dozens of health care workers believed to be infected.
WARD: She says it's difficult to breathe.
WARD (voice-over): Earlier, we met her sister waiting outside for news.
WARD (through translator): I saw your sister. She's waiting for the moment she can hug you again. Do you want us to tell your sister something from you? A message.
WARD (voice-over): Do not be afraid, she says. But it's impossible not to be scared. Some of the patients here are in very bad shape.
WARD: How do you stay strong when you're seeing this?
KOJAN: For me, it's our humanity.
WARD: Your humanity?
KOJAN: Yes, yes, it's our humanity. Many people are suffering like this, you know. I feel it. I feel it.
He was in comma.
WARD: Yes.
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KOJAN: It's Ebola confirmed.
WARD: Ten-year-old Meshack (ph) is still very weak. His mouth ravaged with blisters from the virus. He asked the doctors for a banana, an encouraging sign.
"Slowly, slowly," Dr. Kojan warns him. His condition is improving, but he has a long way to go.
KOJAN: You lay down, yes.
WARD: He wants to lay down? Let's help him lay down then.
They lay him down in the corridor while his room is disinfected.
Nothing about this situation is ok. But these doctors are doing everything they possibly can.
As we walk to another ward, a familiar sound in the distance.
WARD: You can hear the cries of a family who are claiming the body of their loved one. This is a scene that's playing out here multiple times every single day.
This is a temporary ward for suspected cases. Patients lie waiting for test results that are taking up to a week to process.
So this is the situation that health care workers really want to avoid and are racing to put a stop to. You have five patients in the same room, all of them suspected of having Ebola. But doctors can't be sure. They can't rule out the possibility that one person in here may not have Ebola and then, of course, there's a strong chance they could contract it.
Every exit from the red zone is as careful as the entry. Protective equipment must be sprayed down with chlorine and methodically removed.
WARD: We were in there for maybe half an hour and I could barely stand up by the end. It's incredibly tiring, really hot. You're sweating so much. You're thirsty.
I just like, help us understand the kind of stamina that you need as a doctor to be going in and out of that red zone multiple times every single day.
KOJAN: It's really hard. We have to stand strong for those patients and otherwise, you know, the situation will be really very, very bad.
WARD: That 10-year-old boy -- that's hard to see.
KOJAN: The first day, you know, he was really bleeding, a lot of diarrhea and shock, you know. So you have to get a way to give IV fluid. It's not really easy.
So -- and for me, you know, like an ICU doctor, when you have a situation like this, it's very hard to just say, I have to stop because I'm tired.
WARD: On the outskirts of the city, the family we met earlier is burying their father, 72-year-old farmer Papababona Bodwan (ph).
The burial team forms a cordon around his grave. The mourners forced to grieve at a distance, the final cruelty of this vicious virus.
Clarissa Ward, CNN -- Bunia, Democratic Republic of Congo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[01:33:24]
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ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: On this final day of campaigning in the L.A. mayor's race, recent polls show a tight race between L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, councilmember Nithya Raman and community activist Spencer Pratt. I spent time with all three today.
Mayor Karen Bass was in the San Pedro neighborhood, shaking hands at a local coffee shop. She also spent time phone banking with supporters at her campaign headquarters.
Nithya Raman toured a mercado in Boyle Heights. She's challenging Bass from the left, saying she hasn't been competent in making change happen fast enough.
Spencer Pratt was in a restaurant in the Encino neighborhood, shaking hands with supporters there. After losing his house in the Palisades Fire, he decided to enter the race.
I asked all three candidates for their closing argument to voters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR KAREN BASS (D), LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: My final message to voters is, in the last few years, we've brought down homelessness for the first time two years in a row. 42,000 units of housing. Crime rate's down to 60 years low. We have the Olympics and the World Cup coming. Los Angeles is ready for an incredible recovery.
NITHYA RAMAN, CANDIDATE FOR L.A. MAYOR: Angelenos are feeling that this city is moving in the wrong direction.
What I'm offering is urgency to tackle the issues that are at the forefront of people's minds, and a real plan to address our cost-of- living crisis and our homelessness crisis.
SPENCER PRATT, CANDIDATE FOR L.A. MAYOR: My opponents are the reason the city is failing. So anything they say is just more lies. They know with me we're changing what's going on. We're stopping it.
So it's not like a closing argument. They're already excited about me. The reason I'm here is because I'm not like these people. I don't have the experience of failing like they have.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: So we'll also be watching elections in Iowa. Two candidates are facing off in the Democratic primary there. Each hoping for a chance to replace retiring Republican Senator Joni Ernst.
CNN's Jeff Zeleny is in Iowa.
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JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: June is a very busy month of primaries, beginning here in Iowa, where a key Democratic Senate primary will be taking place on Tuesday, as well as the race for governor and competitive house races as well.
Now, as Democrats try and work through this uphill challenge of trying to win control of the Senate and Republicans try and defend their senate majority, Iowa is one of the states where people are paying very close attention to.
And a primary playing out on the Democratic side is going to be very interesting as the votes are counted on Tuesday evening.
A state representative, Josh Turek, who's a two-time gold medal winning Paralympian in men's wheelchair basketball, is running against a state senator here named Zach Wahls.
Now, there are not many ideological differences, but this race largely has been driven by the power of the biography and electability, which Josh Turek says belongs to him.
JOSH TUREK (D), IOWA SENATE CANDIDATE: I think that I have a unique ability, proven ability to reach out and connect with Independents and moderate Republicans that I think that my opponent would struggle to do. And that is what it is going to take. To be able to win in a state like Iowa.
ZELENY: And Turek's opponent, Zach Wahls, disagrees with that assessment. He says he is the most electable candidate.
Now, whoever happens to win the Democratic primary, it is still an uphill battle.
Iowa has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 2008. That was Tom Harkin, of course, who served for about 30 years in the U.S. Senate. He has endorsed Josh Turek.
So as all the math is falling together about the possibility of Democrats winning control of the Senate, Iowa is one of those places that they are building their hopes upon. We shall see if that happens.
But again, June, a very busy month for primaries next week is main.
Jeff Zeleny, CNN -- Des Moines.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: So we'll see Jeff tomorrow night. We'll be covering key primary races across the U.S., including here in California.
Don't you love hearing that music? Our coverage starts Tuesday right here on CNN and on CNN app.
You're watching THE STORY IS. For our international viewers, "WORLDSPORT" is next. For our viewers in North America. I'll be right back.
Segun Oduolowu talking with us about a huge trade in the NFL, one of the biggest trades in NFL history. Segun breaks it down next.
[01:42:01]
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MICHAELSON: Let's talk sports.
One of the biggest trades in NFL history involving a defensive player has been confirmed, much to the excitement of many football fans here in Los Angeles.
Five-time all-pro, two-time defensive player of the year, Myles Garrett is being traded from the Cleveland Browns to the Los Angeles Rams. The trade will be adding some serious firepower to a Rams team that's already gunning for a Super Bowl appearance on home turf next February. Cleveland will receive two-time pro bowl linebacker Jared Verse, who is great, along with three future draft picks in exchange for Myles Garrett, who was the best defensive player in football last year.
Let's talk about this trade and some of the other major sports stories of the week with Emmy award-winning journalist Segun Oduolowu. Segun, welcome back. Good to see you.
Myles Garrett. Why does this matter?
SEGUN ODUOLOWU, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: It matters a lot because as you said earlier, he's the best defensive player in football. He is a game wrecker. And the Rams, the rich just got richer.
The Rams were one game away from the Super Bowl. They lost to a better defense in the Seattle Seahawks.
Now they just got the best defensive player in football. They're a prohibitive favorite in Vegas right now. The odds are saying that the Rams are favored to make it to the Super Bowl.
Myles Garrett is the sack leader of all time -- like all-time, single season sack leader in the NFL.
This is a huge deal because there were teams actually going after Myles Garrett. The Eagles were. The Cowboys were. And again, all -- those two teams play in the same conference, the same NFC as the Rams. The Rams are the front runner. Myles Garrett can change an entire game.
MICHAELSON: And it was interesting the last time the Rams won the Super Bowl, which was also at Sofi Stadium, they just put all their chips in.
ODUOLOWU: Yes.
MICHAELSON: They went after Von Miller. They went over after Odell Beckham Jr. They sort of traded away draft picks.
ODUOLOWU: Yes. The letter that comes after E and then picks.
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MICHAELSON: We're going to win right now.
Yes, we're going to trade right now. And that seems to be where they're at as well.
ODUOLOWU: Yes. To get Myles Garrett, as you said, they had to give up Jared Verse who was a first-round pick of their own in 2024. They will be giving up the 2027 first round pick, the 2028 second round pick and the 2029 third round pick. All of those picks are going to Cleveland.
Cleveland can rebuild their team based off of what the Rams gave them, but the Rams are playing for right now. You've got Matthew Stafford who is getting up there in age. They drafted a quarterback this year. You've got Sean McVay who's, you know, kind of flirted with retiring
and stepping away from football. I don't believe it. And why would you now that you've got the best player in football. The MVP quarterback --
MICHAELSON: Right. MVP from last year.
ODUOLOWU: -- from last year and wide receivers that are arguably going to the Hall of Fame. This right now is going to make football a completely must-see event every time the Rams are on TV.
MICHAELSON: It's going to be a fun time.
Meanwhile, the greatest female tennis player of all time --
ODUOLOWU: Yes.
MICHAELSON: -- some say the greatest female athlete of all time, Serena Williams, coming back to tennis --
ODUOLOWU: Yes, she is.
MICHAELSON: -- announcing that she's going to be playing doubles, not singles.
ODUOLOWU: Yes, she will be playing with Victoria Mboko at the HSBC championship, formerly the Queens championship in London. She'll be playing doubles with a woman who is more than half her age. Serena's 44, her doubles partner is 19.
MICHAELSON: Wow.
ODUOLOWU: But this is --
MICHAELSON: Could be her daughter.
ODUOLOWU: It could be her daughter -- literally. This is a lead up, though. I think Serena is coming back. And this isn't new for tennis.
MICHAELSON: Is it -- is it an advertisement for Roche?
ODUOLOWU: No, no, it's an advertisement that women's tennis and women's tennis players are some of the greatest athletes of all time.
Martina Navratilova did something like this. Martina came back after a six-year hiatus and won Grand Slams, although doubles and mixed.
MICHAELSON: Wow.
ODUOLOWU: So Serena, at 44, sees that this has been done before, sees especially on grass. She can still do this. I'm pulling for her. This is amazing.
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MICHAELSON: I made a joke about Roche. She's been very public about the fact that she's taking GLP, which has helped her with the process of losing weight. And so we will see a slimmed down Serena on the tennis court. And we'll see how that impacts her game.
ODUOLOWU: Not only will we see a slimmed down Serena, but I think we'll see a more focused Serena because she -- there is no more time really after this. She sees an opening.
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MICHAELSON: Yes, she did.
ODUOLOWU: She's -- look, she's the greatest athlete I have ever seen. In 2017, she won the Australian Open two months pregnant.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
ODUOLOWU: Like I defy anyone to beat that feat.
MICHAELSON: Something else. NBA finals about to start.
ODUOLOWU: Yes.
MICHAELSON: The Knicks versus the Spurs. A rematch of the '99 NBA finals. Who do you got?
ODUOLOWU: Ok, I've got the Spurs, cue Dame Shirley Bassey. It's a little bit of history repeating. The Spurs and the Knicks have played before.
MICHAELSON: There you go.
Tim Duncan and Latrell Sprewell. David -- you know David Robinson back in the day.
ODUOLOWU: Look the Spurs have benefited from three of the greatest number one picks of all time -- David Robinson, Tim Duncan and Wemby. It's funny how that just happens to go to the Spurs, I digress.
MICHAELSON: They do a good job with it when they do.
ODUOLOWU: Well, it's hard to mess up three seven footers.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
ODUOLOWU: But this is what the NBA has needed. You're going to get that seven-foot-five French alien that everyone has been talking about at Madison Square Garden against -- look, the Knicks team --
MICHAELSON: The number one market in the NBA.
ODUOLOWU: Number one market in in the -- in the country, a team that has a history of losing. They have not made it. You know, they haven't been to the finals since 1999. Haven't won a championship in, gosh, I think since I've been born. And you know, I'm a young 25. But that's regardless. So you got the Knicks, you got the Spurs, you've got star power. The
Garden is going to be rocking. Spike Lee is going to be courtside. You're going to see celebrities everywhere. And I kind of root for the Spurs.
MICHAELSON: When you think about last year it was the Thunder versus the Pacers, one of the lower ratings finals that we've seen because we had some teams that did not have as big a fan base as it's going to be quite something to see. Big win for ESPN and ABC.
ODUOLOWU: Absolutely.
MICHAELSON: Segun, thank you.
ODUOLOWU: My pleasure.
MICHAELSON: Great to see you.
We'll be back with more of THE STORY IS right after this.
ODUOLOWU: Go Wemby. Go Wemby. Go Wemby.
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MICHAELSON: It's a huge honor to be a presenter at the Peabody Awards this weekend. The award honors excellence in storytelling and the event was star-studded.
Amy Poehler won the Career Achievement Award. ABC's David Muir and his team won for their coverage of the L.A. wildfires. Also in the ABC family, Jimmy Kimmel and Guillermo and their team won an award as it heated rivalry. "The Pitt" was a big winner. So was "Pluribus" from Apple TV Plus.
It was an extraordinary and inspiring evening. And I'm so thankful to have been a small part of it. Congrats to all the winners.
Thanks for watching THE STORY IS. I'm Elex Michaelson.
I'll see you tomorrow for our special election coverage night in America. We have a four-hour show. We'll see you then for that.
Have a great night and go vote if you live here.
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