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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson
Former Olympian Charged with Felony Count for Allegedly Damaging Reflecting Pool; Trump Defends Crypto Windfall; Trump: Voter I.D. Bill More Important Than Housing Bill; Extreme Heat Threatens America 250 Events in U.S. Capital; Man Pulled Alive from Rubble after 8 Days; Multi-Day Taylor Swift Wedding Thought to Be Underway; Iran to Bid Final Farewell to Slain Supreme Leader; Outrage Over Red Card for Top U.S. Scorer. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired July 03, 2026 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: A hundred and sixty million Americans under major or extreme heat risks. The nation's capital is on the front burner.
[00:00:08]
Washington, D.C., is expected to reach 103 degrees on Friday and Saturday, just shy of its all-time record of 106, which was set back in 1930.
The heat is stifling activities at the Great American State Fair. Attendance has already been sparse, and authorities canceled tonight's rehearsal for the annual Capitol Fourth concert.
Organizers are expected to announce by tomorrow morning if that concert itself will actually take place.
The temperature will be in the low 60s at Mount Rushmore in Keystone, South Dakota on Friday night. President Trump is scheduled to speak there at the Salute to America celebration.
President Trump also expected to speak on the National Mall on Saturday, with the site of the Reflecting Pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial.
A grand jury in Washington has indicted a former Olympic canoeist, accusing him of damaging that pool. David Hearn now faces a felony charge, one count of destruction of property. That carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison.
U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro, former FOX News host, says that Hearn reached into the pool and ripped part of the lining.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEANINE PIRRO, U.S. ATTORNEY FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Our evidence further shows that the National Park Service employees observed Hearn actually forcefully and violently pulling up and removing the bottom liner with both hands. According to witnesses, Hearn damaged approximately two square feet of sealant from the bottom of the pool.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Hearn's attorney, Norm Eisen, blasted the indictment, saying, quote, "Davey Hearn is innocent. These charges are outrageous and should be alarming to every American."
Hearn previously told CNN that police arrested him after he touched a flap of blue material that detached from the pool.
Renovations ordered by President Trump have cost, by the way, more than $14 million. And there needs to be more, as the pool is currently not in great shape.
Let's bring in our panel. Areva Martin is a civil rights attorney and legal affairs commentator, and Jennifer Horn is the host of "The Morning Answer" on 870-AM here in Los Angeles.
Areva, as an attorney, what do of this case?
AREVA MARTIN, LEGAL AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Ten years for putting your hand in a pond and touching a flap? Come on. Even Jeanine couldn't say that with a straight face.
And this effort to make it so forceful and violent as this man touched into this pond.
Look, this is a way to distract from the reality that this has been a fiasco. This no-bid contract that was given to some crony of Donald Trump who did this horrific job.
And all of the attention that's been paid to this pond. And the fact that this Reflecting Pool is not, you know, showing the bright blue color that Donald Trump promised. So, now they need a scapegoat.
Here's this former Olympian being charged with a serious crime that could land him in jail or prison for ten years. It's just outrageous. Just come clean. The guys that did the work did a horrible job.
MICHAELSON: I mean, Jennifer, at a time, after all the January 6th folks were all pardoned, including the folks that attacked police officers, this guy potentially could go to jail for ten years?
JENNIFER HORN, HOST, 870-AM'S "THE MORNING ANSWER": Well, I think it's kind of interesting to note that that same question was brought up to Judge Jeanine. And she said, this is not about January 6th.
I mean, those people spent five years of their life, in many cases in jail, questionable charges at best.
This was a vandalism charge. And this wasn't Judge Jeanine or President Trump saying, Charge the guy. This was put in front of a grand jury. They recommended an indictment. And look, we shouldn't blow off vandalism. Is he going to get ten
years in jail? Absolutely not. He's going to be in front of his peers in a Washington, D.C., court. They're going to be able to decide his fate. He'll present his case.
The -- the Trump administration, the U.S. district attorney, Jeanine Pirro, will present hers. And we'll see what happens.
But I don't think that we should just write off vandalism, because clearly, something's been going on with that Reflecting Pool, including CNN's own reporting, showing that there was fertilizer in that pool.
MICHAELSON: Yes. Vandalism is bad.
HORN: Yes.
MICHAELSON: And beating up police officers also bad.
HORN: Worse, actually.
MARTIN: And talking about ten years for vandalism.
MICHAELSON: Both are bad.
MARTIN: Giving a pardon to folks that beat up police officers and invaded our Capitol. Just hard to reconcile those two; completely irreconcilable.
MICHAELSON: So, meanwhile, you know, President Trump was speaking today with CNBC. He talked about his crypto business, which clearly has been very successful for him; made billions of dollars. He sort of, in the past, brushed off this idea of conflict of interest, saying to "The New York Times" a few months back that people essentially don't care about that.
Here's what he said to CNBC tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Well, you know, I don't do anything having to do with my business. My kids run it. I put a lot of money. I had a lot of money, and I have a lot of money. And I've - I've always made -- I've made money. You know, I'm a businessperson. I'm a really good businessperson.
[00:05:06]
I mean, there's nothing illegal. There's nothing wrong with it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Some folks on the right, Jennifer, have said that this feels kind of grifty, this idea of making billions of dollars, accepting this $400 million jet, riding on that. Are you concerned about this? HORN: Look, I think that grifty are people that weren't -- that had
changed when they went into office to earn extra money for themselves.
Donald Trump was elected to office, because he was a very successful businessman. It's one of the things that has not changed about him. The Trump brand has always been successful, successful businessman.
It's not like he had to go into the White House to earn money for himself. Like the Biden family; putting -- putting his kids in into contracts with foreign governments and selling out American secrets. They were already successful.
So, does it bother me? No. Does it surprise me he's made money off of crypto? No. So have a lot of people, just like they've made a lot of money off of the stock market.
And I would say one of the tactics President Trump used during his campaigning was going after the crypto bros. Remember, they would talk about that. He was actually addressing those people as a key voting bloc. So, I don't think this is a surprise.
MICHAELSON: In this last campaign.
HORN: In this last campaign, absolutely.
MICHAELSON: Because when he was president the first time around, he was not a big fan of crypto.
HORN: Well, because I don't think that many people understood it.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
HORN: And I think that's fair to -- to acknowledge that most of us probably sitting here -- I don't want to speak for you guys -- but crypto has always seemed like a strange concept. It makes more sense now than it did ten years ago.
MARTIN: This is appalling. And there's no justification for the grift and the way that he is so arrogantly profiting off of the presidency while people are struggling to pay for gas, to pay for eggs, to pay for basic necessities, to pay for housing.
And you have a president bragging about all of the money that he has made.
And contrary to what Jennifer just said, Eric Trump said during the first administration, Trump lost money, and no way were they going to sit on their hands and not make money during this administration.
So, he, too, has been very arrogant about the fact that, yes, they're making money. And a lot of it has to do with the deals that are being done with people that are affiliated with Donald Trump; legislation that's being passed and promoted by Donald Trump; and using his power as the president to make this money.
And that is so, again, disgusting when you think about how American people are struggling in this moment. And many Republicans --
HORN: Was it disgusting when Biden did it?
MARTIN: Many, many Republicans have come out and have been extremely critical of Donald Trump, saying, this is not what you promised us.
You promised us that you were going to make our lives better as middle-class people. You were going to create jobs. You were going to lower prices for food and for gas.
And to the contrary, all of us are struggling at this moment, and you are profiting, and you are bragging about it.
MICHAELSON: Jennifer.
HORN: On that, I think it's really important to acknowledge that we still have an affordability issue in this country. Absolutely. The cost of gasoline, the cost of goods and services. But by and large, inflation is down.
And I take issue with the fact that the economy is bad. Check your 401(k). Check your retirement fund. That stock market is hitting record highs.
The job market, even though there was a little bit of a disappointing job report this -- this last week, this week -- yesterday it came out. The job market has been so strong. More people are back at work.
Unemployment is down. And people are seeing wealth and actually feel part of the system with the Trump Account. So yes, we can work on the price of goods and services, but don't believe people are suffering.
MICHAELSON: But one area that people -- one area that people are really struggling, though, is the price of housing, especially in a state like California.
And there was a bipartisan bill passed by the House to address the housing affordability issue. President Trump has not signed it. He instead wants Congress to pass the SAVE America Act first to address voting rights issues, including voter I.D. He brought that up again tonight on CNBC.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: The housing bill is fine. There's a lot of Democrat points in there that I don't even think are good, but it's fine. But I've made the case. I'd rather not sign anything until we sign the SAVE America Act.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARTIN: First of all, newsflash, Jennifer, poor people don't have 401(k) accounts. They don't have stock accounts. So, when you're talking about the way that Americans are profiting during this administration, you're talking about wealthy people. You're not talking about everyday working people. MICHAELSON: It's not just -- it's not just wealthy people that have
401 -- that have 401(k)s.
MARTIN: Well, middle class -- middle class people don't benefit from the stock market and the kinds of things that you're saying happening in this economy.
We're talking about billionaires making more money and creating the largest billionaire class that we've ever seen in this country, while the poor -- poor sector of this country continues to get poorer and poorer.
So, this notion that somehow, Donald Trump has been good for the economy. He's been good for the 1 percent of the economy. He's been horrible for the rest of us.
HORN: Totally disagree.
MARTIN: And for this housing issue, he's holding up this bipartisan bill that could address issues of affordability for the passage of an act that is to address a problem that doesn't even exist.
[00:10:14]
There is no widespread voting fraud in this country. That's been proven over and over again.
And he's trying to figure out ways -- any way that he can -- to rig, to cheat the American people out of their rights to vote. And this is going to severely impact elderly people, poor people, people of color.
And it's just disgusting, again, that he will not take action to help address this housing crisis that so many Americans, middle-class and lower-income Americans are facing.
MICHAELSON: How do you see the politics of this? His strategic decision to sit on this bill?
HORN: Think, you know, to say that it's despicable and he's hurting the poor. There are plenty of programs that the Trump administration have put into place to help people who are suffering, who are poor.
But we are not an administration, and he is not an administration, we are not a country that should be importing poverty.
Now, as far as the politics of what he's doing, I think he has no choice. The Republicans and the Democrats have been extremely disappointing in getting the SAVE America Act passed. It's one of the key promises the American people elected Donald Trump to carry out: securing our elections. A lot of people have concerns about them. It is simply presenting voter I.D. It is an easy thing to do.
MICHAELSON: It's not just that.
HORN: Well, there are other things.
MICHAELSON: There's a lot of other things in this bill, too.
HORN: Well, there are other things in that bill. But this is what people are arguing about is showing I.D. This should be common sense for Democrats and Republicans. This isn't complicated.
And so, Trump is frustrated. He's trying to get this thing done. And so, he's using politics to play in that direction.
But this one bill is not going to simply fix housing costs. It's a good bill. It's a bipartisan bill. But look what's going on in California.
Blue states could make things a whole lot easier to afford if they cut regulations and all the disasters that we all experience living in California.
MICHAELSON: It will be interesting. In California, voter I.D. is going to be on the ballot.
HORN: That's right.
MARTIN: Can I just say --
MICHAELSON: Real quickly. Yes. Go ahead.
MARTIN: Voter I.D. for me, showing a birth certificate that doesn't match my driver's license will be a nightmare. So, it's not as simple as just showing an I.D.
If you are a woman that's married and changed your name, this bill will be a nightmare for those women like myself that changed my name from my birth certificate, to vote.
HORN: I am a feminist. I think women can do it. I trust that we're smart enough to figure it out.
MARTIN: Oh, come on. Of course we can. That's why we don't need these draconian laws.
MICHAELSON: There's a lot -- there's a lot to talk about. And the good news is you guys are coming back next hour --
HORN: That's right.
MICHAELSON: -- to talk about more, including Tucker Carlson floating the idea of a third party that he might start. So, we're going to have that coming up in our next hour when we see Jennifer and Areva once again.
Earlier this week, I made a comment in a different panel discussion about Jewish identity politics. The remark that I made was offensive, and I apologize for that.
Onto other news now. The heat wave is tightening its grip on the East Coast and straining the electric grid as people try to stay cool any way they can. Too much demand on the electric grid has caused power outages for
hundreds of thousands across multiple regions. To ensure there's enough electricity to run air conditioning, the emergency department has directed data centers in the mid-Atlantic states to use their backup power supplies instead of using electricity from the public grid.
From Washington to Boston, at least 20 locations have broken or tied their daily record high temperatures, and more are expected on Friday.
New York's Central Park and the area's international airports all hit triple-digit temperatures on Thursday afternoon.
An area of high pressure, or a heat dome, is locking hot air in place in that region. Experts say the phenomenon is clearly supercharged by global warming.
Meantime, many cities are opening cooler centers to help people beat the heat. CNN's Brian Todd has more from the Great American State Fair in Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Here in the nation's capital, it is oppressive, punishing heat for the Fourth of July weekend. Forecasters say this three-day sequence that were in Thursday through Saturday could end up being the hottest three-day sequence in Washington, D.C., for almost a century, since 1930.
Now for the Fourth of July, and here for the Great American State Fair, they're trying to combat it with places like this. This is a hydration station. These gentlemen have been here all day long, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. They're here just giving out free bottles of water.
They take it from the pallets. They put it in whole crates over here on the right-hand side. Then they shift individual bottles to the left that are already cooler.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ice-cold water, guys.
TODD: This is the fourth and fifth pallets delivered here just today. They've already -- excuse me. The fifth and sixth delivered pallets. They've already gone through four of these entire, huge pallets today so far. And these are the fifth and sixth. Each pallet containing about 3,000 bottles of water by my count. So, you can see just how much the demand is for water here on the Mall.
In addition to this, these -- these hydration stations, they're setting up cooling tents, cooling buses with air conditioning for the Fourth of July. And that's going to be key, because people here are going to come out to an open mall area, which in the middle, at least, does not have much shade.
[00:15:07]
Now you can see trees lining either side of the Mall. Those are great. And people are going to be taking shelter under the trees.
But if hundreds of thousands of people are out here on the Mall on July 4th, there are going to be a lot of people here who are in this open, exposed area, probably for several hours at a time. That, officials say, is a dangerous idea.
D.C. city officials are telling people to limit your time outdoors. You know, this is just getting to be kind of a dicey situation with the temperatures just consistently, consistently hovering above 100 degrees in this three-day sequence.
The air conditioning at these booths, some of these booths at the Great American State Fair, broke down on Wednesday. So, that was another concern. People were not going into them. And you can see there are kind of sparse crowds out here for the fair. It really is due to the heat.
Now, city officials in D.C. are doing their part to try to combat this and advising people to stay out of the heat, to limit your time outside. They've set up six cooling centers around the city. Those are recreation centers and community centers.
In addition to that, they've had spray parks, pools, and libraries that are going to be open on the Fourth of July for people to go inside and take in the air conditioning or to cool off in the water. Those are the measures that D.C. Officials are taking.
But all of this is adding to the angst inside the White House. CNN has been reporting over the past few days that officials at Trump's White House are getting increasingly anxious that the crowds here on the Fourth of July may not turn out to be as high as they had anticipated, or they had hoped.
Part of that is due to the weather. Part of that is because of the politically-charged atmosphere surrounding some of these events and some of the entertainers pulling out, et cetera. But there is concern here in the White House -- at the White House, about possible disappointment with the crowd size on the Fourth.
In addition to that, some of the times have shifted for some of the events, leading to some confusion over when some of those events on the Fourth of July are actually going to start and finish.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Now to Venezuela, where the country has declared a period of national mourning following the deadly twin earthquakes that devastated that country.
Acting President Delcy Rodriguez says that the death toll has climbed to nearly 2,600 people, and that almost all of the local government leaders in the hardest hit areas were killed in the quakes.
She also rejected accusations that the government's response was slow. But amid the tragedy, this remarkable rescue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CHEERING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Emergency crews pulled a man alive from the rubble eight days after the quake struck.
CNN's Isa Soares spoke with one of those rescuers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It was really moving, seeing Hernan Gil being pulled out of the rubble. A convoy of rescue workers were carrying him on both sides of his stretchers.
SOARES (voice-over): And then the rest created a pathway, of course, after looking after him for something like eight days. And then the look on his face. He was dazed but alert.
SOARES: This was something out of a blockbuster movie. And everyone here could sense it, could feel it.
SOARES (voice-over): Because with applause -- and there was a lot, by the way -- also came relief.
After so many days, of course, of loss right here in Venezuela.
SOARES: For a moment, just imagine being Hernan, stuck --
SOARES (voice-over): -- under piles, tons of rubble, unable to move, and in pitch black for days.
I was really struck by the herculean effort from teams from all over the world who, for days --
SOARES: -- taking turns, were delicately cutting through the cement, trying to get him out.
SOARES (voice-over): And this was, by the way, an incredibly complex operation.
SOARES: Hernan was a security guard at this parking lot here on level minus two when the earthquake shook Venezuela. He was in his little cabin. I was told by a rescue worker that he probably was sitting on his chair, because they found him under the chair.
SOARES (voice-over): But that little cabin -- imagine that -- created an air pocket, and that kept him safe.
They kept him alive by giving him fluids, by giving him electrolytes, even baby food through a tube.
And while this was all happening, outside, his wife waited day and night to be able to hug her husband.
SOARES: I can't help but mention this little nugget that was shared with me by a Portuguese rescue worker who, in the early days of the rescue, really bonded with Hernan over football. Have a listen to this.
ARMANDO MARIA, RESCUE WORKER: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
GRAPHIC: We identified ourselves as a rescue team -- as usual -- and I told him that I'm from Portugal. I told him my name is Armando Maria, and that I was there to help him, when almost immediately, he yelled, "Cristiano Ronaldo!"
[00:20:03]
SOARES: Personally, after days reporting on so much loss and misery here in Venezuela, Hernan's rescue really moved not just me, in fact, but my entire team.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Isa Soares in Venezuela, thank you. Search efforts continue across that country, and aid groups are on the ground, providing assistance to those affected.
For more information on how you can help those victims, go to CNN.com/impact or scan the QR code on the screen.
Well, rumors are swirling about the upcoming wedding era of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. After the break, the latest details as speculation mounts. Should we go to New York?
Plus, Segun Oduolowu is here. Stay with us.
[00:25:10]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHERI WIMS, TAYLOR SWIFT FAN: When I heard that it was going to be here, I was, like, trying to put it in my -- in my mind. How? How is she going to decorate that? A stadium? Like, a basketball rink [SIC]? Like, I didn't know.
I'm picking up my sister from town. She's coming into town, and we -- she's a Taylor Swift fan. And we're going to come down here and see what's up.
But if it's going to be all, you know, private, and they're not going to let us through. And it's hot outside, I think I'll watch from TV.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Well, spoiler alert: it is extremely hot in New York, and you're probably not going to see much. The Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce wedding weekend will indeed be very private. It's happening in Madison Square Garden. So, we're looking at a live
picture right now from New York. It's after midnight. Madison Square Garden. We see some black SUVs there. We see some -- some advertisements happening.
All signs seem to indicate that the rehearsal dinner was tonight, was supposed to be wrapped up about two hours ago. Maybe it's running late. You know, some drunk people sometimes give good speeches at those things. Who knows?
And if what we're told is true, the actual wedding will be held at the arena in the coming day.
CNN's Brynn Gingras explains what's known about this big event.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Star-studded guests arriving at Madison Square Garden through a private tent-covered entrance, ready to celebrate Taylor Swift's latest era: bride.
Swift and Travis Kelce's rehearsal event reportedly happening in the theater section of MSG with about 100 guests. The artist, known for her record-smashing "Red Album," appears to have ditched the traditional red carpet. Instead, guests will walk a carpet of lavender haze.
Friday is the main event, a source tells CNN. There will be a cocktail hour at 4:30, and the wedding is expected to take place on the arena floor at 5:30, with a reception to follow, lasting into the morning hours.
"The New York Times" reports it will be a black=tie affair, and no phones or cameras are allowed inside.
Five hundred vehicles are expected to drop off about 1,000 wedding guests inside the world's most famous arena on Friday, all out of view of the public eye.
STEVIE NICKS, MUSICIAN: Nice to see you.
GINGRAS (voice-over): Stevie Nicks and Tim McGraw are expected to perform, according to published reports, and possibly Ed Sheeran, which Swift hinted to during a past interview.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is he singing at your wedding?
TAYLOR SWIFT, SINGER: Oh, I mean, it would be hard to keep him from it.
GINGRAS (voice-over): Preparations for the two-day bash continue as workers plan to transform the iconic venue into what reportedly will be a garden wonderland, echoing the NFL star's enchanting proposal setting.
Security is ramping up in midtown, with barricades set up on many streets surrounding the iconic venue.
MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI (D), NEW YORK CITY: When it comes to the event at MSG, what I can say is that there's been an application filed for a large event. We are fully prepared. There isn't anything to share beyond that.
GINGRAS (voice-over): And Swifties are already gathering nearby.
SMITTY KOVACH, SWIFT FAN: I love the bride era for her. I'm so excited. I want her to just have a lot of fun. I just hope she gets to enjoy the more simple parts of life after all the chaos dies down, because she deserves it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Our thanks to Brynn.
Here to break down the bride era is entertainment journalist Segun Oduolowu to talk about what's being called America's royal wedding.
I mean, you know, you think about it, this is the weekend that we celebrate 250 years from breaking up with the royal family. Yes. And now, are we celebrating our own version of a royal wedding?
SEGUN ODUOLOWU, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: Absolutely not. This is your favorite gym teacher marrying your favorite English teacher.
How soon we forget Meghan Markle, who is American and actually married a royal. That was our royal wedding.
And he's a tight end.
MICHAELSON: And that was -- and that was on TV.
ODUOLOWU: And it was on TV. He's a tight end. Look, I love Travis Kelce. He's a great tight end. But he's not Tom Brady. He's not Patrick Mahomes. He's not Peyton Manning.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
ODUOLOWU: The quarterbacks are the superstars of the NFL. And his cachet was raised tremendously by being associated with Taylor Swift, from podcasts to commercials.
MICHAELSON: But -- but his personality was so big even before meeting Taylor Swift.
ODUOLOWU: Really? Did you know who he used to date?
MICHAELSON: Yes. Well, OK. It doesn't matter who he dated.
I'm just saying -- I mean, the guy had a successful podcast. He was on -- he hosted SNL before he even was with Taylor Swift. I mean, he was a cultural --
ODUOLOWU: Yes. But that's after he won multiple -- but he won multiple Super Bowls.
MICHAELSON: He won multiple Super Bowls. Well, it's because he's a good football player.
ODUOLOWU: Yes, but he won multiple Super Bowls.
MICHAELSON: He's going to be a Hall of Fame tight end. I mean don't -- don't --
ODUOLOWU: That's what got him to host "SNL," were the Super Bowls. his personality --
MICHAELSON: The guy talked on his podcast about how his dream was meeting and marrying Taylor Swift, and manifested that into REALITY.
ODUOLOWU: And $100 million later, after meeting her. Yes, it's all worked out.
MICHAELSON: He said, I've got to get her some -- a friendship bracelet with my phone number, and then he turned that into a thing.
OK, so what do we -- let's talk about what we know --
ODUOLOWU: OK, let's talk.
MICHAELSON: -- about -- about this wedding and the secrecy and the cameras. I mean, Madison Square Garden. She talked about the fact that one of the reasons there, there's no windows.
[00:30:07]
ODUOLOWU: It's a fortress.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
ODUOLOWU: It is literally a fortress. It's got underground tunnels for VIP. You can keep any of the paparazzi out. There's no way to telescopic lens into Madison Square Garden. It has held -- And this is not the first time it's even held a wedding.
Sly and the Family Stone. Sly Stone got married at MSG. So, this -- there's this --- this is, like -- she's not breaking new ground.
MICHAELSON: Want to take you higher.
ODUOLOWU: Yes. OK. Well, Sly was always high.
MICHAELSON: There was plenty of that, that way.
ODUOLOWU: We won't -- we won't dive into that.
But MSG is perfect, because she's played MSG when she is on tour. And I believe that this is all a setup. She's a great businesswoman.
I think we are going to see inside this thing, but it will be streamed to us, or it will be done in some way that she releases it. Because all of the set pieces, all of the trucks, all of the secrecy around it, which is bad secrecy, because we knew it was happening. MSG is lit up pink for her.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
ODUOLOWU: And look, follow the money, which is one of my favorite lines. Michael Rubin, the billionaire who always throws the white party over Fourth of July weekend, moved his party up a couple days so as not to conflict with this wedding.
So yes, they're getting married. Yes, the rehearsal dinner happened. Yes, Ed Sheeran is singing, because Ed Sheeran makes great wedding songs and he's -- I played Ed Sheeran at my wedding.
MICHAELSON: Right.
ODUOLOWU: He wasn't there, but I played him.
MICHAELSON: I think Stevie Nicks is also very cool. And Michael Rubin owns Fanatics with -- and that party always has the biggest stars at it every year. And now, apparently, they're all going to be at Taylor Swift's wedding.
Interesting news today, that they have -- Taylor and Travis have donated $26 million to a bunch of local charities, as well, because clearly they're tying up traffic in the middle of a very hot July 4th weekend. This might be a way to make good with some of the neighbors.
ODUOLOWU: That's the rope-a-dope. That's the brilliant part. That's the rope-a-dope. Watch us put $26 million over here in charity. You love us. So, that when we stream this thing and you get to see it, you don't -- it doesn't cheapen the love that they feel.
Look, I fear for her music. I'm not going to lie to you, Elex. Pain makes great music.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
ODUOLOWU: Her "Red" era when she -- that album after she broke up with Jake Gyllenhaal, great music. When she's broken up with people, we've gotten great songs.
This last album, "Life of a Show Girl," all the love she felt for Travis Kelce, critics --
MICHAELSON: You didn't -- you didn't like "Wood"?
ODUOLOWU: I'm not even going to -- I'm not even going to go there, because I'm not. No, no, you know what? No, I didn't like "Wood." No, I didn't, I didn't need to know that about Travis Kelce.
But her other albums, when she has talked about pain -- "Are You Ready for It?" Which is my favorite Taylor Swift song. That and some others.
But she is about heartbreak, tortured poets, and this is all about love. We've seen this with other artists. Alanis Morissette, she got happy. Her albums dropped.
Beyonce, when "Lemonade," when pain happened, she drops a masterpiece.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
ODUOLOWU: Adele, masterpiece. Every singer that we love.
MICHAELSON: Yes, Fleetwood Mac, "Rumors," on them all fighting with each other. But who knows? Maybe there could be a motherhood era ahead.
ODUOLOWU: I believe that's coming, too.
MICHAELSON: And this is going to lead to some really interesting music.
ODUOLOWU: I think that's -- I think that's the next step for her. And yes, look, motherhood worked for Lauryn Hill. Great album. So yes, motherhood works, but there's pain in that. So --
MICHAELSON: Yes.
ODUOLOWU: -- there you go.
MICHAELSON: I don't know if Lauryn Hill is the model, but that's a whole other. That's a whole other discussion.
ODUOLOWU: How dare you?
MICHAELSON: "Miseducation," one of the great albums of all time.
ODUOLOWU: All time.
MICHAELSON: Segun, thank you so much. It'll be fun to watch.
We'll have coverage of all this tomorrow here on CNN.
It was a big night for one of the so-called GOATs of the beautiful game, Cristiano Ronaldo. How to pronounce -- propel Portugal to the next round of the World Cup. We'll have details on that and the latest on a big day on the pitch.
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[00:38:13]
MICHAELSON: Welcome back to THE STORY IS. I'm Elex Michaelson. Let's take a look at today's top stories.
Venezuela has declared a national period of mourning for the victims of the earthquakes that struck last week. The acting president says the death toll has risen to nearly 2,600 people, including almost all of the local government leaders in the hardest hit areas.
The Venezuelan government announced a $200 million reconstruction fund in partnership with the IMF. A dangerous heat wave is scorching half the country heading into the
Fourth of July holiday. At least 20 locations up and down the East Coast have broken or tied their daily record high temperatures. That trend is expected to continue on Friday.
Use of air conditioning to fight the extreme high temperatures is straining power grids and has left thousands without power.
A former Olympic canoeist is facing up to ten years in prison. A grand jury indicted David Hearn, accusing him of damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Hearn says he simply reached in and touched a flap of blue material that partially detached from the bottom of the pool.
Ukraine's capital is observing a day of mourning on Friday to honor the victims of a massive Russian attack. Search-and-rescue operations are underway for a second straight day in the rubble of buildings that took direct hits.
Ukraine says the death toll from Thursday's strikes now stands at 27 people, with more than 90 others wounded.
Officials say Russia fired at Kyiv from multiple directions, pummeling the city for 11 straight hours. Ukraine's president later made this appeal to allies.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): This is a difficult day, following yet another massive strike. Rescue operations and search efforts at the sites where buildings were hit have been ongoing in Kyiv since last night.
Overnight, 48 missiles and 476 drones of various types were shot down. Unfortunately, not all of them.
[00:40:05]
Unfortunately, there is a shortage of anti-ballistic capabilities, a shortage of Patriots. And our partners, primarily the United States and our European partners, need to be more proactive in providing assistance with us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Iran is preparing to bid the final farewell to its supreme leader that was slain, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Large crowds gathered around the coffin of Khamenei during a ceremony on Thursday. The official funeral gets underway this weekend.
As Jeremy Diamond reports, it is affecting ongoing peace talks with the U.S.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, after several days of negotiations in the Qatari capital, we now see a break, it appears, in these negotiations between the United States and Iran, in order to allow for what are going to be very grand funeral processions for the late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
DIAMOND (voice-over): It is, indeed, rare in Islamic tradition for a funeral to have to be delayed by so long. And it speaks, of course, to the extraordinary circumstances that were taking place in Iran, a wartime Iran, and also, of course, the kind of position of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the reverence that his followers have held for him, of course, for so long and the role he has played in the wider Middle East.
We saw that Qatar said that there was, quote, "positive progress" over the course of these negotiations the last few days.
It's still unclear exactly what was discussed in Doha. Iranian officials said that they were focused on unfreezing Iranian assets. U.S. officials appear to have been focused --
DIAMOND: -- on securing free passage for commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
And, of course, we know that the ongoing negotiations and discussions about the continued conflict in Lebanon also factored into those discussions.
But now the attention, at least inside of Iran, is very much shifting to this funeral procession, which is going to take place over the course of several days in Iran next week.
The Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, calling on Iranians to turn out in, quote, "large numbers" to portray a united front inside of Iran to the world.
There are going to be some 100 countries represented at this funeral, according to Iran's foreign ministry, with senior officials from China, Iran, India and Pakistan expected to attend.
One big question mark here is whether or not the current supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late supreme leader who's going to be buried next week, whether or not he will attend.
And of course, that question still looms because of the fact that we still have yet to see him in public, since his father was killed, and he was injured, and ultimately, since he ascended to become Iran's third supreme leader.
Now, another question is whether or not there could be any strikes during this funeral procession. Certainly, seems very unlikely from the U.S.'s point of view. Also, relatively unlikely from Israel's point of view.
But a senior Iranian military official --
DIAMOND (voice-over): -- is warning both the United States and Israel against carrying out any military action against Iran during this funeral --
DIAMOND: -- vowing a, quote, "regret-inducing response" should any strikes take place.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Jeremy Diamond, reporting from Tel Aviv. Thank you.
You are watching THE STORY IS. President Trump is preparing for Fourth of July celebrations in Washington. But extreme heat and political divisions may dampen people's enthusiasm. That's coming up in the next hour.
But up next, a big day at the World Cup.
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[00:48:28]
MICHAELSON: World Cup with Switzerland and Algeria have been vying for a spot in the men's World Cup Round of 16. The match is close to wrapping up in Vancouver, Canada. It's going late.
Switzerland have a comfortable 2-nil lead. We'll have the final score for you when it comes in.
Lots of excitement earlier when Portugal clashed with former World Cup semifinalists Croatia. The match came alive in the second half when the Blazers took a 1-nil lead.
Superstar captain Cristiano Ronaldo equalized for Portugal on a penalty kick. And then, in extra time, came the winning goal that sent Croatia packing.
That sets up a big matchup between Spain and Portugal on Monday. Earlier, Spain advanced to the Round of 16, making it look easy with a 3-nil trouncing of Austria here in Southern California.
Meanwhile, fans of Team USA are still bristling over that highly controversial red card against top scorer Folarin Balogun. It means that the striker will have to sit out the U.S. high-stakes match against Belgium on Monday.
U.S. Soccer says it is unable to appeal the ruling. And that's not sitting well with fans across the country, who point out similar offenses have gone unpunished.
Even the secretary of state of the United States, Marco Rubio, appears displeased with the call and the lack of recourse.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What about your thoughts on the soccer team? How are they doing?
MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: They got screwed with that red card. I wish -- there needs to be an appeal process for that. It's probably too late for that, but --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: CNN contributor Cari Champion is the host of the "Flagrant and Funny" podcast.
[00:50:06]
I know we've seen Marco Rubio out at some matches. So, that controversy continues.
But meanwhile, it's been interesting to see how the big players have shown up in such a big way.
Cristiano Ronaldo --
CARI CHAMPION, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes.
MICHAELSON: -- one of the all-time greats in soccer history, has played in so many World Cups, showing up today. We've seen the same for Messi, as well, for Argentina.
CHAMPION: You know, I think it's interesting. The big conversation has been, especially leading into this World Cup, because I do believe this will be probably, arguably, the last time we'll see them play in a World Cup.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
CHAMPION: Both of them together. And Ronaldo had been asked about what about Messi? Who's the greatest? This conversation has been talked about over and over again, ad nauseam.
Very similar to who's the real GOAT? Is it Michael Jordan or is it, you know LeBron? You know?
MICHAELSON: LeBron James or Kobe.
CHAMPION: -- that type of -- or Kobe. Insert whatever name --
MICHAELSON: Yes.
CHAMPION: -- and Michael Jordan.
And at one point Ronaldo would just not answer the question, because he's just like, enough's enough. I'm focused on the task at hand. And I believe that helped him. But the big thing is how do we remember them right now, at this
moment, their - their legacy.
Messi, who doesn't talk much. Very much a private guy here in Miami. He's changed the game for soccer here in the stateside, at least.
People seem to love him. They say that winning World Cup for his home, for his country really put him over the top and really, really edged him out of that conversation. And he is now the GOAT.
Ronaldo knows that. He feels that. So, he has a lot more pressure on him, I think, and he wants to win it, I mean, badly for his country, as well.
MICHAELSON: And clearly a flashier player in person -- personality wise.
CHAMPION: But, you know, and that's a weird thing. Because do we want our champions to be humble or do we want them to be flashy? I don't -- I don't have a problem with either.
MICHAELSON: I think we want them to be winners.
CHAMPION: That's it at the end of the day.
MICHAELSON: And then -- and then we seem to -- seem to be OK with whatever -- whatever they are.
CHAMPION: Yes. I don't care how you do it. Yes.
MICHAELSON: Well, speaking of champions, two of the greatest female athlete champions of all time are back: Venus Williams and Serena Williams, playing doubles together at Wimbledon. Serena just played singles, lost in a close match in the first round.
What do you make of the two of them? People you've covered for such a long time.
CHAMPION: Such a long time now.
MICHAELSON: And sort of this historic moment of these two great champions coming back.
CHAMPION: Well, I want to thank you for asking me tennis, because whenever I get an opportunity to talk the tennis, I get really excited.
You know, I -- I think -- and I said this when Serena retired. I was there at the U.S. Open. I said, this isn't it for her. There still will be another, at least another. whether it be doubles, she will show up and do one more act for us.
And I think for her, the way in which I'm looking at it is that everything is just extra. She's won. She's great. She's solidified herself, at least to me, as the greatest woman of all time in terms of sport. This athlete, period, but especially in tennis. And I do believe that what she'll do is play this to get in shape for
the Olympics. There's a trend here. We're watching women say, Guess what? I can have kids, and I can still play.
We have been told for so long that once -- you have to do one or the other. And these ladies are defying the odds. We're seeing that with Allyson Felix, who came out of retirement, one of the most decorated Olympians we have, so she can be in the Olympics.
MICHAELSON: Olympics in L.A.
CHAMPION: In L.A. Allyson Felix, Serena Williams, Venus Williams.
CHAMPION: You didn't go to school with Allyson, but she's a USC graduate, as well
MICHAELSON: She's a USC person. And of course, we know Venus and Serena from Compton.
CHAMPION: Yes.
MICHAELSON: So, this idea of this homecoming --
CHAMPION: It feels special for our --
MICHAELSON: -- being able to go to your home court, to be able to do it.
CHAMPION: -- for our home, our winners here at home, to play here at home. Right?
MICHAELSON: Yes, it's going to be amazing.
Meanwhile, something else is going to be amazing.
CHAMPION: What else?
MICHAELSON: Is July 4th.
CHAMPION: Oh, yes.
MICHAELSON: You and I.
CHAMPION: What are we doing?
MICHAELSON: We're partying together.
CHAMPION: OK, so wait.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
CHAMPION: Who's bringing the booze?
MICHAELSON: OK.
CHAMPION: Oh, wait. We're not. OK, wait. MICHAELSON: OK.
CHAMPION: What time is it? It's late?
MICHAELSON: So, here are some of the performances. CNN is doing this big show --
CHAMPION: Yes.
MICHAELSON: -- called "The Fourth in America." You and I are hosting the West Coast version of it.
CHAMPION: OK.
MICHAELSON: So, in the 11 p.m. Eastern, 8 p.m. Pacific hour, we've got Kane Brown, Maren Morris --
CHAMPION: Wow.
MICHAELSON: -- Christina Aguilera, fireworks in Nashville and Philadelphia.
CHAMPION: Wow.
MICHAELSON: And then in the midnight hour, this hour, and 9 p.m. pacific, Josh Groban, Jennifer Hudson, Chris Stapleton, Steve Aoki, Lil Wayne, fireworks in St. Louis, New Orleans, San Diego, L.A., Houston, Las Vegas, and even in Alaska.
CHAMPION: And you forgot one thing. You promised you would sing. What do we have?
MICHAELSON: Yes, well, what are you saying? It's going to be fun. We're going to be in San Diego --
CHAMPION: Yes.
MICHAELSON: -- at the site of the Big Bay Boom --
CHAMPION: OK.
MICHAELSON: -- which is the largest fireworks show on the West Coast.
CHAMPION: It's --
MICHAELSON: And you were out there a few years ago.
CHAMPION: Yes. I had the opportunity to do it with our colleague and our peer, with Victor. And --
MICHAELSON: Victor Blackwell.
CHAMPION: And he and I -- Victor Blackwell, who is here. He is a wonderful anchor, but he's also a great singer. So, there's competition.
But we had a wonderful time.
MICHAELSON: Nice.
CHAMPION: We were able to -- Nashville has a really big show, and so by the time we take over, we'll be able to talk about what's happening on those different coasts.
There we are.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
CHAMPION: Having a good time and enjoying ourselves and laughing it up. And we're going to have a -- in my opinion, the reason why this is going to be really special this year. Not only do I get to do it with you, but I feel like you might be an expert on San Diego. So, you're going to be able to explain to the folks why San Diego is so important.
[00:55:00]
MICHAELSON: I did use to live and work there. Yes.
CHAMPION: Yes.
MICHAELSON: It is. It is a great -- it's America's finest city, as like they like to call themselves.
CHAMPION: OK, OK.
MICHAELSON: And it's an amazing fireworks show. And so, it's going to be so fun to celebrate America 250.
So, if you're at home looking for something to do, join us for the night. Put -- CNN is going to be on all day long --
CHAMPION: Yes.
MICHAELSON: -- with all these great musical performances.
CHAMPION: Yes.
MICHAELSON: -- biggest fireworks shows in the world. This is happening --
CHAMPION: We're celebrating America's birthday.
MICHAELSON: -- July 4th, starting at 12 p.m. Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. In the morning, I'm going to be at the Huntington Beach parade, reporting.
CHAMPION: Wait, do you have any days off?
MICHAELSON: No. Well, we don't do that around here.
CHAMPION: Yes.
MICHAELSON: But it's going to be a lot of fun.
And then there's also Americas 205th birthday. Tomorrow night at this time, Anderson Cooper hosts with Andy Cohen.
CHAMPION: That's right.
MICHAELSON: Which is going to be happening on July 3rd.
We'll be back with more of our broadcast for tonight --
CHAMPION: OK.
MICHAELSON: -- right after this.
CHAMPION: Lots of work.
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