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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson
U.S. Conducts New Wave Of Strikes On Iran As Ceasefire Falters; Democrat Graham Platner Out Of Maine Senate Race Amid Sexual Assault Allegation; Trump To Ask Supreme Court To Reconsider Birthright Citizenship Case; Lawmakers Demand Answers After Fatal ICE Shooting In Texas; U.S.-Iran War Coverage; "The Pitt" Scores Most Nominations for Television Honors; Cases of Diarrhea-Causing Parasite Spike Across the U.S.; Quarterfinals Set to Begin with France vs Morocco. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired July 09, 2026 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[01:00:00]
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: The nominations for the 78th Annual Emmy Awards are out, honoring the best in television. It is a good day to be a cast member on "The Pitt." The medical drama scored 25 nominations, the most of any project nominated this year. Those categories include outstanding lead actor in a Drama, three nods for outstanding supporting actor in a Drama, and four for supporting actress in a Drama.
"Hacks" is not far behind. The comedy received 24 nominations for its final season, including outstanding lead actress in a Comedy, an outstanding supporting actor and actress in a Comedy. Both "Hacks" and "The Pitt" stream on HBO Max, which is part of CNN parent company.
It was also a good year for Apple TV. The network's horror comedy "Widow's Bay" racked up 19 nominations for its first season. We'll have more on that in the next hour of The Story Is, which starts right now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Los Angeles, The Story Is with Elex Michaelson. I'm Elex Michaelson live in Los Angeles.
MICHAELSON: Coming up this hour, the story is ceasefire over. Tehran responds to a second day of attacks after the U.S. says it hit dozens of targets in Iran.
The story is Maine's Senate race. Allegations of sexual assault pushed Graham Platner to drop out. Now Democrats must pick a new candidate for the midterms.
And the story is Emmy nominations. "The Pitt" leads the way with 25 varieties. Mark Malkin is live on set. Talk about that and other surprise picks.
But we start with our top story, a second night of strikes between the U.S. and Iran after President Trump said the ceasefire is, quote, over. In the last few hours, Iran has been retaliating for those strikes again, targeting U.S. military bases in Bahrain and Kuwait.
Earlier, President Trump posted these videos of explosions on social media. He warns that the strikes will get much worse if Iran attacks more ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media reported explosions in several cities in one strike. Iran says a railway bridge was hit. U.S. Central Command now says its strikes are complete after hitting about 90 Iranian military targets. President Trump had this reaction aboard Air Force One.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: They just -- we just hit them very hard. And I'd say we hit them 20 to 1. Every time they hit us, we're going to hit them 20. And we did it last night. It did a little something today, but it was really retribution for last night. They hit actually three boats, not two. And when they hit, we hit back much harder. They have very little left.
And they want to make a deal so badly. They called a little while ago. They want to make a deal so badly. I just don't know if they're worthy of making a deal. I don't know that they're going to honor the deal. That's the problem.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Meantime, Iran's top negotiator is warning the U.S. quote, if you strike, you'll get hit. Don't flail around pointlessly or you'll sink even deeper. The Strait of Hormuz will only open with Iranian arrangements, not American threats.
Lot to unpack. Joining me live to discuss all this here in Los Angeles is Benjamin Radd, political scientist and senior fellow at the UCLA Burkle Center for International Relationship, and from San Jose, NPR reporter Arezou Rezvani. Welcome back to both of you.
Ben, let's start with you. Why is the U.S. targeting what they're targeting and why are they not hitting some other things?
BENJAMIN RADD, SENIOR FELLOW, UCLA BURKLE CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: Yes. So it looks like the diplomacy phase is now over, at least for the time being. And these targets are meant to exact a price on Iran for its decision to go after ships, cargo ships in the strait and also for bases in Bahrain and Kuwait.
And it's trying to signal to the Iranians that if they can't come to the terms that were given to them as part of the MoU, which were very favorable, then they there is no option that would give them full control of the Strait. And that's, I think, what this is about.
MICHAELSON: Arezou, let's talk about the leverage that Iran has right now when it comes to the Strait of Hormuz.
AREZOU REZVANI, NPR REPORTER: Yes, it's been really interesting to watch Iranian state media in recent weeks, a lot of hardliners, pundits, critics have been urging this government not to give up control of the strait. For years, people have talked, people in the government hardliners have talked about, you know, controlling the strait in very theoretical terms, very aspirational terms. And once the U.S. and Israel launched their war, they got a chance to shoot their shot. And they quickly realized that they have an incredible tool for leverage in controlling the Strait of Hormuz.
And they do not want to give that up because they quickly discovered that in controlling the Strait, they had an ability to go up against the most formidable military power in the world. So it's not something that they're real readily going to give up.
[01:05:00]
MICHAELSON: And you say this is something they're talking about often on state TV in Iran.
REZVANI: That's right. I think this negotiating team is under tremendous pressure by the hardliner camp to retain control, as much of it as possible at any cost.
MICHAELSON: And, Ben, a reminder, of course, the Strait was open at the beginning of this war. This was not a problem before this war started.
RADD: Which is why it is too high of a price for this administration to pay in order to obtain the peace that President Trump wants. In other words, he has to find a solution that does not involve losing more than the U.S. started with, which is control of the strait. And the Iranians know this, and they know that this is a pressure point. They know with the midterm elections coming up, there's a lot of sensitivity, so they're pushing that.
MICHAELSON: Arezou, it's also interesting this week we see this massive moving funeral for the former Ayatollah, who is no longer with us because of this war. You say that in a large part. The lessons that he taught folks are now in play. What do you mean by that?
REZVANI: Yes, it's been really interesting that all of this, the ceasefire is on the brink of collapse pretty much as this funeral is underway. The late Supreme Leader will be laid to rest Thursday afternoon. And as the ceasefire unravels, it is coming kind of cementing Khamenei's legacy of creating a system that would not only outlive him, but be able to inflict enormous pain on the global economy, on the U.S. economy.
And if Iran comes out of this with any control of the Strait of Hormuz, I think that it's going to be a region forever changed in a way that I don't think the Trump administration quite, quite anticipated.
MICHAELSON: And just to clarify, when I use the word moving, I was referring the fact that it's literally moving, that we have seen this in multiple locations in multiple countries as well as we have seen, you know, his body being moved around. Ben, you say the midterms are impacting the thinking on this. What do you mean?
RADD: Well, the president is sensitive to the price of gas, the price of goods going up, essentially the economic hardship on Americans going into November. And to create a situation that exacerbates that, that increases that, that gives talking points to opponents, risks the Republicans losing control of the House and Senate.
Trump wants a ceasefire or stability so that he can have that going into the midterms, so that the Republicans can have that. And so the Iranians know that, too, and they know that he is susceptible to polls and to public sentiment.
MICHAELSON: And an interesting potential divide between his vice president of the United States, JD Vance, and his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio.
RADD: Yes. So the decision to pursue the diploma track was very much, it's known to be Vance's and President Trump has basically allowed Vance to take that on. That is now not bearing any fruit. And it is now maybe the chance for Rubio, who's been pushing behind the scenes for a more aggressive posture for the U.S. to use force in order to bring Iran to the table. That might be the time, the opening for Secretary Rubio.
MICHAELSON: Ben, Arezou, thank you so much for joining us. Really appreciate it.
We are following breaking news in the U.S. Senate race in Maine. Democrat Graham Platner is stepping aside after allegations of rape and violent behavior. He denies the charges, calling them politically motivated. CNN's Arlette Saenz reports on what happens now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner officially ended his bid for U.S. senate in Maine, paving the way for Maine Democrats to soon select a new nominee to replace him on the Democratic ticket in November. Platner made his announcement in an 11-minute video just over 48 hours and after a woman he previously dated made an allegation that he had raped her back in 2021, an allegation Platner in that video once again denied.
But that revelation really led to an unraveling of Platner's campaign, placing him on this political island by himself. The Democratic Party in Washington said that they would stop spending money here in the main Senate race unless he stepped aside from the race. A prominent supporter of his, Bernie Sanders, spoke with Graham Platner and recommended that he step aside from this race.
But as he announced that he would end his campaign, Platner also took aim at the Democratic establishment. Take a listen.
GRAHAM PLATNER, SUSPENDING U.S. SENATE CAMPAIGN: We are suspending campaign operations. This is incredibly difficult because I know that some will think it's an admission of guilt and it most certainly is not. We're not doing it because of the allegations. We're doing it because of the structures that are being taken away from us by those in power.
[01:10:00]
And I also feel an immense amount of responsibility to everyone who has worked so hard to get us to where we are.
SAENZ: Now Maine Democrats now are grappling with a scramble to try to find a candidate to replace Platner on the Democratic ticket as they prepare to face off against Republican Senator Susan Collins in November. Once Platner withdraws formally from this race, the main Democratic Party will have until July 27 to put forward a new nominee.
The main Democratic Party on Wednesday night did approve holding a nominating convention to try to find Platner's replacement, though a lot of those details are still being worked out. But there are a number of Maine Democrats who have already suggested that they are interested in entering this race.
But Democrats are facing a very real time crunch in this moment as they try to find a new candidate to face off against Senator Susan Collins. Maine's is a state that will be crazy critical in these midterm elections. Democrats had long hoped that some of the national environment, the public sentiment against President Donald Trump and Republicans might be working in their favor here in this state. But now they will have to contend with this new unknown of at this point, not knowing who their Democratic nominee will be with the election less than four months away. Arlette Saenz, CNN, Portland, Maine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Arlette, thank you. Let's bring in our panel. Joining us live, Fabian Nunez is the founder and managing partner of the consulting firm Actum. And Matt Klink is a Republican strategist and owner and president of Klink Campaigns Incorporated.
Gentlemen, welcome back. You know, do Democrats have a vetting problem? Here is what Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Democratic congressperson from Los Angeles, said on our show last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. SYDNEY KAMLAGER-DOVE (D-CA): asking Maine voters to put their moral compass on the shelf because you have folks that put vibes on over vetting. They should have vetted this candidate and they should have really had a serious conversation about if he was viable to go the distance.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Vibes over vetting. You agree with that?
FABIAN NUNEZ, FOUNDER AND MANAGING PARTNER, ACTUM: Oh, yes. I mean, that's I think what I said in the similar to what I said in the last segment. I think, you know, when you're running for such a high stakes race for control of the U.S. Senate, the most powerful body in government next to the presidency, and you don't spend the 30 to $40,000 it costs to do proper opposition research on your own candidate that you're running and you're putting put on the ballot and you're going to ask Democratic voters and Republican voters and independent voters to consider your candidate as the Democratic nominee in that state. I mean, it feels to me like a miscarriage of, of the democratic process of justice.
MICHAELSON: Who is that Bernie Sanders? Is that Elizabeth Warren? Because he was not the choice of the establishment Democrats. He was not the choice of Chuck Schumer. He was the choice of this progressive wing, this Bernie Sanders wing.
NUNEZ: I think it's the progressive, I think the progressive wing needs to take a full account of how they came to the conclusion that this individual was the right candidate to run for the U.S. -- for the U.S. Senate and to put their support behind someone who has done such a horrible job even in trying to address the issue, which he did today on camera. I mean, it just -- it looks pathetic at best.
MICHAELSON: Matt, you know, there's this fight right now between the progressive wing and the more establishment wing for the soul of the Democratic Party all around the country, not just in Maine.
MATT KLINK, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Yes.
MICHAELSON: And does this sort of hurt Bernie Sanders? Does this hurt the progressives around the country as people as they're saying, trust us?
KLINK: It's hard because look, that moderates are typically not passionate, progressives are passionate. And what you saw was Graham Platner in Maine. He checked all of the top line boxes. He's white, he's male, he's ex-military, he's anti-establishment, he's progressive and he's super -- super liberal.
MICHAELSON: And he's an oyster farmer.
KLINK: Yes, exactly. Yes, well.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
KLINK: Exactly. But he checks all these top line boxes and then the, the most passionate people in the Democratic establishment in Maine, they all jump in behind him. And then the national political people, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, I mean, keep ticking off the check marks, they all jump in behind him. And he had immense flaws. I could have told you when the first couple, you know, peccadillo's came out --
MICHAELSON: Yes.
KLINK: -- there was a lot more people were talking about it.
NUNEZ: But you know, in this process, one of the things that you do when you're vetting candidates for whatever group you represent, whether it's on the Republican side or on the Democratic side, is you need to look for individuals that mirror the communities that they're going to represent.
[01:15:07]
Meaning that if you're in a -- if you're in one of these swing states, you need a more moderate individual to run because that's who people are going to gravitate towards. You can't necessarily use same party politics that tend to be divisive. Sometimes they're more divisive and more polarizing --
KLINK: Oh yes.
NUNEZ: -- than when you're dealing with -- with partisanship. And that -- that group of people, ultimately what they need to really do is think back to what it takes to win these seats, which is you have to have a supply of candidates that mirror the views --
MICHAELSON: Yes.
NUNEZ: -- of the people in the state because Susan Collins by any definition is not very well liked in that state. So you could have elected anybody with a definition of winning elections.
KLINK: She's pretty good at that darn popular.
MICHAELSON: But let's -- I want to interrupt you because we have some breaking news. We want to take you to Maryland at Joint Base Andrews, President Trump has just touched down. This is a live picture of Air Force One. The new Air Force One is pulling in. There was an incident due to security where they took part of the trip on the old Air Force One out of Turkey.
It went to the U.K. at a base there. President Trump got on the new Air Force One and that is now just touched down. It is after one o'clock in the morning. This is a -- a long and quick, quick trip that President Trump has made, although that's a pretty nice plane to fly on. And I'm curious for both of your thoughts on this NATO summit and where President Trump is coming out of it now after appearing on the world stage for the last couple days, strikes with Iran, something he talked about while on that plane. We'll see if he talks as he gets off the plane soon. Fabian, your thoughts?
NUNEZ: I mean, when he entered this war, he said it was going to be a quick war. He said within a couple of weeks it'll be over and it isn't over. And I think that, you know, our NATO allies are very, very important to us. I think the president's message to them is a harsh message.
Pulling the plug on this deal with Iran could have been the right thing to do because the Iranians are not easy to trust. They're not a good party to negotiate with to begin with. I think President Trump is reevaluating why he entered this war to begin with. It's a war that he got into. It's going to be very difficult for him to exit this situation.
And things I think are going to go from bad to worse. And I think today you could see it in his press conference, the frustration in his voice after he was denouncing the Iranians for not being honest and all the things that he said about them. But what's interesting to me more than anything is when I look at that brand new airplane and I looked last week at how his financial disclosures, the candidate financial disclosures, and he showed all the, the money that he's made while he's been in office in just one year, over $2.3 billion.
I mean, but yet taxpayers are funding this war.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
NUNEZ: And he's just making money.
KLINK: Taxpayers fund every war. So let's be fair. But I mean, look, the larger point about NATO, I think that he extended the -- he extended more aid, military aid to the Ukraine, which should make Democrats and Republicans happy.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
KLINK: The challenge that I think that -- that I have more than anything with Trump and Iran. He's mercurial. So he can have a position one day and then he changes his mind. We were just --
MICHAELSON: War in the same day.
KLINK: Well, correct.
MICHAELSON: We're in the same press conference.
KLINK: We were just --
MICHAELSON: Yes.
KLINK: We were just joking around. It's like, you know, Trump was like the last to know that the Iranians don't tell the truth when they're negotiating. Of course they don't.
MICHAELSON: Neither is he. Potentially.
KLINK: The Iranians goal is the IRGC. They want to keep the Strait of Hormuz fighting because then they can maintain the security apparatus internally. They don't want peace. They're going to drag this thing out. And that is a direct cause.
MICHAELSON: So then why did he do this? And shouldn't he have known that? I mean, that's -- that's something that United States presidents have worried about for years --
KLINK: Correct.
MICHAELSON: -- which is why so many presidents of both parties so we're not going to get into a war with Iran.
KLINK: They were getting closer to a nuclear weapon. And the question now becomes is, is America willing to go and do what it takes to ensure. They've already weakened them dramatically and a lot of their nuclear material is buried, but they're starting to restart their program. MICHAELSON: Yes.
KLINK: So it's like either we got to win or we got to get out, but these half measures, they ain't working.
NUNEZ: Yes. And I mean, the fact of the matter is they weren't -- they weren't a real threat to us to begin with. They're a threat to the region for sure, but they weren't a threat to us. And Netanyahu. The reason why we got in this war is, let's be honest, Benjamin Netanyahu persuaded Donald Trump --
MICHAELSON: Yes.
NUNEZ: -- to get into this war, something they've been trying to do for decades.
[01:20:05]
KLINK: They are a threat. They were a threat to America and they remain a threat to America. Democrats and Republicans have both said it.
MICHAELSON: All right, Matt, Fabian, thank you so much. We're going to sneak in a quick break if President Trump speaks on the tarmac. We'll bring that to you when we come back. Also ahead, our Fred Pleitgen has a new report from inside Iran. We'll get reaction to the strikes from there.
Plus, a family in Houston, Texas, demanding answers after an ICE agent fatally shot a man during a traffic stop on his way to work. What we know about that deadly incident. Next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MICHAELSON: Live pictures from Joint Base Andrews. President Trump just walked off of the brand new Air Force One and heading into the beast that is the vehicle right there.
[01:25:08]
You see President Trump right there. You can see his face. He is not wearing a tie, which we don't usually see him that way. Looks like he may be reading or watching something on his phone. It is after 1 o'clock in the morning there. It has been a long day of travel and so now he is on the move, heading back to the White House to spend the night.
Tomorrow will be mostly a day away from cameras for President Trump after a very, very busy couple days. But there we see President Trump heading back to the White House, landing safely after a trip to Turkey.
Onto other news. President Trump says he wants the U.S. Supreme Court to rehear the birthright citizenship case after justices ruled against him last week. The court rejected Trump's efforts to end the process through which children born in the U.S. automatically become American citizens.
President says the ruling was absolutely insane and wrong and warns that it'll destroy America. Supreme Court rarely grants requests to rehear cases and hasn't done so for several decades.
The U.S. federal judge is ordering the release of more than $5 million to former magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll. The judge rejected efforts from President Trump's legal team to delay the payment, the money as part of a larger award made after a jury found that President Trump sexually abused carol and later defamed her.
Carroll's lawyers asked that the case, the cash, be released after the Supreme Court rejected a challenge to the jury's verdict. Trump's team has filed a notice to appeal the decision.
Department of Homeland Security is investigating the fatal shooting of a Mexican immigrant by an ICE agent in Houston. The family of 52-year old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo says that he was shot during a traffic stop involving unmarked vehicles while on his way to work.
The family is demanding answers. CNN's Ed Lavandera has the details and a warning. His report contains images that may be disturbing to some viewers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The family of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, as well as Latino civil rights activists are calling for a full independent investigation in into the man shooting death by ICE agents early Tuesday morning in Houston. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials say that Salgado used the white van that he was driving as a weapon and targeted ICE agents who were trying to take him and several men that were with him in the van into custody that they had used that van as a weapon.
Now, Salgado's family as well as these activists say they do not believe ICE's version events in this situation. However, there has been no full video that has been released or seen in any way so far that captures the full moment of this shooting.
We have obtained a video that caught the aftermath where you see Salgado on the ground next to the van with several agents around him. But that is the extent of what we have seen so far. Salgado's family and activists say that they point toward what happened in Minneapolis earlier this year. There were serious questions raised about ICE's versions and explanations for shootings that took the lives of two people there. That's why they say at this moment, given what they know and the description of what has happened, they do not believe ICE's version of events.
Salgado's family says that he's been in this country for 35 years, has no criminal history, was going through the process of obtaining his legal work permit. If he had known that it was ICE agents who were going after him, that they would have pulled over and complied with whatever the situation called for. So a lot of questions still swirling around this as these activists in
the family is urging the public, if they have any video of how all of this transpired, to come forward with those videos. But ICE agents and ICE officials maintain that it was Salgado who was threatening one of those ICE agents on the ground, using his vehicle as a weapon. And that is why the officer felt compelled to shoot at the driver of that white truck. Ed Lavandera, CNN, Dallas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Thanks to Ed. With hostilities again ramping up in the Middle East, we'll show you what is happening on a crucial U.S. aircraft carrier in the region. CNN's Pamela Brown reports from the USS Abraham Lincoln. Extraordinary access, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:33:48]
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to THE STORY IS. I'm Elex Michaelson.
Let's take a look at today's top stories.
Breaking news in the battle for control of the U.S. Senate. Maine Democrat Graham Platner suspending his campaign amid allegations of rape and violent behavior. He denies those claims.
The Maine Democratic Party is planning a nominating convention to pick his replacement, who will face Republican incumbent Senator Susan Collins in November.
The final procession and burial will be held in the coming hours for Iran's late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Ceremonies have been held across Iran, even Iraq. Large crowds of mourners carried his coffin to a shrine in the Iraqi city of Karbala on Wednesday. It's part of a week-long funeral for Khamenei, who was killed in a joint U.S.-Israeli attack at the start of the war.
The U.S. military says it has now completed a second day of strikes against Iran. U.S. Central Command says about 90 military targets were hit, and the action was meant to, quote, "further degrade Iran's ability to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
In retaliation, Iran says it again struck U.S. military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain.
[01:34:51]
MICHAELSON: CNN covering all angles of this story. Pamela Brown is in the northern Arabian Sea with the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln.
But first to Tehran where Fred Pleitgen is reporting.
And as a reminder, CNN operates in Iran only with the permission of the government, but maintains full editorial control of its reports. Fred.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: As U.S. Central Command announced that it is striking targets in Iran here on the ground in Tehran. So far, things remain quiet.
However, Iranian state media is reporting that there are explosions in places, especially around the Strait of Hormuz.
Now, some of these places are areas that we've been talking about over the past couple of weeks, and certainly also over the past couple of months, as that war between the U.S. and Israel and Iran has been unfolding.
The Iranians say that there are explosions, for instance, near the town of Bandar Abbas, where, of course, there is a very large military port that's used by the Navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Also, the town of Sirik, which is in the eastern part of the Strait of Hormuz, also explosions being reported from there. Now, the Iranians have said that there would be a massive response should there be attacks by the United States.
Certainly the Iranians saying the last set of strikes that the U.S. conducted, that the Iranians retaliated, hitting 85 places that the U.S. uses, for instance, in Bahrain and in Kuwait.
The Iranians also warning the United States against a possible ground operation to try and take Kharg Island. The Iranians saying they would be waiting and would be a bloody operation for U.S. forces.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN -- Tehran.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAMELA BROWN, CNN CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: This is one of two aircraft carriers in the region. And you see behind me what's called the bridge, the flight tower. This is where all the shots are called.
And you see the planes, here they are on this deck. There's F-35s, F- 18s, Growlers, E2s, all of them play certain roles in the conflict.
Now, what we know for sure, per a U.S. official I spoke to, is that there will be defensive missions happening on the USS Abraham. And in fact, there has already been a shift in operational plans in the wake of the Iranian attacks on those vessels.
This ship left port early yesterday so that it could be out here at sea and ready to go in case orders are given.
So you can see some of that preparation happening right now. There's some maintenance happening over here on this helicopter. And then if we pan over here, you can see they pulled out some armaments, some missiles to put on the flights.
Now I'm told that would be standard operating procedure because tomorrow is a flight day. But of course, this takes on new meaning in the wake of the latest rhetoric from the president and the Iranians as well.
So we'll have to wait and see. As one source said, it is a very dynamic situation here.
Pamela Brown, CNN -- from the USS Abraham Lincoln.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Some amazing reporting from both Pamela and Fred there with great access here on CNN.
Well, there is still time to catch up on the best in television before the Emmy Awards in September. Coming up, this year's ceremony, which shows bagged the most nominations. Marc Malkin from "Variety" here live to talk about it. And it's a good day for our company.
Stay with us.
[01:38:05]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Westbridge Hospital has shut down all their computer systems.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are we next?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're about to go analog.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: The stakes were high in season two of "The Pitt", which is the talk of Hollywood right now after nominations for the 78th Emmy Awards were announced.
The medical drama scored 25 nominations, most of any project nominated this year. Those categories include outstanding drama series, outstanding lead actor in a drama, multiple nods for outstanding supporting actor and actress in a drama.
Joining me to break down all of this is Marc Malkin, senior culture and events editor at "Variety". Marc, welcome to THE STORY IS for the first time.
MARC MALKIN, SENIOR CULTURE AND EVENTS EDITOR, "VARIETY": Thank you. I'm glad to be here.
MICHAELSON: So "The Pitt" 25 nominations.
MALKIN: Not surprising.
MICHAELSON: Double from what they had last year when they won Best Drama. And when Noah Wyle won. Basically the entire cast is nominated.
Is it that good? And for people that may not watch it, is it really worth it?
MALKIN: It is that good. There is something about it that is so realistic. It's so universal.
We've all dealt with medical drama in our life. We've all dealt with ERs. It is just that realistic and it just hits you in the heart like no other show.
MICHAELSON: And literally the heart because there's open heart surgery in the show as well. So you see, I mean, the premise of "The Pitt" is it's an entire shift.
MALKIN: Yes.
MICHAELSON: You go through hour by hour, kind of like "24", where there is no breaks, there's no commercials on HBO.
MALKIN: No.
MICHAELSON: And so you're able to see it. And they focused on making it the most realistic medical show ever. They work with a lot of doctors and consultants to do it, and it's very emotional.
And so the episodes are available on HBO MAX right now. And they film it, by the way, right across the street from our window.
MALKIN: So you see some of those patients walking by.
MICHAELSON: Here, you can see that's a window outside of our building, and "The Pitt" studio is right there as well. The Warner Brothers lot in Burbank.
Speaking of Warner Brothers, "Hacks" gets 24 nominations. This comedy series, which has been the darling. Jean Smart has won best actress all four times she's been eligible.
We'll see what happens.
MALKIN: Nope. She's going to win again. I'm going to say it now.
MICHAELSON: The amazing thing about "Hacks" is that I think the fifth season, the current season, the last season is the best season --
MALKIN: Yes.
MICHAELSON: -- which is almost never the case for shows. Most shows go downhill towards the end, which is why they're taken off the air.
How has "Hacks" been able to do this?
MALKIN: "Hacks" has been able to do -- they've been consistently very good. Is each season equal? No.
But this fifth season they nailed the relationship between Deborah and Ava so well. And they also said that they want to go out on top.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
[01:44:43]
MALKIN: They didn't want to see people like us saying it's time to go. This season is really bad. They nailed it so well. Jean Smart is beyond genius and she will win.
MICHAELSON: And part of the reason that they nailed it is, and I talked with them both about this when it first came out, they weren't fighting the whole season.
MALKIN: No.
MICHAELSON: Most of it was about their love. And they're actually better and have more fun when they aren't fighting, which was some of the seasons that may not have been as good. That was part of our interview with them a little earlier this year.
Apple TV had a huge day --
MALKIN: Huge day.
MICHAELSON: This new show, "Widow's Bay", which just came out, just made the eligibility window with Matthew Rhys. Had 19 nominations.
MALKIN: 19 nominations.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
MALKIN: We were watching the nominations this morning, and it was just like one after the other. And I will tell you, there are a bunch of people who did text me going, what is "Widow's Bay"?
MICHAELSON: Yes. What is it? It's a horror-comedy?
MALKIN: It's a horror-comedy with, you said Matthew Rhys; one of my absolute favorite actresses in this town, Betty Gilpin. She could do no wrong. If you don't know her, you see her. You will know who she is. She got nominated -- 19.
MICHAELSON: Yes. And also big nominations for "Pluribus". And the thing about "Pluribus", which is very, very good and "Widow's Bay", which I haven't seen yet -- I got to check it out -- is they're both weird and strange.
And the kind of thing that 20 years ago, a network like CBS or NBC or ABC would probably never have made. But because Apple has so much money, more money than God to kind of do whatever they want creatively, the shows are different now.
MALKIN: Yes, I mean, they have the money. Plus, there's so much more competition. Those kind of strange programs are happening on all the other streamers too.
So people -- the streamers aren't just looking for that traditional sitcom that was on CBS, NBC, ABC. They're competing for the strange, they're competing for the traditional, the classic, the off-the-wall. So you're going to see more and more of that. And the academy loves them.
MICHAELSON: And the weirder it gets sometimes gets more buzz. And then that's what you need right now is buzz.
MALKIN: That's what you need to stand out.
MICHAELSON: The academy making an interesting choice this year, that Mariska Hargitay is going to be hosting, the longtime "Law and Order" star.
MALKIN: NBC.
MICHAELSON: Not a comedian by training. What do you make of this, of this choice to not go with the comedian?
MALKIN: This is the thing. She's very funny. People don't know this.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
MALKIN: Years ago, I was with a different (INAUDIBLE) than "Variety", I started a Twitter campaign. Mariska Hargitay for hosting SNL.
MICHAELSON: Really?
MALKIN: She's never hosted SNL. She's on "Law and Order", one of their biggest shows ever.
MICHAELSON: Yes. Their biggest show. Yes. NBC --
(CROSSTALKING)
MALKIN: So, I'm saying it right now.
So NBC now is hiring her to do the Emmys.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
MALKIN: I'm saying next season, Lorne Michaels, host.
MICHAELSON: it's got to happen.
MALKIN: Yes.
One non-Emmy thing "Dune 3", we got the trailer today. Let's watch some of that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You've destroyed thousands of worlds.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are your thoughts on that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think you're way beyond redemption.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Timothee Chalamet clearly back. What do you know about this one?
MALKIN: I am so excited for this. You have something like "Dune", you have "The Odyssey", you have "Spider-Man" to bring to bring it to the business. That means theatrical is going to keep going up -- theatrical releases.
No, theater is not back the way it was before everything. But you look at this "Dune" trailer, you need to see that in a theater. You don't want to watch that on your iPad.
MICHAELSON: Yes. And you've got "Moana" coming this weekend.
MALKIN: You have "Moana".
MICHAELSON: You've got "The Odyssey" is going to be -- is "The Odyssey" going to be the biggest movie of the summer?
MALKIN: Yes, for sure. I mean, the numbers are going to be -- "Toy Story 5", "Toy Story 5" in there. But --
MICHAELSON: That's a good one too.
MALKIN: Yes, but it's just great because people go into theaters. That's what we're excited about.
MICHAELSON: We love that. That's good. That's money for everybody in this town, too.
MALKIN: Yes.
MICHAELSON: Marc Malkin from "Variety". Great to have you here.
MALKIN: Same here.
MICHAELSON: Thank you so much.
A multi-state stomach bug is leaving hundreds sick for weeks. Still ahead, what doctors believe is behind the outbreak.
[01:48:59]
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MICHAELSON: A parasitic illness is making hundreds of people sick across the U.S. The stomach bug can cause weeks of severe diarrhea and other symptoms. Health officials in several states are reporting an uptick in cases.
CNN's health reporter Jacqueline Howard reports. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN'S HEALTH REPORTER: Here's what you need to know. In some cases, this illness has been tied to eating fresh produce.
And the illness that were talking about here is called cyclosporiasis. It's caused by the parasite, cyclospora and health officials are investigating cases across several states. And some of those states -- Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas -- cases have been linked to eating fresh produce from Mexican-style restaurants, local chain grocery stores and catered events. Some examples of produce potentially include cilantro, onions, and cucumbers.
Now, there are at least eight additional clusters of cases that are still under investigation in several other states as well.
And cyclosporiasis, it causes intestinal illness, so symptoms include watery diarrhea. In some cases explosive diarrhea and these symptoms can last for weeks.
The illness can be treated with antibiotics, but it can be a very miserable illness.
So you want to avoid getting sick in the first place. To do that, avoid food or water that may be contaminated with feces. Experts say that's how this parasite can spread.
[01:54:50]
HOWARD: Also, make sure you thoroughly wash any fresh fruits or vegetables that you have. If you have firm fruits like melons, scrub them with a brush.
And basic hygiene goes a long way. Wash your hands with soap and water, especially before preparing food.
Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: It's going to be a big day in soccer. The quarterfinals begin in the men's World Cup in the next few hours.
Tournament favorite France kicks things off with their match against Morocco outside of Boston. Then on Friday, it is Spain versus Belgium here in southern California, Norway versus England and Argentina versus Switzerland will cap off the quarterfinals on Saturday.
And finally, this hour, Canadian pop star Justin Bieber is joining the lineup of stars performing at the halftime show for the World Cup final.
What a gathering this is going to be. Bieber will feature alongside Madonna, Shakira and K-Pop boy band BTS. We'll also see characters from "Sesame Street" and "The Muppets". That's a crowd you will never get together again in one place.
The World Cup final is set for July 19th at the New York-New Jersey Stadium, which of course is actually in New Jersey. That's going to be something.
Thanks so much for watching THE STORY IS. I'm Elex Michaelson.
We'll see you tomorrow.
More news next on CNN.
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