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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson

Man Rescued from Tunnel Eight Days after Nepali Flooding; Judge to Question Juror Accused of Disregarding the Law; Trump Administration Blames Biden for Economic Woes; Trump Asks U.S. Supreme Court to OK Mail Ballot Changes; Arrests Made in Killings of Musician and His Family. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired September 04, 2026 - 00:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. I mean, you can't really have the conversation about not just reproductive rights but financial rights. Be able to have a credit card in a woman's own name; employment rights. Of course, the Equal Rights Amendment. Without starting that conversation, in large part, with Gloria Allred [SIC].

[00:00:22]

GLORIA ALLRED, ATTORNEY: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: Gloria, thank you -- without Gloria Steinem. Gloria Allred, thank you so much for talking with me tonight. And THE STORY IS with Elex Michaelson is starting right now.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Elex Michaelson, live in Los Angeles. And we begin with dramatic and exciting news from Nepal.

Eight days after that country was devastated by a massive flood, a person has just been rescued after local officials said that they heard voices inside one of the tunnels of a hydropower plant damaged by last week's flooding. Look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

(CHEERING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: This is our first look at that video of this exciting moment. Somebody rescued from the tunnel. You can hear the excitement, the joy from all of these rescue workers.

It's unclear how many more people may be inside that tunnel. We know, though, that there is [SIC] efforts underway to try to rescue more people.

We've been reporting about this, the flash flooding that hit that area eight days ago. The Nepali army had been focusing its search efforts on these tunnels. That's when they heard the voices. Prior to this, around 900 workers were believed to be missing in the tunnels overall.

Let's bring in CNN's Gage Goulding, who is following the story from Seoul, South Korea.

After so many days of bad news, it is great to start with some good news. Amazing, Gage, isn't it?

GAGE GOULDING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Elex, every single time we come on to report this story, it just seems like the news headline is the death count has increased; the number of people unaccounted for has increased; and the days since the flood have increased.

So, this is an incredible video to see. And this all developed here within the last 15 or 20 minutes. And that video of that person being rescued there is -- I mean, it's sensational. It's incredible.

At first, Nepali government officials, a local police chief there, as well, saying that rescue workers heard voices inside the Trishuli 3-A hydropower tunnel. This is a tunnel that they've been focusing on around the clock, trying to get to.

The reason being is, is they believe that there were roughly 42 workers that could be still alive in this tunnel. And it is today, this morning, nine days after the original flood, that they rescued at least one person.

Now, whether that number will increase or not is something that is to be seen. But what we are witnessing here is the fact that there are people that can survive this after nine days.

I want to go back to a quote that we got from an Indian army colonel. They told us about 48 hours after you're just trapped underground, you start hallucinating. And he said, quote, "But there are miracles."

And I think this is a miracle, amongst many of the scenes that we've seen over the past week plus now.

There is an interview that I want to go to, a piece of an interview, a Nepali army leader speaking with our Hanako Montgomery about just the destruction. Kind of really -- I picked this because it really paints a picture for all of us that are not there. Please take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJ. GEN. ANUP JUNG THAPA, HEAD OF NEPALI MILITARY OPERATIONS: If you imagine a tsunami, and this is -- this is the kind of report we were trying to process when we first heard it. If you imagine a tsunami, but instead of water, with mud and sludge rushing down river in a Himalayan incline. So, instead of slowing down, what you're really getting is an accelerating velocity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOULDING: Another good quote here: "Tunnels appear like they're filled with a liquid mud," which makes it incredibly difficult. We've seen videos of what looks like whitewater rafting rafts that you would typically see on a river. They're using those to enter in these hydroelectric tunnels.

What we know is that there are still 940-plus hydroelectric workers that are trapped, and about a dozen or so -- are believed to be trapped or unaccounted for, I think would be the appropriate way to say it -- in about a dozen or so of these tunnels, of these construction sites, these plants. It was a very active scene across the area, whenever this wall of water moved through the area.

[00:05:15]

And on top of that, again, this is an incredible single rescue' that somebody has been found alive. But, you know, again, more than 1,200 people have been confirmed dead. And another 5,500 people, Elex, are still missing. That number, unfortunately, increasing from yesterday.

But I really want to focus on the positive here; is that rescue crews, who have been working nonstop, by the way, from you know, Nepal and nations around the world, really focusing on this region. They have found someone and rescued at least one person alive.

This is something that we're very closely going to monitor to see if additional people -- remember, 42 are believed to be somewhere in that tunnel. So, we could see additional people coming out of there -- Elex.

MICHAELSON: Yes. And Gage, the -- the good news is the initial report was that they heard voices, not just a voice, which would lead you to believe that it is certainly possible that there are more people that are alive, that they may be soon able to get out.

You know, this is a particular area -- our colleague Anderson Cooper actually had visited that particular area where they are right now and showed us up close a few days ago what was going on there and why this particular tunnel was an area that they were so focused on.

What do we know about the area that we're talking about here?

GOULDING: Well, you know, it's -- it's right along the river there. And this is an area that was absolutely, you know, obliterated by that flood wave that came down. And the tunnels had been packed full.

We've seen reporting that they've been using pumps. They've been using excavators, just to get to the tunnel portal entrances themselves. And then getting inside the tunnel was met with all kind of other obstacles.

You know, there's videos out there where you can actually see the -- the rescue members crawling on their stomachs, trying to get through this mud, assumingly displacing their weight.

But you can see the scarring on the side of the -- kind of the valley there, just from how forceful that water was. So, there was -- it's kind of a two-fold operation, right? You have to

find the tunnel entrances and where these people may be trapped. You have to get to it. Right?

And then you have to get in there and clear out any debris or water or mud that is still in there.

So, this has been a very, very long, a very difficult, a very trying operation. And on top of that, again, this is one power plant. There's another power plant that there's even more people that are still missing in there.

The most missing workers are in the Upper Trishuli-1 hydro water plant. That's according to our previous reporting.

So, again, this is one plant. There's about a dozen or so that the -- construction projects that were either operational or there were crews working to build hydroelectric plants along this river valley there.

And even more so, you see this video here where they're using these makeshift cable cars just to cross the river as all the infrastructure is gone. So, they had to build access ways in there.

You saw helicopters flying nonstop, because that really is the only way to access this area, is -- is -- is by helicopter at this point.

MICHAELSON: Yes.

GOULDING: Because, you know, to be completely frank with you, Elex, the visuals really show nothing exists there.

MICHAELSON: Yes.

GOULDING: They really have to rebuild it from scratch, including the access for the rescue crews there.

MICHAELSON: Well, Gage, as you were just speaking, I just got some good news. Another person was just rescued. So now, we are up to --

GOULDING: Wow.

MICHAELSON: -- at least two people have been rescued from that particular tunnel, which is very exciting.

You mentioned the name Hanako Montgomery, our colleague who has been doing extraordinary work on the ground. She now joins us live.

As you can imagine, sometimes the connectivity with this region is sometimes challenging. But Hanako, if you can hear us, your reaction to what we are now seeing, the idea that at least two people have been rescued.

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: (AUDIO GAPS) -- barracks in Trishuli, where we've just gotten word that two individuals have been rescued from the flooded tunnels. We know that at least one individual was stuck inside the Trishuli 3-A

tunnel, where rescue operations have been ongoing, even nine days after the disaster.

Now, you've seen that dramatic footage where you can see individuals getting pulled out. We've also heard, again, from authorities and our sources on the ground here that they hear voices.

So, there is hope, Elex, that perhaps there might be more people stuck inside that they can get access to.

Now, on Thursday, we did speak to the major general, the head of military operations in Nepal, and he told us that specifically the Trishuli 3-A tunnel has been very, very difficult to get into. There is a conduit inside the tunnel that is about 26 meters deep. I mean, imagine. That is extremely deep.

[00:10:04]

Now, the -- the authorities were able to confirm that that conduit was filled largely with water. So, they've been able to take in whitewater rafters inside, and they've been able to try to look around in the tunnel, looking to see if there are any survivors who might need rescuing.

Now, we cannot confirm at this point whether the people they were able to pull out of the tunnel alive are specifically from that conduit. But again, that just kind of illustrates the ongoing operations right here in Nepal, Elex.

It's been a very, very arduous mission for these authorities as they try to get as many people out as possible.

And Elex, as I mentioned, we're on our way to the barracks right now, where we do hope to see some of those rescue operations under -- go underway.

We did hear a few helicopters up above us just a few moments ago, which could indicate that some of the survivors are being brought back to the capital for medical attention.

But again, Elex, these are some of the -- the amazing scenes we've been seeing playing out over the past few days, as there is still more hope that people will be rescued alive.

MICHAELSON: Hanako, can you hear me?

MONTGOMERY: Yes, Elex, I can hear you. Yes.

MICHAELSON: OK. All right. Obviously, there's a bit of a delay.

So, you have been doing such extraordinary work on the ground. You were the first CNN reporter to be on the ground. Talk to us about what it's like there, just to get around.

You mentioned the fact that you're going to try to get closer to them. How do you even do that? For people that aren't there, give us a sense of the scale of this destruction.

MONTGOMERY: Yes, Elex, we've been driving about two hours now from the capital, Kathmandu, towards the Trishuli region. So far, the roads that we've been on have been largely clear.

But as you get farther up the mountain, those roads -- those roads do get flooded. They do get more destroyed. And it becomes a lot more difficult for rescue operations.

We did hear from the major general yesterday, who just kind of illustrated how difficult it's been to get aid up. He said, under normal circumstances, if those roads are clear, they're able to use trucks. They're able to use cars to deliver aid and get, also, survivors out and bring them to hospitals.

But right now, the main mode of transportation has been helicopters.

But you have to remember, this region is extremely arduous. The terrain is very difficult. It's mountainous. There aren't that many places where helicopters can even land in the best of times.

But right now, what they're having to deal with is, again, destroyed roads. Also, plains that have been destroyed by the mud. So, it's also very difficult for helicopters to land, because this terrain has been destroyed by those flash floods. It's been a lot more difficult for rescuers to get to those individuals.

But of course, they are working round the clock. The major general we spoke to said he's barely gotten any sleep, because again, they're that dedicated to getting people out and alive.

And Elex, I do have to point out that communication has been pretty difficult, as well. Power lines have been cut out. Some families still don't even know if their loved ones are alive or not, because they haven't been able to get in contact with people.

And Elex, as I mentioned again, we're on our way to the Trishuli region towards the military barracks, but it's been difficult to even talk to you right now. Because again, there's no signal. We've started up a power generator, and we're speaking to you now off the side of the road.

And then after we -- we have our conversation, I will be continuing my path to -- to the military barracks, where we do hope to get more information on the ground of how exactly those rescue operations were conducted, and hopefully, speak to rescuers about just the conditions right now near the Trishuli 3-A tunnel.

MICHAELSON: When you were talking to the generals, did you get any sense that any of the people trapped in the tunnels might have some sort of access to food and water? Would there be any -- any packets of that down in those locations, where they might be able to be?

Or is it possible that these folks who are being rescued literally have not had any access to food and water for 8 or 9 days? MONTGOMERY: Elex, I mean, we can't say for certain, but it's very,

very likely that these survivors who are stuck inside the tunnels, specifically, have not had any access to food or water.

And we know that, because we've spoken to survivors who were pulled out of those tunnels. We've spoken to rescue workers, also, who helped them get out. And they said that, because the flood was so strong, the current was so strong, it swept away everything they had. It swept away the wallets, the money in their pockets. It also swept away the clothes that were on their backs.

So, you can imagine, if they had any packets of food, if they had any bottles of water, that too would be swept away.

And especially Elex, I do want to illustrate here. If you're stuck inside that tunnel, and you see a huge current of water coming towards your way, you're going to want to use both hands to grab onto anything possible so that you can hang on and stay alive, right?

So again, if you have something on your hands -- food, water -- you're going to drop that and hang on as much as possible to survive.

Now, we have heard from some of the rescuers that some individuals have been able to walk out of the tunnels once that water has receded, and once that mud hardened a bit.

[00:15:11]

But again, those are just a few cases, a few instances, and there are still a lot more people inside those tunnels that haven't been reached yet. They are very far deep into those tunnels and again, need authorities to use whitewater rafters. They need authorities to -- to drill holes in the tunnel to be able to get access to them -- Elex.

MICHAELSON: Hanako, just on -- on a human level for you, this has got to be one of the most depressing stories I think anybody could report on for the entire region.

To now have this moment of hope, to have a moment of joy, to have a moment of good news, what does that mean for you as an individual and for the region? All the people you've been talking to?

MONTGOMERY: Yes, Elex, I mean, you know, as -- as a reporter who's been here for about 8 to 9 days now, it, of course, is great news to -- to hear that survivors are being pulled out of the tunnel, even so many days in.

The fact that they were able to hang on and survive such devastating circumstances is, of course, a bright light in a very, very tragic story.

But of course, for me personally, I'm more just glad to know that their families can be reunited again. Again, we don't know the exact circumstances of these individuals who have been rescued. But I do hope that their families are still alive and that, in the coming days, they'll get the proper medical attention they need and be reunited. Because again, Elex, this disaster has touched thousands of families

in Nepal and around the world. We == people we've spoken to have said that, because there are no remains anymore for their families, they've had to be -- they've had to burn effigies in place, again, of those bodies. They haven't been able to give their loved ones proper funerals.

So, you know, this -- this story, this -- this news, it's extremely tragic. It will leave a scar, as many Nepalis have told me, on -- a permanent scar on their hearts.

So, again, any bit of bright news is, of course, very welcomed. And one can only hope that this will continue, that they will get more survivors out alive -- Elex.

MICHAELSON: You've been doing extraordinary work, and we're really grateful for you and your team. And we wish you the best of luck as you continue on to try to get closer to that scene.

Hanako Montgomery for us in Nepal. Thank you.

We're going to continue to follow this breaking, exciting, and sort of unexpected story from Nepal, plus other news. We're going to take a quick break. More of THE STORY IS when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:22:07]

MICHAELSON: We continue to follow break --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

(CHEERING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: That is the moment that so many people have been waiting for. Our breaking news: at least two men have now been rescued from the flash flooding that hit Nepal last week.

The Nepali army had been focusing its search-and-rescue efforts on these hydropower tunnels. They heard voices. Remember, this is 8 or 9 days later, and now at least two people have been pulled out alive.

Let's bring in Arnold Dix. He is joining us live on the phone. He is a disaster tunnel expert. He has been working with the Nepali government, offering them assistance throughout this process.

First off, your reaction, watching that video and knowing that rescues are happening now.

ARNOLD DIX, DISASTER TUNNEL EXPERT (via phone): Well, it proves to me that miracles can happen. And people working together can achieve what others might think are impossible. It's just absolutely wonderful what's going on. And this is the boost that everyone needed. We --

MICHAELSON: I think we just -- I think we just lost his signal on the phone. Let's hope that we're able to get it back.

As you can understand, there have been connectivity issues in that region. Dix has been working with folks in that region to try to help them.

This -- are a look at some of the video that we were just showing of some of the tunnels, that there has been --

DIX (via phone): I can hear you. Can anyone hear me?

MICHAELSON: Now you can hear me? Can you hear me now, Mr. Dick?

DIX (via phone): Yes.

MICHAELSON: OK.

DIX (via phone): I can hear you. I can hear you.

MICHAELSON: You were just telling us, when we lost you, that miracles can happen. I think that's an important point. Why don't you make that one again?

DIX (via phone): I'm going to make the point. The world is full of people who tell you what you can't achieve. And we've just proven, yet again, when people come together, and they have the big dream, and we say were going to achieve the impossible, that we can.

And that's what you're seeing live on television now. We are achieving the impossible.

We had no knowledge that they were alive. We'd done the engineering analysis. We'd identified what we called a goldilocks zone, somewhere where they might have survived. Here they come. I mean, that is just awesome.

MICHAELSON: What -- what makes this a goldilocks zone? Why were you so interested in this particular area?

DIX (via phone): Well, we could see, from the severity of the -- I'll call it the explosion coming down the valley -- that the tunnels would offer protection, but you'd have to be far enough in to be protected from the shockwave. And you'd need to be high enough up not to have drowned.

So, we were -- we'd identified a region where we thought that might be the case, without -- without any knowledge. Like, this is not in the textbook. This is 101, you know, Boy Scouts and Girl Guides kind of territory. And we thought, if someone survived, this is where they'll be.

[00:25:15]

We know the guys that are in there are smart. We know they're hard- working. The Nepalese people are incredibly strong and enormous hearts. So, we were confident that they could hold on psychologically.

And now you see them. We're getting them out. And the army, my God, the strength of will of those guys going in there, above all of the debris, just under the top of the tunnel, barely enough room to sort of wriggle on your belly, knowing that, if we breach the -- the rock in front and there's water, that they can be drowned. And knowing, as you know, that there could be a breach up in China at any moment with the water coming down again, in which case they get drowned from behind.

And there you have it. That's what makes it all worthwhile. We're seeing living miracles coming out of that tunnel. Just wonderful.

MICHAELSON: And we just -- we hit on this with my colleague Hanako a little while ago. But just from your perspective, as somebody that's been working with them, is there any reason to believe that there would be a pocket of food and water where they are? Or have these folks just been without food and water for -- for this entire time?

DIX (via phone): Now, they would have had water, because these underground facilities, no matter what it says on the drawings, always leak a bit. So, I was confident they could find water.

It is -- it was pitch black. So, you've got to find water, you know, as if you're blind. But there should be water in there.

And practically, if you just, like, put your shirt in and suck a bit up and then suck on your shirt, you can get some water.

So, with water comes life. Even if there's no food. So that's one of the reasons I was calling it the goldilocks zone. I knew there'd be water. I wasn't sure whether there'd be too much water, and they'd be drowned. I knew that they're strong-minded. I could see there was a pocket at the top of the power station where they could hang out, and possibly in the tunnels beyond the blast zone.

And so, that's why, when people were calling the rescue off generally and calling it recovery, I've been saying, no, we are in rescue mode.

And there you have it. We've -- we've got a rescue against the odds.

MICHAELSON: We've got a rescue, and we may have more rescues in the next few hours.

DIX (via phone): A hundred percent.

MICHAELSON: We're certainly keeping a close eye on that. You think? Do you think that's going to happen? Are you expecting more rescues?

DIX (via phone): Yes, yes. And the reason for that is there was no book. Right. There's no recipe for this. But we've just made the world's first recipe for what you do when an avalanche destroys a power station and buries your access tunnels underground.

So, we've got a path that we know works. We didn't have that before. So, we had our resources spread in all different ways, like going to the races and having an edge-wide (ph) bet.

Well, now we know how to do it. So, that means there are other places where people could be alive. And we know an approach that works. No guarantees, but we've got an approach that works. We didn't have that until a few minutes ago.

MICHAELSON: That's -- that is -- that is so amazing. This feels like we're watching a movie in real time, but it is real life. And the good news is, it's real rescues.

Arnold Dix, thanks for all your help to us --

DIX (via phone): Yes.

MICHAELSON: -- in understanding this, and all your help to the Nepalese people in helping to make this possible. Very, very exciting.

We're going to continue to follow that story throughout the hour. We're going to keep going back to it, but we also want to get to some other news tonight, including this.

Of course, the big story that so many people around the world have been following is the Lindsay Clancy triple murder trial.

Tensions flared in a courtroom in Massachusetts as the deadlocked jury ended its sixth day of deliberations. Clancy's attorney says the judge is expected to question a juror on Friday morning.

The attorney has accused the juror of failing to follow the law on reasonable doubt. Here's what he told the judge.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEVIN REDDINGTON, DEFENSE ATTORNEY FOR LINDSAY CLANCY: That there's one juror who refuses to listen to the law that you've given him or her on reasonable doubt. And I suggest, respectfully, that the soft instruction that you gave them, saying at the sidebar, can you listen to the law as I instruct you, does not focus on the issue.

And if we come back here in a half an hour with a mistrial because of a -- because of a juror that has just spurned the instructions of this court, it's a shame. It's a real shame.

And that's why I object to the court's ruling. I request that we have further inquiry. I request that we -- my motion is to remove this juror that refuses to listen to your instruction on reasonable doubt.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[00:30:03]

MICHAELSON: The judge declined to remove the juror or to declare a mistrial.

Clancy has pleaded not guilty to charges of strangling her three young children in 2023. CNN's Ivan Rodriguez is in Massachusetts. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN RODRIGUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What happened Thursday afternoon in the Lindsay Clancy trial was extraordinary.

The developments began when the jury sent the judge a fourth note of their deliberations.

RODRIGUEZ (voice-over): The judge then brought the jurors in one at a time and questioned them briefly, all while defendant Lindsay Clancy was just feet away from each juror.

It was only after this when the judge instructed the jury again on the meaning of reasonable doubt and sent them back to continue deliberating.

With the jury out of the courtroom, we heard from Clancy's attorney, Kevin Reddington. He argued that a single juror, quote, "refuses to listen to the law" and is preventing a unanimous verdict.

He also called for the juror to be removed.

Prosecutors said that there was no way to know who was right or wrong without improperly intruding on the jury's deliberations. Judge Sullivan agreed, saying it would not be appropriate for him to side with one juror or with the other 11.

RODRIGUEZ: Jurors will now return for their seventh day of deliberations on Friday.

In Plymouth, Massachusetts, I'm Ivan Rodriguez.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAELSON: Joining me now, live from Las Vegas, to discuss the case is Neama Rahmani, former federal prosecutor and president of West Coast Trial Lawyers.

Neama, welcome back to THE STORY IS. So, how do you read these tea leaves? What's going on here?

NEAMA RAHMANI, PRESIDENT, WEST COAST TRIAL LAWYERS: Well, Elex, you and I spoke on Friday when we got the first set of jury questions. And of course, I said that the jurors were focused on the pills, mental illness, and the knife, which is, of course, related to suicide.

But we haven't had a substantive note this week, aside from the two where the jurors said that they cannot reach a verdict.

But today was a bombshell, a stunning revelation, where we received a note where jurors said that there is one juror that is unwilling to follow the instruction on reasonable doubt.

Reasonable doubt, of course, is a defense instruction. It favors them. And you can believe that when defense attorney Kevin Reddington makes that vociferous objection loud, that he believes that it's 11-1, and that one juror favors the prosecution. And by removing that one juror, we would potentially get a defense verdict of not criminally responsible.

MICHAELSON: So, 11-to-1 in favor of Lindsay Clancy, which is quite something, thinking about where this case began, when a lot of people thought this case was a slam dunk. Now it seems to have gone almost the entire way.

But there is that one person. The judge supposed to talk to the juror. What is the judge going to say? And is there any chance that the judge actually removes this juror?

RAHMANI: I don't think there's any chance the judge is going to remove the juror, unless the juror says that he or she can't follow the law.

The judge is not supposed to put his thumb on the scale. And it's pretty clear right now from everyone who's watching that that is a prosecution juror. By removing that juror, if we do get a verdict, then all of a sudden, the commonwealth has a basis to appeal, because you removed a pro-prosecution juror, a juror that the other jurors, the majority, wanted to remove. That is improper.

The best thing for the judge to do is to have them continue deliberating. And a mistrial is better than acquittal that is reversed on appeal, in my opinion, Elex.

MICHAELSON: So, tomorrow, or today, depending on where you're watching us from, is Friday before a holiday weekend; Labor Day on Monday.

We've seen over the years a whole lot of juries come to decisions on Fridays, because they don't want to come back to start the next week.

Is this kind of the deadline? And if they can't get there tomorrow, what is the chance that the judge says, "All right, this is a mistrial"?

RAHMANI: That's absolutely right. Never underestimate the power of a three-day weekend to get 12 strangers to agree on something.

If the jurors do not return a verdict tomorrow, Friday, this is almost certainly a mistrial. And believe me, I think it's going a mistrial either way.

We're now a full week of deliberations. There is a juror who has dug in his or her heels. The jurors are frustrated. You can tell by their demeanor in court, from what's being reported. We've had two reports that they can't reach a verdict. Now, a third that there is a juror who is holding out.

I do believe it is 11-1. Like I predicted six days ago when we spoke, I think this is likely going to be a hung jury. And I do believe, like I predicted, that ratio, that split is going to be significantly in favor of the defense.

MICHAELSON: And of course, if it is an 11-to-1 hung jury, it will be interesting to see if they make the decision to prosecute again, if there is some sort of plea deal, because technically she would be free. If there is a hung jury, she would not be convicted of anything.

So, we'll follow that.

RAHMANI: That's absolutely right.

MICHAELSON: Yes. Neama Rahmani, you've been so great every step of the way. We appreciate your insights. I appreciate you joining us from Las Vegas.

We've got lots of breaking news happening right now here on THE STORY IS. Stay with us. More after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:39:51]

MICHAELSON: The vice president of the United States, J.D. Vance, says that he cannot provide a timeline for when the war with Iran might end, including whether that might come before the midterm elections in November.

Speaking at a White House news briefing on Thursday, Vance suggested instead it was up to Tehran to end the conflict that began with joint U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran about six months ago,

Vance pushed back or even calling the conflict a war despite three consecutive days this week when the U.S. and Iran exchanged fire.

CNN's Kaitlan Collins asked him about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR/CORRESPONDENT: Will this war be over by the time of the midterm elections?

J.D. VANCE, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: Well, Kaitlan, again, I don't -- I wouldn't call it a war. Right now, there is no active shooting. I recognize there is -- there have been places where this has flared up.

Major combat operations. Again, major combat operations lasted for about six weeks.

When you ask when will this end, you're asking me a question like, when will the Iranians stop shooting at ships? I think the reality is, I don't know the answer to that question. You would have to ask the Iranians.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: The vice president also refused to commit to a timeline for bringing gas prices in the U.S. down to pre-war levels.

The national average for price at the pump currently stands at $4.14 per gallon, according to the motor club AAA. That is far from the $3- a-gallon level that the administration had previously suggested that drivers would see by the Labor Day holiday weekend. And while this war with Iran has disrupted markets and fanned the

flames of inflation, Vance says he believes the Federal Reserve should lower interest rates, despite those concerns.

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VANCE: America's inflation problem wasn't created in a day. It was created by very bad policies of the Biden administration. Trillions of dollars of new spending that was going more to fraudsters than it was to the American people.

It takes a little bit of time to rebuild the foundation of America's middle-class economy. I think we've made incredible strides.

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MICHAELSON: Our political panel is here: Democrat Steven Olikara, former U.S. Senate candidate and senior fellow at the USC Schwarzenegger Institute; and Republican David Tangipa represents Californias 8th District in the California Assembly.

Gentlemen, welcome back to THE STORY IS. Let's start with you, Assemblyman.

The Republicans right now have the House, the Senate, the Supreme Court, the White House. Does blaming Joe Biden work almost two years later?

DAVID TANGIPA (R), ASSEMBLYMAN, CALIFORNIA'S 8TH DISTRICT: I can tell you this right now: nobody wants to hear who to blame. They want to hear solutions.

And I think that's where -- a big thing that I've talked about is the team that presents and offers, actually, solutions to bring down gas prices, to bring down grocery prices, to bring down energy and utility costs, is the team that's going to win in November.

Now, there's still time, but action needs to happen.

MICHAELSON: Are you suggesting in that answer that -- that your team, the vice president there, are not providing solutions?

TANGIPA: You know, there wasn't anything clear there. And I think that's what we're asking for right now is directions -- directions coming from Mike Johnson, Speaker Mike Johnson; directions coming from Leader Thune; and directions coming from the White House, as well. Tell us what you're going to do and actually execute.

MICHAELSON: And, well -- and this war right now is very unpopular. Let's put up on the screen, sort of the latest poll numbers that we're looking at. This is from University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Approval of military actions against Iran: 54 percent disapprove, 26 percent approve, 20 percent neither. I'm not sure who those people are who don't have an opinion at this point. But OK. The vice president talked about the issue of gas prices, which is part

of the reason I think it is so unpopular. Here's what he said about that.

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VANCE: The reason gas prices are so high right now is because the Iranians are shooting at commercial shipping.

Gas, frankly, could have been much, much higher, were it not for our efforts. But I'm not going to make a promise about when it's going to return to $3.

What I will say is that we have to remember why are we doing this? No. 1, it's so that Iran never has a nuclear weapon.

And No. 2, what we're doing right now is protecting commercial shipping in order to ensure that we don't have a worldwide energy crisis.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: Does he have a point? Is this worth the cost?

STEVEN OLIKARA, SENIOR FELLOW, USC'S SCHWARZENEGGER INSTITUTE: According to most Americans know -- at home right now, most Americans are faced with these higher costs. They have a dollar more at the pump. About $20 more for a normal barrel of oil. Diesel prices are at record highs.

And so, that's what Americans are facing. Prices are going up for them.

And meanwhile, you see the wealth of Trump going up, as well. So, you have this interesting dichotomy where Americans can't afford what they're trying to buy on a daily basis. And the Trump administration is enriching themselves.

And so, I think we have some good bipartisanship here, because it's not about blaming the prior administration. The expiration on that has passed. Americans want to know, what can you do to lower costs right now? And they know this war in Iran is a war of choice.

MICHAELSON: Well, speaking of right now, voting is about to begin right now. In some states, absentee ballots are about to go out within the next few days.

And President Trump continues to target mail-in ballots. I want to put up some reporting from CNN up onto the screen. This is some reporting here.

"President Trump's administration asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to give the U.S. Postal Service sweeping power to withhold delivery of mail ballots, setting up an extraordinary showdown over voting at the high court less than two months before the November midterm election."

[00:45:12]

Again, in some states, the ballots going out in the next few days.

OLIKARA: That's a real concern, because this is way too close to the election to be changing the rules, especially for mail-in ballot states like California, Washington, Oregon.

There are several states where this process is already pretty baked in, and it's already pretty secure, too. This is not a major issue.

I think this is a great example of the tribalism in our politics, too, because this issue 10, 15 years ago used to be an issue that Republicans led on, because it was helping rural voters to be able to vote more conveniently.

Then during COVID, Trump came out against mail-in balloting, and then suddenly, it flipped. And Democrats are now more supportive of it.

But the -- the truth here is this plan that they're proposing by the administration has not been fully vetted, these databases that the Postal Service. We don't know if that's going to work.

MICHAELSON: What do you think about this? I know a lot of Republicans in this state think that there's maybe too many mail-in ballots that go out to folks.

But do you like the idea of the Postal Service getting involved in what should and usually has been a states' rights issue?

TANGIPA: Well, I think what's being asked right now is for the states to share that their election system, especially with the mail-in ballot system, is secure.

You know, when New Jersey comes out and says that 6,000 illegal immigrants were registered to vote, that causes doubts in our elections.

When we know that, I believe, that there are 18 states with more people that are on the registered voter rolls than they have adult population, that causes doubt in our elections.

And so, the state of California is refusing to share its registration data with the federal government. And that's where these doubts are coming.

What we really need right now is transparency. Give us the books. Let everybody see it. Make sure and verify. No state in the United States should have more registered adults on their voter rolls than they do have eligible age population. That is a clear fact.

MICHAELSON: Obviously, that -- that is true. And a lot of California leaders say they don't trust the Trump administration. They don't want to give them all that data. What do you say to that?

TANGIPA: I would tell them right now, when it comes to what we have been able to verify, is that there are discrepancies in our election. And let me ask this. When we know that 20 million people have

illegally entered into the country within the last six years, could there be an issue where somebody gets a mail-in ballot and they are not the one who are actually voting? I think we can say that that is a discrepancy.

So, for those who don't trust the federal administration, the best way is to create a system that has the most transparency that both sides can verify.

OLIKARA: I obviously disagree with --

MICHAELSON: Real quickly. Last point.

OLIKARA: -- the premise of what he was saying. But even if you believe that, the solution of this database has no evidence that's actually going to work.

MICHAELSON: Gentlemen, you're sticking around for our next hour. Thank you so much for being here.

We've got a lot of breaking news, including those cave -- or the tunnel rescues happening now in Nepal. We'll continue to follow that and more as we continue our coverage here on THE STORY IS. We're just sneaking a quick break.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

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MICHAELSON: Back now to our breaking news. That moment. At least two men have been rescued from the flash flooding that hit Nepal last week. This just breaking during this hour.

The Nepali army had been focusing its search efforts on the hydropower tunnels. They heard voices. They were able to get these men out of the tunnels. They were trapped for nine days and able to survive.

Scores of people still believed to be trapped underground. Those rescue efforts are happening right now. We will continue to follow this here on THE STORY IS.

We want to get to some other stories, as well.

Mexican police are investigating the killings of a well-known musician, his family, and their nanny. Authorities have two men in custody. They say that investigators have identified the motive.

CNN's Valeria Leon has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The murder of a young family is the recent case that has shocked Mexico. It occurred inside this property just a few miles away from Mexico City.

LEON (voice-over): Mexican musician Jonathan Melendez, his pregnant wife, their 3-year-old daughter, her nanny, and even the family dog were killed inside the home.

But one child survived. The couple's 6-year-old son was found unharmed, hiding under the bed.

One of the relatives of the 21-year-old nanny, who worked in this house, is now calling for justice.

TERESA, VICTIM'S AUNT (through translator): They took my niece's life, and it's not fair. We want justice for both families. That man must face the full force of the law. She was innocent and didn't deserve to die that way.

LEON (voice-over): Melendez was a Mexican musician who had worked with the indie rock band Camilo Septimo.

His wife, Ana Paula, was four months pregnant.

Investigators believe the killings took place between 5:30 and 7:40 p.m. local time on Tuesday, September 1. Authorities have arrested two men in connection with the case: Diego Sebastian and Gerardo.

President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed the arrests.

[00:55:03]

CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM, MEXICAN PRESIDENT (through translator): This is a very sad and deeply regrettable situation. There have already been arrests, and authorities have also identified the apparent cause: a dispute between this family and another family.

LEON (voice-over): Initial reports point to a business dispute between the two families. Melendez was a business partner of Diego Sebastian, the main suspect in the killings.

Melendez owned an online platform that offered luxury properties for rent. The website has now been taken offline.

Investigators believe the business and personal connection between the two men and their families may have made it easier for the main suspect to enter the home.

LEON: Investigations are underway as authorities try to determine what led to these killings.

Valeria Leon, CNN, state of Mexico.

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MICHAELSON: Thanks to Valeria, and our thanks to you for watching the first hour of THE STORY IS. The next hour begins after a short commercial break, with breaking news.

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