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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson
Hurricane Lowell's Forecast Path Shifts Closer To Hawaii, Increasing Danger; Warning Issued For Kauai, Niihau; Dozens Injured In Houthi Attacks On Saudi Arabia; Canada's Retaliatory U.S. Tariffs Take Effect As Trade Dispute Grows; CNN On The Ground In Tibet After Massive Flash Floods; Harry & Meghan Remain Non-Working Royals after Return; Rams to Take on 49ers in First League Game in Australia; Sir Anthony Hopkins Shares His Passion for Music, Composition. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired September 08, 2026 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[01:00:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIAM SHATNER, ACTOR: I'm beginning to get it. It isn't so much when do I come in? It's -- I got to feel the music and then come in with the lyrics.
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.
SHATNER: And it's all about passion.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Rage.
MICHAELSON: Do you ever -- did you see your dad as a heavy metal star?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, I missed that one.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): His band set to play at Riot Fest in Chicago this fall. And then.
SHATNER: And I'm doing the one in the desert in spring.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, God.
MICHAELSON: The one you're doing Coachella?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Coachella.
MICHAELSON: You're going to do Coachella.
SHATNER: Playing half, playing heavy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My daughter was like, there's Frank. Coachella.
SHATNER: It's frightened her.
MICHAELSON: Is that the secret, though, to be excited about the future?
SHATNER: You got to be.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: We're excited to see him, by the way. He just posted a video of him getting fitted for earpieces for his big heavy metal concert. So it is full steam ahead for William Shatner.
Thank you for watching the first hour of The Story Is. The next hour starts right now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Los Angeles, The Story Is with Elex Michaelson.
MICHAELSON: I'm Elex Michaelson live in Los Angeles where it's 10:00 pm. It is right now 7:00 p.m. in Hawaii where the story is Hurricane Lowell. The Category 2 storm is bearing down on Hawaii's western islands right now. We will go live to Kauai to talk to the mayor about the conditions on the ground.
The story is retaliation. Canadian counter tariffs on tens of billion dollars worth of American goods just went into effect in the last hour. Our expert political panel is here.
And the story is down under as the NFL season kicks off. The league is hosting its first ever regular season game in Australia. We'll take you there live.
But we begin the top story, Hurricane Lowell. You are looking at live pictures right now from Honolulu where we've seen rain and gusty winds as the outer bands of the powerful storm lashed that state. Lowell is currently a Category 2 storm -- Category 2 hurricane with winds of 110 miles an hour. A rare hurricane warning is in effect for the islands of Kauai and Nihau, while a tropical storm warning is in effect for Oahu. The storm's projected path now shifts its closer to Hawaii.
Lowell's center is forecast to make its closest pass about 75 miles west of Kauai as a Category 2 hurricane Monday night through Tuesday morning in the hours ahead.
Joining us live from Kauai is Derek Kawakami, the mayor of Kauai County. Thank you so much for being with us, Mr. Mayor. What are the conditions that you're seeing on the ground right now? What's the latest?
DEREK KAWAKAMI, KAUAI COUNTY MAYOR: Hurricane Lowell had turned north as anticipated. What was not anticipated is the track that it took that's bringing it actually much closer to Niihau and Kauai. But right now we have been seeing the storm system escalate throughout the day.
This storm is going to peak overnight anywhere between 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. so we've just been in constant communication with our residents and to our visitors. I have to say, everybody out there for the most part has been so cooperative. They've been getting hurricane ready for weeks in advance. Yesterday, as I walked around some of the stores that I'd anticipated
to see a rush, it was very quiet and according to the clerks, a lot of the people had just spent that time beforehand getting ready because this storm system is very familiar to a hurricane. The last hurricane that we went through, which was Hurricane Iniki, I was 15 years old at the time, it took the same track heading south and then shot north and just went right over Kauai and west Oahu.
MICHAELSON: I know you've closed the airport, at least for the night. Schools are closed for the day ahead. What are some of the other precautions you're taking?
KAWAKAMI: We're telling everybody to please stay off the roads. Right now the wind is continuing to just blow really hard. It's been raining all day, so all of the soil and the trees are saturated, the rivers are swollen and when you have high wind and trees that have just been doused with rain and you have winds coming in different direction, directions, those trees tend to fall, break.
They could provide a lot of hazardous conditions. So for the most part, a lot of people have really listened to our advice and for that I'm very thankful. The roads are primarily empty.
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We have a number of people that are taking shelter at our refuge centers. But other than that, since Hurricane Iniki, our building codes have evolved to be much more resilient in this type of storm system. So a lot of people are just sheltering in place.
MICHAELSON: What are you most concerned about in the hours ahead?
KAWAKAMI: Well, I'm always concerned about people's safety and, you know, our first responders are out there. I can't imagine, you know, their families are back at home going through this storm. And that's why we've been urging people to be really safe because we don't want to unnecessarily put our police officers, our firefighters, all of our law enforcement and that whole first responder community, which includes our AMR folks, the paramedics, we don't want to put them in unnecessary harm's way. And so we are asking everybody to do their part.
And it's just refreshing to see a whole community led government supported operation where the community is doing exactly what they're supposed to do.
MICHAELSON: Well, Kauai is one of the most beautiful places on the planet. I know so many of us watching around the world love visiting that island. The residents are such beautiful people and we are all wishing you the best and hope that the next hours aren't that bad. But we're thinking of you and sending our love.
Mayor Derek Kawakami, thank you so much for being with us and best of luck in the hours ahead.
KAWAKAMI: Thank you very much. You folks have a great evening. MICHAELSON: Thank you. This is news here on CNN. Saudi Arabia's military says at least 73 civilians were wounded in a wave of attacks from Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Saudi led coalition forces say the attacks targeted several civilian and economic sites in several cities within the kingdom on Tuesday morning. Women and children among the wounded.
The Saudi led group vows it will take all necessary measures to neutralize the threat posed by the rebel group.
Turn now to Ukraine where officials in the capital say at least six people have been injured and many have taken shelter amid a Russian missile and drone attack. Now that comes after a 72-hour truce expired and just a day after U.S. envoys visited the region hoping to revive peace talks.
The temporary truce had protected only Kyiv and Moscow while Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited both capital cities over the weekend. They say the U.S. is pushing to resume trilateral talks to help end the conflict. Both the men appeared on optimistic about a resolution after extensive meetings with Presidents Putin and Zelenskyy.
Well, it's a little over an hour past midnight on the U.S. East Coast and Canada's new counter tariffs on hundreds of American products are now in effect.
Canada now imposing duties of 15, 25 and 50 percent on more than 700 American goods. It is the latest escalation in the trade war between the U.S. and one of its closest allies. Canada is now doubling its tariffs on U.S. steel and aluminum to 50 percent. Home appliances, agricultural products, dairy, paper goods will also be hit.
Canadian officials say they are matching the Trump administration's recent tariffs dollar for dollar after trade talks broke down last month. Canada is the second largest export market for American goods and these new tariffs make it harder for U.S. companies to sell there. That means more uncertainty for American businesses workers.
Earlier, I spoke with Diamond Isinger, who is a policy strategist and former special adviser on U.S.-Canada relations to then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. I asked her if Canadians support the retaliatory tariffs. Here's what she told me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DIAMOND ISINGER, POLICY STRATEGIST: There's a pretty strong consensus right now in Canada of A, the need to take action opposite the actions taken by the US Administration, but B, the importance of standing together as Canadians, of buying Canada, of supporting Canadian businesses. We know, for example, retailers here in Canada have increasingly introduced Canada flag labels on store shelves to make clear which products are being made here or are supporting local jobs within our country.
But interestingly, in recent days as well, some of those same retailers, in anticipation of tonight's introduction of tariffs, have been talking about adding new labels to store shelves that indicate which products are tariff affected so that consumers understand why their costs may be increasing.
But absolutely, there's a broad base of public support in Canada right now from multipartisan perspective in the interest of continuing to stand up for ourselves, even if that does mean some potentially short to medium term economic consequence here in Canada.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Our political panel is back with us, Caroline Heldman, Democratic strategist and political scientist, and Dan Schnur, a political commentary professor at USC and UC Berkeley and author of a brand new political newsletter at danschner.substack.com welcome back, both of you.
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Dan, let's start with you. These Canadian tariffs are going to make prices higher for Americans and Canadians. Who are American people going to blame for that?
DAN SCHNUR, POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, DANSCHNUR.SUBSTACK.COM: Well, one of the best or worst things about politics is that the person in charge always gets way too much credit when things are good and way too much blame when things are bad. And what Trump -- with Donald Trump is dealing with now, not just given these new attacks in the Middle East, but now, of course, this increased trade war with Canada is the almost certainty of continued higher prices and inflation and affordability challenges right through the November elections.
Back in February, if you remember, Elex, a lot of Republicans said when the Iran war broke out, they said as long as the war is over by Labor Day, as long as prices are coming down by then, we'll be just fine.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
SCHNUR: Between Iran, between Ukraine, between Canada, prices are not going down. They're still going up. And that's a big challenge for the party that holds the White House in both chambers of Congress.
MICHAELSON: Because a lot of Americans elected Donald Trump thinking that he would do a better job at lowering their prices than Kamala Harris.
CAROLINE HELDMAN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, and he's not right. He's gotten us into a war that has increased prices. Obviously, his tariffs, according to economists across the political spectrum, it costs Americans about 1,000 extra dollars per year in the price of gas, groceries and other basic goods last year. It's going to be even higher this year.
And Donald Trump is, you know, he's got this like 1980s fixation, if you will, maybe I think from the 80s on tariffs. But he doesn't seem to understand how they work. And I think about the broader implications. Right. Of us disaffecting our allies. It destabilizes us globally if we don't have the alliances, both in terms of trade and in terms of foreign policy and wars that we previously did.
And I think, as you point out, Elex, so many Americans voted for him. So it's not enough to just get a shift in a new administration because now there's uncertainty that Americans at some point in time might put another person who is so unstable and passing policies that are clearly not in America's best interest.
MICHAELSON: But don't these guys know this? I mean, the guys in the White House that are having this midterm convention this week that look at polls for a living, that watch TV every day, don't they realize that this the biggest thing Americans want is for their prices to get lower? And both of the things you're talking about the tariffs and the Iran war are making their prices higher.
SCHNUR: Trump's advisors understand that, and they're regularly telling the president that he needs to emphasize affordability and talk about inflation as opposed to the reflecting pool, the Kennedy Center, the new Air Force One, and so on. And sometimes the president listen and sometimes he doesn't.
But, Elex, just quickly, it's worth noting that this isolationist tendency in this country right now is a bipartisan phenomena. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and Hillary Clinton all opposed the Trans Pacific Partnership also. It's a broader sentiment than just one party. But when you're the person in charge, like I said earlier, you get too much credit or you get too much blame. This is the Trump agenda.
As Caroline correctly pointed out, voters believed in 2024 that he was going to be better at handling the economy than Joe Biden or Kamala Harris. Now, they seem to be rethinking that.
MICHAELSON: Well, and he's also talking about things that are not lowering your, your prices, like renaming things.
HELDMAN: And the ballroom.
MICHAELSON: Well, there's the ballroom, but then there's also, you know, naming Lake Ontario, Lake America. He wants to call the Strait of Hormuz the Trump Strait. Putting out a post this weekend that maybe New Mexico should be renamed New America.
I mean, some people may see some of these as a joke. He may say that these are a joke. But does this show that he's focused on the issues that people want him to be focused on?
HELDMAN: Well, let's get real, Elex. He wouldn't be elected if the election were held today. He doesn't seem to be particularly stable. Right. And this dissent -- and even if you support Donald Trump, you've got to be asking yourself, why would, you know, why haven't we seen the Epstein files? Why do we get into a war that was unprovoked in the Middle East after he's railed against, you know, he's gone against every campaign promise imaginable, the way in which he's doing immigration policy. He's underwater on every major policy.
And his advisers are for sure telling him to focus on the economy because that is all Americans care about right now. And he is shooting our prices up, and we know it. And he's even managed to make the, you know, the cattle associations upset, you know, farmers and beef cattle people, because he's bringing in 300,000 tons of meat scraps from other countries.
[01:15:00]
We've got issues with, you know, the FDA. We're now starting to see the deaths because of DOGE gutting USAID and all of the destabilization of our bureaucracy, basic things like food safety. So, yes, the man would not be elected today. And we all have to sit here and act like this is a normal thing. It's not normal.
MICHAELSON: In the past, Dan, you've advised Republican candidates before. What would your advice be to this president?
SCHNUR: Just as a point of order, as you know, Elex, I switched my party registration to Independent about 15 years ago. What I would advising, the advising a president of either party is inflation and affordability are the most important issues to the American people right now.
And as an avowed 20th century free trader, I would be telling a president, whether it be Trump or Biden or Harris or Hillary Clinton, saying the way to bring down prices and regrow the American economy is to reach out more aggressively and recreate those economic ties to the rest of the world.
MICHAELSON: What is the Democratic plan to make prices lower? Other than say that the Iran war was bad and tariffs are bad and all the Trump stuff is bad? What is the Democratic plan to actually lower our prices?
SCHNUR: Well, and this is the real challenge here. If you look at public opinion polls, Caroline is exactly right that Trump is at near record poll -- low poll levels, his favorability numbers are roughly where Richard Nixon's were right before he resigned from office in 1974. But the Democrats are only marginally ahead of him. And if you ask people to offer one word about what they think about Donald Trump, it's wrong.
If you ask people to give one word on what they think about Democrats, it's weak. And that's one of the reasons that the most progressive voices of the Democratic Party, the DSA and their compatriots are attracting so much attention right now because traditional, more centrist Democrats haven't forwarded the kind of agenda that you're talking about.
MICHAELSON: What do you think is the Democratic way to actually make our lives cheaper?
HELDMAN: Oh, I think it's very simple, right? You stop the war in the Middle East, you stop the war with Iran. That will immediately bring prices down, we know that it's affecting fuel, et cetera. Also, you immediately get rid of all of the ridiculous tariffs he's put in place. These are taxes on the American public.
But beyond that, his big beautiful bill just transferred wealth from the neediest Americans in our social safety net to the wealthiest Americans. So you restore the tax code. And also, I would add, the gutting of the IRS the fact that he's laid off so many folks under DOGE. Look at the data. We are not pulling in the tax revenue that we otherwise would. And it's also creating a moral hazard because people know that they're not going to be monitored in the same way. And so our tax revenue has gone down.
There are a lot of different ways to go about that. And I think the reason that, as you're pointing out, Dan, the reason that the Democrats are in the gutter as well they're polling is because they're seen as weak standing up to Donald Trump. So it's not the same thing as actually having beef with what the Democrats want to do.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
HELDMAN: It's having beef with the fact that they haven't been able to effectively counter him.
SCHNUR: Think of it as DSA versus MAGA battle of the acronyms.
MICHAELSON: Yes. Which you can read about in Dan Schner's latest substack article.
SCHNUR: We'll played out.
MICHAELSON: You can read right now. Thanks, guys. Great to see both of you and your students are very lucky to have you.
Still ahead on The Story Is, CNN on the ground at a crossing along the China-Nepal border, the once busy hub is now completely washed away by recent floods. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:22:54]
MICHAELSON: The death toll from the devastating floods in Nepal and China has risen to nearly 1,400 people. Chinese officials have allowed CNN to get a firsthand view of the disaster zone on the China Nepal border. This is a rare government organized reporting trip, but CNN maintains full editorial control of our coverage. Here's Simone McCarthy with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SIMONE MCCARTHY, CNN SENIOR CHINA REPORTER (voice-over): This was Gyirong Port, the main gate, the immigration halls, customs, the parking lots where buses waited the last man made structure. Pilgrims, tourists and traders walked through before crossing between Nepal and China. That building, bridge, road are gone. MCCARTHY: This is the spot where a huge wall of water washed over a
flood-five story building. In video that was captured on surveillance footage on August 26 when devastating floods and landslide hit the China-Nepal border. I'm standing now in the area where that building was. You would never know that there had been anything here at all. It's just completely flattened.
MCCARTHY (voice-over): What is left is an apocalyptic field of mud so deep that in places machines are cutting through about 12 feet of it. The first teams did not arrive by road. They climbed, got on rubber boats and helicopters because the highway had been torn out.
ZHANG XIAOJUN, CHINESE RESCUE TEAM LEADER (through translator): All of the structures above ground had been swept away by the mudslide. It was really heartbreaking to see so many of our fellow Chinese lost their precious lives in this disaster.
MCCARTHY (voice-over): Zhang also says at this stage they are clearing mud layer by layer, searching for the deceased. There are no signs of life. Nearly two weeks in. Chinese authorities have confirmed dozens of deaths on this side of the border in Tibet.
[01:25:02]
But what the world can see of this loss is tightly managed.
MCCARTHY: This is the first time that foreign media is getting access into this area where CNN is part of a small group of foreign reporters who've been given access to this site. The first time that foreign media have been allowed entry here. But certainly this is a place where there are many questions about who is here, many families seeking more answers like.
MCCARTHY (voice-over): Arushi Gupta's family in India. Those were her last messages to her father less than an hour before the flood struck. The 33-year-old even included a picture of the Gyirong Port crossing as she approached the port.
This is her father's message to Chinese authorities.
AJAY GUPTA, DAUGTHER ARUSHI GUPTA MISSING SINCE FLOOD: My request to them with folded hand is please provide any information you have about my daughter. I shall be grateful to you, madam. I am requesting China authority to please share any details they haven't.
MCCARTHY (voice-over): More than 500 people remain missing on China's side of the border, roughly half of them foreign nationals.
When asked about the government's plans on releasing data about those who were at the port that fateful day, Chinese officials say information about missing foreign nationals has been shared with their embassies.
PU WELDONG, PUBLIC SECURITY DEPARTMENT OF THE TIBER AUTOMOUS REGION (through translator): After the identities of the victims remains are confirmed, the relevant departments will properly hand over the remains and belongings to the families. The specific procedures for claiming and handling will be carried out in strict accordance with relevant regulations.
MCCARTHY (voice-over): And so the search continues. But the answers may never come. Simone McCarthy, CNN, Gyirong Port.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Wow. Quite powerful. Next on The Story Is, a fresh reminder from King Charles about where Prince Harry and Meghan stand and whether their return to the U.K. changes their royal status. Sandro Monetti here live. Next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:31:26]
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: Four years ago today, Queen Elizabeth II died and her son ascended to the throne as King Charles III. Now, as the royal family marks that anniversary, the king is confirming that Prince Harry and Meghan remain non-working royals.
A letter from the palace says that there's, quote, "no change to their status" following the couples return to the U.K.
Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties in 2020. The palace says any charitable work they do will be a private matter and they will not carry out official engagements for the crown.
Joining me now is Sandro Monetti. He is the editor-in-chief of "Hollywood International Filmmaker Magazine", a public speaking coach at UCLA, and clearly a fan of the royals and the flag.
Welcome, Sandro. Great to see you. What's this -- what's this message? What's going on with this letter?
SANDRO MONETTI, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF "HOLLYWOOD INTERNATIONAL FILMMAKER MAGAZINE": First of all, it's always a pleasure to talk royals with the prince of news.
MICHAELSON: Oh yes, right.
MONETTI: And as for what is going on, this is the king asserting his authority, drawing a line in the sand, creating a boundary, showing that, we are the royal family and independence works both ways.
MICHAELSON: Meaning, you don't want to be a part of this, then you don't get the benefit of this, right?
MONETTI: Yes. It was interesting how this message was delivered. A letter to the military, to government officials, to members of the British establishment. The wording of it is key. It's for avoidance of doubt.
It means that there has been questions to the palace. How do we treat the Duke and Duchess of Sussex now that they're back? And the answer is that when you invite them to an event, you are not
conferring royal status upon that event. If you invite Meghan or Harry to speak, it doesn't mean it's an endorsement from the royal family. If they're representing a charity, they're not doing so on behalf of the king. That is the difference.
In other words, he's saying I'm the king.
MICHAELSON: Yes, but his other son does, right?
MONETTI: Yes. Yes. Now, his other son, Prince William -- the distance between William and Harry is just so strained. I -- it would break Diana's heart to see how they are in dispute and continuing so.
And we know this because there has been no public reconciliation. It wasn't like when they arrived in that private jet that William and Kate were at the bottom of the steps to meet them. No children handing flowers. We didn't even see them. Sometimes silence speaks volumes.
MICHAELSON: Well, you were with us live when we first learned that they were going back to the U.K. And at the time, there was a lot of speculation on why they were coming back. But no hard facts. Do we have any now?
MONETTI: Well, we do. That Harry is -- you know, has lined up some charity events, you know, so he's got his first thing. But it's fascinating that we haven't seen them at all.
MICHAELSON: How is that even --
(CROSSTALKING)
MONETTI: These are two of the most famous people in the world.
MICHAELSON: How is that even possible. Right.
MONETTI: Are they even in Britain? We didn't even see them coming off the steps of the -- of the plane. It is quite extraordinary.
Now, the palace would love it if this low profile continued, because you know, that is the dream. Just be private citizens, don't hog the limelight and don't sort of steal the spotlight.
But what they're saying, and Charles is being sort of very firm and generous here is, is yes, you can continue to support charities. You can continue to do things but as non-working royals.
[01:34:50]
MONETTI: You are coming back to the country, but you are not coming back to the institution. And that is the clear line that's been drawn here.
MICHAELSON: Well, because even though they left saying they wanted to be private citizens and were separate from them, most of the career choices they've made have all been public. I'm writing a book. I'm doing a reality show. I'm talking to Oprah.
It's not exactly like their life choices have been "keep me out of the limelight", right. It's been kind of the opposite.
MONETTI: And these things, you know, have largely traded on their association with the royal family. They would be better advised to do things that don't do that, you know, take up a different interest, take up a different cause perhaps, and then you're not in the same playground as it were, as the -- as the royals.
You don't want to, to create an almost second alternative royal family here because it gets confusing.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
MONETTI: And the fact that the letter has gone to institutions shows that it's confusing for everybody.
MICHAELSON: What's their popularity like now in the U.K.?
MONETTI: Well, I mean, their popularity is extremely low with the British public. It is higher with the under 35 than it is with the over 35 so there is some potential for way back there.
But this would have to be one of the greatest comebacks of all time for them to get back into the hearts of the British public.
MICHAELSON: The under 35 people who did not live during Princess Diana's time.
MONETTI: Of course. Isn't that interesting?
MICHAELSON: Which is interesting --
MONETTI: Yes.
MICHAELSON: -- that they still feel this connection to her.
MONETTI: Yes they do.
MICHAELSON: Sandro Monetti, thank you so much. Always fun to see you.
MONETTI: Rest in peace, Your Majesty.
MICHAELSON: God save the king.
MONETTI: God save the king.
MICHAELSON: Next on THE STORY IS -- football season is back; American football, not British football. And one of the opening matchups is taking the NFL back to part of the British empire at one time, Australia. Yes, their favorite part of the empire.
Why is it in Australia? We'll go live to Australia next to talk about big business of football.
[01:36:48]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MICHAELSON: Welcome back to THE STORY IS. I'm Elex Michaelson.
Let's take a look at today's top stories.
The outer bands of Hurricane Lowell are now lashing parts of Hawaii with a heavy rain as category two storm inches closer to the island.
Conditions have been deteriorating, especially on the western islands of Kauai and Niihau, where a hurricane warning is now in effect. The projected track has Lowell's center passing to the west of those islands before turning towards the northwest and moving away from the state.
Canada is putting pressure on the U.S. with new tariffs that kicked in in the last hour. The new duties affect more than 700 U.S. goods, from steel and aluminum to home appliances and agricultural products.
Canada says it's a direct response to the Trump administration's recent tariffs, which Prime Minister Mark Carney has promised to match dollar-for-dollar.
Russia is starting to ramp up attacks on Kyiv again after a 72-hour truce expired. Ukrainian officials say a Russian drone and missile attack has injured at least six people in the capital.
This comes just a day after U.S. envoys visited the city in an attempt to revive peace talks. Ukraine and Russia had agreed to halt attacks on each other's capital cities until this weekend's negotiations were over.
Well, this week marks the start of a new NFL season, and it begins with a showdown between the two teams that met in Super Bowl just seven months ago. The New England Patriots will face the defending champion Seattle Seahawks on Wednesday.
The Patriots' offensive coordinator says the team has learned from its loss in February, telling ESPN it will be a different game.
Then on Thursday in America, Friday in Australia, two California teams open their seasons all the way down under in Australia. The L.A. Rams and San Francisco 49ers will play the league's first-ever game in the country at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. It is the largest stadium on the NFL schedule this season.
Let's break down the season opener with Arash Markazi, founder and CEO of "The Sporting Tribune". He is live in Sydney, Australia. He's gone down under to cover this trip. Arash, welcome back to THE STORY IS.
ARASH MARKAZI, FOUNDER AND CEO OF "THE SPORTING TRIBUNE": It is good to be back. I am in the future. Happy Tuesday afternoon to you.
MICHAELSON: Yes. Happy afternoon to you Arash.
So the Niners and the Rams are the two teams making this trip. And they've decided very different approaches to taking it.
The Niners arrived several days back to try to adjust their body clocks. The Rams are arriving about 24 hours before the game starts.
Here's Kyle Shanahan, the head coach of the 49ers, talking about the adjustment of the body clock. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KYLE SHANAHAN, HEAD COACH, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: When I look at my clock and it says the time. And then I try to see my family's time and it says the time. But it says yesterday, I don't even get how that's possible. So I feel like I'm in the future.
And then also when we play on our Friday, which I think is a Thursday in the U.S., we're such creatures of habit. So I call today, Tuesday. No, wait, sorry, I called today, Wednesday, which is the first day we put in a game plan, but I think it's Monday. However, though it's Sunday in the present. So like I'm going to mess that up all week if you guys ask me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: So why these two different approaches?
MARKAZI: By the way, this is why I think the San Francisco 49ers kind of like overthought these things. By the time the Rams figure out where they are, they will already be on a flight back to Los Angeles.
To your point, the 49ers are there a full week prior to the game. They flew out there on September 2nd. They missed September 3rd en route. They got there September 4th.
The Rams, they fly out Tuesday, September the 8th. They missed the 9th. They get in on the 10th. They get there literally 24 like hours before the game.
They will play the game, Elex, and they will hop back on that flight. And so Sean McVay told me, listen, I want us to practice in our home facilities. I want us to sleep in our own beds. He told me every player on the Rams will have a lay flat bed and a mattress. They will sleep on the flight. They will get off the plane, have a short walk through, play the game and then come right back.
[01:44:52]
MICHAELSON: That's amazing that some of those guys could fit on some of those beds. They must have a really nice setup. Of course, they've got some money to play with. Stan Kroenke is their owner and he's got some extra cash laying around.
In terms of why Australia the league has never been there. And this is not just a one-time thing.
MARKAZI: Yes. By the way, this is a game that this is a country that they want to have multiple games in here. So they've committed to at least playing two games over the next few years.
But this is part of a larger goal for the league. Again they are the most popular league by a mile in the United States of America. However, they want to grow the sport globally.
And to that point they are playing a record nine international games this year. They will be in Rio de Janeiro. They will be in Paris for the first time. They will be back in London, in Madrid, in Munich. So they're going all over the world.
And again, the commissioner's goal, and well see if this happens one day. I doubt it, but he wants to play a Super Bowl abroad. He wants to have a team or two abroad. I mean they really want to make this a global game.
MICHAELSON: Of course, the other football is the most popular game around the world, although American football, the most popular game in America.
The number one streaming network around the world is Netflix. And interestingly, this game will not be available on regular over-the-air free TV unless you live in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The rest of the country, you only get to see this on Netflix. That's a change, Netflix new in the NFL business in the last couple of years.
MARKAZI: Really, the goal of the league is to go places where they're not. Again, as I mentioned, the viewing numbers for this sport are astronomical. We don't see anything like it in terms of how many people tune in for the Super Bowl.
50 million people tune in a year ago to watch the Cowboys and the Chiefs on Thanksgiving. So the league is saying, we got the football fans, we got the sports fans. Where can we go to get new fans? And its Netflix. Who doesn't have a Netflix account and Netflix can show and let's watch the new documentary that's come out or the new movie.
So their goal really going global, going to Netflix, going to places where they're not.
And again, the league is really kind of viewing this game as a mini- Super Bowl. There is a -- the way that they handle the credentialing, the half-time show, the pre-game show, they are really viewing this as a mini-Super Bowl.
MICHAELSON: Yes. And remember, on Netflix both Dolly Parton and Beyonce played half-time shows. So Netflix knows how to do it big.
MARKAZI: That's right.
MICHAELSON: And thank you for the reference to Netflix and chill.
Arash Markazi bringing it to us from "The Sporting Tribune". We've got to check out your coverage over the next few days from Australia. Sportingtribune.com.
Thank you so much, Arash. Have fun. Enjoy.
MARKAZI: Thank you.
MICHAELSON: All right. We'll be back to wrap things up.
Up next, a really extraordinary story. Anthony Hopkins is now composing music, and his first album is coming up at 88 years old. My sit down with him next.
[01:48:02]
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MICHAELSON: Sir Anthony Hopkins is best known for his legendary acting career, of course. But now the 88-year-old has embarked on a new journey.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Sir Anthony Hopkins is listening to a performance of music he composed.
ANTHONY HOPKINS, ACTOR: I'm sitting there thinking, where did that come from?
MICHAELSON: Where did it come from?
HOPKINS: From inside my soul.
MICHAELSON: Hopkins is perhaps best known for playing the cannibalistic killer, Hannibal Lecter, in several movies starting with "Silence of the Lambs".
HOPKINS: A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.
MICHAELSON: The real-life Hopkins just released his first-ever album of his own classical compositions.
Do you think Hannibal Lecter would like this album?
HOPKINS: It's a silly -- that's a question. Hello, Clarice. I like the Clarice. The Clarice. Sorry.
MICHAELSON: Album is titled "Life Is a Dream".
HOPKINS: I just see it as one long dream. I look back over my life, I think that's impossible. How did I get here?
MICHAELSON: Hopkins grew up as an only child in Wales.
By age 7, Hopkins was playing piano. By 15, he taught himself how to write his own music, but he didn't want to publish it.
HOPKINS: I was cynical. And --
MICHAELSON: You didn't think people would like it?
HOPKINS: I didn't believe in myself at all. That's why I became an actor.
MICHAELSON: He'd win an Oscar for "Silence of the Lambs" and another for "The Father".
HOPKINS: I don't know what's happening anymore.
MICHAELSON: He'd earn Oscar nominations for "The Remains of the Day", "Amistad", "Nixon", and "The Two Popes".
But through it all, he never stopped writing music.
It's more of your passion than even acting?
HOPKINS: Yes. But it's been in me.
MICHAELSON: Hopkins' wife, Stella, encouraged him to compile his seven decades worth of songwriting into one album.
Fellow actor, Bradley Cooper, suggested to Hopkins that he team up with world-renowned maestro, Gustavo Dudamel.
[01:54:48]
MICHAELSON: Dudamel taught Cooper how to conduct for his role in "Maestro". Dudamel is now preparing to lead the New York Philharmonic. He recently conducted the halftime show at the World Cup final.
HOPKINS: Hey. Congratulations. How are you?
MICHAELSON: This is the first time these two have ever done a TV interview together. Dudamel recalling the first time he read Hopkins sheet music.
GUSTAVO DUDAMEL, CONDUCTOR, "LIFE IS A DREAM": I was completely in love. Immediately, I say, like, wow.
MICHAELSON: Soon afterwards, Dudamel agreed to conduct the recording sessions in London.
HOPKINS: I'm sitting thinking, did I write that?
DUDAMEL: Yes. You did.
MICHAELSON: We met up with them at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles shortly before they appeared on stage together.
In less than a year, Hopkins and Dudamel have become good friends. Two men from different generations and different continents united by the universal language of music -- something they both learned to love as little boys.
HOPKINS: We never grew up.
MICHAELSON: What do you mean by that?
HOPKINS: We're both kids.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
HOPKINS: We're both children.
MICHAELSON: Even at 88?
HOPKINS: Yes. He hasn't grown up, watched him on the podium conducting the other night.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
HOPKINS: He's a child. That's what it's about. It's about the power of childhood.
MICHAELSON: Wow.
HOPKINS: The child of enthusiasm.
DUDAMEL: Absolutely.
HOPKINS: Passion.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Our thanks to Anthony Hopkins and Gustavo Dudamel. "Life is a Dream" debuted at number one on the official U.K. Classical Chart. Congrats, guys.
Thanks for watching THE STORY IS.
Tomorrow, Brian Tyler Cohen and Jennifer Horn will join our political panel.
In the meantime, I'm Elex Michaelson. See you then.
[01:56:23]
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