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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson
Rep. Doug LaMalfa, (R-CA), Is Interviewed About California Voters To Decide On Prop 50 Redistricting Plan; Hurricane Leaves Widespread Devastation in Jamaica; Hollywood and Media Leaders Gather for Simon Wiesenthal Award; L.A. Celebrates Dodgers' Back-to-Back World Series Wins. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired November 04, 2025 - 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: Cookies with Thanksgiving themed flavors including turkey and stuffing, sweet potato and creamed corn. There's also apple caramel, pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce. Each Oreo is covered in fudge that's infused with one of those six flavors. They come in a limited edition Oreo shaped tin with 12 cookies, two of each flavor.
And producers really failed. How are we not testing this out? I got to try what that's like.
Stay with us. The next hour of The Story Is starts right now.
The Story Is Election Day 2025. After months and months of buildup, it is finally time to vote. The key racism here in California could determine who controls Congress. With us exclusively, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, Republican Congressman Doug LaMalfa who could lose his job because of Prop 50.
Story is hurricane recovery.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No power, no power, no water.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No water.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: CNN's David Culver takes us to Jamaica. Our first look at some of the hardest hit areas.
And The Story Is dynasty. Shohei Ohtani and the World Series champs get a hero's welcome in the streets of SoCal for a second year in a row.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Los Angele, The Story Is with Elex Michaelson.
MICHAELSON: And welcome to The Story Is. I'm Elex Michelson in Los Angeles where we are still celebrating the Dodgers. And it is still Monday, but it is Tuesday on the East Coast. Election Day has already begun. A lot of races seen as a test of President Trump's popularity or lack thereof depending on the certain polls you look at. New York City, biggest city in the country set to elect a new mayor.
New Jersey, Virginia, voting for governor. Here in California, the state will vote on Prop 50 which could determine control of the House. So all of that is happening right now. But let's begin in New York.
President Trump may not be on the ballot, his policies are. A new CNN poll shows 63 percent disapprove of the way that he is handling his job. That is the highest number in either of his terms as president. Thirty-seven percent approve, which is the lowest number of his second term so far. So now to New York, one of the key contests, this is where self-proclaimed Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani is leading in the polls.
The 34-year-old state lawmaker has come under fire by some for a lack of governing experience and his campaign promises, which are pretty progressive. Big development today. President Trump now urging New Yorkers to vote for Andrew Cuomo who he of course was rivals with during COVID. The two of them used to go back and forth all the time. Mamdani telling CNN the president's sort of endorsement of Cuomo is no surprise to him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZOHRAN MAMDANI, NEW YORK CITY DEMOCRATIC MAYORAL CANDIDATE: Even just until these final days, he denied that he was Donald Trump's preferred candidate, but now it's written out for the entire world to see. This is the man that Donald Trump wants to be the next mayor of New York City. And not because he'll be good for New Yorkers, but because he'll be good for Donald Trump. And New Yorkers are exhausted of this agenda in Washington.
They don't want to see a mimic of it come here to City Hall.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Next door in New Jersey, voters will select a new governor, Democratic Congressmember Mikie Sherrill leads in the polls. She's a moderate, served 10 years of active duty as a helicopter pilot in the U.S. Navy. Her opponent is businessman and former state lawmaker Jack Ciattarelli, endorsed by President Trump. The Garden State hasn't had a Republican governor since Chris Christie left office back in 2018.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JACK CIATTARELLI, REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR: We need a change, so tell people what's at stake. If you come across people who aren't thinking about voting, get them to vote. OK? We can win this race, but we got to turn it out.
MIKIE SHERRILL, DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR: New Jersey's not a purple state. New Jersey is a blue state. And so New Jersey, when we vote, we win.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Virginia will make history no matter who wins by electing its first ever female governor. Former Democratic Congressmember Abigail Spanberger has a narrow lead in the polls. She's facing Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earl-Sears. President Trump joined an Election Eve Teller rally late Monday to support the Republican ticket. But he didn't appear in person because they didn't want him to in Virginia.
And he stopped short of fully endorsing Earl-Sears, probably because they didn't want him to. We spoke to voters in Virginia.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're just tired of what we're seeing, like the chaos that's going on with the president. We just want real change and make sure that Virginia is protected from it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We need new leadership, and we're on the hunt for that and hope Abigail can start us off. This is what we need. I'm ready for it.
[01:05:05]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think we have to send a message to Washington that the Republic is important and there are people here who want to protect the Republic from authoritarian movements.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Meanwhile, California voters are deciding on whether to support the Democrats fight against what the GOP is doing in terms of Congressional lines in Texas.
We were in San Francisco this morning with, you see him there, the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, and the former House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, both of them rallying together. The ballot measure Prop 50 is part of Democrats effort to win back control of the House next year. Newsom, who has really become the face of Prop 50, praising the former speaker's efforts to get it passed, saying, quote, "Pelosi doesn't go out to try to make points, she makes a difference."
I spoke with Nancy Pelosi about California's strategy to counter Republican gerrymandering efforts in Texas and her response to criticism of the ballot measure.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: What's the closing argument for Prop 50?
REP. NANCY PELOSI, (D-CA): Goodness. Goodness. It is about who we are as a state and of course as a nation. The fact that the president knew that he was going to lose the House and he then went to Texas to pick up more seats, it behooved us to then counter that. So people say, oh well, I don't like either of that.
And I said, well, we have to defend democracy. But it's not just democracy. My view is that you save democracy at the kitchen table by meeting the needs of people. It's about goodness.
MICHAELSON: Arnold Schwarzenegger, who's against Proposition 50, who helped put independent redistricting, has suggested instead of changing the rules, you should outperform Trump, don't out cheat Trump, that why do you have to change the rules in the middle of this, Democrats should be competitive as is. How do you respond to this concept that this is like cheating?
PELOSI: I always say to people who are no longer in the game, enjoy your retirement. We're in the fight and this is how we're going to win.
MICHAELSON: But what about the merits of what he's talking about that essentially --
PELOSI: I don't think it has any merit.
MICHAELSON: That if you're -- if you're living in a place like Huntington Beach or Norco, these deeply red areas that will now have Democratic Congressmembers most likely, how is that good for you in terms of democracy?
PELOSI: The fact is that the president rigged, wanted to rig the system because he knew he would lose, people said, well, two wrongs don't make a right. We don't like redistricting make decade. We don't think that that's right. But the fact is we have self-defense for democracy because this is a president who's doing what he's doing to reinforce abolishing the House of Representatives, getting rid of the beauty, the exquisite beauty of the Constitution.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Joining me now from Oroville, California for a different view is Republican Congressmember Doug LaMalfa. We want to show you his district as it currently stands, District 1. That's what it looks like right now. This is what it would look like if Prop 50 passes. It has been changed in an effort to frankly get LaMalfa out of his job and replace him with a Democrat. He is one of the five Republicans who are being targeted by this proposition.
Congressmember, thanks so much for being with us live. Welcome to The Story Is I just asked Speaker Pelosi for her closing argument. What's your closing argument?
REP. DOUG LAMALFA (R-CA): Well, thanks for having me, Elex. I think what really boils down to I kept hearing the word democracy, we're actually a constitutional republic for what it's worth. But the people have spoken on three different initiatives in California that they wanted this not in the hands of legislators who draw lines for their own protection, for their own needs. Indeed, last time it was done in 2001, they called it the incumbent protection plan. And so we see here that because of the Democrats desire to pick up seats that they normally would not have had they have skewed these district lines massively.
I don't know if you looked at the one that's at the top of the state where it links the northeast corner all the way down to the north half the Golden Gate Bridge. Up in the northeast, farmers and ranchers and cattle are getting devoured by wolves by the people in Marin County that seem to think it's a good idea to have wolves there. For example, every year we burn up hundreds of thousands of acres of forest land and the people in those areas think like, well we shouldn't touch the forest. Like, well it's being touched whether you like it or not. So these are the battles we have and we're constantly trying to get across the voice of the people of this region that no, there's a counter argument to what's going on here.
[01:10:08]
That argument will be completely suppressed because basically Bay Area representatives will be covering these areas and we're not going to be heard anymore. So I'm a farmer in my real life here and surrounded by him. And our voice is already having hard enough time keeping our water supply, keeping what we need to operate our businesses. Same goes with the timber, same goes with mining. Mining is needed to produce all the electric cars are going to force us to have here in California. So it's just one thing after another and there's no counterbalance voice.
But the worst part really is that the constitution of the state is being trampled. It's like being set aside in order -- they're blatant about it. They want to win more Democrat seats. And so the constitution, due process should count for something. If you're willing to set that aside, if you're willing to set your principles aside, then basically you're going to become the thing you despise about politics.
MICHAELSON: But they would say, look, if voters give us the go ahead now we're following the will of the voters. Why do you think voters seem to be going for this?
LAMALFA: Well, the voters are -- do you think the voters are really digging in on what these maps mean or are they going with the 10 second sound bite heard by Newsom? And again, it's the same thing. A few urban areas dominate the state. It's like most states, I guess. Us here in the hinterlands, at least we've had representation that we can go into battle and talk about these things and have a counterbalance to the argument on our land use, on our timber use, on water supply, on all the things that are very rural in nature.
We have a rural lifestyle we like. We don't necessarily want a San Francisco lifestyle, but they will put that upon us and we will have the representation that is the same as the urban area. So --
MICHAELSON: Well, and to that point I sort f made that -- yes, I mean, I sort of made that point to Speaker Pelosi saying, you know, for people that live in really Republican red areas who all of a sudden could end up with a Democratic Congressmember, how is that democracy? How is that them being represented or having their -- and her answer was not really in response to that question. It was more about President Trump and what he's doing. But when it comes to the merits it seems like the Democrats have gone out of their way not to talk about the merits?
LAMALFA: There isn't any merits, but the Democrats are on a streak right now. Like, I could ask you what you had for breakfast. And they say, well, Donald Trump did. I mean, it's all about saying something nasty about Trump every single day. You know, he's not a perfect man, but I think a lot of things are moving in the right direction.
So that all said, we have a crisis here of how our Constitution is being trampled by this. Mrs. Pelosi didn't have answer to any of your questions about this, she said basically it was just about winning and then throwing the word democracy around and then using Trump as the boogeyman. So that's all they have. There is no argument. When you look at how distorted the lines are, the lines aren't being updated by newer census data.
It's just they don't -- they don't make a lick of sense. You got counties divided up. You have like the city of Clovis in central California is divided amongst three different congressional districts. These folks are not being represented by this. It is the most blatant naked power grab I've seen since I've been around this.
MICHAELSON: So do you agree with Congressman Kiley who was on with us last week, Republican, who said we should stop all mid-decade redistricting and have everybody stop that. What's happening in Texas is wrong and what's happening in California is wrong.
LAMALFA: The redistricting process, every state has autonomy as to how they conduct their elections and to a level redistricting. And so it should be done every 10 years. It shouldn't be done, but half the time there's a lawsuit or something. I think North Carolina's had to change their lines two times within a decade. State of New York, they couldn't wait to do it there.
And my understanding, they chased out a Supreme Court judge so they could get a majority to affirm what their commission couldn't get done there. So only a handful of states have a commission that is independent of the legislators making their own lines. And that's a cleaner process. Each state should look at what's going on here and decide to do that instead of joining the fray. But I got to tell you, this isn't anything new here because the gerrymandering, for example, there's 21 New England members of Congress and zero are Republicans.
MICHAELSON: Right.
LAMALFA: They have the line. And the approximate population there is 38 percent, 40 percent are Republicans in those areas. You know, maybe --
MICHAELSON: Right.
LAMALFA: -- instead of Massachusetts may not quite --
MICHAELSON: Sure. LAMALFA: -- have that, but the distribution -- and so I'm not saying there needs to be a quota, but you know there's no -- that's not fair, not fairly drawn when a Democrat controlled legislature in those blue states can skew it however they wish. So everybody talks about Texas. Well, there's actually a root issue there that a court has found that there's several districts in Texas --
[01:15:07]
MICHAELSON: Yes.
LAMALFA: -- that are not constituted that go beyond what the Voting Rights Act had ever intended, what it was well intended 50 years ago, you know. So it's -- there's a response in Texas, but they've used that pretty effectively as the boogeyman here. And in the beginning, California legislators say, well, we're going to use a trigger mechanism. If Texas moves ahead on theirs, then we'll move ahead on ours. Like, well, after about a week, they forgot about the --
MICHAELSON: Getting rid of that.
LAMALFA: -- they just wanted --
MICHAELSON: Right.
LAMALFA: They saw it as a kid of duty. So --
MICHAELSON: Right.
LAMALFA: -- you know, the opportunity here is for having power and making the voice of rural people, farm people or others that will just have opposition. They don't want opposition.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
LAMALFA: They're drawing the lines --
MICHAELSON: Yes.
LAMALFA: -- and five current Republicans and also make four more seats that are those 50-50 competitive seats in California, they're making them uncompetitive, too. So they don't want competition.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
LAMALFA: They want to have power to do it. And California has had a constitutionally bass -- passed by the people three different occasions to take it away --
MICHAELSON: Yes.
LAMALFA: -- from the legislators because the legislators can do nothing but make these maps for themselves to benefit themselves, including in the district I might be --
MICHAELSON: Sure. LAMALFA: -- stuck with here, a guy who was termed out of the state legislature drawing a line for himself.
MICHAELSON: Well, we -- the voters ultimately will have the final say on this. We appreciate you sharing your view and giving that reason to think for voters who are considering this on this late hour. Thank you so much.
LAMALFA: Yes, too bad voters -- too bad the voters aren't looking at due process and protecting the Constitution, which ultimately will come back to bite them someday. So, but you know, we'll see how it goes.
MICHAELSON: All right. We'll see how it goes. Congressman Doug LaMalfa, thanks so much for joining us.
LAMALFA: Thank you.
MICHAELSON: And be sure to tune in to CNN for our special coverage of Election Night 2025. It gets underway at 5:00 p.m. Eastern, 2:00 p.m. Pacific. I will be reporting live from Sacramento tomorrow night for the network throughout the day talking about Prop 50. You can also stream coverage on the CNN app.
Still ahead here on The Story Is, the U.S. Defense Secretary in South Korea for talks. Hanako Montgomery is developing all the details. What do you got? Coming up.
HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Elex. We will be definitely talking about making America Shipbuilding great again and the role that South Korea certainly plays in the U.S.'s goal.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:21:47]
MICHAELSON: President Trump is speaking out about Britain's royal family after the former Prince Andrew was stripped of his Royal over his ties to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. CNN Royal Correspondent Max Foster has more from London.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I feel very badly. I mean, it's a terrible thing that's happened to the family.
MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Donald Trump extending his sympathies to Britain's royalty --
TRUMP: I mean, I feel badly for the family.
FOSTER (voice-over): -- after King Charles stripped his own brother, Andrew, of his titles. No mention, however, of Virginia Giuffre, pictured here with then Prince Andrew and Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell. For years, Giuffre has accused Andrew of sexual abuse and she's doubled down in her posthumous memoir. She died by suicide earlier this year. Andrew denies the allegations.
I spoke to Giuffre's family after the announcement of Andrew's titles being stripped, but before the latest comment from President Trump.
AMANDA ROBERTS, VIRGINIA GIUFFRE'S SISTER-IN-LAW: Our president has not shown the same courage, the same respect and acknowledgement that these survivors deserve.
FOSTER (voice-over): One of their issues is Trump's unwillingness to rule out a pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell.
TRUMP: I'd have to take a look at it. I would have to take a look.
FOSTER (voice-over): Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence for child sex trafficking on behalf of Epstein. And in October, the Supreme Court declined to hear her appeal, leaving the presidential pardon she appears to be seeking as one of her few remaining options to leave prison.
ROBERTS: The issue of President Trump not even ruling out a pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell is atrocious. You are falling short in your leadership right now because Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted.
FOSTER (voice-over): Also at the heart of the matter, the Epstein files, which Trump said he would declassify and release whilst he was campaigning in 2024 but he now calls the issue a Democratic hoax.
Trump and Epstein had a well-documented friendship before falling out sometime in the mid-2000s. And earlier this year, the House Oversight Committee released a 2003 letter sent to the disgraced financier bearing the president's name, which Trump denies writing. But none of Epstein's victims have made any claims of criminal behavior against the U.S. president. And Epstein's accomplice told the Deputy Attorney General the same.
GHISLAINE MAXWELL, CONVICTED CHILD SEX OFFENDER I never witnessed the president in any inappropriate setting in any way. The president was never inappropriate with anybody.
FOSTER (voice-over): The president's hesitation on the matter mystifying those, including his allies, who want the documents released.
REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREEN (R-GA): I've talked to so many of the women who are just lovely women, and they've all praised President Trump. Their attorney even said he was the only person that helped them. And so they've -- none of them have accused him. And I think he has nothing to hide. I just don't understand it myself.
FOSTER (voice-over): In her memoir, Giuffre, who once worked at Mar-a- Lago, writes positively about Trump, part of why her family wants Britain's King Charles to urge the president to release the files.
ROBERTS: I think he has his influence, he has that relationship with Donald Trump. Donald Trump is in the position to do the right thing here and we're looking for that collaboration. (END VIDEOTAPE)
[01:25:09]
FOSTER (on camera): As far as the king's brother, Andrew is concerned, some Democratic lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee are asking him to testify about Epstein, idea that at least one British minister supports. As far as Giuffre's family are concerned, they certainly see the fact that Andrews had some privileges stripped away from him by the king as a milestone but they won't be truly satisfied until all of Epstein's associates are held to account.
Max Foster, CNN, London.
MICHAELSON: The U.S. Defense Secretary is in South Korea for the annual security meeting where the two countries discuss their military alliance. He's expected to meet with the South Korean President next hour. CNN's Hanako Montgomery is following the developments.
Hanako, thanks for being with us. So what is Secretary Hegseth actually saying?
MONTGOMERY: Hi, Elex. It's good to see you. So, as you mentioned, right, this is annual meeting that takes place between the U.S. Secretary of Defense and also his South Korean counterpart. And they really use this as an opportunity to emphasize the strength and the importance of the South Korean and U.S. alliance. And they also use it as an opportunity to reflect on any security issues, defense issues that they could potentially improve upon.
But what's interesting about this meeting that took place earlier on Tuesday between Hegseth and his South Korean counterpart is that it comes immediately after the U.S. president's trip to Asia where he met his counterparts and really emphasized the importance and the role that the U.S. plays in this region.
Now, also during his meeting with his South Korean counterpart, Hegseth briefly discussed the nuclear powered submarine deal that the U.S. president had posted on Truth Social about just days before. In fact, I do want to read this post to you that Trump posted where he says, quote, "South Korea will be building its nuclear powered submarine in the Philadelphia shipyards right here in the good ol' USA. Shipbuilding in our country will soon be making a big comeback. Stay tuned."
Now, again, emphasizing here that South Korea will be building its nuclear powered submarine in the United States. Now when he was asked about it earlier at a joint press conference, Hegseth again emphasized the importance of this news without really showing too many details. Give this a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE HEGSETH, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: I think it's a reflection of something I said, that the president wants allies to be strong. He wants our allies to have the best capabilities. And because Korea has been a model ally, he's open to opportunities like that that ensure they have the best capabilities in their own defense and alongside us as allies.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MONTGOMERY: Now this is pretty huge for South Korea and the United States because again, even though the details are pretty sky scanned, it's the first time in decades that South Korea would be building a nuclear powered submarine in the United States. Now it's huge for the United States because again, they're shipyarding -- their shipbuilding capabilities are hugely, hugely behind and South Korea can step in and provide that key technical and industrial capability. South Korea has been buying U.S. security for decades, but now it looks as though they can step up to the plate, they can bring something new to the U.S. South Korean alliance and again provide the United States with key industrial capabilities that the U.S. so desperately needs. Elex?
MICHAELSON: Yes, and so we saw the South Korean president meet with President Trump directly last week. We understand this meeting with Secretary Hegseth supposed to happen within the next hour. What are we expecting from that meeting?
MONTGOMERY: Yes, Elex, I think we're also expecting to hear more again about this potentially the nuclear powered submarine deal. Importantly, the details of that joint statement between Hegseth and his South Korean counterpart have still -- has still not been released yet. So we are expecting that to come through later on. But again, just emphasizing the top lines about how South Korea and the United States are working together in a time when security risks and also defense risks are heightened in the region, especially coming from North Korea, which again is on South Korea's doorstep, but also China in recent years given its military buildup in the Asia Pacific region. Elex.
MICHAELSON: Hanako Montgomery in Tokyo, where it is 3:28 in the afternoon. Thanks so much for being with us.
Coming up, the strongest hurricane to ever hit Jamaica has left entire towns there in ruins. Up next, we take you to Melissa's ground zero and talk to the survivors still waiting for help.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:34:30]
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: The scale of destruction in Jamaica is staggering after Melissa, a category 5 hurricane, left entire communities in ruins. It is the strongest storm to ever hit the island. It has claimed dozens of lives, and it is arriving slowly.
[01:34:45]
MICHAELSON: But the World Food Programme says some 5 million people still need help.
CNN's David Culver has more on how people are struggling to survive after the storm.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are catching some water, because that's the only way we can get water. We are damaged here in Jamaica, real bad.
DAVID CULVER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Across much of Western Jamaica, the storm has passed, but you feel it everywhere. Survival mode has kicked in.
ALANDREA BROWN, DISPLACED BY HURRICANE MELISSA: In here in Belmont, we are very distraught, and we really need some help, because you have persons who are very homeless, and we don't really have any food supplies.
CULVER: This is where you live here.
BROWN: Yes.
CULVER: Now, they're coming to terms with what's left. And for many here, it's not much.
CULVER: This was your bed?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. My bed. It's all mashed up. CULVER: It's all mashed up. You're right. You're right.
As we're heading out, a man points to a nearby house.
He just told us that there's somebody in this house up here still; that his body hasn't been recovered yet.
Right there?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right there.
CULVER: Did you know this gentleman?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His mom supposed to be here. His mom (INAUDIBLE).
CULVER: But nobody has come to collect his body?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, not yet. Not everybody knows that he died.
CULVER: He's just lying lifeless in there. I mean, it's absolutely horrible. He's by himself.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nobody not sure when he's dead. They're not sure when he died.
CULVER: They're not sure when he died.
I mean, seeing that is obviously very, very difficult. And it's worth pointing out, I mean, the neighbors there, it's not neglect on their part. They simply don't have cell service or any sort of connectivity to be able to report that. And they say that they were trying to tell passersby, but nobody came in to actually inspect. So, for them, we were the only ones who they could tell.
And we ultimately -- once we had connectivity here -- our colleague Omar here made the call to report that that body was, in fact, still in the house.
Night brings relief from the day's heat and humidity.
You get around with the flashlight on your phone?
ANDREZ ANDERSON, BLACK RIVER RESIDENT: Yes, yes, man. So, this is --
CULVER: But there's no water.
ANDERSON: This is the only water we have here, you see.
CULVER: And no power.
ANDERSON: We have no roof there. You know, partially just this alone. So, the rain actually coming now. So, you feel it inside.
CULVER: I feel the rain, yes.
ANDERSON: You know, so it will be more damages, you know, as the rain comes by. So, it just keep deteriorating until we can get somebody.
CULVER: How do you live in this?
ANDERSON: It's really rough. It's very hard. It's hard to cope. We just have to try to keep the kids mentally stable and try to tough it out, you know.
So, you know, we are just grateful here right now to know that we are alive.
CULVER: Mornings bring no rest, just long lines, people here waiting for hours for gas.
You've been out here 4:00 this morning?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Around 4:00.
CULVER: Which time -- seven hours.
And if water is not running in your home, you go to the source. Nearby, along the riverbed, dozens gather.
They're saying that nobody has come to help at all.
SIMONE GARDON, MONTEGO BAY RESIDENT: I guess it doesn't really hit us yet, because after two weeks, when it's all settled down, and we're all like, wow.
And the hunger kicking in. So, we need help. Worse than water. So, we need a lot of help.
DR. SHERIFF IMORU, SENIOR MEDICAL OFFICER, BLACK RIVER HOSPITAL: You have to understand that even up to this point in time, we don't even know what our death toll is.
CULVER: Do you think you're going to find more bodies?
DR. IMORU: Yes, man. I would think so. I hope not. But --
CULVER: The reality of what we see.
DR. IMORU: Yes, man. The reality -- the reality is there.
CULVER: At the hospital in Black River.
No power.
DR. IMORU: No power, no water.
CULVER: No water.
DR. IMORU: No.
CULVER: But the emergency room is still operating?
DR. IMORU: Yes.
CULVER: Dr. Sheriff Imoru walks us through what's left.
CULVER: I mean, this is your hospital.
DR. IMORU: Yes.
CULVER: And when you look out now -- I mean, I know you're focused on patients day-to-day as well.
DR. IMORU: Yes, yes.
CULVER: But like, have you been able to process this moment?
DR. IMORU: No, no, no. The one thing I can tell is that I'm very heartbroken. Extremely heartbroken when I see this.
CULVER: And still his staff shows up.
DR. IMORU: Every single person you see here --
CULVER: Even though, like him, many have lost their own homes.
DR. IMORU: There are no words to describe it. As I said to you, apocalyptic. That's the only thing I can use.
[01:39:46]
SHANIEL TOMLIN, SON INJURED DURING STORM: No, everything is gone. Everything in the house is gone. I need help towards my kids, my house and everything.
CULVER: Shaniel Tomlin's baby, Jamar, just a year old, fell after the storm.
TOMLIN: Yes, they are going to look up this stitch. But they give me a prescription to fill.
CULVER: But where do you fill a prescription around here?
TOMLIN: I don't even know.
CULVER: It's tough to find the words to describe the level of devastation, destruction and loss that we're seeing here.
And perhaps it's best to just look at the visuals, which, yes, are overwhelming, but really tell the story of several communities, not just towns like this one, Black River, where we are.
But we go mile after mile after mile along the southwest coast of this country. And you see communities that are simply wiped away.
LISA HANNA, FORMER MEMBER OF JAMAICAN PARLIAMENT: We are resilient people. Already, there is almost an empathetic solidarity across the island and across the world to get things here. We're not going to make our people starve. And anyone that comes here and visits us are not going to starve.
CULVER: Officials are here, trying, but it's a lot. And when you're desperate, help can't come soon enough.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are the strongest people in the world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Our thanks to David for the very powerful reporting there to help those impacted by Hurricane Melissa. And clearly they need a lot of help.
Go to CNN.com/impact.
You're watching THE STORY IS. For our international viewers, WORLDSPORT is next. For our viewers in North America, I'll be right back.
[01:41:24]
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MICHAELSON: Welcome back to THE STORY IS. I'm Elex Michaelson.
Now to a special event fighting anti-Semitism here in Los Angeles featuring some familiar faces to CNN viewers.
CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister takes us inside.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) OMER SHEM TOV, FREED ISRAELI HOSTAGE: It is important to me -- for me to take this opportunity to commemorate those who were not as fortunate to be here with us today.
ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Omer Shem Tov, a 23-year-old released Israeli hostage who was held by Hamas for 505 days, was among those honored by the Simon Wiesenthal Center at their annual gala in Beverly Hills, California, which raised $4.3 million for the human rights organization's mission of global education to combat hate against the Jewish people.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav received the humanitarian award, which was presented by Steven Spielberg, who has worked to preserve testimonies of Holocaust survivors through his Shoah Foundation at the University of Southern California, which he founded more than 30 years ago.
Spielberg was one of many power players rubbing shoulders during a particularly tense time of great upheaval and uncertainty in the entertainment and media industries, notably a possible sale of Warner Bros. Discovery that looms over Hollywood. But --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tonight is a celebration.
WAGMEISTER: -- for the evening, corporate adversaries traded boardrooms for the ballroom, including Paramount's David Ellison, who CNN previously reported has made overtures to buy Warner Bros. Discovery. CNN is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.
Oprah Winfrey, Gloria Steinem, and power agent Ari Emanuel were among those who paid tribute to Zaslav's efforts fighting anti-Semitism in a video that preluded his speech, where he spoke about the power of storytelling and the significance of a free press, referencing news coverage in Poland, saying -- quote -- "When the government controls the news, that is the end of democracy."
DAVID ZASLAV, CEO, WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY: I stand here tonight proudly as a Jewish man whose family came from Eastern Europe, escaped prosecution -- persecution and realized the promise of America.
They're a daily reminder to never forget to tell the stories and fight for ideals that keep us safe and free, even when it's hard.
WAGMEISTER: Also honored, CNN's own Dana Bash, who received the Jewish Heritage Award for her reporting on the rise of anti-Semitism in America and around the world.
DANA BASH, CNN HOST: What I learned doing this reporting was that anti-Semitism begets more anti-Semitism.
That's why on October 7, I instantly knew that the barbaric, disgusting murder of more than 1,200 men, women, and children, the capture of more than 250 hostages, I knew that, along with the condemnation, there would be people justifying it and even unleashing more hatred towards Jews. What I didn't anticipate was the widespread twisting of facts, truth, and reality that exploded around the world, especially here in this country.
WAGMEISTER: Since October 7th, I have been covering anti-Semitism and Hollywood, and the reality is that there is a deep divide throughout the entertainment industry about how to address this issue publicly.
So to see so many power players, really the head of every major entertainment company in one room to stand up to Jewish hate was really quite remarkable.
And of course, all of us here at CNN are so proud of our very own Dana Bash on her well-deserved honor for all of her reporting on this issue.
Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Mk6: Yes, indeed. Elizabeth, thank you for that. And congratulations, Dana.
The L.A. Dodgers are basking in their back-to-back World Series wins. We take you to the big parade after this.
[01:49:45]
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MICHAELSON: Tens of thousands of Dodger fans lined the streets of L.A. to celebrate their back-to-back World Series champs, following this weekend's thrilling Game 7 win over the Blue Jays.
The Dodgers are the first team in Major League Baseball to repeat as champions in over two decades. The parade ended at Dodger Stadium, where pretty much everybody was drunk, at least on the team, and addressed the cheering crowd.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVE ROBERTS, MANAGER, LOS ANGELES DODGERS: What's better than two? Three. Three-peat. Three-peat.
[01:54:46]
FREDDIE FREEMAN, FIRST BASEMAN, LOS ANGELES DODGERS: Job in 2024, done. Job in 2025, done. Job in 2026, starts now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Monday night football saw the Arizona Cardinals hand the Dallas Cowboys their first home loss of the season.
The Cardinals were dominant for most of the game, keeping Dak Prescott and the Cowboys offense in check. Arizona wins at 27-17, snapping a five-game losing streak.
Britain's Prince William played a game of beach volleyball on Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana Beach on the first day of his visit to Brazil.
The Prince of Wales in the country for an awards ceremony for his multi-million-dollar Environmental Earthshot prize. After the event, he will attend the United Nations COP30 climate summit, which is also being held in Brazil.
Well, there is a new "Sexiest Man Alive" and it's not me. According to people magazine, actor Jonathan Bailey, known for his roles in "Bridgerton", "Wicked" and "Jurassic World Rebirth", he is the 40th man to receive the honor, the first publicly out gay man as well.
Fun fact -- "People Magazine's" first sexiest man alive was Mel Gibson back in 1985.
Jonathan Bailey is having quite the year. Congratulations to him.
One last reminder. Be sure to tune in to CNN for our special coverage of election night 2025. Gets underway at 5:00 p.m. Eastern, 2:00 p.m. Pacific. You can stream it on the CNN app.
I will be in Sacramento for coverage, going until 2:00 a.m. tomorrow. Night, morning -- I don't know what time it is.
Anyways, I'm Elex Michaelson. Thanks so much for watching THE STORY IS.
The news continues with Polo Sandoval after the break.
[01:56:34]
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