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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson
At Least 44 Killed, Nearly 300 Missing In Hong Kong Fire; Japanese Americans Recall U.S. Govt. Forcing Them To Live In U.S. Concentration Camps; Two National Guardsmen in Critical Condition after Attack Near the White House; Inflation Impacting Shopping, Holiday Gift-Giving; ICE Arrests Woman with Family Ties to WH Press Secretary; First Episode of "Stranger Things" final Season Drops; "Sean Combs, the Reckoning" Release on Netflix Dec. 2. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired November 27, 2025 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: What a great story, Andy. And that turducken felt a lot more authentically a part of John Madden's diet than Tom Brady's diet. But certainly missing John Madden, grateful that he was part of that story.
All right. Happy Thanksgiving to everybody who's watching in America. The next hour of The Story Is starts right now. And it starts with breaking news.
[01:00:30]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN BREAKING NEWS.
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Elex Michaelson. Welcome to The Story Is. We are following two breaking stories at this hour. In Washington, two National Guardsmen are fighting for their lives after a shooting near the White House.
But first we go to Hong Kong. Firefighters there still working to reach anyone who may still be trapped in that high rise apartment complex that caught fire. It's now 2:00 in the afternoon in Hong Kong where at least 44 people have been killed. Nearly 300 others are unaccounted for. You're looking at the live pictures there.
There's still smoke coming out of at least one of these buildings. Crews say extreme temperatures inside the buildings and falling debris still making it hard to get survivors out. Experts also concerned about structural integrity. This fire has been burning for around 22 hours now. The building still standing at this hour.
CNN's Hanako Montgomery is live in Hong Kong. She's at the largest evacuation center where she's been speaking to survivors of this.
Hanako.
HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi Elex. As you mentioned, I'm at the largest evacuation center in Hong Kong. We're just a few hundred feet away from me that apartment complex was on fire. Now as you mentioned, at least seven of those eight buildings in the complex were where a blaze and firefighters have been working throughout the night to try to actually extinguish those flames. Now there are some concerns about at least 200 people who remain unaccounted for who remain missing in those apartment complexes.
And again, as you mentioned also, Elex, that there are some questions about just how this fire spread so quickly and also what caused this fire. Of course, these flames have been ablaze for more than 22 hours now and still very, very deadly and again could be resulting in even more deaths in the coming hours. And we just want to show you the timeline of events that unfolded in Hong Kong just on Wednesday that led to this very, very deadly blaze. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): The smell and taste of smoke fills the air. Firefighters in Hong Kong are still working to put out isolated flames after a massive fire broke out Wednesday afternoon. The fire was first reported at 2:51 p.m. local time at Wang Ching House, a 32 story residential building. These were some of the early visuals coming in. Five minutes later, firefighters arrived and discovered the bamboo scaffolding encasing the building had caught fire.
Not only was it starting to spread inside, but neighboring buildings were also now on fire. At 3.02 p.m., the Hong Kong Fire Department raised the fire alarm signal to a level three of five. By 6:22 p.m. it was upgraded to level five, the highest level of severity.
JASON KING, RESIDENT (through translator): I received a message around 3 p.m. that the roof is on fire. Then it was spreading so quick, it was spreading in a snap.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Firefighters efforts continued into the night. By morning, they were able to bring the blaze down. They're now concentrating on three of the seven blocks affected. Three people from a construction company have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter in connection to the fire. Police haven't determined yet the cause of the fire and have set up a task force to investigate.
Housing authorities will also look into whether protective layers shielding the buildings during a recent refurbishment complied with fire safety standards.
EILEEN CHUNG, SENIOR SUPERINTENDENT, HONG KONG POLICE FORCE: We found that one of the building not affected by the fire. We found the Styrofoam installed outside the window, yes, on each floor near the lift lobby. And everyone knows this material is inflammable material. It's maybe one of the causes to -- cause the fire and spread of fire so quickly.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): The bamboo scaffolding, ancient construction technique, has also come under question. For years, it's been a mainstay of construction across Hong Kong, one of the most densely populated cities with the highest concentration of skyscrapers in the world. But fire is a rare disaster in this city, which has a strong track record thanks to high quality construction and strict building regulations. And while investigators seek answers for the 4,000 odd people who call this complex home, another process begins, that of grieving and rebuilding lives.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[01:05:11]
MICHAELSON: And Hanako, you've been speaking to some of those people who are the survivors. What are they telling you?
MONTGOMERY: Yes, Elex, I mean, some individuals have said that they haven't been able to contact their family members and they still don't even know if they're stuck in those apartment buildings. And of course, that is extremely distress for people who just aren't able to contact their loved ones, aren't able to just confirm whether or not they are alive or dead. Now, some others have been slightly luckier. They've said that as they were on their way home from work, they heard from their family members that their building was on fire so that they didn't actually go inside the building when it was ablaze. But of course, they still lost so much in that devastating fire.
They lost all of their belongings, all of their memories really, that were housed in those apartments. So really, again, just devastating and really emotional voices here on the ground here, Elex, who are just trying to grapple with what remains from this fire. And also, again, just confirming how many people still remain unaccounted for and how many people are actually have survived that fire that again started on Wednesday and continues to devastate lives, Elex.
MICHAELSON: Reminder of how quickly life can change. And also we see how quickly some of the people are moving behind you. The sense of panic you can even see in your live shot.
Hanako Montgomery, thank you for your reporting from Hong Kong, which will continue throughout the day.
Now to the other big story we're tracking, law enforcement officials tell CNN that the suspect involved in a shooting that left two National Guardsmen in critical condition has now been identified. His name is Rahmanullah Lakanwal. Sources say that he is in custody. He is not cooperating with police. Washington, DC's mayor says the guardsmen were targeted on Wednesday while patrolling near the White House. President of the United States Donald Trump says the Department of Homeland Security is, quote, "confident that the suspect came to the U.S. from Afghanistan."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: As we are filled with anguish and grief for those who were shot, we're also filled with righteous anger and ferocious resolve. As president of the United States, I am determined to ensure that the animal who perpetrated this atrocity pays the steepest possible price.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Social media video shows an apparent struggle at the scene of the shooting. We're learning that investigators have now recovered a handgun believed to have been used in that attack. CNN Chief Law Enforcement Intelligence Analyst John Miller has more details on the suspect.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT & INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: He is an Afghan national who came here in 2021 as part of Operation Allies Welcome, which really brought in about 88,000 people from 2021 with the fall of the Afghan government and the rush to get out, people who had either worked with or assisted or family members of people who worked with the United States government on some level or the military. So he is -- he is part of that group. We are told that he applied, after being here since 2021, applied for asylum to remain in the United States in 2024. And we're told that that was approved in April of this year.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: And Immigration services said that all immigration cases for Afghan nationals have now been, quote, "stopped indefinitely." The agency said it plans to review security and vetting protocols after President Trump said that all Afghan immigrants who came in the country during the previous administration would be reexamined. Earlier, I spoke with CNN law enforcement contributor Steve Moore, former FBI agent explained what investigators are doing behind the scenes right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE MOORE, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CONTRIBUTOR: You have somebody who has been in the country for what, four years, possibly from Afghanistan, was working with our military, allegedly in Afghanistan, came over here seeking political asylum and was working or living in Washington state. So you've got all that going on. You have agents in Washington, you have the legal attache who's going to be handling Kabul area or possibly Islamabad, working on finding out what they can from him, agents talking to the military who sponsored him over here. This is a massive investigation.
MICHAELSON: So President Trump is saying basically that everybody from Afghanistan, we're going to stop all immigration cases indefinitely. Do we have any indications so far that this is part of something broader, that the country or other Afghan nationals are involved in this or is this an isolated incident?
[01:10:09]
MOORE: We don't have an idea whether it's isolated or whether there are more people involved. I would be stunned if this was a mass movement within the Afghan community. I think what you're probably seeing is one individual, possibly more, if he's got some friends who believe what he believes. But it is -- it is not uncommon for when you -- when you realize that you've had one major security breach in a system of vetting people coming to the country to not necessarily reinvestigate, investigate everyone but reinvestigate your procedures before you continue. MICHAELSON: So as far as what you can tell then, do you feel like there is sort of an active threat here or this is something that was unfortunate but not something larger?
MOORE: I -- what I'm saying is you cannot assume that there is not an active threat.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: President Trump is ramping up the National Guard deployment in Washington in the aftermath of that shooting. He is asking for 500 more troops to be sent to the Capitol, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The secretary also said this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE HEGSETH, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: The shooter shot in a cowardly, dastardly act targeting the best of America. We'll secure our capital, secure our cities. In fact, this happened just steps away from the White House. It will not stand. This will only stiffen our resolve to ensure that we make Washington, D.C. safe and beautiful.
The drop in crime has been historic. The increase in safety and security has been historic. But if criminals want to conduct things like this, violence against America's best, we will never back down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: So the shooting came after a federal judge ruled last week that the National Guard deployment in Washington is actually illegal. She delayed her order to give the White House time to appeal. But on Wednesday, the Trump administration asked for an emergency order to block that ruling. The move didn't mention the shooting. One House Democrat described the additional deployment as a step too far.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ROBERT GARCIA (D-CA): I'm not sure that expanding another 500 troops is the right call. I think that's something that we also need to assess. Look, I think the first person you need to ask that question to is the mayor and local authorities. At the end of the day, National Guard should be brought in to assist states, in this case, the district to assist mayors when they believe there needs to be additional support on top of local law enforcement and police that are on the ground. For the president to order additional National Guard, whether it's in D.C. or in other states, without that input and discussion, I don't think is the right approach.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Robert Garcia Democrat from Long Beach there.
Ahead, a fresh look at a shameful chapter. CNN travels to Manzanar here in California, speaking to Japanese Americans who say lessons from the past are more relevant than ever. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:17:42]
MICHAELSON: We continue to follow breaking news. This is video from earlier of this massive fire in Hong Kong where authorities have now launched a criminal investigation. That fire has killed at least 44 people. That number likely to go up because 300 people are still missing. Firefighters battling isolated flames.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping is allocating 2 million yen, about $280,000 to rescue efforts there. So we will continue to follow that breaking news. But now to another story from our past.
It's been 80 years since World War II and Japanese Americans who live through that experience say there are things that happen to them we all can never forget. Stephanie Elam is here with me now on set.
And Stephanie, you just made a trip that must have been very emotional for you.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: To think that there's some place like this in California within driving distance of Los Angeles really does hit home. And the fact that there are people still alive who lived through this part of American history.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELAM (voice-over): These Japanese Americans never considered themselves enemies of the state.
JOYCE NAKAMURA OKAZAKI, FORMER PRISONER IN MANZANAR: We were not enemy aliens. We were citizens. And if were not U.S. citizens, were people who had green cards. We were incarcerated, were in prison, and we were in concentration camps.
ELAM (voice-over): Most of those camps, which were surrounded by barbed wire and armed guards and towers, were officially closed 80 years ago this month.
ELAM: In December 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. Two months later, U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt ordered the forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans. They were taken to camps like this one. This is Manzanar, out in the vast high desert of California's eastern Sierra. All told, some 120,000 Japanese Americans were taken to 10 camps throughout the west and Arkansas and held till nearly the end of 1945 after the end of World War II.
ELAM (voice-over): Los Angeles native Joyce Nakamura Okazaki was just seven years old when her family was forced to board a train to Manzanar in April 1942.
OKAZAKI: It was an old, rickety train, and the soldiers were right there. They were on a train with us, took us to Manzanar in the dark.
[01:20:08] ELAM: While the barracks from 80 years ago are no longer standing, they've built these recreations to give an idea of what these Americans were dealing with. When the prisoners arrived here in Manzanar, they had to give up almost all of their property, save two suitcases, as well as their privacy, as multiple people were assigned to each barrack. On top of that, they were dealing with extreme temperatures, both hot and cold, as well as dust storms that would filter in through the rafters.
OKAZAKI: There was a shortage of barracks, so we had to move in with my grandmother and two aunts. They had filled the bags with straw, so we had mattresses to sleep on. There was no running water in the unit. You had to walk to the latrine. It was just a toilet with no walls or doors around it.
ELAM (voice-over): While Okazaki was in the camp, she and her mother and sister were photographed by Ansel Adams, something she says she was happy to do, but didn't understand why she and her family were being held.
OKAZAKI: I was with my family, and that was my safety.
ELAM (voice-over): But as an adult, she made some sense of the nonsensical.
OKAZAKI: Racial discrimination, war hysteria, and then poor administration. Those three things very important for why we were put into camp.
JUNE AOCHI BERK, FORMER PRISONER AT ROHWER CAMP, ARKANSAS: I think we had about a week to get ready.
ELAM (voice-over): Born and raised in Los Angeles, June Aochi Berk was 10 when her family of five was forced to leave their home on May 7, 1942.
BERK: We had a three bedroom house, everything furnished. We had to leave everything behind. We lost everything.
ELAM (voice-over): For five months, they and others were held in horse stalls at Santa Anita Racetrack east of Los Angeles, managing to remain patriotic, even those who weren't born in the States.
BERK: I don't think we felt anything else but Americans under armed guards and barbed wire. But we're celebrating the Fourth of July.
ELAM (voice-over): From there, Aochi Berk's family was moved to a camp in Arkansas.
BERK: It took four days, four nights to get there by train. The barracks were all black tar paper. The ground was all brown and the sky was all gray. So everything was black, brown and gray.
ELAM (voice-over): Yet she says she felt safe and everyone was able to move freely about the camp, with many parents shielding their children from their harsh reality. As the prisoners were released years later, they were given $25, about 450 in today's money, and a train ticket. The caveat being that they could not initially return to the West Coast. There was no formal apology or reparations until 1988.
ELAM: Why is it important to preserve and then share the history of these places where people were held against their will?
OKAZAKI: It's important to remember your history so that it is not repeated again.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Never forget, which is the same thing, you talk to Holocaust survivors about their experience in Germany, and they say these lessons are kind of fresh, too, right?
ELAM: They're extremely fresh. And they're saying that they cannot be forgotten, although both of the women I spoke with make it very clear that it seems some Americans have forgotten. And they pointed to the fact that ICE is using some of those former Japanese camps, camps for Japanese Americans now to detain people who are being held by ICE. And they're saying that these lessons cannot be forgotten. And they're saying it's a disgrace to the memory of what these Americans went through.
MICHAELSON: I mean, that is a remarkable thing to think about --
ELAM: It's --
MICHAELSON: -- people being in, you know, held there.
ELAM: They're in particular, and the fact that maybe some people who are younger don't remember. But this is why we have to learn our history, and that's why we have to remember that while the war ended in September, the camps didn't officially close or start closing until November. That's a lot later after World War II was actually called done.
MICHAELSON: Stephanie Elam, thank you for your reporting.
ELAM: Thanks, Elex.
MICHAELSON: Really emotional to watch that.
[01:24:22]
We'll be back with more of The Story Is right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MICHAELSON: Welcome back to The Story Is. I'm Elex Michaelson. Let's take a look at today's top stories. Authorities expect the death toll to rise in the massive apartment block fire in Hong Kong. At least 44 people have been killed, nearly 300 others are missing.
Firefighters still battling isolated flames in several buildings and searching for people who could be trapped on higher floors. Officials believe the fire started in a building undergoing renovations clad in bamboo scaffolding.
Dominican Republic will let the U.S. military use one of its air bases to fight drug trafficking. Then Secretary Pete Hegseth met with the country's president in Santo Domingo on Wednesday. The U.S. has amassed a fleet of warships in the Caribbean as part of an operation to disrupt the flow of drugs through that region.
[01:29:44]
U.S. officials say two National Guardsmen who were shot near the White House are still in critical condition. The Department of Homeland Security has now identified the suspects as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who was granted asylum earlier this year.
I spoke with CNN political and national security analyst David Sanger last hour here on set about the attack in D.C. and he explained how the suspect may have entered the U.S.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Huge tragedy. I go in and out of that -- that particular metro stop very often. It's right near my office in Washington.
I've seen these young National Guard who are there. They're doing what they were told to do. Setting aside the question of whether the president was within his authorities, which is now being debated in the courts. So, awful tragedy. You have to pray for these two men and their families.
That said, let's assume for a moment that the suspect here, and he is still a suspect, was exactly what we have heard brought into the United States during a program during the Biden administration to bring Afghans here. They were being brought here because the vast majority of them were helping the U.S. the CIA, U.S. military during the Afghan war.
MICHAELSON: Right.
SANGER: And they were trying to make sure they weren't being retaliated against or wouldn't be when the country was taken over by the Taliban.
You take some risk when you do that. And there was a lot of chaos because everybody pulled out much faster than they should have.
During the first Trump administration, they didn't do a very good job of beginning to vet some of these folks. The Biden people, when they came in, didn't do a much better one.
MICHAELSON: Right.
SANGER: And then they had to go do it in in a rush.
But then to turn around and say, we're going to stop all Afghans coming in, the question is, what's in our better interest to show that the United States is going to protect those who helped the U.S. --
MICHAELSON: Right.
SANGER: -- forces there? But you know, you're going to take risks with that. And that appears tragically to be what happened with this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Our thanks to David Sanger for coming in for that.
Meanwhile, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services say all immigration cases for Afghan nationals have been, quote, "stopped indefinitely".
All right. On a bit of a lighter note, it is Thanksgiving Day already on the East Coast of the U.S., and travelers are reporting shorter lines and fewer delays than expected at major airports this week. That's good news.
Restaurant reservations are up. The booking platform Open Door reports reservations are up 13 percent this year as Americans grapple with rising grocery costs due to tariffs and supply chain issues.
Thankfully, there are organizations that are lending a helping hand to help those in need this holiday.
Celebrities, city officials, other volunteers gathered here in L.A. on Wednesday to distribute meals to the unhoused on Skid Row. That's Ian Zehring there, among them. Looks like L.A. Mayor Karen Bass was out there today after being here on our set last night.
One city official said, quote, "caring for one another is an apolitical issue. Former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa there as well.
Let's talk more about the numbers with Ryan Patel, a senior fellow at Claremont Graduate University, Drucker School of Management -- our money guy.
This week, it's all about gratitude. But for a lot of people, it's also about money, right?
RYAN PATEL, SENIOR FELLOW, CLAREMONT GRADUATE UNIVERSITY, DRUCKER SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT: Yes, sir.
MICHAELSON: Ok, so we keep hearing the conversation over costs and it's become political almost although it's really a money issue. Is Thanksgiving more expensive or less expensive this year?
PATEL: Well, it definitely feels like it, right. Based on inventory, I think just based on the average grocery bill, it is.
And I think that's fair to say, because we've seen inflation and even with the lack of, you know, supply, it has to be right, and there's still more of a demand.
So that's why you saw some of the numbers you mentioned. People are choosing to go out if the (INAUDIBLE) is really different because it's not as expensive as it used to be.
MICHAELSON: Meaning, so go to a restaurant and not have to spend all the day.
PATEL: When was the last time in the last five years that you said it was a little more? You know, it wasn't as expensive to go outside versus eating at home. It's always eating at home is cheaper, right?
MICHAELSON: Right.
So also this week is Black Friday. We think back, I don't know, 10, 15 years. Black Friday was people going at 5:00 in the morning and like fist-fighting each other for a Best Buy TV. That was also like this big and this thick right.
Now that doesn't really happen as much. People buy more online. Is Black Friday actually the best day to get deals?
PATEL: No. And why I say that is because Black Friday is no longer just one day. It's a whole week.
[01:34:47]
PATEL: We see holiday spending, say November, December. We're going to see over $1 trillion being spent. And you're going to ask me, well, where is this all this money coming from?
MICHAELSON: Yes.
PATEL: Shoppers are being smarter with how they invest their money and buy it. So those sales we saw last October, the retail sales were higher than before because they were preparing for November, Black Friday.
People are buying better deals earlier in this week because they want the inventory and supply on Black Friday.
The doorbuster myths. There's only a couple of them. No one is going in to sales over the next two months. Adobe reports $240 billion in online sales. So that's why --
MICHAELSON: $240 billion.
PATEL: So that's why we won't see as many doorbusters meaning actual going into store versus you see Walmart Plus having Black Friday deals a day before.
People are actually buying today for tomorrow. And were going to see going into the weekend, Black Friday is just not Friday. We've got small business Saturday. We've got Cyber Monday. You got Giving Tuesday. I can keep going if you want.
MICHAELSON: There's a day for -- there's a day for everything. But small business Saturday is a is a nice part of this whole thing.
PATEL: I think so. I think it provides the humanity back into retail sales and reservations. And you know, we saw a lot of credit card companies like Mastercard, Amazon, American Express supporting people to kind of go, hey, go spend your money here if you're going to go spend it. And I see that's been an uptick for sure.
MICHAELSON: Speaking of spending your money, we're also seeing an increase in credit card debt, right?
PATEL: Yes. And we've already seen that going into the year. And I think there's one thing that I would probably see a public service announcement, you know. The buy now, pay later button that continues to pop up.
You know, there was a survey by PayPal going into this year that people -- about 50 percent-- that's pretty high of people are willing to use that. So remember, that tool is meant to be a budgeting tool to say, hey, you know what? You can spread out your payments over four years.
But what happens is if you don't pay those, you got to pay, read the fine print. There's interest.
So when you're buying something this holiday season, especially when money is being tight and people are using their money strategically about what things they buy. Buy things that you can afford.
And I think this year maybe might be one of those years that maybe people will use that as a budgeting tool, and not so much as I can figure out how to do it later.
MICHAELSON: So if you had to pick a day that you're going to do your shopping, is it this week? Is it the week before Christmas? Is it a couple days? Have we already missed the window?
(CROSSTALKING)
PATEL: Yes. I would have said you should have put a list last week. Last time I was with you, I said put a list of things that you need.
It's not too late. I put it in today. If you have one. And over this weekend find something -- I would not wait until the week of Christmas. I'd find, you know, this week. Why it's important is because you can probably get the things that you want supply-wise, and be able to grab those deals earlier.
So maybe you pay $1 or two more, but at least you know you got the color that you want, or you got the phone or the tech items, because those are the ones that are going to be heavily discounted is the tech item.
MICHAELSON: And there was so much fear about how tariffs would impact Christmas. Are we seeing much of that or not really.
PATEL: No. Not yet. I think -- but again, the things that are being bought right now isn't the big expensive items, right. You got tech items. You're talking about vacuums. We're talking about things that we're already going heavily discount into the things that people want in a daily needs. Remember, I haven't talked about cars. I'm not talking about washing machines. I'm not talking about those high- ticket price items.
If you see any of the deals across any of the forums, those are not the ones that are being popped up in your feed
MICHAELSON: Interesting. Ryan, thank you. Happy thanksgiving.
PATEL: You too.
MICHAELSON: To your beautiful family as well. Enjoy.
PATEL: Appreciate it.
MICHAELSON: Now to this, a woman with family ties to the White House press secretary is now in ICE custody. Her name is Bruna Caroline Ferreira. She's a Brazilian native. She's the mother of Karoline Leavitt nephew.
She was arrested near Boston earlier this month. Her attorney says Ferreira was a former recipient of DACA, which grants temporary protection from deportation for those brought to the U.S. as children.
He says she was currently in the middle of a lawful immigration process for citizenship when she was arrested.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TODD POMERLEAU, ATTORNEY FOR BRUNA FERREIRA: Like many other days it's around noontime. She was leaving her home to go pick up her son, Michael. He lives in southern New Hampshire, about 35 miles away from where Bruna lives.
And, you know, she's being characterized as somebody who never sees her son. She sees him regularly. He used to live with her.
So she lives in an apartment complex. So when she walked out of her home, at first she thought it was a traffic stop because, you know, a vehicle pulled up and then she was surrounded by 3 or 4 unmarked vehicles, and people got out of the cars with masks over their faces.
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN HOST: That's the standard operating procedure -- we've heard so many stories. Do you believe her arrest was entirely random?
POMERLEAU: No.
SCIUTTO: Tell me why.
POMERLEAU: Because she was surrounded by four unmarked vehicles, clearly from ICE. She watches the news. She sees people with masks over their faces. And that's how Immigration and Customs Enforcement rolls these days.
But what was strange about it is when they approached her, they asked her for her driver's license. So at first it was kind of like, why are you asking me for my driver's license? Doesn't appear to be a traffic stop.
Then they asked her if she had her license. She said it was in her purse. Then they asked her if she was Bruna and she said, why are you asking me that? Then they immediately arrested her.
[01:39:45]
POMERLEAU: They took her to a police station in the Boston suburbs, and they took her to New Hampshire. Then they took her to Vermont, and now she's sitting in Louisiana.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: That attorney speaking to Jim Sciutto on "ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT".
International tourists will have to pay more to visit U.S. national parks next year. The Interior Department says the annual pass for non- U.S. residents will jump up to $250 in January. That's more than three times what U.S. residents pay, which starts at $80.
Foreign visitors without the annual pass will pay $100 per person in some of the most popular parks. That department says it wants to make international visitors pay their fair share for park maintenance.
But some national parks in the U.S. in general, have seen a drop in international tourism, partly because of tariffs and some of those immigration crackdowns.
Pope Leo is set to leave Rome soon on his first foreign trip as the leader of the Catholic Church. This is a live picture right now of what I guess is Pope Force One. I don't know what this is called.
The pope will travel to Turkey and Lebanon, where he is expected to meet with the Turkish president in the coming hours. He will also address the local Catholic community and focus attention on key regional issues.
While in Turkey, the pontiff will mark the feast of Saint Andrew, an important ceremony for the Orthodox Church. Pope Leo the 14th will arrive Sunday in Lebanon, where he'll take part in an inter-religious gathering and celebrate a mass on the Beirut waterfront.
France is marking the start of the holiday season. In the eastern French city of Strasbourg lit up the Christmas tree and its famous Christmas market on Wednesday to the sound of bells.
The market is one of the most visited in all of Europe. Last year it saw a record 3.4 million people visiting its Christmas market.
Yes, it's time. The season is here. Get ready for all the music. It's not going to stop.
You're watching. THE STORY IS. For our international viewers, WORLDSPORT is next. For our viewers in North America, I'll be back with Elizabeth Wagmeister after this. [01:41:48]
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MICHAELSON: The wait is finally over for fans of "Stranger Things" episode one of Season 5. The final season of the series has just come out.
Here to discuss all things Upside Down with me is CNN entertainment reporter and "Stranger Things" fan Elizabeth Wagmeister.
Elizabeth, welcome back to the show.
ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: Who isn't A "Stranger Things" fan, Elex?
MICHAELSON: Well, I watched its season one and then I haven't watched it since. I know I'm not the only person. It feels like it's been on for like 25 years.
WAGMEISTER: It does feel like --
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MICHAELSON: -- like it's drawing this out, Jesus.
WAGMEISTER: Yes.
MICHAELSON: Which is why the fans want to tune in, but we'll have to catch you up. So what are the deals? I mean, it's quite a rollout we've got going on.
WAGMEISTER: It really is quite a rollout. And look, Season 5 premieres today, tonight, wherever you are in the world.
I will tell you that Netflix crashed for three minutes --
MICHAELSON: Wow.
WAGMEISTER: -- which is a big deal for Netflix. That's how many people are tuning in. They came home from work, they came home from school and Netflix completely crashed.
So here's what's really interesting about this rollout. It's the fifth and final season, and they're really making this an event.
So today is when the first part premieres. Then on Christmas is when the next part of the season premieres. But then on New Year's, you can see "Stranger Things" in theaters. So of course you can watch the grand finale.
This is the fifth and final season, so the final episode, you can watch it on Netflix, but you can also watch it in theaters.
And that's a big deal because number one, this is a TV series. And number two, this is Netflix, which historically does not really like to share with the box office.
MICHAELSON: So is it at the same time on Netflix, in the theater, not theaters first?
WAGMEISTER: Yes. So same time and just for the final episode for the series finale, and again on New Year's. So that's really creating an event.
And look, the -- a lot of fans, they will run to theaters to see this. And the Duffer Brothers, who are the creators of "Stranger Things", you could reason that they want their work to be seen in theaters.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
WAGMEISTER: And the reason I say that, Elex, is because they're actually leaving Netflix after "Stranger Things" for a huge deal at Paramount.
MICHAELSON: Wow.
WAGMEISTER: Part of that deal at Paramount is to create television and film. But in the announcement, they said it's to create tentpole films.
Even in the age of streaming, there are still artists, both in front of the screen and behind, who really want their work to be seen in theaters.
And it seems like when you can make anything an event, that's when you really make money, right? You think about the --
WAGMEISTER: It's true.
MICHAELSON: Taylor Swift concert going into theaters or other things that will draw people in the regular movie. Just the beautiful art house movie does not necessarily get people to head to theaters.
WAGMEISTER: No.
MICHAELSON: They'd rather watch that on Netflix.
WAGMEISTER: And you're right. You know, that Taylor Swift concert film that topped the box office the weekend that it was out? And this is not the first time that Netflix has done this this year.
"K-Pop Demon Hunters" was on Netflix streaming and had a very limited release, but did incredibly well at the box office and became a huge phenomenon for families.
So will we be seeing more of this? Probably when it makes sense for the property at hand.
MICHAELSON: All right. Speaking of Netflix, they've got a new documentary about "Diddy", something you've covered so much.
WAGMEISTER: Yes. MICHAELSON: From one of Diddy's favorite people, not quite. There's been this weird back and forth and battle between 50 Cent and "Diddy" that has played out in front of the public eye.
WAGMEISTER: Yes. So 50 Cent and "Diddy" have been in a long-standing feud, and if you know anything about 50 Cent and if you follow him on social media, you know that he's constantly been razzing "Diddy".
I mean, throughout his trial, he weighed in every single day. Well, he has been hard at work producing a docu series about essentially the downfall of "Diddy".
And a lot of people that I've spoken to about this throughout my coverage have thought it was a joke. They said, what, 50 Cent producing a "Diddy" documentary?
But this is real and this is happening and its happening very quickly. In fact, it's coming out next week.
[01:49:47]
WAGMEISTER: Netflix just announced that this will be a four-part docu series, which comes out again next week. We don't know all that it will entail, but at least Netflix is billing this as having exclusive, never-before-seen content, you know, exclusive interviews from people in Diddy's orbit.
So we'll see. There's been a series of "Diddy" documentaries that have been made.
MICHAELSON: And done well, right?
WAGMEISTER: And a lot have done well.
(CROSSTALK)
MICHAELSON: And a lot of people are focused about this. Have you seen it? The 50 Cent one?
WAGMEISTER: No, I have not, actually.
I've been focused on my reporting here at CNN on the "Diddy" saga because as you know, and as we spoke about last week on your show, it's really a never-ending saga, you know.
But I'm sure 50 Cent will have a lot to say about this. And I am sure that Diddy's legal team will have a lot to say about this, and I will be reaching out to them after I see it myself.
MICHAELSON: I love the way you say 50 Cent and not 50 Cent.
WAGMEISTER: I'm not going to say it that way.
I will tell you though. I've interviewed him before. Great interview, great guy.
MICHAELSON: Yes. Curtis Jackson, thank you.
Elizabeth, Happy Thanksgiving to you --
WAGMEISTER: Happy Thanksgiving, Elex.
MICHAELSON: -- and your fantastic family.
WAGMEISTER: Yours as well.
MICHAELSON: All right. We'll be right back for more of THE STORY IS right after this.
[01:50:57]
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MICHAELSON: Just a few hours away from the start of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in New York, featuring Buzz Lightyear, clearly.
The famous event is set to debut new balloons, including Pac-Man, Buzz, Nintendo's Mario, Shrek and more. A spokesperson for Macy's say they expect 3.5 million people at the actual event, and more than 30 million to watch it on TV.
The torch is now lit for this February's Winter Olympics in Italy. The lighting took place Wednesday in ancient Olympia, Greece, a week-long Greek relay is now underway.
Then the torch will be handed over to Italian game organizers and brought to Rome on December 4th. It will then make its way through 60 Italian cities and 300 towns before arriving in Milan for the opening ceremony on February 6th.
Thank you so much for watching. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
I'm Elex Michaelson.
"ANDERSON COOPER 360" with John Berman is next. And we'll be back with more of THE STORY IS on Friday/Saturday. See you then.
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