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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson
Air Force One Turns Around Due to "Minor Electrical Issue"; Trump Heads to Davos for World Economic Forum; Interview with Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA); Trump Marks One Year in 2nd Term; One-on-One with Mira Sorvino on 'Signing Tony Raymond'; Evolution of North Korea's State-Run Film Industry. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired January 21, 2026 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Elex Michaelson live in Los Angeles.
We begin with breaking news. Air Force One turning around shortly after taking off for Davos, Switzerland, because of what the White House calls a minor electrical issue with the plane. Don't know exactly what that means. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says the plane carrying President Trump turned back to Joint Base Andrews out of an abundance of caution.
This is some video from moments ago. Everybody getting off the plane, all their bags, all their stuff, all the food, everything being moved onto another plane, which is supposed to take off at any moment. We do not have a report, though, that President Trump himself has gotten off the original Air Force One, which is what we're looking at there.
Obviously, all of this is going to delay by several hours his trip to Davos, where he's supposed to speak tomorrow morning to the World Economic Forum. We are awaiting live pictures of the takeoff of the plane.
Joining me now from Denver is aviation safety consultant and former pilot, Steve Cowell.
Steve, thanks so much for being with us. What would cause something like this?
STEVE COWELL, FORMER PILOT: Well, it could be any number of things, but you have to understand fundamentally Air Force One is a commercial 747. So there are multiple electrical systems and they're all backing up one another.
MICHAELSON: We are just getting word, by the way, that President Trump just boarded the new aircraft that is going to be taking off right now. They are not putting out live pictures of pictures of that. We expect to be getting live pictures any moment now, and when we get that, we will go to it. So as you just mentioned, it is a commercial aircraft. And we know
sometimes if you're taking a commercial aircraft, you don't get to take off because of issues like this, or you sometimes turn around because of issues like this. But Air Force One is not the normal plane, though. I mean, there are additional checks and all the rest of it. I mean, how sort of unusual is something like this to literally turn that plane around?
COWELL: Well, it's pretty unusual. We never really hear about Air Force One turning around, but because of the length of the trip, they're going overseas, this isn't a situation where there may be taking a one-hour flight or a two-hour flight. I suspect if that were the case, they wouldn't have turned around. But because of the length of flight, you know, out of an abundance of caution to everyone concerned, especially when you're, you know, carrying the person that's head of the free world, you want to make sure that everything is just right.
MICHAELSON: And I'm sure that there is going to be an eagerness to get off the ground as soon as possible now, so that they can get back on schedule or try to make up some time. But talk about the sort of safety checks that are happening right now by moving all these people and all the security and everything onto a new plane.
COWELL: It's really not that much different than what happens at your airport in Atlanta or New York or Denver. You know, when you've got the ability to transfer to another plane. You know, you've got, if it's the same plane, you know, another 747, they're going to probably be using the same crew. If they've got to use one of the other types of executive aircraft that were also former commercial aircraft, then they're going to be using a different flight crew.
So it's a matter of moving, you know, of course, all of the people, all of the baggage, all of the equipment that's needed, everybody over to the new plane. You know, the checks have already been, you know, happening with this second plane. So once they do decide to go, everything is going to be just fine.
MICHAELSON: Well, that is good to hear,
Steve, thank you so much. Appreciate your insight tonight.
By the way, that video, we were just looking at, that was President Trump boarding the first Air Force One. We're still waiting to see potential video of him boarding what will now be the next plane. It is standard operating procedure, by the way, for there to be backup planes when the president or the vice president travels in case there's any issue. And tonight they are needing to go into that.
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Now once President Trump gets off the ground and gets to Davos, he's scheduled to address the World Economic Forum. The president will come face to face with world leaders pushing back on his threats to take Greenland. Here's what he said shortly before this moment when he left the White House. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: So I'm going to Davos. I believe it will be very successful, the trip. This will be an interesting trip. I have no idea what's going to happen, but you are well-represented.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Now the future of the NATO military alliance could hang in the balance of what happens. Sources tell CNN that European leaders are considering their options, hoping to provide President Trump a sort of off ramp from this language. That includes an expanded U.S. military presence in Greenland, possibly commercial and economic agreements and barring Chinese investment in that territory.
President Trump is predicting he can work out a deal that's, quote, "good for everybody."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I've done more for NATO than anybody, and I see all this stuff. But NATO has to treat us fairly, too. The big fear I have with NATO is we spend tremendous amounts of money with NATO, and I know we'll come to their rescue, but I just really do question whether or not they'll come to ours. You know, just -- I'm just asking. Just saying. Right? Do you remember during the debate? Just saying.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: President Trump speaking at the briefing room today to mark one year in office for him. Of course, he took the oath of office one year ago in that building, Capitol Hill, where Republicans are divided on his pursuit of Greenland.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. RICHARD HUDSON (R-NC): I'm not concerned that we're going to invade a NATO ally anytime soon.
REP. DAN NEWHOUSE (R-WA): I have heard no compelling reason to support actions against NATO allies. We have capability of doing almost anything we want on Greenland currently. And so the case has not been made to me for the actions that are being described.
I would like to hear from the president what his true plans are here, and some specifics, but we have to be very careful in this situation.
REP. BUDDY CARTER (R-GA): Greenland is strategically important to the United States. The number one responsibility of the federal government is to take care of our citizens and our homeland. We can only do that if we have strategic locations to locate bases. Greenland needs to participate more, work with us more. Look, he's a real estate guy. I mean, let's face it, when you do a real estate deal, nothing is for sale until it's for sale.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Manu Raju on the Hill today.
Canada's prime minister addressed the World Economic Forum on Tuesday and appeared to take a thinly veiled shot at the Trump administration.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK CARNEY, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: It seems that every day we're reminded that we live in an era of great power rivalry, that the rules-based order is fading, that the strong can do what they can, and the weak must suffer what they must. The middle powers must act together because if we're not at the table, we're on the menu.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Now, Canada is no stranger to President Trump's threat of territorial expansion. It's a country he's previously referred to as the 51st U.S. state. On Tuesday, President Trump posted this A.I. generated map plastering the U.S. flag across Canada, Greenland and Venezuela.
California's Governor Gavin Newsom, also in Davos and delivering a sharp rebuke to world leaders who he says are not standing up to President Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D), CALIFORNIA: It's time to buck up. It's time to get serious and stop being complicit. It's time to stand tall and firm, have a backbone. I should have brought a bunch of kneepads for all the world leaders. I mean, handing out crowns and handing out -- I mean, this is pathetic. Nobel Prizes, they are being given away. I mean, it's just pathetic.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: President Trump's clash with European leaders over Greenland and tariff threats has rattled investors into selling off U.S. stocks. The Dow closed lower by 871 points on Tuesday. The broader S&P and the tech heavy Nasdaq both fell more than 2 percent. All three indexes had their worst days since October. And the strength of the U.S. dollar, compared to six major currencies, had its worst day since August.
Immigration now, U.S. attorney general Pam Bondi made an unannounced visit to Minnesota Tuesday, and she is sending this warning to the state's top leaders.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAM BONDI, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: Whether it's a public official, whether it's a law enforcement officer, no one is above the law in this state or in this country. And people will be held accountable.
(END VIDEO CLIP) MICHAELSON: Her visit comes the same day at least five top Minnesota officials, all of them Democrats, received Justice Department subpoenas. Sources say the agency is investigating whether they obstructed federal immigration enforcement efforts in the state.
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The governor, Tim Walz, and the mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, say they will not be intimidated into silence.
Meanwhile, President Trump is defending his administration's surge of federal agents in Minnesota.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: They're apprehending murderers and drug dealers and a lot of bad people. And these are just some of the more recent ones that we have. And I can show you some of the people, vicious, many of them murderers. These are all out of Minnesota, just Minnesota. I say, why don't you talk about that more?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Federal Border Patrol officials say protesters are making their work difficult in Minnesota. Minnesota's governor has repeatedly urged protesters to demonstrate peacefully, but a top CBP official is blaming Governor Walz and Minneapolis' mayor for the demonstrations.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GREG BOVINO, BORDER PATROL OFFICIAL: Leaders like Tim Walz or Mayor Frey have relied on heated rhetoric and accusations that distract -- that distract from the facts. And what we do is legal, ethical and moral. Everything we do every day is legal, ethical, moral, well- grounded in law.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: State officials dispute the Trump administration's narrative that protesters are provoking violence.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TINA SMITH (D-MN): What you see from the mayors and from the governor is just a very solid, calm response, saying we are focused on keeping our communities safe. We are focusing on standing up for Minnesota values, and that's what we're going to continue to be focused. And I really applaud that. I mean, people coming out of their homes to stand up for folks that are literally being dragged out of their cars. It's really incredible to see that. And it makes me really proud.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Meanwhile, high school and college students around the country participated in a nationwide school walkout to protest the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Some student protesters in Atlanta chanted, "No ICE," while others carried anti-ICE signs and banners.
This was the scene in the nation's capital, Washington, D.C. The demonstrations on Tuesday marked the one year anniversary of the start of President Trump's second term.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. ALEX PADILLA (D-CA): The Republican majority in Congress, both the House and the Senate, is failing, absolutely failing or refusing to live up to their oversight responsibility to hold a separate but co-equal branch of government accountable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: That's U.S. Senator Alex Padilla there. He and California's other U.S. senator, Adam Schiff, visited a private detention facility today used by the federal government to house undocumented immigrants.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Senator Alex Padilla, he is here now on our set.
Welcome to THE STORY IS for the first time.
PADILLA: Thank you. Good to see you.
MICHAELSON: Great to see you. Welcome to our house here. So paint us a picture because you were in there for some three and a half hours. Cameras are not allowed inside. So paint us a picture of what it looks like inside.
PADILLA: Well, I think part of understanding what's happening there is, you know, what the situation is for the people who are being detained, right? That's why we use the term detainees. They're not prisoners, but this is a former state prison that they're being housed in. So you can imagine from movies and TV shows what a prison cell and that environment looks like.
So given the fact that these are folks still in various stages of a legal process trying to get their day in court and make a defense, make an argument for why they should not be deported, they're still housed under those sorts of conditions, cells, pods, you know, food that's not necessarily the best.
But one of the big takeaways was how many complaints we got in terms of medical attention that is needed, that isn't being provided. This is just basic standards that should be followed by federal government, just like it is for other similar types of detention facilities.
MICHAELSON: And you say the average stay there is about 54 days?
PADILLA: At the moment, right, that number will fluctuate over time as, you know, people are maybe there longer or some people leave and the population is going to continue to grow. The capacity of this facility in a California city is approximately 2500, 2400, 2500. It's only about 1450 right now. Again, the number changes by the day, but if all the signals and intent from the administration is true, that number is going to grow because their aim is to have more people in custody.
MICHAELSON: So on the day that you visited there, you also posted on X that you think that it's time to cut back on funding for the Department of Homeland Security. What does that look like? How much of a cut are we talking about? And if you do that, who is in charge of a lot of these, you know, immigration practices?
PADILLA: Right. Well, I think that that statement is in context of a new spending bill, a new budget proposal, I should say, that is now public.
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The House will probably take it up this week, and the Senate may take it up next week. So through the regular budget process, the Republican majority wants to increase DHS budget, while just a few months ago through reconciliation and the OBB, I won't call it what Trump wants you to call it.
MICHAELSON: One big beautiful bill, as he calls it. Yes.
PADILLA: But ICE budget has already tripled. So it's not a lack of resources that we're talking about here. They have more than enough resources for what they're doing. And what is it that they are doing? Of course, we need to enforce our nation's laws, including immigration. But how you do it matters. And between what we're seeing on the streets, what we're seeing in communities, not just in Los Angeles.
That kind of really started here, but you've seen it in Chicago, you've seen it in the Carolinas, you've seen it in Portland. Now you're seeing the aggressiveness, the cruelty in Minneapolis without accountability. I don't think we should be funding more of that. Right? So any funding measure for the Department of Homeland Security, for CBP, for ICE, has to come with accountability of reining in the out of control and out of policy behavior.
Yes, enforce our immigration laws, but consistent with policy, with civil rights, due process, the law and the Constitution.
MICHAELSON: As we know, the Democrats are not in the majority right now. So you need Republican votes for that. Do you see Republican votes for that, for cutting back on DHS spending?
PADILLA: Well, look, if there's Republicans who are genuine, sincere, true to their word and upholding the rule of law and the Constitution, the answer would be yes. So it's really a question for them, since they are the majority at the time being.
Look, the question I get a lot from constituents and including a lot of extended friends and family, by the way, is what can we do to try to rein in this behavior and hold the administration accountable. Under normal circumstances, when an ICE agent or any other federal agent is caught on video shooting at a pulse, you would think an independent investigation from the Justice Department would bring justice to that incident. But that's not what we have right now.
We have a DOJ that's been politicized by President Trump. Under normal circumstances, Elex, under normal circumstances, you would have Congress as a co-equal branch of government, you heard the clip earlier, saying, wait a minute, we have oversight and accountability responsibilities as part of our oath of office and our role and responsibility here. We're not saying Republicans do that.
There's no committee hearings trying to say, hold on, this -- the use of force is out of control in the streets of our country. We've got to rein this in. And so those of us that do care about it are left to, we're going to have to go see for ourselves, not just rallying and marching in communities and meeting with community leaders, but visiting these facilities when we have to.
MICHAELSON: And of course, the administration says that they believe that the shooting was within policy in Minneapolis. That's their reading of it. And they got to there before going through a complete investigation.
PADILLA: And, you know, elbowing out state and local law enforcement in Minnesota. That's pretty unheard of.
MICHAELSON: Some on the left think we should abolish ICE. Do you think we need to abolish ICE?
PADILLA: No. Look, again, I know we have to enforce the laws of our nation, including immigration laws, but it has to be done within policy, within the law, with respect to due process and civil rights, and in accordance with the Constitution. We're seeing way too many violations of that across the country.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Senator Alex Padilla, who we spoke to right before we came on air tonight, recorded that conversation.
In our next hour, we'll hear more from our conversation with Senator Padilla, including his thoughts on Greenland and the first year of President Trump's term.
Now, back to our breaking news from the top of the hour and some new information. Air Force One is now wheels up. President Trump aboard a new aircraft, which, whenever the president is on board, is Air Force One. It began rolling down the tarmac around 12:02 a.m. local time, according to the pool. The plane has now taken off. He's in the air, headed to Davos. That flight expected to go for about seven and a half hours or so.
Usually in one of these situations, we would show you live pictures of the president getting on the plane and potentially the plane taking off because of security concerns, because he's on a different plane. The decision was made not to show live pictures. So we do not have video of that to show you yet. We'll see if at some point that video comes out, but there likely will be video of him landing in that plane about seven and a half hours from now, headed to Davos. More coverage of that throughout the night.
Also coming up here on THE STORY IS, we've got a lot more, including quite a panel.
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Alicia Kraus and Stephanie Miller standing by that and more. Mira Sorvino joining us later in the show. We're just getting started. We're going to sneak in a quick commercial break. See you after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MICHAELSON: We have breaking news from Asia. A verdict in the trial of the man who assassinated the former Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe. Tetsuya Yamagami had already admitted that he killed him. And just minutes ago, the courts sentenced him to life in prison.
Back in 2022, he had been immediately arrested at the campaign event where he had fatally shot Abe with a homemade gun. That killing brought scrutiny to the link between Abe's party and a church that Yamagami blamed for bankrupting his family.
[00:25:07]
He says he targeted Abe because he believed the former leader was associated with the church. But again, that verdict, life in prison for Abe's killer.
U.S. has seized another Venezuela linked oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea. U.S. Southern Command announced Tuesday seizure of the sanctioned tanker on social media with this video. The U.S. has now apprehended seven ships in President Trump's ongoing campaign to control Venezuela's oil production. Military officials say the seizure demonstrates their resolve to make sure any oil leaving Venezuela is done properly and lawfully.
One of the biggest financial burdens for American parents, of course, is child care. New research from Lending Tree found parents need to earn about 400,000 bucks a year to comfortably afford care for two kids. That's well above the typical two-child household income of $145,000 a year. Lending Tree's breakdown is based on the average cost of child care for an infant and a 4-year-old, which is about $28,000 a year. Federal guidelines consider child care affordable when it does not exceed 7 percent of household income.
Now to a new milestone for Netflix, as it looks to buy part of Warner Bros. Discovery, which is CNN's parent company. The streaming service reported Tuesday that it had reached more than 325 million paid subscribers around the world. It also reported its fourth quarter earnings beat expectations. Those results came the same day that Netflix said it was prepared to pay all cash for Warner Bros. and HBO, rather than a mix of cash and stock. Netflix and WBD hope they -- the new amended plan will help fend off
Paramount's hostile takeover bid for all of Warner Bros. Discovery. Remember, Paramount was offering all cash. Now, this all cash offer from Netflix, who clearly have a lot of cash if they've got 325 million subscribers paying every single month. Think about that for a second.
The Indiana Hoosiers plan to celebrate their National Football Championship this Saturday in Bloomington. The team returned to Indianapolis on Tuesday after completing their perfect 16-0 season with a victory over Miami's Hurricanes. The Hoosiers traditionally, of course, a basketball powerhouse. This is the school's first football championship. Traditionally, they were the worst team in the history of college football. Now they're the champs.
Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza is widely expected to be the number one pick in the NFL draft in April, which means he's going to the Raiders, where he will be likely mentored by Tom Brady.
Still to come, our political panel weighs in on President Trump's trip to Davos for the World Economic Forum. They're joining us live. You see him standing by right here. We've got Stephanie Miller and Alicia Kraus. This should be fun. A lot to get into next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: So, what -- what ICE does -- and Border Patrol is incredible, too. We've had the best stock market in history. We have tremendous national security because of tariffs and tremendous income. We have -- And by the way, no inflation.
[00:32:59]
We cut millions of people off the federal payroll; ended eight unenviable wars in ten months.
Should have gotten the Nobel Prize for each war.
Drug dealers are way down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: President Trump there, rattling off what he perceives as his accomplishments from his first year back in office.
Let's talk about that and more with tonight's political panel: Stephanie Miller, national radio and TV host, the host of "The Stephanie Miller Show"; and Elisha Krauss, conservative commentator and op-ed writer for "The Washington Examiner."
Ladies, welcome back to THE STORY IS. Stephanie, especially, thank you for staying up late with us. We appreciate it. STEPHANIE MILLER, NATIONAL RADIO AND TV HOST: Thank you, Elex. You
know what? I'm glad the president is safe and is -- he's on the plane, and he can get back to starting World War III. And also, a civil war here in Minneapolis.
MICHAELSON: OK.
MILLER: So exciting.
MICHAELSON: We're off and running. We just heard him describe his list of -- of how -- his accomplishments. How would you assess, in like a sentence or two, President Trump's first year?
ELISHA KRAUSS, CONSERVATIVE COMMENTATOR: I think one of my favorite memes of the last couple of weeks is that I love the wars that Donald Trump fights, because they're over before I wake up and hear about them in the morning.
I mean, this is the guy that for years, 20 years ago, he was saying, we don't want a repeat of Afghanistan. We don't want a repeat of Iraq.
I don't think -- even when it comes to Greenland, I disagree with him -- he's going to start a war or World War III over this. When he heads to Davos, I think that he has some type of game-making happening here where he really wants to have these leaders say, Listen, we're not going to negotiate with China. We understand that they're a world power that the United States doesn't want us doing business with. And that's the play here.
MICHAELSON: How would you assess President Trump's first year?
MILLER: Well, let's start with the obvious. And that is that the president is barking mad. And I think we all need to acknowledge that he is mentally ill. He is suffering some form of dementia and other physical problems.
And I don't even know what to say any more about the rest of -- this is what the 25th Amendment was designed for.
He literally is trying to provoke a civil war. He is mobilizing troops to go to war with Minneapolis while he's threatening World War III against a NATO ally.
The rest of the world is having emergency meetings. His approval ratings are in the toilet, as they should be. Again, I don't know why we have a 25th Amendment if it isn't for now.
[00:35:10]
MICHAELSON: Do you see it that way? I'm guessing not.
KRAUSS: Well, I don't know. I'm sorry I didn't listen to your radio show, although I do respect you. So, I don't know if you felt the same about Joe Biden. I mean --
MILLER: First of all, he didn't end eight wars. Let's just start with that. He's out of his mind.
KRAUSS: Well, if you're going to say, I don't understand, and I don't see any signs of the president being mentally handicapped --
MILLER: Really?
KRAUSS: -- or unable to be the president of the United States.
MILLER: Really?
KRAUSS: You can agree with him on policy. But if you look at the people, I think the people that he specifically -- Marco Rubio, huge fan -- surrounded himself with this -- this time around, they're pretty staid and commonsense people that are trying to -- to speak the truth to him.
MILLER: Stop.
KRAUSS: Scott Bessent has pushed against him. You have half the House Republicans now that are pushing against him. Speaker Johnson, to his credit, will say things --
MILLER: Republicans are pushing against him?
KRAUSS: Yes.
MILLER: They're letting him do anything he wants.
KRAUSS: I don't think so.
MILLER: Oh, my God.
KRAUSS: I actually don't think so. I do think that that -- the biggest -- I think the biggest problem --
MICHAELSON: What is an example of Speaker Johnson speaking against President Trump and changing policy? And the House caucus really pushing Trump?
KRAUSS: I think a lot of times, the House caucus pushed him on the most recent budget bill. And you had Speaker Johnson going to the White House saying, like, hey, we need to negotiate here.
You have multiple Republicans that have spoken out against and defending our ally in Greenland.
You have other people saying, hey, maybe he shouldn't be meeting with Tucker Carlson and other Groyper, Fuentes-like people in the White House.
I think, especially in conservative media, unlike in liberal media, you have a lot of people that are willing to go against and challenge the president of the United States -- rightfully so -- with the opinions that they have.
MILLER: The story of our time will be the cowardice of the Republican Party. That is complete hogwash. None of them stand up to him.
Only one Republican even said, if he invades Greenland, he wouldn't even be for impeachment.
KRAUSS: He's not going to --
MILLER: He would be for a war powers resolution after he already does it.
KRAUSS: I think, actually -- I actually think the historical moment of this time will be how the American people distrust the Democrats so much and a lot of the media.
MILLER: Really? That's not what the polling is showing.
KRAUSS: Because from 2020 on, you guys have been feeding us all of this fear mongering.
MILLER: Will you please have us back after the blue tsunami in November?
MICHAELSON: OK. Let's talk --
MILLER: Just so I can taunt her.
MICHAELSON: Let's talk about what's happening, though, in the next few hours, which is President Trump getting to Davos. All these European leaders there.
If you're one of the European leaders, what do you say to him? What's your message? How do you effectively --
MILLER: Well, I think the Danish guy already said it, and that was "'F' off." I know I can't say the whole thing here on CNN, but that's how the rest of the world feels.
The rest of the world hates him as much as the majority of Americans do at this point.
MICHAELSON: But --
MILLER: They are protesting him around the world. They are terrified. He is -- he is the biggest national and international threat this country has ever had.
MICHAELSON: That --
KRAUSS: I would disagree with that. I think the majority of Americans want to be able to live their life peacefully and be able to send their kids to safe schools, to be able not to worry about the fentanyl crisis and the open border.
They want to be able to, you know, have parental rights when it comes to what public schools and even what private schools are or are not doing with their children behind closed doors. I think the average American, the average voter, isn't to the far left
like you, or maybe the far right like me. They're somewhat in the middle, and they're like, you know what? I want --
MILLER: I'm far left. If I don't think -- if I don't think a soccer mom should be shot in the face, then I guess I'm far left now.
KRAUSS: I think that the majority of Americans are looking at their retirement fund. They're looking at the paycheck that comes in. They're looking at their grocery bill, their education.
MILLER: Yes, and they're not liking it.
KRAUSS: Can they afford to bring the family to Disneyland? They're not being -- they're not succumbing to this hatred of the president that you say that they are.
MILLER: Wow. Why are his approval ratings way underwater?
KRAUSS: It is. It is entirely common for a president --
MILLER: Listen to Harry Enten on CNN. He's --
KRAUSS: -- in a second term to have approval ratings at this level during this time.
MICHAELSON: But -- but in terms of --
KRAUSS: And I don't disagree with you, by the way, that the GOP is probably going to be pummeled in the midterms. So. you don't have to have me back for --
MILLER: Yay.
KRAUSS: I am very practical.
MICHAELSON: But what do you make of, Stephanie, of -- of Governor Newsom showing up to Davos, saying that European leaders need kneepads? We know what he's talking about there.
MILLER: I love it.
MICHAELSON: Saying that they're -- that they've got to buck up, that they got to -- what they're doing is pathetic. And sort of as somebody who potentially wants to be president showing up there, what do you make of that movement?
MILLER: I think he's exactly the kind of fighting -- I call them alpha liberals -- that we need right now to fight back against this insanity in the -- in the Oval Office.
He's absolutely right. It's pathetic, giving someone a second-hand Nobel Prize. You know, if someone wins an Olympic gold medal and gives it to me, that doesn't make me an Olympic gold medal winner. I mean, it's pathetic.
Giving them fake peace prizes. The FIFA prize. The fact that they keep trying to bend the knee and kiss the ring. And you can't placate him.
MICHAELSON: But -- but didn't --
MILLER: He is a bully, and he is not of sound mind, Elex.
MICHAELSON: But didn't there used to be a --
MILLER: He's tweeting pictures of himself with a flag on Greenland. He's tweeting he's the acting president of Venezuela. He is out of his mind.
KRAUSS: You have to understand that maybe they weren't giving him awards, but the same you-know-what kissing was done to President Obama by all of these world leaders, too.
MILLER: He earned it.
KRAUSS: It's typically done because of --
MILLER: He earned it.
MICHAELSON: He earned the Nobel Prize.
KRAUSS: How did he earn -- how did he earn --
MICHAELSON: The Nobel Prize?
KRAUSS: Did he stop a war in Gaza and get a peace deal between Hamas and Israel?
MILLER: He didn't get -- he didn't --
MICHAELSON: He got that Nobel Prize before he did anything.
KRAUSS: He didn't -- he didn't -- he didn't stop --
[00:40:04]
MILLER: He stopped the war in Gaza.
(CROSSTALK)
MILLER: Donald Trump didn't, like, stop the war in Gaza.
MICHAELSON: But -- but what do you -- but there was a time in this country when a leader would not go across the country and talk bad about the leader of the country in that other country.
MILLER: We've never had Donald Trump.
MICHAELSON: Yes. So, you think it's justified at this point?
MILLER: Who is considered a threat around the world.
MICHAELSON: I mean, what do you make of what Newsom is doing?
MILLER: Who's threatening a different country every -- every day?
KRAUSS: I think Newsom is all talk and no action. I think that we have seen how poorly he has run this state that we love and live in, and I think that he is not the best pick for the Democrats in 2028.
But go right ahead and pick him, if you all want to.
MILLER: OK.
MICHAELSON: Who is?
KRAUSS: I think actually, if you guys were smart, it would be Josh Shapiro or Gretchen Whitmer.
MICHAELSON: Who do you think is --
MILLER: They're both terrific.
MICHAELSON: Who do you think is the best pick?
MILLER: Yes, he's really failed us, right into having the fourth largest economy in the world. Awful here.
MICHAELSON: Who's the best pick for the Dems?
MILLER: I like Newsom. I like Governor Pritzker a lot. I think we have a really strong bench, I guess you would call it.
MICHAELSON: Yes, well, we had a strong bench here to have a great discussion. Thank you both. Appreciate it. Bringing different perspectives. And then the viewer gets to make up their mind for themselves.
We'll be right back. More of THE STORY IS including Oscar winner Mira Sorvino is here to talk about her new movie. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:45:66]
MICHAELSON: Welcome back to THE STORY IS. I'm Elex Michaelson. Here are some of today's headlines.
President Trump will address the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in the day ahead.
He's taking a backup plane after Air Force One returned to the U.S. with what the White House called a minor electrical issue.
NATO and European leaders are hoping to defuse tensions over Trump's threat to take control of Greenland. The U.S. president's predicting a deal that's, quote, "very good for everybody."
Prince Harry could take the stand in the coming hours in his privacy lawsuit against the publisher of "The Daily Mail." He and six other public figures are suing Associated Newspapers over alleged privacy violations spanning more than two decades.
The allegations include phone hacking and obtaining private information by deception.
Second lady of the United States Usha Vance and U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance are expecting a baby boy in July. In a joint social media post, they shared their excitement and said both mom and baby are doing well.
This will be the couple's fourth child. It will be the first time a sitting second lady will give birth while in office.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL MOSLEY, ACTOR: Coach Walt McFadden, Louisiana University.
MIRA SORVINO, ACTRESS: Your school must not think very much of my son if they sent you here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: The collision of college sports with big money is at the heart of the film "Signing Tony Raymond:. And at the center of it all is a fierce mom played by Academy Award winner Mira Sorvino, who joins us now here in studio.
Mira, welcome to THE STORY IS for the first time.
SORVINO: Thank you, Elex. It's fun to be here with you in your new home.
Thank you very much. Great to have you here.
So, talk to us. Sort of the basic backstory of this movie.
SORVINO: Well, basically, it's about a coach who's trying to recruit this young, hot kid. He's a -- he's a high school football player, and everybody wants him. Everybody's trying to sign him.
And he goes down with this dictate from his head coach that either sign him or you're fired, essentially. And so, there's a lot of pressure riding on it.
And Michael Mosley plays this like nice guy who's sort of Ted Lasso- ish in a way. But as the story goes on, you see that he builds in strength and courage and comes up with few tricks of his own. Everyone in the town is like angling for this kid.
Meanwhile, I and Rob Morgan play Jackie Kay -- who plays the character Tony Raymond's -- parents, and we're trying to run interference for him, because he doesn't know what he wants yet, and we're trying to protect him.
But I'm also crazy. So, it must be said. That must be said. I'm crazy in a good way. Like in an entertaining way. In a way that's driven from real places. She's sort of crazy like a fox. And then you realize she has a real heart underneath it, and a back story that is quite -- I don't know -- poignant.
MICHAELSON: So, here's evidence of some of that, all of it, in this clip.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SORVINO: You know what? Maybe he just needs to see how much you want him.
MOSLEY: No one's gonna look after your son like we will, Sandy. No one.
SORVINO: I just want the best for my boy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: And so, you kind of, with this role, have kind of every emotion you get to play, right?
SORVINO: Yes, yes. I mean, she sort of hits my sweet spot in what I want in a character. Somebody I've never played before. Somebody who is maybe unexpected and unfettered, like, you know, somebody who -- who doesn't have a leash on their tongue. Like she says, whatever comes into her mind.
But at the same time, she's got, like, a broken heart inside, you know, from her past that you'll learn about in the story. And she's trying this time to do the right thing by her child, because she feels like she failed her other child.
And but, like, she's -- there's this crazy kitchen scene right after this very poignant scene that you just showed --
MICHAELSON: Yes.
SORVINO: -- where I switch on a dime. I start pouring booze, and I try and seduce the young coach, and it's insane. I like, pin him up against the -- the fridge, and then I'm crawling on the on the kitchen table, shaking seasoned salt on myself. It's nuts.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
SORVINO: But it's fun. It's really fun. And -- and I love those kind of people that can swing from limb to limb. One part is comedy; one part is tragedy. And all the while, you like her and you feel for her.
[00:50:08]
MICHAELSON: And for football fans, it's kind of cool to see Marshawn Lynch, who was a player for the Seahawks for years. Beast mode. Is now an actor in this. I mean, how does he do as an actor?
SORVINO: Great. They all did great. I mean, gosh, you know, we had several professional athletes in the movie, and even Brian Bosworth plays Jackie's biological father, who is in prison. And he's -- he's a former football player, and he's hilarious. And but you know, Rob Morgan gives such a strong performance as, you
know, he's kind of playing Michael Mosley as Michael Mosley's playing him. But then they kind of become friends.
And then they all kind of team together to try and help me, because I'm really falling apart at the seams.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
SORVINO: And -- and, but the football part of it is really about, like, how America kind of commodifies young players.
MICHAELSON: Certainly, with its name, image and likeness. And now players in college can get paid. And so, it's really become this -- this business --
SORVINO: Yes.
MICHAELSON: -- as compared to what it used to be, amateur sports.
SORVINO: And it's a promise to kids that may never come true.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
SORVINO: And then they could be dropped. They could be redshirted. They could be put in the portal and, you know, dismissed. Or they could be lifted up, and it could change their lives.
But this is about a lot of, like, empty promises coming at this kid and trying to sift out what would be best for him.
MICHAELSON: Well, congratulations. The film is in theaters now.
SORVINO: It is in theaters now, and it's being compared to "Moneyball." Like, it's -- it's gotten some amazing, you know, reviews and comparisons, and it's a real feel-good story.
MICHAELSON: And go see it in the theaters.
SORVINO: Yes.
MICHAELSON: We want to get butts in the seats.
SORVINO: Yes, let's bring back the theater.
MICHAELSON: Mira Sorvino, great to see you.
SORVINO: You, too.
MICHAELSON: Thank you so much.
SORVINO: Thank you.
MICHAELSON: Mira's so great.
From Hollywood to North Korea, would you believe that partial nudity, violence and other serious subject matters are now making waves in North Korean films? CNN's Will Ripley has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): North Korea's nationalist propaganda is taking on a different style these days.
Blockbuster movies like this, designed to grab the attention of younger viewers.
One character is suffocated with a plastic bag, graphic violence never seen in a North Korean movie until now.
Days and nights of confrontation aired on state TV for the first time this month. The film takes place in the 1990s, built around a real- life train explosion rumored to be targeting North Korea's late leader, Kim Jong-il.
JUSTIN MARTELL, AMERICAN FILMMAKER AND TOUR GUIDE: To see it as a proper story line in a North Korean film was extremely interesting and definitely a first.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Justin Martell is an American filmmaker and tour guide. He saw the movie in North Korea last year, even meeting the film's lead actress. The movie won Best Sound Effects and Best Actor at the Pyongyang International Film Festival.
MARTELL: And I will say there was some partial nudity, as well, which I've also certainly never seen in a DPRK movie.
During its theatrical run. Scenes like this showing an extramarital affair captivated North Korean audiences, and this, showing a suicide bomb vest.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
RIPLEY (voice-over): The story centers on betrayal, including a husband turning on his own wife and on his own country.
MARTELL: In recent years, the government has gotten much more involved and put a lot more money into these new productions.
RIPLEY (voice-over): North Korea's fixation on movies goes back decades. This is secretly recorded audio of Kim Jong-un's father, Kim Jong-il, revealed in the 2016 documentary "The Lovers and the Despot."
Kim ran North Korea's film industry, famously keeping a massive motion picture library.
KIM JONG-IL, FORMER LEADER OF NORTH KOREA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
GRAPHIC: People don't even want anything new.
RIPLEY (voice-over): On the tapes, Kim criticized his own movies, comparing them to more sophisticated South Korean pictures, complaining North Korean films at the time were too repetitive and out of touch.
KIM: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
GRAPHIC: Why do they insist on filming nothing but people crying for all scenes, like there's been a death in the family?
RIPLEY: To realize his dreams of world-class North Korean movies, Kim Jong-il used a familiar tactic in his day that sounds like a Hollywood plot itself. He kidnapped a South Korean movie star and her director ex-husband. And it happened right here in Hong Kong.
RIPLEY (voice-over): The year was 1978. North Korean agents abducted Johnny and Shin Sang-ok, taking both to Pyongyang, forcing them to make 17 films for Kim Jong-il.
The couple secretly recorded Kim's comments, smuggling the tapes out, escaping to the United States in 1986.
North Korea's fascination with the power of film continues today. Kim Jong-un is ordering his studios to make bigger, bolder productions, modernizing a familiar message: plotting against the leader will end in disaster.
Will Ripley, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[00:55:03]
MICHAELSON: Our thanks to Will.
As we go to break, check out these live pictures. The skies above Greenland. Incredible view there of the Northern lights.
Greenland very much the focus of what's happening in Davos. We will go live to Davos when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MICHAELSON: Prince William and Princess Kate are hitting the ice.
The royal couple joined Great Britain's curling team.
