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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson
Trump Claims "Framework Of A Future Deal" With NATO Chief On Greenland; Former Special Counsel Jack Smith Testifies On Trump Investigations; Former Uvalde Officer Acquitted In Trial Over Police Response To Robb Elementary Attack; New Mexico Official Warns Federal Agents In Letter To ICE; Emotional Prince Harry Testifies Against "Daily Mail" Publisher; Nike and LeBron James Spark Outrage with MLK- Themed Shoes; How Fur is Making a Comeback after Years of Controversy; SpaceX Crew Speaks Out about Early Return from ISS. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired January 22, 2026 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: Worst picture also includes Star Trek section 31, which is the first Star Trek movie made for streaming. Winners if you call them that will be announced March 14. Don't forget, nominations for the Academy Awards for the best pictures will be announced live Thursday, few hours from now, 5:30 a.m. right here in Los Angeles. Gray Drake will be with us tomorrow night here on The Story Is to break all that down. The next hour of The Story Is starts right now.
Story is diplomacy with Europe. We're live in Davos, Switzerland where President Donald Trump is preparing for another day of historic meetings.
The story is prosecuting ICE. A New Mexico district attorney is warning he'll go after officers acting without a warrant. Sam Bregman is here live exclusively.
The story is Prince Harry in court, the latest on his effort to restrict British tabloids.
And the Story is serving the presidents. Gary Walters was the chief usher for seven presidents of the United States. He shares his memories with me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Los Angeles, The Story Is with Elex Michelson.
MICHAELSON: Welcome to The Story Is. I'm Elex Michelson live in Los Angeles. Tonight the top story is diplomacy on display. President Trump starting the day once again in Davos, Switzerland where he's expected to meet with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy in the next few hours.
U.S. Special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son in law Jared Kushner in Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. President Trump also set to host a signing ceremony for his so called Board of Peace to oversee the reconstruction of Gaza.
On Wednesday, he announced the framework of a deal which he says would satisfy his demands on Greenland, meaning no war in Greenland. The social media post came after talks with NATO Secretary General happened in Davos. Aren't a lot of details but the president says if consummated, that's a word he chose. He will no longer impose tariffs on European countries set to take effect next month.
Here's what he told CNN's Kaitlan Collins in Davos.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Does it still include the United States having ownership of Greenland like you've said you wanted?
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: It's a long term deal. It's the ultimate long term deal and I think it puts everybody in a really good position, especially as it pertains to security and minerals and everything else.
COLLINS: How long would the deal be, Mr. President?
TRUMP: Infinite. There is no time limit. It's forever.
COLLINS: And how would you ratify the deal?
TRUMP: Money involved. It's signed forever.
COLLINS: But you haven't signed anything yet, right?
TRUMP: It's a deal that's forever.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: How about that soft Muzak playing behind them. Sources say the prospective framework could include renegotiating the agreement that formalized the U.S. military presence in Greenland and Denmark, possibly granting sovereignty to the U.S. over particular parcels of land in Greenland for new military bases.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Well, we have a concept of a deal. I think it's going to be a very good deal for the United States also for them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A deal of ownership, a deal --
TRUMP: Well, it's a little bit complex, but we'll explain it down the line.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are mineral rights involved? Is ownership involved? Did the golden dome sway people?
TRUMP: I don't want to say yet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Earlier in the day, President Trump made it clear he would not pursue Greenland by military force. Let's go live to Davos, Switzerland. Ben Bergman, senior correspondent for Business Insider. That is not Ben joining us right now. Do we want to bring Ben. There's Ben. Got a preview of our next guest.
Ben, good morning to you. Welcome back to The Story Is. Thanks for waking up with us. It's seven o'clock in the morning there. You started your day yesterday with us. Not long after that, you went into the room where President Trump was speaking. Give us some color. What was it like inside there?
BEN BERGMAN, SENIOR CORRESPONDENT, BUSINESS INSIDER: Well, first of all, it was a lot to get in the room because everyone was clamoring to get into this auditorium of about 1,000 people. And I was alongside billionaire CEOs like Salesforce's Marc Benioff and Coinbase's Brian Armstrong, along with heads of state. Everyone was waiting, trying to get in. And you needed the whole highest level of badge access to get into that room.
So I think that's why it was a little more friendly than most people would expected. But then once I walked in, it was pretty quiet. I think it was striking because, you know, President Trump definitely got applause at the beginning. And at the end there was a standing ovation, I'd say with about a third of the crowd. But it just went on for a long time. And there was no applause throughout the entire speech, which is pretty unusual.
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And there was no applause throughout the entire speech, which is pretty unusual. So it was pretty quiet. A lot of people starting to look at their phones as the speech dragged into an hour. And then he started to walk off the stage. Everyone, including President Trump, it appeared, and certainly us, thought it was over. But then he sat down for this Q and A, and it just kept going.
MICHAELSON: So you're saying that some of those rich people were not the most fun audience?
BERGMAN: Rich people, heads of state, certainly. Yes.
MICHAELSON: So the other thing that was kind of crazy about this whole thing is there's Gavin Newsom in the back of the room. Trump's talking about him and Newsom sitting there. People are looking at him. Did you see Newsom in the room and sort of the way people were reacting to him?
BERGMAN: Well, I didn't see Newsom when I was in the room because it was very dark. But it's funny because Newsom has come here to be the foil to Trump. And outside of the room where there's a bunch of journalists, you know, he's, like, always there wanting to talk to journalists and play the foil to Trump. But it was sort of odd when Trump actually was kind of nice to Newsom and praised him. I think Newsom really wanted Trump to go after him. And I went up to
Newsom afterwards and I said, you know, did you think it was odd that no one was applauding and that it was so quiet? And he said, no, that was the least surprising thing, because why would anyone applaud when he's coming here, insulting Europe, insulting Switzerland?
And he also said it's a good thing that they'd allowed cell phones in the room because people were so bored after the speech just went on and on.
MICHAELSON: And yet Newsom went there and insulted a lot of the leaders, saying that they were weak and standing up to Trump and said that they should be on knee pads. So it wasn't exactly all compliments coming from him either.
So what are you looking forward to in the day ahead? It is now Thursday morning. What are you -- what's top of your agenda?
BERGMAN: Well, I'm going to continue to -- I think Davos goes back to normal. I mean, President Trump is still here with, you know, his peace deal and his other things. But I think, you know, that was certainly the big moment of Davos. I had heard also a lot of people saying some world leaders had actually wanted to go out of town at that moment and other people and avoid it just because it was so difficult to get around while he's here.
But I think that was certainly the climax of the summit. Today's the last day, but it felt like that was really the moment when he came here. So it's going to be a lot quieter, kind of a letdown. I think today after his arrival.
MICHAELSON: That is true. I've been to conferences the day after he leaves, and it's not nearly the same thing. Ben Bergman from Business Insider doing original reporting for them and grateful to have you doing some for us here on the story is thank you so much. Have a good day.
BERGMAN: Thanks a lot.
MICHAELSON: NATO's spokesperson says talks between Denmark, Greenland and the U.S. will go forward with a focus on securing the Arctic through collective efforts. President Trump has stressed the need for controlling Greenland because of its strategic position and countering potential threats from Russia and China. So here's what the NATO secretary general had to say about all of this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK RUTTE, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: I think what we achieved today in the talks I had with the president is that we agreed that he is right, and he is right that collectively we have to protect the Arctic regions. But also, of course, the U.S. continue its conversations with Greenland and Denmark when it comes. How can we make sure that the Russians in China will not gain access to the economy or military sense of Greenland? I think that was a very good outcome. There's still a lot of work to be done. (END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Let's bring in now Josh Lipsky, who we got a bit of a preview of a few moments ago. He is the senior director of the Atlantic Council's Geoeconomic Center. He's live for us in Davos. Good morning and welcome to the Story is for the first time.
JOSH LIPSKY, SENIOR DIRECTOR, ATLANTIC COUNCIL'S GEOECONOIC CENTER: Thanks for having me.
MICHAELSON: So you helped to write speeches for the head of the E.U. before. You know a lot about the U.S.-E.U. relationship. Where does this framework leave the EU US Relationship?
LIPSKY: Well, what's so interesting about what happened over the past 24 hours here in Davos is we're back to square one and everyone seems to be celebrating. A lot of what seems to be negotiated in this framework was on the table before we entered last weekend with the tariff threats and everything that sent us into this escalatory phase with Europe preparing retaliation. So now that's off the table. That's good news.
But I think there's scars that are left from all of this. It was extraordinarily difficult and fraught over the past seven days, both here in Davos and across Europe. And there was a political price I think European leaders paid from their citizens on how they felt they were being bullied by the president of the United States.
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So even though tensions are lower now today than they were yesterday. And we should welcome that. This isn't over. And the tariff threats can come back any time, as we've learned from President Trump.
MICHAELSON: What are people saying to you behind the scenes, away from the cameras, about the way they feel about the United States, about the way they see things going forward?
LIPSKY: Yes, I think a lot of people have said to me and as an American, they come up and they say, what's going on with Denmark, what's going on with Greenland, what is the intention here? But really what I hear the most is a bit of exhaustion about all the back and forth, the volatility. And they just want some certainty and predictability.
I think markets want that as well. You saw that play out over the last few days with what we saw in the bond market and equities market. That's what people want. That's what markets want. That's what we've heard in Davos.
MICHAELSON: Meanwhile, this big Ukraine meeting seems likely between President Trump and President Zelenskyy today. What do you make of that? Do you think this time will be different? We've been talking about a deal on that front for so long and yet no deal.
LIPSKY: Yes. I don't expect any major breakthroughs today. It's good they're meeting because there was talk yesterday that they didn't have a meeting scheduled. So it's good news that they're going to sit face to face. We know when the president sits face to face with another leader, good things tend to happen. That's what happened yesterday with the breakthrough on Greenland.
So I think you're going to hear things that are positive coming out of that meeting. He had some comments in the speech which were pretty negative both toward President Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin. So I think him seeing Zelenskyy face to face will be important. But don't expect any major shifts in what has been the multiyear stalemate at this point.
MICHAELSON: Josh Lipsky waking up early for us in Davos. Thank you so much. A nice hotel room if that's what it is behind you. And we look forward. Best of luck in the day ahead.
LIPSKY: Thank you.
MICHAELSON: Very classy spot. All right. We are hours away from hearing Jack Smith's side of the story. He, of course, brought two criminal indictments against President Trump. They have been dropped. They dropped after President Trump was elected. The former U.S. Special counsel will testify before the House Judiciary Committee, which he has done before.
But last time it was behind closed doors. This time the cameras will be on. The whole thing's going to happen live. Lawmakers have previously grilled Smith over his criminal investigations into President Trump's mishandling of classified documents. That was Smith's allegation. Smith also said he tried to overturn the 2020 election.
President Trump, of course, has repeatedly called for Smith to be criminally prosecuted himself. Smith's legal team says he's not afraid of that. They're prepared for a lot of grandstanding because we know members of both sides tend to do that so they can get attention and make money and be on Twitter.
His testimony started scheduled to start grandstanding and all at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time, 7:00 a.m. here on the West Coast. CNN will bring it to you live. And tomorrow right here on The Story Is. We'll talk with Democratic Congressmember Sydney Kai Kamlager-Dove, who will be a part of that hearing.
Jury has convicted, acquitted, I should say acquitted, a former school police officer of all charges in the Uvalde, Texas, school massacre of 2022. Prosecutors had alleged that Adrian Gonzales did nothing to stop the gunman in the early moments of the shooting that left 19 children and two teachers dead. But the jury found Gonzales not guilty Wednesday of child endangerment or child abandonment charges.
CNN's Shimon Prokupecz has been covering this story extensively from the beginning. He has more now from Texas jury.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Acquitting Adrian Gonzales, the former Uvalde School police officer. Tonight, there was so much emotion after that verdict. Family members came out just in tears. They were hopeful, hopeful that despite the difficulty that this case brought, despite that, it was going to be really difficult for prosecutors to prove that Adrian Gonzales, the first officer on scene that day, didn't do enough to stop the gunman, to distract the gunman.
Families here realized the difficulty in all of that, but they were still hopeful that there would have been a better outcome, and that did not happen for them. As to Adrian Gonzales, he's now completely cleared of these charges.
There is still another trial, though, that is going to take place at some point, and that's for the former Uvalde School police chief, Pete Arredondo, who was also charged by this same district attorney for his alleged failures that day and for essentially not taking action and allowing the children that were inside the classroom to remain inside for 77 minutes with the gunman. That trial is expected to take place at some point, but no trial date has been set.
But nonetheless, all of that for the families tonight, certainly a very difficult night, as they have had to sit through this trial for so many days now and now dealing with this outcome. Shimon Prokupecz, CNN, Corpus Christi, Texas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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MICHAELSON: Shimon, thank you. Story is the weather. Rescue crews are searching for survivors of a landslide in New Zealand. Check out these pictures here. Several people, including children, remain missing. Heavy rains caused rubble to barrel down on a campsite on the northern coast, destroying campers and other equipment there.
Officials say the number of people missing is in the single digits. Severe weather also caused power outages and widespread damage.
Meanwhile, the U.S. is bracing for a massive winter storm set to affect more than two dozen states later this week. Here is a look at the current radar. Doesn't look too bad right now, but this is what's in store. A combination of rain, freezing rain, snow stretching all the way to the East Coast. Winter weather alerts have been issued for more than 70 million people across the country.
More are likely to come before that storm hits. States in the Southeast are most concerned with freezing rain and ice, which could cause major power outages.
Taylor Swift is now the youngest female artist to join the Songwriters Hall of Fame. To qualify for induction, songwriters have to have a notable catalog of music. And they have to wait 20 years after the first commercial release of a song. At 36 years old, Swift is celebrating the 20th anniversary of her
first single, "Tim McGraw" this year. Her fellow inductees include Alanis Morissette, Kenny Loggins, and Kiss bandmates Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons. Congratulations to them all.
The federal crackdown on immigration is expanding. Still ahead, where they are headed next. Plus, a New Mexico DA is warning ICE agents that they could face prosecution if they engage in false imprisonment.
District Attorney Sam Bregman, who is running for governor of New Mexico, is here live on set to talk about it. And story is exclusive when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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MICHAELSON: The Trump administration's crackdown on immigration is rapidly expanding. And while Minneapolis has been the epicenter in recent weeks, the administration is surging federal agents into a new operation underway in Maine.
The state's governor says the federal government is only sowing intimidation and fear. We've seen the video showing aggressive tactics by federal ICE agents. And now officers are using sweeping new power to enter homes without a warrant from a judge.
The Associated Press has obtained an internal ICE memo that says agents can use force to enter a residence with only a more narrow administrative warrant if they're trying to arrest someone with a final order of removal. It is a move that advocates say collides with Fourth Amendment protections.
Meanwhile in New Mexico, a district attorney and Democratic candidate for governor has a warning for ICE agents. Sam Bregman sent a letter to the ICE field office in his state on Wednesday warning federal agents that they could face charges if they're involved in false imprisonment during their operations in his district. Bregman writes, quote, any ICE agent who without a signed warrant and without reasonable suspicion of probable cause, detains, confines or restrains a person in Bernalillo county may be subject to prosecution.
Joining me now is that district attorney and Democratic candidate for New Mexico governor, Sam Bregman. Welcome to the story is for the first time.
SAM BREGMAN, BERNALILLO COUNTY, NEW MEXICO DISTRICT ATTORNEY: Thank you.
MICHAELSON: Why the need to send this letter?
BREGMAN: You know, I think I'm like most of America out there we're horrified by what we're seeing by ICE agents. Clearly they need more training. Clearly some of their practices are unconstitutional, in my opinion. But I can also tell you it violates state law. If you don't have a warrant, reasonable suspicion, or probable cause
in New Mexico, you don't get to detain somebody. You don't get to restrain them. And I don't care who you are. No one's above the law. I'm the chief law enforcement officer in the county of Bernalillo, city of Albuquerque. I'm going to hold everybody to the same standard. And if they're committing felonies, they're not going to do it without being prosecuted. We're going to prosecute, even ICE agents.
MICHAELSON: So if an ICE agent comes in to your town and starts detaining people, you're going to prosecute them?
BREGMAN: I will prosecute them, of course, under the following circumstances. No warrant. And that's a bedrock of our judicial system. No warrant, no reasonable suspicion, no probable cause. Therefore, you cannot involuntarily restrain someone, which means you're committing a crime of false imprisonment.
I absolutely will prosecute. This nonsense out there has got to stop. This isn't -- this isn't the country I grew up in. This is crazy stuff going on right now.
MICHAELSON: Have you gotten a response from the administration?
BREGMAN: No. From ICE? No.
MICHAELSON: Have -- are you -- have you heard that ICE is coming to New Mexico?
BREGMAN: Listen, ICE has some footprint in New Mexico, like they do everywhere. I work with federal law enforcement agencies, state law enforcement agencies, every single day. Many of them, as well as me, are horrified by what they're seeing out there.
There's a lot of great law enforcement agents out there right now. But what ICE is doing, what we're seeing across the country, is not going to happen in New Mexico.
MICHAELSON: Do you believe in working with them in the jails and working with them behind bars turn over people who are criminals who have been convicted?
BREGMAN: Listen, I will tell you right now that I don't -- if someone commits a violent felony in our county, we're going to prosecute them. Regardless of their legal status. We're going to absolutely do everything we can to hold them accountable.
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At the same token, ICE agents are going to come in and start committing crimes in our county.
MICHAELSON: Let's talk about you. You are running for governor of New Mexico.
BREGMAN: I am. MICHAELSON: You are running in the center right. You're calling out both folks on the far left and the far right. This is your ad where you sort of take on the extremes of both parties. What do you see as your lane?
BREGMAN: Well, listen, I think extremism, I don't think that's where most New Mexicans are. In fact, I know that's where most New Mexicans are. I'm out on the campaign trail all the time. I hear it from folks the extreme. Let's focus on the things that matter for the quality of life of New Mexicans. Let's fix crime. We're first in crime. Let's fix education. We're 50th in education, health care, economic opportunity, affordability, all these important issues. Let's do something about that. Let's focus on that.
MICHAELSON: You're running against Deb Haaland --
BREGMAN: Yes.
MICHAELSON: -- who a lot of people will remember as the interior secretary for President Biden. You know, and very proud of her Native American heritage. What do you see as the biggest differentiator between the two of you?
BREGMAN: You know, that's a great question. I think a lot of New Mexicans are asking that question because quite frankly, Deb hasn't put out any policies. Nobody really knows where she stands on the various issues. I, on the other hand, have put out 14 policies, 180 pages on our website. A policy. People know where I stand. And that's why I've been so much asking her to just debate me. Debate. Let's -- because the people of New Mexico deserve to know what their candidates for governor want, what their vision is for the future.
And if she doesn't have any plans, then she can come and debate my plan. I'm good with that as well. But the fact of the matter is no New Mexican knows what she stands for because she doesn't talk about it. She doesn't actually have any plans out there.
MICHAELSON: An open invite if she wants to join us here on set as well.
BREGMAN: Love it.
MICHAELSON: And we're happy to host the debate if you two want to come on together.
BREGMAN: That would be great.
MICHAELSON: So some folks recognize your name, Bregman, but not from you necessarily. Your son is right.
BREGMAN: I am, yes. And of course I'm so thrilled and proud of all three of my children. But I am known as Alex's father. Alex Bregman. They're the ballplayer, right?
MICHAELSON: Yes.
BREGMAN: Yes. He just signed with the Cubs.
MICHAELSON: Congratulations on that. The third baseman with the Chicago Cubs, one of the great franchises in the history of baseball.
BREGMAN: So excited about it. Well, of course, over the moon. He's not just my son, he's really now become the son of New Mexico. I mean, New Mexicans all over are so proud of Alex. We all are.
MICHAELSON: So you guys are a package deal if you get elected.
BREGMAN: Of course. We're all rooting for each other. We have a very close knit family. We root for each other. Of course.
MICHAELSON: Yes. Well, thank you so much for coming in and sharing your views on a very busy day.
BREGMAN: Thank you.
MICHAELSON: We appreciate.
BREGMAN: You bet. Appreciate it.
MICHAELSON: And we appreciate the opportunity to cover the western region, especially here on The Story Is. Coming up, a recurring traumatic experience. That's how Prince Harry described the legal action he's taking against a powerful publisher. We'll talk about his tearful testimony.
Shagun (ph) joins us next to talk about that. Plus, really controversial shoe that LeBron James was wearing. What's up with that? Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:32:33]
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to THE STORY IS. I'm Elex Michaelson.
Here are some of the stories making headlines.
In the coming day, former special counsel, Jack Smith will publicly testify before a congressional committee. Lawmakers are expected to press him on his unprecedented two criminal indictments against Donald Trump. President Trump has called for Smith to be prosecuted. Smith's legal team says he's not afraid.
CNN will have live coverage of that hearing.
Elizabeth Holmes has asked President Trump for an early release from prison. That is according to a request filed last year with the U.S. Department of Justice. The disgraced Theranos CEO has nearly six years left on her sentence. She was convicted in 2022 for defrauding investors. Holmes had claimed Theranos could accurately test for conditions like cancer and diabetes, with just a few drops of blood. Prince Harry struggled to hold back tears as he testified against the
publisher of "The Daily Mail". He and six other public figures accused Associated Newspapers Limited of illegally gathering information through deception. The Duke of Sussex said the tabloid made his wife's life an absolute misery. And that he'd been conditioned by the royal family not to complain.
Here to talk about the royal testimony and other big stories making news, Emmy Award-winning journalist, media personality Segun Oduolowu.
Welcome back to THE STORY IS. One of our favorite guests around here.
SEGUN ODUOLOWU, MEDIA PERSONALITY: I love being here.
MICHAELSON: Prince Harry -- what do you make of it? What more do you know about that?
ODUOLOWU: Well, people need to understand that the British tabloids are far more invasive and have far more leeway than what we see here in America. And --
MICHAELSON: I mean, literally killed Princess Diana.
ODUOLOWU: And it's interesting that you bring that up, because Harry has long held that that is the -- that was the cause of her death, that the press chasing her led to the car crash that eventually took her life.
And he became the first royal in 130 years to sit before a court, an open trial and basically give testimony. This was back in 2023.
He has had an ongoing feud with the British press. He feels that it has not only invaded his life, invaded the lives of people he loves, but has literally forced his wife's life to be a living hell.
[01:34:43]
ODUOLOWU: We mentioned that there are six other defendants. It includes Elton John, actress Elizabeth Hurley is part of this case. And what they're saying is that the tabloids, specifically "The Daily Mail", has used phone taps, bugs, illegal methods to gain information.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
ODUOLOWU: And Harry had a really interesting part of his testimony where their defense is that, no, these were people -- our sources were people --
MICHAELSON: Right.
ODUOLOWU: -- within your inner circle.
MICHAELSON: You can't trust your own people.
ODUOLOWU: Yes. You can't --
MICHAELSON: We don't need phone taps. Your people are talking to us.
ODUOLOWU: It's your people that are talking to us. And he said, well, if that's the case -- if these people are so in my inner circle, why did you hire private investigators to follow us around?
And so he is not backing down.
MICHAELSON: Right.
ODUOLOWU: He's pushing back.
Elizabeth Hurley is actually supposed to testify tomorrow. This case will be ongoing. And it's huge because -- again, he and his wife, they live in California now. They no longer reside in England. And this is part of it.
MICHAELSON: Part of the reason why.
ODUOLOWU: part of the reason why.
MICHAELSON: Well, he thinks they killed his mom. And they don't want that to happen to his wife now. And of course, Queen Elizabeth for all those years said, we don't go before the court.
ODUOLOWU: Yes. Yes.
MICHAELSON: But he is saying I'm doing my own thing, which clearly has been --
(CROSSTALKING)
ODUOLOWU: He's fifth in line. So he's not going to be king anytime soon.
MICHAELSON: He's been doing -- he's been doing his own thing for a long time.
ODUOLOWU: Yes.
MICHAELSON: All right. You are fired up about this shoe that Nike put out on Martin Luther King Day, featuring King James --
ODUOLOWU: Yes.
MICHAELSON: -- LeBron James. Here's the shoe. What's the backstory here?
ODUOLOWU: Well, if our viewers see that interesting colorway and that color scheme that turquoise is based off of the color of the Lorraine Motel, where Martin Luther King was assassinated.
It is extremely tone deaf to create a shoe in remembrance of our greatest civil rights leader. And instead of talking about his incredible achievement, you color the shoe based off where he was murdered. If I say it out loud, we're going to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther
King on his day with a shoe -- a basketball sneaker based off the color of where he was killed? It sounds completely tone deaf.
But there's so many layers. This is a LeBron James shoe -- King James. And it's all part of his 23 years of being in the NBA. And it's to honor kind of Dr. King with LeBron James -- King James.
It feels clout chasing and again its layered.
MICHAELSON: And the shoe honors the 51 points that LeBron James scored in Memphis.
ODUOLOWU: In Memphis, right.
MICHAELSON: So the focus is on Memphis for that.
ODUOLOWU: Yes. It's --
MICHAELSON: Not in Washington or Birmingham or Atlanta.
ODUOLOWU: Exactly.
MICHAELSON: Or all the places that you would think of with --
(CROSSTALKING)
ODUOLOWU: Of Dr. King's place.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
ODUOLOWU: The biggest part of it is you want to give LeBron grace, because LeBron has always used his voice to speak out about civil rights issues and in many ways that other basketball players have not done.
So this is weird because LeBron's got his own building at Nike. This didn't happen without his say so. It feels as if -- a great way to kind of smooth this over, let the proceeds of this shoe or whatever sales go to foundations or things that the King family agrees that the money should be put forward to.
But if they use capitalism, something that Dr. King was staunchly against, and thought that was the ills of what really plagued the civil rights movement of capitalism and its abuse, to put a shoe and the selling of a shoe alongside his name feels distasteful and wrong.
If you're going to do it, let those proceeds go to a better cause rather than just honor Nike and LeBron.
MICHAELSON: And the shoe isn't exactly cheap. $200 for that shoe as well.
ODUOLOWU: Exactly. It's icky.
MICHAELSON: All right, and thank you Segun. Great stuff. And lastly you say "Call Her Daddy", Michelle Obama. Worth a listen.
ODUOLOWU: Everyone -- everyone go listen to it. Look "Call Her Daddy" may not be for men, but this episode with Michelle Obama is for everyone and it is incredible. Michelle does not miss. "Call Her Daddy". You've got a new fan.
MICHAELSON: Great to see you.
ODUOLOWU: Old fans. Old friends. Look at this.
MICHAELSON: All right. All right.
Real fur for fashion -- once a symbol of the rich and famous, has been a source of controversy for decades. But that is starting to change.
CNN's senior style reporter Rachel Tashjian explains why.
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RACHEL TASHJIAN, CNN SENIOR STYLE REPORTER: Walking the streets of New York, you're seeing fur coats everywhere. So what happened? How did fur come back into style?
For most of its history, fur was the ultimate status symbol. But in recent decades, it's become controversial due to concerns around animal cruelty.
But now consumers are realizing the merits of wearing vintage fur over faux alternatives. And its making something of a comeback.
The history of fur is the history of controversy. Humans began wearing fur over 300,000 years ago in order to keep warm. But over the centuries, it became closely associated with power and wealth.
As time went on, imitation fur and woven substitutes also grew alongside the fur trade to provide cheaper alternatives.
And by the late 1800s, fur farming had expanded in order to make fur even more available to fashionable men and women.
In the early 20th century, fur became a symbol of the aspiration and decadence of Hollywood, and that had a big impact on American women.
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TASHJIAN: By the 1950s, a mink fur coat was something that many American middle-class women aspired to own.
Fur always conforms to the spirit of its moment, so in the 1970s, it was a throwback to a glitzier era, or a symbol of hard-won success.
And in the 1980s, it was a must-have on Park Avenue, where the already rich were getting richer.
In the 2000s, black musicians and actors were regularly seen wearing extravagant furs, challenging masculine fashion norms. Big Boi had a particularly iconic collection.
By the beginning of the 21st century, animal rights groups began targeting the use of fur in fashion, and those efforts were largely successful. Brands like Chanel and Gucci have banned the use of fur.
So it may come as a surprise that many consumers are starting to see vintage furs as the more sustainable alternative. Because faux fur is derived from plastic, and wearing a vintage fur means that you're wearing something that's already been in circulation.
In fact, The RealReal (ph) says that searches for vintage fur coat are up a whopping 191 percent. And many designer brands continue to use shearling to make new coats because they're using something that's a byproduct of the agricultural industry, which means it would have been discarded anyways.
Shoppers feel like it's glamorous or fashionable to make the more morally conscious choice, because they're wearing something that's second hand, or is made with a more morally-conscious material which makes you wonder whether we've exchanged the bragging rights of fur being about wealth to bragging rights of making a more ethical consumer choice.
Would you wear fur?
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MICHAELSON: I don't think I would. Segun would.
You are watching THE STORY IS. For our international viewers, WORLDSPORT is next. For our viewers in North America, I'll be back with a really interesting story.
He is the longest serving chief usher at the White House. He served seven different presidents. We'll have his best stories next.
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SCOTT BESSENT, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: -- Governor Newsom who strikes me as Patrick Bateman meets Sparkle Beach Ken, may be the only Californian who knows less about economics than Kamala Harris.
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MICHAELSON: That is the Treasury secretary of the United States, Scott Bessent, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos. He also said Governor Newsom is, quote, "too smug, too self-absorbed, too economically illiterate to know anything".
Newsom hit back, sharing this photo on social media. He wrote, "You are welcome, America". That's his version of a Sparkle Ken Barbie. The Democratic governor also accused the Trump administration of blocking him from appearing at a media event in Davos. Newsom's going to do an event at Davos about an hour and a half from now.
For nearly 40 years, former chief usher Gary Walters was the longest- serving usher in White House history. Now he's telling his story for the first time in a new memoir.
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MICHAELSON: What do all these presidents of the United States have in common? They are all served by the man in the middle of this photo, Gary Walters, chief usher to seven U.S. presidents.
So what is the chief usher?
GARY WALTERS, FORMER WHITE HOUSE CHIEF USHER: The chief usher is responsible for the operation of the executive residence.
MICHAELSON: Gary worked directly with the presidents and their first ladies to oversee the first family's public ceremonies and private home life.
Did you get goosebumps in the early days?
WALTERS: Yes. Every day. Every day coming through the fence was a treat.
MICHAELSON: While presidents come and go, Gary was part of the executive residence staff who often stay in their jobs for decades, serving the presidency regardless of what party is in charge.
WALTERS: It didn't matter what the policies were, what the feelings were, our responsibility was to take care of the president and his family in the best way that we could.
MICHAELSON: Gary started as a uniformed officer in the U.S. Secret Service in 1970 when Richard Nixon was in the White House.
What stood out to you about Richard Nixon, the man?
WALTERS: He had a very soft side that not many people got an opportunity to see. And he was very well liked by the staff.
MICHAELSON: Gary will never forget being there when Nixon was forced to resign.
How is that for all of you?
WALTERS: It was a difficult day.
MICHAELSON: Walters began ushering for President Gerald Ford, including lots of time with the Ford family in the residence.
What was Gerald Ford, the man like?
WALTERS: Very kind. He just was a person that anybody would want to sit down and talk with.
MICHAELSON: Then came President Jimmy Carter.
WALTERS: President Carter was probably one of the smartest men that ever had been in the office.
MICHAELSON: Next, President Ronald Reagan.
WALTERS: He enjoyed people. He was the person you saw all the time, not just when he was on camera.
MICHAELSON: I know you're never going to say who your favorite president was, but was there a president that was most involved with the staff?
WALTERS: Yes, Barbara and George Herbert Walker Bush. They had both grown up with staff, and they absorbed us as if we were part of their family and had wonderful interactions with them.
MICHAELSON: He says the Clintons did not grow up with staff.
WALTERS: I believe that he and Mrs. Clinton had a difficult time feeling comfortable at the White House.
MICHAELSON: Gary says by the end, they all got along great.
WALTERS: President Clinton was one of the -- had one of the greatest memories of anybody that I have ever met.
MICHAELSON: Gary first served George W. Bush as the president's son and then as the president himself.
WALTERS: Miraculous for me to be able to do that. President Bush was like his father. Took many of the same traits, very gregarious.
MICHAELSON: He's written about all of this in his new book, "White House Memories, 1970 to 2007: Recollections of the Longest Serving Chief Usher". All of Gary's proceeds are being donated to the White House Historical Association, a nonprofit that preserves presidential history.
What's sort of your big takeaway from all those years at the White House?
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WALTERS: The American people don't understand, I don't believe, the amount of time the presidents put in trying to serve the American people and do what they believe is right for our country.
And the White House is a home to the president. And that's one of the reasons I wrote the book. I wanted to have the White House be seen as a home and not just a political entity.
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MICHAELSON: Our thanks to Gary for his many years of service to our country. By the way, that book is available for purchase now.
Coming up, four astronauts had to return unexpectedly early from space. Just ahead, the crew talks for the first time about their splashdown in the waters not far from our studio.
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MIKE FINCKE, CREW-11 PILOT: When we were getting ready for an EVA, something happened. The team came together. And it wasn't just this team, but the whole team. Like Zena (ph) said, around the world.
And we were able to come home safely to our families, back to beautiful Planet Earth, turned into a fireball over San Diego. Plasma everywhere.
It was beautiful. Reentry and splashdown. The dolphins came to visit us.
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MICHAELSON: Pilots of NASA Crew-11 there speaking to reporters for the first time about SpaceX's safe return from the International Space Center (SIC), which we showed you live here on THE STORY IS.
The four-member crew came back to earth last Thursday, about a month earlier than planned, because one of them had a medical issue.
So we still don't know what that medical issue is. They didn't provide any details about that. But the pilot said the situation emerged as a crew member was preparing for a spacewalk. It was the first time that NASA has cut short a mission to ISS due to a health emergency.
But the good news is, it's not serious enough that those person was not able to speak there today. The whole crew was there for the press conference.
A new type of spacecraft could allow smaller companies to collect data in space for a fraction of the cost. This is the economic transfer vehicle, or ETV. But the folks at Meridian Space Command informally call it the self-eating spacecraft.
It reduces its weight and size by literally consuming its own structure during propulsion, so it can fly further than larger crafts. The ETV project is currently in its preliminary design stage.
Tomorrow, here on THE STORY IS, we'll be joined by congress member Sydney Kamlager-Dove, plus Grae Drake talks Oscars nominations, and Edgerrin James, Hall of Fame football player talks about the NFL playoffs.
We'll see you then. Good night
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