Return to Transcripts main page
The Story Is with Elex Michaelson
New Round of Nuclear Talks in Geneva in Coming Hours; Cuba Says Four People Killed in Shootout with Florida Speedboat; Lawmakers Grill Trump's Pick for Surgeon General. BAFTA Interrupted by Racist Slur from Man with Tourette's; BAFTAS Interrupted by Racist Slur; Republicans Pushing to Pass Controversial "SAVE Act"; Exploring Housing Market from Manhattan's Billionaires' Row. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired February 26, 2026 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[00:00:00]
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Elex Michaelson, live in Los Angeles, ahead this hour.
THE STORY IS stopping war, hours away from high stakes talk between the U.S. and Iran.
THE STORY IS conflict off the Cuba coast. The Cuban government killing multiple people in a boat. The details just coming in.
And THE STORY IS, can any racism be forgiven? The head of the NAACP is with us live to respond to a racist outburst at the BAFTAs driven by a man with Tourette syndrome.
ANNOUNCER: Live from Los Angeles, THE STORY IS with Elex Michaelson.
MICHAELSON: The top story is in Geneva, where U.S. and Iranian delegations will begin indirect nuclear talks in just the next few hours. The Iranian foreign minister is already in Switzerland and will discuss Tehran's position with the Omani foreign minister, who is mediating the nuclear talks.
The U.S. says not discussing Iran's ballistic missiles is a, quote, "big problem." The current talks will focus largely on Iran's nuclear program.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. If they try to rebuild the nuclear weapon, that causes problems for us. And in fact, we've seen evidence that they have tried to do exactly that. So the president sending those negotiators to try to address that problem, as the president has said repeatedly, he wants to address that problem diplomatically. But of course, the president has other options as well.
MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE: After their nuclear program was obliterated, they were told not to try to restart it, and here they are. You can see them always trying to rebuild elements of it. They're not enriching right now, but they're trying to get to the point where they ultimately can.
The other thing I would point you to, however, is that Iran possesses a very large number of ballistic missiles, particularly short range ballistic missiles that threaten the United States and our bases in the region and our partners in the region.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: The Trump administration has imposed new sanctions on more than 30 individuals, entities and shadow fleet vessels. It says they enable Tehran's illicit petroleum sales, ballistic missiles and weapons production.
Iran suggests it's hopeful about those talks, but the foreign minister says that a deal is, quote, "within reach" but only if the diplomacy is given priority.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABBAS ARAGHCHI, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): I think a fair, balanced and equitable deal is achievable, and we can do it. We are ready to remove concerns, but we are not ready to give up our right for peaceful use of nuclear technology. This is what we are -- what we demand. So I believe that tomorrow in Geneva there is every possibility to come to an agreed solution which is fair and balanced.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Meantime, there has been a large U.S. military buildup in the region in recent weeks as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on Tehran to accept a new nuclear deal.
I'm joined now by CNN political and national security analyst David Sanger for more.
David, welcome back to THE STORY IS.
DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Great to be with you, Elex.
MICHAELSON: So big picture. Like, what is on the agenda for these talks? What would get us to no military action?
SANGER: Well, the talks themselves, which will take place in Geneva on Thursday, probably at the Omani embassy or residence there, are really focused on the nuclear program. And so the first question is, even if they reach an agreement on the nuclear issues, which seems a little doubtful, would that be enough to forestall military action?
The president during his State of the Union ran through his usual collection of four grievances with the Iranians, the nuclear program, their missile program, which they're not negotiating about. Their treatment of the protesters, the president said 32,000 had been killed. We're not sure if that number is exactly right, but it seems to be directionally correct. And then finally its support for terrorism, Hezbollah, Hamas and so forth. But it's the nuclear issue that the president always sort of returns
to. And one of the big questions is, is there a space between the American demand that there be zero enrichment going on, in other words, zero purification of uranium that can be used as fuel, versus the Iranian argument that while they're willing to suspend some of that for a while, they will not give up their right to enrich under the nuclear nonproliferation treaty?
MICHAELSON: Right. And you're part of a really interesting episode of the daily for "The New York Times" this week, where you talk about something I hadn't heard about before, which is a potential off-ramp for both sides involving enrichment for medicine and a particular U.S. role in that. Fill us in.
[00:05:05]
SANGER: That's right. And I wrote about this in "The Times" a few days ago. So the Iranian nuclear program really began with a very small reactor called the Tehran research reactor. It dates back in 1967 and guess who gave it to the Iranians? The United States, right? This was during the days of the shah and they did it under the old Eisenhower Atoms for Peace program, where countries were given nuclear technology in return for a promise never to go after nuclear weapons.
And that reactor still exists. And the idea here would be allow the Iranians to make a very small amount of nuclear material to make pharmaceuticals, do cancer research and cancer treatment work there. The Iranians can claim that they still have the right to enrich and the U.S. can say, this is a program so small they could never make a nuclear weapon with it.
MICHAELSON: But we don't know if that off-ramp is actually going to work yet. We'll see.
SANGER: That's right.
MICHAELSON: I mean, the other thing to think about, though, you know, President Trump pretty well. You've interviewed him in the Oval Office. You spent so much time thinking about his foreign policy, about as much as anybody. And going back to even when he ran, he's consistently said that he's against the idea of prolonged wars in the Middle East.
Is there anything in his background to suggest that he would want a long operation that could be messy, to do regime change and take over Iran and change in a profound way the leadership of the country?
SANGER: There's nothing, Elex, it's a really good point, to suggest that he would want to do that. And none of his plans call for troops on the ground, right? Which was, in the end, how we were taking so many casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan.
What he would like is something more like the June attack on the three Iranian enrichment sites or the removal of Maduro from Venezuela back in early January. And those were very quick tactical victories. The question is, if you're really looking to do regime change, that's a very different mission than just going to destroy nuclear facilities or just going to grab the leader of a country and drag them out to the Brooklyn detention center, right?
So I'm not sure how you do regime change if you don't have a prolonged operation. Now, maybe the president's theory is that if you bomb the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and some of the leadership compounds, that the people on the streets will do the rest. But it's the IRGC that has the guns, not the protesters.
MICHAELSON: Yes. And we don't know exactly what's next.
SANGER: That's right.
MICHAELSON: But probably the first person to know is going to be you.
David Sanger, CNN's political and national security analyst, thanks so much for the insight.
SANGER: Great to be with you.
MICHAELSON: Cuba says its border guard troops have shot and killed four people on a speedboat in Cuban waters who were trying to, quote, "infiltrate" the island nation. The Cuban Interior Ministry says the boat was registered in Florida and was carrying Cubans who live in the U.S., one of whom allegedly opened fire on those Cuban forces. Six others on the speedboat were apparently wounded and are now detained.
Havana accuses the group of trying to infiltrate the island for, quote, "terrorist purposes," and says another person from the U.S. was arrested and confessed to that scheme. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has confirmed that no U.S. government personnel were involved, but says the U.S. will now do its own investigation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUBIO: But we're going to find out exactly what happened here, and then we'll respond accordingly. Now suffice it to say, it is highly unusual to see shootouts in open sea like that. It's not something that happens every day. It's something frankly that hasn't happened with Cuba in a very long time. And -- but we're going to find out. We're not going to base our conclusions on what they've told us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: The incident happened Wednesday off Cuba's northern coast, and it comes amid weeks of simmering tensions between Cuba and the U.S.
CNN's David Culver has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID CULVER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Cuban authorities say four people aboard a Florida registered speedboat were killed after they claim someone on that vessel opened fire on Cuban border guards. Six others were injured. Now the Cuban Interior Ministry says the group intended to carry out
what it calls a terrorist infiltration and U.S. officials are not taking Havana's word for it. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the U.S. embassy in Havana is seeking access to anyone detained and working independently to verify who was on board and what happened.
[00:10:09]
This comes at a really sensitive moment, there's no question. I mean, this week marks 30 years since Cuban fighter jets shot down two planes flown by Brothers to the Rescue, killing four men and igniting one of the most explosive chapters in modern U.S.-Cuba relations.
Just last week in fact, I was with several South Florida lawmakers who are again calling for the indictment of Raul Castro, arguing that he ultimately gave the order in 1996. And they told me had that happened today under President Trump and with Marco Rubio as secretary of state, they believe the United States would have responded with force.
Now Rubio is being really careful here, saying that the U.S. will respond based on facts, not speculation, but the parallels are hard to ignore. You got a Florida registered vessel, deadly force at sea, and rising tensions between Washington and Havana. And until the U.S. confirms who exactly was on that boat and what led to that exchange of gunfire, this incident is likely to add another layer of strain to an already fragile relationship.
David Culver, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Negotiators from the U.S. and Ukraine are scheduled to meet in the coming hours in Geneva, Switzerland. Ukraine's President Zelenskyy says he spoke by phone on Wednesday with President Trump, his son-in-law Jared Kushner and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff.
According to Russian state media, the Kremlin says there are currently no plans for Vladimir Putin to speak with President Trump. A spokesperson went on to say that a meeting involving the Russian, U.S. and Ukrainian leaders is possible in the event of a peace deal. One veteran diplomat says the ongoing talks are a reason for optimism.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JENS STOLTENBERG, NORWEGIAN FINANCE MINISTER: I think it's far too early to say when and how this war can end, but it is a positive sign that at least there are talks. We do not know when the war will end but what we do know is that the stronger Ukraine is on the battlefield, the more likely it is that President Putin will realize that he cannot win the war and has to sit down and negotiate and accept an end to the war, where Ukraine prevails as a sovereign, independent state. So the important thing is to provide military support to Ukraine to help to end the war.
(END VIDEO CLIP) MICHAELSON: Now to the Epstein files. The Justice Department says it is reviewing whether documents mentioning Donald Trump were improperly withheld from public release. Among them, three witness interviews related to a woman who told agents that Jeffrey Epstein repeatedly abused her starting when she was approximately 13 years old. She also accused Trump of sexually assaulting her.
Top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee wants to know why those documents were omitted.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ROBERT GARCIA (D-CA): The documents related to her testimony with the FBI are not there. So our question to the FBI and the DOJ is, why aren't the documents there? Why have they been removed? And Congress, under the Transparency Act and the subpoena, have a right to see them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: President Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with Jeffrey Epstein and the White House calls the allegations false and sensationalistic.
Meanwhile, the "Wall Street Journal" reports that Bill Gates has apologized to his foundation staff during a town hall over his own ties to Epstein. Gates reportedly admitted that he had two extramarital affairs that Epstein later discovered, but that they did not involve any of Epstein's victims.
Hillary Clinton will testify in the day ahead before the House Oversight Committee investigating Jeffrey Epstein. That will be followed Friday by testimony from her husband, former president Bill Clinton. The depositions will take place at the Clintons' home in New York state.
Committee chair James Comer says no one is accusing the Clintons of any wrongdoing. Bill Clinton has never been accused by law enforcement of any crimes related to Epstein. The spokesperson has repeatedly said that Clinton cut ties before Epstein's arrest on federal charges in 2019.
Former U.S. Treasury secretary Larry Summers is retiring from his professorship at Harvard as he faces backlash over his ties to Epstein. In a statement Summers said it was a, quote, "difficult decision" and that he is grateful to the students and the colleagues he worked with. The former Harvard president has said he is deeply ashamed about his relationship with Epstein.
Former FBI director Kash Patel has offered the firings of at least 10 employees. People briefed on the matter told CNN those employees were involved in the investigation of President Trump's alleged mishandling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago. The ousters are part of a wider internal investigation that Patel ordered into the probe that led to criminal charges against Trump and two of his employees.
The firings, just the latest in a series of moves by Patel to push out agents and other employees who worked on the Trump documents case, as well as cases related to the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Still to come, the FBI executed search warrants on both U.S. coasts and raids linked to the L.A. school superintendent. What we know about that investigation next.
[00:15:00]
Plus, President Trump's nominee for surgeon general, who does not hold an active medical license, faces tough questions from lawmakers. A live report from Washington next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MICHAELSON: Look how pretty this is. This is a live picture of cherry blossoms in full bloom along the Kawazu River in Japan. Remember that in 1912, Japan gave more than 3,000 cherry blossoms to the U.S. as a gesture of friendship, primarily planted around Washington. Japan is gifting another 250 trees for the U.S.'s 250th birthday this year. But look how beautiful they look there in Japan.
This not as pretty. Many questions emerging after the FBI served search warrants at the home of the Los Angeles Unified School District superintendent Alberto Carvalho earlier Wednesday, as well as search warrants at the school district's headquarters.
[00:20:13]
The LAUSD says it is cooperating with the investigation and had no further information. This is believed to be Carvalho's home. A third location was also searched near Miami, Florida. Carvalho previously oversaw Miami-Dade County public schools for more than a decade.
Here's what one person saw as agents searched the superintendent's home right there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I saw a gentleman from behind getting cuffed and put into a vehicle. I don't know if it was him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: The FBI says the reasons for the searches are under seal. Carvalho has been an outspoken critic of President Trump especially his immigration policy. He previously urged authorities not to conduct immigration enforcement within two blocks of the school. We have not heard directly from Carvalho tonight.
One day after the family of Nancy Guthrie offered up to $1 million for information leading to her return, there has been heavy police activity outside Nancy Guthrie's home in Tucson. The FBI said the large reward led to more than 750 credible new tips, and that figure is likely even higher now. Investigators have not yet revealed whether those tips have generated any new evidence, and there's still no word on any suspect. The 84-year-old mother of NBC anchor Savannah Guthrie has now been
missing for nearly a month. Savannah Guthrie said her family is, quote, "blowing on the embers of hope" but they also know their mother may be lost.
You're looking at a live view right now from Capitol Hill, where it is after midnight and hours earlier, President Trump's nominee for surgeon general faced some tough questions at her confirmation hearing. Both Democrats and Republicans grilled Dr. Casey Means over her positions on vaccines, abortion and other health issues. They also questioned Means about her qualifications, as her medical license is not currently active.
Sherrell Hubbard has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHERRELL HUBBARD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In her opening remarks Wednesday, President Donald Trump's nominee and RFK Jr.'s ally, 38-year-old Dr. Casey Means, made her pitch for becoming America's top doctor, surgeon general.
DR. CASEY MEANS, SURGEON GENERAL NOMINEE: Nothing is more urgent than restoring wholeness for Americans physically, mentally and societally. We are now the most chronically ill high-income nation in the world.
HUBBARD: Means spent a considerable amount of time Wednesday being grilled by senators namely over vaccines. She would not directly answer a question regarding flu vaccines.
SEN. TIM KAINE (D-VA): Do you believe that there's no evidence that there's -- the flu vaccine has efficacy in reducing serious injury or hospitalization?
MEANS: I --
KAINE: This is an easy one, Doctor. This is an easy one.
HUBBARD: When questioned further about childhood vaccines, she deferred to it being a conversation for doctors and their patients.
SEN. BILL CASSIDY (R-LA): Would you encourage her to have her child vaccinated?
MEANS: I'm not an individual's doctor and every individual needs to talk to their doctor before putting a medication in their body.
HUBBARD: Another point of contention, her credentials. Means did not complete her residency, and her medical license has lapsed, saying she has no plans to reactivate it.
DR. DEMETRE DASKALAKIS, FORMER DIRECTOR, CDC NATIONAL CENTER FOR IMMUNIZATION AND RESPIRATORY DISEASES: Something that is going to be hard, I think, to be able to justify what a new vision is when you don't really even sort of have a sense of what the vision is in your daily practice. HUBBARD: I'm Sherrell Hubbard, reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Israel for a two-day visit with his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu. He arrived on Wednesday where he was greeted by Netanyahu before they addressed parliament. The two leaders described themselves as friends. Modi was the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel in 2017. Now during this visit, Modi and Netanyahu are expected to discuss artificial intelligence and defense.
The trip comes as the U.S. builds up naval forces near Iran and has raised fears of wider conflict in the region, where millions of Indian nationals live and work.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are also in the region for humanitarian trip with the World Health Organization. Harry and Meghan met in Jordan with medical evacuees from Gaza on Wednesday. The couple also joined a WHO roundtable meeting and visited a refugee camp for displaced Syrians. Harry and Meghan will also head soon to the regional headquarters of World Central Kitchen, which makes meals for people in the territory.
Joining us live in our studio right now, the leaders of the NAACP, and we have a lot to talk about during the last week of Black History Month, that incident at the BAFTAs, the upcoming Image Awards, and the success of "Sinners."
Stay with us. They're live next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:29:27]
MICHAELSON: We're in the final week of the 100th Black History Month here in the U.S. and the NAACP Image Awards are just days away. But before we get into that we want to talk about a troubling moment that happened over the weekend at the BAFTA awards, which are Britain's version of the Oscars. Celebrated actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting an award at the ceremony in London when they were interrupted by a man shouting a racist slur.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL B. JORDAN, ACTOR: Delroy and I are delighted to be presenting the first BAFTA of the night for a vital part of movie making.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
DELROY LINDO, ACTOR: We're here to celebrate the artists who expand --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[00:30:05] ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: That deeply uncomfortable moment of the "N" word was followed by apologies from BAFTA and the BBC, which aired the ceremony without editing out the offensive language, even though the ceremony was on a tape delay.
The man behind the slur was John Davidson, who suffers from Tourette's syndrome and left the ceremony after that incident. He is the subject of a film about the disorder and campaigns for awareness.
Davidson told CNN before the ceremony that he was worried about his involuntary tics, where he says often inappropriate things that he can't control.
With me here in Los Angeles are the leaders of the NAACP, the United States' oldest and largest civil rights organization, vice chair Karen Boykin-Towns, and president and CEO Derrick Johnson.
Welcome, both of you, to the show. Great to have you here.
Karen, start with you. Ladies first. What do you make of this whole incident?
KAREN BOYKIN-TOWNS, VICE CHAIR, NAACP: I mean, award shows have tape delay for a reason, and it really is to safeguard the public from inappropriate type of things.
The fact that that didn't happen here brings question about accountability. And then how did it happen where "free Palestine" was bleeped out in this tape delay?
And so, I just think it's about really ensuring that there's an understanding of what happened.
But also, I don't know that anything happened to sort of -- for Delroy Lindo or Michael B. Jordan, who in a great sense of professionalism continued over.
But at the same time, this is what happens on a regular basis in -- in society. And we're supposed to just move on from it. But there's impact. And there just really needs to be an understanding of why this happened and accountability.
MICHAELSON: Hard to understand. Two hours (AUDIO GAP) -- to potentially edit something out. As you mentioned, edited out "free Palestine" but did not edit out this.
You could have an interesting discussion about Tourette's and whether, you know -- he says he couldn't control that, but they certainly had the ability to control the editing process.
DERRICK JOHNSON, PRESIDENT AND CEO, NAACP: Absolutely. And have they reached out to Ryan Coogler or Dalroy to say they apologized.
Doing a statement on television is one thing, but actually calling those who have been offended is -- is the appropriate action.
And the individuals responsible, have they been held accountable? Will they continue in their same role as if nothing happens?
You know we're an anti-hate organization, and hate speech is a real problem, particularly when it's targeted at communities. And the African American community, the African diaspora community, we know all so well when you allow these type of incidents to take place, it only snowballs from there.
MICHAELSON: Also in the news this week, President Trump's State of the Union. You guys put out a statement disagreeing with many of the things that he said.
One of them that's particularly controversial is this question over voter I.D. Derrick, he points out the fact that, look, Gallup poll says 84 percent of the American people want there to be voter I.D. They say you show I.D.s for most everything else in your life.
What's wrong with voter I.D.?
Well, during the time of slavery, 84 percent of Americans who was considered someone to talk to thought slavery was OK, as well.
MICHAELSON: I mean they're not the same thing, though. Right?
JOHNSON: I mean -- absolutely it's the same thing when you're doing public opinion around the rights of the minority groups.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
JOHNSON: When you allow the majority to determine what should be appropriate, particularly when you're talking about a constitutional right, that's not appropriate. You know, the SAVE Act is a solution in search of a problem.
MICHAELSON: The SAVE Act is their -- the Republican plan to try to instill voter I.D.
JOHNSON: Right. It's -- but what is the problem here? Even the Heritage Foundation has said that it is de minimis of the number of individuals who've tried to vote on an alleged name.
We don't have a problem with people trying to vote as an alleged name. We have a problem with enough people -- not enough people voting in this democracy.
We talk about a high voter turnout when less than 60 percent of the population actually vote. That's not a problem that we should put voter I.D. on top of. We should be talking about how do we get more like Australia, where 95 percent of the population vote; or Canada, about 92 percent; or Germany, 93 percent of the population?
We say we're the leading democracy, and yet, we're suffocating the ability of citizens to exercise their right to vote.
MICHAELSON: But there's people that see this that will say, look, you've got to show I.D. to buy alcohol. You've got to show I.D. to get on an airplane. People are used to showing I.D. Has nothing to do whether you're a minority. People do all that, as well.
JOHNSON: Well, why don't we have a national I.D. to buy -- purchase a gun? Why don't we have a national I.D. for so many other things that we don't have a national I.D.?
This has nothing to do with I.D. This is about the midterm elections and the Republicans' fear of losing.
[00:35:04]
MICHAELSON: And it's interesting, Karen. When President Trump talked about this last night, he talked about the privilege of voting. Voting is a right.
BOYKIN-TOWNS: Yes.
MICHAELSON: It's not a privilege. And legally, there is a difference between rights and privileges.
BOYKIN-TOWNS: There's a difference. But I think we have to pay attention to the words that are given in these speeches, because they truly do matter.
And voting is a right, and it's one where it looks as though there's an encroachment in wanting people to do that. And in a democracy, it is about expanding that opportunity. But that is not what we're finding right now.
MICHAELSON: Let's talk about something on a lighter note, which is that you guys are both in town for the Image Awards, which are happening this week. It's sort of been a -- every day, a little bit of something.
Tonight, you had some virtual awards. The big awards are going to be Saturday night on CBS, and BET, and a bunch of other Paramount networks.
But "Sinners" is the big nominee: 18 nominations for Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan, "Sinners."
What is it about this movie that especially African-American folks might see that other folks may not see? What makes this so deeply meaningful?
JOHNSON: I think it's authentic. It -- I think Ryan Coogler really studied the culture. He understood that era. All of the beauty and the dynamic nature of the people, the music, the cinematography.
And it's not just something that African-Americans see. This movie broke box office records.
MICHAELSON: I love it. I've said since that came out on TV, it was my favorite movie of the year. I think it should win the Oscar.
JOHNSON: It shows how dynamic our history is with the Asian community, who were brought into the Mississippi Delta during that time. It talks about the interchange of the system of segregation and hate.
It even lifted up Native Americans' contribution in that area.
I think it's a beautiful example of why narratives matter and the inclusion of narrative is so important.
MICHAELSON: And at a time, Karen, when so many narratives are superhero movies or sequels, it's original storytelling unlike anything we've ever seen before.
BOYKIN-TOWNS: And I think that's why it is important to have diverse stories that are out there where you're able to learn things and experience cultures.
And 18 nominations. We are so excited.
MICHAELSON: So, that's probably going to win on Saturday. We'll see. It's already won some awards tonight, as well, in some of the virtual awards ahead of time.
And then your Entertainer of the Year, I want to read this group. It is absolutely stacked. So, we've got Teyana Taylor, Doechii, Kendrick Lamar, Michael B. Jordan and we see on the list there, Cynthia Erivo also.
How do you even pick I mean, all of them are great. All of them are so different.
BOYKIN-TOWNS: Yes. They've -- each of them have had an outstanding year in their areas. And I think there's so much excitement about them. They're all really just doing their thing. And so, we will find out on Saturday who the winner is.
JOHNSON: This is an example of -- to show how dynamic our culture is, how diverse it is, and how much it is embraced not only within our community but around the globe.
MICHAELSON: Right. I mean, all those people are huge, huge stars and are going to win -- are winning other big awards, as well.
So, Viola Davis winning the chairmen's award. She's going to get a special honor. Colman Domingo, the president's award, he's going to get a special honor. So, all of that happening Saturday. What time?
BOYKIN-TOWNS: Eight p.m.
MICHAELSON: Eight p.m.
BOYKIN-TOWNS: Eight p.m., Eastern Time.
MICHAELSON: Eastern Time. Five p.m. here on the West Coas. All over CBS And -- and the Paramount networks.
BOYKIN-TOWNS: Thank you, guys.
MICHAELSON:: Thank you so much. Good having you in Southern California.
Coming up: one of the top A.I. Companies is ditching its flagship core safety principles. And the timing comes right as the company faces growing pressure from the Pentagon. That story and more next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:44:06]
MICHAELSON: Tech giant Nvidia is beating expectations again in its quarterly results.
The chipmaker reported $68.13 billion in revenue, nearly $2 billion higher than expected. That's, again, that's $68.13 billion in revenue.
Earnings per share also came in above analysts' expectations. The company at the backbone of the A.I. Industry, also reporting record quarterly and full year revenues it is raising guidance for the current quarter, as well.
The report comes at a critical time for tech investors. Tech giants like Meta and Amazon are planning to spend billions this year on their A.I. expansions, even as investors and other key industries are fearful over the potentially disruptive force of A.I.
A.I. firm Anthropic is rolling back its core safety principles in response to competition, and the change comes as Anthropic is in the middle of a dispute with the Pentagon over red lines in its A.I.
CNN's Clare Duffy has more from New York.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARE DUFFY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right Elex. A source familiar with this matter is now telling CNN that this rolling back of one of Anthropic's core safety principles does not have anything to do with its ongoing discussions with the Defense Department.
But of course, the timing here is really interesting. It was Tuesday that Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei met on Capitol Hill with defense secretary Pete Hegseth. And Hegseth essentially gave the company a 5 p.m. Friday deadline to acquiesce to his demands or else.
The Defense Department does not want Anthropic putting limits on how it can use its technology.
Meanwhile, Anthropic simply does not want its technology to be used for automated weapons or mass surveillance, including of United States citizens. So, that is Anthropic's red line, and there's no indication at this point that the company is backing down on that.
But it's interesting that now, this morning, the company has announced it is walking back one of its core safety principles. Just about three years ago, the company committed to pausing development of new A.I. models if it felt like it didn't have control and safety measures in place to control that model. The company says that it had hoped that that policy would lead to an
industry-wide adoption of similar thinking; that there would be a -- what it calls a race to the top rather than a race to the bottom. But that has not played out as other model makers are surging ahead with their development.
Anthropic now says that it believes it doesn't make sense for it to pause development of its models, while potentially less responsible actors are forging ahead.
But I do think that this discussion with the Defense Department puts in really sharp relief what the stakes are here.
Pete Hegseth has threatened to potentially use the Defense Production Act against Anthropic to force it to turn over its technology and be used in whatever ways the Defense Department sees fit.
And then, when you put that in contrast to the company now saying it won't pause development of its models if it sees a safety concern down the road.
And then this possibility that a government actor -- whether it's the U.S. or otherwise -- could force the company to hand over that very powerful technology and be used in whatever ways that government wants, regardless of the company's desires. You can see where we could end up in a really problematic place.
Now, I should say that Anthropic is certainly not doing away with safety altogether. The company framed this as a progression of its thinking, saying it's going to continue to have safety testing, benchmarking, transparency measures in place.
But really fascinating. And I think this moment could end up being hugely consequential as we look back on the history of the development of this technology, Elex. So, we'll be watching to see how that 5 p.m. deadline plays out.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Fascinating. Clare Duffy, thank you for that.
Driverless vehicles will be hitting the streets in more American cities this year.
Waymo announced it is expanding access to its self-driving cars to Orlando and three cities in Texas: Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio.
That means that Waymo vehicles are now available in ten U.S. cities. The company says their services will be limited to specific areas of each metro. Those who want to ride in their vehicles must download the company's app, and they will be invited on a rolling basis to use the service.
Samsung's new line of flagship smartphones have more A.I. options for users, but it's going to cost you more. The company says its new Galaxy S-26 phones feature A.I. agents
designed to predict what a user wants to do next and accomplish tasks on their behalf.
It's also new screen technology that prevents bystanders from seeing sensitive data like your PIN codes and your passwords.
The new features come with $100 price bump for the Galaxy S-26 and S- 26 Plus, while the Ultra's price tag remains the same.
Finding an affordable place to live in America's most populous metropolis is not easy. We look live in New York. High mortgage rates are keeping many potential buyers out of the New York real estate market. At the same time, some ultra-high-end properties are being sold before they're even listed.
CNN's Paula Newton reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It stands like a trophy, exquisitely perched.
MICHELLE GRIFFITH, REAL ESTATE AGENT, DOUGLAS ELLIMAN REAL ESTATES: It is a seamless, elevated experience. So, as we're walking through --
NEWTON (voice-over): Fifty-three West 53rd, in the heart of Manhattan's Billionaires' Row, sweeps you in, if not off your feet, definitely to new heights.
GRIFFITH: There isn't your traditional concierge desk. It almost feels like you are entering part of your living space.
The double height ceiling, the floor-to-ceiling windows. The views are exceptional.
NEWTON (voice-over): And yes, as you've already guessed, so is the price. This unit, listed for just over $20 million.
[00:50:04]
We're here for the eye candy, of course. The views, the opulence.
NEWTON: Oh, wow!
GRIFFITH: I know.
NEWTON: It is really a pretty oasis here. You just kind of sink into the views and --
GRIFFITH: I know. It somehow feels calming, right? Very Zen.
NEWTON (voice-over): And we're getting a look, too, at the state of New York real estate.
GRIFFITH: Many of these trophy properties are all going into contract prior to ever hitting the market. And we're talking seven plus on a price per square foot basis.
NEWTON (voice-over): Michelle Griffith is talking up to $7,000 a square foot.
NEWTON: You've been at this for 15 years. What has surprised you about where the market is today?
GRIFFITH: The resiliency of the market is what surprises me every time. Taking the pandemic into consideration, a lot of uncertainty. A lot of, you know, cautious buyers. But the way that market turned so quickly post-COVID, I find that to be one of the most surprising things.
NEWTON (voice-over): At this end of the market, the sky-high end, demand is actually outstripping supply. But properties starting at about $1 million? Yes, that's what a modest apartment costs in New York.
GRIFFITH: Rates. That market is really waiting for rates to come down.
NEWTON (voice-over): Mortgage rates have stayed stubbornly high for too long.
MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI (D), NEW YORK CITY: Good afternoon.
NEWTON (voice-over): And then there's New York's new mayor, threatening a 9.5 percent hike on property taxes to wrestle a runaway city budget.
GRIFFITH: I received a lot of text messages on that, Paula.
Tale of two ends. So, the higher end of the market, they're not necessarily talking about that. But will that affect first-time buyers and other people that are just considering dipping their toes into the market? Absolutely.
NEWTON (voice-over): But not the toes dipping into these waters.
GRIFFITH: This is probably one of our most requested amenities in Manhattan.
NEWTON: This must really drop some jaws when you bring them in here.
GRIFFITH: Absolutely. This is a complete oasis, starting, Paula with the living green wall, which is on either side of your 65-foot-lap pool. Floor-to-ceiling windows.
NEWTON (voice-over): In the competition between ultra luxury buildings, wellness is a key distinguishing feature. The pool, the gym, the whole concept of a curated, health-conscious life in the heart of the city.
The exodus from New York post-pandemic was real, but so is its comeback.
GRIFFITH: The diversification of New York, whether it's finance, tech, fashion, media. Couple that with the culture and the energy of New York City. It's bringing so many buyers back to New York.
NEWTON (voice-over): At this price tag, maybe not everyone all at once, but if mortgage rates edge down, there are plenty of renters ready to be minted as new New York City homeowners.
Paula Newton, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: I thought L.A. was expensive. Seven thousand dollars a square foot? Our thanks to Paula Newton for that eye-opening report.
The U.S. is investigating what's being described as a shootout in the waters off Cuba. We'll have details on the deadly incident and what it could mean for tensions between Washington and Havana. That's next hour here on THE STORY IS.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:58:12]
MICHAELSON: People around the world fell in love with this guy: Punch the monkey last week and his substitute mother, an orangutan plushie.
Zookeepers gave Punch that stuffed animal, which is from Swedish furniture brand IKEA. It sells for just under 20 bucks. Punch's mom became a popular item after his overnight fame. An IKEA store in Singapore said the plushie has been sold out since Monday.
On auction sites, they're going for as much as 350 bucks.
Let's talk music now, Metallica fans, mark your calendars. The rock band is set to play an eight-show residency titled "Life Burns Faster" at the Sphere in Las Vegas starting in October. You can see the sphere already advertising that.
The group says the new concert experience will feature songs from their entire catalog. In their announcement, Metallica said the residency is a chance to reinvent how they interact with fans.
You can buy tickets for a single show, a weekend of shows, or even one ticket for every show in the residency. General tickets go on sale next week.
Well, the nominees for the 2026 class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame are out, and this year's ballot features a diverse array of talent.
Seventeen musicians and groups are up for nomination, among them performers like Lauryn Hill, Phil Collins, Pink, and Luther Vandross. They're all nominated for the first time. Past nominees who are back on the list include the Black Crowes, Billy Idol, Mariah Carey. How did Mariah Carey not get it on the first year? Iron Maiden and more.
Artists or bands become eligible for nomination 25 years after releasing their first commercial recording. This year's class will be revealed in April, with the ceremony to follow later this year.
And we end this hour with this incredible sight. You're looking at cherry blossoms in full bloom along the Kawazu River in Japan. Remember, Japan gave more than 3,000 cherry blossom trees.
