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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson
Trump Says U.S. Has "Won" Iran War, Vows to "Finish the Job"; Hezbollah And Iran Hit Israel In Joint Attack As Trump Says War Will End Soon; Iranian Officials Dismisses Claims Missile Capabilities Destroyed; Rising Fuel Prices Prompting Anxiety Across Globe; FBI Warns California Of Alleged Drone Threat From Iran; Iran's Gulf Neighbors Report New Wave Of Attacks; Iran Steps Up Use of Cluster Munitions in Strikes on Israel; Podcaster Joe Rogan Warns Conflict Could Get Out of Control; Newsome Announces Funding for Mental, Behavioral Health Care; Prom Dreams Come True for Teens Across the U.S. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired March 12, 2026 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[01:00:00]
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: As many in Hollywood gather to celebrate the Academy Awards. And a new CNN documentary looks at the influence of international films on the industry.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's really impossible to talk about progress in contemporary cinema and the Oscars without acknowledging the incredible achievement of Bong Joon Ho in "Parasite."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Parasite," the first non-English language film to win. I think that was a major sign that the Academy has made become way more international.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If we want to see cinema thrive, it has to be a global conversation because fandom doesn't stop at borders.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Be sure to watch this Saturday. Hollywood and the Oscars Still Golden. It airs at 10:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific right here on CNN and streaming on the CNN app. And then on Oscar Sunday, watch CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister and Variety's Ramin Setoodeh live on the Oscar red carpet at 7:00 p.m. Eastern, 4:00 p.m. Pacific on CNN.
Right now you watch the next hour of The Story Is, which starts right now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN Breaking News.
MICHAELSON: And welcome to The Story Is. I'm Elex Michelson live in Los Angeles, where it is 10:00 p.m. tonight. The top story is in Iran where we are now entering the 13th day of the war. The sun is out and it's morning time. U.S. President Donald Trump is claiming victory even as new strikes are being reported across the Mideast.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: We've won. Let me say, we've won. You know, you never like to say too early, you won, we won the bet in the first hour it was over.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: President's comments coming on the same day we saw this, two foreign oil tankers ablaze in the waters off Iraq after Iran claims it launched an attack. At least one person killed there, dozens rescued. And the UK's Maritime Trade Operations Agency says a container ship off the coast of the United Arab Emirates was struck by an unknown projectile earlier that caused a small fire on board.
Now this is the sixth attack in two days on vessels operating in the Persian Gulf. Meantime, Israel says it has begun a large scale wave of strikes on Beirut's suburbs after Hezbollah fired what the IDF says were dozens of rockets from Lebanon.
Iran says it carried out a joint attack with Hezbollah on more than 50 targets in Israel. And in the last few hours, there's been a fresh wave of attacks across the Gulf states. CNN's Ivan Watson is following all this. He's live in Hong Kong.
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Ivan, the joint attack that you mentioned, Elex, is something new effectively. The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announcing that it worked with the Lebanese militia Hezbollah and coordinated an attack on Israel with ballistic missiles from Iran and attack drones and rockets fired from Lebanon from Hezbollah.
And we saw impact of some of those Hezbollah rockets in the northern Israeli town of Qiryat Shemona. An Israeli military commander confirming that this did appear to be a coordinated attack. And it is something worth marking because it indicates that these two allies, the Iranian military and its proxy, its ally in Lebanon, are able to coordinate their actions and operations despite the major setbacks that they suffered in previous rounds of fighting with Israel and the U.S. not only in the past week and a half, but also in previous years.
It also just shows how ineffective the Lebanese government is to rein in Hezbollah, even though the government has declared its military actions illegal. Take a listen to Lebanon's justice minister today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADEL NASSAR, LEBANESE JUSTICE MINISTER: What Hezbollah is doing is in full breach of the law, in full breach of the commitments of the government towards its own population, its own people, to stop having a parallel movement, making decisions regarding war and peace and engaging or dragging the full country into regional conflicts.
(END VIDEO CLIP) WATSON: And that is true. There are millions of people dragged into this war who never got a vote in this. More than 800,000 people believed to be displaced in Lebanon as a result of the fighting over the last week and a half.
The Israeli bombardment has been significant and substantial in the southern suburbs of Beirut. There have been strikes in central Beirut in the last 24 hours. There was a very targeted strike on the waterfront of the city that seemed to be targeting cars there and killed at least eight people. And Israel has been successful in kind of targeted assassinations in the past.
[01:05:08]
But what is spreading fear is the fact that large numbers of the displaced population are camping out on the waterfront, sleeping in cars, sleeping in tents. So bystanders would have been close by to this attack that took place. If you look at the European Union, it's been calling for a deescalation for pledging more than $100 million to help Lebanon in this time of real crisis.
A wider picture, the war continues to rage across the Gulf with Iran continuing to carry out attacks on energy infrastructure. You mentioned, Elex, the two oil tankers that were struck off the coast of Iraq, some 30 miles off the coast of Basra, with fires raging there and fire boats sent to try to help put out the fire. Iran claimed responsibility for those strikes using underwater drones.
We also actually saw remarkable footage of an Iranian drone hitting a fuel depot in a port in Oman. Oman, a country that tried to mediate a peaceful resolution to this conflict before it erupted. And the fires have been raging there since then.
Other attacks have taken place around oil facilities in northern Bahrain, for example. Over all of that is contributing to the fact that the price of oil has surged in the last couple hours above $100 a barrel for the second time in less than a week, Elex.
MICHAELSON: And that impacts so many people around the world. Ivan Watson, live for us in Hong Kong. Thanks. We will talk more about oil prices in a moment with Mike Valerio in Beijing. But now we want to take you inside Iran.
The speaker of Iran's parliament is dismissing U.S. claims that his country's missile capabilities have destroyed, the missiles have been destroyed, insisting that Iran can target any location it wants. Our Fred Pleitgen has more on the strikes that have hammered Tehran.
We should note that CNN operates in Iran with the permission of the Iranian government, as required under local regulations, but maintains full editorial control over what it reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR NTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The U.S. and Israel's massive aerial campaign seems to be continuing in full swing. Overnight in the position that were, we heard jets streaking overhead and then massive explosions in the distance. It's unclear what exactly the target was of that aerial raid that we witnessed, but certainly it wasn't the only one in the past 24 hours.
In Tehran, the Iranian capital, there were major airstrikes also overnight and into the morning hours. Some of the targets appear to have been in the east of the city and east of Tehran. That's an area that's gotten hit quite a lot over the past couple of days.
But then also once again, the area around Mehrabad Airport, that's sort of the second airport of the Iranian capital that is very much within the city limits.
Also outside of Tehran, there's a satellite town called Karaj, which has been hit in the past couple of days quite frequently and apparently was now hit once again. All this comes as the Iranian government is trying to project that it is in a strong position in its standoff with the U.S. and Israel.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which is of course the elite wing of Iran's military, sent out a text message to people here inside Iran detailing the costs to the United States of the ongoing war with Iran. The Iranians trying to say that they are the ones who are now in the driver's seat.
Meanwhile, politicians here in Iran continue to say that right now the Iranians are not interested in negotiations with the United States and instead are gearing up for what could be a very long war. Fred Pleitgen, CNN in northern Iran.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Fred, thank you. More now on what were just talking about with Ivan, the impact of all this on global fuel supplies. Oil prices, as he mentioned, surged past $100 per barrel again just days after hitting a four year high.
All this comes despite the International Energy Agency, made up of more than 30 countries, agreeing to release 400 million barrels of oil into the global market. As part of that effort, the U.S. released more than 170 million barrels starting next week, though the process will take roughly four months.
Saudi Arabia is redirecting trade to ports in the Red Sea so ships can avoid the vital Strait of Hormuz and attacks from Iran. Iran's military says get ready for oil prices to climb even higher. They're blaming the U.S. for destabilizing the region.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EBRAHIM ZOLFAGHARI, SPOKESMAN, KHATAM AL-ANBIYA CENTRAL HEADQUARTERS (through translator): You will not be able to keep oil and energy prices artificially low through economic life support. As we have already warned. If the war spreads across the region, expect oil to reach $200 per barrel. Oil prices follow the level of security in the region. The source of that insecurity is you. (END VIDEO CLIP)
[01:10:06]
MICHAELSON: Live now to CNN's Mike Valerio, who joins us from Beijing. It seems like he knows what he's doing there. That is a way to hit the U.S. in a big way, oil.
MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. And it's a big math problem from what you outlined in the introduction. I know we don't like to talk about math problems, but this is essentially what it boils down to, that 400 million barrels coming into the market. It's going to take a really long time, as you mentioned, for that to happen.
And even if, Elex, all of that oil came into the market in a single day or immediately, that would only be enough for about 26 days of output. So then it's like, what do you do after 26 days? What is the solution then? And there's not answer to that question.
So furthermore, you know, we've been speaking to analysts from Singapore, Hong Kong, New York, and they say if the war were to end tomorrow, which is not going to, but whenever the war does end, at least at this juncture, based on the damage that we've been able to see in all of these pictures that have been streaming for almost two weeks, for more than two weeks now, it's going to take at least a month to turn the engine back on.
When you think of all the plants and refineries that have been damaged, the storage tanks that are not in their normal storage capacity and positioning, it's going to take a month, as it's been described to us here at CNN, at least to turn that Gulf engine of production back on and causing significant pain for all of us who drive either in China, the United States or everywhere else in between.
Speaking of if you're watching us in the United States, back home right now, in terms of what this injection of oil barrels into the market could do, the last time this was done at a smaller scale, around 180 million barrels, it only shaved off at max about $0.40, 40 cents from your average gas pump bill.
Sorry, as I try to get my words out here, when you're at the gas pump, it only shaved off $0.40. And that's according to an estimate and a study done by the U.S. Treasury after their last action was taken at the start of the Ukraine war back in 2022.
So far, prices at the pump back in the United States have risen about 60, 60 cents. So that really begs the question, what action can this do to alleviate concerns of people back home pumping gas? It really cannot replace the safety of ships transiting through the Strait of Hormuz.
Furthermore, in terms of what we're looking at here, wrapping up, 45 days of strategic oil reserves are going to be released by Japan. Prime Minister Takeichi has made that announcement a short time ago. And we're watching to see from China where we're broadcasting now.
Does China make more of a big deal or announce that any of its ships are being able to safely transit through the Strait of Hormuz?
MICHAELSON: Right now.
VALERIO: Right now we don't have the Ministry of Foreign Affairs trumpeting that at all. We hear reports here and there that some ships are saying, I identify as being owned by China or Chinese crew, just smattering reports of that. But we're waiting to see if China makes more of a big deal to inject more investor confidence and sort of put its flag in the sand and say we're going to play more of a role and our ships can get through to make more of a difference in the market. Elex?
MICHAELSON: Yes. Watch China in that space. And when you're saying 40 cents, I think you mean 40 cents for your total bill, not 40 cents a gallon. Right. So it's not even that money.
VALERIO: Thank you. Yes, thank you.
MICHAELSON: Yes. OK. Mike Valerio in Beijing, thank you so much for all the numbers. I hate math, so thanks for doing some of it for us.
Could these major oil prices increase how much you have to spend to fly? Is it increase the price of air travel? Joining me now is Henry Harteveldt, who is a travel industry analyst, president of the Atmosphere Research Group. Thanks so much for being with us.
Do we have any examples of airfare already going up because of all this? And if not, when do we expect that to happen?
HENRY HARTEVELDT, TRAVEL INDUSTRY ANALYST: Yes, Elex, we do. Qantas Air New Zealand and several other airlines, including SAS Scandinavian, have all raised either their base fares or their fuel surcharges. U.S. airlines have increased their fares. Airlines pretty much everywhere in the world are increasing their fares or fuel surcharges or both to account for the higher cost of jet fuel.
MICHAELSON: When you say increasing, how much of an increase are we talking about?
HARTEVELDT: It depends on the airline. Some are doing it increments of like, for example, 10 to 80 or $90 in each direction.
[01:15:04]
Some are doing it on a percentage basis, 5 percent or more. It varies by airline. Each airline chooses its own pricing strategy. But, you know, what's important to understand is jet fuel is now costing airlines more than 50 percent more than it was before the fighting began. And they can't absorb that fuel increase entirely on their own.
MICHAELSON: 50 percent more than just a few weeks ago. That is a huge amount. You think about all the jet fuel that they use all over the world. So are there fears that airlines may start canceling flights and try to save fuel?
HARTEVELDT: Well, that's a good question to ask. And there is concern in the Northern Hemisphere. We're going into the spring break travel period in the North America and approaching the Easter Passover travel time in many other places.
Airlines are probably not going to be canceling flights now because it's too close in, but they are probably looking at their schedules for May, June, July and the rest of the summer. And they're trying to probably going to figure out which routes are not going to meet the expected profitability where, you know, might they even ground some or all portions of a fleet of airplanes, you know, aircraft that are more gas guzzlers, that consume more fuel than the newer airplanes. So they're looking at absolutely everything they can in order to remain profitable.
MICHAELSON: Are there particular areas of the world where we're going to see this worse than others, or is this sort of felt because it's such a global industry kind of felt by everyone all over the place?
HARTEVELDT: You know, the pain is a globally shared pain. Airlines all over the world are feeling this. Some U.S. airlines don't hedge their fuel anymore, unlike airlines outside the US. So there are some airlines outside the U.S. that may be insulated financially from some of the oil shock right now, but the U.S. airlines in particular are going to feel, are feeling, I should say, the financial pain.
MICHAELSON: Wow. I mean, I'm certainly struck by that 50 percent number. That is something. And it's going to be impacting all of us. You think about all the ways that this is dominoes that are falling because of this decision. It's quite something. Henry, thank you so much, joining us live from San Francisco. Great information.
HARTEVELDT: Thank you, Elex.
MICHAELSON: President Trump says U.S. officials are investigating unverified claims of a possible Iranian plot to strike the U.S. homeland here in California.
Earlier, California Governor Gavin Newsom said that the FBI alerted state officials about potential drone attacks targeting his state. The FBI memo said that the drones could be fired from offshore boats and that Iran has allegedly been looking into the possibility of conducting such an attack since last month.
One law enforcement source says the information is deemed to be only aspirational. Governor Newsom says there is no imminent threat. Iran is unleashing a new barrage of strikes against its Gulf neighbors. When we return, the latest details on what's being now targeted. We go live to the Gulf, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:22:53]
MICHAELSON: It's a live look at Beirut right now, where it is morning Thursday, 7:22 am Israel has been ramping up attacks on Hezbollah. Israel says it's targeting the Iranian-backed militant group with a large scale wave of strikes on Beirut's suburbs. We see lots of clouds over Beirut right now.
New video from overnight shows the aftermath of a deadly drone strike on Beirut's seafront. Lebanon's health ministry Sundays at least eight people were killed. Gulf nations are intercepting new waves of Iranian drones and missiles. Dubai says that a drone fell on a building in Creek Harbor starting a fire there.
Videos geolocated by CNN appear to show the attack. We're also getting reports of Iranian strikes targeting fuel tanks in Bahrain. And Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Defense says it has destroyed more than 20 drones in the eastern parts of the country, home to the kingdom's oil fields.
CNN producer Antoinette Radford is joining us live from Doha, Qatar. What are you seeing there, Antoinette?
ANTOINETTE RADFORD, CNN PRODUCER: Morning, Elex. As we approach the two-week mark of this conflict, we're seeing a real shift from Iran towards targeting energy infrastructure, particularly here in the Gulf. Overnight, two oil tankers were hit in Iraqi waters in the Persian Gulf.
Now that hit caused injuries to 38 people. One person was killed. Iran's claimed responsibility for the attack. It said it carried it out using underwater drones.
Separately this morning, a container ship off the UAE was hit. And yesterday three separate attacks were carried out on vessels in the Persian Gulf. Now that takes the total number of attacks in the Gulf to six in just two days.
Separately in Oman, a fuel tanker was hit in the port of Salalah. Video geolocated by CNN shows an Iranian Shahed drone headed towards that port. Now Salalah is a big tank tourism place in Oman and Oman's been a place that has been viewed to have largely been spared the worst of Iran's attacks.
Iran has described this incident as highly suspicious and says it's looking into it.
[01:25:03]
But this is another attack on fuel storage in the area. Now, separately, in Bahrain has been hit a lot by Iran on civilian infrastructure in the last few days. This morning, a fuel tanker is on fire there following an Iranian attack. And in the past few days, they've also had a desalination plant and an oil refinery hit.
So recently, Iran has really shifted its strategy to be targeting energy infrastructure, particularly here in the Gulf. Elex.
MICHAELSON: Antoinette, in terms of Doha itself, has it been relatively quiet? RADFORD: Yes, the past 24 hours got a lot busier than they had been.
Following Iran's claims, it was carrying out one of its heaviest attacks yet. Yesterday, we had three loud intercepts that took place at various times throughout the day.
Now, that was more than we've had over the past week, but in the last 12 hours or so, we haven't received any warnings. Things seem to be a little quieter here this morning.
MICHAELSON: Good to hear that for you and for your crew. Antoinette Radford in Doha, thank you and good morning to you.
Now coming up, one expert calls it Iran's weapon of choice in its strikes on Israel.
Still ahead, an aerial weapon, it's hard to intercept, comes down like a hail of fire. Jeremy Diamond in Israel. Soon.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:30:39]
MICHAELSON: Welcome back to THE STORY IS. I'm Elex Michaelson.
Let's take a look at today's top stories.
The Pentagon is giving Congress insight into just how much the war with Iran is costing. Sources say U.S. lawmakers were briefed on preliminary estimates, which suggest the war has already cost at least $11 billion in the first six days. We're now entering the 13th day of the war.
The U.S. and 31 other countries have agreed to tap into oil reserves to try to offset soaring prices due to the war with Iran. Members of the International Energy Agency will release 400 million barrels into the global supply. That's the largest release of emergency oil stocks in history. The U.S. will contribute more than 170 million of those barrels starting next week.
Two sources tell CNN, the U.S. military accidentally struck an Iranian elementary school, likely due to outdated intelligence about a nearby naval base. The sources were briefed on the preliminary findings of an ongoing military investigation.
Iranian state media says the attack in Minab on the first day of the war killed at least 168 children and 14 teachers.
Israel claims at least 60 percent of Iran's ballistic missile launchers have already been destroyed. But Tehran can still inflict damage in Israel using cluster munitions. They're bombs or missiles that release dozens of smaller bomblet's midair.
Our Jeremy Diamond saw firsthand the damage these munitions can leave behind.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Their orange glow streaks across the night sky, each speck of light a small bomb carrying up to 11 pounds of explosives and raining down indiscriminately -- sometimes in densely populated areas.
They are cluster munitions, and Iran is increasingly packing the heads of its ballistic missiles with dozens of them, aiming to pierce Israel's sophisticated air defenses.
One of those small bombs struck the roof of this residential building, and you can see the hole is only a few inches wide. And yet, this is the kind of destruction that just one of those small bombs can cause, one of multiple impact points from a single missile.
We confirmed nine separate impacts from that one missile. They include this strike on a Tel Aviv car wash that severely wounded one man and another in a neighboring suburb.
The impacts are spread out across seven miles of mostly residential neighborhoods, illustrating why using these munitions in populated areas violates international law.
The next day, another cluster missile attack sends bomblets tumbling south of Tel Aviv. At least five impacts scattered across eight miles.
One bomb hit a street here. Nearby, two construction workers were killed, the first fatalities in Israel caused by these weapons.
Israel's military, which has itself deployed cluster munitions in other wars, says about half of Iran's missile attacks use these munitions. Vehicles overturned, shrapnel slicing through anything near the impact.
Iran's missiles are more destructive when equipped with a single large warhead, but the clusters are much tougher to intercept.
TAL INBAR, SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW, MISSILE DEFENSE ADVOCACY ALLIANCE: It's a mechanism to bypass active missile defense. In some cases, you can hit the target with an Arrow or with a THAAD missile, for example, but the bomblets will continue and will get to the target.
DIAMOND: The Israeli military does try and intercept these bomblets, expending a costly and finite quantity of interceptors in the process.
So, if there is a strategy here by Iran, that could be it, to try and deplete Israel's air defenses, right?
INBAR: We know it. In some cases, the solution by Iran is a salvo of a very large quantity of even single warhead ballistic missiles and try to fire and coordinate the launch sites.
[01:34:44]
INBAR: I think Iran doesn't have the capability at the moment of orchestrating a large barrage of ballistic missiles. So, if Iran wants to cause a lot of damage, even with a small number
of ballistic missiles, then a submunition missile, a missile with bomblets, will be the weapon of choice.
DIAMOND: The weapon of choice as Iran pursues a war of attrition, one missile at a time.
Jeremy Diamond, CNN -- Tel Aviv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Now, amid that ongoing war with Iran, Donald Trump may be losing the support of a key ally. After the break, we'll tell you about the influential podcaster who says the president has betrayed his voters. Yes, he's the most popular podcaster in the country.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MICHAELSON: Well, perhaps the most influential podcaster in America, Joe Rogan, famously endorsed President Trump on the eve of the 2024 election. But now he says his supporters, Trump supporters feel betrayed by the war with Iran.
Rogan has split from the president on several issues, including immigration enforcement and the handling of the Epstein files.
But on Tuesday, Rogan said Mr. Trump broke his promise to voters and warned that the situation could spiral out of control quickly.
[01:39:48]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE ROGAN, PODCAST HOST: This idea that you're going to take over a country's oil supply, you know, like that, you know, we'll just take it. That -- the problem is from the outside like the rest of the world, you look at this unnecessary aggression by the United States government, and then you tack on whatever propaganda they have already been spitting out about America for the last 20 or 30 years. And then this war with Iran gets really ugly. Because that's how you start a World War III.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Joining me now is actor, activist and the host of the "Being Jewish" podcast, Jonah Platt.
Jonah, welcome to THE STORY IS for the first time.
So your podcast looks at the concept of being Jewish. And obviously Jews -- Israel sort of at the heart of this fight.
What are you hearing from Jewish-Americans when it comes to the Iran war? JONAH PLATT, "BEING JEWISH" PODCAST HOST: I would say, generally
speaking, and of course, it's different. You know, we're not a monolith, but generally speaking, there is support for this war because there is great understanding of the plight of the Iranian people.
And there are many Iranian -- Persian Jews here in America especially in Los Angeles where we're filming this, big community here.
MICHAELSON: More than -- Iranians live in Los Angeles than any other city in the -- outside of Iran.
PLATT: Right.
MICHAELSON: And certainly if you go to Beverly Hills, a place that has a tremendous number of Persian Jews, this thing is very popular. And President Trump is very popular for doing it.
PLATT: Yes, exactly. So, I mean they -- those are the voices that I listen to. I say what are, you know, what are the Persians saying about what's going on in Iran? They are fully in support of it. They want their people to be freed from this horrible regime that has taken the entire country hostage.
And the rest of the Jewish community, for the most part certainly not everyone, but is right there with them.
MICHAELSON: I mean, the Jewish community though, is very split --
PLATT: Sure.
MICHAELSON: -- because Jews traditionally are Democrats, traditionally maybe don't love this concept of President Trump, but then also see the Trump administration really backing Israel, really being an ally when it came to what happened with the hostages, really being an ally when it comes to this war.
So many Persians that live here who were frustrated with various leaders over the years, feel like Trump is finally doing what they wanted.
PLATT: Yes.
MICHAELSON: But then you also have liberal Democrats who are Jewish, who kind of don't know what to do.
PLATT: That's exactly right. You put the pin right on the tail of the donkey.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
PLATT: liberal Jews who have been overwhelmingly Democratic in this country for a long time feel politically homeless. They're just not sure where they fit right now because on social issues, on policy, on all the things that have traditionally been Democrat, and we're talking like 70, 80 percent of American Jews, they feel Democrat. They are liberals. And that's in line with their values.
But all the things you mentioned makes them go, huh, you know, when it comes to the Jewish part of my identity and who I am --
MICHAELSON: Right.
PLATT: -- I'm seeing things that feel a lot more supportive for me on the -- on the right, and certainly in the foreign policy world.
MICHAELSON: We've seen sort of republicans go out of their way on the anti-Semitism issue to try to --
PLATT: Yes.
MICHAELSON: -- combat that and to try to sort of own that fighting of anti-Semitism --
PLATT: Yes. You see Rubio and Cruz coming out strongly. And you don't quite see that as strongly in the leadership, at least, of the Democratic Party.
MICHAELSON: Well, let's talk about that issue of rising anti-Semitism, because we saw plenty of it before the civil (ph) war. I mean, we've seen a rise in anti-Semitism since October 7th.
PLATT: And before it was rising, rising, rising as well.
MICHAELSON: Which helped to lead to October 7th.
PLATT: Yes.
MICHAELSON: What are we seeing now in the aftermath of the war?
PLATT: It's like it's never been in our lifetimes. I mean we're seeing so many parallels socially to what things were like in Europe in the 30s. I mean I'm not suggesting that we are facing another Nazi Germany situation --
MICHAELSON: Right.
PLATT: -- but some of the conversations and the rhetoric and the patterns, you can pluck them right out. I'm actually studying that era for a masters in anti-Semitism studies. And there are verbatim quotes pulled from the papers of the day, from intellectuals of the day that could literally be coming out of the mouths of the people who are leading the anti-Zionist hate movement today.
MICHAELSON: And there are some people still alive from that era -- Holocaust survivors, I know you've talked to, and I've certainly talked to.
And they say more than any other time in their life, this feels the most similar to that. Obviously we are not there yet and not want to suggest that anybody is Hitler --
PLATT: Right. MICHAELSON: -- because that doesn't exist currently.
PLATT: Yes.
MICHAELSON: but there are parallels that freak out people from that time.
PLATT: Yes.
MICHAELSON: Let's talk about the concept of Zionism --
PLATT: Yes.
MICHAELSON: -- which is different than the concept of Judaism.
PLATT: Very different.
MICHAELSON: Can you explain the difference between the two and how people are sort of viewing Zionism?
[01:44:48]
PLATT: Yes. So the true meaning of Zionism has gotten totally obfuscated. It means different things to different people, and especially outside the Jewish community, people are sort of saying, this is what it is, and I'm going to tell Jews what it means.
What it really means, briefly in its most concise, is it is the belief that Jews have the right to self-determination in some part of the land to which they are indigenous. That's it.
It doesn't mean you support the current government. It doesn't mean you're against Palestinians. It doesn't mean the maximalist view of Israel. It just means you think Jews should be in charge of themselves in some part of the land that they're from originally. That is it.
And so it's been taken all these different directions. It's used as a coded word often just as a derogatory term for Jews.
And Judaism is the people, it's the tribe. It's you know, thinking of this ancient social group that doesn't really exist anymore. So we don't -- we don't really recognize it, but we share a religion, we share a history, we share customs, we share a calendar. We share a language.
All these things that a tribe shares, that's Judaism.
MICHAELSON: And by the way, Bibi Netanyahu is not the pope.
PLATT: Right?
MICHAELSON: He doesn't speak -- he's not a religious leader for Jewish people.
PLATT: Not at all.
MICHAELSON: He is a political leader in a country who has all sorts of political problems in that country --
PLATT: Yes.
MICHAELSON: -- and just because he says something doesn't mean that that is what the Jewish people around the world believe as well.
PLASTT: No different than in our country with our leader, who is not the pope. Some people believe what he says, some people don't, some -- he doesn't speak for all Americans. That's how it works.
MICHAELSON: Yes. He's not the -- any child of -- coming from God or anything like that.
Jonah Platt, thank you so much for your insights. Clearly, I'm fired up on this topic too. We appreciate it.
And check out the "Being Jewish" podcast wherever you get your podcasts for more conversations like this.
PLATT: For sure.
MICHAELSON: California's Public Policy Institute reports nearly a quarter of all homeless people in America live in California, and many of them suffer from untreated mental health issues.
In a virtual news conference earlier, Governor Newsom announced new grants to address that. The governor's office says that the state has awarded $4.17 billion in grants for 177 projects and 333 facilities. That's meant nearly 7,000 residential treatment beds, nearly 2,800 outpatient beds.
The governor also previewed new centers that will soon be opening. I asked him about the challenges of addressing an issue he says has been ignored for far too long.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: I'm curious how that experience of opening up in this space has maybe changed you as a -- as a man, and maybe the experience of talking about it maybe has changed you as a leader.
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): It's been pretty extraordinary, particularly talking about single moms. From single moms that come up to me after I talk and talk about their own experiences with their mom or the moms themselves.
And it's very emotional, particularly with mothers that show me their kids, that could be 40 or 50 years old, they can be 5 or 6 years old. And literally tearing up and, and it's just, you know, it's a wonderful and cathartic thing to talk about people as people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: That's the wrong soundbite. That's him talking about his book, which he also talked about. But he did say that there are real challenges towards changing the
Democratic orthodoxy when it comes to building, and that it's important to show results when it comes to getting this sort of thing done.
Coming up, after a day of a lot of hard news, let's give you some good news. An inspiring story of a prom that is going to be much, much better, thanks to what happened today. We'll take you to a very special event, next.
[01:48:29]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MICHAELSON: A large NASA spacecraft has plummeted back into the earth's atmosphere.
The defunct Van Allen probe, made its uncontrolled plunge near the equatorial Pacific, south of Mexico, early Wednesday. While the radiation studying spacecraft was expected to disintegrate in a flaming blaze during reentry, NASA says a few components could have survived, but the risk of debris harming a person is low.
The prom party season is just around the corner, and that means it's time to Say Yes to the Prom.
For more than a decade, TLC, its retail partners, and employees have helped to make dreams come true for some lucky high school students. Today, that included a visit to our studio backlot.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you saying yes to this look and dress?
MELANIA THOMAS, PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR: I am saying yes to the dress?
MICHAELSON: Melania Thomas is saying yes to her prom dress.
THOMAS: I feel like I'm going to the Oscars. I feel like I'm going to get a Grammy right now. I'm so excited.
MICHAELSON: All this inspired by TLC's "Say Yes to the Dress".
THOMAS: I love this --
MICHAELSON: Monte Durham is fashion director of "Say Yes to the Dress, Atlanta".
MONTE DURHAM, FASHION DIRECTOR, "SAY YES TO THE DRESS, ATLANTA": This was made especially for you.
MICHAELSON: And a fixture at these events.
Durham: What I really want them to take away is they deserve this. They deserve to be celebrated. MICHAELSON: This day starts with students from across southern
California arriving at the Warner Brothers Studio lot in Burbank --
DURHAM: Hi, all.
MICHAELSON: -- Where Monte preps them for the big day.
THOMAS: I'm looking for like a "Secret Garden" themed dress.
MICHAELSON: We're with Melania as she begins the process.
THOMAS: I'm really indecisive. I'm not going to lie.
MICHAELSON: All these dresses donated by Macy's.
So this is speaking to you?
THOMAS: It is.
MICHAELSON: The fellas outfitted by Men's Wearhouse.
ROYAL MASON, HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR: I do like black a lot. Nothing too tight, more relaxed.
MICHAELSON: We're with Royal Mason (ph) as he makes his selection.
Does this help you feel more confident going through this process?
[01:54:47]
MASON: Yes, of course.
MICHAELSON: The team putting on his bow tie and pocket square. Mason checking out his new tux.
How do you feel? You feel like James Bond? How do you feel? What do you feel like?
MASON: I think I feel -- I feel like -- I feel like James Bond, but maybe a little bit more like John Wick now.
MICHAELSON: It's the 14th year of "Say Yes to the Prom" and CNN's parent company, Warner Bros is hosting events like this all over the country.
DURHAM: You get a continuation of the look.
MICHAELSON: There are events in Knoxville, Atlanta, Los Angeles and New York with a special focus on communities where families might struggle to afford these outfits on their own.
DENNIS WILLIAMS, SVP OF CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY, WBD: Quite simply, there's an opportunity for us to give back to the kids in the communities where our employees work and live.
MICHAELSON: Dennis Williams is Warner Bros. Discovery senior vice president of corporate responsibility. He says WBD employees volunteer to style and mentor each student.
WILLIAMS: It's an opportunity to expose young people to careers and opportunities that they might not otherwise be aware of.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Don't forget a little drip.
MICHAELSON: There are free accessories, shoes, haircuts, and makeup provided by CNN's makeup artist but Melania says the greatest gift is new confidence.
How do you feel after the end of this?
THOMAS: I feel amazing. I feel this dress makes me feel amazing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: And how great is her spin. Congratulations to Melania and everybody. It was so fun being out there. Great job by the team.
Thanks for watching us on THE STORY IS.
I'm Elex Michaelson. We leave you with a live picture from the Warner Brothers lot. What a fun day to be out there.
We'll see you tomorrow with more on THE STORY IS.
[01:56:24]
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