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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson

U.S. Officials: Working To Set Up Iran Meeting In Pakistan; 20,000 Seafarers Left Stranded In The Middle East; Exposing A Web Of Men Drugging And Assaulting Their Wives; Protests In Philippines Against Rising Fuel Prices; LaGuardia Airport Reopens Runway where Jet Hit a Fire Truck; Savannah Guthrie Gives First Interview with Mom Went Missing; Netflix Increases Prices for All Plans in United States. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired March 27, 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]

BILL MAHER, HOST, REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER: There are things I absolutely hate, like DOGE, and trying to put people in jail and everything with ICE. I mean, that could go on with the list. There's also a shorter list of things that aren't terrible, that I don't hate, that I'm glad he did. I'm glad he bombed Iran.

Indeed, Maher often muses about how the private Trump is wildly different than the public figure, saying despite their many differences, there may still be a way to find common ground. No joking.

MAHER: A crazy person doesn't live in the White House. A person who plays a crazy person on T.V. a lot lives there, which I know is -- up. It's just not as -- up as I thought it was.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Maher's weekly show re-airs on CNN every Saturday night, just to be transparent. But what remains murky is exactly where Maher and Trump stand in relationship to each other at any given moment.

Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.

ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you, Tom. And we'll see if Bill addresses this on Real Time tomorrow or Saturday night here on CNN. By the way, among Bill's guests this week, our friend, Laura Coates.

The next hour of The Story Is starts right now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Los Angeles, The Story Is with Elex Michelson.

MICHAELSON: And thanks so much for watching The Story Is. I'm Elex Michelson, live in Los Angeles. And tonight the top story once again is the war with Iran. We begin with new CNN reporting. The Pentagon is putting together options for President Trump if he decides that peace talks with Iran are going nowhere and he chooses a major escalation in the war.

All of the options carry significant risk for U.S. forces. President says he is pausing strikes on Iranian energy sites for another 10 days as talks with Tehran are ongoing. But he refused to answer questions about any plans for U.S. forces to secure Iran's uranium. Here's more of what he said about talks with Tehran.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They are begging to work out a deal. I don't know if we'll be able to do that. I don't know if we're willing to do that.

They want to make a deal. The reason they want to make a deal is they have been just beat to shit.

I mean, I read a story today that I'm desperate to make a deal. I'm not -- I don't -- if I was desperate, he'd be the first to know. He'd be, let's get the hell out of there. I'm the opposite of desperate. I don't care.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: The President also said that taking over Iran's oil supply is an option. Well, he didn't want to talk about that. And he revealed what he was talking about earlier this week, the present that Iran sent to the U.S.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: You know, I told you about a present, right? Steve, can I reveal the present?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can do anything you want.

TRUMP: That's right. They said to show you the fact that we're real and solid and we're there, we're going to let you have eight boats of oil, eight boats, eight big boats of oil, eight big tankers are going loaded up with oil right through.

And I said, well, I guess, I guess they were right and they were real. And I think they were Pakistani flagged. And I said, well, I guess we're dealing with the right people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: Now the top U.S. diplomat will be discussing the war with allies in the coming hours at a G7 meeting in France. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Paris a few hours ago. Talks come as U.S. officials, including Vice President J.D. Vance, say that they're working to arrange a meeting with Iran in Pakistan as soon as this weekend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: There are intermediary countries that are passing messages and progress has been made, some concrete progress has been made, as you've seen, and has been documented already. There's a growing amount of energy that's been flowing through the Strait, not as much as should be flowing, but some of it has picked up. So again, there's been some progress in regard to the exchange of messages, but that's an ongoing and fluid process.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: Let's bring CNN's senior international correspondent, Ivan Watson, live in Islamabad. Ivan, what is at stake for Pakistan specifically, where you're standing, if this war escalates even further?

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There's a lot. I mean, yes, Pakistan's playing this role as a mediator, as are some other countries like Turkey and Egypt, Pakistan offering to host talks here.

And there were two senior Trump administration officials who suggested that those talks could happen here as early as this weekend. But the signs that I'm seeing here in the Pakistani capital do not suggest that we're going to have any delegations of foreign VIPs, perhaps J.D. Vance, the U.S. Vice President, who'd been floated as a possibility. It does not look like the extra security precautions have been put in place to prepare for that kind of an important visit at this stage.

[01:04:56]

But yes, Pakistan does have a lot at stake here. Number one, it is one of Iran's eastern neighbors, right, and it enjoys friendly relations with Tehran. So it has developed as this kind of trusted deliverer of information and messages between Washington and Tehran to enemies that are effectively at each other's throats right now and threatening to further escalate an already highly destructive and deadly conflict in the region.

Pakistan depends on energy supplies coming from the Gulf. And like many other countries in the region, it has already implemented austerity measures to conserve electricity and energy on the ground here. For example, you might not know this, Elex, but schools have basically been closed from in-person learning for now almost two weeks. All the schools are doing it online right now.

Government travel has been curtailed. Government offices are only having a four-day in-person work week with the fifth day of remote working. So that's already measures that have been in place for weeks here on the ground, almost two weeks on the ground here in Pakistan, as a result of the growing concerns over dwindling energy supplies.

And then there's another element that I think is very important, right? Pakistan shares a mutual defense agreement with Saudi Arabia. Why does that matter? Well, Iran has repeatedly fired ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia, as well as at other Arab countries in the Gulf. So far, Saudi Arabia has not retaliated.

It's conducted self-defense measures, intercepting those missiles and drones. If that changes, if the war is to expand further and Saudi Arabia does jump into the conflict, Pakistan will be obliged to fight on Saudi Arabia's side against its Western neighbor. That means a huge country armed with nuclear weapons would be involved in this conflict.

We're not there yet, of course, but those are kind of the stakes we're talking about. This is a conflict that has already claimed thousands of lives in Iran, in Lebanon, Israel, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, the list of countries impacted and loss of life goes on. The cost to the global economy is in the billions and continuing to go up.

But if the conflict expands further than the kind of hazy red lines that it's already defined by, by the warring parties right now, the world and the region could stand to lose much, much more. Elex?

MICHAELSON: Yes, I mean, that kind of reminds me a little bit of like World War I, where one country gets involved with forces, another country to get involved, and all of a sudden the whole world is fighting. We'll see. Let's hope that's not what this ends up as. Ivan Watson live for us in Pakistan. Of course, if that meeting happens in Pakistan, Ivan will be there to cover it live.

Meanwhile, that war with Iran has left thousands of seafarers stranded at sea in the Middle East and the confusion and chaos. At least seven seafarers have been killed since the start of the conflict, as our own Kristie Lu Stout explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Twenty thousand seafarers are stranded in the Middle East, caught in the crossfire of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. And the captain of this oil tanker was one of them.

CAPT. SAMANTH BAKTAVATSALAM, SHIP MASTER: It was quite intense. We could actually see projectiles and Naval and Air Force services in action.

LU STOUT: Wow. How did your crew respond to that?

BAKTAVATSALAM: Initially, crew were in a state of shock because there was something tangible then when we could see something actually flying over.

LU STOUT (voice-over): After three weeks, Captain Samanth Baktavatsalam is now on safe passage out of the region. Iran's selective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has impacted thousands of vessels. All exposed to mines and explosive drones, their vulnerability laid bare when this Thai cargo ship was hit. Rescued crew members returned to Thailand. Three remain missing.

Since the start of the conflict, there have been at least seven seafarer deaths and more than a dozen vessels attacked near Iran. Angad Banga is the CEO of Hong Kong-based the Caravel Group, under his charge, the world's second largest ship management company, looking after dozens of stranded vessels in the Gulf with over 600 seafarers on board. ANGAD BANGA, CEO, THE CARAVEL GROUP: There's definitely shortages of food, medical supplies, water, things need to be rationed. Everyone in the industry is trying to see how best to reprovision vessels when launch boats aren't available and getting access to the ports is not possible. Luckily for us at the moment, we're OK, but it's something that we monitor every single day.

[01:10:09]

LU STOUT (voice-over): Seafarers have been caught in crisis before, stranded at sea during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the Russian invasion of Ukraine and under Houthi attack in the Red Sea. But the war in the Middle East is unprecedented.

JAKOB LARSEN, BIMCO HEAD OF MARITIME SAFETY AND SECURITY: It's an extremely difficult scenario to navigate for everyone. I think the situation and the level of complexity makes it very difficult to identify one single way ahead in this year scenario.

LU STOUT (voice-over): The U.N.'s shipping agency is calling for a safe corridor to protect and evacuate seafarers from the Gulf. Iran now says what it calls non-hostile ships may transit the Strait of Hormuz on its terms. More vessels are crossing, but the future is uncertain.

LU STOUT: Can vessels even cross safely when the entire region is a war zone?

BAKTAVATSALAM: One particular party may say it will allow safe passage, but conditions of safe passage depend on various factors and parties involved are too many.

LU STOUT (voice-over): The shipping industry transports 90 percent of all manufactured goods, making seafarers vital to global trade.

LU STOUT: And you're the son of a seafarer.

BANGA: I am.

LU STOUT: So does it take a moment like this for us to realize and to appreciate the essential nature of these workers?

BANGA: I wish it didn't. I wish that we all understood the essential nature of seafarers, given the importance that they have to global trade.

LU STOUT (voice-over): Thousands of these essential workers now stranded at sea and praying to avoid the next direct hit.

Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAELSON: A live picture right now from Washington. We're now 42 days into the partial U.S. government shutdown and transportation security workers are poised to miss their second full week paycheck. This weekend, pressure mounting on lawmakers to end the impasse, but senators have once again failed to advance a funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security.

President Trump now trying to take executive action to provide some relief. He ordered his newly installed DHS secretary to pay the TSA agents immediately. But he didn't say where the money would come from or how that would work. And it's unclear how quickly checks could actually go out.

Sources tell CNN the government would likely tap into funding from the Trump administration's so-called One Big Beautiful Bill. But if that was possible all along, why not do it sooner? That's what many people are asking now.

Hundreds of unpaid officers have quit during the shutdown. Thousands more skipping work every day. That's resulted in incredibly long lines, missed flights and so much angst at American airports.

Some of the biggest lines have been seen in Atlanta. Here's a live look right now at the world's busiest airport, Atlanta's Hartsfield- Jackson. Several days this week, TSA security lines went out the doors.

Our Ryan Young has been in the middle of it the whole time. Here's a report he filed a little earlier.

RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you see the situation in Hartsfield-Jackson International. This is what a lot of travelers have been dealing with. You show up to the airport, you're not sure how long the lines are going to be. There's no indicator for how long you're going to be standing in these lines.

This is the pre-check line. And a lot of people who've been over here have had to wait over an hour to get through the lines. But on the main checkpoint and the north choice point, it is just as bad, if not worse.

Of course, this airport has been dealing with a lot of call-outs. More than 40 percent of the TSA workers have called out here, and that's been frustrating for passengers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

YOUNG: So how long did you guys decide to get here before the flight?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I got here around like eight hours before my flight.

YOUNG: Why eight hours?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I didn't really have much to do the rest of that day. Like my class was optional today, so I decided to skip that and come early just in case. I saw the line wrapping around, like, really long like two weeks ago, so better be safe.

YOUNG: So better to be safe than sorry, because you didn't want to miss the flight.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, exactly.

YOUNG: What about you? Same thing?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

YOUNG: How many hours before?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Like six hours. I'm in class right now. So, yes.

YOUNG: And so you just wanted to make sure that you didn't miss your flight.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, exactly.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Honestly, this is ridiculous. It's ridiculous. Every taxpaying American does not deserve this, and people need to do their jobs. That's everybody in Congress. And there's one guy in particular that needs to be fired.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YOUNG: Yes, one of the things we noticed at the airport today is the TSA workers were still on the front lines, but we saw ICE agents joining them as well. They were checking I.D.s, helping get people through the line. So this is the first time we've seen those ICE agents move to the front of the line to help out the TSA.

Ryan Young, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[01:14:47]

MICHAELSON: Ahead, a special CNN investigation. We uncover a disturbing hidden network of men who drug and rape their wives and post tips about how to do it online. We'll hear from survivors, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MICHAELSON: A months-long hidden investigation has uncovered a horrific hidden network of men sharing tips on how to drug and rape women.

CNN's Saskya Vandoorne spoke to women who survived this type of abuse and tracked down a man who boasted about raping his wife. A warning, this report contains accounts from survivors of sexual assault and abuse. Those who appear on camera gave their consent and we respected the wishes of those who asked to remain anonymous.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Emergency.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Board line connecting. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Go ahead, caller. What's your emergency?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've just heard from my daughter. She's on her own in a house with four children and has just learned she's been drugged with her son's sleeping medicine.

[01:20:07]

ZOE WATTS, SURVIVOR: We worry about he's coming behind us walking down the street. We worry about getting to our car late at night but we don't worry about who we lie next to. I didn't realize I had to.

SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN PARIS BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): Zoe Watts may never know if the videos her husband made of her being raped were ever uploaded online. She met her husband when she was 17. He's now serving 11 years for rape, sexual assault by penetration and drugging.

WATTS: I knew that he wanted to have a conversation because we'd had a church service that Sunday. He reeled off a list of his wrongdoings to me as if it was, you know, a shopping list. I've done this, this, this, and this. I've been using our son's sleeping medication to put in your last cup of tea at night to tie you down, take photographs and rape you. And I think I just went into shock.

VANDOORNE: Zoe kept the abuse secret for a few months as she grappled with what had happened to her, speaking out only after a severe panic attack. Her mother then called the police.

WATTS: There were some times that I thought, you know, this isn't right, but what would it mean? What would our family look like? Their children would be without a dad and there would be a reputation, and my boys would grow up having a reputation and they'd know what their dad was doing.

VANDOORNE: I've noticed you haven't used the word rape a lot, tell me why.

WATTS: Because it just doesn't -- I don't know, it's like one of those things really I struggle with that to say that that's what's happened. It's like people can say it to me but I just don't think, phew.

VANDOORNE: You know, you're not alone.

WATTS: Yes, yes sadly.

VANDOORNE (voice-over): Huge numbers of explicit sleep videos are being uploaded online by users who claim it's non-consensual. One website profiting from this is motherless.com. Last year we began investigating a porn site that gets over 60 million visits a month focusing on the thousands of videos featuring women who appear unconscious during sex acts. Most of its users are based in the U.S.

It's home to so-called sleep content with hundreds of thousands of views. One popular hashtag is eye check a way of proving a woman is asleep. We created a fake name and soon got into a private telegram group dedicated to sharing sleep content with almost a thousand members.

One day a man in the group we're calling Piotr not his real name, DM'd me. Piotr admitted to me that he had been crushing pills into his wife's drink to rape her in her sleep. Without encouraging him, I tried to find out how he was managing to do this. Who was he? Where was he?

Even when women come forward, proving it can be nearly impossible. Some drugs leave the body within 12 hours. Survivors often only realize much later what happened. And even with the courage to speak out, there are still countless roadblocks when it comes to reporting to police or bringing a legal case.

Amanda Stanhope didn't know her partner had been abusing her for five years.

AMANDA STANHOPE, SURVIVOR: The police had to look through all these videos.

VANDOORNE: And what did they make of them?

STANHOPE: The one where I was absolutely horrified and he'd performed a sexual act on my face whilst I was unconscious. And it was completely clear. And the police looked at this one, and I thought, there's the evidence. And the police said to me, well, we can't use that. That isn't clear evidence because it looks like you're pretending to be asleep.

VANDOORNE (voice-over): Her former partner was charged with multiple counts of rape and sexual assault. He took his own life before the case could go to court. While talking to survivors, the man I was DM'ing continued to message and send me videos.

VANDOORNE: It's made me even more determined to try and meet him to get him in person. So I'm going to send him a message now, and I'm going to see if he would meet with us.

VANDOORNE (voice-over): By now, we'd worked out he was in Poland, and we knew roughly where he lived that he refused to meet. And then a tip, he let slip that he was planning to attend a party.

[01:25:03]

VANDOORNE: That's him. I recognize him. So inside the restaurant, and I've just seen him dancing with her. And at the start of this investigation, all of these men were faceless. And so seeing him tonight has just really brought home the fact that this is happening in real life.

VANDOORNE (voice-over): The man who had been messaging me day and night was only a few feet away, oblivious. I'd come to see if he was real, and there he was with his wife, the same people I saw in the videos. We couldn't approach Piotr's wife without potentially putting her in danger. So we reached out to police about our findings. The Telegram group we infiltrated eventually disappeared, but it's a pattern authorities know well. One goes offline, another soon resurfaces. We reached out to both Motherless and Telegram but did not receive a response.

As campaigns by German journalists to shut down Motherless and strengthen moderation on similar platforms continue. Videos of women who appeared to be abused while unconscious are still being uploaded. And U.S. Safe Harbor laws largely protect the site from liability.

In the end, it all comes back to Gisele Pelicot whose survivor, whose trial shocked France and drew global attention. With astonishing dignity she has taken hold of her own harrowing experience.

VANDOORNE: In reporting this case we have spoken to multiple survivors who say they were drugged and raped by their husbands and many of them see you as a source of strength. With your permission I'd like to read you some of the messages that these survivors have sent to me to read to you.

One survivor, her name is Amanda Stanhope, she lives in Wigan. Her strength inspired me to speak out. She broke the silence and shame so many survivors are forever grateful to her. I'd love to say thank you. If she can do it, then so can I.

GISELE PELICOT, SURVIVOR (translated): You're making me cry. It's beautiful. These are testimonies that move me, of course, but it is nice to say to yourself that they have found this strength. I was able to transmit that to them, it was a win, because we must indeed be united with everything that happens. Because if you stay in your corner, you will never shift perceptions. And I say bravo ladies, bravo. Don't be ashamed of doing it. All women must be able to do this process, even if it is very difficult, even if it is very complicated in their head. But they're going to get there. It takes time. It can take months, days, maybe even years. But they will eventually get there.

VANDOORNE (voice-over): Saskya Vandoorne, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAELSON: Wow, what powerful reporting. For help in the United States, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656- 4673 or chat 24/7 at RAINN.org. Outside of the U.S., U.N. Women and the PIXL Project provide a directory of agencies. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:32:19]

ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to THE STORY IS. I'm Elex Michaelson.

Let's take a look at today's top stories.

President Trump says that he will take executive action to pay TSA workers and speed up operations at American airports. He did not reveal how he plans to get the funding, but sources say it will come from the sweeping spending bill signed into law last year.

Transportation Security Administration staff are on the verge of missing their second full paycheck this weekend.

A 25-year-old woman in Spain has died by assisted suicide following a long legal battle over the right to end her own life.

Noelia Castillo's request for euthanasia was approved in 2024. The procedure became legal in Spain in 2021.

Her father challenged her decision in the courts, arguing she was incapable of making the decision. Judges ultimately found that she was capable and met the requirements.

A U.S. federal court judge is refusing to dismiss the criminal case against Nicolas Maduro, despite the ousted leader's inability to pay his legal fees.

The Trump administration is barring Venezuela's government from paying the bills for Maduro and his wife, who were charged with narcoterrorism. Their lawyers say the refusal effectively violates the couple's right to counsel.

Well, countries across Asia are taking drastic measures as they grapple with the global energy crisis caused by the war with Iran. The Philippines foreign minister tells CNN the country only has about 40 to 45 days' worth of petroleum left.

Meanwhile, South Koreas president on Thursday announced a new emergency response system and urged citizens to do their part to conserve energy.

Kristie Lu Stout covering all this for us is live in Hong Kong, Kristie.

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Elex, The Iran energy shock is getting very real in the Philippines. This day, transport workers across the country are protesting over rising fuel prices. You have jeepney drivers, ride hailing service drivers -- they are all struggling with the rising cost of oil and fuel.

And in the capital of Manila, today at 1:00 p.m. Local time, they started their march and they're planning to march to the presidential palace. And this is part of a two-day general strike across the country.

This follows an announcement that we heard earlier this week from the Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., announcing a national energy emergency.

And it also follows comments that we heard from the foreign secretary of the Philippines, who said that the country only has 40 to 45 days of petroleum products left.

I want you to listen to this.

[01:34:48]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MARIA THERESA LAZARO, PHILIPPINE FOREIGN SECRETARY: How bad is it? Well, we are looking from the aspect of supply and the prices. It seems that our supply for our petroleum needs is about 40 to 45 days. And this has really had an impact, particularly.

We may have the supply, but the prices really have gone high. It's already taking a toll on the ordinary Filipino. The transportation costs, the price of food because it also affects, the fertilizers that are being used for our food security. So these are all now -- it has its cascading effect.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: The Philippines is vulnerable. According to the government there, 98 percent of its oil imports come from the Middle East.

The Philippines is vulnerable. The entire region here in Asia as well. In fact, the region relies more on oil from the Middle East than any other part of the world.

Now we are tracking markets here in Asia. We've been seeing some pressure, especially in key oil consuming and importing countries like Japan, like South Korea.

You're seeing the South Korea, the Kospi is now up 0.04 percent, clawing back some of the losses that it made earlier. Nikkei though is losing about two-tenths of 1 percent.

And we continue to keep an eye on Brent crude. And we can take a look at that just to see where the price of oil is this day.

Another factor that is also weighing on investors is the specter of inflation. There was that report that was released overnight by the OECD. It raised the outlook for inflation for major economies worldwide. It also downgraded the global growth forecast for the year.

Back to you, Elex.

MICHAELSON: Kristie Lu Stout keeping track of all of it for us in Hong Kong. Thank you, Kristie.

STOUT: Thank you.

MICHAELSON: Now to New York. LaGuardia Airport has reopened the runway where an Air Canada express passenger plane plowed into a fire truck last weekend. That's after the aviation authorities released video showing investigators gathering evidence at that site.

They have since allowed the plane to be moved into a hangar. The runway closure forced the airport to cancel about a third of its flights.

That jet was landing at 100 miles per hour on Sunday when it collided with the truck, which had been mistakenly cleared to cross the runway. Two pilots were killed, dozens injured. The investigation could take a year or longer. Savannah Guthrie sat down for the first time for her first interview

since her mother Nancy's suspected abduction. She spoke to her "Today Show" colleague Hoda Kotb in an emotional interview.

She says her mother may have been targeted because of her fame.

CNN's Brian Stelter has more, Brian.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, "TODAY SHOW" HOST: We are in agony. It is unbearable.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: In her first interview since her mother went missing nearly eight weeks ago, Savannah Guthrie describes the pain she has felt, replaying the apparent kidnaping in her mind.

GUTHRIE: I wake up every night in the middle of the night, every night. And in the darkness, I imagine her terror.

STELTER: Guthrie telling her friend and colleague Hoda Kotb about the guilt she has endured believing her 84-year-old mother, Nancy, was probably targeted because of her fame.

GUTHRIE: She said I think she's been kidnapped for ransom and I said --

HODA KOTB, "TODAY SHOW" HOST: Yes.

GUTHRIE: -- what? I didn't want to believe, I just said, do you think because of me? And he said, I'm sorry, sweetie, but yes, maybe.

We don't know. But yes, that's probably -- which is too much to bear to think that I brought this to her bedside, that it's because of me. And I just say, I'm so sorry, mommy. I'm so sorry.

STELTER: Guthrie sharing new details about the condition of her mom's house on February 1st, specifically the back door.

GUTHRIE: The doors were open.

(CROSSTALKING)

KOTB: Yes.

GUTHRIE: And there was blood on the front doorstep, and the Ring camera had been yanked off.

KOTB: Yes.

GUTHRIE: And so we were saying, this is --

KOTB: Do something.

GUTHRIE: This is not ok. STELTER: The next day, Nancy's disappearance became national news. And Guthrie says the family began receiving numerous ransom demands.

GUTHRIE: I believe the two notes that we received, that we responded to. I tend to believe those are real.

STELTER: When investigators discovered footage of a suspect at the front door.

[01:39:46]

GUTHRIE: It's just totally terrifying. And I can't imagine that that is who she saw standing over her bed. Yes, I can't.

STELTER: And Guthrie says she is leaning on her faith.

GUTHRIE: One of the very few times in my life, I did hear God speak to me. As I said to myself, I can handle anything, God. I can handle anything. I just can't handle not knowing.

And I heard a voice and it said you do know where she is. She's with me. She's with me.

STELTER: Really difficult to hear some of those comments from Savannah. But this is an important step for her. She has talked about wanting to return to work at the "Today Show". She's going to talk in more detail about those plans in Friday's part two of the interview.

I know the cast, the crew, they would love to have her back, but they want her to do it on her own terms only when she's ready. So I think we're going to hear more about that on Friday morning.

Elex, back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAELSON: Brian Stelter, thank you.

The full interview is on NBC's YouTube page. It is remarkable and the most important message of all of it is that if you know anything about Nancy Guthrie's disappearance, come forward. 1-800-CALL-FBI is the number.

For our international viewers, "WORLDSPORT" is next. For our viewers in North America, I'll be right back and have a little bit of fun.

Our movie critic, Grae Drake, is joining me live here in studio.

We leave you with a live picture from LAX where traffic is always backed up at this time of night, 10:40. Good luck if you got to head to the airport.

Good news is LAX has not had as bad of delays as in many parts of the country.

[01:41:43] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MICHAELSON: A new horror flick hits the big screen this weekend, centered around a New York high rise with a sinister history.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: With such wealth comes the expectation of the highest quality of service.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's a lot of luxe.

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MICHAELSON: "They Will Kill You", starring Zazie Beetz and Patricia Arquette, is a bloody thrill ride where a desperate woman becomes a housekeeper in what can only be described as a gig from hell.

Cbr.com film critic Grae Drake joins us now to talk about what you should watch, what you should skip this weekend.

Grae, great to see you.

GRAE DRAKE, CBR.COM FILM CRITIC: Hello.

MICHAELSON: It's been too long. You know I don't love horror movies. So am I going to like this?

DRAKE: No.

There is so much blood. There are so many classic horror elements. It's very grindhouse.

MICHAELSON: Yes.

DRAKE: So, as you said, Zazie Beetz is in this movie and she's from Atlanta and she's from "Deadpool 2", so she knows how to do stunts as an actress.

And this character in this economy has gotten a job. Good for her.

The only problem is that the hotel that she has gotten hired as a maid at is its sort of a monument to the devil, which sounds a little bit like a couple of the Craigslist gigs I've gotten in my -- in my day. All right.

But basically everybody who thinks that she's going to be the sacrificial lamb had no idea how capable a fighter she is. And that's all this movie is -- is her just beating the crap out of Heather Graham from "The Hangover", Tom Felton from "Harry Potter", Patricia Arquette, like you mentioned.

MICHAELSON: Yes.

DRAKE: And so she is giving it to them.

MICHAELSON: Patricia Arquette does the creepy thing pretty well, right?

DRAKE: She really does.

MICHAELSON: I mean, she was so good at that in "Severance". So is this a see or skip?

DRAKE: This is a see as long as you love a grindhouse movie with a lot of violence.

MICHAELSON: Ok, so I'm out.

"Pretty Lethal". This is on prime video. Uma Thurman.

DRAKE: Right, and ballerinas. So we have all of these ballerinas who are on their way to a competition. Car breaks down, they end up in a place that they think is just a bar.

It is not just a bar. It is full of horrible characters and they end up having to fight their way out. Do you see a theme here with the women in movies this week?

MICHAELSON: Yes.

DRAKE: And all it is, is them, just like Rond de Jambe and then slashing necks. And I'm sure I mispronounced that. But what does it matter? Because it's all just kicks and slashes.

I'm glad this one is streaming and that there's like a low barrier to entry because there is a "John Wick" movie that was part of that universe that came out recently. That was complete nonsense compared to this film.

MICHAELSON: Ok.

DRAKE: This is exactly what ballerinas murdering people should look like, and you can quote me on that, Hollywood.

MICHAELSON: Put that on a billboard. This is exactly what ballerinas murdering people should look like -- Grae Drake. See that on the sunset strip?

All right. "Forbidden Fruits".

DRAKE: Ok. So, there is something going on in the mall. And we have a whole bunch of young women who are employed at, like this fancy store.

And Lola Tung from "The Summer I Turned Pretty" applies. Everyone's very excited about her joining the crew. It turns out that, like Lili Reinhart from "Riverdale" and Alexandra Shipp from the "Barbie Movie", they're in a witches' coven. They just want another member.

And there is a little bit of -- not like there's some -- there's some shenanigans going on in this witches' coven. And so this is a whole bunch of stuff I don't want to spoil.

This one goes very far off the rails, although it starts off and you're like, women supporting women is great. And then.

MICHAELSON: So yes, so this is skip.

DRAKE; I -- this one was a little uneven for me, but produced by Diablo Cody. So if you love movies like Jennifer's body, give it a shot. The actresses are great and the ending is like a what? So it fits the mold for this week.

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MICHAELSON: So when we're talking Oscars next year, this is not the weekend we're going to be reflecting back on.

DRAKE: That is correct. But if we were talking about times when Grae's had the most fun watching women dance en pointe.

MICHAELSON: Or you -- or you describe.

DRAKE: Just murder, murder.

MICHAELSON: The Razzies, though. Grae Drake, always a pleasure. Thanks so much.

Netflix is raising its prices. We'll break down the numbers after this.

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MICHAELSON: Netflix has increased its prices for all its subscription plans in the U.S. The move comes as the streaming giant is adding new programming formats such as podcasts and live sports. The streamer's ad-supported tier will now cost $8.99, an increase of $1. Its standard plan raises $2 to $19.99.

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MICHAELSON: The move follows a similar price hike early last year. The company has more than 325 million subscribers. Reportedly made just over $12 billion in revenue for the October-December period -- in two months -- three months, a bit more than analysts expected.

Just a few hours ago, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law renaming Cesar Chavez Day as Farmworkers' Day. The change comes days ahead of the March 31st holiday and follows recent accusations that the Latino labor icon sexually abused women and girls during his days as a farmworkers' rights advocate.

States across the U.S. have been scrambling in the wake of the controversy to alter memorials honoring Chavez, who helped secure better wages and working conditions for farm workers in the 1960s, and 70s.

A welcome sign of spring is bursting out in Washington, D.C., as the famous cherry blossoms have now reached peak bloom. The capital's cherry trees were originally a gift from Japan to the U.S. back in 1912. The flowering trees symbolize the lasting friendship between the two

nations. The colorful trees draw thousands of visitors to D.C. each year.

And here is a live look at the cherry blossoms in central Tokyo. Look how beautiful that is.

What a great image for us to end on this episode of THE STORY IS.

I'm Elex Michaelson. We'll be back tomorrow with big news plus a very special report on flag football. We talk to some of the biggest stars in the NFL. We'll see you then.

The news continues right here on CNN after this.

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