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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson

Victor Glover To Become First Black Astronaut To The Moon; TMZ Expands Political Coverage Amid Partial Govt. Shutdown; Supreme Court Considers Future Of Birthright Citizenship; Supreme Court Considers Future of Birthright Citizenship; Big Wedding Expectations Force Many Into Debt in India; Cesar Chavez Tributes Removed after Sexual Assault Claims; NASA Prepares to Launch Voyage to Orbit the Moon. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired April 01, 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]

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SENIOR LATIN AMERICAN AFFAIRS EDITOR (voice-over): The gangs have failed. For now, dozens of families are left to mourn and remain exposed as attacks continue.

Rafael Romo, CNN.

ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks to Rafael. And thanks to you for watching this hour of The Story Is. The next hour starts right now.

The Story Is in Iran.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I had one goal. They will have no nuclear weapon. And that goal has been attained.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: We're previewing President Trump's address to the nation about the next steps of the war.

The Story Is, mission to the mo. We speak to the father of Victor Glover, the astronaut pilot about to make history.

And The Story Is, shamed on vacation. TMZ's Harvey Levin with us to show their photos of Congress members leaving town despite the partial government shutdown.

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

MICHAELSON: Thanks for watching this hour of The Story Is. The top story is President Trump saying the U.S. could be done with the war with Iran in two to three weeks. The White House says the president will deliver an address to the nation on Wednesday, but Tehran says it is prepared for a much longer fight. Secretary of State of the United States Marco Rubio telling Fox News earlier tonight that the U.S. can now see the finish line.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We are going to destroy their air force. We have largely done that. We were going to destroy their Navy, which we have largely achieved that. We were going to destroy a significant percentage of their missile launchers. We are well on our way to achieving that.

And we were going to wipe out their defense industrial base, meaning the factories that make the drones and the missiles. We are well on our way. We are on or ahead of schedule on each of those four objectives. And we can see the finish line. It's not today, it's not tomorrow, but it is coming.

We are going to get to the point where our military will have achieved all of its objectives in this mission, and they're doing so with extraordinary efficiency.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: On Tuesday, the Pentagon gave its first briefing on the war in nearly two weeks. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth says the U.S. will not rule out a ground invasion of Iran, despite overwhelming public disapproval of that move.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE HEGSETH, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: As far as President Trump and boots on the ground, I don't understand why the base, which they have already, they understand why, wouldn't have faith in his ability to execute on this. We're not going to foreclose any option. You can't fight and win a war. If you tell your adversary what you are willing to do or what you are not willing to do to include boots on the ground. Maybe negotiations work or maybe there's a different approach.

The point is to be unpredictable in that. Certainly not let anybody know what you're willing to do or not do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: Meanwhile, U.S. Central Command released new video of what appears to be military operations targeting Iran. CENTCOM says it struck underground military targets and Israel is still launching new strikes in its multi front conflict. Explosions could be heard across the suburbs of Beirut overnight.

CNN's Christy Lu Stout is standing by for us live in Hong Kong to talk about the economic impact of all of this. But first let's go to Ivan Watson in Islamabad, Pakistan to talk about the diplomacy at play here.

Ivan, what do you know about potential peace talks, especially concerning Pakistan?

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. Well, while the Trump administration and the Islamic Republic of Iran are very much at each other's throats, people getting killed daily, they're also sending certain signals that we have to look at to see if there is some kind of way forward. While President Trump and his top aides have talked about perhaps two more weeks of fighting, we've heard from the Iranian foreign minister speaking on Al Jazeera, Abbas Aragchi, and some of his message is very defiant saying hey, it doesn't matter what timeline our enemies set, we're ready to continue fighting for another six months. He's also saying that there is no negotiation between these two countries right now, that that only happens when you're pushing for an agreement.

But in the same breath, he did mention that he's receiving direct messages from the U.S.'s envoy to the region, Steve Witkoff, and that there is U.S.-Iranian communication happening through intermediaries. And he and the Iranian president have said that they need security guarantees for the future and that a U.N. Security Council guarantee is not enough.

So let me pivot now to the intermediaries. Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan have all been involved in shuttling messages back and forth. And the Pakistanis have gone to Beijing, Pakistan's foreign minister, and met face to face with China's foreign minister in Beijing. And they've put forward what they describe as a five point plan for peace, calling number one for an immediate ceasefire, number two to start peace talks and that the security of both Iran and Gulf States should be safeguarded with no threat or use of force to immediately stop attacks on all infrastructure and civilian and nonmilitary targets, restore normal passage through the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible and then reiterating primacy for the United Nations.

[01:05:27]

So China getting now involved in diplomatic efforts. We have no idea whether or not this could move forward. But it's important when we hear Iran saying it needs security guarantees who could provide some of those guarantees to help Tehran feel safe after this month long war. There is a flurry of diplomacy taking place and I think a recognition from other countries in the region that if somebody doesn't move forward quickly and do something, this war could escalate, expand further and get much, much worse. Elex.

MICHAELSON: And all those countries are impacted by this war. Meanwhile, the fighting continues even though some of that talking is happening. Ivan Watson, in Islamabad, thank you. Let's bring in Kristie Lu Stout now in Hong Kong.

What's going on with everybody's money?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Elex, Asian stocks are surging, you know, tracking U.S. gains overnight. And following those comments by the U.S. President Donald Trump saying that the U.S. could end its military campaign against Iran in the next two to three weeks. So stock markets across the Asia Pacific region are rallying on the back of hope that this war could end.

Let's take a look at the Asian trading days. You can see strong gains there. The South Korean Kospi is up 7.9 percent, Japan's Nikkei gaining 4.64 percent. Also gains here in Hong Kong in the Hang Seng as well as a TAIEX in Taiwan. I want to zero in on South Korea because that market has been absolutely pounded in the last couple of weeks and it is currently on track for its sharpest gain in two weeks.

We've got major high tech exporters there like Samsung Electronics like SK Hynix that recently reported strong exports. That is helping to raise market sentiment there. I also want to zero in on Japan. The markets there have also been under pressure recently. And a report on strong big business sentiment being reported by large manufacturers there is lifting shares.

It's interesting to note how morale is apparently still high there. We're also tracking the price of Brent crude. Let's bring it up for you. This is of course the global oil benchmark and it -- let's see what it's looking like for you. The price of oil, you could see it's dipping down.

But the price of gas, my friends, that remains high. In fact, the average U.S. gas price hit four dollars a gallon. That's the highest price since 2022. And analysts are urging caution. They're saying, look, even if the conflict ends, even if the price of Brent crude goes down, it's going to take a while for gas prices at the pump to stabilize.

I want to share this thought from an independent oil analyst. His name is Tom Kloza. Let's bring it up for you. He says this quote, "There's an old expression, gas prices go up like a rocket. They come down like a feather," unquote.

Now Kloza also adds that gas at $5 a gallon, an average price in the U.S. is still very much a possibility. And Elex, under there in Los Angeles already, gas prices at the pump are even higher than that potential average price. I was looking at the L.A. Times. It's now saying it's what, $6 a gallon there. Elex.

MICHAELSON: Well, the average for California as a whole is 588 and Los Angeles is higher than California as a whole. So yes, we've gotten used to those sort of prices here. But it's interesting, Kristie, the amount that all of these countries want this thing to end, just the comments that this is going to be over in two weeks to see the Asian markets performing so well. There's so much eagerness for this thing to end, at least when it comes to folks that control our money. Kristie Lu Stout, thank you so much for your reporting live --

STOUT: Absolutely.

MICHAELSON: -- in Hong Kong.

Now we want to go to Cuba. A Russian flag oil tanker there has finally docked at Cuba's main fuel port. The tanker is said to be carrying more than 700,000 barrels of Russian crude, but experts say that will only offer limited relief for the fuel starved island. The Trump administration agreed to let the tanker break the oil blockade it imposed three months ago to help with humanitarian needs. CNN's Patrick Oppmann picks up the story from Havana. PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Just arrived a few hours ago. They're beginning the process of taking in this oil, oil that Cuba needs so badly to this island to power the energy grid here, which has been crashing, as you know. So let's take a look at this ship, the Anatoly Kolodkin that has arrived here with this Russian crude, enough Russian crew to eventually power Cuba's electrical system. Failing electrical system for perhaps a week or two only. So this is not a long term solution by any means, but it's incredibly significant for Cubans that they have received the first shipment in over three months of oil that will essentially throw them a lifeline for a while.

[01:10:15]

This is significant that it's not Mexican crude or Venezuelan crude, it is Russian crude. They're old Cold War era allies. This is a gift from Vladimir Putin to the people of Cuba. He has defied the Trump administration. Of course, officials in Washington say they allowed this boat in, that it's perhaps a one-time donation.

But it's very significant for Cubans that the oil that is going to keep them afloat to keep their economy going is Russian oil. Of course, the Trump administration has coal on this island to open up politically and quickly. This donation will probably give them some reason to think that they can hold out.

MICHAELSON: CNN's Patrick Oppman reporting from Cuba there.

Let's go now to Florida. The countdown is on for the first human mission to the moon in more than 50 years. In just under 24 hours, NASA's Artemis 2 is scheduled to lift off on a 10-day journey around the moon and back to Earth. It is a test flight that's expected to serve as the foundation for eventual deep space travel and future lunar landings.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFF SPAULDING, SENIOR NASA TEST DIRECTOR, ARTEMIS II: I think everybody understands what our mission is and that's to get back to the moon and we're going to establish a presence there in the very near future. So I think there's a lot of excitement and fervor within all of the groups that are out there. But especially here at Kennedy, the folks that I see are very, very excited to get on with this mission and then get on -- and get started with the next one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: Astronaut Victor Glover is set to pilot the mission, making history as the first black American to travel around the moon. Joining me now is his dad, who's also got the great name Victor Glover.

Victor Glover Sr., you are in Florida. You're there to watch the launch. How are you feeling right now?

VICTOR GLOVER SR., FATHER OF ARTEMIS II ASTRONAUT VICTOR GLOVER: Very, very, very excited. Obviously some anxiety and some nervousness that goes along with something of this nature, of this stature, but very excited. He's been working hard along with the rest of the crew for the last three years getting ready for this and now it's really here. That's been the part we've been trying to absorb, all of us and the family and friends is that the time is finally here for this to happen and we are all excited to have a chance to witness it tomorrow and hopefully everything goes off without a glitch and sounds like we're going to have great weather tomorrow, so we're looking forward to it.

MICHAELSON: Yes. So we're looking at some pictures that you sent us of Victor as a kid and also as an adult. Talk to us about the young Victor and when you thought maybe he's going to be an astronaut one day.

GLOVER: You know, he was always very, very inquisitive, even at a young age. Always asking a lot of questions and always wondering, you know, simple things like how does this work, what makes it work, how do you take it apart, how do you put it back together? And so it was not a surprise when he ultimately, after finishing high school, decided to major in engineering because that was right up the field as he was a child. Again, always very inquisitive, always inquiring about how things go together, how they work. And it really was when he was, when he got to college, when the seed ended up being planted about actually becoming an astronaut.

MICHAELSON: What does the moon mean to you and mean to him?

GLOVER: Wow, that's a great question. Quite some time back, I actually was leaving the gym where I work out at and I walked out, it was still dark outside and there was this huge, beautiful full moon out that morning. And I had a chance to look up at that and all I could think at that moment was that I view the moon very differently now, knowing that my son is at some point going to be out in the vicinity of that planet. And I actually called him that same day and told him on the telephone that, you know, I look at the moon very differently now, knowing that my son and the rest of that crew is going to have the opportunity to be out and in the vicinity of that planet.

MICHAELSON: Yes. And I hope he's the one who's chosen to pilot the mission that goes to the moon and lands on the moon. I'm sure you feel that way too. We'll see. This is going to be so cool to go around the --

[01:15:01]

GLOVER: That would be exciting because --

MICHAELSON: Yes. But the history making nature of this whole thing, obviously he's the first Black man who's ever going to make a mission like this. But just as this time for Americans, even beyond that, what do you think's the most important lesson that all of us can learn from your son's life story and his example?

GLOVER: I think diligence, having goals and setting goals and then truly going after those goals, knowing that if you're willing to work hard and put in the effort, you can actually accomplish anything. He has the opportunity in his position to speak with a lot of young people all around the country. And the one thing that you find is that young children have these dreams. And many of them start their dreams by saying, I want to grow up and be an astronaut. And what's so beautiful about that is the fact that they can look at him and say, he did that.

And that gives me the same opportunity to go after that dream and become an astronaut. And that, I think is the message that he conveys strongly when he has the chance to have a significant influence on young people's lives is chase your dreams, go after them, set the goals, and don't let anybody stand in your way because you can achieve anything that you put your mind to.

MICHAELSON: Well, he didn't do that on his own. And when I had the honor of talking with him, he gave you a lot of credit for that. So congratulations to you and your whole family. Clearly, job well done as a parent and enjoy tomorrow. Well, I'll be cheering him and cheering you on.

GLOVER: Well, thank you. I really, really appreciate it. And while I'm here, let me say Godspeed to my son and the entire Artemis II crew.

MICHAELSON: Well said. Thank you.

Don't miss CNN's special live coverage of the "Artemis II Launch." It starts Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. Eastern, 2:00 p.m. Pacific, right here on CNN.

Still to come, TMZ sets out to hold U.S. lawmakers accountable for taking a two week recess as a partial government shutdown continues, including Lindsey Graham there at Disney World. Speaking with executive producer Harvey Levin about their new focus and why it's getting so much attention after the break. And speaking of vacation, a nice place to spend your time is Santa Monica, where love is apparently in the air at this late hour, 10:17 p.m. More of The Story Is right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:22:07]

MICHAELSON: House Speaker Mike Johnson says negotiations to reopen the Department of Homeland Security are ongoing. That is despite lawmakers being on a two week recess. We're looking at the live picture of the capitol there after 1:00 in the morning. Johnson says he can call representatives back for a vote at a moment's notice, but that's only if they reach a deal with the Senate. Republicans in both chambers clashed last week with opposing funding proposals for the DHS.

Johnson says negotiators are working around the clock to try and reach a deal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARVEY LEVIN, HOST & EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, TMZ: If you are watching this and you see a senator out and about somewhere, especially somewhere on vacation, send them to us. Send it to the TMZ tip line. (END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: TMZ is turning its cameras on a new kind of celebrity members of Congress. You see right there Lindsey Graham at Disney World. As lawmakers left D.C. during the Homeland Security shutdown the tab, the organization started tracking their spring break from Disney World to Vegas. You see Ted Cruz there. The Senator from Texas.

TMZ founder Harvey Levin joins me now from TMZ headquarters.

Harvey, great to see you.

LEVIN: Hey, Elex.

MICHAELSON: So why this concept?

LEVIN: Because we're citizens, and we have been kind of beating the drum for months here that the way Congress is acting is unacceptable. That there are people -- I mean, we interviewed a TSA worker last week, and it broke our hearts. She doesn't know how to live, and it's affecting her medically. And meanwhile, you know, Congress just leaves. And it's not that the Democrats are at fault or the Republicans are at fault, they're all at fault.

Their job is to compromise and keep the government open and do their jobs and they failed. And then what do they do? They leave for two weeks. When we interviewed this TSA worker, we just kind of spontaneously at the end of the interview said, send us pictures. We want to show, we want to juxtapose, you know, pictures of, you know, people like Lindsey Graham with a bubble wand at Disney World against this TSA worker who's in a food line.

MICHAELSON: That Lindsey Graham post seems to be striking a chord more than any other one. Why do you think that is?

LEVIN: This is going to be a terrible pun, but I really mean the word because it's so goofy. That here he is, that's a Chef Mickey's. And he made it seem to us like he was in Florida anyway. Well, he was in South Florida, and he flew to Orlando. Made it seem like he just showed up and then left.

He was there all weekend. And he was at -- he was on Space Mountain, and he was at Chef Mickey's there eating brunch. And then he went -- you know, then he's standing around Fantasyland with a bubble wand. And I think, you know -- look, even Lindsey Graham realized how ridiculous it looked, because today he posts a picture of him shooting a shotgun, you know, at these clay pigeons.

[01:25:13]

And I'm not sure what he's trying to convey, but I think he's trying to say I'm a shotgun guy, not a bubble wand guy is what he's saying.

MICHAELSON: What do you make of the fact that so many people are sending you pictures, this idea that no matter where they go, they could be photographed without even necessarily knowing it? LEVIN: Well, they're in public. I mean, we're getting pictures of them in public. And I think the reason -- I think the reason people are responding is this is absolutely nonpartisan. When we write posts on this or talk about it on our shows or on social, we don't mention their party affiliation because it doesn't matter to us. This is a problem with Congress.

Not one party or the other, but both.

MICHAELSON: It's amazing. Here in California years ago, we used to have a situation where we couldn't get a balanced budget every year. And then they changed the rules where lawmakers didn't get paid unless they had a balanced budget.

LEVIN: Yes.

MICHAELSON: And we've had a balanced budget every single year since. And so you wonder if maybe it's time to change the rules of Congress where they don't get paid unless everybody else in the federal government gets paid. And all of a sudden you would be amazed how everybody would get a deal done. Don't you think?

LEVIN: You are preaching to the choir. We have been talking about that, too. Could not agree with you more. If anybody doesn't get paid, they don't get paid. And --

MICHAELSON: Yes.

LEVIN: -- that's why we've started this movement, OWTA, which is out with their asses. And that means vote all of them out. And I know -- listen, Elex, I know that sounds radical and maybe crazy, but in my mind, you know, I like my congressman, the person who represents my district, but I'm going to vote against him because I think --

MICHAELSON: Wow.

LEVIN: -- you need to clean the House.

MICHAELSON: Right.

LEVIN: I think you need to say, we will not tolerate what is going on in Washington, D.C. and we'll get a new group and if the new group doesn't do what we want, we'll kick them out like the group before. And I don't see, you know, if everybody says, well, I'm going to elect my guy because I like him and nothing's going to change. So, yes, take away their salary if they can't keep the government open. But I think even more fundamentally, clean house and do something radical and restore the power to the people.

MICHAELSON: Harvey Levin, thank you for sharing your views. This thing getting a whole lot of attention. Always great to talk with you, Harvey.

LEVIN: And same to you, Elex.

MICHAELSON: In the coming hours, the U.S. Supreme Court will consider the future of birthright citizenship. President Trump signed an executive order last year attempting to end the constitutional right that's been understood for more than a century, guaranteed citizenship for anyone born within the U.S. Trump says he will be at the Supreme Court to hear oral arguments in the case. That's never happened before in the history of the United States. There's never been a president that has showed up for oral arguments.

Joining me now live on set is Ben Sheehan. He is the host of "Civics Made Easy" on PBS and the author of "What Does the Constitution Actually Say?" He was nominated for two Webby Awards today.

Congratulations to you on that. Welcome to the show. Your whole brand, your whole idea is explaining the Constitution to those of us that may not be as smart as you. So break this down as simple as possible.

BEN SHEEHAN, HOST, PBS'S "CIVICS MADE EASY": Sure.

MICHAELSON: What is birthright citizenship?

SHEEHAN: So it comes from the 14th amendment. It's literally the first thing in the amendment and it's a two part test. You got to be born in the United States and also subject to the jurisdiction thereof. And tomorrow the debate at the Supreme Court is going to be over the meaning of that second part. Does it mean anyone who is subject to U.S. Laws or does it exclude people who are already subject to another country's laws?

MICHAELSON: And so traditionally, how has that been interpreted?

SHEEHAN: It's been interpreted. So going back to 1898, there was a Supreme Court case that ruled that the child of permanent residents who were Chinese who were not citizens is a U.S. citizen. And so for over 100 years, it's been understood to be anybody born here with very narrow exceptions.

MICHAELSON: So what is the historical reason for the 14th amendment?

SHEEHAN: So it comes in the period right after the Civil War and Reconstruction. And so it was an attempt to make former slaves U.S. citizens, but it went beyond that because there were debates during the -- you know, before the ratification talking about who it should apply to in Congress. And we even have an amendment from a couple of years after that specifically did mention people who had been former slaves, but they chose the phrase all persons.

MICHAELSON: All persons. And so what do we expect from this hearing tomorrow?

SHEEHAN: Well, as you mentioned, the president is going to be there, the first sitting president to attend a Supreme Court hearing. My gut is that I think it's going to be either a six-three or a seven-two. I think it will continue the current precedent set by Wong Kim Ark in 1898 to say that anyone who was born here is a U.S. citizen with narrow exceptions. But I do think a couple justices will oppose that.

[01:29:41] MICHAELSON: A 6-3. So meaning that even some of the justices

potentially that Donald Trump appointed would once again, like they did in the tariffs case, vote against him.

SHEEHAN: Correct.

MICHAELSON: Most likely probably Chief Justice Roberts, right. And maybe Amy Coney Barrett or maybe Neil Gorsuch.

SHEEHAN: Yes, that's my guess. If I were to guess, I would say Alito and Thomas will probably oppose, and the other seven will agree to keep the precedent.

MICHAELSON: So why does this concept matter so much?

SHEEHAN: Well, there's debates about, you know, there was an executive order, that's what's being challenged that was put out by the president in his first day in office. And it would change this interpretation of birthright citizenship. It would allow people who are born as the children of citizens to continue being citizens obviously, and people who are the kids of legal permanent residents.

But the children of people who are undocumented or people who are here on work or student visas would be excluded.

MICHAELSON: Right. Because for years, especially, conservatives have complained about this concept of quote, unquote, "anchor babies" --

SHEEHAN: Right.

MICHAELSON: -- which is that somebody comes to the country illegally, they're not a citizen here. They have a baby here. And then all of a sudden their baby is automatically a citizen. And then it's almost impossible to get them out of the country as well.

So if this was struck down, if they changed the definition the whole way that immigration is enforced in this country would be totally different.

SHEEHAN: Right. Well, we actually have data on this. So the Center for Immigration Studies estimates that as many as 70,000 people fit this category. And the government, the CDC estimates around 9,500.

So let's take the average, right, a little less than 40,000. That would represent, if that's true, about 1 percent of all births in the United States every year.

MICHAELSON: Right. And so this this would change it and potentially I wonder if somebody could lose citizenship that has it right now.

SHEEHAN: It is possible. That's definitely the concern.

MICHAELSON: Yes. So this is a very historic day. And we will be watching what happens there.

And so he does that in the morning, he's going to go to the Supreme Court. And then at night, he's giving a prime-time address about the war.

SHEEHAN: What a day.

MICHAELSON: So it is going to be a crazy day for the Trump administration and a day we'll all be keeping track of here on CNN.

Ben, thank you so much. Congratulations on your success and this concept of explaining complicated things. We need more of that. And its why you're such a viral success.

SHEEHAN: I appreciate it. Thanks for having me.

MICHAELSON: All right. Just ahead, wedded bliss with a big price tag. We'll take you inside the extravagant wedding industry in India, where for some families, money is no object. And for others, it's a crippling financial burden.

Will Ripley takes us there next.

[01:32:38]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MICHAELSON: As we know, a wedding can be expensive in any country. But in India, many families spend much of their life savings on one event, which can last for days. And for the bride's family in particular, the happiest day of her life can lead to years of debt for her family.

CNN's Will Ripley shows us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Indian weddings go for days, and several couples have invited me along.

Kaveri and Naveena have been planning this with their families for two years.

This is an industry that's worth over $100 billion here in India. It's an entire economy.

What's the average cost for a wedding in India today?

VIKRAMJEET SHARMA, LUXURY PLANNER: We're looking at about USD 500,000.

RIPLEY: $500,000.

You heard right. This luxury planner says clients easily spend half a million dollars.

SHARMA: 3 million USD is what we have done recently.

RIPLEY: Which is just mind-blowing to me. There are some reports that say here in India, families will often spend twice as much for the wedding as they will for their child's education.

Indians, on average, earn less than $200 a month. So what happens when families cannot afford all this?

We got up around 6:00 a.m. and had to hit the road early, because we have to drive to this wedding venue outside Delhi. It's not just one couple getting married, it's 11 all at once.

Many of these are arranged marriages, like 19-year-old Anamika.

Mass weddings like this are common in India. Anamika imagined a wedding in her village, but the price would have left her parents deep in debt.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whenever a parent marries their son or daughter, especially daughter, the debt is taken by the poor parents for dowry. Then they keep trying to pay it back by installments. Many times I have seen people commit suicide.

RIPLEY: Dowry is when the bride's family gives money and gifts to the groom's family. It's technically banned by Indian law, but the custom is so widespread.

There's a World Bank study that says many families spend several years of their household income on dowry.

India's Crime Records Bureau says there are thousands of murders and suicides every year tied to dowry.

Right now, were headed to go see a detective. His job is basically to investigate potential brides and grooms, usually hired by the families.

What's the most common thing people lie about?

AJIT SINGH, PRIVATE DETECTIVE: They try to show them that, you know, we have such and such properties. We have such and such business. They lie on their salary.

[01:39:47]

SINGH: If you see these matrimonial sites, 50 percent of the people are fake there.

RIPLEY: He says one bride ended up in tears.

Why?

SINGH: Because the guy, he told the job it was fake. Everything was fake. And she started crying because just after two weeks she was going to marry with that guy.

RIPLEY: When it comes to this whole issue of money, you know, things can get really ugly.

We're on our way to meet a young woman who says she was kicked out of her in-laws' house for not giving enough dowry money.

PRIYANKA DABLA, INDIAN BRIDE: My father got me married well. He got me married in a banquet hall. He gave them everything -- gold, silver, jewelry and so on, a fixed deposit of 250,000 rupees. A motorbike.

All of that was given.

RIPLEY: Altogether. Court filings say Priyanka's family paid nearly $35,000 but she says it was not enough. She says her husband and his family wanted more money and more expensive gifts, including a house. And she says they severely punished her for not delivering.

DABLA: I got cheated. My father got cheated.

RIPLEY: And this was an arranged marriage?

DABLA: My husband hit me with a broom in the middle of the night while I was pregnant.

RIPLEY: Do you think they would have killed you?

DABLA: Shahed (ph) maybe.

RIPLEY: We did manage to reach Priyanka's husband. He insists he never physically abused her, saying, quote, "They have run these cases to harass me. I 100 percent deny it."

He does acknowledge Priyanka's family covered most of their wedding expenses and gave him a motorcycle, but says his family never demanded dowry.

Will Ripley, CNN -- India

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAELSON: Our thanks to Will.

You're watching THE STORY IS.

For our international viewers "WORLDSPORT" is next. For our viewers in North America, I'll be right back with Jake Tapper's special report from Los Angeles on Cesar Chavez Day.

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MICHAELSON: Tributes to the now-disgraced labor leader Cesar Chavez in the form of murals, statues, names of schools, streets and institutions were common in countless cities and communities across the United States. And here in California that included a state holiday, which would have been marked today. But now that legacy has collapsed in the wake of damning allegations of sexual abuse spanning decades.

CNN's Jake Tapper has our report from here in Los Angeles.

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JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR, "THE LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER": I'm here on Cesar Chavez Avenue in Los Angeles, a street that was renamed in the early 1990s. And a year ago, on this day, March 31st, what was then called Cesar Chavez Day, this entire area right near the birthplace of Los Angeles, Olvera Street, was a huge celebration in honor of Cesar Chavez.

But as you can see, Cesar Chavez Avenue, no longer a huge party location, festival celebration on what is no longer Cesar Chavez Day.

The holiday canceled in the wake of the extremely disturbing allegations of rape and the sexual abuse of minors against Chavez in "The New York Times". And it's not just in Los Angeles. Communities across the state and the country are now taking down the many landmarks, streets, parks, schools, statues in honor of Chavez.

In San Francisco, this mural of Chavez was painted over immediately after "The New York Times" report. Fresno State University erected a plywood box around a monument to Chavez.

Here, the city of San Fernando covered a statue with a tarp at Cesar Chavez Memorial Park.

These monuments and others were made to honor Chavez for his efforts in helping to secure better wages and working conditions for farm workers in the United States.

No place, however, has recognized Chavez more deeply than California, where Cesar Chavez Day was a state holiday. That was until "The New York Times" report in March prompted Governor Gavin Newsom last Thursday to sign a bill renaming the holiday Farm Workers' Day.

At Los Angeles city hall, that's the big white building behind me, Mayor Karen Bass immediately signed a proclamation changing the name of the holiday.

The L.A. County School Board last week voted to remove Chavez's name from its institutions.

The speed at which these efforts are taking place is remarkable, given Chavez's esteemed standing among the political left, which has only grown since his death in 1993.

President Barack Obama designated Chavez's former home and headquarters as a national monument. And President Joe Biden put up a bronze bust of Chavez in the Oval Office.

Back here on Cesar Chavez Avenue, local residents are already calling for the city to revert the name of this thoroughfare back to what it was once called before the early 1990s, Brooklyn Avenue.

It's quite a fall for a man who, just a few weeks ago, was considered the most prominent farm labor leader and civil rights leader who was Latino in American history.

Jake Tapper, CNN -- Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE) It is hard to remember a time when politicians move so quickly on anything, as they did in basically erasing Cesar Chavez.

We are counting down to NASA's historic Artemis 2 lunar launch. Looking at pictures there.

Coming up, a look at the weather conditions expected ahead of Wednesday's liftoff, and of course, weather is so important.

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MICHAELSON: Welcome back to THE STORY IS the only cable news show live in prime time in the West.

A live look at Seattle, Washington right now where you can see the Space Needle all lit up.

A little further down the West Coast, a live look at the Santa Monica pier where the colors are out as people are enjoying that late at night.

And now to the middle of the country, the Gateway Arch in Saint Louis, looking pretty spectacular as well.

Well, it appears that we will never know the story behind this video posted by Kid Rock on social media. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth now says there will be no investigation after army pilots were seen flying Apache helicopters over the singer's Nashville area home. Hegseth reposted that video, thanking Kid Rock, of course, a longtime Trump supporter. He's saying the pilot suspension was lifted. He added, quote, "no punishment, no investigation".

Earlier Tuesday, the U.S. Army said the crew involved in the flyby had been suspended and a probe had been launched. CNN reached out to the Army for comment, you got to wonder, if that was a supporter of the Democrats, if this would go the same way.

Well, NASA is making its final preparations for Wednesdays historic Artemis 2 liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Launch teams will continue monitoring weather conditions up until the two- hour launch window opens at 6:24 p.m. Eastern time.

CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam has the forecast.

[01:54:45]

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DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: You better believe that the weather plays a critical role in the Artemis 2 launch as we enter this first launch period on Wednesday evening.

There's a whole team of space flight meteorologists that are looking at temperature and winds at various heights in the atmosphere. Also, the potential of thunderstorm activity, lightning, cumulus

clouds, cloud coverage and even solar flares from space.

Right now, they give it about an 80 percent chance of favorable conditions with a 20 percent probability of maybe violating one of these criteria. Maybe the cloud cover rule or the ground winds.

Remember, its warm in Florida. It doesn't take much for the sea breeze to initiate thunderstorms right along the coastline. So that's what they're going to be looking out for as we enter into these launch windows.

And we need to meet all of this criteria, including winds, lightning, cloud cover and the solar activity before they give the all thumbs up and the ok to launch Artemis 2 into space.

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MICHAELSON: And don't miss CNN's special live coverage of the Artemis 2 launch, assuming it happens, we get good weather. It starts -- our coverage starts Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. Eastern, 2:00 p.m. Pacific. It will be spectacular.

Tomorrow is going to be quite the news day.

I'm Elex Michaelson. I'll see you tomorrow. And speaking of tomorrow, Happy Passover to everyone celebrating that at sundown tomorrow night.

We'll see you tomorrow for more of THE STORY IS.

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