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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson

Trump Claims Iran Agreement Is Unconditional Surrender; U.S. Vice President Vance Postpones Trip To Switzerland For Iran Talks; Ukraine Strikes Moscow Refinery in Large-Scale Drone Attack; ICE To Sell Warehouses Purchased To House Migrants; Knicks Celebrate First NBA Title In 53 Years With Parade; Japan Sees Increase In Upskirting Cases Among Minors; Andy Burnham Wins U.K. By-Election for Makerfield MP; Colombia's War on Drugs a Key Issue in Presidential Election; Hundreds Gather for Obama Center Opening. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired June 19, 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]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go out is still a very expensive pastime.

ANNA COOBAN, CNN BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS REPORTER: Cheers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

COOBAN: So the big question is, is city socializing increasingly members only?

ANDY JORDAN, SLOANE CLUB MEMBER: This is my favorite room in the whole building, actually, because it's kind of like a secret.

COOBAN (through translator): Andy joined the Sloane Club last summer.

JORDAN: A friend of mine who's a member here said you should come and look around. It will work perfectly for you and your work and your lifestyle. And I was like, oh, great. Came here. I was hooked instantly.

COOBAN: How much do you pay for it? Let's get to the crux of the issue.

JORDAN: Right. So let me put this into perspective first. Less than I was paying for my gym, and my gym wouldn't allow me to open a laptop.

COOBAN: And do you go to just like normal pubs and bars and --

JORDAN: Sadly, yes, I do. I love them.

COOBAN (voice-over): Anna Cooban, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All right, everyone, thanks for watching, but don't go anywhere. The next hour of The Story Is starts right now.

Welcome to The Story Is, folks. I'm Omar Jimenez in for Elex Michaelson.

The story is unconditional surrender, why President Trump believes the Iran memorandum did meet his goal.

The story is a potential challenger, how a newly elected U.K. politician is already emerging as a possible rival to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

And the story is elections in Colombia, how two presidential candidates plan to take on the country's war on drugs.

But we're going to start this hour in Washington where President Trump is making a bold new claim about his agreement with Iran. He spoke with Axios in his first interview since signing the memorandum of understanding on Wednesday. And despite the lingering questions, the president suggested the agreement is an unconditional surrender by Tehran.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARC CAPUTO, AXIOS WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: What have you learned about not just the exercise of power, but the limits on your power as a result of the conflict?

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: There are no limits.

CAPUTO: No limits.

TRUMP: No, not. I haven't learned that lesson yet. I know there are, but you know, there are no limits. We defeated them totally militarily.

I did a naval blockade where not one ship was able to get through. Some tried. They didn't, you know, it didn't last very long.

CAPUTO: And it certainly brought Iran to the table more than before. However, beginning of conflict you had talked about, you only wanted unconditional surrender.

TRUMP: Well --

CAPUTO: And the MOU doesn't look like unconditional surrender.

TRUMP: Well, it really probably is unconditional surrender.

CAPUTO: It is?

TRUMP: I think so.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: Iran's parliament speaker, meanwhile, is warning the United States against any breach of the agreement or excessive demands. He says they were once slapped during the war. If they wish to tread that path again, they will receive an even harder slap.

Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance is postponing his trip to Switzerland for the U.S.-Iran signing ceremony. The White House cites unresolved logistics. As the Swiss Foreign Ministry tells Reuters, Friday's planned talks have been canceled.

But I want to bring in CNN's Kristie Lu Stout following the latest developments on the Strait of Hormuz from Hong Kong because obviously that is one of the main, main points of tension here, especially as it pertains to the global economy.

How long would it take to reopen the Strait of Hormuz? What are ship captains telling you?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They're telling me, Omar, it's going to take a while. In fact, one ship captain said this is not a get up and go situation. In fact, masters of tankers, they're saying that it will take weeks, months, perhaps even longer for maritime traffic to return to pre-war levels. And they're citing a number of different factors.

You have the issue of clearing the Strait of Hormuz of mines. You have the logistical challenge of trying to get through the backlog of hundreds of ships, including, including over 200 tankers believed to be still stranded in the Gulf. And then you have the additional uncertainties on top of that, whether or not this memorandum framework for peace is going to hold, whether or not new levies, new tolls could be levied on tankers and ships trying to transit through.

Now I spoke to Captain Samanth Baktavatsalam. He is a shipmaster. I first spoke to him in end of March when he and his crew were stuck in the Gulf on board a tanker. He and his crew have since been able to get out. And I spoke to the captain while he was on leave visiting family India. And I want you to listen to what he says about any reopening of Hormuz. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPT. SAMANTH BAKTAVATSALAM, Master, FLEET MANAGEMENT LIMITED: It is not just get up and go and the traffic light turns green. It's been mentioned or it's not definitely known the dangers posed in these trades by the mines which they claim to have laid. Or it is always the -- everyone watching who will be the first to transit.

[01:05:02]

There have been some dark transits in the news, but once everything settles down and it's official that ships can safely transit, then it will become a logistics issue, mainly.

(END VIDEO CIP)

LU STOUT: But clearing the Strait of Hormuz mines is a long and complicated process. It's not clear how many mines are in the waterway, and experts say that in order to remove the threat, that's a process that could take weeks or months. The captain also mentioned the logistical challenge managing the backflow of so many tankers and ships just waiting to get out.

Earlier this week, we heard from Kepler. It said it was an estimated, what, 220 tankers, 500 ships still stranded in the Gulf. And I spoke to a captain who is still stranded in the Gulf along with his crew of 22. They're on board of a tanker in an undisclosed location.

They did not want to disclose it for their safety. And this is what he told me over the phone. He said, quote, getting back to normal will take time. It will definitely get back to normal. I sincerely hope people will be behind us, we can move forward, and the blockade of Hormuz will be behind us like the days of COVID.

And it's a bit heartbreaking, Omar, when you hear him say this again. He and his crew, they have been stuck on board this tanker. Provisions have been provided for them, but for months now, and they are representing just what, 20,000 seafarers who've been caught up in all of this. Hope still persists. They really hope that they can transit and get their way out. Omar.

JIMENEZ: It just shows some of the difference between just discussing opening the Strait of Hormuz and the reality of what it would take to actually get it fully operational again. Kristie Lu Stout, really appreciate the reporting. Thank you.

All right. Meanwhile, social media video captured a massive explosion at a refinery in Moscow during a Ukrainian drone attack. A key oil refinery less than 10 miles from the Kremlin was damaged, with the roof of one structure blown clean off.

Thursday's incursion was the largest drone offensive on the Russian capital since the war with Ukraine began. And while attending, there was that explosion we're talking about. That roof just completely flies up. But while attending a NATO defense minister's summit in Brussels, Ukraine's president called the attacks a fully justified response to Russian strikes.

That meeting also saw Germany and the U.K. promise new assistance in defense for Ukraine, as the U.S. Defense Secretary is once again scolding NATO allies for not doing enough to help during the war with Iran.

Pete Hegseth attended that meeting in Brussels on Thursday and he doubled down on the Trump administration's combative posture to towards the alliance. Here's more of what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE HEGSETH, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: For too long, NATO has been a paper tiger and a one way street. No more. And so we're doubling down on our effort to make NATO what it always was supposed to be, a balanced alliance with Europe in the lead for its own defense, NATO 3.0.

And to make that a reality, I'm announcing today a six-month Department of War review that will examine America's forced posture and basing in Europe. It's a review that some countries will fail and others will pass with flying colors.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: Something to monitor there. Meanwhile, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement appears to be scaling back part of its plan to acquire empty warehouses to house detained migrants. The New York Times reports the agency plans to sell seven of those facilities. The article reads in part, a year into Mr. Trump's term, it had bought 11 facilities at a cost of $1 billion.

But in a major turnabout, the agency is planning to offload seven warehouses purchased for more than $700 million by either giving them to other federal agencies or selling them outright, according to documents obtained by the New York Times.

But ICE is still moving forward with plans for at least four other facilities. In a statement to the Times, the Department of Homeland Security said it is moving swiftly to utilize existing detention space.

I want to bring in CNN senior political analyst and Bloomberg opinion columnist Ron Brownstein, who joins us from Los Angeles. Ron, always good to see you.

You know, the New York Times saw this as a rejection of a signature initiative under Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem previously and a broader shift in strategy toward Secretary Markwayne Mullin's strategy of trying to be a little quieter about its business. How are you thinking about this?

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, I think that is right. I mean, you know, the Minneapolis was an absolute turning point in this administration. In some ways it was the battle of the Bulge, the World War II analogy for their immigration enforcement agenda.

I think before Minneapolis, they envisioned very aggressive street level mass deportation efforts kind of rolling through Democratic cities one by one. And after really ordinary people pushing back with cell phones and whist and then the violence that erupted from federal agents killing two protesters, it simply was not tenable to go forward in that way any further.

[01:10:05]

And you've seen an attempt by the administration to kind of lower the temperature on this. We have that terrific reporting from Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman that's been in The New York Times this week that Stephen Miller and others in the White House, the vice President wanted to invoke the Insurrection Act to move, you know, to kind of advance this in a more -- in even more overtly militarized manner.

But the public backlash against that, you know, has forced them to, I think, move in a different direction. And the way they are moving, Omar, is by emphasizing these 287, what are called 287g agreements with local law enforcement. As I've reported, virtually every county and locality that is doing this is a place that voted for Trump. And we are developing very much of a two tiered immigration system in

the U.S. where even getting stopped for a traffic stop on your way to buy groceries could be a fast track to deportation in red counties and a very different experience, blue ones.

JIMENEZ: Yes, those 287g agreements was something that President Trump is now criticizing New York's governor, for example, for eliminating as part of her latest budget. So something to watch in this fight for sure.

I want to ask a California specific question on a different topic because the so called billionaire tax has now made the November ballot despite some opposition from leaders in the tech world. This would essentially be a one-time 5 percent tax with the revenue allocated to health care, education and other priorities on, on people whose assets hit a billion dollars.

BROWNSTEIN: Right.

JIMENEZ: But interestingly, Governor Newsom opposes it. More in favor though of being a nationwide measure as opposed to singling out California, as the Hill reports. What do you make of that divide and what effect do you think it will have if passed?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, first, you know, the governor's argument, he's not alone. I mean, there are a number of traditional allies of the Service Employees International Union local that brought this that have basically made the same argument, which is that this is not something that you can realistically do as a single state. Because if a single state does it, basically you are challenged -- you're undermining your own tax base. It's just very easy for people.

You know, California depends a lot on tax resources from very rich people who are getting astoundingly rich in Silicon Valley. And if you -- if you hit them with a wealth tax as well, you run the risk of them simply moving to other states. That's why if you're going to do this at all, you should do it only on a national basis. I think many people would agree.

And, you know, in the end, I think this would probably struggle to pass, although it starts with majority support. The question of whether to do a wealth tax even at the national level, though, I think is something that really divides Democrats between those who think that it would be an enormous political lift and ultimately struck down by the Supreme Court and that there might be more straightforward ways if you want to raise taxes on the very rich. But that is part of the debate the Democrats are having this year.

As you know, as something I've been looking at this week. Bernie and -- Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren style economic populists are doing very well in Democratic primaries, particularly in safe House Democratic districts. And ideas like the wealth tax, you know, against the backdrop of Elon Musk being the first trillionaire and the kind of the widest income -- wider disparities in the distribution of wealth, and even in the Gilded Age in the late 19th century, those kind of ideas are gaining momentum in the Democratic Party. And there will be, I think, a more serious debate about them if Democrats gain one or both chambers after '26.

JIMENEZ: Yes, I mean, a lot of people hurting economically, motivating a lot of voters and political feelings as well. I mentioned New York, I mentioned California.

Let's go to Chicago now. We might as well just get to as many time zones as we can here --

BROWNSTEIN: Yes. Sure.

JIMENEZ: -- and talk about President Obama's opening of his presidential center. Because, look, it's interesting because President Obama's role in this moment in particular, it feels like typically former presidents sort of fade away from current cycle politics outside of rare circumstances and outside of appearing for what might be a presidential library or presidential center opening.

But what do you make of Obama's standing in the current political landscape and how he's wielding his influence?

BROWNSTEIN: Yes, so many things about this today. Look, Obama, I think like many Democrats and many independent experts, I mean, people who -- political scientists who study the state of democracy worldwide believe that we are facing a unique threat to the basic structure of American democracy, probably unmatched since the civil in many of the things that President Trump is doing to expand executive power, to infringe on the capacity of states to run their own elections and in a whole variety of other ways.

And I think he is taking a more active and visible role than even he probably intended, you know, when he left office.

[01:15:05]

I mean, it is a unique moment and many institutions in American life, I think, have failed to meet this moment, failed to meet the gravity of what we are dealing with business, community, the media, others. And I think Obama feels that weight very personally.

I was also struck by the distance between kind of the vision of America that was celebrated today and the vision of America that the president highlight, the current president highlighted in his UFC fight on Sunday. I mean, you are just looking at just fundamentally antithetical visions of what America is, what we value, what we celebrate.

And it just underscores just how powerful the centrifugal forces are in our society and, you know, really how fraught a moment this is in so many ways, not only in terms of the threats to American democracy, but the threats to American cohesion and unity, which I also think are at their highest level since the Civil War.

JIMENEZ: And, you know, you look at just the invite list to what we saw there.

BROWNSTEIN: Yes. JIMENEZ: I mean, we saw presidents, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton as well, and of course President Biden. President Trump wasn't invited. You know, that is the split.

BROWNSTEIN: Yes.

JIMENEZ: And we've seen it sort of play out if a few different stages as well. Ron Brownstein, you got to leave the conversation there, but thank you so much for being here as always.

BROWNSTEIN: Thanks for having me.

JIMENEZ: Meanwhile, the New York Knicks celebrating their NBA championship on Thursday with a ticker-tape parade through the city. An estimated 2 million fans turned out to celebrate the team with some camping out overnight to get a spot.

It's the Knicks first title since 1973. Ending that 53-year championship drought. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani honored the players at City Hall. He presented them with honorary keys to the city.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI (D), NEW YORK CITY: What is New York if not your back up against the wall? A dream that feels just out of reach. A rent payment you don't know how you'll ever make. What is New York if not 99.6 percent of the world stacked against you? And who are New Yorkers if not people who hear those odds and smile, who look at a 0.4 percent chance of success and ask, why are you giving me a head start?

This is our city. This is our team. For 53 years we watched. For 53 years we waited. Now we've won.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: Feels like a pep talk for next season, but look, we got a lot of sports going on, including the World Cup. Team USA returns to the pitch on Friday. There are questions about whether star forward Christian Pulisic will play after he injured his calf in the game one win over Paraguay.

Now, The Stars and Stripes, though, will take on the Socceroos of Australia in Seattle. As Scotland is going to face off with heavyweight Morocco and Foxborough, Massachusetts. And then Brazil and Haiti are both looking for their first wins as they meet in Philadelphia. Then Turkey will take on Paraguay in Santa Clara, California.

Lots of great matches coming up here on this Friday, but Mexico has now become the first team to book a ticket to the knockout round. A single goal from Luis Romo at the 50-minute mark was all they needed in a primetime showdown with South Korea. And a little chaos ahead of that goal there.

They will face the Czech Republic in group play on Wednesday. This match, though, highly anticipated for fans in Guadalajara. We've been hearing all week about the fast developing bond between supporters of the teams. You can see the dancing there. How can you not love it?

In other action, the Czech Republic in South Africa played to a 1-1 draw. Canada demolished Qatar 6 nil. And Switzerland beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 4 to 1.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With four.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The best game at the World Cup so far I've seen in my life. So no better than that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: I mean, the game's always fun when people are actually scoring goals. The match between the Czech Republic and South Africa held a special significance as three American women were chosen as referees. It's only the second time an all women's crew has officiated a men's World cup match.

All right. Still to come on The Story Is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In Japan, upskirting is one of the most common sex crimes police make arrests for.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: A CNN investigation into the rise of upskirting among minors in Japan. That's after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:23:59]

JIMENEZ: Police in Japan are confronting a disturbing rise in what's known as upskirting happening in schools. Upskirting is taking a photo underneath someone's clothing without their consent.

And even more troubling, there's an alarming rise in minors taking the photos. CNN's Hanako Montgomery reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On Japanese social media, videos like these are posted daily. Ordinary citizens chasing strangers caught perversely filming others without consent. A crime also known as upskirting

. In Japan, upskirting is one of the most common sex crimes police make arrests for.

MONTGOMERY: Most cases happen in public spaces, like on escalators or on train platforms. But now the crime is increasingly happening inside schools.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): My daughter was photographed in her swimsuit. He moved her swimsuit covering her lower body to expose her genitals.

[01:25:00]

MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Suzuki's daughter was six when she was upskirted. The perpetrator was her swim teacher, who took child sexual abuse photos and videos over 10 years. The judgment we obtained also details how her teacher distributed materials to other pedophiles, an act that earned such criminals a grim nickname online. Kami, or God.

He was sentenced to four years in prison, a punishment Suzuki feels is too lenient.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): There's always the possibility that one day in my daughter's life that video could resurface. I feel ashamed that we put her in that situation, and I feel angry towards the man who committed that crime. I can never forgive him.

MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Experts like Sumire Nagamori tell us that under Japan's current legal framework, voyeurism involving children is often not prosecuted as child sexual abuse, avoiding far heavier criminal sentences.

SUMIRE NAGAMORI, DIGITAL SAFETY ACTIVIST: I feel that Japan is an environment that allows children to become objects of sexual desire.

MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Sumire reports child abuse materials found online to the police. They're sold in private chats on social media platforms like Discord or Telegram, easily accessible spaces if you just have the link.

MONTGOMERY: We're going through a telegram chat right now, and there's absolutely no question that these victims are minors. In one video, you see a toddler, a boy toddler with his genitals out. And this video is less than a minute long, and it's being sold for about $3.

MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Perpetrators, Sumire says, are usually adults, but a growing number are children themselves, even filming their own siblings to make money.

NAGAMORI (through translator): Before they can tell between right and wrong, they have devices in their hands that allow them to commit abusive acts.

MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Police data shows reported cases of voyeurism committed by minors increased nearly six fold in 2024 compared to the year before. Authorities say that the rise is the result of a tougher crackdown and new national laws. But with smartphones everywhere, it's also a crime that's easier than ever to commit and repeat.

But I wanted to understand why more young people are carrying out these acts. So we spent months investigating until we found someone willing to talk. UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): After getting away with it once and feeling. Feeling that rush afterwards, I wanted to feel it again.

MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Kimura was 15 when he first watched upskirting pornography, adult actors who turned the crime into a sexual fantasy. But soon, he says, the reenactments weren't arousing enough. Two years later, at 17, he upskirted his first victim. He filmed about 30 more girls over a year.

MONTGOMERY: Do you feel guilty at all about the fact that you can go on with your life, go to school, have a normal life? And these victims will always remember that they were targeted by you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I really feel sorry. I feel like I have to make sure I never forget what I did.

MONTGOMERY (voice-over): He's since undergone mandatory programs for crime prevention and reeducation.

DAISUKE NAKAMURA, CLINICAL PYSCHOLOGIST (through translator): They don't really see women as human beings. They might view them as objects, as characters, or even something untouchable.

MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Kimura only stopped when police caught him trespassing, stealing a woman's underwear from a clothesline.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): If I hadn't got caught at the time, I might have raped someone within a year or two.

MONTGOMERY (voice-over): For perpetrators, upskirting is a fleeting thrill, easy to commit, often unnoticed. But for the millions it violates, the images can leave a permanent digital scar, one that haunts them for years. Hanako Montgomery, CNN, Tokyo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JIMENEZ: Some important reporting from Hanako there. All right. We've got more coming up. We'll be right back with more news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:33:47]

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN ANCHOR: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer could soon face a challenge for leadership of the Labour Party. His potential rival made a first step in that direction by winning a resounding victory in the by-election for Makerfield MP.

Andy Burnham is currently the mayor of Greater Manchester and one of the U.K.'s most popular politicians.

Generally, British by-elections are just bellwethers of the public mood and don't actually impact the government. But Thursdays vote was triggered with the sole purpose of clearing a path for Burnham to the top spot in the Labour Party, and really, the country. Patrick Baker is host of Politico's "Westminster Insider" podcast and

joins us from Wigan, England. Let's unpack this a bit, because it's kind of like the U.S. equivalent of a special election in a congressional district, and yet it could directly affect Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Just explain that for us.

PATRICK BAKER, HOST, POLITICO'S "WESTMINSTER INSIDER" PODCAST: That's right. So Andy Burnham, who's been the mayor of Greater Manchester for about nine years now, he's really popular in this part of the world where I am right now.

[01:34:49]

BAKER: He has just won big in a special election you would call it -- a by-election we call it -- where, as you said, normally the government, when they run in these by-elections, they don't do very well.

It's the chance for voters, a bit like the midterms, that you guys have to give the government a kicking. But in this case, Andy Burnham was running saying, look, if you vote for me, I'm going to essentially replace this really unpopular prime minister that we're stuck with right now.

And the scale of his victory, and I witnessed it myself tonight, you can really feel the Labour Party are rallying behind this guy now. And I think it's going to be a matter of time before he replaces Keir Starmer. It's a little unclear how it's going to unfold, what the choreography might be.

We know that there's going to be talks this weekend between the prime minister and Andy Burnham. Will Keir Starmer see the writing on the wall and step aside, or will Andy Burnham have to launch a formal leadership challenge and take on Keir Starmer in a battle that would be pretty bloody?

So British politics is moving really fast right now, and it's been a long night for me, I can tell you.

JIMENEZ: Yes. Well, I appreciate you spending that long night with us for a little bit here. Because look, it is so fascinating.

And when you look at the Burnham rise, for example, I mean, what headwinds would he essentially be trying to set the party up for in a better way? Like, why is his popularity and rise so -- or seen as so important to the Labour Party?

BAKER: So basically, ever since Labour got elected on a mandate of change two years ago, they have made a series of unforced errors. They did something really unpopular with older people in terms of winter fuel allowance. They cut people's benefits in certain ways.

And all of this has led to a situation where the Labour Party is basically as unpopular as the Tory Party that came before them.

And the party has been stuck in a rut for a long time, thinking like, how do we change course here? What can we do?

Andy Burnham is someone who's seen as a great communicator. He's in touch with what many see as working class voters in this part of the world. Many of the kind of voters who would -- are being tempted to vote for Nigel Farage's party are saying to people, and I witnessed it myself and when I made my podcast, my special podcast, "Westminster Insider", which all your viewers can find in all good podcast feeds.

But they were all saying the same thing to me, which is that we want change. We want someone to smash up the status quo. We're sick and tired of the Tories and now Labour just not listening to us about our concerns, whether that's on immigration or other societal issues.

And Andy Burnham has come in and he said, I am that change. This is Labour's last chance to change. He said that in his speech tonight. I thought it was a really telling remark.

And so I think he's managed to persuade a lot of people here to actually put your money on me and, you know, see what we can do because at the moment the Labour Party is really, really struggling as I say.

JIMENEZ: Yes. No, it's very interesting to track. And for someone like Prime Minister Keir Starmer, he hasn't been prime minister that long. I mean, he's lasted certainly longer than a head of lettuce, but still not as long as some of the more dominant political figures we've seen. So something to track in the days and weeks and months to come.

Patrick Baker, really appreciate the insight. Thanks for being here.

BAKER: Pleasure. Thank you.

JIMENEZ: All right. We've also got some breaking news from the Middle East. The Lebanese National News Agency says at least 16 people have been killed in a night of heavy Israeli airstrikes. The Israeli military says it struck Hezbollah targets in several areas in southern Lebanon, as it cited repeated ceasefire violations by the militant group.

But the timing is interesting because it comes as we've been talking about this U.S.-Iran agreement and developments in Lebanon very much a part of that.

So we will continue to monitor the developments here as well.

But we've also got other news we are tracking, including still ahead, Colombia's war on drugs is taking center stage in the country's presidential elections. We're taking a look at how the candidates plan to tackle drug cartels and violence. Up next.

[01:39:12]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JIMENEZ: Colombia's presidential election heads to a runoff on Sunday, and the war on drugs is emerging as a defining issue in the campaign. The two candidates are facing growing pressures to address cartel violence and security concerns.

CNN's Stefano Pozzebon has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Colombia is at a crossroads between two different visions for how to put away half a century of violence and a far-right populist with Trumps backing, who promises to go after criminal groups with all guns blazing.

To understand Colombia's conflict, we joined a demining unit from the army. A legacy of decades of guerrilla warfare, Colombia is one of the countries most affected by landmines in the world.

Last year, Colombia recorded 137 landmine incidents. Everyone working here must wear protective gear as a precaution. A deminer can clear only ten square meters of forest every day, and this unit has 37,000 to deal with. In this location alone, a quick fuse, and the landmine is taken care of.

In town, even the children learn about landmines.

The army sends instructors to primary schools every month to hold classes like this.

They're using puppets and videos and cartoons. They can all seem very funny, but actually, the core of the lesson is that in this part of the world, touching or even poking with a stick a weird object can be very dangerous.

[01:44:50]

POZZEBON: While landmines have been used in Colombia for decades, attacks have grown in recent years.

The war on drugs and the violence stemming from it are at the core of this week's presidential election, behind armored glass, firebrand candidate Abelardo de la Espriella promises a new offensive, including joint operations with the U.S. military.

Colombia is the largest cocaine producer in the world, and production remains at record levels despite government efforts to replace coca with legitimate crops.

Farmer Maria Pena says the state must support people like her, who started growing cocoa beans instead of coca.

MARIA PENA, COLOMBIAN FARMER (through translator): We saw criminal actors entering our territory, and we didn't want to go back to the same violence as before. I bet against coca for my children.

POZZEBON: Outgoing President Gustavo Petro tried a new approach to the war on drugs. Dubbed "Total Peace", it meant engaging in negotiations with the insurgents rather than prosecution.

9,000 hectares of coca have been cleared in the last year, he claims, but many believe this is too little, too late.

If these strategies are successful, why have the U.S. criticized it? Was it a diplomatic defeat that you couldn't present this new plan to go beyond the war on drugs?

GUSTAVO PETRO, COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The Trump administration decided to decertify Colombia because they saw cocoa crops explode.

The beginning of my mandate and not my program in action.

POZZEBON: This month, Trump endorsed de la Espriella, who has managed to turn this election into a vote on Petro's peace efforts. Colombians will decide whether to give him a strong mandate to resume the conflict or stick to peace negotiations with Petro's ally, Ivan Cepeda.

Teacher Karen Martinez, who sees the scars of war every day in a town surrounded by minefields, says that neither option convinces her. She has a dream of a Colombia free from conflict but how to get there remains an open question.

Stefano Pozzebon, CNN -- Uribe, Colombia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JIMENEZ: And thank you to Stefano Pozzebon for that reporting.

Still ahead, back in the United States, hundreds gathered in Chicago to celebrate a new presidential center opening. We'll tell you why attendees felt -- said it felt like 2008.

[01:47:32]

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JIMENEZ: The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool's newly-finished paint job is already peeling in Washington, D.C. Less than two weeks after the renovation was finished, visitors have spotted chunks like these of paint floating in the algae-tinted water.

The Trump administration ordered the historic pool to be drained and refinished. The nearly $15 million project was part of President Trump's effort to give Washington, D.C. a facelift, and these at the moment are at least some of the results.

Meanwhile, in Chicago, hundreds gathered Thursday for a celebration that, for some, brought back memories of election night 2008, when a former community organizer became U.S. President. The Barack Obama Presidential Center's grand opening was filled with Chicagoans, celebrities, and three former presidents besides Obama.

He used his special moment to urge Americans to remain hopeful and fight for democracy.

CNN's Jeff Zeleny reports. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's tempting to give in to cynicism and even despair, to stop trying.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Former President Barack Obama offered a lesson about the future as thousands gathered in Chicago to celebrate his past.

OBAMA: As unsettled as we are, people aren't looking for perpetual anger and division. They are looking for fairness and common sense and mutual respect, that deep in our gut, we want to find a way to turn towards each other again, not further away.

ZELENY: Nearly 10 years after leaving the White House, the Obama Presidential Center finally came to life today, a moment of history witnessed by three other former presidents and first ladies.

President Trump was not invited and not mentioned by name, yet the point was unmistakable.

MICHELLE OBAMA, FORMER FIRST LADY: The lies about your birthright, your faith, your patriotism.

ZELENY: Michelle Obama praised her husband, saying his election still speaks to America's common values.

M. OBAMA: Equality, empathy, honesty, inclusion, fairness. And especially during these anxious and divisive times, it is so important that we remember that those values are not unique to my husband.

ZELENY: It's been 18 years since the Obama family swept onto the national stage, making history on election night 2008.

They're all grown up now, Sasha and Malia making a rare return to the public eye, as the ceremony turned to a celebration.

A star-studded lineup, from Bruce Springsteen to Stevie Wonder to Jennifer Hudson to Bono and more -- all paying tribute to Obama's rise from Chicago's South Side to the White House.

(MUSIC)

[01:54:54]

ZELENY: The Obama Presidential Center is a sprawling 19-acre campus, the first such museum to open in America since the George W. Bush Library in 2013. We went inside for a look around.

It's a time warp, walking inside here and listening to this.

From the improbable campaign to so many moments that shaped his presidency, and even to the unfinished business of gun control and immigration reform, Obama said the center was not intended to be a mausoleum to the past, but a testament for what is possible for the next generation of Americans. B. OBAMA: The exhibits in the center are not meant to evoke nostalgia for some gauzy bygone era, some unattainable past that we can dream about and say, oh, we miss you, Barack. They're meant -- they're meant to remind us of who we can be, to remind us of what's possible.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JIMENEZ: A historic day there in Chicago.

All right. Before we go, a giant panda cub was caught taking a cute nap at a panda research site in southwest China. Ya Song (ph) was recorded enjoying a sun bath at the Chengdu Research Base of giant panda breeding.

You see the young one basking in the warm sun, and then after a few moments, a keeper gently lifts the three-year-old into a bamboo basket, drapes a pink blanket over her sleeping body as she snoozes on. You have no idea how good that looks.

Thanks for watching THE STORY IS. I'm Omar Jimenez.

The news continues right here on CNN after the break.

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