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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson
Sources: Israel Warns U.S. of Iranian Plot to Assassinate Trump; New Candidates Vying for Democratic Slot in Maine Senate Race; Survivors: Epstein's Assistant Lied to Congress About What She Knew; Mbappe, Dembele Goals Lead France to Victory Over Morocco; Coastal Parts of Asia Bracing for Strong Typhoon. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired July 10, 2026 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Snickerdoodle, oatmeal raisin. All the cookies, bro. Miami will bring all the cookies. Riley himself, I bet, would bake these cookies if LeBron were to come back, Elex.
[00:00:12]
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: I think that's a -- that is a compelling argument. And that team would be a real championship contender.
I mean, the problem with the Lakers is they do not really play defense. He was with Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, who really don't play good defense.
You go to two of the best defensive players in the league, plus Bam Adebayo, who scored 83 points last season.
SANCHEZ: I --
MICHAELSON: All right.
SANCHEZ: I --
MICHAELSON: There we go.
SANCHEZ: I'm shocked to hear you, a Lakers guy, say that.
MICHAELSON: Not -- not only should LeBron go to Miami, I think CNN should give you a show in Miami after that.
SANCHEZ: Hey, hey. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Dream big, Elex Michaelson. Great to see you. Have a good show.
MICHAELSON: All right. Thanks, Boris.
Issue -- or THE STORY IS starts right now.
I'm Elex Michaelson live in Los Angeles. Welcome to THE STORY IS. The top story is a possible Iranian plot to kill the U.S. president. Sources say Israel shared new intel with the United States as President Trump tells reporters that Iran is targeting him.
THE STORY IS luxury cars and personal trips. A top Republican senator is investigating how the FBI director is spending taxpayer money.
And THE STORY IS victory for Les Bleus. France's triumph over Morocco to advance to the World Cup semifinals.
ANNOUNCER: Live from Los Angeles, THE STORY IS with Elex Michaelson
MICHAELSON: The top story is reports of a possible Iranian plan to assassinate President Trump. That alleged plot is by no means confirmed, but it is adding more strain to a ceasefire already in tatters.
Sources tell CNN the warnings about a plot to kill the president are coming from Israeli intelligence. No details have been released. Some officials suggest this could be an effort by Israel to influence the administration's decision making, as it weighs whether to ramp up military action against Iran.
Israel has been against diplomacy, distrustful of Iran, and eager to resume strikes. But U.S. officials say that attacks are on hold for now, and diplomatic efforts are underway behind the scenes.
Meanwhile, concerns for President Trump's safety are being taken seriously. He arrived at this week's NATO summit on the new jet donated by Qatar, but he left on the old Air Force One. Reporters asked about the switch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'd like you to address speculation that you're leaving Ankara, not in the new Air Force One, because of security concerns involving Iran. You've spoke -- spoken today twice about them possibly assassinating you and possibly being successful. Did that concern have something to do with it?
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Well, I speak about it a lot, because, you know, the life of a president is very dangerous.
I'm No. 1 on the kill list for Iran. They're lovely people. I'm No. 1.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why aren't you flying on the new Air Force One?
TRUMP: It's flying to Europe to one of the big bases, two or three of the big bases where we can show it to the people. And we'll be going home by normal methods.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Let's bring in CNN national security analyst Alex Plitsas. He's also the director of the counterterrorism program at the Atlantic Council. And retired U.S. Air Force colonel and CNN military analyst, Cedric Leighton. Gentlemen, good to see both of you.
Alex, to you, how would Israel have gotten this intel? And is this a surprise? I mean, haven't we been talking about this as a possibility for years? I mean, the U.S. just killed the Iranian leader. ALEX PLITSAS, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: So, as Cedric's been
talking about for months, and the communications that he and I have had just offline, the Israelis have had exquisite access inside of Iran. And that's how they really were able to facilitate some of the operations that took place early on in the war, where they were able to take the Iranians by surprise.
So, it's not surprising, by any means, that Israel has -- has got access to this type of intelligence inside of Iran. And unfortunately, it's also not surprising that they may be launching this type of plot.
As you did mention, it's unclear whether or not this is some sort of influence operation or whether or not this is an actual plot, because the details haven't been released. And we're not sure exactly, you know, what's going on at this point.
But, you know, they have tried to, in the past, to hire hit men, for lack of a better term, to assassinate U.S. officials or even dissidents on U.S. soil. So, this does fall well within the realm of what Iran has tried to do in the last few years, which has been really remarkable.
The last piece I'll leave you with is Lisa Monaco, former deputy attorney general, former chief of staff at the FBI, who received the president's daily brief for almost 20 years.
I was at a counterterrorism conference with her last September 11, and she said, you know, after watching all these years, she's never seen the Iranians so emboldened. And this is one of the brightest women in the community, who has been watching this for a long time. So, they've become emboldened.
[00:05:03]
MICHAELSON: Cedric, let's talk about what's happening militarily right now. Iran is accusing the U.S. of striking more targets. How long can this back and forth keep going? And what's really going on right now?
COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Yes, Elex, the back and forth can keep going for as long as we have the ammunition out there.
And it's -- you know, it really depends how we're going to be using that ammunition. I -- there are ways in which the U.S. can exercise a lot of influence by hitting certain precise targets.
And we might be seeing the beginning of that, because one of the things that they did strike was a maritime control tower in the city of Chabahar, which is designed, basically -- that tower was designed to control the flow of traffic into and out of the Strait of Hormuz.
If a tower like that disappears, then the ability of the Iranians to control the flow of traffic in and out of the Strait of Hormuz may be limited to some extent, and that might be one of the strategic goals there. So, if the U.S. decides to look at some very specific targets and hit
them more or less strategically, it could be something where we actually shorten the duration of the strikes, but they would have a greater effect.
But for the most part, what we're seeing right now is attacks on some of the same targets: SAM emplacements; you know, missile sites of other types. You have drone sites. And of course, you have ubiquitous naval assets such as the small boats and the drone areas.
So, those are the kinds of things that we're looking at right now, basically more of the same. How long can we do that? Maybe a couple of months, maybe a little bit longer than that. But that's basically what we're looking at right now, Elex.
MICHAELSON: All for a war that was supposed to last for a few weeks.
Alex, to you and about this intelligence report from Israel about this possible assassination. You know, a cynic would say this may be part of an Israeli plan to try to keep this war going. We know that Benjamin Netanyahu wants to do more militarily, and that this -- telling the president this may keep him invested. Is that your read of this situation?
PLITSAS: I mean, it's really hard to tell. I mean, timing-wise, we've seen two attacks in Damascus right before the U.S. was about to engage in substantive discussions with the Iranians. And so, there was a question of whether or not those attacks were purposeful by the Israelis to disrupt that.
And then, in this particular case, you know, once again, are we looking to try to get the U.S. back into the war here when the Iranians -- the Israelis have made it clear that that's what they would prefer?
But, you know, it's also entirely possible that this is accurate based on intelligence. So, unfortunately, it could go either direction. And it's really not clear at this point.
MICHAELSON: And Cedric, lastly to you. You know, our colleague, Pamela Brown, is on board the USS Abraham Lincoln right now. And she and her team saw U.S. fighter jets taking off that ship. What sort of missions do we know in terms of that they're conducting? What would you be expecting right now?
PLITSAS: Yes. So, what they told Pamela Brown was that they're conducting quote, unquote, "defensive missions." So, what does that actually mean?
What it means is they're attacking places like radar sites, missile emplacements. You know, the basic standard target list. It is certainly part of the repertoire that the Abraham Lincoln can actually take care of.
And that's, I think, what they're really doing. These operations are conducted very carefully, very choreographed, and they're done in conjunction not only with U.S. Naval and marine assets, but also with U.S. Air Force assets.
So, it's a definite plan that has been worked out at the -- basically, at the upper command levels. And that is a plan that that aircraft carrier is going to take, you know, execute it to the fullest extent possible.
But basically, we're looking at shore targets from that specific carrier group. Plus, perhaps a few in more inland areas of Iran. But for the most part, we're looking at mopping up the shore areas.
MICHAELSON: It is extraordinary to see the precision of those aircraft carriers, to see that up close. We will go to Pamela in our next hour.
But Colonel Cedric Leighton, Alex Plitsas, thanks so much for starting us off here on THE STORY IS.
Americans are already paying at the pump for the renewed fighting with Iran. AAA says the national average gas price surged by $0.05 on Thursday, reaching almost $3.85 a gallon. That is the largest one-day increase in more than two months.
Before the war, the average price for a gallon of gas -- that's not the right graphic -- was $2.98. Gas prices were declining after the U.S. And Iran signed their memorandum of understanding. But they climbed again since the fighting resumed.
Now -- you just got a preview of this -- let's talk about politics in Maine. A source tells CNN's [SIC] that Graham Platner intends to file paperwork to end his Senate bid. On Monday.
A person close to his campaign has warned against reading anything into the delay. Platner suspended his campaign on Wednesday after allegations of rape and violent behavior. He has categorically denied those claims.
[00:10:12]
Meanwhile, Maine Democrats are lining up to challenge incumbent Republican Susan Collins in the November midterms. Front runners include former state senator Troy Jackson and Maine secretary of state Shenna Bellows.
Maine's former CDC director Nirav Shah spoke with CNN about his candidacy and his policies.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: You said there's little daylight between you on the policy of issues. Part of Graham Platner's agenda called for ICE to be dismantled. Do you agree that ICE should be dismantled?
NIRAV SHAH (D), MAINE SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: ICE in its current form cannot continue to go on. Just yesterday, there was a violent shooting, a fatal shooting in Houston at the hands of ICE agents.
We have experienced the horrors of ICE raids here in Maine firsthand, and as an immigrant, as a child of immigrants myself, this is deeply personal.
ICE as it currently exists, cannot be allowed to continue. So, whether we reconstitute ICE from the ground up or whether we severely amend how it operates, something must change. And that's what I'm -- that's what I'm setting about to do as a senator.
COLLINS: And do you agree with him on -- on Israel when he says that they committed a genocide in Gaza?
SHAH: I want to be crystal-clear on this matter. I spent the earlier part of my career living and working in Cambodia very, very -- when I was very junior. And I saw firsthand the scars of genocide and their aftereffects.
What is unfolding in Gaza right now is absolutely a genocide. And I have seen what will happen 20 years from now: the psychological and health and economic scars that this genocide will leave in Gaza.
There is no question that what's unfolding in Gaza right now is a genocide, and I have called it as such during the gubernatorial campaign. And I affirm that judgment call tonight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Our panel here to discuss that and more. Matt Bilinsky, attorney and host of "The Prevailing Narrative" podcast, and Brian Tyler Cohen on the left, host of the "No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen" podcast. Gentlemen, good to see both of you.
Matt, let's start with you. Does this stink of Graham Platner and all the scandals surrounding him, does that rub off on the rest of the Democratic Party, including some of these candidates that we're seeing?
MATT BILINSKY, HOST, "THE PREVAILING NARRATIVE": I believe it will rub off a little bit. But, you know, just somewhat to my dismay, I don't think it's going to rub off too much.
You still see the betting markets. The Democrats are still the favorite in the Maine Senate race right now.
And the thing with Graham Platner is this last revelation. It's not the first revelation about his bad character and misconduct or whatnot. He's had credible allegations of sexual misconduct previously.
Everybody seems to be aware of his Nazi tattoo and, you know, his kind of misgivings about, oh, wait, I didn't know it was a Nazi tattoo. It's already been revealed that he was pretty conscious of that before. Doesn't really seem to bother people that much. And he was still in the lead, despite all those marks on his record.
So yes, any time someone is going to drop out of a race, that kind of leaves a bit of a stench of loserdom and embarrassment. But I don't really think it's going to be that impactful. I think that the stench is going to have kind of a manageable blast radius. MICHAELSON: Your thoughts?
BRIAN TYLER, COHEN, HOST, "NO LIE WITH BRIAN TYLER COHEN": Look, I think -- I think probably not. I mean, the reality is, when the allegations against Graham Platner came out, Democrats coalesced around the right thing to do, which was to call for his resignation. Everybody from -- or stepping aside, leaving the race. Everybody from Elizabeth Warren to Ro Khanna and even Bernie Sanders.
So, I think that -- that is an appropriate response to what we saw come out about Graham Platner.
And frankly, it puts on full display the disparity between the two parties, because this was obviously unacceptable as far as Graham Platner was concerned. It was unacceptable when Eric Swalwell -- Swalwell had allegations against him.
And yet, on the right, Donald Trump has allegations against him. That didn't have any impact. Herschel Walker had allegations. That didn't have any impact. Eric Greitens. Matt Gaetz was -- with allegations of -- of sex trafficking of a minor, was nearly elevated to the attorney general position.
So, it has become not only not disqualifying, but something of a prerequisite in the GOP.
MICHAELSON: Do you think the Republicans have a problem with this?
BILINSKY: Republicans have a problem necessarily with sexual misconduct from their candidates?
MICHAELSON: Yes. And not policing themselves.
BILINSKY: Yes, well, Matt Gaetz, that's an interesting example to use because, yes, he had to resign. And he's, you know, for all intents and purposes, out of public life. And he did not get that cabinet position because of those allegations.
And beyond that, if we want to really be reductive and, you know, just nail down on strictly the sexual misconduct, it was not disqualifying for Graham Platner to have a tattoo, a Totenkopf. That is a Nazi symbol. It's a symbol of Nazi military paraphernalia that he's -- it was very much revealed that he knew that that was -- that he wanted to get an edgy tattoo.
That wasn't seemingly disqualifying on the Democratic side. It serves to figure that, if there was a similar. You know, they've made enough allegations of Nazi affiliations without any evidence. But if there was a similar situation on the right, where a conservative candidate had a tattoo that could be credibly identified, knowledgeably, as of Nazi paraphernalia, I'm pretty sure that that was going to cause a scandal that would result in that person's resignation.
[00:15:09]
So, it's interesting what the Democrats do and do not find disqualifying.
COHEN: Well, I don't seem to remember many Republicans being that up in arms when a bunch of, you know, hooded, I guess Klansmen were chanting, "Jews will not replace us." J.D. Vance himself called Donald Trump America's Hitler.
So, I think, you know, there are some indications.
MICHAELSON: I mean, I think some of the bigger question now is sort of where does the Democratic Party go from here? We just saw a version of -- of a candidate that is moving very much to the left.
And he's not the only one. Here's some of Troy Jackson, another leading candidate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TROY JACKSON (D), MAINE SENATE CANDIDATE: Right now, there's a powerful movement of working-class people in the state of Maine. And we're sick and tired of getting screwed and struggling to get by while greedy corporations get more and more.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: So, he kind of seems a lot like Graham Platner, minus some of that other baggage. But from a policy perspective, obviously, seems very similar to him. Style seems similar to him, as well.
You have a new book out which is -- is called "The Day After: How to Wield Power in a Post-Trump World," coming out next week. And the whole concept is what Democrats should do with power. How should Democrats fight?
What does this moment tell you about how Democrats could fight? Because clearly, these candidates are saying kind of, let's blow up the establishment. We should fight more.
COHEN: Absolutely. And I think that comes as a response to the fecklessness of the Democratic Party for so long.
We have viewed every norm, every procedure, every process as an obstacle that we couldn't possibly overcome, because that's just how it goes in government.
Trump has been helpful in showing that a lot of the institutions that we see as sacrosanct are not necessarily as sacrosanct as we would have liked to believe. And so, now, we have the opportunity to come in and kind of bulldoze through those things, through those obstacles. But we can do it in a virtuous way, and we have to do it in a virtuous way.
Trump has shown that he's willing to do that for self-enrichment. The guy has gained billions of dollars in just the last couple of -- of -- of years.
He's obviously building up his real estate portfolio. He's making money hand over fist into his crypto and meme coins and stable coins.
So, it shows that it can be done. Democrats have to do it by actually delivering to people.
MICHAELSON: Matt, your thoughts on this in terms of the future of the party and if going so far left may alienate people in the middle?
BILINSKY: Yes. Well, I think the idea that the Democrats haven't been norm-defying and aggressive and been fighters over the past decade or so, I think is pretty ridiculous.
But where I think Brian does have a point is I think that they're choosing a different weapon in that fight now, and it's probably a smarter weapon.
Previously, 2016 to let's call it 2023, 2024, they chose -- there was a big, you know, a big fight within the Democratic Party, the liberal movement over do we focus on social issues? Let's call it woke, what have you, racial identity issues and whatnot? And that was not a winner. That turned out not to be a winner.
Taking the fight using the same sort of, you know -- using the same sort of aggressive approach, but using the weapon of economic grievance and focusing on economic issues does seem to be a smarter approach for them, more effective. You see it.
Troy Jackson listen, anyone with above room temperature I.Q. can see through this populist shtick and the working-class esthetics and things of that nature.
However, is it a winning message? Is it a smarter political move? Absolutely. I do agree with that.
COHEN: I think it's worth bringing up the fact --
MICHAELSON: Lastly.
COHEN: I'll -- I'll make this quick. But I think it's interesting that you call it a populist shtick, because Trump came into office promising that he was going to focus on --
BILINSKY: Played the same shtick. You are correct.
COHEN: -- on lowering costs, on -- on making sure that health care was more affordable, on making sure groceries were more affordable. The prices of everything are higher.
He won't even sign his own housing bill that Republicans handed to him --
MICHAELSON: Yes.
COHEN: -- on a silver platter, because he is so anti-actually delivering for people on a populist agenda.
MICHAELSON: But it's clear -- and it was clear in 2016 with Bernie Sanders, if you went to those rallies, which were very similar to the Trump rallies, that there was a hunger for that economic populism and that people want that. They just are frustrated that they felt like maybe it hasn't happened, actually, in Washington so far.
Brian, Matt, you guys are sticking around. We'll have more with you in our next hour.
And also, ahead on THE STORY IS, the family of a Mexican immigrant shot and killed by an ICE agent in Houston is speaking out and demanding answers. New video shows the moments before and after that incident.
And survivors of Jeffrey Epstein are speaking out in a CNN exclusive. Why they say Epstein's longtime assistant lied to Congress about her knowledge of the convicted sex offender's misdeeds. That's ahead on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:23:59]
MICHAELSON: Look at this. State media in China reports at least 28 people have died in a fire at a shoe factory in the Southeastern province of Fujian.
Video shows people trapped on the roof as fire engulfs the building. Officials say 237 workers were on site when the blaze started, along with two guests. At least 211 were rescued.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is demanding an all-out search-and-rescue effort while promising a quick investigation.
Jinhao (ph) reports that the factory owner and other [SIC] in charge have been taken into custody.
New surveillance video shows the moments before an ICE agent fatally shot a Mexican immigrant during a traffic stop in Houston, Texas.
This video shows 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo on Tuesday morning, getting into his van and leaving home for his construction job. Minutes later, he would be fatally shot by an ICE officer.
Video obtained by a civil rights group shows his white van turning on to Canal Street, while a black SUV follows. His family says that his video, obtained by CNN, shows his white van on Canal Street, while a black SUV drives near him on the left.
[00:25:10]
A few seconds later, another black SUV exits a nearby shopping center and continues in the direction of the other vehicles.
ICE accuses the man of evading arrest and driving into a law enforcement vehicle. His family disagrees.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) RONALDO SALGADO, FATHER FATALLY SHOT BY ICE: Look, I know my father. He had a -- his main concern was to keep the van safe and his tools safe. There's been instances in the past where his van got stolen, and his tools got stolen.
So, ever since then, he's been very cautious about people following him, people looking at his van a little bit too much. So, I -- along with that, my dad was also in the process of obtaining a work permit. He decided that it was time for him to achieve his American dreams after putting three kids through college -- one currently in college. I'm sorry.
So, he had been informed, and we have spoken as a family, time and time again, what -- what my dad should do in the case that he did get detained by ICE.
He did not know that those vehicles following him were ICE agents. Again, these vehicles were unmarked. They had no emblems, no logos, no flashing lights. There was no way for him to know that they were ICE agents.
I know my dad would have stopped, had ICE agents formally and clearly identified themselves, at least through their vehicle markings. My dad would have stopped and complied, because he knew that there was a process; that there was a process for him to be able to get -- for -- for him to be able to be released from any sort of detention.
Or at least, you know, there would be -- there would be ways for him to, you know, come back to us if that were to happen. My dad again, he would have stopped, had ICE very clearly identified themselves through their vehicles.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: The moments after the shooting were recorded by a passerby and posted onto social media. No images of the traffic stop itself have been released by authorities.
Homeland Security says the officers involved had not yet been issued body-worn cameras. The source tells CNN Salgado Araujo was not the target of the immigration operation.
New Mexico's attorney general is accusing the U.S. Justice Department of refusing to hand over unredacted files on the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
New Mexico is investigating allegations of illegal activity at the property Epstein owned near Santa Fe, known as Zorro Ranch. Some Epstein survivors say the ranch was one of the places that they were sexually assaulted.
New Mexico A.G. Raul Torres says every day the DOJ withholds those records, the harder it becomes to deliver justice for the victims.
A DOJ spokesperson told CNN that the agency responded last month to requests from New Mexico law enforcement. It says it, quote, "welcomes the state undertaking additional investigation of Zorro Ranch and stands ready to provide necessary assistance."
Epstein survivors exclusively tell CNN that the convicted sex offender's longtime assistant lied to Congress. Lesley Groff testified last month that she was unaware of Epstein's crimes and never met the girls who would come to his house.
But six of those survivors are sharing new details with CNN about why they believe she's lying. The group includes one woman who first met Epstein when she was just about to turn 14.
CNN's M.J. Lee reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARINA LACERDA, EPSTEIN SURVIVOR: If a girl wanted to meet Jeffrey Epstein, you had to go through Lesley Groff.
SHARLENE ROCHARD, EPSTEIN SURVIVOR: Just literally tell the truth.
M.J. LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jeffrey Epstein survivors are outraged and calling out Lesley Groff after the longtime assistant to the convicted child sex offender spoke with the house Oversight Committee last month.
CNN interviewed six Epstein victims, two of them on camera. They said Groff lied to Congress about key details, including whether she ever met any of the girls visiting Epstein or knew how old they were.
LEE: She said, quote, "To my knowledge, I never met any of these masseuses." What do you guys think about that?
LACERDA: She's lying. She's lying. Just me and my friends, she's met at least three or four of us.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I met Lesley multiple times in different locations.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Gather today and taking the time.
LEE (voice-over): Marina Lacerda says she first met Epstein in 2002, when she was just shy of turning 14. Sharlene Rochard says she was a young model working in New York City when she first met the financier.
LEE: Do you have anything that you remember that leads you to think Lesley Groff knew how old you were?
ROCHARD: Of course, she knew how old we were, because she had to look at our I.D.s to book our flight.
[00:30:05]
LACERDA: How old is she? Where is she from? What does she look like? Where does she live? Is she going to school? These were top five questions by Lesley Groff.
LEE (voice-over): One Epstein survivor who spoke to CNN anonymously, says she was 100 percent certain that Groff knew that she was a minor. "I went to a private Catholic school, and she would always ask me to leave school early," the woman told CNN, because Epstein liked to see her in her school uniform. She said there were many times when Groff saw her wearing her uniform.
Another detail from Groff's testimony that multiple women disputed: her claim that she never paid anyone on Epstein's behalf.
LACERDA: I definitely was paid by Lesley, because I asked for money all the time. Fresh $100 bills, looks like it just came out the bank. And it was always in a white envelope.
MICHAELSON: Groff appears in the Epstein files thousands of times, a ubiquitous presence for almost two decades in managing Epstein's day- to-day life, from scheduling appointments to arranging travel plans.
Groff's lawyer did not respond to CNN's request for comment for this story.
Groff has never been charged with a crime and denied to Congress that she ever knew about Epstein's abuse of girls and women. "For 18 years, I worked for Dr. Jekyll but was never permitted to see the true Mr. Hyde," Groff told lawmakers. "Mr. Epstein was, in hindsight, a master manipulator and deceiver who separated his legitimate life from his secret life as an abuser."
While Groff was not under oath, lying to Congress is a crime. Some Epstein survivors questioned whether the current congressional investigation might be a dead end.
LACERDA: We have so many people coming in and lying and saying they don't know. They don't remember. Can we just have one person at least come in and take accountability and bring in full transparency?
LEE: And a spokeswoman for the House Oversight Committee tells CNN that they are currently reviewing Groff's transcript against the available evidence, and that they would welcome any additional evidence from anybody that might have it.
The survivors that we spoke with did say that corroboration can be tough to come by; that some of these interactions with Groff would have taken place many years ago when some of these victims were teenagers; and that many of these interactions would have taken place before the proliferation of smartphones.
M.J. Lee, CNN, Washington, D.C.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: M.J., thank you. Much more to come still on THE STORY IS, including the World Cup.
France steamrolls past Morocco, landing the first spot in the Final Four. Keith Costigan with MLS on Apple TV is here to break down that match and the games ahead. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:37:17]
MICHAELSON: Welcome back to THE STORY IS. I'm Elex Michaelson. Let's take a look at today's top stories.
Sources say Israel has shared intelligence about an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate President Trump. We're told the details have not been vetted by the U.S., and some American officials warn that the Israeli report could be an attempt to get the U.S. to intensify attacks on Iran.
Prosecutors in Utah are building their case against Charlie Kirk's accused assassin. They played video from Tyler Robinson's former roommate on Thursday.
He told investigators that Robinson said on the day after the shooting he wishes he hadn't done it.
A judge will decide if there's enough evidence to proceed to trial.
At least 28 people were killed at a Chinese shoe factory in the Southeastern province of Fujian on Thursday. Over 200 people were in the building when it caught fire.
President Xi Jinping promised a swift investigation, as well as an all-out search-and-rescue effort.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CROWD SINGING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: France fans celebrating outside Boston as Les Bleus are headed to the World Cup semifinals once again after defeating Morocco 2-to-0 in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
In Paris, fans danced and celebrated on the streets of the French capital late into the night.
France, one of the tournament favorites, put on a dominant performance against Morocco. Superstar Kylian Mbappe scored at the hour mark from just inside the box. Look at that precision.
The team added another goal six minutes later, setting up a Final Four meeting with the winner of Spain versus Belgium, which is happening tomorrow here in Southern California.
Here's the French captain.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KYLIAN MBAPPE, FRENCH FORWARD (through translator): We play with passion, with the passion of representing our country. We know what it means to represent our country in a World Cup. There's nothing more important for a player, and we know that as a group.
We try to teach the young players what it means to represent the national team in a World Cup. We are a team, a country with a history in the World Cup. Ultimately, they have to know the history of the country and how much pressure I feel. I want to play for France, because you have to win, no matter what.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Joining me now is Keith Costigan, play-by-play announcer for MLS on Apple TV. He's also hosting pre- and post-game shows on Sirius XM Channel 157 before and after all the World Cup matches.
KEITH COSTIGAN, PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCER, MLS ON APPLE TV: Yes.
MICHAELSON: It's been a lot to talk about.
COSTIGAN: Yes. Yes.
MICHAELSON: Welcome back to the show. France has been dominant throughout.
COSTIGAN: Yes.
MICHAELSON: What makes them so good?
COSTIGAN: Well, the guy we just heard from, Kylian Mbappe. It's funny that he's talking about young players. He's essentially grown up as a World Cup player.
[00:40:04]
Eight years ago, he lifted the title as a teenager. Four years ago, he lost in the final, although he scored a hat trick against Lionel Messi. You could almost say he was man of the match in that.
And again, he just seems at home on the biggest stage for his country and for France. He has always delivered. He tied Messi in goals for this tournament again today.
And Morocco would have felt OK with how they played today. Morocco are a top ten team. They limited France to a couple of chances. And then Mbappe pops up with one of the goals of the tournament, and that's that.
MICHAELSON: Well, let's put up on the screen just how good Mbappe is. So, this is the most goals in World Cup history.
COSTIGAN: Yes.
MICHAELSON: So, right now, Lionel Messi is at 21. Kylian Mbappe is at 20. The German player was at 16 before this all started. These guys have passed him during this.
Messi has played in 30 matches. Mbappe has played in 20.
COSTIGAN: Yes. This is only his third World Cup.
MICHAELSON: And so, he has done this. I mean, it's insane.
And so, your colleague on Sirius XM, our friend Max Bretos, who's often on the show here --
COSTIGAN: Yes.
MICHAELSON: -- posted on X, quote, "We have never seen a more prolific player in the World Cup scoring goals, earning pens, winning games. For production purposes, Mbappe is the best ever, and he has 2 or 3 cups to go."
Do you agree? The best ever?
COSTIGAN: Yes, we've had this conversation, myself and Max. And you know when you talk about athletes, you always picture the jersey that they're wearing when you talk about them. And a lot of other players, you would picture them in their club team.
Club soccer is massive in Europe. You think of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool, Manchester United.
Mbappe, you picture him in that French jersey because of the way he's delivered on the world stage. And to be at this number of goals in so few games, when you compare it to Messi, who I think we all agree is the greatest to ever play this game, Mbappe is going to play in the World Cup in four years. He's probably going to play again in eight years. I still think he's got more goals than this to come.
So, we've never seen it. It's unprecedented. That list: Klose hasn't played in the World Cup for well over a decade. To have these two going head-to-head right now at the top of the goal charts for this tournament. And historic. It's unprecedented.
MICHAELSON: It is wild.
Meanwhile, in a few hours, we're going to have Spain versus Belgium in Southern California. This is the match the U.S. would have been in --
COSTIGAN: Yes.
MICHAELSON: -- if they would have beaten Belgium. They did not. Spain, though. I mean, we talk about so many stars. Spain, it seems like it's all about the collective.
COSTIGAN: Yes.
MICHAELSON: And about the defense. Not one goal that they've allowed the entire tournament.
COSTIGAN: And even more so, they have a very good recent record against France. If you look at the world rankings before this tournament, France were No. 3, Spain were No. 2. So, I think if there's any team out there that puts fear into the French squad, it is Spain. If you're going to be France -- MICHAELSON: Well, they've got to beat Belgium first.
COSTIGAN: True. Yes.
MICHAELSON: So, you think they're going to beat Belgium, based on what you're saying?
COSTIGAN: We've been here before, right? We picked us to be Belgium and Belgium kind of, you know, affected everything there.
I do think Spain are going to beat Belgium, just based on the way they've played in this tournament. I think the most complete performances in this tournament have come from Spain. Lamine Yamal, who is going to be the next Kylian Mbappe, he's 18 years of age. He's a top talent. He's already won the European championship.
They play so well against France, because they keep the ball. They dominate possession; they frustrate you. And as you just mentioned, the best defensive record in the World Cup, as well.
MICHAELSON: Let's do quick takes on the two games that are happening on Saturday. Norway versus England, some big personalities there. Jude Bellingham versus Erling Haaland.
COSTIGAN: Yes. Incredible. And two stars, again, living up to billing.
I shade this one to England, because they have more stars in their attack. They have Harry Kane --
MICHAELSON: Harry Kane.
COSTIGAN: -- and Bellingham. But Haaland, you can't rule him out. He just knocked out Brazil. That's every kid's dream: to score the winning goal in a World Cup against Brazil. He lived it.
MICHAELSON: And the Norway fans are so fun.
COSTIGAN: They're the best.
MICHAELSON: We want to keep them going.
Argentina versus Switzerland. Messi going on Saturday.
COSTIGAN: Yes, look, Argentina were terrible against Egypt and still found a way to get through. Messi, nobody picked him to be a top scorer in this competition. We all thought four years ago that was the ride off into the sunset.
It's a new dawn. He's still riding along and doing fine. I think Argentina are just going to have too much for Switzerland in this one.
MICHAELSON: So, the match tomorrow, Spain-Belgium, is at 3 p.m. Eastern.
COSTIGAN: Yes.
MICHAELSON: Noon here in Southern California.
Good luck with the show on Sirius XM 157.
COSTIGAN: Thank you.
MICHAELSON: People across Asia are bracing for one of the strongest typhoons on the planet. We'll tell you how residents are preparing for this massive storm.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:49:27]
MICHAELSON: A former U.S. Olympian has pleaded not guilty to charges related to the damage in Washington's Reflecting Pool.
Canoeist David Hearn is facing a charge of destruction of property worth more than $1,000, which could land him in prison for up to ten years. Prosecutors say he peeled some sealant from the pool after renovators -- renovations happened earlier this year.
But the sealant was already falling off, and the pool was covered with algae, even before Hearn visited it.
President Trump is turning to the White House columns as his next project at the executive mansion. On Thursday, workers unveiled a new drape over the building's Northern entrance. An administration official described it as a standard restoration, working on the columns without giving more details.
[00:50:12]
Mr. Trump has pushed a number of construction projects at the White House and around Washington since taking office last year. That includes the demolition of the East Wing to build a new ballroom.
Turning to the weather, at least 12 people are dead as a massive wildfire is scorching parts of Spain's Southern coast. Some residents have been forced from their homes, while about 150 emergency crews battled the flames. The regional governor is calling it the most devastating fire the area has ever seen.
The region has been under high temperature warnings in recent days. Spain's prime minister has offered his condolences to the victims' families.
People in Southern China are grappling with severe flooding, triggered by torrential rain from the deadly Typhoon Maysak. Rescue teams are working to clear the roads to flood-hit villages so they can evacuate residents and deliver essential supplies.
Take a look at this dramatic footage of rescuers using drones to reach people stranded by flood water and fly them to safety. Local authorities say the storm left 39 people dead. At least nine others are reported missing in that region. On the heels of that typhoon, another large storm is threatening parts
of Asia. Typhoon Bavi, which is roughly the width of France, is now heading across the Pacific towards Taiwan.
CNN's Derek van Dam has more on how people are preparing for that storm.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): Parts of Asia are bracing for one of the strongest typhoons on earth this weekend. Typhoon Bavi is expected to bear down on Taiwan early Saturday morning before making landfall in Japan's Southern island of Ishigaki and Southeastern China.
Across the region, people are taking precautions ahead of the looming storm.
In Taiwan, residents are stocking up on supplies, sometimes emptying out store shelves. And along the coast, major fishing ports have shut down, and farmers are rushing to protect their crops from damage.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Typhoons usually cause fairly serious damage. Last year was particularly bad for us.
VAN DAM (voice-over): In Japan, some public parks and beaches appeared closed as authorities stepped up storm preps.
The region's All Nippon Airways says they'll cancel dozens of flights this weekend, serving Okinawa's airports. Local business owners are preparing for the worst.
HIROSHI NOMURA, SHOP OWNER (through translator): According to the typhoon forecast, I've heard that this one will be pretty big. I'm a little concerned about whether our typhoon preparations are enough.
VAN DAM (voice-over): Authorities in China have also intensified preparations, deploying personnel to patrol beaches and monitor water levels. Multiple provinces have upgraded their flood control response to the highest level.
DAI JINKUL, OFFICER, BRIGADE OF PLA SOUTHERN THEATER COMMAND (through translator): Due to continuous heavy rainfall, the earthen embankments have been soaked, making them highly prone to risks such as seepage, piping, landslides, and cracks in the dike body.
VAN DAM (voice-over): Bavi comes right on the heels of last week's Tropical Storm Maysak that triggered deadly flooding, rare tornadoes, and a reservoir collapse in parts of coastal and inland China.
Authorities say dozens of people have been killed.
And if the floods weren't dangerous enough, video posted on social media shows snakes swimming in the streets after a local news outlet reported more than 800 escaped from a breeding farm in Southern China. China's national climate center says the back-to-back storms are just
the start of a turbulent month, and it expects up to six typhoons to form in the Northwest Pacific and South China Sea by the end of July, almost doubling the expected average.
Derek van Dam, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Still ahead, we've heard of black boxes for aircraft, but what about one for the planet? Details on that next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:58:51]
MICHAELSON: An LGBTQ+ cruise carrying over 2,000 passengers has been denied access to ports in two Middle Eastern countries.
Last week, Turkey blocked the Scarlet Lady from docking, citing, quote, "moral standards." Well, now Egypt has denied the same ship the ability to dock. But the government so far has not given a reason.
CNN previously reported that most of the passengers are from the U.S., including Broadway icon Patti LuPone.
One passenger said, quote, "If they don't want our tourism, we will sparkle and spend elsewhere."
Tasmania's West Coast will soon be home to a landmark that hopefully never opens. The steel structure is known as Earth's black box. It is part art installation, time capsule, and a warning to humanity.
Creators say it will record every step leading towards a possible global catastrophe, tracking everything from temperatures and sea levels to climate reports.
Organizers hope it will serve as a motivator for climate action.
Thanks for watching the first hour of THE STORY IS. The next hour starts right now.
ANNOUNCER: Live from Los Angeles, THE STORY IS with Elex Michaelson.
MICHAELSON: Thanks for watching THE STORY IS. I'm Elex Michaelson.
