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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson

Prince Harry And Family To Move Back To Britain From The U.S.; USS Abraham Lincoln Heads Home; California Race Becomes National Test. FBI Says It Foiled a Plan to Bomb New York State Capitol; Monaco Bomb Target Speaks to CNN; Hayden Panettiere's Boyfriend Releases Statement. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired August 21, 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)

PRINCE HARRY, DUKE OF SUSSEX: There's only so much that I can do and operate and function within the U.K. when it comes to supporting my charities, visiting my friends, all of these things.

MAX FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: However, the couple's children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, have now been enrolled at British schools. The new school year begins in September, meaning their move is likely to take place soon, possibly within a matter of days.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you feeling excited for your parents?

FOSTER: Once back, the couple are expected to carry on the kind of charity work they've been doing in California and outside the U.K.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome to Australia.

FOSTER: It's not yet clear how long they'll stay or how closely they'll coordinate with the royal household to avoid clashes in public engagements and how they'll be folded into private royal family events. CNN understands the king was only told on Sunday about their decision to move back.

The Sussexes may have kept their secret until now, but how much privacy they can hold once they're back in the U.K. remains to be seen. Max Foster, CNN, Buckingham Palace, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks for watching the first hour of The Story Is. The next hour starts right now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Los Angeles, The Story is with Elex Michaelson. MICHAELSON: I'm Elex Michaelson live in Los Angeles. Coming up, the

story is a USS swap out. The carrier Abraham Lincoln is on the way home right now from the Middle East after concerns for the health of sailors and conditions of the ship.

The story is Swalwell's seat, millions were spent to stop Democrat Aisha Wahab from heading to Congress. We just spoke with her, why her victory reaches well beyond the Bay Area.

And the story is bombing in Monaco. The country's reputation as a safe haven for the super rich was shattered by an attack in June. Now, CNN gets an exclusive interview with the Ukrainian born millionaire that tack targeted.

Thanks for being with us. The top story is the USS Abraham Lincoln, the aircraft carrier is now heading home after a record-breaking deployment extended by the war with Iran. Reports of sailors' worsening mental health and deteriorating conditions aboard the ship have raised concerns among lawmakers and military families. CNN previously reported a sailor went overboard from the Lincoln this month as conditions on the ship prompted lawmakers to demand answers.

President Trump earlier this week dismissed concerns about the sailors aboard the Lincoln.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: And an admiral came up to see me over the weekend, and it was at a big group, and he happened to be an admiral, retired. He said, I've been on ships that are out there much longer than that, sir. And I know people on the Lincoln. They say it's beautifully maintained and beautifully taken care of.

And other people went out, and they found out to be true. It was fake news. Reporting from CNN.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: The military says the USS George Washington is now in the Middle East to relieve the troubled Lincoln. That move leaves the U.S. without an aircraft carrier in the Pacific.

Let's bring in retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Andrew Loiselle, joining us now from Reno. Thanks so much for being with us. Welcome back to The Story Is.

REAR ADM. ANDREW, LOISELLE, U.S. NAVY (RET.): Thanks for having me.

MICHAELSON: You're a former commander of the carrier strike group. You've spent a lot of time aboard the USS Harry Truman. You know what these ships are like. What's it like on board the Lincoln right now, and what is involved in getting it out, getting it home?

LOISELLE: Well, you've got to understand a little bit about what led up to this to understand the psychology that affects the crew when they finally get told they're going to go home. And so prior to this, they've been told, you know, okay, you're going to go on cruise. You're going to return at this date, and then that date gets extended by a couple of weeks or maybe a month. And each increment where that happens is a kind of up and down ride for the crew emotionally when they figure out when they're going to actually go home to their families.

So then when the announcement is actually made, and they find out that they are in fact going to leave, there is a huge sense of relief that kind of goes through the crew because they know they're actually going to start their way home. But it's about a 13,000 mile ride home. So that's going to take the better part of a month in order to do that. And so, they'll start getting ready to go home, getting all their aircraft ready to fly off, making sure that the ship is ready to go off. But it'll be a welcome break for the crew for the transit portion of this cruise until they get home.

MICHAELSON: And home is San Diego, California. We know that Iran attacked near a U.S. Navy base in Bahrain in the early days of this war. How has that impacted the Lincoln, its deployment, and maybe where it's headed now?

[01:05:05]

LOISELLE: Well, the Bahrain was the home of the Fifth Fleet. And so, yes, they absolutely were attacked, as were all of the other U.S. bases and many of our allies and partners in that region as well. But typically, that is where we would send supply ships to pick up all the supplies and the mail and that type of stuff and bring it back out to the aircraft carrier for their next replenishment. And so that's a relatively short journey for the supply ships.

But with the Strait of Hormuz being in a combat zone, that's not typically a risk that we would take to send unarmed supply ships through the Strait of Hormuz during combat in order to pick up supplies in Bahrain. And Bahrain is not the place where we would likely fly that type of stuff into anyway.

So, they ended up probably using Diego Garcia as a supply port, which is a much longer round trip for the supply ships. And so that ends up being a longer interval in between replenishments, a longer time in between mail and Amazon boxes and all the things that keep the morale up for the crew.

So that's, you know, hopefully get some more regular mail hits, and that will raise morale on the way home as well.

MICHAELSON: And lastly, from a strategic perspective, what does it mean to take the George Washington, a ship which is homeported in Japan, and send her out of the Pacific theater?

LOISELLE: Well, we've been talking about a pivot to the Pacific for over a decade at this point in time, and world events have largely conspired against our ability to pivot these actual forces to the Pacific. And this is yet another example of that. And the Navy provides an unbelievable number of underway deployed force days on an annual basis. If you go all the way back to the 600-ship buildup of the Reagan era,

we would provide X number of days underway every year with a 600-ship Navy. And now today, with around 300 ships in the Navy, we provide the same number of underway days. And that's a much higher stress on a much smaller force, which ends up having maintenance implications and delays follow-on availability of our carrier strike groups.

Now in the Japan theater, that carrier is home ported there to deter China. And anytime we're willing to take it out, that sends a strategic signal to all the countries in that area that something else was more important than you. And that's a very, very deliberate signal to send. It's got to be for something incredibly important.

MICHAELSON: Rear Admiral Andrew Loiselle, thank you for all your service to our country and thank you for breaking this down tonight. We really appreciate it.

LOISELLE: Thanks for having me, Elex.

MICHAELSON: We had a Breaking News. We head to Alaska, where we have just learned that a charter plane carrying eight people has crashed. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the plane had two pilots and six passengers on board. There is still no update on their status. Investigators have not yet determined the cause of the crash.

The Federal Aviation Administration says the plane took off from Anchorage on Thursday and then crashed near its destination. Officials have launched a search and rescue mission to try to find the passengers and the pilots. Again, that breaking news: a plane crash in Alaska.

Now to sexual assault or sexual harassment allegations against California Congressman Jimmy Gomez, who represents part of Los Angeles. The leaders of the U.S. House Democratic Women's Caucus called on the Ethics Committee to make their investigation a, quote, "quick process."

Several female lawmakers released a statement calling the accusations disturbing and saying they must be taken seriously. Gomez is accused of engaging in inappropriate sexual contact with a staff member. He acknowledged making personal mistakes outside his marriage, but claimed that his actions were consensual and did not violate any House ethics rules.

Meanwhile, federal authorities are moving forward with their investigation in the sexual misconduct claims against former U.S. House Democrat Eric Swalwell. Gomez was one of his campaign co-chairs, by the way.

Agents seized electronic devices from Swalwell at the San Francisco airport over the weekend and also raided his home in Washington. Swalwell and the FBI have yet to comment. Sources say the raids are connected to accusations of sexual assault, with one former staffer accusing Swalwell of rape. He denies all allegations of wrongdoing. Swalwell is being investigated by both the Manhattan District Attorney's office and the LA Sheriff's Department.

CNN is projecting that the special election to fill Swalwell's seat finally has a winner. Our decision desk says Democratic State Senator Aisha Wahab will win Tuesday's runoff vote, besting Melissa Hernandez, the president of the Bay Area Rapid Transit Board.

Last hour I spoke live with Wahab, her first cable news interview since being declared the winner. She talked about how her past has informed her priorities as she transitions into a federal position.

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(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AISHA WAHAB, (D-CA): Our race has always been to try to focus on the positive, try to bring people together to understand that this is one community that we have to protect our most vulnerable community members as well as uplift the entire community. Right. Even if we don't necessarily understand them as hopefully as a congressmember, I want to be able to work with my Republican constituencies, serve them as well as the people that did not vote for me that also have supported me. And that is kind of the leadership that I'd like to embody, and I have embodied as a state senator.

I will also say that this election and the value system that I have is, I have a record. I have capped insulin at $35 for a 30-day supply, capped HOA fines to $100, fought people wearing masks and literally kidnapping people, protected women and children, and so much more. As a kid who ended up in the foster care system because my father was murdered, you know, I prioritize victims first, right?

Not only victims, but the most vulnerable community member.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAELSON: Let's discuss with our panel former L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti and Republican political strategist Mike Murphy.

Let's start with you, Mr. Mayor. As somebody who knows the Democratic Party. This race is really interesting. Because in the first round of this, the primary, she won by 26 points. Then it goes to the top two.

She's up against Melissa Hernandez, and the race is like three or four points. What happened in between?

AIPAC decided to spend millions of dollars to defeat Wahab, who says that Israel committed genocide in Gaza. Hernandez, her opponent, does not. The two of them now facing off again in November for that seat for the full term.

But Israel and AIPAC has become central to these races in the Democratic Party.

ERIC GARCETTI, FORMER LOS ANGELES MAYOR: As is money. You know, money helps and certainly closed the gap. But money can hurt, as we saw in our gubernatorial race. Whether it's your personal money or outside money, there's kind of a saturation point too that I think voters can get turned off by. But she's very impressive.

I think people always focus on positions and policies, and they forget about personalities. And clearly, not only being the first Afghan- American, but as a foster parent myself, she may be the first, if not the first one of the first Americans ever elected who was in foster care.

I mean, this is a great story. It's a compelling story. Two great personalities, three-round fight in one single year. But I think at the end you have to look at that money when it comes in.

And I think a lot of voters are saying, especially in this day and age, I don't care who has the most money. I'll listen to a few messages. But at a certain point, too much. I'm going with the person who seems like the underdog.

MICHAELSON: I mean, how do you think. Because AIPAC, you know, when you guys first got involved in politics was like everybody supported AIPAC. It was the most bipartisan thing. Presidents showed up there. Every senator showed up to their conferences.

If you said anything bad about them, you were ostracized by both parties. Now it's become this lightning rod, and it seems like being pro-AIPAC may be something that may not get you the Democratic nomination.

MIKE MURPHY, POLITICAL STRATEGIES AND HOST, "HACKS ON TAP" PODCAST: Well, I think it's an open story. We're not sure one point about this race. That was a special election. I got to give her credit for winning.

But they go at it again in November, much bigger election, a lot more Republicans. It's a Democratic district, but a quarter of the vote will probably be Republican. I'm not -- if I were the congresswoman- elect, I'd go to Washington with pride, but I would rent, not buy, because it may be a short term Hernandez could.

MICHAELSON: And the weird thing about that race because California redistricted because Democrats believe in gerrymandering in this state at least, you know, after Texas gerrymandered with Republicans. The district's different.

So even what they just ran on the people voting is slightly different in November. So it's not even like they're doing the same.

GARCETTI: For a different venue.

MICHAELSON: Yes, yes.

MURPHY: But to your point, AIPAC has become controversial, particularly on the left wing of the Democratic Party. Now, why?

A lot of reasons. I think the big two are on those lefty voters in the primary, anything establishment is bad. It's not all ideology.

It's anybody in power, corporations. Schumer get rid of the majority leader. You know, Washington Democrats are bad. Big money groups like AIPAC, which, you know, as a friend of Israel, I'm a little tired of AIPAC being treated like a tobacco company.

If you're an American who cares about Israel, some of these hard-left candidates are saying some pretty scary things. We should not arm our ally. There's who are surrounded by non-democracy. Yes.

MICHAELSON: She said she does not believe in arming Israel, at least from the United States. Yes.

MURPHY: They're not, you know, they're in a very tough neighborhood. Remember how this all started? It started because a bunch of kill squads came over and started slaughtering Israelis. And you can argue about the Netanyahu governments.

[01:15:03]

GARCETTI: Well, it started a few thousand years ago.

MURPHY: Yes, right. Right.

MICHAELSON: That's a whole lot.

MURPHY: That's other story. We'll handle that tomorrow night. But -- so you're seeing Israel becoming more controversial, particularly in the Democratic Party, than it ever has before. And a lot of that is Netanyahu.

MICHAELSON: Yes.

MURPHY: And if you're looking at the Israeli security point of view, this isolation is not good. Right. And that may evolve on its own in the Israeli democracy, but these, I feel for AIPAC, because I agree with you. Big money can go the wrong way.

MICHAELSON: Right.

MURPHY: But they're not an outlaw organization. They got plenty to be upset about with her.

MICHAELSON: And a reminder that Netanyahu does not speak for every Jew in this country. And being exactly, you know, pro-Israeli government is not the same as all that stuff.

Interesting fight happening in the Democratic Party right now on where the next convention is going to be held for the presidential race in 2028. The DNC releasing the top three choices are Boston, Denver, and Philadelphia. Sound familiar?

They've all hosted Democratic national conventions pretty recently. They're all the top three. The city that was not making the top three is Atlanta, Georgia, which may be the most important swing state of all. And the mayor of Atlanta not thrilled about that.

Mayor Andre Dickens putting out quite a statement. It says, quote, "The DNC is abandoning Atlanta, abandoning the South, and once

again, abandoning the black voters." He went on to say this.

"It seems that Ken Martin, who's the chair of the DNC, doesn't even believe himself when he said that the road to the White House runs through the South." Does that mayor have a point, or is he just being a good mayor and standing up for his city? Mr. Mayor.

GARCETTI: Yes. And look, Mayor Dickens is a friend. I'm totally with him, not prejudging what the outcome should be, but not to have a single Southern city. And we've got to do what Republicans have done, which is take the fight to places that aren't the obvious wins.

We're seeing Iowa, Texas, Alaska, states that we haven't thought about in a few cycles actually being winnable states. We need to assume we're going to continue that sort of momentum. And Georgia is a great example. We cannot win the White House without Georgia.

Let's energize that electorate and see if it spreads throughout the South.

MICHAELSON: I mean, if you need Massachusetts, you're having a pretty tough year. And if you choose Boston as this vote and Philadelphia, another one, that, of course, is a swing state.

MURPHY: Yes. I don't -- I don't get the Boston signal. Now there's all -- the other half of this is how many drunk tanks they have for delegates, you know, all the mechanical stuff in every city. But putting that aside, Boston is a bad message.

I love Boston. Lived there once. Bad message.

Atlanta is a pretty good message. I'm with the mayor on this. If the Republicans regained about 100 IQ points that we used to have, I'd have the RNC announce today that Boston, and excuse me, that Atlanta is a top finalist and we're taking the convention there instead of Mar-a-Lago, wherever the hell they're going to want to do it. So, yes, it looks like a blunder to me.

MICHAELSON: Well, he said, of course, that the DNC doesn't care about the South. Interesting, the DNC did just choose South Carolina as the first state for the primary. And that is going to give a lot of power to black voters in narrowing down the field, not necessarily deciding the nominee like we've seen in the past.

MURPHY: The smartest Democrat in South Carolina, Representative Jim Clyburn, before the party got to him and said, "Would you quit saying it." Said we were better off as the big finish, the decider after the prelim. Now we're the prelim, and somebody else, maybe Michigan, and gets to be the big decider.

So that's sure it's that good for South Carolina.

MICHAELSON: Great having both of you guys. I can talk to you all night, but appreciate you coming in.

Now to this. Ethel Catherhim, named by Guinness as the world's oldest living person, has just turned 117 years old in England, where it is already her birthday Friday. Born in 1909, she is the last living subject of King Edward VIII, the eldest son of Queen Victoria.

She says her secret to a long life is to say yes to every opportunity because you never know what it will lead to. Ethel's own adventure began at 18 when she left England for India on her own. How about that? Former ambassador to India.

A Chinese court has decided the fate of a man at the heart of Chinese -- China's property crisis. Just to head details on the sentencing of Chinese Evergrande tycoon for fraud and misusing funds.

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[01:23:45]

MICHAELSON: The U.S. has deported its first group of migrants to the West African nation of Liberia. The group of 20 arrived in the capital of Monrovia on Thursday. Liberia's information minister says most would be from Latin American countries, including Cuba, Colombia and Venezuela. The U.S. has not publicly disclosed their nationalities.

Their arrival marks the start of a new agreement for Liberia to accept up to 1,200 deportees from third countries over the next year. It's part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to remove migrants who cannot be directly returned to their home countries.

Similar arrangements are in place with several other African nations. Rights groups have raised concerns about the risks faced by those deported to third countries and the lack of transparency surrounding that process.

Michael Cohen and Donald Trump have, for now at least, put aside their bitter feud and spoken kindly to one another in a new radio interview. Cohen was once the president's former personal lawyer and fixer and claimed he would take a bullet for him. Then, eight years ago, Cohen pleaded guilty in the hush money case and became the star witness in Trump's own criminal trial. President Trump was wounded by the betrayal, calling Cohen a rat and a liar.

And Cohen, the only person to serve time for the payment scheme, made it clear that he felt scapegoated. Here's part of their latest conversation with one another.

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: They weaponized you like nobody's ever been weaponized, like few have been.

MICHAEL COHEN, FMR. TRUMP ATTORNEY: Well, maybe just you and I, sir. But -

TRUMP: And you. Yes, met too but I don't consider mine, you know, mine was -- mine was at a level that nobody's ever seen before. But they weaponized you. They weaponized a lot of people. And I respect the fact that you recanted everything you said. And

that's a big -- that's a big thing that you did. That's a very big thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: Cohen later told CNN's Jake Tapper that he and the president chose to forgive one another and that forgiveness does not require amnesia. But does require the courage to stop allowing yesterday to dictate tomorrow.

Well, he was once the symbol of China's economic rise and formerly was one of China's richest men. Now the founder of the Evergrande real estate empire has been sentenced to life in prison for fraud and misuse of funds. CNN's Anna Stewart picks up the story.

ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Evergrande is the poster child for China's property crisis. And this sentencing draws a final line under the company and its founder. Hui Ka Yan had already pled guilty, and now he has been sentenced to life in prison, according to state media, stripped of political rights and ordered to forfeit all personal assets. It's quite a fall for someone who Forbes once named as the richest man in Asia.

The company he founded and its subsidiary are collectively fined more than $2 billion. It's unlikely this fine will be paid, though, given the existing liabilities. Evergrande has been in liquidation since 2024 and has defaulted on most of its $300 billion debt load.

This verdict makes clear where Beijing lays the blame for Evergrande's collapse. It's the result of criminal actions by the company and its founder.

There was a Chinese real estate bubble built with huge amounts of debt and money taken from buyers for homes that didn't yet exist. In 2020, Beijing cut developers off from credit. Evergrande and scores of other developers couldn't refinance and defaulted.

Last year, new home sales in China dipped their lowest value since 2014. So this verdict may close one chapter. But the crisis itself is still running. Anna Stewart, CNN, London.

MICHAELSON: People in Buenos Aires, Argentina, took to the streets on Thursday. They were expressing their anger over the economy and rising levels of household debt. The protest was dubbed the March of the Indebted.

One organizer said 20 million people in Argentina need credit just to pay their monthly bills. Argentina has been battered by high inflation, which the president blames in part for on the conflict in the Middle East.

Well, he narrowly survived a brazen bombing in Monaco. Now speaking exclusively to CNN about that attack and that badly injured him and his family, and who he thinks may be behind it. His story next.

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[01:32:17]

MICHAELSON: The FBI says it has foiled a plot to bomb the New York state capitol in Albany. Officials say 35-year-old Jessica Bowie conducted surveillance of the building after pledging allegiance to ISIS. She was arrested after receiving an inert bomb from undercover agents who posed as ISIS facilitators.

Shimon Prokupecz explains how investigators found out about her intentions.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: This was essentially a sting operation, right? They introduced informants, people who are cooperating with the FBI, into her life after it appears they found her through social media posts. She'd been posting about ISIS. She's been posting about other things that she wanted to do.

And that seems to be how the FBI came across her. And then using these informants they were able to build a relationship with her, these informants built this relationship with her.

And some of the things that she talked about and the harm that she wanted to do -- here's just a taste of some of what she was telling them. This was all recorded by the FBI.

She said at one point that, quote, "on the attack, maybe we time it where we know there's a meeting with the senators to try and get a good enough explosive in there to kill the senators and ideally, to destroy as much of the building as possible."

And then she also talked about just the impact that she allegedly wanted to have here. She said, quote, "I don't want to take this kind of risk and then have to kill -- have it kill what, two or three people," just the extent of the damage that she allegedly wanted to sort of hope that by building this bomb, she was talking to these informants about how to build the bomb.

And then at one point the FBI has her on tape going to a Home Depot where she is buying allegedly some of these items.

Look, this is what, sadly, you know, one of the things that is so striking about this is that she is 35 years old. For someone to have been radicalized, the FBI says, at such a late point is certainly striking.

She was in court. She was detained, and the case will go forward.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAELSON: Shimon Prokupecz, thank you for that.

The European Commission is warning about the growing threat of hybrid warfare following a new incident on Thursday.

Video shows Romanian F-16 jets striking a marine drone near an offshore gas project in the Black Sea. Romania says it believes that the explosive-packed drone was launched by Russia.

[01:34:46]

MICHAELSON: Meanwhile, the Kremlin is not letting up on its attack on Kyiv, where air raid alerts sounded at least three times on Thursday. That followed a massive barrage the night before, when Ukraine said at least 17 people were killed and dozens were wounded.

Monaco's reputation as a secure haven for the super-rich was shattered by a bombing attack in June. The attack targeted a Ukrainian-born millionaire, seriously injuring him, his partner and their child.

In an exclusive interview with CNN, he talks about surviving the attack and who he believes is responsible.

CNN chief global affairs correspondent Matthew Chance has that interview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: It's a glamorous playground for the super-rich. One of the world's tiniest nations, Monaco promotes itself as a haven of wealth and tranquility on the picturesque shores of the Mediterranean.

But one evening in June, as a Ukrainian-born businessman walked home with his family, that carefully-manicured image of security and calm was shattered, plunging the principality into violence and chaos.

Well, this is the exact place where the explosion took place. You can still see the impact of the shrapnel, the stucco plaster work here around the door has all fallen off.

And you know if I lift up the tarp here, you can see the marble steps and the brickwork is all shattered.

We've also made contact with the target of the attack, and despite his grave injuries, he's agreed to speak out.

VADYM YERMOLAIEV, BUSINESSMAN (through translator): When the explosion went off, I saw my partner, Anna, lying on the steps with badly- injured legs. My son was waving his bloodied arms, and I had burns across my whole body and was missing pieces of flesh.

I'm not a confrontational person. I've always tried to avoid any sharp conflicts, so I don't understand the reason why this happened.

CHANCE: There's a suggestion in Ukraine, and there are reports in Ukraine that this assassination attempt was linked to your involvement, alleged involvement in organized crime. How do you answer that? YERMOLAIEV: I personally have never in my life had anything to do with that. The Monaco police also asked me if my family could be involved, which was almost funny, as everything I own is already registered to my wife and children.

CHANCE: But clearly, someone wanted to send a message.

This is the face of the bomber, a 39-year-old single mother from Ukraine, Anastasiia Berezovska. She even recorded herself planting the device, in what investigators say was part of a complex international plot they're still trying to unravel.

Well, these narrow, twisting streets snaking through tiny Monaco are some of the most heavily-surveilled anywhere in the world. There are more than 1,400 surveillance cameras, basically watching everything anybody does and a police officer for every 60 residents of the principality.

The bombing appears to have been carefully planned to bypass all of that tight security.

And Monaco's police department is now under intense pressure to understand what went wrong.

"Multiple theories are being explored," the police chief admitted. Though he refused to elaborate or discuss the glaring connections with Ukraine and its security services.

But in a Kyiv court, those connections have become impossible to ignore.

Two men, a serving officer with Ukrainian military intelligence and a former security agent, now stand accused of executing Anastasiia Berezovska and burying the Monaco bomber in a shallow grave after she fled home.

For the Ukrainian authorities fighting a bitter war with Russia, it's a potentially embarrassing link that risks straining relations with its European backers.

Ukrainian military intelligence say the suspects are just criminals. But fueling speculation, Vadym Yermolaiev is sanctioned by Ukraine for doing business with its Russian enemies, though he's ruling out any link to his bombing.

[01:39:48]

YERMOLAIEV: I can't imagine it had anything to do with the Ukrainian sanctions against me, because that would mean our state is potentially engaged in extrajudicial executions. And I just can't believe that.

CHANCE: After the bombing, you accused the Ukrainian Security Services of being behind it. Is that still your view?

YERMOLAIEV: That's not just my view. All the facts point to it. But I think this was a contracted hit. Someone privately hired military intelligence specialists who know how

to do this. And they took it on for money.

CHANCE: In both Monaco and Kyiv, investigations are now in full swing to uncover the facts, including the possible role of Ukrainian guns- for-hire or rogue agents, making one of the world's most glamorous enclaves feel a lot less secure.

Matthew Chance, CNN -- Monaco.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAELSON: A sad update now on our breaking news out of Alaska, where a charter plane has crashed. We have now learned that all eight people on board have died. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the plane had two pilots and six passengers on board. Investigators have not yet determined the cause of that crash.

The Federal Aviation Administration says the plane took off from Anchorage on Thursday and crashed near its destination. Again, all eight people have died.

For our international viewers, "WORLD SPORT" is next. For our viewers in North America, I'll be right back with new details surrounding actress Hayden Panettiere's death.

Stay with us.

[01:41:39]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MICHAELSON: Actress Hayden Panettiere's boyfriend is breaking his silence about her sudden passing. CNN just obtained a statement from Brian Hickerson through his attorney, saying in part, quote, "Hayden's death remains under investigation. It's important to allow that investigation to proceed. As has been publicly reported, police confirmed there were no signs of foul play."

Panettiere, who openly struggled with addiction, died on Sunday in South Carolina at the age of 36. Brian Hickerson, who called 911, showed the responding officers a bag of her medications.

Well, now the Drug Enforcement Agency is reportedly involved in the investigation.

Joining us now to discuss this case is Moses Castillo, the retired detective supervisor at the Los Angeles Police Department and a private investigator.

Welcome back to THE STORY IS. It's good to see you.

MOSES CASTILLO, RETIRED DETECTIVE SUPERVISOR, LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT: Thanks, Elex.

MICHAELSON: So the DEA being involved, a lot of people reacted when they heard that. What does that tell us?

CASTILLO: Well, the timing is, to me alarming because it happened the very next day. So that tells me that maybe early on, there was some witness statements that indicated there was some sort of drug use.

So now the DEA is involved because they're going to follow the supply chain. Where did it come from? Who gave it to her? Who sold it to her? What was her access to that?

And they're going to explore that if there were any federal laws violated.

MICHAELSON: So potentially could be criminal charges for somebody involved if they were giving her illicit drugs, is what you're saying.

CASTILLO: Absolutely. The DEA is going to look into this to see if there's any federal laws that were violated. And if somebody did do this, they should be held accountable.

MICHAELSON: And we saw that like with Matthew Perry --

CASTILLO: Exactly.

MICHAELSON: -- right. That was an example of the DEA getting involved. And then we've seen people go to prison for that case.

CASTILLO: Absolutely. So my only question with that, Elex, is that does it have to be a celebrity to get the feds involved? Because when there's a high profile, the feds are involved. But when it's an ordinary family, it's just a death certificate.

And so I was concerned about that. But don't get me wrong, I'm glad that the DEA is involved because somebody should be held accountable if there was --

MICHAELSON: If there was, and we don't -- we don't know that yet. We don't have much information about this. We do know that the boyfriend was there.

And this boyfriend in 2019 was convicted of injuring a spouse. So he has a history of a conviction for domestic violence. How does that play into all of this and how would that play in for you as an investigator?

CASTILLO: Well, as an investigator, that's going to create a cloud of suspicion that's hanging over his head to figure out, hey, where were you? Let's establish this timeline.

Could he have been at the scene of the crime if there was a crime. And trying to figure out where he was, maybe even offer him a polygraph exam to see if he'll take it to verify his statements are being true when he denies any involvement.

MICHAELSON: And again, he has not been charged with any crime. And so far, the investigators say there are no signs of foul play. Well see if that changes. You mentioned this high-profile case. You've investigated plenty of

them working in the LAPD. Is it different when you're working on a high-profile case and there's so many people watching, so many big bosses breathing down your neck?

CASTILLO: Well, just that. You know, you have your bosses breathing down your neck and make sure we do everything right. But I got to tell you, we, LAPD and many agencies throughout the country, we give it our best shot no matter who it is.

And we are following the truth wherever the truth leads us. And if it leads us that there was a crime committed, we'll go there. But if it also points that this was an accident, we'll also go there as well.

MICHAELSON: Yes. And so we'll see what happens. Clearly this case, Hayden Panettiere getting a lot of investigative attention right now. It's so sad to think that she is gone.

CASTILLO: That's true.

MICHAELSON: Moses Castillo, thank you for sharing your perspective and your expertise. Always great to see you.

CASTILLO: Thank you.

MICHAELSON: We'll be back with a look at the big stories for the day ahead. You're watching THE STORY IS.

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MICHAELSON: In a rare public appearance, the first lady of the United States, Melania Trump, announced a new initiative supporting foster youth through a partnership with IndyCar and Fox Corporation. $2 million in scholarships will be available for youth transitioning out of the foster care system.

Mrs. Trump said she grew up attending Formula One races with her father in Europe. Because of that, she merged her interests with cars with her latest endeavor called "Fostering the Future".

All this comes as the Freedom 250 IndyCar race is held in Washington this weekend to help celebrate the 250th anniversary of the country. Cars will be racing on the National Mall, framed by landmarks including the Capitol Building and the Washington Monument.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, have a new home base in Europe. A spokesperson says the couple bought this 19th century castle in southeastern Ireland, so big you have to film it from a helicopter or drone.

The gothic style mansion overlooks a river, is located about 120 miles from Meta's European headquarters. Property's reportedly worth as much as 35 million bucks. Chump change for him.

A spokesperson for Zuckerberg said he and his wife are looking forward to spending time in Ireland.

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MICHAELSON: Let's take a look at the top stories for the day ahead.

President Trump expected to campaign for Darline Graham in South Carolina in the coming hours. The sister of the longtime U.S. Senator, Lindsey Graham, is running for his seat after his sudden defeat -- or after his sudden death, I should say, last month.

If she wins next week's special primary runoff, she'll compete for a full term in the November elections.

A top Canadian official says the U.S. and Canada are very close to a trade deal to reduce tariffs ahead of Saturday's deadline. Officials from both sides met in Washington on Thursday. The proposed deal would lower tariffs on Canadian-made cars and trucks, as well as steel and aluminum.

President Trump has threatened a new 50 percent tariff on about $20 billion worth of Canadian goods.

In the trial of Lindsay Clancy, the defense could rest its case as soon as the day ahead. On Thursday, jurors heard from her hospital chaplain, Sheila Cavanaugh. Cavanaugh testified that Clancy told her a voice in her head was telling her to do things to keep her children safe.

Clancy is on trial for allegedly killing her three children back in 2023.

Tomorrow on THE STORY IS, Van Jones and Joe Walsh join our panel live in studio, both for the first time. That should be a lot of fun.

As we wrap up this edition, a shout out and thank you to our audio operator, Ben. It's his last show working with us. He's such a talent. We love you, Ben.

And we love all of you for watching THE STORY IS. I'll see you tomorrow for more.

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