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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson
Canada's Retaliation Tariffs on U.S. Goods Now in Effect; Far- Right AfD Party Secures Historic State-Level Win; Gavin Newsom Champions Democrats Ahead of Midterms; Egyptian TV Presenter Sentenced to Death on Drug Charges; Nearly 300 People Exposed to Goats with Rabies at Petting Zoo; Republicans to Gather for Midterm Convention This Week; Newsom Stumps for South Carolina Dems, Weighs Presidential Bid; Report: Apple to Begin Biggest-Ever Run of Device Releases; William Shatner and Daughter Reflect on Dual Cancer Diagnoses. Aired 11:55p-1a ET
Aired September 08, 2026 - 23:55 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[23:55:34]
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Elex Michaelson, live in Los Angeles with headlines we're following in the CNN NEWSROOM.
It is almost 6:00 in the evening across Hawaii's western islands, where weather conditions have been deteriorating as powerful Hurricane Lowell inches closer to the state. The storm is currently a category two hurricane, with winds of 110 miles per hour. A rare hurricane warning is in effect for the islands of Kauai and Niihau, while a tropical storm warning is in effect for Oahu. The storm's projected path now shifts it closer to Hawaii.
Lowell's center is forecast to make it closest pass about 75 miles west of Kauai, as a category two hurricane Monday night through Tuesday morning. Already we have seen roads flooded after heavy rain in Oahu on Sunday. More rain is forecast across all the islands, though the heaviest is expected on Kauai, and Niihau, where as much as 10 inches of rain could fall.
Hawaii's governor declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm and is now urging residents to remain cautious.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. JOSH GREEN, HAWAII: Everyone, please stay at home. We've put an extra platoon of service members on duty on Kauai, and we're providing all the extra support possible, but the best thing to do is stay home, be in touch with your neighbors, make sure if there are any elderly neighbors that they're cared for.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Dozens of investigators are examining the scene of the Amazon cargo plane crash at Miami International Airport. The chair of the National Transportation Safety Board says a 32-person team will be on site for at least the next week. The Boeing 767 left a trail of wreckage on Sunday after overrunning the usual landing zone for Runway 30. It struck two vehicles, then caught fire. Five people were killed. Five others were injured.
CNN's Leigh Waldman has more on how the incident unfolded.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Guys, the plane is on fire. Plane is on fire. Put your game faces on.
LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): First responders at Miami International Airport sprang into action after an Amazon cargo plane overshot the runway and crashed into a parking lot.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It struck a truck. We do have a patient on the ground.
WALDMAN (voice-over): At least five people were killed. Five others were hurt.
JENNIFER HOMENDY, NTSB CHAIR: Overran runway 3-0 on landing. Struck navigational aids and equipment. Then impacted a 2012 white Ford Econoline van in the van where seven persons on board.
WALDMAN (voice-over): Tracking data shows the plane passed through a developing thunderstorm as it approached the airport.
MARY SCHIAVO, FORMER INSPECTOR GENERAL, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION: You're expecting turbulence, you're told, and you know, you're trained as a pilot to keep your speed up. So when they broke through and had the runway in sight and were coming in for land, they were going way too fast.
WALDMAN (voice-over): By the time it reached the runway's end, the plane was still going nearly 130 miles per hour, data from Flightradar24 showed.
HOMENDY: There's fuel everywhere that will have to be remediated. And as we speak, recovery operations continue.
WALDMAN (voice-over): Flames and thick black smoke were coming from the plane as crews rushed in. Over 60 fire rescue units and some 200 firefighters responded, according to authorities.
HOMENDY: We'll be here for at least a week. We will not be determining probable cause while we are on scene.
WALDMAN (voice-over): Monday, two runways remain closed at the airport.
I'm Leigh Waldman, reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Jerry Sandusky is changing his legal strategy in his latest effort to overturn his sexual abuse convictions. The 82-year- old former Penn State assistant coach was sentenced in 2012 to what amounted to a life sentence for sexually abusing 10 boys over a 15- year period. His attorneys had been seeking a new trial.
Well, just days before the man was expected to recant his testimony in court, Sandusky dropped the request and now says he wants to take his case to a federal court. Sandusky will appear remotely from prison Tuesday to confirm he wants to drop the petition.
Ohio's Democratic nominee for governor is commenting publicly for the first time since an armed man allegedly lunged at her during a campaign event on Sunday. Authorities say 38-year-old Patrick Havas injured multiple people as he pushed through the crowd at fair, where Amy Acton was speaking. They say Havas had two firearms and a set of brass knuckles on him, but they were not used during the incident.
[00:00:00]
Acton called it a, quote, "rough day," thanked law enforcement and first responders for their help. The county sheriff says Havas is expected to face assault and disorderly conduct charges.
Thanks for watching this special edition of CNN NEWSROOM. We will pause for a moment to allow viewers from around the world to join us for our nightly program, THE STORY IS, which starts right now.
ANNOUNCER: Live from Los Angeles, THE STORY IS with Elex Michaelson.
MICHAELSON: I'm Elex Michaelson. Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world.
It is just past midnight on the East Coast of the United States and Canada's new counter-tariffs on hundreds of American products have just taken effect. Canada is now imposing duties of 15 percent, 25 percent and 50 percent on more than 700 American goods.
It is the latest escalation in the trade war between the U.S. and one of its closest allies. Canada is now doubling its tariffs on U.S. steel and aluminum to 50 percent. Home appliances, agricultural products, dairy and paper goods will also be hit. Canadian officials say they are watching the Trump -- matching the Trump administration's recent tariffs dollar for dollar after trade talks last broke down last month.
Canada is the second largest export market for American goods, and these new tariffs could make it harder for U.S. companies to sell there. That means more uncertainty for American businesses and workers.
Diamond Isinger is a policy strategist and former special adviser on U.S.-Canada relations to then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. She joins me now from Vancouver.
Thanks so much for being with us. Welcome to THE STORY IS.
DIAMOND ISINGER, POLITICAL STRATEGIST: Thank you for having me.
MICHAELSON: So why is Canada doing this?
ISINGER: Well, we're doing this and our government is doing this as the response to the unfortunate, unfair and unilateral actions taken by President Trump and his administration. Canada has been put in an untenable position of having these actions taken against us, despite our good faith efforts in recent times, our long term partnership with the United States. And we need to stand up for ourselves, both in the context of a trade war and set of negotiations, but also for our continued sovereignty in the face of memes and much more serious threats from the U.S. president.
MICHAELSON: Is this issue actually uniting Canadians who may be from different political persuasions in their frustration with what's happening with President Trump?
ISINGER: There's a pretty strong consensus right now in Canada of, A, the need to take action opposite the actions taken by the U.S. administration. But B, the importance of standing together as Canadians, of buying Canada, of supporting Canadian businesses. We know, for example, retailers here in Canada have increasingly introduced Canada flag labels on store shelves to make clear which products are being made here or are supporting local jobs within our country.
But interestingly, in recent days as well, some of those same retailers, in anticipation of tonight's introduction of tariffs have been talking about adding new labels to store shelves that indicate which products are tariff affected, so that consumers understand why their costs may be increasing. But absolutely, there's a broad base of public support in Canada right now for a multi-partisan perspective, in the interest of continuing to stand up for ourselves, even if that does mean some potentially short to medium term economic consequence here in Canada.
MICHAELSON: To that point, how much of a consequence is this going to be, and how does this end?
ISINGER: Well, great question. I wish any of us knew how this ended. But in terms of what the consequence could look like, we are absolutely faced with challenges here in Canada right now. We have hard hit sectors, especially in steel, aluminum, the forestry sector, some others that have been facing the actions that the U.S. has taken in terms of existing tariffs that have already been introduced.
We have, with these new retaliatory tariffs, challenges in terms of the inputs required for certain Canadian businesses. But this retaliatory tariff list of these 700 or so products that are being -- having new retaliatory tariffs applied to them by Canada as of tonight has been a very carefully considered list. It's actually one that the government of Canada put out, announced several weeks ago, shortly after the collapse of talks with the U.S. administration, did further consultation on, made some revision to, to really make sure that it was responsive to the needs of, you know, Canadians, stakeholders, industry and others.
And so I'm quite confident that as we press ahead, while it is uncomfortable, it may result in, unfortunately, increased costs in the short to medium term.
[00:05:03]
It's the price of us continuing to stand up for ourselves and making sure that our country can both be and be seen to be strong.
MICHAELSON: Well, it's quite a contrast from when Prime Minister Trudeau was, say, working with the Biden administration on these sorts of issues. And it is a different day in the history of the United States-Canadian relations.
Diamond, thank you so much for sharing your perspective. Really appreciate it.
ISINGER: Thank you for having me. Have a great night.
MICHAELSON: Turning now -- you too.
Turning now to Ukraine, where officials in the capital say at least six people have been injured and many have taken shelter amid a Russian missile and drone attack. It comes after a 72 hour-truce expired and just one day after U.S. envoys visited the region hoping to revive peace talks. That temporary truce had protected only Kyiv and Moscow while Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited both capital cities over the weekend.
They say the U.S. is pushing to resume trilateral talks to help end the conflict. Both men appeared optimistic about a resolution after extensive meetings with President Putin and Zelenskyy.
Presidential candidates in Brazil are celebrating independence day, rallying supporters ahead of a hotly contested election there. The current president, Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, presided over a military parade in the capital where attendees spoke of their patriotism. Lula is seeking his fourth nonconsecutive term on October 4th.
An estimated 28,000 people rallied in Sao Paulo against Lula's government in favor of right-wing candidate Senator Flavio Bolsonaro. The latest poll shows the two candidates are tied at 41 percent ahead of that vote.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says he was deeply shocked by election results from the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, where the Alternative for Germany Party secured 39 of 83 seats in parliament. Well, that's short of a majority. The victory is the closest a far- right party has come to holding power in a German state since World War II.
CNN's Fred Pleitgen has more on why the election results were such a shock to Germany's mainstream political parties.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, they stand for being anti the political establishment here in Germany. One of the things that Friedrich Merz said is that the election results in Saxony-Anhalt, which is actually a very small state, nevertheless, of course, the world was watching this election, that he was surprised at how bad the election results were for his governing party, for the Christian Democratic Union. And that clearly meant that there were many people in Germany and in the state specifically, who felt that they were being left behind by those reforms, and who felt that they weren't being heard.
Now, if we look at the AfD and some of its programs, some of it is actually highly controversial among many people here in Germany. First and foremost, the terminology that went around one of these policies, which is called re-migration, which essentially means the mass deportation which the AfD wants of undocumented immigrants and of immigrants who had been accused of crimes.
And the chairwoman for the AfD, Alice Weidel, she told me right after the election results came in, that re-migration is very much part of their policy and that she was in favor of mass deportations as fast as possible. On the other hand, also, the AfD also very much for improving relations with Russia. Aside from some MAGA figures, also some senior Russian figures who congratulated the Alternative for Germany as well.
And they do believe that they have a mandate to govern. The main candidate of the AfD, Ulrich Siegmund, he said exactly that earlier today. Here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ULRICH SIEGMUND, AFD LEADING CANDIDATE (through translator): This is the best result any party has achieved in Saxony-Anhalt since 1990. You really have to stop and appreciate that fact. So this result is, of course, a mandate to govern. But, and we emphasize this yesterday, too, only on the condition that we remain true to ourselves, that we don't compromise our principles and that we don't become like those who are heavily punished by the voters in Saxony-Anhalt yesterday.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: And so some of those main principles indeed are being tough on migration. Also, good relations with the Russian Federation and cutting both military and financial aid to Ukraine. And, you know, we've been talking about the fact that this is a very small state, only about 2.1 million people live here. But certainly the top brass of the Alternative for Germany does believe that this could be a stepping stone for them to take power in the entire country in the not-too-distant future.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Our thanks to Fred Pleitgen reporting there.
Here in the U.S.. California Governor Gavin Newsom has been campaigning across the southern states ahead of the midterm elections. Newsom, who is set to leave office in January, is canvasing for Democratic candidates. He rallied supporters in North Carolina over the Labor Day weekend. He was also in South Carolina last week, where he acknowledged he's feeling out a potential 2028 presidential campaign.
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Last month, Democrats selected South Carolina to host the first of six early presidential primaries kick off the party's 2028 nominating contest. Newsom insisted that that was not his main motivation in making the trip.
CNN senior reporter Edward-Isaac Dovere has been tracking all of this for us. He joins me live from Washington, D.C..
You were there with Newsom on the ground following all this. You got a chance to talk to him about all of this. It's interesting. He chose places in South Carolina that a lot of the party regulars don't go, some red counties that are in rural areas. And you asked him about why he chose to do this trip. Let's listen to what he told you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D), CALIFORNIA: I love going where no one else is going. I don't know how you can live in this moment, and, you know, with all the rights regression that we've been talking about, particularly in our party, and not reconnect with the south. So combination of those two factors and the fact that there's a familiarity here, because I was here for Harris, I was here for Biden. And, yes, fourth, obviously it's an early calendar state. But, you know, my state of mind was here before.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Fourth, it's an early calendar state. OK. So -- but because it's an early calendar state and because of, you know, the biggest question that matters is, what did people think of him? Did they like him? How did people react to him? What did you see?
EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Look, he was, as you say, going to these smaller places, places that are not Democratic strongholds. But he did get a pretty strong turnout. And these are not meant to be events that had thousands of people at them. They were meant to be events that had about 100 people at them. And at -- several of them, they had to put out more chairs than were there to start with.
One event that we're at on Thursday, the air conditioning was really struggling to keep up with what was going on with the crowd that was there. The kind of crowd that he was drawing I think is also pretty important. These were mostly events during the day on a Thursday and Friday in South Carolina, which meant that there were a lot of retirees showing up.
But more importantly, I think when you think about what Newsom is going to need, if he does go forward with a presidential campaign here, is that the crowds were largely white. They were not very diverse either in age or in race. And in South Carolina that matters a lot. It's the first primary state now, as you mentioned. It is a state where the primary electorate is over 50 percent black it tends to be. And so having support among black South Carolinians is crucial to a presidential campaign.
Now, I said to him when we sat down and talked, we were at the African American Cultural and History Center in Aiken, South Carolina, and there were very few black people even there. I talked to some of them. You see in the article that I wrote about this. It's on our site. One of them said to me that he was looking around. He had just said to his wife, where are our people? Are we not part of the Democratic Party anymore?
And when I said that to Newsom, he said, look, it's because I think we're doing these events during the day. When I've come other times there have been more black supporters there. And I did see at some events, some people who were black, who were very enthusiastic about him. But again, not that many. And yet the governor, the candidate for governor, the Democratic candidate, his name is Jeremiah Johnson in South Carolina, is very eager to have Newsom around with him. Did a fundraiser with him on Thursday.
He appeared with him in public on Friday. And so, it's a good start for him if he wants to have a presidential campaign here. But there's clearly a lot of work left to do.
MICHAELSON: And the congressman from South Carolina, James Clyburn, has also appeared with him in South Carolina in the past and said very nice things about him as well. We know that has a lot of sway with black voters in South Carolina, but he did try to talk up the midterms and the importance of the midterms. Here's what he said to you about that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEWSOM: It's the most -- I mean, I hate to say it because I hate when people say this, but it's the election that defines all the elections we've had, at least in my lifetime. It's that consequential. So we're here just putting everything, putting everything on the line and reminding everybody what's at stake.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: So that's him talking about the midterms. But he also, of course, admitted to you that this is also about 2028. I'm curious, who is the frontrunner in South Carolina? Is there one right now in terms of a presidential race? I mean, obviously we don't know anybody who's even going to run. But how --
DOVERE: Yes.
MICHAELSON: How do folks on the ground feel about that?
DOVERE: Well, there was a moment on Thursday afternoon where we were in Dorchester County when there was a traffic accident on the -- one of the smaller roads that was leading to this place. And Newsom was about an hour and a half late. I got to the site maybe 20 minutes before him. We were all stuck in traffic, but the South Carolina state chair, who should be noted as a black woman herself, her name is Crystal Spain, it was her 50th birthday on Thursday. [00:15:07]
She showed up to a lot of events to introduce him. And then she was saying to the crowd as she was vamping for time, hey, who else would you want to see? We've got Gavin Newsom coming.. Who else was interesting to you? And, look, it's very anecdotal and not at all scientific. But the names that were coming up there, and I should say in other conversations that I had over the course of that time in South Carolina, were primarily Pete Buttigieg, former Transportation secretary, Mark Kelly, the senator from Arizona, Jon Ossoff, the senator from Georgia.
Importantly, next door to South Carolina, shares a lot of media markets that sees running for reelection himself this year. Those are the ones that were coming up the most. There was some talk about Josh Shapiro. There was a mention of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at one point, but it seems like it -- the conversation, not surprisingly at this point, is being driven by the people who've been sort of in the news the most and talking about running for president and showing up.
Buttigieg was in South Carolina a couple of weeks ago. Mark Kelly has been there. So that -- this, as you say, has a lot to do with who decides actually to go forward with running and then who parks themselves in which state and how it all comes to be. We are a very, very long way from making any sense of what this race will be like. But it does seem like Gavin Newsom will, if he decides to go forward, will have something of a reservoir of support to draw on, at least in these early days.
MICHAELSON: And one advantage for Newsom is he would be a former governor, which means he could park himself in that state where some of the other current governors won't be able to do, because they have to actually govern their states.
DOVERE: Yes,
MICHAELSON: So you can read more of Edward-Isaac Dovere's article on CNN.com. It's titled "Gavin Newsom will Leave Office in January in South Carolina." He previews what could come next. Great reporting as always. Thanks so much for staying up late for us. Really appreciate it. Great to have you.
DOVERE: Sure. Thank you.
MICHAELSON: If you can believe it, four years ago today, Queen Elizabeth II died and her son ascended to the throne as King Charles III. Well, now, as the royal family marks the anniversary, the king is confirming that Prince Harry and Meghan remain non-working royals. A letter from the palace says there is, quote, "no change to their status" following the couple's return to the U.K..
Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties in 2020. The palace says any charitable work that they do will be a private matter, and they will not carry out official engagements for the crown.
Coming up, a Cairo court has sentenced a well-known Egyptian TV host and 11 others to death for their alleged role in a criminal drug ring. Her emotional plea to the judges when we come back. Plus a visit to a petting zoo has turned into a serious health threat. Race against potentially fatal infection, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:22:33]
MICHAELSON: Egyptian state media report a popular TV host is among 12 people sentenced to death for their alleged role in a drug trafficking ring.
Our Nada Bashir has more on the case.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NADA BASHIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Death by hanging. That is the sentence facing Egyptian TV presenter Sarah Khalifa, along with 11 others over their alleged role in a drug trafficking network, according to state media. The TV host is a well-known entertainment and social media figure in Egypt, with some 2.5 million followers on Instagram. She's best known for presenting the Egyptian crime show "Mission Impossible," as well as managing her own cosmetic surgery clinic.
Now, the 39-year-old is among 12 defendants accused of forming an organized criminal gang said to be involved in importing substances used to manufacture drugs with the intent of then selling them. Prosecutors say 750 kilograms of synthetic narcotics and other raw materials were seized from the property, where the defendants allegedly stored and made the drugs. State media also reports the gang has also been sentenced for the possession of firearms without a license.
In video circulating on social media, Khalifa is heard weeping during her sentencing, pleading for mercy and humanity.
CNN has been unable to independently verify the footage and has contacted her attorney for comment.
News of the death sentence being issued has sent shockwaves across the world. In 2025 alone, Egypt issued nearly 500 death sentences, one of the highest recorded rates in the world, according to Amnesty International.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Our thanks to Nada Bashir for that.
Here in California, the Menendez brothers have been granted an early parole hearing tentatively scheduled for March 2027. Erik and Lyle Menendez were convicted of killing their parents, Jose and Kitty, in the family's Beverly Hills home back in 1989. A judge initially sentenced them to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Relatives pushed for their release. Last year a judge resentenced the brothers to 50 years to life, making them eligible for parole. A health alert is unfolding across North Carolina, where hundreds of
people have been evaluated for rabies after they interacted with baby goats. Officials say a mobile petting zoo took the animals throughout the state and visited at least 10 locations.
CNN health reporter Jacqueline Howard has more.
[00:25:05]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH CORRESPONDENT: Health officials in North Carolina say they've already evaluated nearly 300 people for rabies after those people interacted with baby goats from the mobile petting zoo.
Now the baby goats, they belong to a farm called Farm Adventures, based in Harmony, North Carolina. And between July 28th and August 27th, this mobile zoo traveled across the state, visiting at least 10 locations.
We're talking about assisted living facilities, private parties, and even a back-to-school bash. And health officials say if you or your children had contact with the baby goats from Farm Adventures during that time, call your local health department immediately for a rabies risk assessment.
To be clear, there is no broad risk to the general public. But for those exposed, it's important to get evaluated. So far, at least 284 people have been evaluated, and state health officials have already recommended post-exposure prophylaxis care, including rabies shots, for 213 of those who were evaluated.
Remember, rabies is typically deadly if left untreated, but prophylaxis care is considered nearly 100 percent effective if you get it before symptoms start, and early symptoms can take up to two months to develop. They include flu-like symptoms like headache and weakness, as well as irritation if you've been bitten. So irritation at that bite site. So don't wait if you think you may have been exposed.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Good advice from Jacqueline Howard.
Still ahead this hour, the latest on Hurricane Lowell as the powerful category two storm churns towards the Hawaiian Islands. Plus, our political panel here to break down the day's headlines, including this, a preview of this week's Republican midterm convention that the party chairman promises will be a Trump-a-palooza. They've never done this before. Will it work? And how is it going to work?
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MICHAELSON: Welcome back. I'm Elex Michaelson. Let's take a look at today's top stories.
[00:31:54]
Canada is putting pressure on the U.S. with new tariffs that kicked in at midnight Eastern Time. The new duties affect more than 700 U.S. goods, from steel and aluminum, to home appliances and agricultural products.
Canada says it is a direct response to the Trump administration's recent tariffs, which Prime Minister Mark Carney has promised to match, dollar for dollar.
The outer bands of Hurricane Lowell are now lashing parts of Hawaii with heavy rains, as the Category 2 storm inches closer to the islands. Conditions have been deteriorating on the Western islands of Kauai and Ni'ihau, where a hurricane warning is now in effect.
The projected track has Lowell's center passing to the West of those islands before turning towards the Northwest and moving away from the state.
President Trump is expected to Mark the upcoming 25th anniversary of 9/11 with first responders and officials. In the coming hours, a 21- foot-steel beam recovered from the South Tower of the World Trade Center will be brought to the White House as part of the ceremony.
It's part of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation's Steel Across America campaign, a nationwide effort to connect communities with a piece of 9/11 history.
Our political panel is here. Caroline Heldman is a Democratic strategist and political scientist, and Dan Schnur is a political commentator, professor at USC, U.C. Berkeley, Pepperdine. He also writes a brand-new political newsletter at DanSchnur.Substack.com. Just getting into the Substack game in the last day. Welcome. Caroline, a professor at Occidental College. We've got the brain trust of L.A. professors here tonight.
So, great to have both of you here on THE STORY IS.
Let's start with this headline of the Republican midterm convention. This has never been done before. President Trump is going to be producing a two-day TV show where he's going to be speaking both days.
J.D. Vance is also going to be there. A lot of his cabinet is going to be there. Some Republican candidates are going to be there. Notably, some Republican candidates are not going to be there.
Is this an effective tool of reminding folks that President Trump is very much a part of the Republican Party?
CAROLINE HELDMAN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, it's a terrible idea for Republicans. It's great for Democrats. You know, the more that we can center this election on Donald Trump, with a 38 percent, at best, approval rating.
This is a man who really loves the spotlight. He loves these rallies. He loves the loves these media events.
But there's a reason why so many Republicans are staying away, right? There's a 22 percent gap in enthusiasm between Democrats and Republicans.
And Donald Trump has a really hard time focusing on the issues he should be focused on, which is the economy. And so, I think this is really going to hurt.
It's going to be two days of really dragging the party down and reminding them he's in an unpopular war in Iran. His immigration policies are unpopular. Epstein files. You know, hopefully, there will be some focus on that. He hasn't released those.
So, he's underwater. And there's a reason, you know, why folks are staying away from this.
MICHAELSON: But there's also a reason, Dan, why a lot of folks voted for him in the first place. The Republican base really likes Donald Trump, which is why they voted him for president three different times.
I mean, is this possible that this activates the base, people who have only voted when Donald Trump's name has been on the ballot and not in other midterms when he hasn't?
[00:35:08]
DAN SCHNUR, POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, Caroline is exactly right in that this type of elevation of Trump into the midterm elections is not going to be good for Republicans.
But, Elex, you know this. Presidential elections might be about persuading swing voters, but the way you win a midterm election is by motivating your base.
I think Trump understands intuitively that there's not a lot of the political center available to him. And so, if Republicans are going to accomplish anything this year, if they have any chance of holding Congress, it's going to be by turning out MAGA nation in immense numbers.
Look, every presidential -- every election is a referendum on the incumbent. And most incumbents' parties lose seats during a midterm. So, most incumbents keep a low profile during their midterm elections.
Donald Trump's political action committee is running ads nationwide that don't mention Republican candidates, that don't mention Democratic candidates, that don't even mention the midterms.
MICHAELSON: Right.
SCHNUR: They just talk about Donald Trump. And this convention will highlight him even further. Trump likes this. It's good for him. Strategically, it might be his only option at this point. MICHAELSON: Well, it's interesting also that the -- the timing. He
chose to go up against the debut of NFL football. And for a guy who's obsessed with ratings, to know that both of those things are going to draw big ratings may be tough.
But -- but it'll be interesting to see. We've never seen something like this ever before.
Meanwhile, the race to replace Donald Trump is already underway. We saw Gavin Newsom, the governor of this state, out in South Carolina, in North Carolina and Alabama. Edward-Isaac Dovere talked to us earlier in the show about -- about his campaigning.
How do you see him as -- as a candidate and what he's doing right now?
HELDMAN: Well, I'm super biased. I think that Gavin Newsom would make an excellent president. He's been a great governor of California.
Not without his faults, but he's someone with a really high I.Q., empathy and policy. He's a policy wonk.
So, I don't know. I think he looks like he's from central casting. And my thought would be that, while we might hold that against him, in theory, once he's actually on the campaign trail, I think he will do very well.
And the fact that he's going to the South, he's going to some of these states that are moving up in the Democratic lineup. He's being very strategic about this.
And he also is leaving office, so he doesn't have to worry about, you know, serving his constituents in California while also running for the presidency.
MICHAELSON: What do you think is his biggest weakness as a candidate?
SCHNUR: Well, I mean, look, Don [SIC] -- Gavin Newsom is a tremendously talented political athlete. But when he goes to states like South Carolina and Alabama, this is a millionaire winery owner who's the former mayor of the city of San Francisco.
And one of the things we saw when he was on the ground in these Southern states -- and the same thing will hit him in the Rust Belt, in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and Michigan -- is people in those parts of the country are suspicious of California. They see California as not just politically, but culturally very different.
And I think the challenge for Newsom, given his political and professional biography, to overcome those cultural obstacles; that might be his greatest challenge as a candidate.
MICHAELSON: You're saying he looks like a handsome, rich guy?
SCHNUR: You took the words right out of my mouth, Elex.
MICHAELSON: So, you know, and he may not be the only governor or former governor running.
Axios had an interesting story. We want to put this up on the screen. "Dem Governors Weighing the White House Face the DeSantis Trap." Remember, Ron DeSantis ran for president last time as an active governor.
Let's bring this quote up on the screen. "Do the governor candidates get in the race early -- before their post-election legislative sessions start -- and risk not being focused on their constituents? Or do they wait until late spring to rack up policy wins and give their opponents a head start on a White House run?"
Newsom will be out of office by this point, so this doesn't apply to him. But other governors -- Josh Shapiro, J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, potentially Wes Moore, Andy Beshear of Kentucky -- they could all be running while being governor. Your thoughts?
HELDMAN: Well, I think they can learn from DeSantis. I actually think it's a -- it's a marketing issue, right? Because when you're talking about governors being focused on the legislative session, it has a lot more to do with perception than reality. Because most of the time, it's their staff doing the work.
And so, if they can learn from DeSantis, I do think they should get out as early as possible. And when I mean, learn -- what I mean by learn from DeSantis is make sure that you are very focused on your particular state.
And there are ways to do that, whether it's campaign stops or whether it's press releases or press conferences. But all of these candidates need to get out early, because this is going to be an incredibly crowded Democratic field.
[00:40:02]
MICHAELSON: When does it start? The day after the midterms?
HELDMAN: It started.
SCHNUR: It already has started.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
SCHNUR: So, Elex, just to follow up on this real quick, every politician has to split between -- time between their day job and their candidacy. Governors, senators, members of Congress, with the possible exception of the vice president. Everybody has a day job.
But what I would say is this about the DeSantis comparison. Ron DeSantis didn't lose the Republican primary because he was busy being governor. He lost the Republican primary because he was a really lousy candidate.
MICHAELSON: Well, yes.
SCHNUR: And so, I see the revisionism taking place among his advisors. They want to portray it in a different way. But ultimately, for this current crop of governors, their biggest challenge isn't how they split their time. It's to be better candidates than DeSantis was.
MICHAELSON: And he also lost the nomination, because New York charged Donald Trump with crimes and the entire Republican base rallied around him, including Ron DeSantis. And he became an almost martyr for the Republican primary base, which helped increase his favorability. And everybody else looked small in comparison.
SCHNUR: Unlikely to happen for Josh Shapiro.
MICHAELSON: All right. Dan, Caroline, you're hanging out with us. We'll have more to talk about in our next hour, including those tariffs from Canada.
But up next here, Apple's new CEO is due to make his Mark in a historic way this week. Still ahead, what can we expect to see at Apple's much-anticipated Surprise and Shine event on Wednesday?
The top reporter on Apple in the whole country is live on our set next to talk about what your phone is going to look like in a few weeks.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:46:21]
MICHAELSON: Apple's new CEO, John Ternus, is about to have his first big moment in the spotlight.
The tech giant is holding what he's calling a Surprise and Shine event on Wednesday. Ternus, who takes the reins from Tim Cook, is expected to begin unveiling the biggest run of device releases in Apple's history.
One of the most anticipated reveals and the most significant change to its smartphone lineup could be the first foldable iPhone. And Ternus is taking over just as Apple faces pressure to catch up in the A.I. race.
Bloomberg news managing editor Mark Gurman joins us now, who reports on all things Apple.
Mark, welcome to THE STORY IS for the first time.
MARK GURMAN, BLOOMBERG NEWS MANAGING EDITOR: Thanks for having me. Glad to be here.
MICHAELSON: Let's put your headline up on the screen: "Apple to Kick Off Ternus Era with its Biggest Ever Slate of New Products." And then you talk about what some of those products are.
Let's put those up on the screen, as well. This is the September 9 announcement. The foldable iPhone, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, and then the Apple Watch series 12 and Ultra 4.
Now, the iPhone and the Apple Watch are similar to what's before. We've never seen a foldable iPhone before. What's the purpose of that?
GURMAN: Yes, this will be a first for Apple. Foldable phones. You go all the way back to 2019. Samsung released their first one.
And the first one was kind of finicky. It felt like a prototype. Nobody was really buying them.
But the foldable market right now is getting a little bit hot. It's about 2 percent of the overall market. But in China, which is really important for Apple and these other industry players, it's growing at twice that speed.
And so, they really need to have a successful launch there for this to be a big hit.
MICHAELSON: And so, we've seen Samsung. We see those ads sometimes of their foldable phone. And you brought a foldable phone from Samsung to sort of show us how it works.
GURMAN: Yes. This is the new Samsung Z Fold8. And what's unique about this is a bit shorter. But when you open it up, it's actually wide. So, it has a wide display.
And what's good about the wide display is when you're watching video or doing e-book reading or using it as a camera viewfinder, it looks much better than the typical square aspect ratio of most foldable phones.
And so, this design, this was the breakthrough that Apple had a few years ago while developing the foldable technology. And they said, we're going to go with this.
And some people call it a passport style, because when it's closed, it's about the shape of a passport. It fits really nice in your pocket. It's really, you know, an adorable form factor.
And I think Samsung did a nice job, but Apple's is going to take it to a whole new level this week.
MICHAELSON: So, the advantages of this is it's easier to fit in your pocket. And it's a bigger screen to watch movies on, to read a book, something like that.
GURMAN: Your show.
MICHAELSON: Watch THE STORY IS, of course.
GURMAN: Yes.
MICHAELSON: Thank you for that. Of course, the most important thing to watch on there.
GURMAN: Yes.
MICHAELSON: But there are some downsides to it, too. GURMAN: The thing with foldable phones is they're very expensive. So,
I'm expecting this thing to come in North of $2,000. So, about twice the price of an everyday iPhone that you may buy.
The camera is also not as good. The Apple version will have two cameras on the back, whereas the high-end iPhones today have three cameras. So, you're missing what's known as the telephoto lens.
And if you have kids or you want to take photos of the sky, the telephoto is really important, because you get much deeper zoom at higher quality. This new phone won't have that.
And then of course, it's a much thinner frame, because it's closed as -- as like a book. And so, it can get really thick if they don't make each panel super thin. And so, the battery life gets hit a little bit there, too.
But Apple feels like being able to open up to an iPad mini-sized screen. And the advantages you have for video and gaming and content editing and what have you, multitasking, outweigh some of the weaknesses.
[00:50:06]
MICHAELSON: We mentioned the name John Ternus. He is taking over from Tim Cook.
When we think of Steve Jobs, who of course, was there before Tim Cook, Steve Jobs did the big stuff; changed the world, right? The iPhone, the iPad, the iPod. There hasn't been, like, a dramatic world-changing invention since Tim Cook has taken over.
GURMAN: When you think about what Tim Cook did, is he took Apple's existing product pipelines and gave them steroids, basically.
When Steve Jobs stepped down, there were 1 or 2 iPhone models. Now, if you really add it up, there's going to be nearly ten.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
GURMAN: Right. He created Airpods, and now there's several new Airpods variations.
Tim Cook also did the Apple Watch, which has been a hit. There's also the Vision Pro, the headset, which has been a failure.
Ternus, he's working on several new product categories. He has been under Cook, but he's the one who's going to introduce these products.
It all starts with the foldable phone, but you're going to see Apple get into touch laptops for the first time, which is going to be exciting.
But the two areas where Ternus is focusing a lot of his attention are on body-worn wearables and the home. And these are all A.I. devices.
Apple has struggled in A.I. software, but I think where they're going to have a hit is sort of that integration of software with hardware.
So, they're working on a ton of stuff in the wearable and in the home categories with A.I. And we'll see this over the next couple of years.
MICHAELSON: And Ternus has been with Apple for years, focusing on the engineering. And so, they're letting him be center stage in making this announcement.
It's not like he's somebody new from the outside. He's been working personally to get these products ready. And now he's going to be talking about them later this week.
It's great to have you talking about them first. Mark Gurman from Bloomberg. Thank you so much.
GURMAN: Thank you.
MICHAELSON: Really appreciate it. Very interesting stuff.
Still to come, how dual cancer battles brought actor William Shatner and his daughter Melanie even closer. And a new gig for the man who played Captain Kirk. My conversation with both, next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAM SHATNER, ACTOR: And then it makes you want to go to dinner with them.
MICHAELSON: Hopefully.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:56:46]
MICHAELSON: It's hard to believe it, but William Shatner is 95 years old, and he is turning up the volume on his latest role. Heavy metal musician.
He will debut his new band at Chicago's Riot Fest later this month and says that they'll perform a spot at Coachella in April.
Back in July, I caught up with Shatner and his daughter Melanie, to learn how surviving stage four cancer diagnoses at the same time gave them both a new lease on life.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: This idea of both of you getting stage four cancer at the same time.
W. SHATNER: Yes. I thought it was a brilliant idea.
MELANIE SHATNER, WILLIAM SHATNER'S DAUGHTER: I know. We were really clever. MICHAELSON (voice-over): William Shatner fought aliens as Captain Kirk
on "Star Trek."
W. SHATNER: Where are the tribbles?
MICHAELSON (voice-over): Fought criminals as T.J. Hooker.
W. SHATNER: Let's take a ride downtown.
Oh, please.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): And fought courtroom battles as Denny Crane in "Boston Legal."
W. SHATNER: It was an accident.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): But in real life, he fought stage four skin cancer while his daughter, Melanie, was battling stage four breast cancer.
MICHAELSON: Who was first? You were first.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): Melanie self-discovered a lump on her breast. At first, doctors said it was fine, but she insisted they recheck it.
M. SHATNER: Under her breath, she said, Now I would have missed that.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): While Melanie was sick, her dad asked a doctor to check out a lump on his neck.
W. SHATNER: He put his hands on there. He says, You better get this out.
M. SHATNER: I just thought, I don't think I can survive losing him. Like, I think I'll just -- It'll be too much for me and I'll die, too.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): Doctors removed Shatner's mass and gave him immunotherapy.
W. SHATNER: One day, a year or two ago, my oncologist said, You're free.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): Melanie's treatment: a double mastectomy, six rounds of chemo, 30 rounds of radiation, and a year of immunotherapy. She's now in remission.
W. SHATNER: Just a few years ago, both diagnoses would have been pack your bags and get ready to die.
Here's her story.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): Father and daughter are now talking about their journeys in their new podcast, "No Time But Now."
W. SHATNER: There's no time but now to lead your life.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): The podcast has meant quality family time for the father of three daughters.
Melanie was born two years before the debut of "Star Trek" on NBC in 1966.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): "Star Trek" is 60 years old.
W. SHATNER: I know.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): How do you think about that?
M. SHATNER: That's so old.
ANNOUNCER: These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise.
W. SHATNER: It's a phenomenon.
MICHAELSON: Right.
W. SHATNER: It's a phenomenon that I have discounted from time to time.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): Shatner's upcoming book, "William Shatner and You," is about how his roles changed the lives of his fans, something that makes him emotional to think about.
W. SHATNER: So many people have come up to me and said, I'm -- I am this because of you.
Once again, we've saved civilization as we know it.
MICHAELSON: To me, "Star Trek," more than anything, is about an exploration of what it means to be human. Do you think that, as well?
W. SHATNER: See, that's beautifully put, and I agree with that.
I'm from Iowa. I only work in outer space.
MICHAELSON: Would you play Kirk again?
W. SHATNER: Depends on the story.
MICHAELSON: What are you most excited about in the future?
W. SHATNER: My heavy metal.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): That's right. Shatner is performing heavy metal music for the first time.
W. SHATNER: I'm beginning to get it. It isn't so much when do I come in? It's I've got to feel the music and then come in with the lyrics.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
W. SHATNER: And it's all about passion.
