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Investigators Hunt for New Clues on 12th Day of Guthrie Search; Border Czar: Minnesota Immigration Enforcement Operation is Ending; GOP-Led Voting Bill Requires Proof of Citizenship, Photo ID Nationwide; EPA Expected to Roll Back Major Anti-Pollution Policy. Aired 1-1:30p ET

Aired February 12, 2026 - 13:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: It's much bigger than that. Yes, and part of this is also younger people are getting cancer. He's under 50, the rates of this are going up something like 30 percent in terms of the cancer rates in this group.

So Americans are dealing with, including me, I lost my former sister- in-law to cancer last year, stage four breast cancer, and everything was a strain, right? She was a mom of three kids, you know, she was a somebody who really struggled financially with this and of course her health as well. And so Americans are dealing with this every day.

DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, so sorry. Yes, sorry. And we are thinking about James Van Der Beek and his family and everybody out there who is struggling with health challenges and soaring costs. Thank you for joining Inside Politics.

CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: A call for video footage. Investigators asking neighbors of Nancy Guthrie to submit doorbell videos from two specific days in January. We're following the latest out of Tucson.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Plus, a crackdown drawdown. Border Czar, Tom Homan, says the administration is ending its aggressive immigration operation in Minnesota. So what did this surge ultimately accomplish? We're going to break down the numbers.

And you may have previously heard the president call climate change a con job. Just minutes from now he's dealing potentially the final blow to the government's ability to regulate climate pollution.

We're following these major developing stories and many more all coming in right here to CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

KEILAR: We begin with a new message from Today Show host Savannah Guthrie, now 12 days after her mother, Nancy, went missing. Savannah sharing a touching home video on her social media just a short time ago with the caption. Our lovely mom. We will never give up on her. Thank you for your prayers and hope. In the meantime, there's been new activity outside Nancy Guthrie's

home. Earlier a white tent temporarily put up at her front door by law enforcement as we're learning that neighbors are now being asked to look at their camera footage for two specific dates and times. These dates are January 11th between 9:00 p.m. and midnight. That is more than two weeks before Nancy Guthrie went missing and also January 31st, the last day that Guthrie was seen.

They're saying that a suspicious vehicle was seen around 10 a.m. Joined now by former senior FBI profiler and former FBI special agent Mary Ellen O'Toole to talk a little bit about this. Mary Ellen, talk to us a little bit about this ask for video and what you think that indicates about the investigation.

MARY ELLEN O'TOOLE, FORMER SENIOR FBI PROFILER: Based on my experience, what that ask is all about is based on the supposition that whoever is responsible for this had been in that neighborhood before and had been around other homes before. And that could be for a variety of reasons, one of which is to become familiar with the layout of the neighborhood, who has alarms, who has doorbells, who has dogs. What is the neighborhood like?

Are there people moving around at that time of night? So that's part of the reason is to develop intelligence on the neighborhood. But I think there's also a possibility that law enforcement has not abandoned at this point.

And that is that Nancy was not necessarily targeted for being Savannah's mother, that other people may have been targeted earlier. But Nancy was identified as someone who was older and lived alone. So they're looking at all of that in terms of who is the best victim or was she specifically targeted.

But the theory is, and I've seen it in other cases, the person responsible, people responsible, had to have intelligence on that neighborhood before they could effectively carry out what they did.

KEILAR: So knowing what we know about the ask for the video, knowing what we now know about the video that we have seen from the doorbell cam, and also just kind of this lack of communication, what are you looking for right now in a person who carried this out, Mary Ellen, and how can that help investigators as they're trying to search?

O'TOOLE: I think there's a good possibility that this offender is very concerned about those videos and concerned about the photographs that came out. So they will be monitoring this investigation very carefully.

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And I've had other cases in the past where the offender actually goes back to the neighborhood as just somebody who fits in to see what is it that's going on? What are people looking for?

But very likely monitoring the investigation through the media to find out how close law enforcement is to being able to identify him or them. The problem that they have is they can't go back and undo the evidence. So if they did -- if they were the ones who left the gloves there, they can't go back and undo that.

They cannot go back and undo the video. So law enforcement really needs to exploit the importance of that and then appeal to again to somebody close to the offender or offenders to say, hey, this is really important at this point that you come forward and really use that avenue of communication.

KEILAR: And we've been looking at this video of the person at Nancy Guthrie's house caught on the Nest cam of the door. What do you make I wonder is a profiler of someone who, you know, appears to obviously planned a lot of this and yet is using shrubbery to improvise hiding from a camera that they may very well know is there.

O'TOOLE: So one of the ways to look at this is that this is unusual to have this on video. With most violent offenders we don't have that. We don't have pictures or videos before the crime occurred.

But I can assure you that if we did, we would see well planned offenders make mistakes moments before they enter the residence or go into the store. So the fact that this individual appears to be fumbling around, maybe he was, maybe he wasn't. But the fact that he was able to regroup and come back and do something with that foliage, whether it was to smudge the camera or whatever it was, he was able to regroup and not get what we call discombobulated.

But come back and maintain control and continue on with the crime goes to his personality. And it also goes to his planning and his ability to carry out the crime. And for me, it also goes to his ability to land on his feet in a very stressful situation.

There is nothing like committing a kidnapping. So it goes to what I think a lot of us have said earlier, there may be criminal behavior in his background, not necessarily something that's been documented, but criminal behavior in his background where he's had to land on his feet before.

KEILAR: Yes, that's a very interesting insight. Mary Ellen O'Toole, thank you -- Boris.

SANCHEZ: Turning now to Minneapolis. The Trump administration now says its large scale immigration crackdown there is winding down.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM HOMAN, WHITE HOUSE BORDER CZAR: I have proposed and President Trump has concurred that this surge operation conclude. A significant drawdown has already been underway this week and we'll continue to the next week.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Tom Homan's announcement there follows weeks of protests after the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents. CNN's Priscilla Alvarez joins us now with more. Priscilla, what are you learning about this drawdown?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the idea here is to have this surge sort of go away over time. Because remember, this was 2,000 federal agents who were sent to Minnesota over recent months. That was an unprecedented number.

So what the White House border czar is announcing now is that that surge is going to draw down. The nuance here, however, is that immigration enforcement will continue. Remember, ICE has been in the state for decades.

They usually have a presence of around 150 agents on the ground. Now, Tom Homan didn't provide specifics on timeline nor how many agents would remain. But he certainly made the point that will likely look markedly different than it did before, not only because of the numbers, but also because of new cooperation that he has been able to strike with local officials.

So that means, for example, that when county jails are releasing an undocumented immigrant with criminal records that they notify ICE so that ice can pick them up. It is that kind of cooperation sort of became the political football between the state and the federal government. It's those sanctuary policies we often talk about.

And at one point, he said quote, "Minnesota is less of a sanctuary state for criminals." So that is the victory lap he was taking there before announcing the headline, being that they're drawing down that search. The other common theme here was the targeted enforcement operations.

He has been saying that since the moment he was dispatched two weeks ago that they were going to go after the public safety and national security threats. Now, he also announced that 4,000 people have been arrested as part of this operation. He couldn't provide a breakdown as to how many of those were threats, but he acknowledged that some of them are not the public safety threats.

Now, of course, he's never foreclosed that if there is someone in the vicinity of that operation that they could be swept up as well. But it is a significant departure from the broad sweeps we have been seeing under Commander Bovino originally. So this has been a tone shift.

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There clearly has been productive conversations between local officials and the federal government to get to this point of draw down. But, of course, it comes after the death of two Americans and that immense public backlash and aggressive confrontations between federal agents and protesters. So now they are suggesting or plainly stating that there will be a draw down because they have reached certain cooperations here to allow that to happen.

SANCHEZ: Does this draw down now mean that other U.S. cities are next?

ALVAREZ: It could. The administration, of course, has been targeting blue cities. We've talked about Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte, North Carolina, also New Orleans. This was Minneapolis.

Could it happen elsewhere? Absolutely. They have never said that it's not going to. The question is, do the tactics change as they continue the operations?

SANCHEZ: Priscilla Alvarez, thank you so much for that update.

Still to come, Republicans in the House passing major legislation that would make, among other things, make it harder for some married women to vote. Will the Senate send it to President Trump's desk?

Plus, the real cost of Trump's tariffs. New data revealing the being paid by everyday American consumers.

And later a Ukrainian Olympian and likely metal contender barred from racing just minutes before his competition was set to start. We'll explain why in just moments on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Happening now, a centerpiece of President Trump's push to overhaul elections facing a significant test. The Republican-led House passed the Save America Act last night, mostly along party lines, but its path through the Senate is uncertain. Democrats are vowing to block the sweeping bill, which would require proof of citizenship to register for federal elections and a photo ID to cast a ballot.

It also mandates states remove non-citizens from federal voter rolls. Democrats argue the new restrictions aren't needed, and it could disenfranchise legitimate voters, millions of them, and restrict voting access. The measure is coming amid President Trump's recent calls to, quote, nationalize voting and the FBI's seizure of 2020 election materials in Georgia.

Newly unsealed court documents from the Fulton County raid revealed 2020 election deniers played a key role in the FBI obtaining the search warrant. According to an affidavit, the FBI's investigation quote, "... originated from a referral sent by Kurt Olsen, Presidentially appointed director of election security and integrity."

Before Olson's current role, he was involved in legal efforts to reverse Trump's 2020 defeat to Joe Biden.

We're joined now by Michael Smerconish, CNN political commentator and the host of CNN's "SMERCONISH." And Michael, this SAVE Act is really bringing up an interesting debate, and specifically on this issue of proof of citizenship to register to vote. You say that the current debate has really shifted.

Tell us how you see it.

MICHAEL SMERCONISH, HOST, CNN'S "SMERCONISH": So I downloaded the application to register to vote here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This is the status quo. And in order for me to register at present, Brianna, I have to attest, I have to affirm that I'm a citizen.

There's a penalty that's referenced of perjury up to $15,000, jailed for up to seven years in time. Going forward, were this to become law, all of a sudden now that wouldn't be enough. And I would need a certified copy of my birth certificate or my passport.

I think the concept of you should have to show an I.D. to vote, it makes sense. I'm comfortable with that. But it needs to be something that is readily accessible to people who are legitimately voting.

And I worry that a passport or, I mean, who, I have my birth certificate on my laptop. Is it a certified copy? Does that mean it has to have a raised seal?

Because if so, that's not going to work for me. Think about older Americans who are going to have to then figure out how do they go get a certified copy of their birth certificate or a passport. I mean, I travel, I have a passport.

A lot of people don't. So you've got to be reasonable, is what I'm trying to say. Figure out a means of identification that people have.

And one last thing. I just went through the process, like many others, you know, of getting the new form of driver's license, the new I.D. This doesn't cut it. So I wish we could all get on the same page and have one form of I.D. You can have my picture on it because Big Brother has it already. And let's recognize citizenship on whatever that is.

And for once and for all, say this is what you need to show to vote. But be reasonable and mindful of people who don't have a driver's license, who don't have a passport and don't have access to a certified birth certificate. Sorry to get long winded.

KEILAR: Yes, no, but I think a lot of people can use themselves easily as a reference point, right? We have that. I was born in Australia.

I am a naturalized citizen. I don't know if that birth certificate is going to fly. If you change your name and you're married, what about that?

And it doesn't match your birth certificate. All kinds of questions. But this is really interesting to hear you talk about this.

And I just wonder how much you think people are understanding this. And the Trump administration is understanding that, yes, people do understand this, but also, they could have a lot of people that maybe they want to vote not being able to vote.

SMERCONISH: So two reactions to that. One, I don't think -- I think it's deceivingly simple, meaning it's not as simple as it might sound because my poll question, you know, I love my poll questions on my website today asks, should proof of citizenship be required to register to vote? More than 20,000 people have voted, and two thirds are saying yes. And many of them voted before I started my radio show today. Then I come on radio and I say, think about what this means. Do you have a passport?

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Do you have a certified copy of your birth certificate? And I had people then calling me and saying, oh, I didn't know that's what it would require. I wish I hadn't already voted on it.

So it's more complicated, I think, than meets the eye. And to your second point, I think I would say to Republicans, be careful what you wish for, because if you're seeking to gain political advantage, thinking that the disenfranchised aren't going to vote for your candidate, I don't think it's so simple. I think this cuts across class and party lines.

KEILAR: Yes, that's a really interesting thing to consider. And you heard me mention Fulton County, where there is this election denier who really drove the FBI's seizures of 2020 ballots. What do you think about that?

SMERCONISH: I read an analysis recently that talked about how a number of J6ers are disappointed in the president. And I was really stymied by that. Like, how could they be disappointed in the president?

He pardoned everybody on day one. But you've got an element of true believers. You know, they stormed the Capitol because they believe the election is stolen.

And now that their guy has the levers of power, they're wondering, well, why haven't those who allowed the stealing of the election been brought to justice? And you know, more people ought to be prosecuted, who were those putting us behind bars. And it just opened my -- I'm not explaining it.

I'm not defending their belief system on this, other than to say they believe it and they acted out of that purpose. So that this investigation comes from that mindset, I don't know it's that much of a surprise.

KEILAR: Yes. Michael, it is always great to speak with you. Michael Smerconish, thank you.

SMERCONISH: Thank you.

KEILAR: So next, we're live from the White House, where any minute President Trump will roll back a major policy that involves greenhouse gases. What this change could mean for the climate and also for your health?

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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: We're looking at live photos from the White House. You see the empty podium where we're expecting President Trump in just moments. He is set to unveil what the head of the EPA is hailing as the largest act of deregulation in the history of the United States.

President Trump and EPA chief Lee Zeldin are expected to roll back a key conclusion issued in 2009 that greenhouse gases warm the planet and threaten health. This is known as the Endangerment Finding.

KEILAR: Environmentalists and critics say the move will not only make our air dirtier, but it's also going to deal the final blow to the most powerful legal tool the U.S. has to control the nation's planet, warming pollution. CNN correspondent Rene Marsh is here with the latest on this. All right, Rene, tell us more about what's expected to happen with this announcement.

RENE MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. So we do know that this is what is coming. They will announce that they officially announced that they're repealing this Obama-era Endangerment Finding.

It was issued in 2009. And what it essentially did was determine that six greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and methane, are harmful to human health. And that gave the EPA the legal authority to put limits on greenhouse gas pollution coming from cars, power plants and the fossil fuel industry.

Now, we also know that the Trump administration will announce that it is repealing vehicle emissions rules. But what this does and what this announcement will do today is effectively it erases federal limits for this sort of pollution. And scientists are already warning, sounding the alarm and saying, like, look, this is really going to be an impact not only on the global fight for climate change, but also just on human health.

I mean, the science has shown the impact of dirty air on people's health. So there's a concern there. But we should also say that although this announcement is coming in in a matter of moments, we do expect this to be legally challenged, and it will play out for the next several years.

Wouldn't be surprised if it made it back to the Supreme Court. If you remember the Supreme Court in 2007 and 2022, they did rule that the EPA has this authority. But now that the EPA is revisiting their own findings, it will likely make its way back there.

And keep in context, this is all happening within the context of the last 10 years being the hottest on record. States, countries grappling with astronomical costs for extreme weather events. So that's the context in which this big announcement is happening today.

SANCHEZ: Part of the upcoming legal fight that we're anticipating has to do with the president's justification for doing this. And he's essentially saying that businesses are way too regulated. And that's why this has to happen.

MARSH: Yes. Saying it's all about the money. But when you look at EPA's own data and their own charts, it's telling a different story. And we have that there when we pull up the numbers. So according to EPA's own graphic between 1970 and 2023, combined emissions of six common pollutants dropped some 78 percent. And that all happened while the U.S. economy continued to grow. So what that's really showing is that clean air can happen at the same time when the economy is doing really well. So it's not an either or. You don't have to pick dirty air in order to have a strong economy.

KEILAR: Rene, thank you so much. Let's turn now to Porter Fox, who has reported on the climate crisis for 15 years. He wrote the book "Category 5 Superstorms and the Warming Oceans That Feed Them."

Porter, thanks for being with us. Talk to us a little bit about greenhouse gases and how they warm the planet and threaten health.

PORTER FOX, AUTHOR, "CATEGORY 5 SUPERSTORMS AND THE WARMING OCEANS THAT FEED THEM": You know, this isn't new science. This was discovered back in the 1800s that there are certain gases in the atmosphere that trap heat. It's like wrapping a blanket around the earth.