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Judge DOGE's Access to Treasury Payment System; Almost All USAID Programs Halted; CFPB Ordered to Stop Fighting Financial Abuse; Alarm Over Hostages' Gaunt Appearance; Avian Flu Spreads in the U.S.; Trump Freezes Aid to S. Africa. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired February 09, 2025 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.

The future of the U.S. International Aid Agency is in limbo. We have the latest details on President Trump and Elon Musk's efforts to reshape the U.S. government. Calls grow louder for the Israeli government to get the remaining hostages home as soon as possible after the appearance of the newly released hostages raised alarms. And there are new bird flu concerns in the U.S. amid new discoveries of the virus.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN Newsroom with Kim Brunhuber.

BRUNHUBER: We begin with new legal setbacks for U.S. President Donald Trump's administration as they try to dismantle the federal workforce. A judge is now blocking Elon Musk and his DOGE agency from accessing a core payment system used by the Treasury Department.

On Saturday, the court ordered Musk's team to also destroy any information they've downloaded from the system. It's used to distribute tax returns, Social Security benefits, and disability payments, as well as federal workers' salaries. The White House is slamming the decision, calling it judicial overreach.

Meanwhile, several sources tell CNN that U.S. funded aid work around the world has largely been brought to a standstill. The Trump administration's 90-day freeze on nearly all U.S. foreign aid continues into a third week. It comes as another federal judge temporarily blocked Trump's plans to put thousands of USAID employees on leave. Republican Congressman Tim Burchett finally -- fully supports what the president is doing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. TIM BURCHETT (R-TN): USAID has been a complete rip-off of the American taxpayer. Shut it down and regroup the system so that if the farmers are doing legitimate work, then they should get legitimate pay. But American taxpayers should not be in charge of policing or feeding the world. We need to take care of our own first. (END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: USAID distributes billions of dollars worldwide to help alleviate poverty, treat diseases, and respond to famines and natural disasters. Shawn Turner, the former director of communication for U.S. National Intelligence, spoke to CNN earlier and he explains why USAID is such a vital agency.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHAWN TURNER, FORMER DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS OF U.S. NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: Over the last 48 hours or so, people have said things to me like, what does a famine in Somalia or a polio outbreak in Pakistan have to do with us here in the United States? And the answer is quite a lot. Look, preventing these kinds of things from happening are key pillars of our own national security. We have to think about what things like hundreds of thousands of Palestinians returning to the Gaza Strip without access to food and security and the support that they need, we have to think about what happens in that void and what that means for U.S. national security and our own national interests.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: CNN's Betsy Klein is following reaction from the White House after that court order against Musk's team.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE PRODUCER: President Trump ran and won in 2024 on slashing waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government. And as part of those plans, he has really empowered Elon Musk and the so-called DOGE, Department of Government Efficiency. So, we are starting to see DOGE employees deploy into different government departments and start going through different systems, including this very sensitive Treasury Department payment system.

Now, New York Attorney General Letitia James and 18 other state attorneys general filed a lawsuit that contended that Musk's associates who were categorized as special government employees were unlawfully granted access to that Treasury system, and a U.S. District Court judge temporarily restricted the DOGE team from that system. That judge cited risks to sensitive and confidential information, as well as vulnerability to hacking.

Now, the White House lambasted that ruling on Saturday in a new statement. Spokesman Harrison Fields telling CNN, quote, "These frivolous lawsuits are akin to children throwing pasta at the wall to see if it will stick. Grandstanding government efficiency speaks volumes about those who'd rather delay much needed change with legal shenanigans than work with the Trump administration of breeding the government of waste, fraud, and abuse."

Now, for his part, President Trump himself appears to be pleased with the work that Musk and his team are doing. Take a look.

[04:05:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President, I wonder what you make of the criticism from Democrats that these staff reductions, the cuts that Elon Musk and Dozer doing are an unlawful power grab? And is there anything you've told Elon Musk he cannot touch?

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Well, we haven't discussed that much. I'll tell him to go here. Go there. He does it. He's got a very capable group of people, very, very capable. They know what they're doing. They'll ask questions and they'll see immediately as somebody gets tongue-tied that they're either crooked or don't know what they're doing. We have very smart people going in. So, I've instructed him go into education, go into military, go into other things.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KLEIN: Now, Trump's team overall has much confidence in its ability to defend itself from these lawsuits. But a hearing is next scheduled for Friday, February 14th, on the matter.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will no longer fight financial abuse. The newly installed acting director, Russell Vought, ordered employees in an e-mail on Saturday night to stop virtually all of their work. America's top consumer financial watchdog is meant to provide oversight over big banks, payday lenders, and other financial institutions that could be hurting citizens.

A source tells CNN that DOGE deleted the watchdog's X account. And you can see here, Elon Musk tweeted, CFPB RIP with a tombstone emoji. The source says DOGE officials also have administrative access to CFPB systems. Now, Vought's role as the watchdog's acting director comes just after Senate Republicans confirmed him to lead the Office of Management and Budget. He is the co-author of Project 2025.

Donald Trump's hiring freeze is also affecting the recruitment of a crucial group of workers, firefighters. It was initiated by executive order and comes at a crucial time. Fire departments across the U.S. normally bring in thousands of seasonal firefighters to prepare for the spring and summer wildfire season. Southern California has already experienced devastating fires that tore through the Los Angeles area. The effects are still being felt, with dozens of casualties and thousands of homes destroyed.

Now, while all of this is going on, California's Democratic governor is serving notice. He'll defend his state's policies from Trump administration challenges. Gavin Newsom signed laws on Friday which will put $50 million aside for that cause. Now, half of that is for the State Department of Justice to be used to fight legal battles. And the other half is for groups defending the state's immigrants from proposed deportation. Immigrants contribute significantly to the state's economy. Republican lawmakers criticize the funding, saying that the focus on Trump administration policies is distracting from wildfire recovery.

All right. joining us now is Thomas Gift, director of the Center on U.S. Politics at University College London. Good to see you again.

So, getting rid of the organization that protects consumers, cutting the team that fights foreign election interference, all of these things, it seems as though Musk and the Trump administration, they're getting rid of all of the guardrails you know, clearly one of the goals here is to remove as much oversight as possible, both on businesses and on politicians as well.

THOMAS GIFT, DIRECTOR, CENTER ON U.S. POLITICS, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON: Well, thanks so much for having me, Kim. It's great to be with you. And I think that that's obviously a problem. I mean, these organizations were established for a reason. They provide important protections for consumers. But you're right, that essentially what Trump and Musk specifically is doing is just sidelining any kind of oversight.

I mean, we've seen that time and time and time again, whether it's in some of these agencies that you're referring to, or whether it's kind of removing the security clearances of top officials, trying to install loyalists. You know, this is really Trump executing his plan. And I think, to some extent, Democrats have been caught flat footed.

BRUNHUBER: Now, it seems up to the legal system, basically to stop it. The -- a federal judge has blocked most Trump administration officials from accessing Treasury records. The playbook here seems to be, for the Trump team, to kind of move fast and get in before the courts can stop them.

GIFT: I think you're absolutely right. I mean, DOGE particularly raises so many questions about what Elon Musk's real authority is, what type of sensitive information he has access to. Federal judge said in his ruling that by handing over Treasury's payment and data systems to Musk's team, there was a possibility of doing irreparable harm, which is really strong language. And, you know, just practically, I think, basically, full access to the federal government data, to aides who work for Musk really should raise alarm bells.

But I think you're right. I mean, Musk is sort of going in there quick, try to attack, right, flood the zone very fast. And essentially, you know, Democrats are going to have to rely on the court system to block this, which tends to be quite slow.

[04:10:00]

BRUNHUBER: Are you getting any sense that there might be opposition brewing from any Republicans to what Musk is doing? I mean, it seems like if there has been criticism, it's generally been pretty muted.

GIFT: Yes, I think Republicans are almost fully in line with Donald Trump. We know that the Republican Party is fully Trumpified. And so, most of the criticism has come from Democrats. You know, for Trump I think that this is basically the playbook of his former strategist Steve Bannon, who always said attack relentlessly, basically create so many stories, so much activity and do it at a velocity and scale that no one can latch on to anything. And that's really what we're seeing.

You know, Democrats don't know what to focus on, if it's USAID, tariffs, Canada is the 51st state, the emergency declaration at the U.S.-Mexico border, seizing Greenland, reclaiming the Panama Canal. I mean, it's all really coming Democrats at a breakneck speed. It's just this fire hose of policies and rhetoric, and I really think that they don't know which way to turn. So, it's been disorienting, in a sense.

BRUNHUBER: So, yes, if they don't know what to focus on, I mean, it seems as if one thing that they are focusing on is Elon Musk, right, sort of, you know, getting more opposition, I guess, around him versus Donald Trump. Is that a winning strategy for Democrats, do you think?

GIFT: Well, you're absolutely right. If you look at polling data, Elon Musk's approvals are going down as Donald Trump's are staying more or less constant. I'm not sure if that ultimately is an effective strategy. You know, still, at the end of the day, Elon Musk is technically in an advisory role. And so, it's Donald Trump who is having all of this authority. He's delegating it to Musk.

I still think that there's going to be some clash between Musk and Trump. They're just too big of egos. And I think whether that's over personality or a policy dispute, they're just not going to be able to maintain that relationship. And so, I think Democrats risk if they kind of put all of their eggs into attacking Musk, that once that relationship breaks down, they're still Trump with very high approval ratings.

BRUNHUBER: All right. We'll leave it there. I always appreciate getting your analysis. Thomas Gift, thank you so much.

GIFT: Thanks, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: President Trump says he has spoken with Russia's leader, Vladimir Putin, but it's not clear exactly when. Trump revealed the contact in a newspaper article published on Saturday. He also didn't specify whether the conversation occurred before he returned to the White House last month, or whether they spoke more than once.

Days after taking office, the U.S. president said he was ready to meet the Russian leader to talk about ending the war in Ukraine. Trump pledged to end the conflict in one day, which obviously he didn't deliver. And his administration has yet to put a concrete plan for achieving peace.

Many Israelis are expressing shock over the frail appearance of the three hostages Hamas released on Saturday. Now, have a look here, you can see the difference in these images showing the men before they were abducted and when they were released 491 days later.

In Tel Aviv, protesters are calling for all of the hostages to be released. Some say they're worried about the hostages' health after seeing the gaunt appearance of the three men when they appeared in Gaza. On Saturday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to do all he can to get the remaining hostages home and to eliminate Hamas. Here he is. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We will do everything to bring all our hostages back. We will ensure their safety. This is the instruction I gave to the delegation to tell the mediators this and demand it. But beyond that, president Trump completely agrees with me. We will do everything to bring back all the hostages, but Hamas will not be there. We will eliminate Hamas, and we will bring our hostages home. This is the instruction, and this is what we will do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: The family of murdered Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin is appealing to U.S. President Donald Trump to help free the hostages.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON GOLDBERG-POLIN, FATHER OF SLAIN HOSTAGE HERSH GOLDBERG-POLIN: We need to do more, and I'm turning directly to President Trump and to Mr. Witkoff, you have shown that you are the only ones who have been able to get this situation moving forward. And my plea to you, our plea to you right now is, now that you've done the hard part of getting movement, getting a deal started, let's not think about phase one and phase two and phase three in many months, let's think bigger and faster. All 76 hostages out this week, end of war.

Who benefits from dragging it out for so long? Not the people of this region. Let's get it done right now. Thank you.

RACHEL GOLDBERG-POLIN, MOTHER OF SLAIN HOSTAGE HERSH GOLDBERG-POLIN: Godspeed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Meanwhile, 183 Palestinians released from Israeli prisons reunited with their families on Saturday. Some appeared weak and thin. One man was carried off the bus in Ramallah. Some of the recently released Palestinian prisoners have shown signs of physical abuse and starvation and said they were tortured. Our Jeremy Diamond has more on the hostage and prisoner releases.

[04:15:00]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: It was really a roller coaster of emotions. Initially, yes, there was the wave of relief as those three hostages emerged in live pictures for the first time after more than 15 months, but then there was also some pained looks on the faces of many here as they realized the state in which those three Israeli hostages were emerging, all three of them looking quite frail and emaciated after their time in captivity.

It was particularly striking to see the image of Ellie Sharabi, a 52- year-old who was taken hostage from Kibbutz Be'eri on October 7th, the difference between how he looked before he was taken hostage and how he looks now really striking. Clearly, he has lost a lot of weight.

And really these images are driving the Israeli public to focus on the remaining hostages in Gaza, and these images driving a public debate here in Israel over the fate of this ceasefire agreement, with many saying that it is a reason to push to extend this agreement and to ensure that all of the remaining hostages in Gaza come home now.

Earlier this week, it's important to note, that the Israeli defense minister -- the former Israeli defense minister, Yoav Gallant, noted that the agreement that is bringing these hostages home now is identical to the one that Hamas agreed to in July. And his point being that all that has happened since then are wasted months during which many of these hostages have faced dire conditions.

But in addition to that sense of urgency, we did see the emotional reunions between these three newly freed hostages and their families. Many of them meeting initially at the Re'im military base in Southern Israel others also meeting with them at hospitals in central Israel.

In addition to that, we've seen as 183 Palestinian prisoners have been released from Israeli prisons in exchange for those three hostages. They include 18 who were serving life sentences, several of those will be deported to third-party countries, 111 of them were detained in Gaza over the course of this war since October 7th. We know, of course, that some of those who have been detained in Gaza were rounded up as part of Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip, many of them held without charge or without trial, and now, indeed, being released as part of this agreement.

And on the Palestinian side as well, both in Gaza as well as in the West Bank, we have seen images of people reuniting with family members and also, of course several individuals who were taken to hospitals after their time in Israeli prisons.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Five former hostages from Thailand released last week are now back in their home country. Hamas abducted the men during the October 7th attacks. Thailand's labor minister says around 5,000 Thais were employed in the area when Hamas attacked. Human Rights Watch says Thailand has dominated the foreign migrant worker market in Israel for the past decade.

All right. Coming up, avian flu is killing birds across the United States. Now, officials are working to contain the outbreak. Straight ahead.

Plus, football fans traveling from the Midwest and Northeast could face a big Super Bowl Sunday upset as a dangerous winter storm is already causing major travel disruptions. That more coming up. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:20:00]

BRUNHUBER: Chinese officials say two people have been rescued after an enormous landslide in the country's southwest. Both are now hospitalized and one is in critical condition. Preliminary information indicates that 29 people remain missing, but officials say that number isn't confirmed.

A state broadcaster reported that 10 houses were buried when a large chunk of a hillside came crashing down in Sichuan province on Saturday. Officials also say more than 200 people have been evacuated and emergency efforts are underway. The state broadcaster also says President Xi Jinping is urging people to search for the missing.

U.S. Department of Agriculture says a new variant of the avian flu may be showing signs of adaptation to mammals. Now, this comes after six herds of dairy cattle in Nevada tested positive for the variant, and a Nevada dairy farm worker has screened positive for bird flu, the first identified human infection in the state. Officials across the country are trying to stop the spread of the virus.

On Friday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that all live bird markets in several counties will shut down temporarily, including in New York City. Gloria Pazmino has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that order by the governor will require live poultry markets like the one you see behind me to shut down for several days to allow cleanup and disinfection before they're allowed to reopen on February 14th. This is after seven cases of bird flu were confirmed here in New York.

Now, seven cases were found in Queens, in Brooklyn and in the Bronx. And places like the market you see behind me are now in the process of working through their inventory before they can shut down to begin that cleanup process. That's what the governor's order requires at this time.

Now, public health officials here in New York have said that this is being done out of an abundance of caution and that there is no public threat to the public health at this time. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. KATHY HOCHUL (D-NY): For a week-long period, no poultry can be delivered to those live bird markets. Each uninfected market must sell down all inventory, undergo thorough cleaning, and disinfection, and then remain closed for at least five days. Each must then be inspected by our state AG and markets before they can reopen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAZMINO: Now, this order is going to affect approximately 80 live markets here in the area, in New York City, as well as Nassau counties and Suffolk counties -- Suffolk County in Long Island. And while the public health threat remains extremely low, there has been an increase in virus infections in the last several months, 130 cases have been reported so far, and 67 people have become infected and ill as a result of the virus. One person also died from the infection.

[04:25:00]

We should note that nearly everyone who became ill with the virus had been in close contact with an infected animal.

Gloria Pazmino, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Here in the U.S., a fast-moving winter storm is casting a chilling shadow over Super Bowl weekend and into next week as multiple weather systems threaten to bring a dangerous combination of snow, sleet, and ice. Meteorologist Allison Chinchar has the latest forecast.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: The second of several systems to make their way across the northern tier of the U.S. is finally wrapping up today across portions of the northeast, but there won't be much of a break in between the systems. You can see this morning still dealing with several areas of snow showers across Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and even Massachusetts. But as we headed to the second half of the day, the bulk of that moisture moves offshore, some areas even starting to see at least a little bit of some sunshine into the mix.

When it is all said and done, widespread across the Great Lakes and into the Northeast, you're looking at three to six inches of snow on the ground. But some of these areas, especially where you see that dark purple or even pink color, now you're talking at least six inches of snow. Some spots could even pick up as much as a foot in total.

The other concerning aspect of this system is the ice. Now widespread -- a lot of this pink area here, you're talking up to a tenth of an inch total. But these purple areas here, especially across southern and central portions of Pennsylvania, not out of the question to get between a quarter of an inch to as much as half of an inch of ice. Not only does that cause problems on the roadways, but the other concern too, is that is enough to bring down trees and even cause some power outages.

And we mentioned multiple different systems here. So, as we start off the next week, you can see our next system sliding through across portions of the Ohio Valley, another one that slides in during the middle of the week across the Midwest. And then, the final one that begins to push through at the end of the week and will continue into the weekend across the Great Lakes region and the Northeast. Many of the same areas that have just been hit by this most recent system.

One thing to note too, is all of this cold air is not only in place, but will stay in place. Meaning any of the snow that these areas get in the next several days is likely to stay on the ground. You're not going to see much melting in a lot of these areas. Take Boston for example, normal high this time of year, right around 40 degrees, but they will spend every single one of the next seven days below average for temperatures and several days in there of getting some additional snow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Millions around the world rely on USAID, but now the future is uncertain. The dire impacts the Trump administration's cuts could have on the vulnerable places like Uganda. Meanwhile in South Africa, U.S. aid is being withheld over claims of discrimination against white farmers. We'll have more on that next. Please stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:30:00]

BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.

Several sources tell CNN that U.S. funded aid work around the world has largely been brought to a standstill. President Donald Trump's 90- day freeze on nearly all U.S. foreign aid continues into a third week as he tries to reshape the federal government.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio claims he's issued a blanket waiver for lifesaving programs, but multiple aid workers and contractors with the U.S. Agency for International Development say that doesn't reflect the situation on the ground.

Now, USAID operates around the world, providing lifesaving resources for millions through U.S. suppliers, but now those who rely on the agency say the future looks uncertain. CNN's Larry Madowo reports from Uganda.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAMUEL LINDA: I feel traumatized. I feel low.

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 36-year-old Samuel Linda has been living with HIV since 2014, getting his lifesaving drugs from a USAID project. But his supplies are almost out.

LINDA: I feel like the world is ending tomorrow, because I don't know where I'm going to go. I don't know my tomorrow, if I'll be alive or dead.

MADOWO (voice-over): He distributes U.S. funded condoms in his community to stop new infections. And make sure the infected keep taking their medications.

Meanwhile, patients at this USAID funded facility in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, wait, hoping their treatments are still available. Nearly 1,000 employees here have been followed after the U.S. stop work orders. It's still running, for now, though no one knows for how much longer.

Its leader, Dr. Andrew Kambugu, is a U.C. Berkeley alum, who is grateful for American generosity, but worries about the future for his staff and patients.

DR. ANDREW KAMBUGU, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, INFECTIOUS DISEASES INSTITUTE UGANDA: We are in the throes of an Ebola outbreak, and before the Ebola outbreak, Uganda is grappling with an Mpox outbreak. So, we find ourselves in a situation where a number of infectious diseases have converged.

MADOWO (voice-over): USAID is a lifeline to millions here. Millions who would be stuck without it.

MADOWO: These are thank you notes from patients here to the medical team at the Infectious Diseases Institute in Uganda. They cover HIV, TB, Mpox, and even the current Ebola outbreak, the country's eighth. The implication is that U.S. funding has kept patients like these ones alive.

MADOWO (voice-over): The U.S. is one of Uganda's largest donors, spending more than half a billion dollars in health care alone every year. More than a third of USAID funds came to Africa in 2023. Those dollars saved lives, but also supported many Americans.

WINNIE BYANYIMA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UNAIDS: Without U.S. funding, people die. Without global collaboration, people die.

MADOWO (voice-over): Winnie Byanyima runs the U. N. 's global response to the AIDS epidemic. They warn that up to 6.3 million people could die by 2029 if the U.S. cuts off funding. Americans will also lose out.

BYANYIMA: Actually, sometimes I say we have the diseases, they have the profits. They make money. The aid connects them to markets and markets benefit American jobs are created at home.

MADOWO: So, USAID is not just charity to African countries?

BYANYIMA: No, no, no. It's mutually beneficial.

MADOWO (voice-over): But the negative sentiment isn't one that's shared by all of Africa's leaders. In an exclusive interview with CNN, Rwanda's president says the continent has to wean itself off aid.

PAUL KAGAME, RWANDAN PRESIDENT: In President Trump's unconventional ways of doing things, I completely agree with him on many things.

[04:35:00]

MADOWO: Even though it will hurt you as Rwanda, which depends on some U.S. aid to fund your health care and development?

KAGAME: We might learn some lessons.

MADOWO (voice-over): Self-sufficient countries might sound ideal in theory, but it brings little comfort to the millions across the world whose very survival hangs in the balance.

Larry Madowo, CNN, Kampala, Uganda.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: President Trump is withholding aid from South Africa because of a controversial law in the country's stance against Israel's actions in Gaza. Trump says South Africa's land reform law allows the government to seize farmland from ethnic minorities like white farmers without compensation. Trump says the policy violates human rights. He's directing the U.S. to help Afrikaners, the descendants of European settlers, relocate through refugee programs.

South Africa's president says officials there aren't confiscating land before South Africa ended apartheid. Racist policies forcefully removed black and non-white South Africans from land for white use.

All right. I want to bring in Ongama Mtimka, who's the acting director of the Raymond Mhlaba Centre for Governance and Leadership at Nelson Mandela University. And joins us now from Nelson Mandela Bay in South Africa. Thank you so much for being here with us. I really appreciate it.

So, just to start, according to government statistics, white South Africans make up a little over 7 percent of the population, but they own more than 70 percent of all privately owned farmland in the country. Now, this is an issue, obviously, that South Africa has been grappling with all these decades since the end of apartheid. So, first, just on the facts around what this law allows.

The government and many legal experts say it doesn't allow the government just to, to grab land from white farmers the way, let's say, Zimbabwe did under Mugabe. So, explain how this is different.

ONGAMA MTIMKA, ACTING DIRECTOR, RAYMOND MHLABA CENTRE FOR GOVERNANCE AND LEADERSHIP, NELSON MANDELA UNIVERSITY: Good morning to you and your viewers. So, South Africa has a law for expropriation dating as far back as 1975. What has just happened in this month was the signing into law of an updated version of the expropriation (INAUDIBLE), introducing the concept of expropriation without compensation.

Now, the act has got 81 references to compensation. Three of those are delegated -- are dedicated to no compensation. The impression has been created that this act is departing fundamentally from the constitution or the broader land reform program of the South African government. And this is not what this act allows.

BRUNHUBER: And this --

MTIMKA: The --

BRUNHUBER: Yes, if I can jump in, the non-compensation is just for very specific situations where the land is, let's say, left vacant or is a threat to the public and so on. But the fact that Donald Trump was so keen to act on this. I mean, we know white Afrikaners have lobbied the Trump administration and they certainly seem to have the president's ear.

We remember that during Trump's first administration, he raised concerns about false claims that white farmers were being slaughtered in South Africa, which isn't true. So, why do you think their cause resonates so much with him?

MTIMKA: The Trump administration is resetting the global international political system. They are doing this by withdrawing funding in key multilateral institutions, and I suspect that part of their game plan is to remind the world of the importance of America, with a view to renegotiating some of the relationships and the terms thereof.

So, the Afrikaner lobby forms part of a broader strategy by Trump, which is aimed at advancing cohesive diplomacy. It's not so much about caring about the facts, about what's happening in South Africa, it's more about how to leverage this for the foreign policy agenda that in Washington wants to advance under the Trump administration.

BRUNHUBER: You don't think there's anything racial in this that he seems so ready to take up the cause of these what he would perhaps see as oppressed white people?

MTIMKA: Yes. Well, I mean, that has been cited, especially given the administration's attitude towards immigrants in the U.S. For me, the issue is that this is more, you know, international political economic than anything. Trump is wanting to punish South Africa so it stands on the Gaza situation, as well as its role within the BRICS.

[04:40:00]

If you look at it, they've had a strategy for each of the members of BRICS that they think they can coerce into falling into line as opposed to, you know, just randomly engaging with the -- with Pretoria in this instance.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. On, I mean, all of that, the international implications, South Africa's president is trying to change Trump's mind. So, you think Trump is trying to strong arm the country with this sort of geopolitical aims in mind? I mean, how do you think they repair this relationship or does it just further push South Africa towards China and Russia?

MTIMKA: I think Elon Musk is wrong, should not be left out of that. Elon Musk is directly affected by the black economic empowerment laws when it comes to having Starlink accepted in South Africa in order to provide services there. So, while I emphasize the role of Trump's foreign policy, it's important to also bear in mind that Elon is playing a big role when it comes to Washington's attitude towards South Africa.

I think President Trump recognizes the strategic importance of the relationship with South Africa. It's been there during his time. There was, you know, some fraught relations, but mostly, there was mutual commitment to work on the relationship. I think Elon Musk does complicate things, and I hope that sooner or later he recognizes that the international political system is not a system in which arrogance rules or the survival of the fittest, you know, wins the day. It does need to be collaboration and cooperation.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, it'll be interesting to see how this plays out, but certainly a lot on the line here. Ongama Mtimka, thank you so much for your analysis. Appreciate it.

MTIMKA: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: In a little over two hours, voters in Ecuador will start going to the polls in a pivotal presidential election defined by drug related violence and widespread energy blackouts. Now, current President Daniel Noboa was elected in 2023 after his predecessor resigned, dissolved Congress and triggered new elections to avoid impeachment. Noboa faces a rematch against political rival Luisa Gonzalez, a leftist politician who's running on a platform to quote, "revive Ecuador."

International observers have been dispatched to monitor the vote. And on Saturday, Ecuador's electoral council distributed election kits and heightened law enforcement's presence across the country to ensure today's election runs peacefully.

Well, fans around the world are counting down the hours of the fight for U.S. football supremacy. It kicks off later today. Coming up, the preparations ahead of Super Bowl LIX. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: The host City of New Orleans is finishing up preparations ahead of today's Super Bowl. Local authorities have ramped up security around Super Bowl 59 with federal agencies backing them up at the stadium and across downtown. Now, the increased measure comes just one month after a terrorist attack killed 14 people on the city's famed Bourbon Street.

And adding to the heightened surveillance is President Donald Trump. Trump is set to become the first sitting U.S. president to attend the Super Bowl. That means the Secret Service will be part of the game's security.

Now, Super Bowl is the biggest game on the American sports calendar. CNN's Andy Scholes has more on the team's game plan.

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ANDY SCHOLES, CNN WORLD SPORT: Well, we are counting down the hours until Super Bowl LIX between the Eagles and the Chiefs. And you can just feel the electricity in the air here in New Orleans. Thousands of fans enjoying the NFL experience here at the New Orleans Convention Center.

The teams, meanwhile, holding one last walkthrough on Saturday before Super Bowl LIX at the Superdome. And for the Chiefs, they are looking to make some history on Sunday. They would be the first team ever to win back-to-back-to-back Super Bowls. And for the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, this would be their fourth Super Bowl title in a matter of six years. And Kelce, for one, is certainly appreciating the run this team is on.

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TRAVIS KELCE, TIGHT END, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: It's such a special time in Chiefs' history. And this legacy is just it's so fun to be a part of because of the people that we have here. And I'm just trying to, you know, cherish all these memories and make the most out of all these opportunities that we have chasing these rings.

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SCHOLES: The Eagles, meanwhile, they're looking to avenge their loss from Super Bowl 57 when they fell to the Chiefs in a thriller 38 to 35. And quarterback Jalen Hurts, he was fantastic in that game, throwing for more than 300 yards. He had four total touchdowns, but Hurts knows he's going to need to come through in the big moment.

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JALEN HURTS, QUARTERBACK, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: You have to find a way to finish, you know, coming to these opportunities in these games, everything is about finishing. You want to have the right focus in there, and that comes with the preparation, the work that you put in. But ultimately, it's about finishing.

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SCHOLES: The Chiefs are favored by one in Super Bowl LIX. And a lot of times these Super Bowls come down to one field goal and what's more pressure kicking in the Super Bowl or kicking in front of all of these fans of the NFL experience? Let's give it a shot. Shanked it.

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BRUNHUBER: Well, there's a canine equivalent of the Super Bowl and there is, it's this, the Puppy Bowl. More than 130 rescue dogs will show off their moves and compete for the Lombarki trophy. Hopefully, they'll also get adopted. But the game doesn't always go as expected.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't try to hide from me. Come here. Come here. It's OK.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Now, CNN spoke to referee Dan Schechner, who adopted a cute canine for himself about what we can expect. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN SCHECHNER, PUPPY BOWL REFEREE: It's our 21st year. We're bigger and better than ever. We have 142 dogs, rescue dogs across the country participating in year's bowl. It's a three-hour event. We're going to have 80 different shelters across 40 different states, including 11 special needs dogs. All of our favorites will be there. The Kitty Halftime Show. We'll have a special pregame show. And by the end of the Puppy Bowl, like every year, we expect every single one of our dogs to get adopted.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: And the dog that plays the best will win the Most Valuable Pup Award. The Puppy Bowl airs on CNN's Sister Network Animal Planet at 2:00 in the afternoon today. That's Eastern Time.

[04:50:00]

Well, some artists have begun to work with artificial intelligence for their paintings, drawings, and other creations. Just ahead, the big auction show that's showcasing A.i. in its upcoming sale. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: So, if a human didn't create it, is it really art? Well, you might get some answers as Christie's New York holds an online auction later this month exclusively for A.I. art pieces. As CNN's Lynda Kinkade reports, there's nothing artificial about the real-world prices they're expected to fetch.

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LYNDA KINKADE, CNN CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR (voice-over): Striking and thought provoking, it's not unusual for art to be critiqued, pondered, and sold to the highest bidder. But an upcoming auction of Christie's New York is pushing the boundaries of the art world, featuring only works created with artificial intelligence.

The art sale, called Augmented Intelligence, consists of about 30 pieces that have been created or enhanced using A.I. tools, which Christie's says is a sign of the times.

NICOLE SALES GILES, VP AND DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL ART SALES, CHRISTIE'S: So, A.I. art is such an interesting topic and an interesting category now.

[04:55:00]

It's really been surging in demand. We have clients that are interested from the blockchain and crypto community, but we also have a lot of -- we've also seen a lot of demand from more high net worth individuals in the tech community.

KINKADE (voice-over): According to Christie's, many of the works are expected to sell for tens of thousands of dollars apiece. Last year, a painting by an A.I. robot of World War II code breaker Alan Turing sold for over a million dollars at Sotheby's, surpassing initial estimates of $120,000 to $180,000.

That's a lot of money and potential interest in a medium where there are still many questions over what role A.I. should have in art. Christie's says its auction will feature many top A.I. artists, some who describe their work as a collaboration with A.I. but not driven by it.

GILES: It's definitely not a substitute for agency and it is not a way to create more mediocre art quicker. It is a way to enhance what the artist can do and even push the boundaries of art and creativity into a completely new dimension.

KINKADE (voice-over): It's cutting-edge creativity in the spotlight, where at least in this exhibit, code is a tool just like a paintbrush. The online auction runs from February 20th to March 5th.

Lynda Kinkade. CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Crowds in Taiwan celebrated the beginning of the year of the snake by sending hundreds of lanterns floating into the night sky. This spectacular light show marks the end of the Lunar New Year holiday and the beginning of spring.

People from all around the world gather in the mountainous region of northern Taiwan, write down their hopes for the new year, and send them soaring.

All right. That wraps this hour of CNN Newsroom. I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back with more news in just a moment. Please stay with us.

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