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Trump Weighs Potential Military Options In Iran; Trump Eyes Greenland; Tensions Flare In Minneapolis As Noem Denies A Rush To Judgment; Russia Amps Up Attacks In Ukraine; Golden Globes Award Underway in L.A. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired January 11, 2026 - 17:00   ET

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

[17:00:00]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The stars arriving on the burgundy carpet. And thank you so much for joining me today. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. "CNN Newsroom" continues with Jessica Dean in just a moment.

JESSICA DEAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You're in the "CNN Newsroom." Hi, everyone. I'm Jessica Dean here in New York. And tonight, sources saying President Donald Trump is weighing a series of potential military options in Iran as protests against the regime there intensify. Authorities in Iran have imposed a near total internet blackout. Internet connectivity data showing that starting on Thursday, usage dropped to about 1 percent of normal traffic.

Meantime, a U.S. based human rights group is reporting at least 420 protesters have been killed, more than 10,000 people have been arrested over the past two weeks. That's when the demonstrated -- demonstrations started.

Let's go now to CNN's Julia Benbrook who is joining us from West Palm Beach, Florida. She has been traveling with the president this weekend. Julia, what do we know about President Trump's thinking right now?

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Donald Trump has not made a final decision, but we do know that he is weighing options when it comes to potential intervention in Iran. This is the death toll there. It continues to rise. And he looks to follow through on his vow to help the people there. Now, there is some concern within the administration that military strikes could backfire, that they could undermine those protests.

But according to U.S. officials who spoke with CNN, at the center of some of these plans is targeting Tehran's security services, which have been used to tamp down those protests. There are also considerations to cyber operations that would target Iran's military or other regime targets. And then there's the potential of helping with access to internet, providing some of that technology as people there have been experiencing an information blackout, going into the fourth day of that.

In recent days, we know that Trump has been briefed on some of these different options, is considering some of them. We have seen him publicly say that the USA is ready to help. We've seen similar messages from Secretary of State Marco Rubio as well as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. They've lacked details in that.

In fact, when Trump spoke at the White House before he headed out here to Florida where he's spending the weekend, he was pressed on what it would take to see U.S. involvement, and he said that he could be willing to get involved. Again, didn't go into a lot of details, but did confirm that that would not mean boots on the ground.

Now, multiple departments have been preparing different types of plans to present to the president and we expect there to be more formal briefings taking place next week, including on Tuesday, when Trump is expected to meet with top national security officials to discuss how to proceed.

DEAN: And Julia, a lot of members of Congress still upset about how Venezuela was handled, that they weren't notified. Have we heard from members of Congress on these potential threats to get involved in Iran?

BENBROOK: Yes. And just as I mentioned, there are concerns even within the administration that military strikes specifically could backfire. Those concerns are shared by some of the lawmakers on Capitol Hill. And we're hearing from members of both parties. I want to play for you some recent sound.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TIM KAINE (D-VA): U.S. military action in Iran would be a massive mistake. It would have the effect of giving the Iranian regime the ability to say it's the U.S. that's screwing our country up.

SEN. RAND PAUL (R-KY): We're always hopeful that, you know, a freedom movement will develop and overwhelm the authoritarian government there. The only problem I have with saying oh, we're going to bomb Iran, is that sometimes, it has the opposite effect. So, when you bomb a country, then people tend to rally around their own flag.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENBROOK: So, both of those lawmakers, one Democrat, one Republican, outlining some of their concerns here. Now, Trump will head back to the White House in about an hour, he'll leave Florida, and we often get to hear from him, whether he's boarding the plane or speaking on Air Force One. So, potentially, could get some more clarity here. Jessica?

DEAN: That's right. We will see what he says. Julia Benbrook there in West Palm Beach, thank you so much for that reporting. Those protests in Iran have spread across all of the country's 31 provinces despite the risk to those taking part in them.

[17:05:02]

Iran's attorney general has said legal proceedings against protesters will be carried out without leniency, mercy or appeasement. CNN's Paula Hancocks has more now on what's happening on the ground. Paula?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fears of a bloody crackdown by Iran's security forces against anti-regime protesters are being realized. We have a sharply higher death toll now from the U.S.-based human rights activists. Now, there is a near total internet blackout in the country. It is very difficult for people inside to be able to communicate with the outside world.

But we have at CNN spoken to a number of eyewitnesses and medical personnel over recent days. Now, medical personnel have been describing harrowing scenes on condition of anonymity given the fact that they fear repercussions from the regime. One doctor in the city of Neyshabur described indiscriminate killing on Friday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Under Khamenei's orders, the use of military rifles against protesters was authorized, and at least 30 people were killed in the streets. Among those 30 were very young children. A five-year-old child was shot while in their mother's arms. Many others were hit with bullets and injured, in hospitals, and they are being passed on from one spot to the other.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS: The protesters who have spoken to CNN have described seeing security forces brandishing military rifles and killing people in the streets. One said that in hospitals, there were -- quote -- "bodies piled up."

Now, we did speak to protesters as well who say that they were trying to help a 60-year-old man who had pellets in his leg, a broken arm, and they had to go to several different hospitals because of the sheer number of patients that were being treated, saying it was -- quote -- "completely chaotic."

Now, we've also heard from the Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, and he has said that citizens should not joint -- quote -- "rioters and terrorists." Now, when these protests first started two weeks ago, they were economic protests. He suggested that he was willing to engage with them. He is now calling them though foreign-linked terrorists, suggesting that the regime is not willing to have a dialogue and raising fears that the security forces have been given the green light to be more violent.

Now, just a few of the victims that we are hearing about, a 23-year- old student, a 39-year-old bodybuilder, and a father of three, just three of scores of protesters that have been killed. People coming out onto the street calling for change and paying with their lives.

Paula Hancocks, CNN, Abu Dhabi.

(END VIDEOTAPE) DEAN: All right. Paula, thank you for that. And here with us now is Holly Dagres, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute's program on Iran and U.S. policy. Holly, thank you so much for being here with us. I'm really glad that we have you specifically to talk about this because you have such a personal connection. And I do want to start by asking you about this ongoing internet blackout. We have seen this kind of thing before. But give people context for how this time compares to maybe what we've seen in the past.

HOLLY DAGRES, SENIOR FELLOW, WASHINGTON INSTITUTE: Yes. Well, it's not just an internet blackout, it is a communications blackout. I'm Iranian-American, spent my formative years in Iran, I still have family, and I'm unable to reach them via texts, I cannot call landlines, and this is a story for all Iranians that are living abroad right now.

And, unfortunately, the reason this is happening is because the Islamic Republic doesn't want the world to see what's happening and it also doesn't want to embolden protesters by the moving videos that are trickling out via Starlink.

But more importantly, they're purposely doing this because they know it is a cover for killing protesters. They did this during the 2019 bloody November protests in which 1,500 protesters were killed under the dark cover of an internet shutdown as reported by Amnesty International.

DEAN: And I know you do have your family there and that has to be just very scary to not be able to be in communication with them at all and not know when you might be able to do that again. Are you able to get any information out from there at all from anyone or is it totally blacked out as you're describing?

DAGRES: As I noted earlier, there is some footage trickling out of the country via Starlink and that's where we're getting an assessment of the dots. We're seeing these moving images out of the country on Saturday night in the capital of Tehran. I would say thousands, if not tens of thousands of Iranians, had taken their phones out and lit them up like a concert with like flashlights to say that we're disconnected but we're all still here.

[17:09:58]

And, of course, more importantly, you know, the numbers earlier about the deaths. There's credible documentation that there are 2,000 that have been killed, and that is supposed to be a conservative estimate. And so, that's what we're dealing with right now, is just trying to figure out what exactly is happening on the ground, but know that these Iranians are risking their lives for freedom, and I think that's really important here to know.

DEAN: Yes. That bravery is truly incredible, to do that. And in talking with other experts, you know, they laid out, as you have as well, just the violence that this regime will -- you know, in the past, has inflicted to try to quell any sort of uprising or resistance demonstrations that have happened. And the real fear right now, that with this internet blackout, with this communications blackout, that they can use that to inflict more violence on people. Is that also your concern?

DAGRES: Yes. I've noted that earlier. And, unfortunately, this is a clerical establishment that has been pushing against the people for 47 years. We've seen that the Iranian people have been calling for change for a long time. We saw this come to head during the 2022 woman-like freedom uprising and, of course, now. It's because there's systemic mismanagement, corruption, and repression. And this is why people want the Islamic Republic on.

We had the highest execution since 1989 in the year of 2025. It was over 2,045. And we're expecting these mass executions to happen as we speak because they use this cover of the internet shutdown to commit these atrocities. And I should note that in 2022, the Islamic Republic committed crimes against humanity as noted by the U.N. fact-finding mission report. And so, this is what we're dealing with.

DEAN: Yes. And so, now that we're watching this play out, obviously, if you zoom out, what has happened going back to the American and Israeli strikes against Iran, the weakening of Hezbollah and the other proxy groups around that whole region, this is a different moment in time than it was in 2022 or other times. How might those instances and those events factor in to what we're -- what we're seeing now?

DAGRES: I think you laid it out very well. The regional events in the post-October 7th world, the maiming of the proxies, the loss of the Islamic Republic's top ally in Syria, Bashar al-Assad, and, of course, the 12-day war, I mean, it has really created this situation that is unsustainable for the Islamic Republic because now they're dealing with these foreign issues and now these domestic issues with historically high anti-regime sentiment that won't go away until this regime is gone.

And so, I think when you look at it like big picture here, we also have the possibility of Israel and the United States doing something as well. And I don't know anyone before these protests kicked off didn't think there wouldn't be another round between Israel and Iran in the next six months.

DEAN: And in the midst of all this, one outspoken voice that we've been hearing from is the former shah's son. He said he's willing to lead a transitional government if the regime falls. I'm curious, though, if you think that's a realistic solution. Obviously, that's getting a bit ahead here, but just what you think about him as a figure.

DAGRES: Well, he didn't come out of nowhere. He has an institutional legacy. And there are calls, believe it or not. It's actually extraordinary that they've been calling long live the shah. And this is the last battle. Pahlavi will return in these protests that are ongoing in Iran. So, floating his name around isn't unusual.

And it's these protests chants, and I say extraordinary, because just on January 16th, it'll be 47 years since his father, the shah, left on a plane, never to return to Iran. And I think that Iranians inside the country, some do see him as a transitional leader, but they also have a nostalgia or think about a life pre-1970 life, a life that they think is better than the life they're living in under the Islamic Republic.

DEAN: And what do you think in terms of, I know you touched on this, but the U.S. role in all of this? Obviously, the president has been pretty outspoken about willing to help. We don't know exactly what that means, but we do have reporting indicating he is weighing military options. Other members of his administration pretty outspoken about supporting the Iranians as well. What kind of role do they have here and how impactful is that on the protesters who, as you note, are out there risking their lives right now to try to -- to try to effect change?

DAGRES: This might surprise viewers, but some Iranian protesters have thanked the president and renamed some terror on streets Trump Street.

[17:15:04]

But there are also fears about foreign intervention. But I want to take a step back and look at what the United States can do in this moment to support the protesters instead of solidarity tweets online. I think, first, they should turn on Direct to Cell on Starlink, which basically would connect cell phones to Starlink satellites that are over the country right now. It would give access to people to actually start sharing what's happening inside Iran and also get in contact with their families because that's the only way for their voices to be heard by the world.

Secondly, I think that they should actually lead a call for a democratic transition in Iran. It's what the Iranian people want. It's why they're out there risking their lives despite knowing they might be killed. And I think those are the two important things the United States and the international community should be pushing for right now.

DEAN: All right. Holly, thank you so much. And we really hope your family is safe and that you are able to talk to them really soon. Thank you so much for your time. We appreciate it.

And Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem saying she's sending more border patrol agents to Minneapolis despite the anger in the community there following last week's fatal shooting. We have the latest developments. Plus, President Trump is adamant about his plans to acquire Greenland. Could a diplomatic solution be possible here? Plus, Hollywood's awards season gets ramped up tonight with the Golden Globe Awards. We're live from the red carpet. You're in the "CNN Newsroom."

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[17:20:00]

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DEAN: Britain says discussions with NATO allies on potentially ramping up security in the Arctic are business as usual. NATO posting this image today on social media of what it called a practice in the Northern Arctic. And it comes on the heels of more threats from President Trump saying the U.S. will take Greenland, he says, the hard way if it can't be done the easy way.

We're joined now by Republican Representative Mike Flood. He serves on the House Financial Services Committee and is a member of the Congressional Friends of Denmark and Greenland Caucus. Congressman, thanks for your time tonight. We appreciate you being here.

I do want to start first with Greenland because I know, last week, you met with Greenland's ambassador and the head of Greenland representation, and you say there is a diplomatic solution here. What do you think --

REP. MIKE FLOOD (R-NE): Absolutely.

DEAN: What do you think that looks like?

FLOOD: Well, absolutely. When the Danish ambassador came into my office, we got sat down. The representative from Greenland was there. The Danish ambassador said, listen, we've never said no to the United States, we want to work with the United States, we want to work together on arctic security. They've recently spent $14 billion then Denmark has to improve security in the arctic region. So, they have shared interest. They are also concerned about China and Russia just like we are.

So, I have to think that Marco Rubio who, by the way, is doing a fantastic job, he has dealt with much more difficult diplomatic situations than this. I have every confidence in the world that we can find a win-win solution with a pair of countries that want to work with the United States.

DEAN: Yes. And so, is it your sense then, knowing all of that, that the reality of what is likely to happen or the first choice of what -- you know, the first option that might be being pursued is some sort of diplomatic solution like what you're discussing versus other things that we have heard, you know, kind of the president talk around but not directly saying, you know, the hard way or the easy way, but you think it's maybe that there really could be just a deal to be had here.

FLOOD: Absolutely. This is a diplomatic issue. And if you go back and look at President Trump's joint address to Congress last year, he said that if Greenland wants to join the United States, wants to be allied with us in a different way than they are now, that's up to the people of Greenland. That speaks to their sovereignty.

Listen, Greenland, Denmark, these are NATO allies. We don't use military force against NATO allies. Full stop. And I know a lot of members of Congress feel that way.

We also know that President Trump, he's a negotiator, he gets things done. You might not always like the path he takes to get there, but I'm confident that we will find a way forward with Greenland, we will find a way forward with enhanced arctic security, and there is a win- win to be had here with our friends to the north.

DEAN: And you mentioned our NATO allies. Should they be concerned about Trump's rhetoric?

FLOOD: Well, I can tell you, for myself, NATO is very, very, very important to the people of Nebraska. It's important to the people of this nation. I want strong relations with our NATO partners, our NATO allies. The idea of ever using any military action against a NATO ally, like I said, full stop for me. I do not want and will not participate in that. I think it is -- unless there was an exigent circumstance where somebody attacked us, which I do not see happening.

Listen, we are central to NATO success. We are on the front line to combat Russia from walking into Poland or forcing his way into Poland or doing much worse. The Baltic states, so much more, there's so much at stake here. We have to support our NATO allies.

DEAN: And I do just want to show the tweet again from NATO with the forces in the far north saying that they are, you know, just training there in the Arctic. If you look at this, do you say, oh, this is pretty strategic? Are they trying to send a message here that they're preparing for any sort of potential fight, whether it be with the U.S. or someone else or -- what does this say to you?

FLOOD: This says that NATO is doing what it does every single day. It protects the interests of all its allied countries. The Arctic is very important. Listen, China and Russia are the aggressors here. That's who we have to watch out for, not to mention all the rare earths and minerals on Greenland itself. As we want to compete with China and be innovative, we may need access to those minerals and rare earths.

[17:25:02]

And as President Trump has said in the past, we're willing to pay for it. Listen, we're going to get there. We calm our heads, need to prevail here. We will get there with a diplomatic solution. I have every confidence in our outstanding secretary of state that understands all of the dynamics here.

DEAN: And I do want to ask you just because you can draw lines here. You've been talking -- obviously, Russia comes up again and again when talking about Greenland. In terms of Ukraine, are you -- are you pleased? Do you feel like it's enough, what the president is doing, to put pressure on Russia to end that -- end that war?

FLOOD: Listen, every single time, this question has come to the Congress about should we be sending arms to Ukraine, should we be spending money on Ukraine. I have voted 'yes' every single time even when some in my party didn't want to. Listen, I believe in NATO, I believe in Ukraine. I think the Ukrainian people have showed the world that Russia is not nearly as powerful as they claim to be and that the Ukrainians fight for their freedom is something that we should continue to support.

And while you may not like the 24-hour news cycle that occurs with, you know, the dialogue about Ukraine, I can tell you I'm 100 percent supportive of them and will vote again to send resources to Ukraine to fight this thug, Vladimir Putin.

DEAN: Is there anything else you'd like to see the president or his administration doing to achieve that goal you just stated?

FLOOD: Well, you know, obviously, the situation in Venezuela, the talk about Iran and all these other hot spots in the world, I think, have taken some of the attention off Ukraine. Russia seems to be escalating at times its attacks on the Ukrainian people. They have been through hell and back.

I would like to see peace, I would like to see this come to an end, I want Putin to stop, and I don't want the Ukrainians to give up an inch of their ground because if they do, what's to stop them from going into the Baltic States or to Poland or Czechoslovakia?

I think we need to send a strong message. And there are a number in our party that feel just as strongly as I do that this is an important national security interest, not only for Ukraine, but for the United States.

DEAN: All right. Republican Congressman Mike Flood, thank you for your time. We appreciate it.

FLOOD: Thanks for having me.

DEAN: Protests are spreading across the U.S. after a deadly shooting by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. We are hearing from some of the protesters. You're the "CNN Newsroom."

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[17:30:00]

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DEAN: Today, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defending the comment she made in the immediate aftermath of the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. In those comments, she said Good committed an act of domestic terrorism by, in her words, trying to run over an ICE agent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KRISTI NOEM, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: I had just been in Minneapolis and had been with those officers, had seen what they were facing on the streets every day, had talked to their supervisors as soon as the incident happened, and had gotten the facts and seen videos before I ever went to talk at that press conference.

If you look at what the definition of domestic terrorism is, it completely fits the situation on the ground. This individual, as you saw in the video that we released just 48 hours after this incident, showed that this officer was hit by her vehicle, she weaponized it, and he defended his life and those colleagues around him and the public.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: Noem did not acknowledge the possibility Good could have been trying to flee the scene. The secretary also announcing today the administration is sending hundreds more officers to Minneapolis in the coming days. Tensions continue to flare in the Twin Cities over that shooting with anti-ICE protests in the area and across the nation.

CNN's Nick Watt is joining us now with more on what we're seeing today, Nick, and also how local officials are responding because there has been kind of this bifurcation between the local officials and federal officials.

NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Jessica, if anything, that chasm between what the federal officials say happened and what those local and state officials say happened, that is getting even deeper.

Now, you just played Kristi Noem there. She is doubling down on describing Renee Good as a domestic terrorist. Now, Jacob Frey, who's the mayor of Minneapolis, he believes that it was the ICE agent who was clearly at fault here. They're all watching the same video and drawing entirely different conclusions.

Now, Mayor Frey also said, perhaps, Kristi Noem doesn't really believe what she's saying, and he is calling for what he calls a neutral and unbiased investigation. Kristi Noem has called for him to grow up, him and others to grow up, the people who are asking for more cooperation, more transparency in the investigation. Take a listen to something else that the mayor said on CNN just a little earlier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR JACOB FREY, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: Here's the thing, she's calling Minneapolis like this dystopian hellhole. You know, how many shootings we've had so far this year? Two. And one of them was ICE. I said this was a federal agent recklessly using power that ended up in somebody dying because that was a federal agent recklessly using power that ended up in somebody dying. It is exactly what happened. I mean, am I biased in this? Of course. And I'm biased because I got two eyes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATT: Now, Sara Jacobs, who is a Democrat representative who serves on the Foreign Affairs and Armed Services Committee, she was also on CNN earlier. She says Kristi Noem is blatantly lying, that she should resign or she should be impeached. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. SARA JACOBS (D-CA): If the administration is so sure of their account of events, then they should welcome an independent investigation because the evidence would show that.

[17:34:58]

But I think they're telling on themselves by not allowing it because they know that what they're saying is completely wrong and made-up and preposterous, really.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATT: And Jessica, we are now getting live pictures from Minneapolis of a vigil at the site, the scene where Renee Good was killed this week. You know, over a thousand protest demonstrations have been planned across the country by this organization, ICE Out for Good. You can tell by the name of the organization what they are looking for. We've seen these demonstrations from, you know, North Dakota to Arizona to Maine to Colorado to New York City, all across the country, even outside the U.S. embassy in Berlin, Germany.

So, what we are seeing, what we are keeping an eye on are those demonstrations, those protests. Peaceful so far today. We saw some arrests in Austin, Texas last night. We also saw officers deploying what looked like pepper balls during those protests in Austin. So, we're keeping an eye on that. And we're also keeping an eye on these, frankly, dueling narratives of what actually happened to Renee Good.

DEAN: Yes.

WATT: As I say, everyone is watching the same videos, taking very different conclusions. Jessica?

DEAN: That is absolutely true. We also know, speaking of members of Congress, Minnesota Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, who represents part of Minneapolis, also spoke out against the ICE enforcement efforts in her state. What is she specifically saying?

WATT: Well, I have not been following those comments, but she, of course, has been hugely critical of the Trump administration, hugely critical of these ICE crackdowns. And, you know, what we are hearing from these politicians in Minneapolis is that they say ICE does not make our communities safer. ICE, in fact, makes our communities much more dangerous.

So, listen, these -- the narrative from either side completely different. You know, Ilhan Omar is saying that it's creating chaos. That's what we're hearing from politicians, not just in Minneapolis, but also elsewhere in the country, who say that they do not want these federal agents in their communities. Jessica?

DEAN: All right. More to come from Nick Watt. Thank you so much for that reporting.

WATT: Thank you.

DEAN: We really appreciate it. We're also learning more about Renee Good, the 37-year-old mother of three who was fatally shot. Here's Brian Todd.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Renee Nicole Good's father said his 37- year-old daughter was a wonderful person, telling "The Washington Post" -- quote -- "She had a good life, but a hard life." One of Good's college professors recalled his conversations with her about dealing with those challenges.

PROF. KENT WASCOM, TAUGHT RENEE NICOLE GOOD AT OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY: She was pregnant and working and balancing both of that with getting an education. So, we had to work together to be able to make class attendance and assignments accessible and possible for someone who's carrying a child.

TODD (voice-over): Renee Good was a mother of three, according to the Associated Press, with a 15-year-old daughter and a 12-year-old son from her first marriage and a 6-year-old son from her second marriage. Her father said she spent most of her life in Colorado and briefly moved to Kansas to live with her parents after one of her husbands, a military veteran, died about three years ago.

Good graduated from Old Dominion University in 2020 with a degree in English and, during her time there, won a prize for her poetry. Her professor says her work in his class was unique.

WASCOM: She wrote outside of her circumstances. A lot of times, young writers write about themselves, right? You write what you know. Renee wanted to write about other people. She wrote about elderly people and about people from other places and in circumstances that were unlike her own.

TODD (voice-over): Good's ex-husband, who asked not to be named, told the Associated Press she was a devoted Christian who took part in youth mission trips to Northern Ireland and loved to sing. On an Instagram account appearing to belong to Good, she said she was -- quote -- "experiencing Minneapolis" and posted a pride flag emoji. CNN spoke to one of her Minneapolis neighbors.

KIMMY HULL, NEIGHBOR OF RENEE NICOLE GOOD: She was a very welcomed member of the community. Somebody is always going to be a daughter, a son, a mother, a brother, a sister, a child, a grandchild, you know. I mean, each and every one of us here were one of those to somebody else, you know? It matters.

TODD (voice-over): Renee Good's ex-husband told the Associated Press she had just dropped her 6-year-old son off at school on Wednesday and was driving home with her current partner when they encountered the ICE agents. Her son's grandfather told the Star Tribune there is no one else in the child's life.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: Still ahead here, where do negotiations stand as thousands in Ukraine are forced to live in the dark and bitter cold following intense Russian attacks in the capital city of Kyiv over the weekend.

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[17:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) DEAN: Thousands of people in Kyiv are battling brutally cold temperatures inside their now unheated homes as a result of the Russian forces ramping up attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. A barrage of Russian missiles hit the energy facilities this week, causing a major power outage in Ukraine's capital.

And CNN's Barbie Latza Nadeau has more on that. Barbie?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN REPORTER: Ukrainian and American negotiators continue to move forward on a framework for peace through what President Vladimir Zelenskyy has called daily dialogue between negotiators to keep the war at the top of mind in the United States. All the while, Zelenskyy is keen to point out the role of Russian President, Vladimir Putin.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE: Only Russia is the source of this war, the reason for prolonging the war, and deserves all the blows and pressure in response for everything it does against life and people, against diplomacy, against partners.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[17:44:58]

LATZA NADEAU: As talks move forward, every day, Ukrainians are bracing for another cold winter with Russia's ruthless attacks on infrastructure. Over the weekend, more than half a million people in the capital, Kyiv, were without electricity, heat or water as temperatures dipped below zero.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SERHLL PRZHISTOVSKIY, KYIV RESIDENT: Before the strike, it was good, normal warmth. We had everything. Until they turn the heating back on, I'll have to sleep in my clothes.

HALYNA TURCHYN, KYIV RESIDENT: These little gas canisters, we use them to heat things up. Today, we will cook something to eat because we haven't cooked anything for two days already.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LATZA NADEAU: Ukrainians are bracing for a fourth winter under attack with peace, a distant hope.

Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: Thank you, Barbie. And Secretary of State Marco Rubio is preparing to meet with Danish officials this week about U.S. efforts to control Greenland. He's also overseeing the regime change in Venezuela and holding a number of jobs across the administration, including secretary of state. CNN's Steve Contorno has an in-depth look at how Rubio's background and rise to power brought him to this moment.

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STEVE CONTORNO, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Many ways you can draw a direct line from the capture of Maduro to Marco Rubio's upbringing in Miami. He grew up the son of Cuban immigrants, surrounded by exiles who fled Fidel Castro's communist revolution. And he wrote in his 2011 autobiography that the politics of this exile community was inescapable and ultimately would define his own politics. And even as a boy, he -- quote -- " I boasted I would someday lead an army of exiles to overthrow Fidel Castro and become president of a free Cuba."

Those who have known him for decades say it is clear that the forces that shaped his worldview as a child and through his political rise in Miami are now taking center stage in the Trump foreign policy doctrine. One person telling me -- quote -- "He is what every Cuban mother wants their sons to be -- loving Miami, thanking the United States but never forgetting Cuba."

And for many in South Florida, Cuba and Venezuela have been linked for decades. They have been closely aligned. And as hundreds of thousands of people fled Venezuela, many of them ended up in South Florida and started shaping Rubio's politics as well. He has been a champion for this community almost as long as he has been on the national stage. At times, he has been a singular voice calling for the ouster of Maduro.

Now, he is leading Trump's foreign policy as secretary of state. And with him in that role, many people who have known him for a long time say, look, we don't know what's going to happen next. But with Rubio in that position, they have no doubt that over time, attention will shift from Venezuela to Cuba. Former Hialeah mayor telling me -- quote -- "Make no mistake, a free Caracas should lead to a free Havana."

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DEAN: All right. That's Steve Contorno for us. Thank you so much. Award season kicks off tonight with the Golden Globe. Stars are hitting the red carpet ahead of the big winners being unveiled. We're going to take you there live after the break.

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DEAN: Tonight, in Los Angeles, stars are hitting the red carpet ahead of the Golden Globe Awards with comedian Nikki Glaser returning to host the ceremony. CNN's Stephanie Elam is right in the middle of it all. Stephanie, tell us what's going on.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, Jessica, the carpet is on their way. We've got stars making their way down here. I'm going to introduce you to one of them. If you're a fan of "Sinners," you're going to recognize Omar Miller. Hello, Omar.

OMAR MILLER, ACTOR: Well, hello.

ELAM: So, tell me, how does it feel to actually be invited here after, you know, your turn in the movie where you weren't necessarily invited at first? How does it feel to be invited to the carpet?

MILLER: I haven't thought of that. You know what? It didn't matter. I tricked them in the movie, anyway. So, if I had to, I would have snuck in here. But it feels good. It feels good. I get to see everybody from the cast again, producers, our director, and so many people I haven't seen in so long. It's just the film has been so well received and celebrated. We can't lose.

ELAM: So, when did you know that you were part of a massive hit?

MILLER: I mean, I think that was pretty clear after the second week when people start saying they were going back three and four or five times. But I knew I was a part of something special while we were making it.

ELAM: It took you that long, two weeks, to know that you had made a hit?

MILLER: Oh, you know, there was a lot. The jury was out, apparently. Apparently, our numbers weren't up to code until they were.

ELAM: So, I'm thinking about your arc from T.V., from, you know, football king to now being in this movie. What is it like now to see where your career has taken you?

MILLER: Oh, I'm blessed. It's all good. You know, to be able to carve a career where this is the only thing that I do for the last 20 years, 20 plus years, and to get to live the life I get to lead through acting and through my talent, I can't ask for anything more.

ELAM: It looked like you guys might have had some fun even though it was very scary and tense in some places. It looked like you guys had fun on the set. Am I wrong?

MILLER: No, you're right. Let me tell you something. Scary movies are a lot less serious than they turn out.

ELAM: Really? So, there's lot of silliness in the between?

MILLER: Hopefully, Wunmi will come over. Good luck getting through the interview. There's a lot of funny people in this cast. And there was a lot of times, Coogler included, where we had a hard time keeping it together.

ELAM: OK. Wait, I just want you to know there are many people who want there to be a sequel, another part. We need to know about other people in this movie. Is that going to happen? What do you think?

MILLER: Let me tell you something. The man is on his way. You can ask him directly. I can't speak for that man. He wrote it. ELAM: And I guess it doesn't pertain to you necessarily. So, but --

MILLER: You know that. You didn't see cornbread get the axe (ph).

ELAM: That's true. We didn't. We didn't actually see cornbread get the axe (ph). That's true. That's true. You corrected me.

[17:55:00]

Omar, so great to see you again.

MILLER: Always.

ELAM: Have a great night. Congratulations on a hit film.

MILLER: Thank you. Thank you for the support.

ELAM: Yes. Of course.

MILLER: Hey, mama.

ELAM: Yes. There you go. Hopefully, she's watching. Hopefully, she's watching, Jessica. So, that's what is happening. The carpet is in full swing. People are making their way down. And we'll see who else makes their way as the show --

DEAN: I know.

ELAM: -- continues to get ready to go here on the carpet.

DEAN: That's what's so fun about checking in with you, Stephanie. This is happening in real time. We never know when we come to you, just who you might have. So, we will see you in another hour, and we wait to see who will be with you. Thank you so much.

And still ahead in the next hour, President Trump is weighing his options on how to potentially intervene in Iran as hundreds, at least, of Iranians are killed in those nationwide protests. You're in the "CNN Newsroom."

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