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Judge Order Release Of 5-Year-Old And Father From Texas Facility; Bomb Cyclone Slamming Parts Of East Coast, Southeastern U.S.; Carolinas Could See Highest Snowfall In Two Decades; Interview With Nags Head Mayor Ben Cahoon (R); Partial Government Shutdown Begins; Federal Government Partially Shutdown; Jeffries: Democrats Won't Help GOP Pass Funding Bill; Israeli Military Reportedly Acknowledges 70,000 Killed In Gaza. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired January 31, 2026 - 19:00   ET

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

[19:00:23]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

JESSICA DEAN, CNN ANCHOR: You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. Hi, everyone. I'm Jessica Dean here in New York.

We do have breaking news tonight as a federal judge has ordered the release of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father from a South Texas detention center. The photos of Liam in his winter hat and his backpack with the agents hand there on him led to widespread outrage and concern. Anti-ICE protesters gathering outside the facility this week. Liam and his father taken from Minneapolis and to there in South Texas more than a week ago.

Also tonight, a separate federal judge has declined to immediately halt an immigration operation that's already underway there in Minnesota. The administration saying the operation is targeting undocumented Somali immigrants, which has dispatched thousands of agents there to Minneapolis and St. Paul. And since then, two U.S. citizens have died after being shot by federal agents, triggering weeks of protests and heated confrontations.

CNN's Julia Vargas Jones is joining us now from Los Angeles, where one of those protests is underway.

Julia, let's go back to Liam and his father. This judge had quite the written ruling on this, where he really targeted the government and their handling of all of this, also saying that Liam and his father need to be returned by Tuesday at the latest. What more are you learning?

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Tuesday the latest. And then he wants a full report from the government by Wednesday, making sure that Liam and his father were indeed released by Wednesday. So it was overall, Jessica, a scathing review of how the federal government has been handling the case.

The judge, District Judge Fred Biery of West Texas, said, quote, "The ill-conceived and incompetently implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas apparently, even if it requires traumatizing children."

Of course, that photo of Liam with his backpack handle being held by a DHS agent and his little bunny hat has become so iconic. We have seen it here in Los Angeles, Jessica. Time and again, a bunch of different protesters have come out with signs that show or portray Liam or allude to his story in some kind of way. One person telling me that every time that they see a photo of Liam, they cry.

I do want you to hear from one of these protesters. She had a sign that said, "And then they came for the children with the bunny ears." Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LESLIE, LOS ANGELES PROTESTER: It's not about politics anymore. It's about what's right. And we should be protecting our children no matter what.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: Now, another one of these protesters that had a different sign with Liam on it said that she had heard about this judge's decision. And she said, you know what, it's too little, too late. You're allowing children to suffer, she said, in her view, saying that it all needs to change.

Now we're seeing a very wide range of opinions here, Jessica, and I think that's one thing that is interesting about these kinds of protests. There's people saying we have to protect children, and that's the line. And people say, abolish ICE, abolish all kind of immigration enforcement.

Now this protest is supposed to be peaceful. That is what we've seen here so far. Los Angeles really just gathering around this one message of discontentment with the federal government and the way that these immigration policies are being enforced -- Jessica.

DEAN: All right. Julia Vargas Jones with the latest in L.A., thank you.

And let's bring in Harry Litman. He's a former U.S. attorney and former deputy assistant attorney general. He's also -- he also hosts the "Talking Feds" podcast.

Harry, good to see you on this Saturday evening.

HARRY LITMAN, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY: Likewise.

DEAN: I want to start first with what the judge said in this case with the 5-year-old and his father, 5-year-old Liam and his father. When you read that, what stood out to you?

LITMAN: Look, it's three pages and it is scathing. I don't remember such a scathing opinion.

[19:05:02] He quotes Thomas Jefferson, he quotes Benjamin Franklin. He begins with calling it incompetent.

Here's another nugget from the opinion. "The perfidious lust for unbridled power and the imposition of cruelty and its quest know no bounds and are bereft of human decency." For a judicial opinion, man, that is all in in the outrage you mentioned that the country has. He totally excoriates the government.

DEAN: Yes. And so what we know is that the judge said they should be released no later than Tuesday. I want an update essentially by Wednesday. Obviously, the U.S. government can appeal this ruling. Help people understand what happens now.

LITMAN: Yes. What's really important to understand, Jessica, and they're doing this all over the country. An opinion just a few days ago saying ICE had violated more orders in January of 2026 than most agencies have in their lifetimes. But all the judge did here was say, while he gets his due process rights at the Supreme Court, says he has to have, he doesn't remain in jail. It's only that so ICE can still go forward and it will.

But the judge has ordered him to be -- and his father, of course, to be free in the meantime. Orders like that have -- are happening hundreds of times around the country and seem to be violated hundreds of times around the country by ICE that disagrees with the legal basis. But the important thing to understand is, as really vehement as the ruling is, it's -- all it does is say until he gets his hearing, he remains free. Not in this Texas detention center.

DEAN: Right. So in theory, what that should mean is that is Liam and his father can be free to go back to Minnesota. Liam can be free to go back to school, et cetera, et cetera. Right?

LITMAN: That's exactly right. Until they have the hearing.

DEAN: Until those -- OK.

LITMAN: ICE has in a couple instances actually sent people down and then just let them loose in Texas and say, oh, you can find your own way back. I think the judge will not permit that. But as you say, exactly right. But if they move quickly to give them the due process rights the Supreme Court has ordered, it may be short lived, but during that time they are free. He's in school, et cetera.

DEAN: And so what about this idea? Just legally that DHS says that Liam's father is here illegally, I believe they called him an illegal alien. The family attorney says, no, no, no, they came here legally. They are seeking asylum. They've been going through the process that was set before them. So how can things be true?

LITMAN: Yes, they have --

DEAN: No, go ahead.

LITMAN: Yes. They have -- no, no, no, they have a pending asylum claim. They haven't gotten asylum, but they have a pending claim. And in those circumstances normally ICE wouldn't move to just deport. So they're both right. But basically what the ruling already has been from the Supreme Court is they get to press their claim, they get to say we deserve asylum. And the special extra emphasis that the Biery opinion adds is, and until they do, until you bring them before for the due process hearing, they're entitled to be -- you can't keep him locked up.

And there's, as I say, like quotes from the Declaration of Independence and a republic, if you can keep it. He really sees this as just elementary constitutional rights.

DEAN: I think he also makes note of a bible verses in there as well. It is quite a ruling. I want to --

LITMAN: Three (INAUDIBLE), and said it all. Yes.

DEAN: Yes, yes. I want to ask you about this other ruling that we talked about at the top of our show, which is that the administration can continue this immigration enforcement operation there in Minnesota. This obviously coming from a separate judge. This is its own thing. What did you glean from this ruling?

LITMAN: Yes. All right. So it's also limited. The important thing to understand is Judge Menendez just said, I'm not going to put the brakes on here while I decide what is right. And that is because Minnesota here has propounded a legal theory that's going to be important and will play out across the country. But here it's novel and it basically says under the 10th Amendment to the Constitution, the feds just can't come in and make us do stuff, and they're making us do stuff.

And the judge said, there's no doubt that this is imposing, profound, heartbreaking consequences and will continue to. But as a legal matter, it's a novel theory, and I can't put the brakes on while I decide it because in order to put the brakes on, I really need to show they're likely to win. I just don't know that yet. A lot of sympathy for the plaintiffs, but just under the law, couldn't say I'm freezing everything while I decide.

[19:10:06]

DEAN: All right, Harry Litman, thank you for helping us kind of sort through this for all of us non-attorneys here. We really appreciate it.

LITMAN: Thank you, Jessica.

DEAN: Still ahead, back-to-back weekends of winter storms. We're going to show you where this bomb cyclone is intensifying. Plus a partial government shutdown is in effect despite a last-minute effort to avert it. We'll have the latest on the funding battle there in Washington.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [19:15:07]

DEAN: For the second straight weekend, parts of the southeastern U.S. and all along the East Coast are finding themselves in the deep throes of winter. 27 million people in 29 states are under some sort of weather alert as this powerful bomb cyclone brings heavy snow, powerful winds, and subfreezing temperatures stretching from Georgia up to Washington, D.C.

North Carolina Highway Patrol reporting there have been more than 300 car crashes across that state since the storm began. More than a thousand flights have now been canceled at the Charlotte Airport.

Our Dianne Gallagher is in Charlotte. We're going to check in with her in just a second, but we're going to start first with Derek Van Dam in Virginia Beach, where, Derek, I do see snow there. What are you tracking?

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes. OK. So this is the nature of this storm. It took a little bit longer to snow, but it's finally falling from the sky. And I was checking out the radar just a few minutes ago. And I think we're in for quite an intense band over the next coming hours. I've seen a lot of videos coming out of the outer banks of North Carolina, along coastal South Carolina.

These areas are getting walloped with two-inch-per-hour snowfall totals. And of course, you factor in the winds, which we're now starting to feel kind of the most intense that we have all day. The whiteout conditions come and they come very fast. That's the nature of this, you know, the reduced visibilities in these snow squalls that come through. So you get a photographer to pan up at the light here.

And so you can just see how the kind of the chaotic nature of the snow that's falling right now. That's because it's getting whipped around by tropical storm force gusts that are coming off of the Atlantic Ocean. So we're in for a long night here. We anticipate the potential for nearing blizzard conditions, especially along the extreme southeastern coastline of Virginia, through the Carolina coastline.

And then we've got the heavy snowfall to talk about on the interior as well, as looking the stretch between Greensboro and Charlotte. That I- 85 corridor has double digit snowfall totals. That's where some of the car crashes and spinouts have occurred in Atlanta. We kind of missed out on the heavy snowfall, but just northeast of the metro area, that was a whole different story. A half a foot of snow piled up in some locations. Again, that I-85 corridor really focused.

So what's coming behind it? It's the strong winds as this bomb cyclone really deepens over the coastal areas. And then the Arctic air that's going to settle in behind it. We've got hard freeze warnings in -- as far south as Miami. We have the potential for snow flurries overnight in Tampa Bay. That's really saying something about the nature of this. That's called ocean effect snow showers.

It's possible we're watching it, seeing some reports of it as well. We'll wait to see the videos. But this storm really means business. It will be some of the coldest temperatures that we felt in some parts of Florida since 2010. And that's really saying something. And also the snowfall totals that are breaking daily and monthly records across parts of the Carolinas.

So I want to pan around this way really quickly. You can kind of see a little -- the snow starting to kind of spin up on the roadways here, getting blown around by the intense winds that we're experiencing. This is just really a drop in the bucket of what's really occurring across parts of coastal Carolinas as this storm bombs out across the Atlantic and strengthens even further overnight -- Jessica.

DEAN: Yes, everyone, I think so many Americans really cold right now.

Derek, thank you so much.

Let's go to Dianne Gallagher, who is there in Charlotte where it is now nightfall.

And, Dianne, I know you've seen a lot of people where you are in this neighborhood really enjoying a snow day essentially. But there have been obviously road hazards and that sort of thing throughout the day as well.

DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Jessica, I am one of those very cold Americans right now, as are, of course, the people behind me, but they are -- they're warming up as well inside the bars here in Plaza Midwood in Charlotte, North Carolina.

We are looking at snow totals that we have not seen in this city in more than two decades, since 2004. And believe it or not, I'm going to get Andy to sort of show you the snow that's falling. This is the lightest snowfall we've experienced all day. We had almost whiteout conditions a couple times earlier with really intense winds and thick, fat snowflakes. But right now it's sort of lighting up at this point.

The danger, though, not gone on the roads. According to North Carolina Highway Patrol, with very recently updated numbers from midnight until 6:00 p.m., they've had more than 750 reported collisions across the state.

Now, the positive news here is there have been no fatalities, but they stress, those troopers that are -- that's far too many people on the roads at this point. I will say we've seen a lot of people driving as the sun went down here and the roads here in the city. Look, they are icy. They are full of packed snow.

Even the ones that have been plowed. And people are kind of going fast for it to be as, you know, wintry as it is right now here in the south.

[19:20:03]

Now we are seeing interstate closures as well because of accidents, because of minor issues that are causing, you know, just sort of backups behind it as they try and clear things away and respond. Emergency responders even out on the coast saying, look, the conditions aren't necessarily going to allow us to reach people on the mainland or out on the islands because of road closures.

So people have got to stay home. But I feel like I'm very doom and gloom here. It's not all bad news. In fact, again, you see the people behind me. This is a walkable neighborhood, so most of these people are actually walking to enjoy themselves here. And this is much of what we've seen across Charlotte today. We were out at Cordelia Park Earlier, which has got this great hill. And I can tell you the number of families and friends and animals, people with their pets out there running through the snow, taking whatever they had at home that was flat and slick. We're talking cookie baking sheets. We're talking trash can lids, floats. We're -- what did we see? Air mattresses. Just to go down and sled.

And we talked to a lot of people who this is the first time they've ever really sledded in their life. And so it was a good bonding moment. It was a very joyous day for people who were out playing in the snow, because the truth is, we just don't get snow like this in the south. So it's kind of a treat if you stay off the roads and you stay safe.

DEAN: Yes, that's good advice. And hey, you got to get creative. Sometimes you don't have a sled if you live in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Diane Gallagher, thank you so much for that. We appreciate it.

And on the Atlantic coast, the outer banks of North Carolina are bracing for historic snowfall with about a foot expected from this storm. We're joined now by the mayor of Nags Head, North Carolina, Ben Cahoon.

Thank you, Mayor, for being here with us. We appreciate it. Give everyone an update on what you all are seeing right now.

MAYOR BEN CAHOON (R), NAGS HEAD, NORTH CAROLINA: Sure, Jessica, thanks for having us on. As I was waiting here to go on the air, I was listening to the wind that's really cranked up in the last hour or two, and it's sort of beating and banging. And it's made the house rattle a couple of times.

We are seeing the wind pick up. We've had probably at this point, maybe a couple of inches of snow. But we're expecting it to continue until about 8:00 or 9:00 a.m. Our concerns are the surf in the morning. This is a passing coastal low that always brings us concern about beachfront erosion and high tide will be at about 7:00 a.m. tomorrow with 11-foot waves. And so we'll be watching that really closely, along with the risk of some southside flooding being brought by this low.

DEAN: Yes. I mean, you, in addition to the snow and ice you have, you know, like you said, the flooding to really worry about there because you are a coastal city. I do think when people think about the outer banks, think about Nags Head, they think about summer and they think about the beach and all of those types of things.

How -- what is it like preparing for a storm like this when this is not something you all see regularly?

CAHOON: It's not at all. It's in fact, it's very unusual for us. The warm water around us normally protects us from very cold conditions. But the ocean right now is 43 degrees, which is 16 degrees cooler than it normally is this time of year. So that heat sink is not helping us in this blast. And it's extremely cold for us and very unusual. And that is very concerning for people who may be inadequately sheltered, who may be caught out in the storm. And for our public safety people and our public works people who may have to go out to respond to an emergency.

DEAN: Yes. I mean, I did want to ask you how people are preparing. They're not, you know, again, because this doesn't happen often, because these are extremely cold temperatures. People aren't always ready or, you know, naturally know exactly what to do to make sure their pipes don't burst or something more extreme happens.

CAHOON: True. Yes.

DEAN: So what are you advising people to do? What have you all been trying to message to them?

CAHOON: Yes. One, stay inside. Stay off the road. You know, keep your pipes. Keep your faucets dripping. Open the cabinets to let that heat in under sinks in your house. So that those pipes don't freeze. You know, I think, by and large, people have gotten off the road late this afternoon. They are hunkered down at home. We know that folks bought up their supplies. Ice and snow melt was very hard to find in the last couple of days.

Our stores wouldn't carry much of that anyway. And what was here went away really quickly. So we just want people to stay inside, stay off the road. Stay warm. If you have an emergency, call us.

DEAN: Stay warm and stay safe.

Mayor Cahoon, thank you so much. We appreciate you.

[19:25:02]

CAHOON: All right. You're very welcome. Thank you again.

DEAN: Still ahead here, the government has partially shut down. We're going to dig into why that is. What is the argument back and forth that led to that and who might be impacted?

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DEAN: Tonight, CNN is learning House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries today told Speaker Mike Johnson Democrats are not going to help pass a critical funding bill. This as the government is partially shut down over funding for ICE. A deal was passed by the Senate last night that would fund all agencies except for the Department of Homeland Security. CNN's Camilla DeChalus is joining us now.

OK. So what's interesting about this is that there was funding for two weeks for DHS in there, and Democrats are essentially saying, no, we don't want to even give them the two weeks of funding while they sort this all out. What happens next here?

[19:30:00]

CAMILA DECHALUS, CNN REPORTER: Well, Jessica, it's looking like this partial government shutdown is going to go on longer than we anticipated. As you mentioned, CNN is reporting that the House Minority Leader, Hakeem Jeffries, just told the House Speaker, Mike Johnson today that Democrats will not help Republicans when it comes to passing the remaining spending bills in order to end this partial government shutdown.

Now, this is a very big deal, because just the other day, the Senate reached an agreement with both Republicans and Democrats to pass the remaining spending bills to fund different parts of the government in order to avert this government shutdown, or at least try to kind of make more wind. And a part of that agreement was to fund, temporarily in the short term, the Department of Homeland Security.

Now, House Democrats are coming out and saying that they have a major issue with this, and they do not want to fund the Department of Homeland Security, especially in light of the recent events where in Minneapolis, where a federal agent shot and killed Alex Pretti. Take a listen to what Jeffries just had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): We need a full and complete debate and what I've made clear to House Republicans is that they cannot simply move forward with legislation taking a my-way-or-the-highway, approach in the absence of House Democrats convening, which were going to do tomorrow and having a discussion about the appropriate way forward, and making sure that in this two-week period of time that is contemplated by the Continuing Resolution that would freeze ICE funding for 14 days, that there's a robust ironclad path to bringing about the type of change that the American people are demanding.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DECHALUS: Jessica, as you can see there, House Democrats are making it very clear that they have an issue with giving funding for several federal agencies under this department.

Now, Johnson on his end, he can try to move forward and pass these spending bills with just House Republican's support, but even that is not guaranteed because some conservative Republican lawmakers, they have problems with some of the provisions within the spending packages.

Now, if this partial government shutdown does continue, well, let's take a look at who will be impacted to start off with, it's travelers. They can face major delays at airports because many federal workers, including air traffic controllers and TSA employees, they will go without paychecks.

Also, some Americans will be unable to secure federal loans, like buying a house or operating small businesses because of this partial government shutdown. But not everyone will feel the impact right away, for instance, millions of Americans who rely on SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps, are not expected to see any disruptions at this time.

But Jessica, as long as this government shutdown continues, then you'll feel a bigger impact. For example, National Parks, they could close. Passport processing, that could slow down and other key federal agencies and services could be delayed.

DEAN: All right, Camila, thank you so much for your reporting.

Mike Johnson is going to have to get to the magic number of 218 multiple times to pass that with just Republicans. So, we'll see how that goes next week. Thank you so much.

And a quick programing note for you tonight. Don't miss a new episode of "Have I Got News for You." Comedian Nimesh Patel and political commentator, Tara Setmayer join as guests and here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROY WOOD JR., PROMINENT COMEDIAN, ACTOR, AND TELEVISION HOST: TSA's most unusual finds of 2025 include, blank. I'll give you a hint, it was an animal.

NIMESH PATEL, COMEDIAN: It's always some kind of exotic bird that gets smuggled into TSA.

MICHAEL IAN BLACK, AMERICAN COMEDIAN AND ACTOR: We're going to go with some kind of bird -- Roy.

WOOD: TSA's most unusual finds of 2025 include turtles and a bra.

AMBER RUFIN, AMERICAN COMEDIAN AND WRITER: Oh.

WOOD: Yes, and everybody knows the only turtle in a bra you want to see is Michelangelo. That at one time, from that episode of "Ninja Turtles," when he had on the full hula outfit.

Ya'll remember that episode? When they was trying to sneak into Shredder's hideout, and the only way to get into Shredder's hideout was to put on the full hula girl outfit. That's classic television, that's classic.

The turtle incident occurred last July when TSA officials in Miami caught a woman trying to sneak two turtles past security in her bra. And sadly, one of the turtles that was stuffed in the woman's bra did not survive the ordeal.

What a way to go. (END VIDEO CLIP)

Dean: The new episode of "Have I Got News for You" airs tonight at 9:00 Eastern only here on CNN. And then tomorrow on the CNN App.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:39:08]

DEAN: Israeli strikes across Gaza today have reportedly killed dozens of people, including children. The IDF saying the attacks were launched against Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets and were in response to an alleged violation of the ceasefire.

CNN Jerusalem Bureau Chief, Oren Liebermann has the latest now from Jerusalem.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF AND CORRESPONDENT: Israeli strikes killed more than 30 Palestinians across Gaza on Saturday, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, making it one of the deadliest days we have seen in the besieged territory in months.

According to Gaza's Civil Defense and Emergency Response Organization, many of those killed in the Israeli strikes were women and children, and these latest deaths come despite a ceasefire that went into effect some three months ago.

According to Ministry of Health data, there have now been more than 500 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza since that ceasefire went into effect.

The Israeli military says they were targeting Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad after what they said on Friday was eight terrorists who emerged from a tunnel in Rafah. They said on Friday that they had killed three of those militants and arrested one more.

[19:40:15]

Now, it's worth noting that it was just earlier this week that the Israeli military reportedly acknowledged to local journalists that the number of Palestinians killed in Gaza was about 70,000, throughout the course of the war, a number that closely matches the death toll we have seen published on a routine basis from the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

At the beginning of the war, the Israeli military and Israeli officials had cast doubt on that number. Now, it seems, according to the journalists who were present at that briefing, Israel has acknowledged that the number is largely accurate.

When we queried the Israel Defense Forces, that is, the military, about this briefing, they said it is not official data. But when we followed up, they refused to answer on whether they had official data or whether they would be releasing it.

This wave of strikes comes one day before the Rafah Border Crossing between Gaza and Egypt is set to reopen, at least in a limited fashion. Pedestrians will be allowed to cross back and forth between Gaza and Sinai in some numbers, but the crossing, a crucial crossing, will remain closed to humanitarian aid and commercial goods.

Oren Liebermann, CNN in Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: All right, Oren, thank you.

And tensions are high in the Middle East as President Trump considers a strike on Iran. U.S. military assets have now arrived in that region, with both the U.S. and Iran announcing plans for military exercises in the coming days.

President Trump on Friday saying he's communicated directly with Tehran about a deadline to make a nuclear deal.

Let's bring in Mohsen Milani. He's a professor of politics at the University of South Florida and author of "Iran's Rise and Rivalry with the U.S. in the Middle East".

Great to have you here with us. How would you describe the current situation as we sit here tonight?

MOHSEN MILANI, POLITICS PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA: Thank you very much for having me on your show, Jessica.

I think the situation in Iran right now in the region is extremely, unpredictable. On one hand, if we accept what President Trump has declared publicly and I have no idea what is going on secretly between Iran and the U.S. But if the United States decides to stick on its maximum demand of no enrichment inside Iran, limits on Iranian missile program and the end of Iranian support for the members of the axis of evil -- axis of resistance -- I think it is going to be are paving the way for a major confrontation.

Iran considers these demands as nothing short of capitulation. They think President Trump thinks by threatening Iran, he can achieve what he wants. And the Iranian leadership has come to the conclusion that instead of surrendering, we are going to fight back and we are going to try to inflict damage on American interests in the region.

DEAN: And Iran has said it will carry out live fire exercises next week in the Strait of Hormuz, that's obviously a critical trade corridor. The U.S. also saying that there will be exercises. What do you read into that posturing? Anything?

MILANI: Yes, I think there are two important aspects of that, one is deterrence, the other one is messaging. The deterrence is Iran is declaring that it still controls the Strait of Hormuz, and which is one of the most important pathways to the Persian Gulf, where you have about 20 percent of proven oil reserves located, and moreover, Iran is sending another message, which I think is even as important as what they're doing in the Strait of Hormuz and that is with the help from the Houthis in Yemen, they might be able to destabilize the Bab-el- Mandeb Strait pathway. Together, the Strait of Hormuz and Bab-el- Mandeb controls the shipment of over 25 percent of oil shipment in the world.

Imagine if Iran, forget about closing the Strait of Hormuz, if Iran can create a stability in that region, what kind of impact is it going to have on the price of oil? And if the price of oil jumps up, it's going to have a profound impact on the issue of affordability in the United States and it could undermine the MAGA movement in this country.

DEAN: And so, knowing all of that, what you just laid out, what is your best assessment when it comes to whether or not the U.S. will take -- ultimately decide to take military action?

MILANI: Well, the impact, it all depends on what kind of military action they have and whether there is going to be an agreement before the U.S. takes military action.

In other words, you can imagine something similar to what happened to Qatar, where, Iran attacked an empty U.S. base. But if the U.S. goes after, the top leadership of Iran killing the top leadership, destroying strategic sites, then I think the Iranians are going to retaliate. Because if you look at what the message Iran has been sending, and if you really look at the internal condition in Iran, for the first time in 47-years of open hostility between Iran and the United States, the leadership in Iran believes that this is an existential moment for Iran.

[19:45:45]

I have been studying Iranian-U.S. relations for over four decades. This is the most dangerous moment I have seen, because they think that if they don't attack, if U.S. attack and they don't retaliate, this is going to be the end of the Islamic Republic. And one thing I can tell you about the Islamic Republic is that they are not very good in governance. There are not very good in creating prosperity, but they are very good in survival and attacking.

DEAN: And so, what role do the protests play in all of this that we have seen in the last several weeks?

MILANI: First of all, the killing that happened in Iran, several thousand people have been killed. This is the most serious act of aggression I have seen in the history of the Islamic Republic. It is going to have profound impact for the Islamic Republic and for Iran.

The Islamic Republic's legitimacy has already been eroded. That said, the Islamic Republic was able to suppress the movement and there is no evidence, there is not a single shred of evidence that the repressive capability of the Islamic Republic has been undermined.

Ayatollah Khamenei still enjoys a narrow base of popular support. Iran's repressive capabilities has not been undermined and there is elite cohesion in Iran.

And as you know, as long as the military and the security forces remain committed to defending a well-fortified regime, it's going to be extremely difficult for the opposition to undermine that regime.

And today, we do have an opposition that is fragmented. But today, that opposition, I believe, is more organized, is more assertive than at any time in the past four or five years.

DEAN: All right, Mohsen Milani, thank you for your analysis. We really appreciate your time.

MILANI: Thank you very much. It was a great pleasure to be with you.

DEAN: Thank you.

She made her mark by helping those in need and this week, her death shocked the world. After our break, we're going to look back at the legacy left behind by philanthropist and CNN Hero, Shirley Raines.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:52:47]

DEAN: Shirley Raines, a social media creator and nonprofit founder who dedicated her life to caring for people experiencing homelessness, has died at the age of 58.

She was also named CNN's Hero of the Year in 2021, and our Anderson Cooper has more on the life and legacy she now leaves behind.

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SHIRLEY RAINES, ACTIVIST KNOWN FOR DISTRIBUTING AID TO HOMELESS POPULATIONS: Happy Saturday, King.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, "ANDERSON COOPER: 360" (voice over): Shirley Raines was a force for good, vibrant, caring and passionate. For nearly a decade, Miss Shirley brought her unique brand of help to people living on Skid Row in Los Angeles.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm so glad you're here.

COOPER (voice over): She provided necessities like food and clothing and extras like hair care, makeup.

RAINES: Like that mama?

COOPER (voice over): Even a chance to sing.

RAINES: That was Mickey on the mic. You guys give her a hand.

COOPER (voice over): She exuded joy, but her compassion came from her own struggles.

RAINES: After my son died, I fell apart. It was very hard. COOPER: She found her calling when she started volunteering on Skid Row.

RAINES: Its' a community of broken people. I am broken just like them. The women started saying, oh, we love your hair. I thought, well, let me just start coming out here on my own. This is pretty right here.

I never wanted to leave.

Yes, I have a lot of wigs. I'll save you one queen. I dress them as kings and queens because that is who they are. We want to make them feel beautiful.

COOPER: And in 2021 --

HOST: Shirley Raines.

COOPER (voice over): She was named CNN Hero of The Year.

RAINES: I am a mother without a son, and there are a lot of people in the street that are without a mother, and I feel like it's a fair exchange. I wanted to bring that recognition to the community. Good morning y'all.

COOPER (voice over): With more than six million followers on social media, she helped the public understand the people she served.

RAINES: Instead of saying, hey, they homeless because they inebriated. How about, hey, they inebriated because they're homeless?

COOPER (voice over): Her mission expanded to Las Vegas, where she was at work as usual earlier this week. Her death at 58, announced on Wednesday, is mourned by many, including Lizzo, a friend and supporter.

LIZZO, FRIEND OF SHIRLEY RAINES: She overserved the underserved.

COOPER (voice over): Shirley Raine's non-profit hopes to continue her important efforts. She'll be remembered for inspiring people to see the real beauty in others.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know something about you.

RAINES: I know something about you, too.

I don't do hero stuff; you know what I mean? I do human stuff. Look at you. Change can happen.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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[19:59:52]

DEAN: A massive bomb cyclone is delivering a powerful blast of winter to large parts of the Eastern United States tonight. According to North Carolina State Highway Patrol, more than 750 car crashes have been reported there so far.

A semitruck collided with a train on the tracks in the town of Gastonia. There you see it. Fortunately, no one was injured in that. More than a thousand flights have been canceled at the Charlotte Airport. That city is expected to get its highest snow totals in more than two decades.

Thank you so much for joining me tonight. I'm Jessica Dean. I'm going to see you again tomorrow night. We'll get started at 5:00 Eastern. "Realtime with Bill Maher is headed your way now. Have a great night.