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No Arrest After Search Near Nancy Guthrie's Home; Europe Weighs Rubio's Speech on Transatlantic Ties; Mass Rallies in Support of Iranian People, Regime Change; Athletes Prepare for Day 9 of Italy's Winter Olympic Games; Fears of ICE Impact Flower Vendors in Los Angeles; Israelis Demand Independent Inquiry Into Oct. 7 Attacks. Aired 5-6 am ET

Aired February 15, 2026 - 05:00   ET

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

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[05:00:35]

BRIAN ABEL, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Brian Abel in Atlanta.

Coming up on "CNN Newsroom," investigators still confident they'll find Nancy Guthrie as the search enters week three. The latest revelations from Tucson. This Valentine's weekend finds the largest flower district in the U.S. much quieter amid an immigration crackdown. How shop owners are adjusting to a new normal.

Plus, all eyes are on the U.S. women's ski team with one star ready to add to her record metal haul. We are live in Milan.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Brian Abel.

ABEL: We start with a search for today's show host Savannah Guthrie's 84-year-old mother. It has been now two weeks since Nancy Guthrie disappeared and the desperation to find her, it's intensifying.

Authorities made no arrest after searching a residence near her home in Tucson, Arizona. That operation was carried out Friday night after investigators received a lead. So, far they've received more than 30,000 tips. CNN's Chief Intelligence Analyst says operations like these could happen more often as authorities sort through those leads.

Retired FBI agents say any information related to Guthrie's disappearance could be useful. The local sheriff tells CNN that finding her is only a matter of time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF CHRIS NANOS, PIMA COUNTY, ARIZONA: I believe she'll be found and I believe that we are working as hard as we can to do that as fast as we can.

(END VIDEOTAPE) ABEL: And joining me now to discuss this is Homeland Security Analyst Donell Harvin. Donell, I know part of your background is experience with domestic intelligence, so if you can take us behind the curtain of what could be going on with this investigation because the Pima County Sheriff said that after video the suspect at Nancy Guthrie's door was released, they started fielding a flood of tips.

So, how are they dissecting those tips, coordinating and following up on them like what we saw Friday night?

DONELL HARVIN, HOMELAND SECURITY ANALYST: Yeah, apparently approximately 30,000 tips. So, this is what happens when you crowdsource your investigation. You go to the public and you say if you saw something, you know, call this phone number and they're going to get a flood of tips.

They have to have the analytical heft to process. So, I know the federal government has brought in a slew of FBI resources nationwide to help parse through some of those tips, many of which will lead nowhere, but all you need is one of those 30,000 tips to be the right one to get to that individual. They'll set up what we call a joint operation center on the ground where state and local and federal officers and intelligence agents can get together and parse through these things. It's a very, very monumental task, especially when you're erecting something like this over a short amount of time.

ABEL: And Donell, the president of the U.S. is filing this case. There's also the national interest that's significant as we enter two weeks now since Nancy's been abducted. Multiple people have been detained and released. A notable amount of resources have been brought in for this case. Given all of that, how has there not been more success, more progress with finding her?

HARVIN: Well, these are complex cases and I might also know, I mean, we don't have very many high-profile kidnapping cases. I look back over the last hundred years and maybe there was a dozen. I mean, you think of Patty Hearst, you think of, you know, some other very notable cases.

Pima County is not a huge county that's used to having a large amount of kidnapping or cases like this. And so, when the state and locals are really taking the lead in a type of case that they're not familiar with and then integrating a large influx, as you mentioned, a large influx of federal resources for something that's so high profile, it's being broadcast internationally. There's going to be some growing pains in the first week or so. And I think we've seen those fits and starts.

ABEL: How much of what is actually happening with this investigation is being released to the public and why?

HARVIN: Yeah. So, I mean, this is some -- this is some of how the -- the sausage is made, so to speak.

ABEL: Right.

[05:05:00]

HARVIN: They're going to release the information that they need to run down leads or to develop leads that they don't have, but they're not going to give us any more than we need to have.

I actually saw the -- the director or the lead of "TMZ" on -- on the news the other day. And he was saying, you know, we had a great interaction and free flow of information with law enforcement. And then the other day, it just suddenly changed. They stopped giving us information. And that's when he knew that something was getting serious and they were running things down.

And then we saw that house that was searched as car stopped. He didn't know if it was related to that, but you know, they're going to give us the public, the information that they need to -- in order to help their -- facilitate their investigation. They're not going to -- in any way, shape or form jeopardize their investigation by giving too much information.

ABEL: Donell, I want to ask you a little bit about the police activity that we saw in the last roughly 24 hours or so, because there was that swarm of that home, not too far away from Nancy Guthrie's home. And then also the vehicle that was towed away after really being searched and scrutinized. We -- we saw agents measuring tires or doing something around the wheel well of that vehicle before it was towed away. You have all of that. Does that give you any sense that maybe there really was something there, because also there was a judge that had to sign off on the warrant to make all this happen in the first place, right?

HARVIN: Yeah. So, what you need to get a judge to sign up on a warrant is probable cause. And so, that may have been a probable cause that was established through a tip or forensic evidence that they've been processing for the last two weeks. Higher tread marks are forensics. They may have taken a cast mold of tire tread marks in front of the home. And so, this is, you know, really -- we like to glom onto this information to say maybe they're close.

It may be absolutely nothing, but they have to do this. They have to run down every single lead. And so, once again, you know, that -- that SWAT team, that means it's serious. That means they have some type of information that they need to go in. They know the individuals armed and so they're not going to take any chances. But like I said, it could mean nothing or can mean everything.

ABEL: And we'll see if anything still comes out of it on the backside of this, given how much work was done with the vehicle and at home. Donell Harvin really appreciate your expertise. Thank you, sir.

HARVIN: Thank you.

ABEL: The partial shutdown of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is now on its second day and it's unclear when it will end. The White House still holding talks with Democrats to reach a deal that would fund DHS. Democrats are demanding reforms to immigration enforcement operations after federal agents fatally shot two people in Minneapolis.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY), HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: They're brutalizing everyday Americans and law-abiding immigrant families. They're not targeting violent felons who are here illegally. The president made that promise. He lied.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: Democrats want immigration agents to wear body cameras, limit their use of mask, follow standard warrant procedures and reduce roving patrols.

Now, despite the shutdown, nearly all homeland security workers will remain on the job, but many won't get paid until the standoff ends. Work will also continue for most employees and other agencies under DHS. That includes ICE, FEMA, the Coast Guard and the Secret Service. But the shutdown could cause some impacts, such as longer lines at airports.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has arrived in Slovakia on a visit that will also take him to Hungary, both countries led by Trump allies. He went there a day after telling Europeans my way or the highway at the Munich Security Conference. Rubio said the U.S. would like to have Europe on board with his agenda, but it's still ready to go it alone.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's president is raising doubts about Moscow's readiness to compromise at peace talks while European officials are pointing a finger at Russia over the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. They say he was killed and they claim to know how.

Fred Pleitgen has been monitoring these developments in Munich, and he joins us now from the Munich Security Conference. So, Fred fill us in on all of this, because there's a lot of moving parts here.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There's a lot of moving parts, and certainly was really a high stakes conference here in Munich, the Munich Security Conference. And, you know, one of the main things obviously here at this conference was Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, speaking to the crowd here. And I think that on the one hand, you're absolutely right.

He did criticize the Europeans, but they also did breathe a sigh of relief at the end of his speech because he also said that the United States was still extending a hand towards the Europeans and wanted to remain allies with the European nations as well. He also said that he believes in the future, Europe and the United States could tackle global problems together.

[05:10:04]

But you're absolutely right. He did also warn the Europeans, as he put it, they needed to get their acts together. The other thing, of course, is those ongoing negotiations to try and end the conflict in Ukraine. The Secretary of State there saying the Russians say that they want peace, but that the negotiations are still quite difficult. And, you know, we heard from Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine on this topic as well. And he displayed what could have been some frustration at the way that process is moving along.

Let's listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: The Americans often return to the topic of concessions, and too often those concessions are discussed in the context only of Ukraine, not Russia. Europe is practically not present at the table. It's a big mistake, to my mind.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: So, when he's talking about those concessions, a lot of that pertains, of course, to possible territorial concessions that the Ukrainians would have to make as part of any peace agreement. And then, of course, also that possible big concession by the Ukrainians of not joining NATO for this period of time. These talks are very high stakes. And, of course, we do know, Brian, that the negotiations to try and end that war are going to continue in Geneva in the coming days with the U.S., the Russians, and the Ukrainians present, right?

ABEL: And Zelenskyy seemed to those comments to not be concerned about irritating the U.S. president.

Fred, I do want to ask you this. During the conference, European officials made some pretty bold claims about the death of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny, who died in a Russian prison. What are they saying?

PLEITGEN: Died in a Russian prison under mysterious circumstances pretty much two years ago, almost to the day. And you're absolutely right, it was some pretty bold allegations that were made by five European countries, including some very big European countries like the Germans, the French, and the United Kingdom there as well.

They say that samples taken from Navalny's body showed traces of a toxin that comes, or could come, from the skin of an Ecuadorian poisonous dart frog. And they believe that Navalny was most probably poisoned in prison when he was in prison in Russia.

I was able to ask the European Commission's foreign policy chief about all this. Here's what she told me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAJA KALLAS, VICE PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN COMMISSION: Well, it's not really surprising, is it? I mean, he's working like regular dictators are working. I mean, eliminate all the competitors and, you know, keep the power structures and oligarchs happy and you stay in power and you can do whatever you want, even if, you know, the people are not pleased.

PLEITGEN: It's a long way to go, though, to use dart frog poison, isn't it? That's on someone who's in a prison colony anyway.

KALLAS: Yes, but I think it also shows how the Russians are thinking, exploring new ways to actually use. So, this is -- this is the way they operate, against their own people, against the people in prison.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: Pretty strong words there coming from Kaja Kallas. The Russians, however, have now also come out. They have categorically rejected these allegations, calling the talk about the possible use of poison on the villain and Alexei Navalny a farce, Brian.

ABEL: So, many newsworthy moments coming out of the security conference. Frederik Pleitgen for us in Munich, Germany. Fred, thank you.

The U.S. and Iran working on a potential nuclear deal. Sources tell CNN the next round of talks will take place Tuesday in Geneva, Switzerland. U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to attend, but President Trump is not convinced the talks will be successful.

On Friday, he warned that if they want to avoid a potential military attack, Iran should, quote, "give us a deal that they should have given us the first time." Republican Senator Lindsey Graham echoed the President's stance at the Munich security conference.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): There's no negotiating with these people, in my view. They're hell-bent on enacting agenda based on religion that teaches them to lie, teaches them to destroy, in the name of God.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: Meanwhile, the U.S. is expanding its military presence in the Middle East. President Trump told reporters Friday that he is dispatching a second aircraft carrier group to the region. Around the world, the drumbeat is growing louder for regime change in Iran.

Massive rallies were held Saturday as part of a global day of action called by the exiled son of Iran's last monarch, who says the collapse of the Ayatollah's regime is inevitable.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REZA PAHLAVI, SON OF DEPOSED SHAH OF IRAN: The Iranian people are in full revolt, and the regime is at the weakest it's ever been. It's on the verge of collapse. It's a matter of time before this regime goes. My point, however, is that the world needs to understand, including the U.S. administration, that whether or not the Western world intervenes, our fight will continue, and the regime will collapse anyway.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[05:15:05]

ABEL: In Munich, police say around a quarter of a million people gathered in one of the city's largest demonstrations in recent years. In Toronto, up to 350,000 people came together in what authorities called their one of the largest Iran-related demonstrations in recent months.

And in Los Angeles, home to a large Iranian population, demonstrators carried huge banners, you see them here, showing the former Shah's son, and messages like, "help is on its way."

Meanwhile, the U.S. military says it conducted 10 strikes against more than 30 ISIS targets in Syria this month. The attacks are tied to a retaliatory campaign called Operation Hawkeye Strike, named for two U.S. soldiers from Iowa, the Hawkeye State, who were killed by an ISIS gunman in December. The strikes targeted the terrorist group's infrastructure and weapons storage facilities, according to U.S. Central Command.

Day nine of the Olympics has begun, as athletes strive for gold in Italy. Coming up, we will bring you a live report from Milan, with the latest updates from this year's Winter Games.

And Mexico is racing to contain a measles outbreak as the country gets closer to hosting the World Cup. We'll have the latest on the rising public health concern ahead.

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[05:20:17]

ABEL: Turning now to the Olympics as the ninth day of the Winter Games gets underway. The U.S. men's hockey team set to face off against Germany later today. If the Americans win, they will advance directly to this year's quarterfinals. And on Saturday, Brazil's Lucas Pinheiro Braathen making history after securing South America's first ever gold medal at a Winter Olympics.

And U.S. skiing champion Lindsey Vonn is heading back home to continue her recovery after undergoing her fourth surgery in Italy. Following her devastating crash last week during the women's downhill final.

And joining me now with the latest live from Milan, Italy is CNN's Amanda Davies. And Amanda, even with Vonn out of this competition, there is still a lot of attention being paid to the women's U.S. ski team. Mikaela Shiffrin in particular, fill us in about all of that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yeah, good morning. I can tell you we were actually there in Bormio yesterday for that Lucas Pinheiro Braathen gold medal. The samba on the podium, it was really epic to see such emotional scenes.

But over in Cortina this morning, this being seen as a really big day for Mikaela Shiffrin. She for many viewed as the best alpine skier in the world with her record-breaking feats on the World Cup circuit. But it says so much about her talent, the demands and skill that it's been seen as a disappointment from her three Olympic Games up to this point.

She's only taken two gold medals and a silver. There were those really, really tough scenes. You might remember in Beijing of her sitting on the side of the slope in tears. She's talked really openly about just how tough the last couple of years have been psychologically after a couple of major crashes and injuries. And then her debut here in Milan Cortina. She and Breezy Johnson missed out on a medal in that team combined event earlier this week.

So, today it's the giant slalom, two runs. But I have to tell you, her first wasn't the fastest of the day by any means. She's over a second behind the leaders, currently lying in seventh. But there is that second run still to come this afternoon. So, it'll be really interesting to see what happens there. And we will, of course, keep you posted.

It was over a week ago today, this morning, that we witnessed those awful scenes of Lindsey Vonn's crash in the women's downhill. But the good news, we understand she has now left Italy, having been in hospital in Treviso all week. She's on the way back to the United States. So, she revealed via social media yesterday she's now undergone four separate operations. And posting a video of what she says was her final ski in Cortina before the race last weekend. Her message, "Please don't feel sad. The ride was worth the fall."

Elsewhere, two golds in two events for the USA's speed skating sensation. Jordan Stolz, the first American since 1980, and Eric Heiden to win two golds in men's speed skating at the same games. Ahead of the 500 meters, people had been playing it down a little bit, saying of all his strengths, this wasn't his best event. But the 21- year-old didn't care. A second event, a second Olympic record, and a second gold medal of the week, and potentially two more medals to come.

JORDAN STOLZ, TEAM USA OLYMPIC SPEED SKATER: If I have a good 1500, it should turn out well. I'm hoping for gold in that. The mass starts just kind of toss-up. It's kind of more like a bonus. It's so hard to say, like, what's going to happen in that. But I would love to win the 1500, and hopefully I can.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DAVIES: Erin Jackson also in action later on Sunday, but also on Valentine's Day here in Milan yesterday. No love lost between the United States and Denmark in what had been dubbed the Greenland Derby, given the political context at the moment. The Danes twice took the lead, but the U.S., the top-ranked side here, they won it 6-3. No time to rest on their laurels, though, back on the ice later today against Germany.

ABEL: And that's just how the Olympics goes. You don't really get much time to rest during the games. Amanda Davies for us in Milan, Italy. Hope you get some rest. Thank you. Well, Mexico is preparing to co-host the World Cup, which begins in

about four months. But the country is dealing with an outbreak of measles, a disease declared eradicated decades ago. As Valeria Leon reports, officials are scrambling to contain the disease before the tournament.

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VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Mexico now has the highest amount of measles cases in the Americas.

[05:25:01]

(FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

LEON: In several Mexican cities, health workers are offering vaccinations on the streets as officials race to slow the spread of the virus ahead of the World Cup.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We are going to achieve full control of the outbreak before the World Cup starts.

Jalisco State is not only hosting the big event, but it has the highest number of measles infections in Mexico.

(FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

LEON (voice-over): Gerardo, a Jalisco resident, says he never imagined measles would come back, a disease Mexico declared eradicated decades ago.

(FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

LEON: 90 percent of cases were in people who were not vaccinated. Mexico's health ministry says that shows just how important vaccination is.

(On camera): Mexican authorities have installed vaccination stands on Mexico City streets. But the city's resident rush to get a shot has led to long lines, and vaccines run out quickly, often in a few hours.

How long have you been waiting in line?

YAHIR FUENTES, MEXICO CITY RESIDENT: I've been waiting about an hour and a half. I arrived at 11 in the morning, so it's been like an hour and a half, and yet it's been very, very, very boring, to be honest.

(FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

LEON: Mari Carmen (ph) is in charge of guiding patients as they wait in line, answering questions, and helping organize the flow of people.

(FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

LEON: She says she's encouraged by the strong interest from residents looking to get vaccinated. With infections skyrocketing and fear rising, people are scrambling to get a shot.

Valeria Leon, CNN, Mexico City.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: ICE raids are impacting sales from the largest flower district in the U.S. Just ahead, we'll take you to downtown L.A. to hear from Angelenos.

Plus, former President Barack Obama has a message for Americans anguished by what they see in the Trump administration. We'll tell you what he said ahead.

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[05:30:45]

ABEL: Welcome back to "CNN Newsroom." I'm Brian Abel.

Let's check some of today's top stories.

In Arizona, authorities making no arrest after searching a residence to investigate the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie. The search was carried out in Tucson on Friday night after investigators received a lead, one of 30,000, in the past two weeks. CNN's Chief Intelligence Analyst says operations like these could happen more often as authorities sort through those leads.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Slovakia a day after his speech at the Munich Security Conference. His trip will also include Hungary, two countries led by Trump allies. On Saturday, he told the Europeans in Munich the U.S. doesn't plan to leave NATO, but it's ready to go it alone if Europe doesn't cooperate on key issues.

The partial shutdown of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, now on its second day, and it's unclear when it will end. The White House still holding talks with Democrats to reach a deal that would fund DHS. Democrats are demanding reforms to immigration enforcement operations after federal agents fatally shot two people in Minneapolis.

The fear of immigration raids in the U.S. is driving away flower vendors who once filled the streets in Los Angeles for holidays like Valentine's Day. Some wholesalers in downtown L.A.'s flower district are now seeing a decline in sales. CNN's Julia Vargas Jones has more on this story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are not only in the largest flower district in the United States. This is also downtown Los Angeles. We're just steps from where a lot of the immigration enforcement actions and those raids took place over the summer. And that has changed a lot of the dynamics in this part of town.

Now, a lot of the stalls here in this flower market are wholesalers. They sell flowers like this. They are then purchased by street vendors who go to street corners and streetlights to sell them to consumers as a ready-made bouquet.

Now, we spoke to one of the vendors here about the impact that the presence of immigration officers has had in this district.

MANUEL PERTUZ, FLOWER VENDOR: We've had good days and bad days. When I say bad days, I mean days when there's a presence of federal agents. For safety reasons, for us and for our customers, we have to close this door. And there are days when we feel it in our sales. Business is slower. It's not every day, but it does happen.

JONES: When you have those federal agents, (foreign language), what do you do when there's federal agents around? Why are you concerned about your clients?

PERTUZ: We're afraid they might arrest us. Right now, it feels like it doesn't matter whether someone has papers or legal status. So, for maximum safety, of course, we're scared. Scared of being arrested and deported to our country without having committed any kind of crime.

JONES: Now, as a result, a lot of these businesses have had to innovate. A lot of them have had to learn how to make bouquets, buying plush toys and cards to sell alongside with their flowers. And still, the National Retail Federation estimates that this Valentine's Day will be a record-breaking one. More than $29 billion spent nationwide in cards, chocolates and, of course, flowers.

Julia Vargas Jones, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: The Trump administration's Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency is planning to spend tens of billions of dollars on new detention centers by the end of this year. According to the "Washington Post," ICE has already spent more than $690 million buying up industrial sites in several states, including Texas, Arizona and Georgia. The agency says it expects to increase its enforcement operations and arrests this year and wants to increase its capacity to house more than 92,000 detainees. But ICE is facing pushback from lawmakers and local leaders who don't want to see massive new prisons popping up in their states.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is expressing cautious relief after the Trump administration announced it would wind down its operations there. He is asking the White House to pay up to clean up the mess left behind.

[05:35:00]

He says the Trump administration's brutal crackdown inflicted $203 million in economic hardship on the city last month alone. That includes lost income and business revenue. And that's not to speak of the psychological damage. Activists say many people are still afraid to leave their homes to go to school or work. And you might remember two American citizens, Renee Good and Alex

Pretti, were killed by ICE agents in January. But when Donald Trump's border czar announced, the drawdown of ICE agents on Thursday, he said they made the state safer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM HOMAN, WHITE HOUSE BORDER CZAR: I'm not going to sit here and say anybody did anything wrong and that, you know, they were unprofessional. I'm going to say there are some issues here. We fixed those issues. We've had great success with this operation. And we're leaving Minnesota safer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: There are Minnesota officials who disagree with that assessment, including the state's attorney general. He told Congress this past week that the Trump administration's operations caused real harm to the state.

KEITH ELLISON, MINNESOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL: The surge is contributing to violent crime, members. It's contributing to violent crime. Two of the three homicides committed in Minneapolis in 2026 have come at the hands of federal immigration agents.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: Now, earlier I spoke with Max Nesterak, the Deputy Editor of the "Minnesota Reformer." I asked him about the impact of ICE's operations in the state and how community members came together to help each other during a terrifying time. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAX NESTERAK, DEPUTY EDITOR, MINNESOTA REFORMER: I think will be a lesson for the entire country of how people came together to serve one another. These networks that people set up for food distribution, we're talking just pallets and pallets of diapers, groceries, moving through not just churches, but schools. A sex toy store in Minneapolis became a distribution center for supplies for people who were too afraid to leave their houses and so had to have groceries and other necessities be delivered.

So, we saw that step up. There's a huge effort now underway to help people pay rent because they've been missing work. I've also heard of people, you know, getting medical care at home because it's been -- you know, people are afraid to go to the hospital.

ABEL: Well, Mayor Frey and Governor Walz, they want federal compensation for what they say is damage to the state's economy there. City leaders say some of the financial impacts through January from Operation Metro Surge are $81 million in restaurant and small business revenue, $47 million in lost wages, $15.7 in rent assistance because of lost household income, and there's more.

Max, do those figures match what you and your colleagues are seeing and does that encompass the damage?

NESTERAK: I think it's going to take a while to really calculate and figure out how much damage there's been from more than two months of Operation Metro Surge. We certainly know that businesses have really been hurting. Governor Walz announced a proposal for a $10 million forgivable loan program for small businesses. But really, with the numbers that you just rattled off, that shows just how not very much in that proposal.

So, we'll see at the legislature this year if there's any appetite for more relief. But it's not just constrained to the Twin Cities Metro. My colleague Alex traveled to Worthington in the southwestern corner of the state, which has the highest percentage of foreign-born residents, one in three people in Worthington is an immigrant. And she talked to a bakery store owner who said his sales are down 50 percent. Another music store is down 70 percent. She talked to a car dealer. He normally sells 10 to 15 cars a month. He sold three in January.

So, and even though we hadn't seen as intensive ICE activity in that part of the state, the fear nonetheless kept -- kept consumers home, kept workers home. And so we saw those economic ripple effects throughout the entire state.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: "NBC," alongside SurveyMonkey, conducted a poll asking Americans how they feel about the current state of U.S. immigration enforcement. An overwhelming majority voiced that they do not support ICE in its current form. Forty-three percent said the agency needs to undergo changes, and nearly a third would like to see ICE abolished entirely.

When asked about the tactics that federal agents are deploying in the field, the backlash was even more apparent. Sixty-seven percent of those polls say ICE has gone too far in its efforts to deport undocumented immigrants.

[05:40:02]

Former U.S. President Barack Obama says America can restore the norms of decency and rule of law that he believes have been broken by the Trump administration. In a wide-ranging interview, Mr. Obama indirectly addressed Donald Trump's racist social media posts, insulting the former president and former first lady. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, (D) FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: As I'm traveling around the country, as you're traveling around the country, you meet people, they still believe in decency, courtesy, kindness. And there's this sort of clown show that's happening in social media and on television. And what is true is that there doesn't seem to be any shame about this among people who used to feel like you had to have some sort of decorum and -- and a sense of propriety and respect for the office.

(END VIDEO CLIP) ABEL: Mr. Obama also denounced the aggressive ICE operations in Minnesota, calling it, quote, "rogue behavior seen in authoritarian countries and dictatorships." He says Americans engaging in peaceful protest and civil disobedience is, quote, "what should give us hope."

Ahead this hour, protests against violent crime in Israel's Arab communities. Why Palestinian citizens say discrimination is a factor and how they think the government should respond.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ABEL: In Israel, a protest to demand accountability for the October 7th attacks. Dozens of people rallied in Tel Aviv, calling for an independent committee to investigate the government. Many have criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for failing to prevent the attacks. Protesters say that if he chooses an investigative committee, it would only serve his political interest.

[05:45:02]

And a wave of protests against violent crime in Israel's Arab communities has been sweeping across the country. Palestinian citizens of Israel, they make up about 20 percent of the population. Yet, they accounted for more than 80 percent of last year's murder victims. Demonstrators accused the government of inaction and discrimination. Officials reject those claims.

Jeremy Diamond has more, but a warning. Some of the images in this following report are graphic.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: DIAMOND (voice-over): A groundswell of protests erupting across Israel, this time demanding action on an issue these protesters say the government is ignoring. A surge of violent crime in Israel's Arab communities.

The demonstrators are mostly Palestinian citizens of Israel, Muslims and Christians who make up about 20 percent of the country. And yet, last year, they accounted for more than 80 percent of all murder victims. 252 Palestinian citizens of Israel were murdered last year. 45 more have been killed this year alone, and violence that officials say is largely driven by Arab organized crime groups.

But this is the most alarming statistic. Israel's police solves only 15 percent of those murders, compared to 65 percent when the victim was Jewish.

(On camera): If your son was a Jewish citizen of Israel, so you believe -- within an hour, you would get the --

QASSEM AWAD, BEREAVED FATHER (through translator): You're asking me, if my son was Jewish, how long it would take? One hour, that's all.

DIAMOND (voice-over): Qassem Awad had been waiting for more than an hour for justice. His son was murdered more than a year ago. Dr. Abdullah Awad was treating patients inside a clinic in Northern Israel when a masked gunman came in and shot him. His father says there's no reason why his son would be a target.

"Why until now do we not have any information? We have nothing," Awad says. "The police came the first few days and said they would follow up, but they never did. The crime and violence in the Arab Palestinian community is orchestrated by the Israeli state. Let them kill each other while we sit back and relax."

DIAMOND: The police will say, though, that there is a problem in the Arab community as well. What do you say to that?

(Voice-over): "Why are these issues happening in Arab communities to begin with, upgrade our schools, upgrade our safety and security. If you did all these things, people won't think about violence or crime or protection. They'll think about living."

At this protest in the Arab Town of Sakhnin, there is anger at Palestinian organized crime, but above all, at Israel's right-wing government.

(On camera): Among the chants that we've been hearing at this demonstration have been against Itamar Ben-Gvir, the Minister of National Security, who so many here hold responsible for the inaction, they say, of Israel's police force, a policy that they say is deliberately aimed at increasing crime among Arab communities in Israel.

(Voice-over): Ben-Gvir rejects any responsibility, instead blaming local Arab leaders for turning a blind eye to crime. But murders in Arab society have sky rocketed on his watch, more than doubling since he took office in December 2022.

Aida Touma, a Palestinian member of Israel's Parliament, sees a direct link.

AIDA TOUMA-SULEIMAN, MEMBER OF ISRAELI PARLIAMENT: I believe there is a very racist policy that is committed by the government. It's not a double standard anymore. It's a policy that they know what they are doing. They want these criminal groups to control our society, to fragmentize us and to kill more of us.

DIAMOND (voice-over): At this peaceful protest, Israeli police are out in force. Resources the residents here wish were put to better use.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Sakhnin, Israel.

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ABEL: "CNN Newsroom" will be right back.

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[05:53:14]

ABEL: To the U.S. now where storms and heavy rains are sweeping across the southeast this weekend, bringing the possibility of flooding. CNN Meteorologist Allison Chinchar has the forecast.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: More than 15 million people across the southeastern portion of the U.S. have the potential for strong to even severe thunderstorms. And the bulk of it really is going to be focused from Louisiana all the way over towards the east coast. On the northern side where there's less of a chance of severe storms but a higher risk for flooding.

So, we kind of break down the timeline here. You can see overnight the main focus is going to be really across Nashville, down through Memphis, Little Rock, even New Orleans. And then starting to spread eastward into cities like Atlanta. That's where the main focus is going to be across much of Sunday morning. And then by the afternoon it begins to spread into portions of the Carolinas as well as Virginia. And then also notice too down across Florida, especially late into the afternoon and the evening hours, when the best chance for some of those strong to severe thunderstorms will exist.

Some of these areas are looking at the potential for four, even five or six inches of rain total. The concern is going to be if they get that in a very short period of time. Overall, however, if it's spread out, that's actually a good thing. Because a lot of these areas across the southeast are actually dealing with drought condition. A lot of them in moderate, severe. But you'll notice even a few of those red patches indicating the extreme category of drought.

So, yes, the rain is needed in a lot of these areas. You just don't want to see it all come down in a very short period of time. Because that in turn is what causes a lot of the localized flooding that some of these states could end up seeing through the rest of Sunday.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: Allison Chinchar, thank you. The International Space Station back to full capacity now that a SpaceX capsule delivered a group of astronauts to the station. The previous group had made an emergency exit due to a health concern, leaving behind just a small skeleton crew. But now it is back up to full capacity.

[05:55:08]

The Crew 12 mission lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Friday. A 250-mile trip took more than 30 hours.

While many parts of Asia are getting ready for the Lunar New Year, the holiday also known as the Spring Festival is China's most important festival and is celebrated by an estimated 2 billion people worldwide. It takes place during the second new moon after the winter solstice this year. That starts on February 17th. Lunar New Year brings 15 days of celebrations, culminating with the Lantern Festival on March 3rd. This Lunar New Year is known to trigger the world's biggest annual human migration. The travel rush is so large it has its own name, "Chunyun." This year, travel is expected to reach an all-time high. Chinese authorities say an estimated 9.5 billion trips will be made

across the country during the 40-day period around the festival. That's about a 6 percent increase from 2025. And according to the Chinese Zodiac, 2026 is the year of the horse. Anybody born on or after February 17th of this year would fall under that sign.

As would people born in 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002 and 2014. People born in the year of the horse are said to be self-confident, animated and energetic, as well as independent, gentle and hard-working. Some famous horses include Nelson Mandela, Paul McCartney and Jackie Chan.

Thank you so much for joining us. I'm Brian Abel in Atlanta. For our viewers in North America, "CNN This Morning" is next. For the rest of the world, it is "Marketplace Asia."

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