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CNN This Morning

Millions Face Ice, Snow Threat As Massive Winter Storm Bears Down; Atlanta Storm Threat Raises Concerns At Hartsfield-Jackson Airport; 5-Year-Old Boy Taken By ICE In Minneapolis Area Being Held With Father At Texas Detention Facility; Dallas Official: Residents Should Plan To Hunker Down For Days; Natural Gas Price Spike Due To Expected Demand Surge, Risk To Supply; United States, Ukraine, Russia In First Trilateral Talks Of The War. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired January 24, 2026 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. It's Saturday, January 24. I'm Victor Blackwell. We are watching -- well, the big story that hundreds of millions of people in America are watching this huge winter storm that's going to impact so many people directly, millions more indirectly. Right now, it's slamming the South Central U.S.

You can see most of Oklahoma is now getting hit with snow. Freezing rain is settling in over eastern Texas. It's in Arkansas right now, too.

Let's take a live look. This is Little Rock. Throughout the morning, we've been seeing a few cars drive on these snow-covered roads. There's one now. Good timing. Vehicles. About four inches falling there already.

Oklahoma. Let's take you there. Cars running off the road because of snowfall that could break records there. Forecasters are predicting 13 inches there. But Governor Stitt says that crews are ready to get to work.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. KEVIN STITT (R-OK): I feel like we're as prepared as we can be. And I just want to caution Oklahomans, stay off the roads if you can. We're going to have some winter weather, but our transportation department has pre-put this -- has pre-prepared the roads as much as possible. We have 600 trucks deployed around the state, OG&E, P.S.O. We have 1300 employees, and 500 employees deployed around the state for power outages.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: All right. Dallas, up next. Officials there say that people should prepare to hunker down until Tuesday, maybe Wednesday. Snow has been falling there since yesterday. Those who are preparing to stay in for days, they're running out of options for food.

Look at the shelves. And maybe you see this in your own neighborhood. A lot of the essentials are gone from stores. This is Oklahoma and Tennessee. Other states are bracing for impact as they watch what's happening out west, whether it's salting the roads or buying supplies, or putting electric crews on standby. We know that's happening across several states. People are ready to ride it out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are you going to do? Its new England. There's no snakes, no alligators. You got to put up with this now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Take a look at the map. At least 16 states and Washington, D.C., they've declared states of emergency. Let's start first with CNN Correspondent Ivan Rodriguez on how states are preparing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN RODRIGUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Multiple crews prepping and treating runways at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, as the busiest airport in the world braces for a massive winter storm that could cripple travel for days.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are expecting that we'll have snow and ice that we'll have to deal with.

RODRIGUEZ (voice-over): Close to 230 million people from New Mexico up to Maine are under weather alerts through Monday, as half the country prepares for catastrophic conditions, bringing heavy snow and dangerous ice.

JOSH LAMB, DIRECTOR, GEMA/HS: Downed trees and power lines could cause extended power outages and debris issues.

RODRIGUEZ (voice-over): Multiple states and D.C. have declared a state of emergency. This monster storm could bring nearly an inch of ice or more to large sections of the plains and south. Parts of the Midwest and Northeast will be pounded with snow. Some areas, like upstate New York, could see up to two feet. Even New York City could get more than a foot of accumulation.

GOV. KATHY HOCHUL (D-NY): This is a very dangerous combination of heavy snow and extreme, extreme cold temperatures.

RODRIGUEZ (voice-over): Ahead of this massive storm comes the bitter and extreme cold. Arctic air and wind chills will send feels-like temperatures well below zero in some parts of the country. The mix of brutally cold temperatures and ice could be disastrous for places not equipped for these conditions, like Dallas.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Additional resources are in the city of Dallas, and they're ready to respond to outages or any disruptions that we experience. RODRIGUEZ (voice-over): Already, thousands of flights have been canceled nationwide ahead of this weekend's storm, and many more are expected as this storm continues through Monday. In Dallas, I'm Ivan Rodriguez, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Ivan, thank you very much. We've seen supermarkets jammed with shoppers stocking up before a storm that could trap people indoors for days. Massachusetts now. One store had lines running all the way down the aisle. I stood in line at a grocery store for about an hour and 15 minutes this week. So, if you're heading out at the last minute, expect crowds as this massive winter storm rolls in.

CNN Meteorologist Allison Chinchar is here. Settling in for the whole weekend. Important that people have the essentials. But they could be in some of these states there until midweek.

[07:05:16]

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. I mean, that's the thing. In some of these places, it's already too late to go out and get your supplies.

BLACKWELL: Sure.

CHINCHAR: For others, today is really going to be the last day that you need to go out and get what you need to do for the potential. Again, it may not happen for everybody, but there are going to be some people that are without power for several days. Now, its most likely those are going to be the areas where we have ice, because again, when that starts to accumulate on trees and power lines, that's what can bring down some power for a lot of folks.

Look at all of these alerts that you have here. Those winter storm warnings cover more than 1400 counties. That is the most we have had on record since at least 2008.

And the reason I use that number is we didn't really keep track of it prior to that. So, it could even be much longer than that. We just don't have records going back farther than that time period.

So again, take a look at where the storm is right now. Again, you can see all the purple color. That's where we have the snow. The green obviously is the rain.

But its these pink colors in here. That's where you're getting that freezing rain and sleet kind of mixing in. And that's across portions of Texas, Arkansas. It's now starting to slide into northern Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama.

And we're even starting to get a little bit of a mixing up here across northwestern Georgia, because look at these temperatures. Some of them are in the 20s, 30s. But look at this. 17 degrees. Can you imagine that? 17 degrees. And just a few miles south, it's a little bit of an ice mix. So, again this is what's going to happen throughout the rest of the day.

Now, it is going to get a little bit warmer as we go into the afternoon. But for some folks, it's not going to get warm enough to see that train -- change over into rain. You're still going to be dealing with the snow and the freezing rain.

So, Nashville, Knoxville, Little Rock, Memphis, all of these areas going to still continue to see some of that winter precipitation. But eventually, once we get to tonight, now you start to see it slide into the Carolinas, Virginia, eventually into the Mid-Atlantic. And then by Sunday morning, now it really starts to take shape over the northeastern states and will continue to do so as we go through the rest of the day.

The one thing is to notice is by the time this is all done early Monday morning, some of that whatever water is left on those roads, Victor.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

CHINCHAR: Could refreeze back over Sunday night.

BLACKWELL: Well. All right. Allison, we'll check back in just a moment. Let's talk travel now. Already taking a hit as this storm is pushing across the major routes. We're talking on the ground as we showed you, but also in the air.

Look at the numbers on your screen. Airports overwhelmed with delays. More than 3000 flights cancellations for today alone. Atlanta is up next. Nakell Williams from our affiliate WUPA reports on efforts to keep things moving at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NAKELL WILLIAMS, REPORTER, WUPA: Well, with ice possibly being the biggest threat, airport officials here tell me they do think they have a solid plan with this new equipment that's capable of doing multiple jobs at once, clearing, scraping, and brushing. They hope they can help travelers avoid delays, but some travelers here are telling us there's a lot of uncertainty.

WILLIAMS (voice-over): As a massive winter storm moves toward Atlanta, travelers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport are hoping for the best. Kiana Johnson (PH) is on her way north, where the weather may be worse.

KIANA JOHNSON, TRAVELER: New York.

WILLIAMS: You're going through New York?

JOHNSON: Yes.

WILLIAMS (voice-over): It's her first flight in three years.

JOHNSON: It's kind of frightening a little bit.

WILLIAMS (voice-over): Airport officials say they have a plan in place to stop what looks like a stifling storm from disrupting air travel.

CHRISTOPHER JACKMAN, ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER, FACILITIES MAINTENANCE: I'm confident that we will keep the airfield open for arrivals and departures throughout the entire event.

WILLIAMS (voice-over): Friday, the airport showed off some new equipment called MFEs or multifunctional equipment. It can handle three jobs. Quickly clearing, scraping, and brushing at the same time. Now, it's time to see if these multimillion-dollar machines can stand up to a real storm.

GUS HUDSON, SENIOR DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER, HARTSFIELD-JACKSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT: So, with the old equipment, we were averaging about 30 to 45 minutes to clear a runway. This equipment, we think we can do it in 15. That means that they're not stuck in the terminal. They're not stuck on the runways waiting for taxiways and runways to be cleared. The aircraft will be able to move faster.

WILLIAMS (voice-over): Still, officials are mindful that the weather can change quickly and present problems.

JACKMAN: Well, the challenge is that we forecast to get primarily ice versus snow and dropping temperatures.

WILLIAMS (voice-over): Airport officials say they'll have these trucks in motion 24 hours a day. That's good news to Johnson, who hopes she can make it back home on time.

JOHNSON: I'll be back on Sunday. Fingers crossed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Fingers crossed. Nakell Williams with WUPA with that report for us. Thank you for that.

Utility workers in Florida, Nebraska, and Minnesota, they're being deployed to states in the forecasted storm's path to assist with restoring power. The freezing rain causes ice to build up on surfaces, and that added weight can bring down trees. And those trees bring down power lines.

Portions of the south from northern Texas into northern Georgia, parts of the Carolinas, Virginia, they're at greatest risk for significant icing and power outages. Georgia officials warn people about the possibility of long-lasting effects.

[07:10:23]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILL LANXTON, METEOROLOGIST, GEORGIA STATE: When you're talking an inch of ice that rivals some of the biggest ice storms we've ever had in this state. And not only are you talking about impossible travel conditions. You're talking about power outages that may not be able to be fixed for days.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: All right, still ahead. Demonstrators are braving the frigid cold to protest ICE operations in Minneapolis. I'm going to speak with a former ICE official who says the agency's tactics are making everyone less safe.

Also, look at this. Stunning moments in Detroit. A car crashed into the terminal at the Detroit Metro airport. That car made it all the way to the ticketing counter. The driver is in custody.

And heating your home during this winter storm could cost more than usual. We're looking at what's driving up energy prices.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:16:02]

BLACKWELL: Some live pictures here, courtesy of EarthCam. In Dallas and Oklahoma City, snow is already coming down. In Texas, they've got a mix of snow and sleet, and freezing rain. As you'd imagine, road conditions are expected to get worse this morning. Two-thirds of the country is either dealing with that storm or extreme cold.

Now, we're talking down to minus 50 with the wind chill in parts of the Dakotas and Minnesota on Friday. That means any precipitation that falls. It's going to stick to the ground for a while.

All right. A fifth -- a 5-year-old boy who was taken by federal agents from the driveway of his suburban Minneapolis home is being held with his father this morning at an ICE detention center in Texas. Preschooler Liam Conejo Ramos and his father are originally from Ecuador. Vice President JD Vance is referred to them as illegal aliens. Their attorneys insist that's not the case.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARC PROKOSCH, ATTORNEY FOR RAMOS FAMILY: These are not illegal aliens. They came properly, they came legally, and are pursuing a legal pathway. So, that's just not accurate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: CNN's Priscilla Alvarez has more on the ICE facility where Liam and his father are being detained.

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're getting an inside look into the conditions at a detention facility in Texas that is designed to hold immigrant families. These are families who were apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border or in the United States, either at ICE check- ins or vehicle checkpoints. And these families are now being held at a facility in Dilley, Texas, more than 160 of them.

And these declarations that have been provided to a federal court reveal the reality that they are facing at what is known as a residential facility, one that detainees describe as a prison. Here is what one mother detained with her daughter said. "It's a prison here. It is truly a living hell. It's not a good place for anyone. All of the children here are suffering. The mothers are crying, especially for their children. We are all suffering."

Now, again, this is a facility that families are held at before, typically in this case, they would be deported to their origin country. What's happening here is prolonged stays, despondent children, limited access to drinkable water. Families also describe agents offering them money to self-deport from the United States.

These families also allege medical conditions are poorly treated. Their children are unable to eat the provided food, oftentimes saying it's too spicy for the children. The rooms are packed, they say, as they share them with other mothers and their children. And the lighting makes it difficult to sleep because the lights are always on.

Now, one 16-year-old who is detained described it this way. "The kids here can get sad when people get deported or their friends leave. Kids are tired of doing the same thing every day. We try to help kids who are sad and teach them to play a new game. Sometimes kids don't eat when they are sad."

Now, these are families that shared their testimonies through immigration attorneys, through what's known as the 1997 Flores settlement, which dictates the conditions by which children are held in government custody, and the length of time that they are held in custody. And this facility in Texas has been designed for families in that. For example, it has a series of beige trailers that include, for example, a classroom, a gym, as well as a library. But all the same, these families are spending multiple weeks there. And the kids, they say, are regressing as a result.

Now, immigration and customs enforcement said in a government filing earlier this year that they are trying to improve conditions at the facility and have already done so. We also reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment. But they have not yet replied. Back to you.

BLACKWELL: Priscilla, thanks. I want to talk about this with Jason Houser. He's the former chief of staff of ICE. Jason, thanks for being with me. USA Today published an op ed in -- of yours in which you shared some disappointment, frustration, disapproval of what's happening now. And this is one line.

You cannot police effectively in an environment of fear. You cannot protect communities that do not trust you. So, I wonder in that context, what's your reaction to CNN's reporting that the president is frustrated that he's losing the narrative based on what we're seeing out of Minneapolis, specifically.

[07:20:29]

JASON HOUSER, FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF, ICE: Yes. Thank you for having me. If I was the president, I would be frustrated as well. Federal law enforcement and political appointees within the administration seem dead set on sort of driving distrust not only between federal immigration officers, but also between federal law enforcement and state and local law enforcement. We all know that the best -- the best our communities can be in the way of public safety, the way of carrying out national security is when our communities are working hand in glove with our law enforcement officials. But continuing to erode that causes long-term effects.

You know, when you have operations where you have these indiscriminate sweeps within communities, when you have U.S. citizens being arrested in their home, you know, by dozens of federal law enforcement officers, it shows a misallocation of federal law enforcement resources. No one has stated in the last year that, you know, drug smuggling, human trafficking, terrorist threats, lone wolf attackers, any of those things have decreased. But at the same time, the administration has turned 20 to 30 percent of federal law enforcement away from their public safety and national security missions and focused them on civil immigration enforcement.

It just shows a misallocation of resources. In the polling and what we're hearing from the public, it's beginning to catch up and gaining that understanding that both our communities are being attacked, and we need to begin to rebuild the trust in federal law enforcement and focus them on the mission of keeping us safe.

BLACKWELL: And what we're also hearing from people in Minnesota -- and while you were speaking, we were showing some of the protests -- the march yesterday in Minneapolis, some of the thousands of people at the Target Center there. It's not just what is happening with this mass deportation effort. It is how it is happening. The president and the vice president, for the first time this week, acknowledged mistakes. And I want you to listen to what the president said about heart of ICE officers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have a lot of heart. And I said, you got to lighten up on this. We have a lot of heart for people. They came in illegally, but they're good people. And they're working now on farms. And they're working in luncheonettes and hotels, you know. And we're not looking at -- we're looking to get the criminals out right now. The criminals.

And I think it's very important. I mean, I should -- every once in a while, you see a story, we take somebody who should be out because they came in illegally. So, in theory, they should be. But we're focused on the murderers, the drug dealers, the mentally insane. We have a lot of mentally insane killers. I mean --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: And so, the president still says that this effort is targeting only the murderers, the killers, the rapists, the worst of the worst, so-called by the administration. What's your reaction to what we're hearing from the president this far into this operation?

HOUSER: I agree with the intent of the president and everything he said there about focusing federal law enforcement on those threats. But clearly, you know, there's these quota arrest policies that this administration and the president's political appointees have directed ICE and other federal law enforcement to carry out, of just arresting 3000 a day. Well, there are threats to our community. And there is -- we do need a working immigration system that does include both enforcement and case management.

This administration in the first year has shown no recommendations, no policy positions on how they want to fix the immigration system. What they have leaned on is deterrence and enforcement. And that is putting trusted law enforcement officers into the streets under the directions to hit quota arrests.

When you have that pressure, it conflicts with the needs of our communities, and it takes vital federal resources away from the exact -- going after the exact threats that the president outlined. What we need is for this administration to focus on those very few that are here to hurt our communities and stop focusing on those that did come here legally, like the instance of the young child that you mentioned in the -- in the reporting. He came here, and they registered through a CBP program to allow them to seek asylum in a pathway into the country.

We need to focus those enforcement on those that have exhausted their pathways to be here. That's about 1.5 million nationally. And we need to focus in working with state and local partnerships to focus on those that are already in the criminal justice system that ICE can humanely remove from the country.

BLACKWELL: We learned overnight that the FBI agent who initially started working with Minnesota officials, the way these investigations typically happen after the shooting death of Renee Good, has resigned. She opened a civil rights investigation, but then was ordered to reclassify it as an investigation into the assault on the officer. Now, that -- while that is a DOJ decision, is there some residual impact of how the investigation is handled or not on ICE and CBP officers on the streets in Minnesota?

[07:25:34]

HOUSER: Whenever there's an incident like occurred in Minnesota, there is multi-prong, multi-department, multi-agency review and investigations. In my time as chief of staff of ICE, there was multiple investigations, whether it was a death in custody or use of force. That's -- those sort of investigations, both internally within ICE, within the office of professional responsibility by the OIG, the inspector general, by other -- by the department of justice, that sort of review, that assessment, that create -- that is one of the building blocks of the trust that we must need as officers carry out their duties.

Immigration enforcement and federal law enforcement is the toughest job in our country. But what we need is the accountability. We need the oversight with great authority. And the great authorities that come with immigration enforcement comes great responsibility. And people make mistakes. And when they make mistakes, they need to be held accountable. But when those systems are broken down that you see and you begin to build that distrust in communities, and it tears down the relationship between policing and the public. And that, in turn, has long-standing effects that could have lasting impact, you know, but -- for the ability for federal law enforcement to carry out their mission.

BLACKWELL: Jason Houser, former chief of staff of ICE, thank you for your time this morning.

All right. Sunday is now the worst day for flight cancellations in the past year. Coming up, how the threat of this massive storm is already affecting air travel in a huge way.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:31:33]

BLACKWELL: All right. So, of course, we are tracking the ice and the snow as this winter storm is rolling in, but it's also going to be dangerously cold in some places. Live look at Buffalo. Buffalo is no stranger to cold, but right now temperature is at zero, feels like 11 below.

CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar is back with me. I look over your shoulder and see some of these temperature readings, and we are just getting started.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And you are happy you live in the south?

BLACKWELL: Yes, but it's also going to be icy here.

CHINCHAR: Right. Yes, and that's part of the thing is the cold air that's normally just stays up to the north is actually going to make it pretty far south, which is allowing some southern places, places you don't normally see ice and snow to actually get it from the system.

Now, here is the thing, though, it's not just cold, it's also very windy. You've got wind gusts, 20, 30, 40 miles per hour. So, when you combine them, that feels like temperature or the wind chill. Some of these numbers are incredibly low. Negative 14 in Binghamton, and negative 12 in Buffalo right now. Negative 22 in Saginaw, it feels like minus 30 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Again, but all of that cold air, like we said, is going to spread southward, and that's why you see a lot of pink and purple on the screen. The purple is snow. The pink is either that sleet or freezing rain mix into places like Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, states that just simply don't normally get this type of winter precipitation.

Now, this system is gradually going to make its way eastward and also start to expand into areas of the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast as we go through the next 24 to 48 hours. And here is what we mean. So, overnight tonight, that's when you start to see it slide into places like Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, also into the Ohio Valley as well.

Throughout the rest of the day, Sunday, that's when it really starts to fill back in across areas of the Northeast. So, you are talking New York, you are talking Philly, Boston, Hartford. All of these areas slowly going to see that snow begin to push in and spread throughout much of the area as we go through the rest of the day, Sunday.

Now, some of these areas along the south side, like D.C., Baltimore, and even Philly. You may go back and forth between that snow and that freezing rain, especially as the temperatures warm up Sunday during the day. But then, once we get back towards Sunday evening, the temperatures drop back again. You could start to see at least maybe that final round just be in the form of snow before the entire system finally exits the area.

Some of these areas could be looking at upwards of a quarter of an inch of ice. But it's really going to be the snowfall totals that are impressive, where you have some spots that could pick up over a foot.

BLACKWELL: Allison, thank you.

All right. Let's get now to CNN and Ivan Rodriguez. He is been in Dallas all morning long. What's it looking like now?

IVAN RODRIGUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Victor, since the last time we spoke, things have pretty drastically changed. Before, it was a little bit of light rain, and now, it's this freezing rain, sleet that we are feeling.

Behind me, I can see those big sidewalk planters. Those are filling up with ice. So, conditions are really changing here. And this is sort of what we are supposed to feel now for the next, I would say, 24 hours until early hours of Sunday morning, that freezing rain, and that was always a big concern here in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, when it comes to just ice itself.

Up to a half an inch, possibly, between that and a quarter of an inch of ice, it could break off tree branches, it could damage power lines.

So, now, Victor, we are really feeling it. Temperatures are dropping, and that's where the concern of ice is going to continue here for the next 24 hours or so.

And a big concern was obviously always the power grid, and how that was going to hold up with these dropping temperatures, with the ice that could possibly damage those power lines.

[07:35:07]

Fresh in the minds of many people is that ice storm from 2021that left millions without power across the state. More than 200 people died from that. Texas Governor Greg Abbott says that he's confident that the power grid will hold. But this is also turning in now to a travel nightmare. More than 3200 flights were canceled today. 5900 already preemptively canceled for tomorrow.

BLACKWELL: It's still early there, and so, maybe it's, you know, the reason that we are not seeing a lot.

But I've only seen two cars pass since you've been on. Traffic light, there, people staying off the roads?

RODRIGUEZ: You know, actually, like you mentioned, we saw about two or three cars. There was almost a crash right here, right behind me at this intersection. A car ran a red light, another one honked as it tried to get by. So, conditions are not favorable.

I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if we do happen to see some accidents now from people driving, especially as ICE begins to build on these roads.

BLACKWELL: Yes. Well, run the red lights a bad idea, even if the roads are dry, especially, when you've got freezing rain coming down.

Ivan Rodriguez out there. Stay warm, stay safe. We'll check back.

So, this extreme winter storm is driving a jump in already volatile natural gas prices. That means heating your home powered by natural gas will be more expensive. Here is CNN's Matt Egan.

MATT EGAN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Yes, Victor. This storm is such a monster that it caused an epic spike in energy prices. Even before it arrived, natural gas futures skyrocketed by about 70 percent on the week, just a stunning move that even veteran energy traders say they have rarely ever seen before.

And this dramatic reaction from the market reflects two issues directly linked to the storm.

First off, and is the obvious one. It's demand, right? Any time, temperatures get this low for this long, you are going to see demand surge as Americans crank up their heat.

But the other issue here is that just as demand is going up, there is a risk that supply goes down. That's because these extremely cold temperatures are impacting Texas, Louisiana, and Appalachia, the three major natural gas production hubs in the United States. And anytime it's this cold, there are often issues with the transportation and the production of natural gas.

Now, I do have to caution that natural gas prices, they are notoriously volatile. One energy analyst told me that this might be the most volatile commodity in terms of prices on the planet. I mean, this can make Bitcoin almost look boring in comparison.

And history does show that sometimes these extreme winter weather events cause explosive reactions in prices that end up fading relatively quickly once normal temperatures and warmer weather comes back into view.

Still, though, we have to watch this carefully, because natural gas is the number one way to heat homes in the U.S. It's also the number one fuel source for the power grid, playing a bigger role than coal and nuclear combined. And keep in mind, Americans already have sticker shock when they are opening their heating bills and their utility bills.

The last inflation report showed that consumer natural gas prices surged by 11 percent last year, and of course, that was before this winter storm.

Now, I reached out to the White House, and a spokesperson stressed that this situation with natural gas futures is what they are describing as normal market fluctuations driven by the storm, and this official stressed that natural gas output is projected to shatter all- time highs this year.

Still, though, Victor, we've got to watch this carefully, because if natural gas prices stay high, just going to worsen the affordability frustrations that many Americans are already experiencing. Back to you.

BLACKWELL: All right. Matt, thank you.

Still ahead, Ukrainian cities take fire from Russia as reps from Moscow talk peace at the negotiating table. How the attacks could impact this new round of talks?

Also, if you are, let's say, in line at the grocery store or, unfortunately, waiting at an airport, you can track the latest on this winter storm by watching our show on the CNN app.

[07:39:25]

You can also watch our show at cnn.com/watch.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: All right. Live look now. This is Arkansas. Little Rock, specifically, the sun starting to rise there, just starting to rise. We are seeing more cars than we would expect, really on the roads there. Four inches of snow already there as this massive winter storm is rolling through.

Texas, Oklahoma getting hammered. Oklahoma could see record snowfall. Texas is battling snow and sleet and freezing rain.

Russian state media is reporting that trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the U.S. are happening right now. Ukraine's top negotiator says, so far, the talks have focused on reaching a dignified and lasting peace, but Moscow's demand is that Ukraine give up territory, and it's long been a sticking point in the negotiations.

And just hours before the talks began, Moscow launched its biggest overnight aerial attack on Ukraine this year. Officials say missiles and drones targeted Kyiv, killed at least one person.

[07:45:06]

BLACKWELL: Let's bring in now CNN's Nada Bashir, following all the developments from London. What's the latest?

NADA BASHIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL REPORTER: Well, that's right. The Ukrainian air defenses were triggered overnight as a barrage of missiles and drones targeted, not only Kyiv, but also, Ukraine's second largest city, Kharkiv.

At least, one person is said to have been killed, according to authorities, and more than a dozen others injured over Ukraine as a result of this attack. And this really brings into question Russia's intention, as these peace talks continue and are ongoing.

They began yesterday, as you mentioned, they are closed-door talks, but it is understood that the key focus at this point of the peace deal negotiations. Is territory, and whether Ukraine is willing to cede territory to Russia.

But, of course, again, these attacks happening overnight may, in fact -- impact the progress of talks today, we heard from President Zelenskyy yesterday, saying they need proof that Russia is willing to enter these negotiations in good faith. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): As for the substance of today's discussions, it is still too early to draw conclusions. We will see how the conversation develops tomorrow and what result it produces. It is necessary that not only Ukraine has the desire to end this war and achieve full security, but that a similar desire somehow emerges in Russia as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASHIR: Now, Russia has continually pushed for Ukraine to see territory in the Donbas region. That is something that Zelenskyy has previously been reluctant to accept. But we had heard previously in December from the Ukrainian president, saying he may be willing to compromise on some territory in the Donetsk region, so long as this is reciprocal and a sort of buffer zone is created. But again, all these details are still to be ironed out. Victor.

BLACKWELL: Nada Bashir, for us in London. Thank you.

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BLACKWELL (voice over): Look at this video the chaos at the Detroit Airport. A man slammed a car through the glass doors into the Delta Airlines check in area.

I mean, in the 25 years since 9/11 all the airport security redundancies, it's almost unbelievable that this could even happen. Travelers were running for cover. The man was taken into custody. Airport authorities say firefighters treated six people at the terminal.

Delta Airlines says the incident did not impact operations, and police say they are investigating why and how this happened.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL (on camera): A legal drama playing out in the world of college basketball. A former Alabama player will return to the school despite previously going pro.

Andy Scholes has details.

[07:52:05]

BLACKWELL: Well, today, the Alabama basketball team is going to play a player that declared for the NBA Draft almost three years ago and has been playing in the G League since going undrafted. CNN Andy Scholes joins me now.

How?

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Well, I mean, Victor, this is -- this is just ridiculous. College sports, it's going down a dark, dark road at this point.

So, Charles Bediako played for Alabama from 2021 to 2023. He then, declared for the NBA Draft, went undrafted, signed a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs, and has been playing professionally in the G League ever since. But with all the new NIL rules, Bediako applied to return to Alabama, since he still had eligibility and never played in an NBA game.

The NCAA denied that appeal. But the 23-year-old then sued the NCAA, and a judge granted him a temporary restraining order, saying he could suit up for Alabama immediately.

Now, the NCAA put out a statement yesterday saying, Bediako should not be able to play since he stayed in the NBA Draft, which, by rule, forfeits your remaining college eligibility.

But with the restraining order in place, Bediako set to play tonight against Tennessee. And here was Bama head coach Nate Oats on the situation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NATE OATS, HEAD COACH, ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE: The system is clearly broken, and I'm all for figuring out a way to fix it. But since the NCAA has already allowed professionals to play virtually every team, we've played this year, or will play as a former professional player on their roster.

You tell me how I'm supposed to tell Charles and the team that we are not going to support them when he is been deemed legally eligible to play.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: All right. Elsewhere, get used to the name Blades Brown, because you could be hearing it a lot when it comes to golf in the future.

Brown nearly missed a birdie putt right there for a 59 in round two of the American Express. His 60 broke the course record, and is the lowest round of the PGA tour by an 18-year-old since 1983, after going 12 under on Friday, he is at 17 under for the tournament, tied with Scottie Scheffler for the lead.

Brown turned pro right out of high school last year. He is on the Korn Ferry Tour. He was playing in the Bahamas until Wednesday. He took a late flight to get to California to tee off in time to play the Amex on a sponsor exemption. We'll see if he can battle Scheffler this weekend.

Finally, Philip Rivers may go from retired high school football coach to Colts quarterback to Bills' head coach in just a matter of months. Buffalo announcing, they have interviewed Rivers for their head coach opening.

The 44-year-old, he came out of retirement in December to try to save the Colts season. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, only one person since 1950 has gone from playing one season to a head coach the next.

What a ride this would be for the Rivers and the family. He gives up the coach.

(CROSSTALK)

BLACKWELL: I mean, life comes at best.

SCHOLES: I guess.

BLACKWELL: Man. All right. Andy Scholes, thank you.

SCHOLES: All right.

BLACKWELL: All right. "FIRST OF ALL" is coming up at the top of the hour. A Minneapolis anti-ICE protester leader actually is out of jail, and sharing new video that shows what agents were telling her as she was arrested.

[07:55:05]

You have to see and hear this.

We'll show you one moment that especially stands out and speak to someone who has been on the ground in the Twin Cities covering the protest.

Plus, history literally dismantle. Philadelphia is fighting back after a slavery exhibit, got pulled from a National Historic Park. We'll speak to the woman who used to oversee that site and calls this vandalism.

And you are going to meet the 8-year-old who is up for a Grammy with her father. You will see Aura V's reaction when she found out about her potentially historic nomination.

Those stories and conversations you will only see right here when "FIRST OF ALL" starts after a short break.

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