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Connect the World

Mexican Cartel Leader Died From Injuries During Military Raid; Hungary Accuse Ukraine Of Blackmail, Halting Oil Shipments Deliberately; Many Ukrainians At Breaking Point As Thousands Still Missing; Heavy Snow, Whiteout Conditions Slam The United States Northeast; Most Middle East States Condemn United States Ambassador's Comments; CNN Poll: Low Approval For Trump Ahead Of State Of The Union; Viral Video Of FBI Director Kash Patel Celebrating With United States Men's Hockey Team Sparks Controversy. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired February 23, 2026 - 10:00:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:00:34]

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi. This is CONNECT THE WORLD.

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to the second hour of connect the world. I'm Eleni Giokos.

Mexican officials are sharing new details about how they killed the country's most powerful cartel bus as tourists are advised to take shelter

from a wave of violence.

In the U.S., a bomb cyclone slams the Northeast with near hurricane force winds and extreme snowstorms. New York City is under a travel ban amid the

heaviest snow it's seen in five years.

And as the Kremlin's war in Ukraine approaches, the four-year mark, I'll be speaking to the foreign minister of Russia's neighbor, Lithuania.

Mexico's president is conveying a message of calm, a day after violence erupted across Mexico, sparked by the death of a notorious drug lord.

Claudia Sheinbaum speaking to reporters a short time ago about the operation that targeted El Mencho.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM, MEXICAN PRESIDENT (through translator): And the most important thing right now is to guarantee peace and security for the entire

population of Mexico, and that is what is being done.

Today, there's already more calm, and there is a government. They are armed forces, and there is a security category, and there is a lot of

coordination, so people can be assured that peace, security and normality are being maintained.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GIOKOS: El Mencho died from injuries received during the raid, the White House confirmed the U.S. provided intelligence support. For Mexican

citizens and tourists, there have been reactions ranging from concern to downright panic. A suspected gang members torched vehicles and blocked

roads. Here's what one American tourist told CNN earlier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRAVIS DAGENAIS, AMERICAN TOURIST: It really did look and feel like a war zone. And I think that feeling of anxiety, that feeling of what does happen

next or what could happen next is driving what a lot of people are feeling right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GIOKOS: We saw scenes like this at the airport, after several airlines canceled international flights, leaving travelers stranded.

Valeria Leon is watching developments for us from Mexico City. Valeria, just a few minutes ago, Mexico security secretary reported dozens of deaths

when gang members attacked National Guard members and others Sunday, there's so much news coming out of this news conference, give us the key

lines.

VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's correct, and also, Mexican authorities just said they have now regained control following the wave of

cartel violence that erupted after the operation against Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes or El Mencho. And President Claudia Sheinbaum praised the Mexican

military for carrying out this operation, calling it a significant achievement for national security.

Meanwhile, Mexico's defense secretary has released new details about how authorities were able to locate and detain El Mencho.

According to the official, the first critical lead on this whereabouts emerged in Tapalpa, Jalisco after intelligence units began tracking the

movements of a romantic partner linked to the cartel leader.

By following that trail, authorities were able to identify El Mencho support network and pinpoint the location where he was hiding. That

intelligence led to the military operation that resulted in this detention. And operation officials now describe as one of the most significant blows

to organized crime in recent years.

And despite the government's insistence that order has been restored, security forces remain deployed in key areas as authorities continue

monitoring for any renewed retaliation.

Also, authorities said that more than 2,000 military personnel have been deployed to Jalisco state to reinforce security and prevent further arrest.

But that impact, Eleni, is still being felt. Classes have been canceled in three Mexican states, and for now, the government says control has been

restored, but whether this operation marks a turning point against a cartel violence or the start of a new phase of instability, that remains to be

seen, Eleni.

[10:05:08]

GIOKOS: All right. Valeria, thank you so much. Well, the death of El Mencho appears to leave a power vacuum at the top of the Jalisco new generation

cartel and his leadership CJNG, became one of the world's most powerful criminal organizations, trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine globally

and operating extortion, kidnapping and fuel theft rackets.

In the world of Mexico's cartels, power often stays in the family, and when there is no clear rival, factions fight for control, and violence tends to

follow. Cartels sit at the heart of Mexico's security crisis, from Sinaloa to the Gulf Cartel and the remnants of the Zetas, powerful groups continue

to control territory and criminal networks across the country.

And Michael Vigil, a former Chief of international operations for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. He joins us now live from Albuquerque, New

Mexico. Good to see you.

And you know, seeing these images of just the consequences of taking out El Mencho, you've got security forces now saying they've regained control, but

Mexico's Defense Secretary saying El Mencho was located through tracking a romantic partner.

I want you to give me a sense of what goes behind these types of operations and how the USe was involved in intelligence sharing.

MICHAEL VIGIL, FORMER DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION CHIEF OF INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS: What's behind the operation involving the death

of El Mencho was a coordinated effort between the National Guard, the Army and the Air Force of the Mexican government. They were the ones that

developed the primary intelligence that led to the death of El Mencho.

You'll recall when Ovidio Guzman, the son of Chapo Guzman, was captured in 2019 the National Guard went into Culiacan, which is the stronghold of the

Sinaloa Cartel. They captured a video, but they made a big mistake, and they didn't have any air support.

In this case, they did send in military attack helicopters, and that made the difference. The combination of a coordinated attack by ground and air

resulted in Mencho's death. It's a very significant operation, and the U.S. government did provide some intel, but the credit actually goes to the

Mexican government for this major, major operation.

GIOKOS: And Michael, I want you to give me an idea of the kind of power vacuum that has been created. Why it's dangerous when you take out someone

right at the top. What does that mean in terms of eliminating the leader and disman -- does it -- I mean, does it essentially dismantle this vast

network that is a cartel of this kind?

VIGIL: Well, you'll recall, you know, when Felipe Calderon was president from 2006 to 2012 he came up with a kingpin strategy, and the Mexican

government captured and killed about 27 of 32 major cartel leaders.

But what they didn't anticipate is that when you kill or capture a leader, normally and historically, the cartel will fragment, because you'll have

different groups that will fight for control, and that leads to an internal conflict that results in a lot of violence, for example, that is what is

currently taking place with the Sinaloa Cartel, where you have Chapo Guzman sons, Los Chapitos fighting against one of the sons of El Mayo Zambada for

control. And that's led to thousands of deaths, thousands of people who have disappeared. And it's resulted in an economic blow to that area of at

least a billion dollars.

GIOKOS: Wow. I mean, look, President Claudia Sheinbaum saying, calling for calm, and frankly, the security forces say, saying they've regained

control. Do you believe that control has been regained, knowing full well that this power vacuum has been created?

VIGIL: Well, the thing is that they have regained about 90 percent control. Yesterday, there were about 252 blockades for the cartel. And this is a

normal technique of theirs, is to start burning busses vehicles and blocking roads, and that led to an advisory by the Canadian and U.S.

governments for tourists that were in Mexico to lock down in hotels or wherever they were at.

[10:10:23]

GIOKOS: In terms of the fact that, you know, cartels have been very embedded in Mexican society. And I guess this is something you know, we've

been covering for a very long time, but the reality is that millions of Americans travel to Mexico every single year, and I want you to give me a

sense whether the shift in cartel leadership increases the risks for tourists, because you're hearing the feedback from a lot of the people

trapped there and stuck there right now that said it feels like a war zone. So, we're talking about pretty scary scenarios.

VIGIL: It is a war zone. I don't think that this is going to take place for a long period of time, until the cartel may be fragments, but it's safer

and that they stay in their hotels and they're not out on the streets or on the roadways. It's highly dangerous. You have to keep in mind that the

Jalisco new generation cartel operated in 28 of the 32 states in Mexico. They're highly violent, and they operated very much like a paramilitary

force.

GIOKOS: Michael Vigil, great to have you with us. Thank you so much for those insights. Much appreciated for your time, sir.

To Europe now, where the E.U. rift continues as a landmark sanctions package against Russia is on hold. Hungary refusing to back a 20th round of

measures and alone worth over $100 billion for Kyiv just hours before the fourth anniversary of Russia's full scale invasion. Brussels calling it

frustrating. Budapest calling it blackmail. It comes as E.U. foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas concedes there will be no breakthrough today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAJA KALLAS, E.U. FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF: As we have heard, some very strong statements from Hungary. That's why I don't really, you know, see that they

are going to change this unfortunately today, this position that they have.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GIOKOS: Hungary insists Ukraine must resume oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline before it lifts its veto as the country's foreign minister accuses

Kyiv of playing politics. All this as Ukraine grapples with the fallout from a deadly terrorist attack in the western city of Lviv on Sunday.

With us now to discuss this further, we've got Kestutis Budrys, Foreign Minister of Lithuania joining us now from Brussels. Minister really good to

have you with us. Appreciate you taking the time.

Four years since Russia's full scale invasion in Ukraine, and the latest sanctions package has hit a massive roadblock. Hungary has blocked around

$90 billion lifeline for Ukraine, and you've warned that this repeated use of the veto risks the end of the E.U. as a geopolitical actor. You've also

said action needs to be taken to stop Hungary abusing its veto to block key E.U. policies. So, what action would that be?

KESTUTIS BUDRYS, LITHUANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: Yes, it is really frustrating that we are in the situation on the eve of fourth anniversary of full scale

invasion against Ukraine, and we cannot deliver what everyone expects from us, that is the sanctions package and also the 90 billion loan line to

Ukraine because of the once again veto from one of the countries, one of the member states, that undermines the whole credibility of European Union

and undermines the European idea, and also diminishes the chances for Europe to become the geopolitical actor.

That's why we cannot just ignore it and cannot look for the options how to work this around. We should answer this question whether we see the threats

in same -- in the same light, whether we have the same security interest.

And if yes, we have to proceed further with more effective decision making, if not, we have to rethink what we are doing in this group of the

countries.

So, these steps forward can be a couple of with the review of the decision- making process and shrinking the situations where we need the anonymity, like it is in this case, they can veto whatever falls in on their hand.

And the second option is to go directly with the -- with the very rights of the member state, the one that is manipulating it and plays with the

principle of cooperation, plays with the principle of solidarity, and undermines the very fundamentals of European Union. This union was created

by the likeminded countries to defend our collective interests.

GIOKOS: So, Minister, when you say that you have to review the rights of member states, are you perhaps insinuating here that removal of Hungary or

how would you -- what action, physical action can you actually take?

[10:15:11]

BUDRYS: There are certain articles in the founding treaty of European Union that allows for the other member states to proceed with limiting the voting

right of one of the member states if there are abuses or misuses of the -- of the -- of the rights of veto and there is obligation to cooperate and in

solidarity of the member states, and we cannot design the very decision making process just to avoid these sort of blockades in the future.

So, this is -- this is why it is fundamental. And once again, blackmail, and I'm taking the hostage. This is not the language that we use to our

partners. This is Russia that uses this language, and we cannot afford to have it in Europe.

GIOKOS: So, Minister, I want to talk about the World Bank report that was released. It's estimating that Ukraine will need $588 billion to rebuild

from Russia's invasion. And I also want to talk about how many refugees Lithuania has taken, and around 51,000 and includes women and children.

Does Europe have the resources to be able to support Ukraine in the long term?

BUDRYS: And we will need even more. So, the number you mentioned is for reconstruction only. That's almost 600 billion euros. We will need also for

the micro financial support, additional money, and also to keep Ukrainian armed forces at the level that can deter Russian conventional forces. So,

that will be hundreds additional billions of euros.

And we will have, we have to find this money, because we don't want Ukrainians themselves to reconstitute the economy and also to keep the

Armed Forces as strong as they are right now, up to 800,000 people strong. So, that would be also the commitment and contribution from Europe to do.

And we have to find it, because otherwise we will have the constant problem on our -- on our border, and then security will cost us even more.

GIOKOS: Minister, I want to talk about President Trump's tariff, and he's talking about blanket tariffs of 15 percent. How is the E.U. responding to

this? Because the E.U. Parliament was also meant to discuss the U.S.-E.U. trade deal. Can you confirm reports that the E.U. has decided to freeze the

approval of that initial deal?

BUDRYS: Just last week, we had the informal Trade Council meeting where I was also present, and we had the exchange with the European Parliament

about how we will proceed after the August joint statement by President Trump and Ursula von der Leyen.

And now the situation is absolutely different. So, everyone is guessing around how we will proceed. I cannot confirm that this is the case with

European Parliament. I know that they are gathering tomorrow.

But the very interest of European companies and countries is clarity. So, what we are facing here, this is the expectation of my companies from

Lithuania towards me, as also the trade minister, bring us clarity how we will trade with United States.

So, that's what we need. We need clear answers. So, what will be the further steps? Because that deal that was achieved in August was not

perfect, but at least it brought stability. So, that's what we need, stability back.

GIOKOS: OK, so in terms of the E.U. negotiating as a block versus member states going at it alone and striking their own bilateral trade deals, what

kind of discussions are you hearing on the ground?

BUDRYS: What concerns trade agreements, that's the competence of European Commission. So, they are negotiating on behalf of 27 -- 27 countries. And

that was -- that was the case actually this summer, and not only during the summer, but afterwards, also, because we still have the categories of the

products that we do not have the agreement achieved yet. And bilateral agreements is not the -- is not an option here.

By the way, there are some areas where we can go also in on bilateral track, and that is related to critical minerals, for example. Of course, we

prioritize European solution, but if not, we can look for the others. Because there are so many topics in transatlantic relations. It's not only

tariffs, but it's also positive agenda. It's cooperation for the economic security, for the benefits of both sides.

GIOKOS: Minister, great to have you with us. Thank you so much for taking the time today.

As Russia's war in Ukraine drags into its fifth painful year, tens of thousands of people have died in combat, and millions more have left the

country, and one consequence of that is a fertility crisis.

CNN's Ivana Kottasova spoke to Ukrainian widows and hopeful mothers fighting on the front lines about their journey to have children, and found

that for some, dreams of motherhood now seem nearly impossible, and you can read her reporting on CNN.com.

[10:20:05]

And with more than 80,000 Ukrainians missing as a result of years of conflict, the strain on those left behind is hard to bear, as CNN's

Clarissa Ward reports the agony of not knowing where their loved ones are is pushing many Ukrainians to the brink. I need to warn you that some of

the images in Clarissa's report are disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): On the outskirts of Odessa at an abandoned railway station, the smell of death

hangs heavily in the air. These railroad cars once carried cargo across the country, now they hold the remains of thousands of Ukrainians.

As repatriations from territories seized by Russia have increased, the arrivals have become more frequent and the numbers harder to comprehend.

WARD: More than 80,000 Ukrainians are officially missing in this war, and the vast majority of those who are missing are believed to be dead.

WARD (voice over): For thousands of families searching for their loved ones, the waiting has become its own kind of Battlefield outside the city,

we meet Snizhana Shestakova, her husband, Oleg (PH), a sergeant in the Ukrainian army, went missing on October 30th, 2024 after a failed attack on

Russian positions in Donetsk.

WARD: It's the sign here that says, yes, Oleg is alive.

SNIZHANA SHESTAKOVA, WIFE OF MISSING SOLDIER (through translator): I look at it and I repeat it to myself.

WAR (through translator): Because you need to believe.

SHESTAKOVA (through translator): Yes.

WARD (through translator): That he's still alive. But most of them know very it's a profit.

SHESTAKOVA (through translator): I believe he is alive because he left saying, whatever they tell you, don't believe anyone. I will definitely

return.

WARD: She says, The dog is old now he's 15 years old, and they sit and they wait together for him to come home.

WARD (voice over): Oleg's backpack still sits in the hallway. Snizhana spends her days going through their messages to each other.

OLEG, MISSING SOLDIER (through translator): I had a great day today, bunny. I'm coming home. Come meet your love.

WARD: Can you help us understand the pain of living with not knowing. It is one thing to go through, the pain of grieving, but the agony of not knowing

is a unique form of cruelty.

SHESTAKOVA (through translator): It's very difficult to live through it. You know it's such a feeling, just dead inside, just dead, torn apart, in

small pieces.

WARD (voice over): After four long years of war, Ukraine and its people are being stretched to the limit. Murals on the road into Kyiv celebrate the

heroism of Ukrainian soldiers, but inside many apartments, families are fighting a quieter battle against the cold.

WARD: I don't know if you can hear it's almost deafening now everywhere you go in Kyiv, the sound of generators.

WARD (voice over): Relentless Russian strikes on energy infrastructure have left residents facing constant power and heating outages during the coldest

winter in years.

Mamacita was Svitiana Kivirenko's dream.

WARD: Hello, hi.

WARD (voice over): Built from the ground up, a place where moms and their kids could escape the grind of war.

SVITIANA KIVIRENKO, MAMACITA FOUNDER: It feels secure. We had this nail salon. We had make up here. We had cosmetologist so mom could take --

WARD: A break.

KIVIRENKO: A break, yes, and relax.

WARD (voice over): Earlier this month, Svitiana finally had to close Mamacita.

KIVIRENKO: I died that time, really. I mean, because it's my heart, it's my dream, but it was just one day generator broke, and that's it.

WARD: You know, there's this idea that Ukrainians are just like superhuman superheroes.

KIVIRENKO: We are not -- we are not superhumans, we are not robots, we are not super people. We are human and we are breakable, unfortunately.

WARD: And do you think a lot of people are at breaking point?

KIVIRENKO: I'm sure.

WARD (voice over): For Veronika Burminova, breaking down is not an option. She is raising her 3-year-old daughter, Masha on her own. Tonight, they

will climb 10 flights of stairs to reach their apartment.

[10:25:07]

VERONIKA BURMINOVA, CHARITY WORKER (through translator): Masha is a star, Masha is a good girl?

WARD (voice over): There is no power and they do not trust the elevator, even with the emergency generator.

After two months of outages, it has become a familiar routine.

BURMINOVA (through translator): Woo, we got to our floor.

WARD (voice over): Inside the apartment, Masha shows us how they keep the lights on.

WARD: That's so pretty, so pretty, and now you have light from a power bank. You have two power banks.

WARD (voice over): In the kitchen, they make tea by candlelight using a portable gas stove. Dinner is usually instant soup or noodles. But they are

lucky that they still have heat.

WARD: How long can you go on like this?

BURMINOVA (through translator): Honestly, I don't know. I live in the moment but sometimes it's tough. There are days when I run out of steam and

I tell her, Masha, I am not angry at you and I don't want to shout at you, I just have no more strength. Mama is tired. And she understands.

WARD (voice over): As night falls, the city goes dark. In the end, Ukraine's greatest strength may have become its heaviest burden, a nation

expected to endure without end.

Clarissa Ward, CNN, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GIOKOS: Still to come, a massive winter snowstorm bearing parts of the United States northeast making travel nearly impossible. We're on the

ground from one of the hottest hit areas.

In the meantime, we give you some pictures from New Jersey. We'll be back right after the short break. Stick with CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VICTORIA: Hello, oh my God.

ZOHRAN MAMDANI (D), NEW YORK MAYOR: Hi, Victoria. I thought, as the mayor, I wanted to call you and give you some news. We've got a full snow day

tomorrow, no online school, no remote learning, full classic snow day.

So, my only ask to you is that just stay safe. Stay indoors during the height of the storm. Once that has passed, feel free to go out and sled.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GIOKOS: And you'll have plenty of snow for sledding, and parts of New York City have already seen more than 48 centimeters with the heavier snowfall

from this historic winter storm pushing into New England today, more than 40 million people across 11 states remain under blizzard warnings across

the region.

Some 600,000 people are also without power, the gusts of more than 100 kilometers per hour have led to white out conditions in some areas, making

travel nearly impossible.

[10:30:05]

Already, more than 5,000 flights have been canceled, and Philadelphia and New York City have curbed public transport transit for now.

I want to get the latest from our chief climate correspondent Bill Weir. He joins us now from Brooklyn, New York, where, of course, we sent you out to

the most fabulous places on assignment. You look great. Hope you are not too cold.

BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: Not too bad.

GIOKOS: How many pairs of socks are you -- have you got on, Bill?

WEIR: Yes, Eleni -- oh, I've got two. But I have my special SealSkinz waterproof socks for a day like this. It's this, the blizzard of '26. Well,

we are -- actually, won't be remembered for the cold as much as last month's big weather event here in the United States. It's heavy, wet snow

and the winds -- the winds have been crazy up.

You know, blizzard has to be sustained when three hours of winds, that's over 56 kilometers an hour. And we had that today at JFK. We had that out

in New Jersey. That's never actually happened in Central Park. But right now, we have about 15 inches or so. It was falling at about seven

centimeters an hour, at one rate, just really coming down.

And here we are, and this is Old Fulton Street, one of the oldest streets in North America, actually. It goes back to the first Dutch settlers, over

400 years ago. So, this place has seen some weather over the centuries, but if we get around 50 centimeters today, this --

GIOKOS: Oh, I think I have lost you, Bill.

All right. There you are.

OK, we've lost Bill.

But we've seen some incredible images. And think about this. You can see the Brooklyn bridge there in the background, whiteout conditions,

incredible amount of snow. Bill, do we have -- we have you -- have we got you back?

All right, we don't -- I mean, incredible images coming through from New York. Of course, we'll keep you updated on this story as the day goes on.

We are going to a short break. Stick with CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GIOKOS: All right. Welcome back. And we have our chief climate correspondent Bill Weir. back with us.

Bill, we lost you for a minute there, but we were seeing some incredible images of just how much snow there is where you are. Take me through it.

WEIR: Yes, you have been, Eleni. It's about 40 or so centimeters so far. It was coming down about seven centimeters an hour there for a while. And in

order for it to be an official blizzard, you need wind.

[10:35:00]

You need a sustained winds about 55-60 kilometers an hour for three hours. We had that at JFK, you had that in New Jersey, out in Newark airport

today, not at Central Park. But the blizzard of '26 could go down as one of the top five snowfalls of all time.

And unlike last month's big polar vortex, that freezing rain, and then it created these icebergs that lasted for weeks and just plagued the city.

This is a much heavier, warmer, wetter snow. You can see the Brooklyn span of the Brooklyn bridge there, but that has gone in and out of view all

morning as these bands have come through here as well.

GIOKOS: Yes.

WEIR: The whole city is pretty much shut down. Emergency travel order in effect. So, you see a lot of plows. The big sanitation trucks have plows on

the front. There is a couple thousand of those working.

Did you know, the streets of New York City, in linear form, over 6400 miles? So, it's like driving from New York to L.A. and back, just in

plowing all the streets. So, they have to keep it constantly every few hours to try to hit these streets again.

(CROSSTALK)

GIOKOS: Yes.

WEIR: And then, the sidewalks. It's up to the business owners or property owners. And the city has actually hired hundreds -- about 875 emergency

shovelers today. We are making about 19 bucks an hour to try to stay ahead of this snow as it comes down here.

But the good news is, this should be gone by mid-week, hopefully.

GIOKOS: Yes.

WEIR: There may be some snow behind it, but unlike the last month's blizzard -- it wasn't officially a blizzard, but the big dump that just

stayed put for a long time, Eleni.

Hopefully, this will be gone soon.

GIOKOS: Yes.

WEIR: But right now, parents --

(CROSSTALK)

GIOKOS: Yes.

WEIR: Business owners, building owners, have to deal with this nightmare.

Let me bring the goggles down, because it's starting to come down. But right now, sort of we are in the winter wonderland phase of it.

GIOKOS: Yes.

WEIR: But, of course, so many headaches come with these storms.

GIOKOS: I know. I know it, right. It looks so beautiful from where I'm sitting. It's eerily quiet, but also it has a heavy impact on everyone

there.

I think you and your team need to go and get some hot chocolate. Stay warm, Bill. Thank you so much for the updates.

WEIR: OK.

GIOKOS: All right. You're watching CNN. Here are your headlines. More than 40 million people are under blizzard warnings as a historic winter storm

batters the U.S. northeast from Virginia to Maine. Conditions have forced airlines to cancel more than 5500 flights, while public transport has been

shut down in some cities.

Authorities in the Ukrainian city of Lviv are investigating what they say was a terrorist attack that killed at least one person and left dozens

wounded on Sunday.

President Zelenskyy says several people have been detained, including a woman suspected of carrying out the attack under instructions from Russia.

Mexico's president says peace and security are returning to Mexico after military raid that resulted in the death of the notorious drug lord known

as El Mencho. Claudia Sheinbaum spoke in the wake of violent outbreaks Sunday. Mexico's security chief says nearly 30 people were killed when gang

members attacked National Guard members and others. 30 accused criminals also died.

The violence impacted 20 Mexican states, including popular tourist areas. One American tourist described the fear he and others felt in the Puerto

Vallarta, as the clashes broke out and people ran for safety.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIM BECK, AMERICAN TOURIST: We have been coming down here for almost 20 years, and we have always told people to come down and check it out,

because you always feel safe here. We have never, ever not felt safe. And today was the first day, as we left the hotel to go have breakfast, and saw

all the craziness going on and the violence and the smoke that we were actually terrified, and we saw the people running down the streets, running

from the flames and stuff and the fire, and we ran back to the hotel, and then, that's when they got the shelter and order place. And we have been

here all day, and we're staying at Hotel Eloise (PH), and there is no restaurant or bar or anything here. So, we've all been here without

anything all day, and the staff has been great, running and grabbing stuff and bringing us some snacks and some water and stuff.

But it's been pretty scary, as you could see from the videos and pictures I shared, that blocks away is where all of its happening, and all the Oxxos,

they burnt down all of the little Oxxos. So, there is been little fires and stuff all over the city around us, where it's normally fun and nice, and

people walking around, and all the little local restaurants and all the locals being locked up and hidden with us too, and there is a few homeless

people that were brought into this hotel. They allowed in so that they had some place to go to.

So, it's been quite surreal knowing this warm, wonderful place that we come to visit couple times a year is in lockdown and just terrifying for all the

people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GIOKOS: Ahead on connect the world, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, has sparked an outcry across much of the Middle East. We'll explain, with the

help from a top columnist in Israel.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:41:58]

GIOKOS: Nearly every Middle Eastern country, aside from Israel, today, is condemning comments from the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee. They

say the ambassador's comments on the Tucker Carlson show, appear to support a, "expansionist" Israel. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TUCKER CARLSON, HOST, TUCKER CARLSON SHOW: I'm not going to let you off on this, because you have said it three times.

MIKE HUCKABEE, UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR TO ISRAEL: Go ahead. OK.

CARLSON: That God gave this land to this people.

HUCKABEE: Yes.

CARLSON: And so, it is entirely fair for me with respect to ask, what land are you talking about? Because I just read Genesis 15, as I have many

times, and that land, I think it says, from the Nile to the Euphrates, which is, once again, basically the entire Middle East.

So, God gave that land to his people, the Jews or he didn't. You are saying he did. What does that mean? Does Israel have the right to that land?

Because you are appealing to Genesis.

HUCKABEE: Yes.

CARLSON: You are saying that's the original deed.

HUCKABEE: It would be fine if they took it all. But I don't think that's what we are talking about here today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GIOKOS: For his part, Tucker Carlson has faced increasing accusations of anti-Semitism for his criticism of Israel.

My next guest, Gideon Levy, columnist for the Haaretz newspaper, responded in his column, saying, "Huckabee doesn't represent Israel; he barely

represents its crazies. But it's definitely possible that he represents an America in the making, one whose Secretary of State Marco Rubio, recently

lauded the West's "Christian heritage" while in Munich.

Gideon Levy is with me now from Tel Aviv. Gideon, really good to have you on. Really interesting read, your column in the Haaretz. And you say,

Huckabee is further right than far right extremists like Ben Gvir.

What went through your mind when you heard the interview, and where does Israel society actually stand on this issue?

GIDEON LEVY, COLUMNIST, HAARETZ NEWSPAPER: I was really embarrassed. Embarrassed, Eleni, for the United States, for sending someone with such

opinions to the Middle East, to Israel, as the official ambassador, the main spoke person for the American administration. This is outrageous.

Imagine yourself, Eleni, that the Americans would have sent another ambassador, a jihadist who is dreaming about Islamic caliphate in the

entire Middle East. Would anyone accepted that the men with such views will be ambassador in any country, in the Middle East, because both of them

speak about the entire Middle East?

Ambassador Huckabee has his religious beliefs, and I deeply respect any religious or any other belief, but it has nothing to do with politics.

(CROSSTALK)

GIOKOS: Yes.

LEVY: Nothing to do with sovereignty, for God's sake. If God -- a promise by God is anything to do with sovereignty?

(CROSSTALK)

GIOKOS: OK, so --

LEVY: Yes.

GIOKOS: So, I mean, I want to talk about whether, you know, Mike Huckabee is representing U.S. policy.

[10:45:02]

The White House, for example, recently condemned Israel's recent law to allow Jewish settlers to take over more West Bank, you know, areas, and

hasn't shown any support for Huckabee's suggestions. So, where do you think he stands on that?

LEVY: This is up to the American administration. If after this interview, Huckabee will continue to be the American's ambassador to Israel. It means

that he represents the United States of America under the current administration. There is no other way to perceive it. Only as seeing that

the administration lives in peace with such lunatic opinions.

GIOKOS: So, we also had the Arab states board condemnation. And you wrote this. It's the fulfillment of all their primal fears. And I quote, "Imagine

the U.S. sending a jihadist ambassador to Israel, one who believes in the establishment of an Islamist caliphate in the entire Middle East. This is

its ambassador to Israel in reverse, and he's considered legitimate."

This is what you wrote. So, how much damage do you see this doing at such a critical time for what we see happening in Gaza, the course of the looming

specter of a possible U.S. attack on Iran, if all negotiations do actually fall through.

LEVY: I don't think this will be by itself, a great damage, because finally, ambassadors are quite limited in their influence. It's more about

the same -- the representation of American policy. And as long as the White House does not condemn it, it remains as another stain, or at least another

question mark. Where does the United States lead this region to? Toward Huckabee's opinions or toward other opinions?

We remain without answers for this, and I can understand the Arab countries, who this kind of things are threatening them, threatening any

democrat in the Middle East.

GIOKOS: Yes. So, before I let you go, Gideon, I want to talk about the prospect about a strike in Iran. So, what is the mindset right now in

Israel around the possibilities of this occurring?

LEVY: There is a lot of tension. Israel is quite sick and tired of wars in the last 2-1/2 years. On the other hand, I think that the national

sentiment is in favor of such a strike in order to make this Iranian threat disappear once and for all.

I don't believe that the strike will lead to a solution of the Iranian problem so-called. I have my doubts if it will change the regime there. But

I must admit that most of the Israelis are hoping that this strike will happen and will really be a game changer in the Middle East. I have my deep

doubts about it.

GIOKOS: All right. Gideon Levy, really good to have you on. Thank you so much for your time.

LEVY: Thank you.

GIOKOS: All right, coming up, the U.S. president says he has still got ways to impose his beloved tariffs after the Supreme Court rules he exceeded his

authority. We will bring you an update on that right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:50:07]

GIOKOS: U.S. President Donald Trump is set to deliver his State of the Union address on Tuesday. New CNN polling showing many Americans are

dissatisfied with the job that he's doing. Only two-thirds -- 32 percent rather, say his priorities are on the right ones. And even so, Trump is

doubling down on tariffs.

He announced over the weekend he would use a separate law to raise tariffs on imports from every country in the world, and that's after the Supreme

Court ruled he exceeded his authority by implementing tariffs through the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

CNN senior political reporter Stephen Collinson is live in Washington, D.C. for us.

Steven, really good to have you on with us today. And you write an excellent analysis, and I want to quote: "The president's defiance brings

great political risks for him and his party, and new uncertainties for an uneven economy. It is also already opening a new lane for democratic

attacks."

I want you to walk us through those risks and the president's thinking.

STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Right. So, when the president stands up at the State of the Union address in the House of

Representatives tomorrow night, if he defends tariffs and uses a proportion of his speech to do that, he will be defending something that most of the

American people don't want, and which makes their biggest problem, the affordability of groceries, rent, and other issues more expensive. That's

the immediate political risk.

But Trump is so wedded to tariffs, it's one of the few core beliefs that he's had politically going back decades. So, it's going to be very

difficult for him to step back, and I think in a more profound way, the way that he used tariffs tells us a lot about what he believes about the

presidency and the use of power.

He used tariffs to punish foreign countries for not following U.S. foreign policy, for showing him insufficient respect. He used them as a thermostat

to turn up and to turn down to get foreign leaders to do what he wanted, and also, as an instrument of patronage inside the United States, to offer

CEOs opt outs, which he could use to get them to do what he wants. So, this is something that's fundamental to the Trump presidency.

And even though it's coming with a lot of political risks --

(CROSSTALK)

GIOKOS: Yes.

COLLINSON: And he may again fall into the clutches of the law and the justice system, it's something he can't give up.

GIOKOS: No, I mean, he -- I mean, called it the most beautiful word, and it really just sort of was the underpinning of the foundation of so much of

his foreign policy, because that is how he got countries to agree to certain terms. And now, he's got this tool that he can't use anymore. The

only thing he could possibly do is go through Congress.

So, you know, how do you see this playing out politically for him with the Supreme Court says, the way he went about it was illegal. You've got to go

about it a different way.

COLLINSON: Yes. So, when he raised the tariff on everyone to 15 percent of the weekend, as you mentioned, he did so under a law that allows him to do

that. But after 150 days, he needs Congress to confirm his action.

So, fast forward 150 days, we are in the middle of July. We have got a Republican Congress that's fearing big losses in the Midterm Elections in

November, a few months ahead of them, it's very unlikely that a lot of Republican lawmakers, some of whom already have voted against Trump on

tariffs, want to vote for extra tariffs, more costs on the American consumer. So, you can see how this is going to be difficult.

There are other authorities that Trump could use, notably a 1930s law that was used to raise tariffs and was seen as worsening the Great Depression.

Is that really what Republicans want their president doing weeks before a Midterm Election because of those associations? It's very unclear. So, the

path forward for Trump is difficult. He can use other laws to impose tariffs, but the political costs will escalate the closer we get to the

election.

GIOKOS: Yes. Yes. Absolutely. OK, and meanwhile, I want to talk about another piece of controversy in the Trump administration. The FBI Director

Kash Patel is getting heat because of this video of him celebrating with U.S. hockey's win with the team in Milan. Take a look at this.

So, Stephen, tell me why this was such an issue.

COLLINSON: Well, Kash Patel is a deeply controversial figure inside the bureau and out. He's already faced accusations of using government jets to

go on private trips. The FBI says he did have official meetings here, but is a huge hockey fan.

[10:55:03]

So, it doesn't take much speculation to suggest that he clearly timed his official travel for this.

Generally, I think the President doesn't necessarily like those optics, but Kash Patel is the president's man inside the FBI, even though that sort of

behavior isn't the sort of strait-laced conduct you would expect historically of a G-man, an FBI agent.

So, politically, I think, he is safe at this moment, even though his conduct will create, I think, real waves inside the FBI, from career FBI

agents, because the president wants to associate himself with that great victory of the U.S. hockey team yesterday at the Olympics.

If you read the president's Truth Social posts, you might even think he was on the ice himself, because he was almost proclaiming the victory as a

victory for Trumpism.

GIOKOS: Yes.

COLLINSON: So, on this occasion, although it's controversial, I think that Kash Patel is on -- put it this way, he is not on thin ice with the

president on this one.

GIOKOS: Yes. OK. Well, Stephen Collinson, good to have you with us. Thank you so much.

So, tonight's "PARTING SHOTS", more than 100,000 plastic lids turn into the Salvadorian Mona Lisa. Building 88 in San Salvador is now home to the

world's tallest recycled bottle cap mural. Over 30 meters high, Venezuelan artist Oscar Olivares used recycled plastic bottles to cap -- to create his

own interpretation of Leonardo da Vinci's classic. Isn't it absolutely stunning.

All right. That's it for CONNECT THE WORLD. Stay with CNN, and "ONE WORLD" is up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END