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Early Start with Rahel Solomon

Ukrainian Skeleton Slider Disqualified From Olympics; U.S. Added 130,000 Jobs In January, Unemployment Down To 4.3 Percent; Sources: Plans To Use Anti-Drone Laser Prompted El Paso Airport Closure. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired February 12, 2026 - 05:30   ET

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

[05:30:00]

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORT: But the International Olympic Committee, the IOC, says that the images of the killed athletes violates what is article 50 of the Olympic charter which prevents any images or symbols of discrimination or propaganda or religious allegiance within the Olympic realm.

There has been a lot of discussion over the last couple of days. We understand that the IOC president Kirsty Coventry went up to Cortina this morning for an early meeting and spent about 15 minutes talking to Vladyslav. We understand that both sides were very emotional about it. That Kirsty Coventry, a former athlete herself from Zimbabwe, understood the sentiment and the drive behind the message, but the feeling from the International Olympic Committee is that they have these rules in place and they are not able to divert from them.

So the message -- the statement that's come out from IOC in part said, "The IOC was very keen for Mr. Heraskevych to compete. The essence of this case is not about the message; it is about where he wanted to express it. Mr. Heraskevych was able to display his helmet in all training runs. The IOC also offered him the option of displaying it immediately after the competition when going through the mixed zone."

Now I spoke to him just a couple of days ago. One of the concessions the IOC had suggested was that he perhaps wear a black arm band whilst competing. His answer was "There is not enough black arm bands for all athletes killed in the war in Ukraine." There are now over 650 athletes whose lives have been lost over the last four years.

It's a -- it's -- it's a real story that has captured the attention here on all sides. There's a whole lot of debate about which way the IOC should have gone with this. But what we do know is that Vladyslav is looking to appeal the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN ANCHOR: Yeah, his message certainly being heard now.

Amanda Davies in Milan. Amanda, thank you.

Coming up next for us the new -- the next -- the new U.S. jobs reports showing unexpected growth. We'll tell you which sectors were hiring when we come back.

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[05:36:50]

SOLOMON: Welcome back to EARLY START. The time now is 5:36, and this is your business breakout.

Let's start with where U.S. futures stand ahead of the opening bell on Wall Street and at this point futures look set for a positive open. A few things perhaps on the positive side for investors. We had that job growth number yesterday. We have weekly jobless claims later today, so we'll see how that factors in. And then tomorrow we'll get the Consumer Price Index report.

All right, let's take a look at some of the other business headlines this morning.

Bad Bunny may have scored the biggest win at the Super Bowl with his halftime show because Nielsen ratings show that more than 128 million people across the U.S. tuned in to watch Bad Bunny. Now the game itself drew about 125 million viewers making it the most watched program in NBC's 100-year history.

Kraft Heinz is calling off its plans to break up the company. Sales have slumped since the maker of Kraft Mac & Cheese and Heinz Ketchup announced a split last year. The company plans to invest $600 million in marketing, sales, and research and development to improve business.

And China may be changing the way it approaches the race for dominance in artificial intelligence. Analysts say that Chinese companies have limited access to capital and advanced chips, so they are more likely to make their AI models open source, allowing outside users to contribute to their development. AI applications based on these models are being rolled out in industries from e-commerce to robotics.

OK, let's talk about the big story this week. A surprising upturn for the U.S. job market, at least in the business world. New federal data shows that the economy added an estimated 130,000 jobs last month -- that was a surprise -- and the unemployment rate ticked down a tenth of a percentage point to 4.3 percent. January marking the strongest month of job creation since December 2024. Health care and social assistance sectors really drove the largest share though of last month's employment gains.

Joining us now to talk more about what all of this means is Heather Long. She is the chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union. Heather, a pleasure to have you this morning.

So we've had a day now to digest this information. In a word how would you describe this report?

HEATHER LONG, CHIEF ECONOMIST, NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION: It was great. A-plus if you are giving grades out, I think, for this.

You know, you mentioned a couple of the really highlights there. Way more jobs than expected. You mentioned that most of them were driven by health care and social assistance, but it was encouraging to see construction jobs pick up, professional white collar jobs pick up, even temporary service jobs -- temporary hires, which tends to be a bellwether -- a leading indicator.

Some other standout numbers, the unemployment rate 4.3 percent. And then wage growth was really strong. Usually in a situation where the labor market is deteriorating companies don't have to compete for that talent and they aren't paying out. But we still see really strong 3.7 percent wage growth well above inflation right now.

So all in all a great report.

SOLOMON: Yeah. I mean, that's always good to hear. You always want to see job creation. Although one report a pattern doesn't make. So if someone sort of gets you at a cocktail party Heather, and they say, you know, what does this mean for the future of the job market -- what does that mean sort of down the road -- what would you say?

[05:40:08]

LONG: Yeah, that's the big question on everybody's mind. I would say it like this. The job market appears to be stabilizing. That was Fed Chair Powell's big word to describe the job market recently, and it looks like he's right.

Stabilizing does not mean full recovery, but it is the first step. In any medical procedure you've got to stabilize the patient and then they recover. And so I think that's what we're seeing in the labor market.

We also got data showing 2025 was a hiring recession. Only 181,000 jobs added in 2025 in the United States. That's nothing. The worse job growth outside of a recession. (Audio gap)

And so people are wanting a pickup. They want that recovery. And the hope is, and I do believe that things will pick up later in the year if -- when we can get past some of this uncertainty, but it's a long road to recovery.

SOLOMON: Yeah. And it's hard to have a conversation these days, Heather, about the job market without also thinking about the impact of AI. I know this is something that you've talked about a lot in some of your recent stories and just some of your recent writing.

Talk to me about what you're seeing in terms of the impact of artificial intelligence on job creation.

LONG: Yeah. The key thing right now to understand is AI is not replacing many jobs. AI can't fully do many jobs yet.

But AI investment is replacing jobs. And what I mean by that is companies only have so much money to spend every year and if you're the CEO and the top executives, right now they are putting almost all their money into investing in technology and into AI. And so there simply are not a lot of dollars left for -- SOLOMON: Um-hum.

LONG: -- to go to workers and to expand headcount. So that's what you're seeing right now and that'll be a big theme for 2026.

SOLOMON: And then Heather, just lastly, I mean, how much -- as we said, the bulk -- I want to say 95 percent of the job creation in the month of January came from those two sectors. It came from health care, and it came from social assistance.

How much does that perhaps mask what else is happening in the labor market? And the reason why I ask is because one thing I'm often asked as a business correspondent is where are these numbers coming from? That -- what you're -- what you're reporting on doesn't reflect my reality. So how does that perhaps mask what we're seeing more broadly in the labor market?

LONG: Well, this is why people still want to see recovery, and we've got that long road to recovery. But you still see -- you saw a little bit of hiring in manufacturing, which was a nice surprise, but it's still barely any jobs in manufacturing. Very much still blue collar jobs need to come back this year.

And, you know, the same thing in a lot of white collar industries. It was interesting to see a decline in jobs in finance, for example. You know, that's an area that's deregulating and should be expanding headcount. And so that's where you still see that frustration on the ground.

The hiring rate in the United States overall is still one of the lowest levels that we've seen in the last 15 years. So it's going to take time for companies to feel confident in the economy this year and to actually start growing that headcount.

SOLOMON: Um-hum.

Heather Long, great to have you this morning -- of Navy Federal Credit Union. She's the chief economist. Thank you, Heather.

LONG: Thanks a lot.

SOLOMON: Yeah.

All right, the head of Instagram says that he does not think users can be addicted to the popular social media app, but Adam Mosseri testified Wednesday that problematic use is possible and compared it to watching too much TV. He's the first executive to testify in a landmark social media trial that's underway in Los Angeles. The lawsuit alleges that YouTube and Instagram intentionally developed addictive features to hook young users at the expense of their own well-being.

The case could serve as a test of whether social media giants can be held responsible for claims that they've harmed users' mental health.

TMZ says that it received a new note demanding Bitcoin for information in the Nancy Guthrie case. Still ahead why one CNN analyst says it feels like a scam.

We'll be right back.

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[05:48:20]

SOLOMON: Welcome back. I'm Rahel Solomon. And here are some of the stories we are watching for you today.

Canada is mourning the eight lives lost in a mass shooting. Six people, mostly children, were killed Tuesday at the Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia. The suspect has been identified as 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar who had dropped out of that school four years ago. The suspect's mother and stepbrother were found dead at the family home.

Polls closed just minutes ago in Bangladesh after what is expected to be the first fair election since a Gen Z rebellion toppled the prior autocratic regime. But many voters are unhappy with the frontrunners. One party leader belongs to a political dynasty that has long dominated Bangladeshi politics; the other is an Islamist whose party has no women candidates.

Investigators are searching through rough terrain looking for any clues in the apparent abduction of Nancy Guthrie. A New York Post reporter tells CNN that a black glove was found about a mile and a half away from Guthrie's Tucson area home on Wednesday. It is unclear if authorities believe it is the same glove worn by the person seen in her doorbell camera video.

And TMZ says that it received what it called a bizarre letter connected to the Guthrie disappearance. It came via email from someone claiming to know who her kidnapper is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARVEY LEVIN, FOUNDER, TMZ: The letter essentially says I've tried to get in touch with Savannah's brother and sister to no avail. And they sent it to us then and they said if they want to get the name of the individual who is involved in this kidnapping send the bitcoin -- send -- give us a bitcoin through this address. And they say, "Time is more than relevant." That's the way it ends -- "Time is more than relevant."

[05:50:10]

We have sent this one to the FBI and to the sheriff's department, and that's all we have heard.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: CNN chief law enforcement and intelligence analyst John Miller weighed in on this Bitcoin request.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: That's not the way the game goes, which is you pay me and I'll tell you the information. It's you give me the information and then we'll decide whether to pay you.

If this is anybody who actually knows anything they're going to have to come forward with more vetting, which is how do I know, what's my access, and how can I prove I know whether this right. Otherwise it just feels like a scam.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: Flights are returning to normal at El Paso airport in Texas after a surprise shutdown that lasted several hours. CNN aviation correspondent Pete Muntean explains what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: We now know why the Federal Aviation Administration shut down the airspace over El Paso, Texas. Multiple sources are now telling CNN the Pentagon planned to use what's called a "high-energy counter-drone laser" without coordinating with the Federal Aviation Administration on risks to civilian flights.

So the FAA stepped in imposing a 10-mile restriction around El Paso International Airport initially set for 10 days. That order grounded every aircraft, airlines, private planes, medical flights, even law enforcement. But the shutdown lasted only about eight hours before the FAA lifted it.

These new details though really undercut a White House claim that a Mexican cartel drone crossing the border triggered the closure.

El Paso International Airport handles about 100 flights a day and sits right next to Fort Bliss and Biggs Army Airfield.

Sources say FAA and Pentagon officials were already scheduled to meet February 20 to review the safety impacts of the laser system, but the military wanted to move sooner. Why the Defense Department moved ahead without coordination remains unclear.

Pete Muntean, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS WRIGHT, U.S. ENERGY SECRETARY: (Speaking foreign language).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: It's an image not seen in Venezuela in a long time. A high- level U.S. official visiting the country and praising both nations. Energy Secretary Chris Wright becoming the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Venezuela in almost 30 years. He said that major changes are coming to the country after meeting

with acting President Delcy Rodriguez on Wednesday. The U.S. does not formally recognize her government after capturing former leader Nicolas Maduro, but Wright still held talks on oil and natural resources and improving the power grid. Meanwhile, Rodriguez declined to say if new elections will be held soon.

The U.S. House has dealt a blow to President Trump by blocking his tariffs on Canada for now. Six Republican lawmakers broke ranks to vote with Democrats and that is not going over well with the president. He warned on Truth Social "Any Republican in the House or Senate that votes against tariffs will seriously suffer the consequences come election time, and that includes primaries."

Keep in mind though even if the Senate agrees to the same House measure to block the tariffs, President Trump still has the power to veto it. The House did not secure enough votes to override a likely veto.

Well, still to come for us, the Lunar New Year is almost here. We'll show you how people are getting ready to welcome the Year of the Horse after the break.

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[05:57:45]

SOLOMON: Welcome back.

Actors Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively will likely go to trial in May to settle their legal battle. Baldoni's attorney says that no deal was reached after the two sides met for their court-ordered settlement conference in New York. Lively is suing her "It Ends With Us" co-star and director for sexual harassment. She alleges that Baldoni coordinated a plan to destroy her reputation during the film's production. Baldoni denies those claims.

The iconic doll company American Girl celebrating its 40th anniversary with its first-ever novel for adults called "Samantha: The Next Chapter." It focuses on beloved American Girl doll Samantha Parkington, now all grown up living in New York City. American Girl released original children's books based on the lives of Samantha and the other dolls who were first introduced in 1986. This new historical fiction written by author Fiona Davis is set to be released in October.

A group of Buddhist monks will end their 2,300-mile Walk for Peace hours from now in Maryland. They arrived in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday and walked from Capitol Hill to the Lincoln Memorial, capping off their self-described spiritual journey. The group left Fort Worth, Texas in October. They braved brutal winter storms, icy roads, and at times, walked barefoot to spread a message of compassion and loving kindness.

And the start of the Lunar New Year is less than a week away and for those celebrating the holiday they are deep in preparations for customs and traditions, hoping to bring good fortune in the coming years.

CNN's Will Ripley tells us about one of the most popular gifts to give during the season, the red envelope.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The Lunar Year is almost here, and people are lining up at banks like this here in Taiwan to get crisp, new bills in red envelopes. Red symbolizes luck, protection, and new beginnings. And the cash inside is meant to pass good fortune from the giver to the receiver, especially from elders to kids or bosses to employees. And here in Taiwan, like much of East Asia, brand new money is seen as a fresh start -- clean and lucky. Old crumpled bills like this, bad vibes and bad luck.

People line up even longer to get these rare 202,000 new Taiwan dollar bills. They can put all five colors of Taiwanese currency in red packets for extra good luck.

[06:00:00]

Here in Taiwan people favor even lucky sounding red envelope amounts like 600, 800, or 1,600 for smoothness and prosperity while avoiding any amount with the number four because it sounds like the Mandarin Chinese word for death.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOLOMON: Will Ripley, thank you.

And thank you for joining us here on EARLY START. I'm Rahel Solomon in New York. "CNN THIS MORNING" starts right now.