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Early Start with Rahel Solomon

Marco Rubio Meeting With Hungarian PM Orban Today; Arizona Lawmaker Blasts Nancy Guthrie Podcasters "Go Home"; Six Gold Medals Will Be Decided On Day Ten Of Winter Games. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired February 16, 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]

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The fact that in just a few weeks' time Hungary will go to the polls in an election that is likely to be the toughest that Viktor Orban has faced so far as he takes on Peter Magyar. He has the best chances of defeating Orban than we've seen in any recent elections in Hungary. And that is the important context, of course, of the visit of the American Secretary of State.

And it comes, of course, Rahel, hot off the heels of what he had to deliver as his speech in Munich. Remember that this was the stunned audience of last year as they listened to JD Vance announce a rupture, really, with what had gone before. There was a lot of attention on what Marco Rubio was going to say. And whilst a lot of it was more sugarcoated than what the vice president delivered a year ago it was definitely very much the same message.

Europe is facing civilizational decline, and it is by following the example of the MAGA administration that Europe can fix that, Rahel.

RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN ANCHOR: OK. So same message, different messengers, and perhaps different takes.

Melissa Bell, thank you. We'll continue to keep an eye on that podium and again bring that to you at home once we see the two men. Melissa, thank you.

The U.S. military intercepts another oil tanker in the Indian Ocean as the Trump administration seeks to take control of Venezuela's oil. We'll have the details after this break.

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[05:35:47]

SOLOMON: Welcome back to EARLY START. This is your business breakout. Let's check some of today's business headlines.

Some potentially good news for U.S. consumers. Chinese cars could soon be at a dealership near you. After years of high tariffs keeping Chinese automakers out of the U.S. market experts say that they're likely to start building their own factories in the states and that could mean Chinese-branded cars hitting showrooms within five to 10 years. From U.S. car buyers' standpoint more competition could lead to lower prices.

Uber is planning to expand its food delivery business, Uber Eats across Europe. Those plans involve entering seven new European markets this year, including Austria, Denmark, and Greece. Uber expects to move to generate an additional $1 billion in gross bookings over the next three years.

And a beauty brand attempt to target younger shoppers is seeing success. E.L.F. Beauty has report 28 consecutive quarters of sale growth. The company has been trying to win over Gen Z consumers with low price points for high-quality items. Popular marketing campaigns and TikTok viral dupes of expensive products. It even spent a billion dollars to acquire Rhode, a makeup and skincare brand founded by Hailey Bieber.

The U.S. military says that it has apprehended another oil tanker linked to Venezuela in the Indian Ocean. The Pentagon says that the ship was trying to defy President Trump's quarantine on Venezuelan oil being brought out of the country. The seizure comes days after President Trump praised Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez, saying that their relationship is now at a 10.

CNN's Stefano Pozzebon has more on the increasingly cordial ties between the two countries.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR (voiceover): The (INAUDIBLE), the pressure, the daring night raid -- it all led to this. The United States is getting what it wants from Venezuela, but it wants more of it, and this visit by Energy Secretary Chris Wright is conveying that message.

POZZEBON: Now all of the oil that is stored in this massive tanker already goes directly to the United States. It goes to Houston. But that is just a tiny fraction of what this country could produce.

POZZEBON (voiceover): Wright and acting President Delcy Rodriguez touring this facility. A partnership between U.S. major Chevron and Venezuela's PDVSA. It pumps out 40,000 barrels a day and it could produce 7 1/2 times more. But obstacles remain.

CHRIS WRIGHT, U.S. ENERGY SECRETARY: Oh, it's just to get the political and economic arrangements as smooth as possible between our countries.

POZZEBON (voiceover): The arrangements the U.S. wants don't seem to align with those of student protesters in Caracas. Oil is secondary here. They want the Trump administration to finish what it started and to see hundreds of political prisoners being released.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They can't release one, two, three. They must all be freed immediately. POZZEBON (voiceover): Six weeks since the U.S. forces stormed Caracas

capturing and taking President Nicolas Maduro things have changed in Venezuela. Relations with the U.S. are on the mend and the new hydrocarbon law was passed to attract investment. Prices are dropping and the country's national assembly is discussing an amnesty bill for political prisoners.

In Miraflores, where Maduro used to live, another sign of change. The stars and stripes now hoisted on the doorstep.

WRIGHT: We want to set the Venezuelan people and the economy free.

POZZEBON (voiceover): But as times goes by many wonder if the U.S. is actually interested in change or just wanted a more cooperative leader in Caracas.

Stefano Pozzebon, CNN, Caracas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOLOMON: Still ahead for us, true crime enthusiasts are descending on Arizona as the search for Nancy Guthrie continues. We'll tell you why some officials wish they would leave.

And day 10 of the 2026 Winter Games is underway. After the break we'll take you live to Milan for the highlights.

[05:40:00]

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

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is meeting with Hungary's far- right Prime Minister Viktor Orban today. This follows a visit to Slovakia and a speech at the Munich Security Conference in Germany. Rubio said that the U.S. and Europe belong together in his Munich address.

White House border czar Tom Homan is pushing back against the demands that Democrats are making before they'll vote to reopen the Department of Homeland Security. On Sunday, Homan said that claims of racial profiling by immigration agents were "just not occurring." He also defended agents wearing face coverings to conceal their identities.

[05:45:10]

It's now been more than two weeks since 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie was reported missing, but her family says they are still holding onto hope. Her daughter, "TODAY" show host Savannah Guthrie, appeared to address her mother's alleged abductor directly on Sunday. In her latest social media post she said, "It's never too late to do the right thing."

And the high-profile case has drawn a lot of true crime livestreamers and podcasters to Arizona and not everyone thinks that they're helping the search.

State lawmaker Alma Hernandez took to social media to accuse them of undermining the investigation saying in part, "I am so sick watching the reporting grifting, insane speculation, lies, and BS by random wannabe journalists and YouTubers who have now caused more harm than good to this entire situation and put this serious case in jeopardy. Please GO HOME. Let law enforcement do their jobs."

Hernandez was born and raised in Tucson and says that so many unfiltered and unchecked voices could be harming the investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALMA HERNANDEZ, (D) ARIZONA STATE HOUSE: Everyone in our communities and everyone in Arizona really wants to make sure that Nancy comes home to her family both safe and unharmed. However, at the end of the day what we're seeing in our community and our city right now is just not normal, right? We have individuals who are calling themselves journalists who are YouTubers and quite frankly just really random individuals who are out there with their cameras and livestreaming.

But I think at the end of the day what we need to be talking about is the fact that these individuals are actually, like I said, causing more harm than good. I have -- you know, just on social media these last few weeks we've seen rumors start that post -- individuals posting videos and pictures of people that have nothing to do at all with anything in this case. And they're trying to point at -- you know, they're trying to find anything at this point to stay relevant and get the clicks on social media, and it's extremely frustrating.

And, you know, I felt like I needed to call it out because every single day when I log onto social media -- and I live here in Tucson -- every day I log into social media it's a random, you know, "reporter" if you want to call it that who is saying, you know, oh, I'm following FBI. I'm on the mission to go and find these individuals that they're serving a warrant on. And I just think that's extremely inappropriate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: In other news this morning it is day 10 of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics and six gold medals are up for grabs.

Here's where the medal count stands. Norway remains on top overall extending its lead in the second week of competition. Host nation Italy now has 22 total medals, officially its best Winter Olympics performance ever.

And today, Team USA returns to the ice for the women's hockey semifinals and pairs figure skating will crown its champions. It's going to be a big day for elimination rounds as athletes gear up for their final week of competition.

Let's get to Milan and CNN's Amanda Davies. So Amanda, take us through the highlights and some of what's happening. Good morning. AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORT: Good morning. Yeah, we're very much into that realm of needing the multiscreens as a proper Winter Olympic week with so much going on.

Last night though a very late, very heavy-hitting night at the hockey ring. The U.S. fans and the team didn't mind though. The U.S. men's captain Auston Matthews describing it as a great team performance as they qualified for the quarterfinals unbeaten. Another big win, this time 5-1 over Germany. So they're into the last eight with three wins in three and up against Sweden or Latvia on Wednesday as they look to continue their quest for a first Olympic gold since 1980.

In terms of the women though, that's the focus today. They're at the semifinal stage of the hockey competition. The U.S. being dubbed the best American women's hockey team ever.

And next up they're up against Sweden. It's a rematch of their meeting at the same stage in Sochi in 2014. I remember being at that one. Now, the U.S. won 6-1 then enroute to the silver medal but hopes much higher this time around of them getting their hands on the gold that they last won in PyeongChang in 2018.

Up in the mountains yesterday we saw another gold for Italy's comeback sensation Federica Brignone, this time in the giant slalom as the host, as you mentioned, reached that record tally for Winter Olympic medals. Already, 22 in all so far ahead of the 20 they got in Lillehammer in 1994. But hopes of more still to come.

There was though that disappointment for Mikaela Shiffrin in that race. She finished 11th. But a very classy reflection on her day in the mountains. She talked about it as the greatest showing of giant slalom skiing in a really, really long time on the biggest stage. It didn't go to plan for her.

[05:50:10]

Also, not gone to plan this morning for Brazil's history-making gold medalist Lucas Pinheiro Braathen. He was back in action in the slalom looking to add to that historic gold from the giant slalom from Saturday, but he crashed out. We're just waiting for the second run to get underway.

Coming up this evening though one of the biggest names at the Games, Eillen Gu looking to defend her free ski big air title having criticized the scheduling from the International Ski and Snowboard Federation for not making allowances so she can compete today but also have the training sessions for her final event, which is the halfpipe. She's the only female freeskier doing all three of the disciplines.

SOLOMON: And a lot of people will be watching that one.

Amanda Davies in Milan for us. Amanda, thank you.

All right. Tyler Reddick is the latest champion of the Daytona 500. Reddick won the race in a Toyota owned by Michael Jordan. The race came down to the wire with Reddick securing a victory at the last moment after Chase Elliott crashed.

Michael Jordan met Reddick in the victory lane with a hug and joined him to lift up the Daytona 500 trophy. The former NBA superstar said that it felt like he won another championship.

And the Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards has led his USA star squad to victory in the NBA's All-Star Tournament. LeBron James connected on this three-pointer in his 20-second All-Star appearance, but his USA stripes team fell to Edwards and youthful USA Stars 47-21 in the championship game. Edwards was named the MVP and said he likes the new three-team round-robin tournament.

And still ahead for us more couples are tying the knot in China. Just ahead, how the country is encouraging new marriages and the reason behind it.

We'll be right back.

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[05:56:30]

SOLOMON: Let's take a live look now at Budapest, Hungary where U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as we see here speaking, is meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. We'll continue to watch these pictures and bring you any relevant news and details as they become available to us.

But in other news this morning move over, Scully and Mulder. It looks like former U.S. President Barack Obama is a believer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIAN TYLER COHEN, YOUTUBER: Are aliens real?

BARACK OBAMA, (D) FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Uh, they're real but I haven't seen them and they're not being kept in, what is it?

COHEN: Area 51?

OBAMA: Area 51.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: As you just heard, Obama said that he thought aliens were real during an interview with podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen. His comment sparked a frenzy of speculation online.

He then posted on social media clarifying his comments. The 44th president saying that he believes that the odds are good that aliens are real, but chances are low that they would visit Earth. He added, "I saw no evidence during my presidency that extraterrestrials have made contact with us. Really!"

Scenes like this are playing out across China head of the start of Lunar New Year on Tuesday. China estimates that a record 9.5 billion trips will be made across the country over a 40-day period. That is up six percent from last year.

And it's not just there because Asian communities around the world will be welcoming in 2026 as the Year of the Horse, part of the 12- year cycle represented by animals. So anyone born on or after February 17 of this year would fall under that sign, as would those in 1990, 2002, and 2014. People born under this sign are said to be self- confident and animated. Also, active, energetic, and elegant, as well as independent, gentle, and hardworking.

Some famous horses include Nelson Mandela, Paul McCartney, and Jackie Chan.

And China saw an increase in new marriages last year after introducing incentives to encourage couples to wed. It's all part of Beijing's plan to reverse its declining birth rate a decade after the government ended its one-child policy.

CNN's Simone McCarthy explains the reasons behind the uptick.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SIMONE MCCARTHY, CNN SENIOR CHINA REPORTER: China change done rule and saw a major rise in marriages last year. Today is Valentine's Day and marriage registries across the country, including the one behind me here in Beijing, have seen a lot of bookings. China's government is pushing hard to encourage more young people to get married as Beijing tries to reverse a declining birth rate that could hurt its economy.

Last year Chinese officials made a major change. For the first time people can get married anywhere in the country. That means couples living in major cities don't have to return to their hometowns and can even choose any destination for their marriage.

MR. ZHANG AND MS. MA, NEWLY MARRIED COUPLE (through translator): We are working in Beijing. It's really convenient. We don't have to go back to our hometown. Right here, where we work, we are able to complete all the procedures.

MCCARTHY: And there are signs that's paying off. China, last year, recorded 6.76 million marriages. That's 650,000 more than the previous year when marriages hit a record low.

Now, marriages have generally declined over the past decade, and the 2025 numbers are still less than just a couple of years ago. Young people typically say that economic strain as well as wanting to focus on their career and independence are reasons to delay or avoid getting married altogether.

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MR. WU AND MS. JIANG, NEWLY MARRIED COUPLE (through translator): A lot of stress because of things like work and family. But getting married -- that's something two people, if they're meant to be or like each other, they'll surely get married. MCCARTHY: Chinese officials are trying other perks like extended

marriage leave while also cracking down on online comments deemed to be critical of marriage and childbirth. The government still needs to find out whether the latest uptick is a lasting trend and most critically whether more marriages will bring more babies.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOLOMON: That'll do it for us. I'm Rahel Solomon in New York. "CNN THIS MORNING" starts right now.