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Isa Soares Tonight
Iran's Internet Blackout Enters Its Second Week After Widespread Anti-Regime Protests; Venezuela's Opposition Leader Maria Corina Machado Vows To Lead Her Country When The Time Is Right; Tensions Remain High In Minneapolis After Another Night Of Protests; Trump: No Reason To Invoke Insurrection Act Right Now; Ukrainian Delegation Heads To Miami, Florida For Security Talks; Ugandan Candidate Bobi Wine Forcibly Removed From Home; John Studzinski Discusses His Book A Talent For Giving. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired January 16, 2026 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
ISA SOARES, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, Iran's internet blackout enters its
second week after widespread anti-regime protests. We'll have the latest on the ground. Then Venezuela's opposition leader Maria Corina Machado vows to
lead her country when the time is right.
And says she's confident of an orderly transition of power. And then later, tensions remain high in Minneapolis after another night of protests. U.S.
President Trump says he may be forced to act if the unrest continues. We'll have that and much more ahead this hour.
We do begin this hour in Iran, where an internet and communications blackout is now in its eighth day. And information coming out of the
country is scant following weeks of brutal violence against anti-regime protesters. Iranian authorities say 3,000 people have been arrested for
taking part in the demonstrations.
A U.S.-based human rights group estimates that number to be far higher, closer to 20,000, including more than 150 children with more than 2,400
others killed. The exiled son of Iran's last Shah is in Washington, you're seeing him there. And earlier, he said he is confident the regime will
fall.
Reza Pahlavi also laid out his plan for transition. It's being seen by many as an appeal to one man, U.S. President Donald Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REZA PAHLAVI, SON OF FORMER SHAH OF IRAN: There are moments in history where the moral imperative for action is so strong that the weight of
inaction becomes unbearable. This is one of those moments. The people of Iran have risen to reclaim their country. History will honor those who
stand with them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, earlier this week, Trump promised Iranian protesters that U.S. help was on the way if you remember, without further explanation. And
earlier, he told reporters that was his own choice not to take military action against Iran. Let's play it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Nobody convinced me. I convinced myself. You had yesterday scheduled over 800 hangings. They
didn't hang anyone. They canceled the hangings. That had a big impact.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, Iran says they were not planning any executions this week. The President has repeatedly said that he's keeping military options on the
table. And sources tell CNN, the U.S. carrier strike group is heading to the region and is due to arrive next week.
Let's get more on all these strands. Nada Bashir is here with me in the studio, and Kevin Liptak, as you can see there is at the White House.
Kevin, let me go to you first. Let me start with Pahlavi, Reza Pahlavi, because we heard a very clear message from him. I will return to Iran.
We also heard him repeatedly kind of asserting himself as the main opposition figure. Does the U.S. government see him in the same light?
Because I'm just -- I remember what I heard from President Trump three days ago. I think it was in an interview with "Reuters" where he said, you know,
Pahlavi is very nice, but basically it questions his ability to lead.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, they don't seem particularly convinced at this point that this is the man for the job
essentially, that this is the person that the protesters in Iran are going to back if the regime were to fall.
Now, the President seems like he's aware of him, which I guess is a good first step. We do understand that Pahlavi has met with administration
officials, including Steve Witkoff, the President's, you know, kind of Swiss army knife foreign envoy.
But at this point, you know, when you talk to administration officials, they aren't entirely sure whether hearing his name being chanted on the
ground in Iran is necessarily a sign that the protesters want him back in power, or whether this is just a name that they have as an alternative to
the Ayatollahs.
They don't necessarily know if there's sort of a groundswell of support there. And I think for Trump, the ultimate objective here is to not allow
Iran to destabilize. You know, he has not said explicitly that he wants the regime to fall. There is, I think, a concern that any step could
potentially lead to the government there collapsing into a country of 90 million people suddenly being thrown into chaos.
[14:05:00]
And it's something that they very explicitly don't want to see. And they're not sure that Pahlavi is the person to come in and through to -- you know,
sort of ensure that, that doesn't happen. In a lot of ways, there are some parallels here to what's happening in Venezuela.
SOARES: Yes --
LIPTAK: Sure, President Trump sees Maria Corina Machado as the democratic leader of that country, as the leader of the opposition. But they're not
necessarily convinced that she can come in and replace the Maduro regime. And that's why they've thrown their backing behind Delcy Rodriguez.
I think there are a lot of similarities --
SOARES: Yes --
LIPTAK: To what's happening here. And so, even though Pahlavi is saying all of these things, certainly meant to appeal to Trump, I don't think he's
necessarily convinced him that he is the person to come in and take --
SOARES: Yes --
LIPTAK: Over.
SOARES: Stay with us, Kevin. Let me go to Nada. One of the differences between Maria Corina Machado and Reza Pahlavi is that Maria Corina Machado
has lived all her life in Venezuela, right? She's been hiding for so long, and the people voted for her just recently with 70 percent of the vote.
Pahlavi hasn't been in the country since he was 17 years of age. I mean, that's 40 years -- 48 years ago. Do we have a sense of how much support he
has inside the country? How real his influence is?
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, looking at these protests that have been taking place, we have heard the chants calling for the return of
Pahlavi. We have heard some supporters within the country, but it's very difficult to get a gauge on actually how much support he has within Iran.
There certainly is a growing sense that he has support within the Iranian Diaspora outside of Iran. We've seen the flag -- or the former flag of Iran
being carried in many of these rallies being held in support of these protestors outside of Iran. But again, this is a very split community.
There are some who look back to the days of the Shah as being the sort of glory days.
SOARES: Golden years.
BASHIR: The golden years --
SOARES: Yes --
BASHIR: Exactly. There are others who would argue that toppling this regime, the Islamic regime of Iran, just to return to a former regime, is
not the answer.
SOARES: Is he a unifying force, though, even though he might not be the one? Is -- I think that's a crux, right? Can he unify?
BASHIR: It's really hard to give an answer to that --
SOARES: Yes --
BASHIR: Because there are some Iranians here in the U.K., for example, who will tell you that when they speak to their loved ones back at home, yes,
he is the unifying figure. He is the only opposition --
SOARES: Yes --
BASHIR: Figure that people can actually rally behind, and he is a known figure. However, there are others who will tell you that no, they do not
want to see Iran --
SOARES: Yes --
BASHIR: Go back to that monarchic rule. They do not want to see Reza Pahlavi leading that opposition, given the fact, as you mentioned, that he
has not spent the majority of his life in Iran, many have thrown out that argument. You know, you aren't in Iran, so why should you lead the people
in this revolution?
But again, without a clear opposition figure, it's hard to see how Iran, the Iranian protest movement, will be able to galvanize a sort of --
SOARES: Yes --
BASHIR: Opposition movement outside of that.
SOARES: I've just realized I've been saying his name wrong. Pahlavi. Thank you very much. I appreciate it. Let me go -- let me go to Kevin. Kevin, we
were mentioning earlier that the U.S. carrier group, right? Is moving to the Middle East, on its way to Middle East. What more are you earning? What
is the administration saying about this?
LIPTAK: Yes, and it's actually pretty rare that a carrier group is not already in the Middle East. And remember, President Trump ordered the USS
Gerald Ford to move from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean sea during the tensions with Venezuela.
Now, it appears he's ordering a new carrier strike group to go back to the Mediterranean. They haven't said specifically which one, but the group
that's closest is the USS Abraham Lincoln, which was last in the South China Sea. It would take about a week for it to get from there to the
region.
This is a massive sort of military apparatus. In addition to the aircraft carrier itself, it comes with three destroyers that are armed with guided
missiles. There are about 90 aircraft on board, including F-18s and F-35s. And so, it's all sort of building up the military muscle in the region as
the President continues to deliberate.
You know, the absence of a carrier group around Iran or in the Middle East had always been kind of an obstacle over the last week or so, as you talked
to officials, as they were debating what they were going to do here. Yes, they had the ability to fire missiles into Iran without that sort of
artillery in place.
But this certainly would help them in sort of ease the process if that's the route that the President ultimately decides to go. But at this point,
you know, as of this hour, that's not something that the President has decided to do. He was pretty bullish on the south lawn earlier today,
saying that he had convinced himself that these --
SOARES: Yes --
LIPTAK: Strikes weren't necessary because Iran had called off those executions.
SOARES: And on that point, on the bullish side, something else struck me. He was -- he almost sounded like he was thanking Iran for not executing
people. And he said he respects Iran. I mean, how unusual is it to hear this sort of language?
LIPTAK: I mean, from President Trump, when he's talking about these authoritarian regimes, it always is somewhat jarring to hear him offer a
conciliatory viewpoint. We've seen him do it with Russia.
[14:10:00]
We see it in a way doing it with Iran, essentially taking their word for it that these executions are off, and that the crackdown on protesters is over
with. You know, bottom line, many protesters have been killed. You know, the President isn't disputing that at all.
And remember, his red line had been that he would go in to help these protesters if the crackdown turned deadly, which it did. And so, hearing
the President offer a more conciliatory view towards the regime, I think is striking because by all accounts, they already crossed his red line.
SOARES: Yes --
LIPTAK: And I think my interpretation of it is the President needs an off- ramp here. He wasn't ready to take an action against Iran that had a very uncertain outcome and came with major risks for American personnel in the
region. So, I think that's what you're hearing from the President today.
SOARES: Kevin and Nada, thank you very much to you both. Well, the Iranians are telling CNN that authorities have begun charging fees to allow families
to retrieve the bodies of their loved ones killed in the protests. It's a pain most of us can only imagine.
And a repression tactic the regime has used before. Our Paula Hancocks brings us this report and a warning, some of the images in Paula's report
are disturbing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The cry of a generation robbed of their future. Twenty three-year-old Mahan Ghadami(ph),
a barber shop owner with a passion for rap, singing the pain of no freedom.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
HANCOCKS: Activist outlet IranWire says Ghadami(ph) was killed last Friday, the day after the internet was cut and security forces launched a brutal
crackdown on anti-regime protesters. This shows just how bloody their response was. New footage sent to CNN of the inside of the Kahrizak Morgue
in Tehran.
Row upon row of body bags. Distraught relatives saying farewell to lifeless loved ones, some of those killed with clear gunshot wounds to the head. The
body of Siavash Shirzad(ph) was one of those taken to Kahrizak. According to IranWire and Hengaw; a Norway-based human rights organization.
A Kurdish father of one. His family say he was part of this protest in Tehran's Punak Square on January 8th. They had begged him not to go. Hengaw
says he was shot and killed by Iranian security forces. He would have turned 38 this past week.
So many victims were young, like 20-year-old Sayettesh Shafiei(ph) killed on January 8th according to Hengaw in IranWire. Her last post on Telegram,
"I love you all. They may cut the internet soon". So many risked their lives to fight for freedom. Thousands are believed to have been gunned down
in the street according to U.S.-based human rights activists news agency, on the order of leaders that value regime survival above all else. Paula
Hancocks, CNN, Abu Dhabi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Well, Venezuela's opposition leader warns her country faces complex, delicate as well as challenging times ahead. But she's also
sounding an optimistic note about the future one day after her meeting with President Donald Trump, Maria Corina Machado spoke to reporters in
Washington and said she's grateful to the American people and the U.S. President for their support.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARIA CORINA MACHADO, VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER: I am profoundly confident that we will have an orderly transition. This is a complex phase
we are right now. Some of the dirty work is being done by them. But then, the result of a stable transition will be a proud Venezuela who is going to
be the best ally the United States has ever had in the Americas.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, Machado brought a gift to the White House Thursday. Not any gift. Her Nobel Peace Prize, long coveted by President Trump. Machado says
gifting her Nobel was an emotional moment, and she was acting on behalf of the Venezuelan people. The Nobel committee says the award is not
transferable.
That meeting came on the same day, of course, you remember, we brought you this yesterday. Venezuela's acting President, Delcy Rodriguez assured
Venezuela's National Assembly, and met CIA Director John Ratcliffe in Caracas. Stefano Pozzebon is tracking developments for us from Bogota in
Colombia.
Stefano, let me start with what we heard from Maria Corina Machado there in Washington. I'm going to be frank. I only heard about 30 minutes or so of
what we heard from Maria Corina, but was there a sense from what you heard from her of a plan or any sort of transition timeline strategy that was
communicated to her from the United States?
[14:15:00]
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I think that the key of distinction is between timeline and strategy. We know that there is
currently no timeline for a transition in towards democracy and freedom in Venezuela. There is, however, a strategy or at least, that Maria Corina
Machado is telling us that in her private meeting with the President, with Donald Trump, they did discuss the potential strategy around it.
Which is letting them, and I'm quoting her directly, letting them do the "dirty work". So in a way, the current leadership in Venezuela that Delcy
Rodriguez, her brother, Jorge Rodriguez, the current Interior Minister, Diosdado Cabello, are the remnants of the Maduro's government.
They are the ones that have been given the task, according to Machado, of dismantling the old security apparatus and essentially cruise in Venezuela
towards the rule of law, after which, there will be an election and after which, there will be a transition towards democracy.
This is, of course, if you believe, to Maria Corina Machado, or at least, it's what she has been -- she's been communicating to her followers out of
Washington. I think that there are a few things here, Isa. Number one, the last world leader who underestimated Maria Corina Machado is now sitting in
a jail in --
SOARES: Yes --
POZZEBON: Brooklyn. So, you should never underestimate that woman, her force of will, her skills and all of that at the same time. Today, February
-- January 16th on Friday, the person who seems to be having the upper hand in her relationship with Donald Trump is Delcy Rodriguez.
She's the one that spoke with Donald Trump at length on Wednesday. Donald Trump praised that conversation. She's the one that received the CIA
Director, John Ratcliffe. I personally have been around Venezuela since 2016, I've never seen a cabinet member landing in Caracas from the U.S. to
hold talks with the President of Venezuela since at least, 2016.
She, Delcy, is the one that has promised reforms in how the hydrocarbon law, which is the law that regulates the extraction and export of oil from
Venezuela, is being handled. That, of course, was a request from the oil executives that met Donald Trump last week at the White House.
And Delcy Rodriguez is the one that is now overseeing the deportation cooperation. Today, for the first time since December 10th, a deportation
flight from Phoenix, Arizona, landed in Caracas with 231 Venezuelan migrants who have been deported back from ICE. And we know how core to the
White House --
SOARES: Yes --
POZZEBON: Message deporting migrants is. So, right now, Delcy Rodriguez seems to be having the upper hand, but never underestimate Maria Corina
Machado, or if you do, do it at your own cost. The last person --
SOARES: At your own risk, yes --
POZZEBON: Was Nicolas Maduro, we know how that ended.
SOARES: Yes, indeed. And Maria Corina Machado has been in Venezuelan politics for many years as you and I know. But let me stick with Maria
Corina Machado. Look, in Europe, many, Stefano, are pretty stunned that she presented her medal to President Trump.
How is that being received, not only in Venezuela? Give us a sense of what you're hearing from your contacts, but also across the region.
POZZEBON: Well, I think that most people across the region have the same -- the same feelings -- for example, there was a very funny caricature here in
Colombia with the President, Gustavo Petro, needing to go to the White House next month. And there is an image of Maria Corina Machado presenting
Trump with the Nobel Peace Prize and Petro mumbling between himself, saying, what am I going to give him as a present?
So, in a way, people mocking or making fun of the fact that Maria Corina Machado decided to give her Nobel Peace Prize, the highest achievement in
her political career, perhaps, or if not even in her own life so far --
SOARES: Yes --
POZZEBON: As a present to a populist president who has never made a secret of how much he coveted that prize. However, you speak with Maria Corina
Machado supporters, and especially the people close to her, they will tell you that Maria Corina Machado's will is just to get rid of Chavismo, get
rid of the current authoritarian government in Venezuela and bridge her country towards democracy.
The Nobel Peace Prize was not the arrival point, it was just a step on the road towards that ultimate goal. So --
SOARES: Yes --
POZZEBON: They will say that if she has to sacrifice her own personal honor and please the petty side of the U.S. President Donald Trump, and just play
his ego in order to gain the support --
SOARES: Yes --
POZZEBON: Of Donald Trump, who is clearly, Isa, a very involved player in this chess game that we're seeing being played in front of us between Maria
Corina and Delcy Rodriguez, well, she will have no problems in doing that.
[14:20:00]
SOARES: Yes --
POZZEBON: The goal is to get rid of the current leadership in Venezuela, and she will sacrifice everything -- she has sacrificed the relationship to
her family the last 20 years of her career --
SOARES: Yes --
POZZEBON: She's been in hiding in Venezuela for more than a year, for 14 months. She's not going to let her own personal pride and her attachment to
the Nobel Peace Prize get in the way of what she thinks is the highest --
SOARES: Yes --
POZZEBON: And ultimate goal, which is restoring democracy in the country.
SOARES: There is a big goal behind all of this. Stefano, thank you very much, and thanks for dressing up for our show. You look so dapper. Stefano
Pozzebon there live for us from Bogota.
POZZEBON: Thanks.
SOARES: Now, Donald Trump says he's considering new tariffs for countries that oppose his plan to take control of Greenland, as U.S. President
insists the Danish island is vital for U.S. national security. He's facing resistance from U.S. lawmakers, including some from his own party.
A bipartisan group visited Copenhagen today to show support for what they called trusted allies. And this comes as a number of European countries are
sending troops to Greenland for military exercises with Denmark. Although the deployments are small, it's seen as a significant show of solidarity
among NATO allies. Our Nic Robertson has more for you from the capital of Greenland, Nuuk.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (on camera): For the congressional delegation in Copenhagen, led by Senator Chris Coons,
bringing some comfort to the people here in Nuuk, talking about the shared values between the United States, Denmark and the Greenlandic people.
Shared values and sovereignty, territorial integrity, self-determination, and also talking about the need to have a conversation between the two
countries. But very clear in the context of what this delegation was saying, that there is, in a sense, a strong breakdown of trust between them
and the White House.
SEN. CHRIS COONS (D-DE): Are there real pressing threats to the security of Greenland from China and Russia? No, not today. Are there real
opportunities for us to partner through NATO to contribute to Arctic security? Yes. And so, there's a lot of rhetoric, but there's not a lot of
reality in the current discussion in Washington.
And part of the point of this trip is to have a bipartisan group of members of Congress listen respectfully to our friends, our trusted allies and
partners here in Denmark.
SEN. LISA MURKOWSKI (R-AK): When you ask the American people whether or not they think it is a good idea for the United States to acquire Greenland,
the vast majority, some 75 percent will say, we do not think that, that is a good idea. This senator from Alaska does not think it is a good idea.
And I want to build on the relationship that we have had as Aya(ph) and I penned in an op-ed about a year ago, Greenland needs to be viewed as our
ally, not as an asset.
ROBERTSON: And on Saturday, the people of Nuuk also planning to send a message to President Trump, a march through the town here, ending up
outside the U.S. consulate. Nic Robertson, CNN, Nuuk, Greenland.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And still to come, escalating tensions in Minnesota. President Trump posting that he might, quote, force "be forced to act". I'll talk
with a longtime local journalist about what is happening for you on the ground?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:25:00]
SOARES: Well, U.S. President Donald Trump says he sees no reason to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minnesota right now. His words. But he says if he's
forced to act, he'll do it quickly and effectively. And it comes after new clashes erupted overnight, as you can see there in Minneapolis.
Homeland Security says 12 people were arrested as protesters pushed back against a surge of immigration agents and two ICE-involved shootings in one
week. CNN crews were at the scene of one of the clashes as federal agents fired tear gas outside a federal building. Have a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(TEAR-GAS FIRED)
SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CRIME & JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: We're starting to throw the -- those -- hold on, let me just come back here. As you can see,
basically, now they're just deploying tear-gas because of what's been happening.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And that was CNN's Shimon Prokupecz you were hearing there, speaking. President Trump is threatening to invoke the Insurrection Act, a
centuries old law that would allow him to send the military into Minnesota. Meantime, an incident report is revealing new details about the injuries of
Renee Good, who was fatally shot by an ICE officer last week.
It says the U.S. citizen and mother of three had as many as four gunshot wounds. Joining me now from Minneapolis is Jason DeRusha; he's a journalist
and radio host with decades of experience covering news in Minnesota. Jason, good to have you on the show.
We are seeing night after night of really just these horrific scenes, and the situation, quite frankly, doesn't seem to be de-escalating. You're on
the ground. Just give our viewers a sense of the mood right now.
JASON DERUSHA, JOURNALIST & RADIO HOST: It's tense. It is definitely tense here in Minneapolis. And the question that you just raised is the question
people here in Minnesota are asking, when will this end? What is the end game of this? And people are looking to the leadership at the federal
level, President Donald Trump, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and then the state level.
This is a very troubling situation for me and for many where you say, are we deploying federal law enforcement agents based on sort of the beef or
the disagreements that the President of the United States has with the governor of a certain state?
Our governor, of course, ran for vice president along with Kamala Harris against the Trump-Vance ticket. There is a sense here that, is this just
payback for that?
SOARES: So, when you have people calling in, can you paint us for our viewers around the world, a sense of the concerns they are sharing with
you?
DERUSHA: You know, I think our listeners in Minnesota are like people in most countries around the world. There is a diversity of opinion. And in
the cities -- and Minnesota is a state that has a huge concentration of population centered around the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, and then
the surrounding suburbs.
But then, much of Minnesota is rural. There's an iron range up north where there are quite a bit of debate about the balance between our natural
resources and the economic opportunity that mining presents. So, immigration is a very controversial issue.
There are some who look at the fact that Minnesota has always been a home for refugees. So, we have been the largest concentration of refugees from
Somalia. We have been the largest concentration of refugees of the Hmong background from Laos in that area of the country.
And we're proud of that. And yet, there is question about where the world is today. Are refugees looking to be a part of the American dream, part of
the Minnesota story, or are they may be taking advantage of benefits that some feel are too generous? So, are we proud of it? I am, are some?
SOARES: Yes --
DERUSHA: No. Some are afraid.
SOARES: And that's such vital context that you are -- that you're giving us, you know, for our viewers who are listening in because we're seeing
these clips almost daily, and some of them --
DERUSHA: Yes -
[14:30:07]
SOARES: We're adding context, but we never really, truly see the full picture. We now have what, 3,000 or so eyes agents.
One question I have, and I'm sure viewers wherever they are watching the world have is how are they detaining or apprehending people? Is it targeted
with knocks on the door or slightly more random?
DERUSHA: The answer is yes. It's both of those. And you know, tactically, I think if federal ICE agents, immigration agents, came to Minnesota had a
list, were specifically looking for people, there would be a much different reaction to what's going on here. We have seen videos, and I have seen it
happening, of federal agents roaming through neighborhoods, going door-to- door in some circumstances. We've seen a lot more of, you know, in a gas station or in a shopping mall parking lot, outside of Mexican restaurants,
for example, where they will be just, asking people, show us your papers, essentially, show us your driver's license. And that, I think, is something
that I never thought I'd see in America.
SOARES: That that is absolutely terrifying. I did hear you say, when you were talking about you driving around St. Paul, you went to your favorite
Mexican-owned grocery store, American-owned, third generation owned by a couple of unbelievable women. But you were saying practically a ghost town
because Jason, of course, so many people are afraid to show up. But you say this is hurting our economy, it's hurting our psyche, and people are
getting hurt.
So, when you hear the President of the United States threatening to invoke the Insurrection Act, I mean, how are people reacting to this? People must
be seething.
DERUSHA: Well, you know, as I said, there are some people who are like, right on. That's right. Go get them. But I think the business leaders in
Minnesota are starting to come together. And there is hope that behind the scenes there can -- as you know, we are in a world where the social media
argument about issues does not generally do anything other than rile your own team up and rile your opponents up. It's not getting us anywhere. So,
there's some hope that look, if you own Target or 3M or General Mills or some of the massive corporations here in Minnesota, you know, if you're
trying to interview a brilliant executive and get them to come out and work here, do you want to come and work in Minnesota right now? And so, I think
there's starting to be some movement behind the scenes in that direction.
SOARES: So, divisive right now. You know, kindness would go a long way. That is for sure. Jason, I really appreciate you coming on and give us an
insight from what you -- what's happening on the ground, but also the stories that you are hearing. Thank you very much, Jason. I really
appreciate it.
Then still to come right here on the show, Ukraine sent a team to Washington to negotiate security talks while much of Kyiv remains without
power. The mood on the ground there as Russia's war rages on. Just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:36:13]
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. And Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says a delegation is on its way to the U.S. for talks on an American-
drafted plan to end the war with Russia. The meeting comes ahead of the World Economic Forum in Davos that happens next week where global leaders
including President Trump is expected to expected to attend. Mr. Zelenskyy says he hopes a peace deal could be signed there if an agreement is reached
with Washington.
Meanwhile, Russia is launching almost daily attacks on Ukraine with missiles and drones, mainly targeting energy infrastructure.
Joining me now is Jared Goyette, deputy editor of the War Desk at the Kyiv Independent. Jared, welcome to the show. We have seen Russia again
launching not only, I should say, barrage of drones, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, going after energy infrastructure, which is very much
their playbook. Just give us a sense of the impact there because the temperatures I know have been really bitterly cold.
JARED GOYETTE, WAR DESK DEPUTY EDITOR, KYIV INDEPENDENT: Yes, you know, it's -- I think it was at negative 17. It's tough. You know, when you wake
up in the morning and it's -- and it's frigid, you don't want to get out of bed. When you turn the faucet and there's no hot water, you got to decide,
am I going to take a cold shower or am I just going to skip a shower right now?
The -- you know, the impact is real but at the same time in a strange way, it's brought back a sense of urgency and togetherness that people associate
with the beginning of the war. You know people are getting out of their homes and getting together in points of instability or cafes or what have
you. So, in some ways the mood is up but anxious and people are kind of trying to pull through together.
SOARES: Yes. I heard one gentleman on the radio this morning in Jared saying that he had left Kyiv because obviously I know that something like
500 rise buildings have had no heating. Conditions are really tough. Is that something that you are seeing, that you are hearing? I'm sure Putin
will love to hear that but is that something that you are seeing?
GOYETTE: Not in mass.
SOARES: Yes.
GOYETTE: You know, the mayor, Klitschko, you know, put it as if like, if you have a summer house, if you have a place you can go to, consider it.
So, people that have those kinds of places -- but that's not most people, OK. Most people don't have their own summer house in the suburbs or what
have you. I think people are con -- you know, are wary about beginning to think about backup plans. Embassies are, you know, beginning to think about
backup plans. But we're not at the point of a mass exodus or anything like that at this stage.
SOARES: Let's talk politics if we may for just a moment because -- and really look ahead to next week. We understand the Ukrainian delegation
understood that in the last 24 hours or so, less than that, will be meeting with U.S. negotiators in Miami on Saturday. What is likely to come out of
this? We know President Trump is going to Davos, the World Economic Forum. Possibility of some sort of deal. What are you hearing?
GOYETTE: I mean, I want to start with the next 24 hours if that's OK.
SOARES: Yes. Do that. Yes, absolutely. Do that.
GOYETTE: Just to bring it -- just to bring -- just to bring back things like we're at this odd moment where lights -- you know, the lights are
starting to come back on. But the pattern that we've seen is that every time the repairs start to kick in, that's when the next massive attack is
because they're just waiting for the repairs to have impact. So, we're very much anticipating or we're -- like, I am personally like on standby ready
to be up at like 3:00 a.m. with a mass missile attack. So, there's a -- there's a high probability or there's a sense of a high probability of
another massive attack on Kyiv in the next 24 to 48 hours. So that's a reality that everyone's talking about and that's there.
As for the politics, you know, it's -- I can speak more for what people -- how people are looking at the politics on the ground. and there hasn't been
-- there's not a perception on the ground at least of people seeing Russia willing to negotiate in good faith on the sort of key provisions. The
Ukrainian public is -- has moved a lot in terms of its -- of its willingness to, you know, do a ceasefire now but there hasn't been a
reciprocal move on the Russian side, at least from the point of view of Ukrainian -- the Ukrainians I talked to.
[14:40:45]
SOARES: Jared really appreciate you taking the time to speak to us. Please stay safe and warm if possible. Thank you very much. Jared Goyette there
for us.
GOYETTE: Yes.
SOARES: Thank you.
And breaking news just coming into CNN. Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine has been forcibly removed from his house and taken to an unknown location
in an army helicopter. That is according to a statement from his party. Wine is running in Uganda's presidential election against sitting president
Yoweri Museveni. There have been outbreaks of violence in Uganda in the last 24 hours and reports of repression as well as intimidation around that
election. We'll bring you the very latest.
We'll keep on top of this breaking news story, but what we're hearing in the last few minutes that Uganda opposition leader Bobi Wine has been
forcibly removed from his house and taken to an unknown location in an army helicopter. Do stay with us for much more on that story.
Still to come --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN STUDZINSKI, AUTHOR, A TALENT FOR GIVING: Having worked with a lot of people like Mother Teresa -- and she took money from everyone. She wouldn't
-- someone -- and I -- she took money from everyone. She wouldn't judge good money versus bad money.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Investment banker and philanthropist John Studzinski discusses his new book, A Talent for Giving. He tells me why he'll never judge the way
people give money. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Joining us on today's Book Club is John Studzinski with A Talent For Giving. John, welcome to the Book Club.
STUDZINSKI: Good to be here.
SOARES: Look, this is -- this was a really inspiring book in many ways. And I love the way you started first of all the word philanthropy. That's why
you use giving rather than philanthropy in your title, but you say you're trying to show that it's not just about the money. There's more to this
than money. And you say before you even start asking yourself those questions, there is a fundamental point that needs to be made. Giving is
not just about money. In fact, it doesn't have to be about money at all. We all have more valuable things to give away.
Explain what those are. And what was your valuable thing from you, John? What would you say that you bring forward?
[14:45:34]
STUDZINSKI: Well, I was raised in a very devout Catholic family. My parents were first-generation Americans. And I was brought up in the scriptures to
whom much has been given, much is expected. And I've always been interested in the common good, doing things for the common good. And you asked about
what talents or what skills I can bring to it. No two people are the same.
And I -- and I've gotten young people together and I asked them what they could possibly do to deal with some of the things they're angry about. And
they start off by saying, well, very little. And I say, well, wait a minute. Generation Z, you're really good at convening. You've been brought
up on the mobile phones and you're brilliant at convening. You're brilliant at communicating. That's a form of talent. You don't need a lot of money.
You need no money.
And when you start thinking about issues in the world to address the common good, whether it's ties, your network, different types of tenacity, I use
two, the power of two, mentoring. One of the greatest gifts we have is to mentor people.
SOARES: I agree.
STUDZINSKI: And to be mentored.
SOARES: I agree.
STUDZINSKI: And sometimes we don't realize that by mentoring one or two or three people, you can change their lives in a way that has a domino effect.
SOARES: Can I ask you, you're looking at some research, you're talking about money, some of the data I was looking at, and this is pro bono
economics, saying the charitable donations by the top one percent, you've probably seen this in the U.K., has dropped by 20 percent over eight years.
You've seen probably Melinda Gates, some of the wording she's used that some of the big tech bros we're seeing now -- tech bros we're seeing now in
the U.S. are non-philanthropists.
What do you say to that? That first of all, the potentially they are not doing as much with their wealth that people expect them to be doing, but
also those that do want the limelight. What do you say to those who -- how do you see philanthropy right now?
STUDZINSKI: They have. I mean, look philanthropy is -- there's a whole segment of people that are vanity philanthropists. They do things because
they want their name on a building or they want their name in a gala program or whatever. You know, that's fine. That's -- but that's a
transaction. That's like paying for a building.
SOARES: That's OK. You think that's OK.
STUDZINSKI: That's OK. I think that's fine. I think some forms of doing -- this is more creating not just a transaction. This book is more interested
in partnerships between you, between the donor, and the recipient and creating a long-term relationship that is mutually reinforcing. And that's
different.
I once talked to a very wealthy person in India and I said to him one day, you know, you were -- you're so wealthy, why -- you could give away 90
percent of your wealth and still be very wealthy.
SOARES: Yes.
STUDZINSKI: And he looked at me and he said, yes, John, but I wouldn't be as high up in the league tables of wealth. But I do employ hundreds of
thousands of people. So, he felt that his contribution to humanity was creating employment. So, I -- and so, I have to -- I can't judge. God
judges. I'm not going to -- I think the thing about philanthropy, you can't -- this -- it was very interesting, having worked with a lot of people like
Mother Teresa. And she took money from everyone. She wouldn't -- someone -- and I -- and she took money from everyone. She wouldn't judge good money
versus bad money. She said, you give me the money and I bless it and it's put to good use.
SOARES: Yes.
STUDZINSKI: So, I don't think she judged and I'm not -- I'm certainly not going to judge about people's philanthropy. If people are trying to put
money or time to good use, that's their decision.
SOARES: John, I had read that you had -- I think you were in a car accident at 23. How much did that change your life? What did that do to you? Did it
change you at all?
STUDZINSKI: The car accident was actually in May 1987. I was 31. it was in Germany on the autobahn. It was a nine-car accident. 11 people were killed
and I was the only person that survived. I lost a lung. I was in intensive care for a couple of weeks. My ribs were cracked in three places. My arm
was broken in 62 pieces and had to be reconnected.
[14:50:27]
And I have what people in a populist way would talk about, a near-death experience. And I -- we can -- there's a science explanation of the near-
death experience. There's a spiritual explanation. For me it was deeply spiritual, but it just taught me one thing. I said that I would live. And
one day the doctor came in. He threw this leather medicine ball at me and he said, I know you've got a lot of faith. You're on a life support system
right now with your remaining lung. You have to inflate that lung. You pray hard. I know you pray hard. Pray hard and inflate your lung. And we're
going to leave you alone.
I prayed for two hours. I inflated my lung. But I vowed at that point that I had a purpose that went beyond everything I had done in my first 31
years. And I became then much more focused on, you know, doing the will of God. Yes. And people have to focus on the fact it's not your time yet. You
have more to do. And I think people have to realize that. And I talk in the book about whether you're rich or poor, you often have the same amount of
time.
SOARES: Yes.
STUDZINSKI: And remember, time is the most precious thing and people -- small amounts of time can have big impact on lives.
SOARES: John, thank you so much for coming on the show. I really appreciate it. We're going to give you our pen and ask you to sign the book. Is it OK?
Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Really inspiring voice. Well, that was our first book club of 2026. The first of many, of course. Last year, we brought you 19 great reads. We
have another exciting year ahead. Lots of great books and interesting chats with their authors.
Next up, Laura Brown and Kristina O'Neill on how to turn losing your job into a positive. Their guide is called All the Cool Girls Get Fired: How to
Let Go of Being Let Go and Come Back on Top.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KRISTINA O'NEILL, CO-AUTHOR, ALL THE COOL GIRLS GET FIRED: This book was the book that we wish existed when we were fired. And I was fired about 14
months after Laura. And I found myself googling things that I thought I should have known.
SOARES: Yes. Such what? Like what?
O'NEILL: Like, do I need a lawyer? I mean, really simple stuff that, you know, I didn't understand. You know, in the U.S. obviously the health care
system is very complicated. Really simple things about was my money going to go the distance for me? You know just kind of understanding all of the
unknowables.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:55:43]
SOARES: Well, it started with about 20 monks and now a walk for peace is gaining support across America. The monks began their journey last October
at their Buddhist temple in Texas. They've now crossed six states on their way to Washington, D.C. They say their goal is to raise awareness of peace,
loving kindness, and compassion across America and the world. As they reach new cities, many join them to walk and pray. Early this week, they were
greeted by hundreds of supporters of -- in Charlotte, North Carolina. The monks hope to arrive in Washington by February 12th. Let's see if they
inspire those at the White House.
That does it for us for this hour. Thank you very much for your company. Have a wonderful weekend. "WHAT WE KNOW" with Max Foster is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
