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Isa Soares Tonight

Former British Ambassador To The U.S. Peter Mandelson Arrested By Police Amid The Fallout From The Epstein Files; Violence and Unrest In Mexico After The Country's Most Wanted Cartel Boss Is Killed In A Military Operation; Millions Under Blizzard Warnings In Northeastern United States; Hungary Opposes $106B E.U. Loan To Kyiv; Ukraine To Mark Fourth Anniversary Of Full-Scale Invasion; Nick Reiner Pleads Not Guilty To Killing His Parents; CNN Poll: Trump Approval Rating Now At 36 Percent; Italy Passing Torch To France. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired February 23, 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, breaking news for you this hour. Former

British Ambassador to the U.S. Peter Mandelson, arrested by police amid the fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein files.

We'll bring you that in just a moment. Then, violence and unrest in Mexico after the country's most wanted cartel boss is killed in a military

operation. We are live for you this hour in Mexico City. Plus, millions under blizzard warnings in the northeastern United States is near hurricane

force winds and extreme snowfall, knock-out power and make travel pretty dangerous.

We do begin this hour, though, with breaking news I was telling you. Former U.K. Ambassador to the U.S., Peter Mandelson has been arrested by British

police. It is on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He has been accused of passing market-sensitive information while serving as the

British business secretary to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

And you can see him here being led away from his home in London, that was just a few hours ago. Mandelson has been under intense scrutiny -- and we

have talked about it here on the show, for his ties to the disgraced financier. He's previously denied any wrongdoing in his dealings with

Epstein.

And it follows, of course, the bombshell arrest of King Charles' brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor last week, also on suspicion of misconduct in

public office. He was released from police custody without charge, but remains under investigation.

Our Max Foster is with me now. And Max, as we highlighted there, this is the same offense that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor basically was arrested on,

a very serious offense, too, right?

MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, potentially a life sentence you could get from this. He hasn't been charged at this point --

SOARES: Yes --

FOSTER: Of course, but what he was dealing with -- I mean, he's been around for decades, very integral to Westminster, you know, since --

SOARES: Yes --

FOSTER: The '80s when he was head of communications for Labor. And this, as you say, reflects his time as business secretary, which was after the

financial crisis, which is when Europe was trying its best to recover from that. And there were lots of financial instruments being played with.

And there are -- you know, he was -- he was party to a lot of that as business secretary. We don't know the specifics of what they're alleging

here, but if they are alleging that he shared market sensitive information, it would absolutely undermine the public interest --

SOARES: Yes --

FOSTER: Which is what this is at the center of this allegation.

SOARES: And, of course, we remember that photo of Andrew Mountbatten- Windsor as he came out of prison, right? That famous photo in the back of a -- of a car. He was held for something like 11 hours of questioning. Can I

just play -- can you play again, Elam(ph), I'll ask my producer play that video again, because this is what we saw from one of his properties. Is

that right today?

FOSTER: That's right. And this is the first we got of it. The media were there, which was interesting. So, this is one of the homes that they've

searched. The other one is in Wiltshire in the west of England, and that search has been ongoing. So, the investigation started on the 3rd of

February.

So, our assumption would be, they found some evidence they want to put to him, and this was no -- it wasn't, you know, it wasn't just enough to ask

him a few questions --

SOARES: Yes --

FOSTER: It was to arrest him and interview him under caution, which is a whole different ballgame. And this is rocking Westminster because his

tentacles went through Westminster.

SOARES: Yes, he was a Labor grandee. He worked not only with Gordon Brown, but also Tony Blair. And this is why I think this is such a fall from grace

for this man, who of course, many would have seen the corridors of power. Can you speak to exactly those tentacles?

Because when you and I were talking about it -- well, over a week ago, there was huge pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer, a huge accusations,

of course, and fears that he could go. Does that focus attention back on Keir Starmer, how much he knew, when did he know? And the whole process of

approving him, of course, as a representative --

FOSTER: One thing, yes or no. He was the one that hired him, knowing that he had a friendship with Epstein. That's been called into question. And

then when the first drop of documents came through, then the relationship was much deeper than we realized, and probably more than Starmer realized.

Mandelson describing Epstein as his -- as his best friend, so he was fired from that position. But then, the whole question came up, was he vetted

properly?

[14:05:00]

SOARES: Yes --

FOSTER: Did Starmer ask enough questions? Did he give him a free pass because he was very well networked guy, probably had some relationship with

Trump. He was the right guy to have in Washington at that time.

SOARES: Trump whisperers, right? As he was --

FOSTER: Yes --

SOARES: Being called --

FOSTER: Exactly, he's been called many things, prince of darkness back in the day, because he's -- he was known for his Machiavellian sort of

political style. I think what this does, though, is actually, takes the pressure off Starmer for now --

SOARES: Yes --

FOSTER: Because there's now an investigation into Starmer's handling of this, and that won't be able to progress in the same way because now,

you've got a police investigation and they won't be able to, you know, share the information with parliament or indeed the public that they were

going to.

Until this police investigation is over, we're not going to see all the information. It could take months or years, that police investigation.

SOARES: Can you speak to the public mood when you see this sort of footage that we were just playing of him, of course, being taken to police station

to be questioned. He hasn't been charged with anything that's important to point out. When we hear some of the accusations coming out on the Epstein

files and the allegations, does -- we have a by-election here in this country coming up on Thursday.

Does that -- do you think that will have an impact in any sort of by- election here?

FOSTER: Well, there's been a general loss of deference in society --

SOARES: Yes --

FOSTER: And I think this is doing nothing to help that. The -- you know, two pillars of the establishment, the palace and parliament are being

dragged down by this. And, you know, whenever we go -- you know, we haven't done any polling, but whenever we go out and do vox pops with the public --

SOARES: Yes --

FOSTER: They're all saying, I hope they get everything they deserve, because I think that they feel undermined by corruption in the

establishment. Everyone looking after themselves and not really working in the public interest, which is at the center of these allegations as neither

of them have been charged.

But a lot of people are making up their minds already, because they just got a feeling that actually the establishment isn't working for them.

SOARES: Max, I know you'll stay across it. He's been what? He's been questioned for what? Two-three hours now, I think --

FOSTER: Yes --

SOARES: Is it less than that? So, we'll stay across it. Max Foster, thanks very much, Max. Max will be back in about 50 minutes or so with what --

what was your show called?

FOSTER: "WHAT WE KNOW" --

SOARES: "WHAT WE KNOW", I should have known this --

FOSTER: Best show on CNN --

SOARES: Well, that's questionable --

FOSTER: Yes --

SOARES: Sticking though to -- we're going to turn our attention -- leave the U.K. and turn our attention to Mexico, because Mexican leaders are

calling for calm after the killing of the country's most wanted drug kingpin set off really a sea of chaos.

The killing of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho, sparked a wave of deadly retaliatory violence across the country by suspected gang

members. Mexican officials say 25 National Guard members have died in clashes after special forces killed El Mencho and several other cartel

members in a Sunday raid.

Jalisco state is -- Jalisco state is home to popular tourist destinations like Puerto Vallarta, grounded flights and blocked roads fueled panic among

thousands of stranded travelers. Here's what one American says he was told by workers at his resort. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID MIRANDA, U.S. TOURIST: If you love your life, stay here. Don't go anywhere. The only worry is food, water, everything is closed. Everything

is -- it's like a ghost town. It's like there's no Ubers, no taxis, no buses. It's a tourist place. Something that's supposed to be beach therapy,

ended up being traumatizing for a lot of people here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Well, Mexico's President spoke publicly today for the first time since El Mencho's killing. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

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

population of all 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 cabinet, and there is a lot of coordination.

So, people can be assured that peace, security and normalcy are being maintained in the country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Let's get more. Valeria Leon is in Mexico City tracking all the developments for us. And we heard there, Valeria -- good to see you, by the

way -- the President Sheinbaum talking about guaranteeing peace and security. Just speak to how easy that is to do. What are authorities

telling you this hour?

VALERIA LEON, CNN REPORTER: I mean, Isa, Mexican officials say order has been restored after the surge of this cartel violence that we have seen

erupted following this operation targeting Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho.

Now, Mexico's Defense Secretary is shedding light on how authorities were able to find him. And according to officials, the breakthrough came when

Intelligence teams began tracking the movements of a woman described as being romantically linked to the cartel leader.

And that trail led to investigators to his inner circle, and ultimately the location where he was hiding. The operation that followed is being

described as one of the most significant blows to organized crime in recent years.

[14:10:00]

And video circulating on social media, which appears to have been filmed by air reinforcements arriving at the scene of the shootout, shows the

aftermath of the confrontation. This footage captures a chaotic and graphic scene with bodies lying behind a vehicle and blood visibly on the street.

In the video, the person filming can be heard speaking to a visibly shaken and possibly-injured National Guard member. And U.S. Intelligence, what we

know now is that U.S. Intelligence support played a significant background role, particularly in tracking cartel leadership and movements.

From what we know so far, this was not a U.S. boots on the ground mission, but one where Intelligence-sharing helped inform Mexican planning, and that

distinction matters politically, especially for the administration of President Claudia Sheinbaum, which has framed this as a sovereign Mexican

operation carried out by national forces.

President Sheinbaum now says the government expects all flights to resume as soon as tomorrow. Still, Isa, classes have been canceled in three

Mexican states, and the disruption is also being felt on the national sports stage. Isa.

SOARES: Expand, Valeria, on that last point, classes being closed, of course, the scenes that you -- we are showing our viewers from Puerto

Vallarta, the fear, of course, while peace is being maintained according to Claudia Sheinbaum. The fear is that this may be -- could be, I should say,

a new phase of instability. So, give us a sense of how Mexicans are reacting to all of this.

LEON: They are afraid, Isa. We've heard a --

SOARES: Yes --

LEON: Bunch of testimonies from Puerto Vallarta, specifically, as one of the main tourist destinations. And also, we have to take into account that

all these cancellations and all the violence that we're seeing, and that we saw yesterday, specifically, are significant because the state of Jalisco

is one of the three Mexican host sites for the FIFA World Cup 2026.

With matches set to be played in Guadalajara, where we saw all this wave of violence, and the violence had renewed questions about security, as Mexico

looks ahead to welcoming hundreds of thousands of international visitors for this tournament.

Meanwhile, Isa, U.S. authorities say several high ranking associates linked to El Mencho are already in American custody, some serving lengthy prison

sentences, signaling that the crackdown on the cartel's leadership extends well beyond Mexico's border. Isa?

SOARES: I know you'll stay across this for us. Thank you very much Valeria Leon, gracias, Valeria. Well, El Mencho's death could lead to a power

struggle for control of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel may ignite a bloody war inside the crew.

The cartel's reach is a wide one, extending from the Americas to Australia to Asia. The U.S. State Department says the group has contacts in more than

40 countries, and that's helped it reap billions of dollars in profit, according to U.S. officials.

They say the cartel is heavily involved in the production and trafficking of fentanyl, among other drugs. The United States designated it a terrorist

organization last year. Let's get more on this. David Mora is a senior analyst for Mexico at the International Crisis Group, he joins us now from

Guadalajara.

David, let me start, first of all, getting a sense from you what the situation is like on the ground. We heard Claudia Sheinbaum saying today

that peace and security is going to be restored. How easy do you think that will be given? Of course, the fierce firefights that we have seen in the

last 24 hours.

DAVID MORA, SENIOR ANALYST FOR MEXICO, INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP: Thank you. So, speaking specifically about Guadalajara and the main part of the

city, a very -- what used to be a very -- usually, it's a very bustling part of town. It is quite empty right now, and it's been so for the past 36

hours. Businesses are still shut down.

It's really hard to do simple things as finding a Taco, which is the easiest thing that should be done in Mexico. But there are only a few spots

operating. There's more people walking on the streets and cars driving by compared to this same hour yesterday.

So, it is -- speaks a bit to the city slowly crawling back to normalcy. But it's certainly -- it's shocking to see how empty the street is, given that

this is a mainly -- a city with over 5 million people that is going to be hosting a massive event in just a few months. So, that part is quite

baffling.

SOARES: Yes, it is baffling, given, of course, specifically what you're saying when you have the World Cup, right, that it would have to host some

of the key matches and how that will be received. We can talk about that in just a moment.

[14:15:00]

I want to tap in, though, into your expertise, if I could, David. a bit. Because El Mencho, as we were talking about, is one of the world's most

wanted drug traffickers. How risky first of all is this decision by Sheinbaum to confront organized crime? What are the risks, in your view?

MORA: I think it is certainly the riskiest of options that could have been on the table at that moment, because what they did with El Mencho is going

to bring instability, not only within the Jalisco cartel structure, but with regards to the other smaller criminal groups that operate across

Mexico, and that had -- and that they have ongoing struggles turf wars against Jalisco.

So, first, we're going to see how different forces within the structure of Jalisco re-accommodate. That's going to bring violence, and in the criminal

world, that's going to bring instability. And in the criminal world, instability, the way to solve instability is through violence.

But then again, in places like Guanajuato, Michoacan, where the cartel had really brutal fighting against smaller groups, maybe those groups, those

smaller local groups are going to see in the entire moment that we are an opportunity to seize control out of Jalisco's -- the presence of Jalisco in

their own states. So, this certainly can bring an uptick in homicides, in murders and other types of violence across Mexico.

SOARES: Yes, and that's the fear, of course, with a power vacuum, right, what this kind of sets into motion. For our viewers just around the world,

David, can you give us a sense just how broad -- you were talking about El Mencho syndicate and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. Can you speak to

the power and the control they yield?

MORA: Of course, so Jalisco is probably the most powerful criminal group in Mexico right now, given that Sinaloa has been going on, has been with --

witnessed this internal power struggle in Sinaloa. But Jalisco is really powerful for different reasons. The first one is their military capacity.

Jalisco has a very active recruiting pipeline. They bring foreign mercenaries into Mexico. They have a really powerful arsenal that includes

sniper rifles, rockets, aerial rockets, drones --

SOARES: Wow --

MORA: For instance. They were the ones who brought the idea of flying drones with bombs into Mexico, and they also have built this capacity to

create a myriad of improvised explosive devices. So, in terms of the military capacity, Jalisco is certainly the big play, the biggest of

players here.

But not only that, they also have a really deep footprint in a myriad of criminal industries in Mexico. As you mentioned, the fentanyl production

and trafficking to the U.S. is one of that. But they also run really lucrative rackets, extortion rackets across many states in Mexico with a

lot of mining activities and agricultural activities.

They have also really high power to corrupt local officials. Just last week, President Sheinbaum made public that they had captured the mayor of a

town that is just one hour away from Jalisco, that was -- that from Guadalajara, that was basically running the town hall next to Jalisco

(INAUDIBLE).

So, they also have a really strong muscle to corrupt people. And finally, I think what really makes different Jalisco is their willingness, their

proclivity to engage in really political attacks. They tried to kill Omar Garcia Harfuch, who is right now the architect of President Sheinbaum's

security strategy --

SOARES: Yes --

MORA: Back when he was in -- city, and they also recently killed a very popular mayor in Michoacan.

SOARES: It just goes to show really how embedded they are, isn't it? In kind of Mexican society. Before I let you go, David, let me -- you

mentioned at the top, of course, the World Cup matches that you have, that one of them, I think a couple -- or maybe more than one is going to be in

Guadalajara, of which Guadalajara, of course, the capital of Jalisco state.

Can you give us a sense of what, how Sheinbaum can really make visitors safe here. Do you think that forces in Guadalajara, they can make people

feel safe? Or do you think there needs to be extra support here ahead of the World Cup?

MORA: I think this immediate reaction, the immediate aftermath of the -- you know, putting cars, trucks and fire, locating highways, roads, that is

going to subside and it's going to be a few days. You know, as I said, Guadalajara is returning to normalcy.

So, it's not that this is going to be lasting forever when the -- when the -- when the time for the World Cup arrives. The violence that might be

associated with the re-accommodations within the cartel and other groups, that is going to take a few months to happen as well.

But I think the World Cup, it presents for groups like Jalisco, an opportunity to make a buck out of the amount of foreign tourists that are

going to be visiting Mexico for the many criminal activities that they run.

[14:20:00]

For instance, more people demanding drugs, more people demanding access to sexual services --

SOARES: Yes --

MORA: Which are the rackets that these groups look great on. They are not political forces that might do a political statement around the World Cup,

so in that sense, I don't think they're going to be -- they're going to put on shows of force like the ones that we're seeing closer to the World Cup.

SOARES: David Mora, thank you very much for taking time to speak to us. We shall see, of course, what Claudia Sheinbaum, what she then does in the

coming days to maintain, of course, the peace.

Thank you very much, David, really appreciate it. And still to come, tonight, a blizzard hits the northeastern U.S., knocking out power and

making travel impossible. We're live in New York to show you what it's like right now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOARES: Well, more than 40 million people across the northeastern U.S. are under blizzard warnings, thanks to a bomb cyclone. The high winds and

snowfall have created blizzard conditions in parts of Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island.

Heavy snow has been reported in at least seven states. About 650,000 customers have lost power across the region. Classes at many schools have

been canceled, and drivers are being warned to stay off the road today, and that's on top, of course, of the problems at airports.

According to FlightAware, more than 10,000 flights have already been canceled. Let's get more from Bill Weir, who joins us from New York. And

Bill, I mean, I was looking at some of the shots in New York, it looks absolutely stunning, great day for children, I'm guessing, who are not at

school.

BILL WEIR, CNN CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: Exactly, yes, no school today. First full day off. Even no virtual learning in over five years. And we're seeing

the fruit of that out here in Central Park. The sheep's meadow is a ground central or ground zero for snowmen and snowball fights.

Because this blizzard of 26 will be remembered for the water content of the snow, really heavy, dense, not great for trees and power lines. The city

has already announced 300 trees have been reported down, keeping an eye on those without power, thankfully, it's not as frigid as it was last year.

But so far, we're pushing 50 centimeters of snow, this is a top ten snow event here in New York, and another challenge for new Mayor Zohran Mamdani

has to struggle to keep these streets plowed.

[14:25:00]

With so much going on last month, that the temperature didn't dip down enough to get rid of it, hopefully, this will all be melted by next week,

fingers-crossed. But around the region, this bomb cyclone setting up and just dumping many centimeters an hour, up to 7 centimeters-8 centimeters an

hour in places like Rhode Island and Connecticut, New Jersey, the Jersey shore.

You can see more people on cross-country skis there than surfboards. And so, this is one that we've had just a bizarre Winter, it seems like the

years that end in six, bring these big snow events. President Trump is fond of posting things like what happened to global warming on days like this?

And we try to remind him that there's a snow drought in Colorado where the ski industry could really use it. The record high temperatures in

Greenland, while this is all going on. So, it's a cycle of either too much water at once or not enough warming atmosphere holds more moisture even in

the Winter, and as a result, we get big dumps like this one.

But so far, it looks like this one, Isa, is calming down. The winds have really calmed down. We had almost hurricane speed winds on the eastern tip

of Long Island overnight. As the storm was really cranking in, but thankfully, it has eased off here. Now, the cleanup begins and school is

back in session tomorrow, a huge disappointment for a lot of these kids.

SOARES: Yes, and Bill, I was speaking to my team, you know, today, and because it's not that long ago, and you referenced this, that New York was

hit with extreme weather again, right? Was it a couple of months ago or so? Are these extremes that we're seeing in New York in particular and in other

parts, is this becoming a commonality? Now, we see more and more of this now?

WEIR: Well, what you're seeing are the extremes of big weather events, whether they're rain bombs out --

SOARES: Yes --

WEIR: West or avalanche. Events that you saw in the Sierra Nevada. Rain bombs, atmospheric rivers here on the east, these sort of bomb cyclones. Of

course, this is nothing new. The northeast is used to severe weather. But when it comes on an overheating planet, it just is that much more

predictable and that much more violent, with a lot more capacity for damage.

A lot bigger snowfall totals, maybe than years past, but maybe further apart between them as a result. But so many interconnected systems on this

complicated planet, but when the polar vortex breaks down and that band of cold air around the north pole begins to wobble and come down into as far

south as Mississippi here in the United States, that is a new normal that most people are just not equipped for in those regions.

SOARES: Bill, thank you very much, it certainly is pretty. If you're out there, please, everyone keep safe. Thank you, Bill, good to see you. And

still to come tonight, Hungary is lashing out at Ukraine one day before a grim milestone. Details ahead on a deepening dispute over Russian oil.

And then later on in the show, new poll numbers are out just ahead of tomorrow's State of the Union. What they say about Donald Trump's job as

President. Both those stories after this very short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:31:07]

SOARES: A message we didn't want to send. The E.U. foreign policy chief is expressing her disappointment today after Hungary refused to back a 20th

sanctions package against Russia. Have a listen.

(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)

SOARES: Well, the E.U.'s proposed measures and loan would have been worth over $100 billion. Hungary's refusal comes as it accuses Kyiv of blocking

the flow of some Russian oil. And this spat escalated over the weekend after Hungary and Slovakia threatened to stop electricity supplies to Kyiv.

And we are just hours away from a rather grim milestone. Tuesday will mark the four-year anniversary since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The years of pressure and heartbreak are taking a visible toll on Ukraine's leader. Here now is a part of Clarissa Ward's discussion with President

Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Have a watch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: For me, still is not clear that if Russia will begin against aggression against us. What I wanted very much

to have in this security guarantees. My question is, how partners will react on the aggression of Russia, if it will be. The answer is that it

will not be. It's not the answer to me. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So, you want a very specific in writing guarantee.

ZELENSKYY: I want very -- we have good things in these guarantees. It's true between us. It's true. But I want very specific answer, what partners

will be ready to do if Putin will come again? And I think this is what Ukrainians want to hear. Just want to hear. I'm sorry. It's not pressure.

It's just to understand.

WARD: If you get those security guarantees, would you be willing to accept a frozen front line whereby Russia keeps the territory that they have

already seized?

ZELENSKYY: We already said that we're ready for the compromise to freeze the points where we stay, the places. It's a frozen contact line. We are

ready for this. It's not a very good position for us. But in any way, we have defending lines. We have these fortifications. But if Russians or

partners in dialogue with Russians want just to withdraw our army from our fortifications, I mean, we can't be such, sorry, foolish guys. We are not

children.

WARD: What would you like to hear from President Trump tomorrow at his State of the Union address?

ZELENSKYY: I want him to stay on our side.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: Now, Ukraine has lost about 10 million people between those killed who have left or are living under Russian occupation. On top of that, tens

of thousands of Ukrainians are still missing, many of them soldiers. And that's taking a devastating toll on their loved ones as our Clarissa Ward

reports. And a warning for you, some of the images in the report are disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WARD (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 territory 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.

[14:35:00]

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 in the middle of the night. Missing on October

30, 2024, after a failed attack on Russian positions in Donetsk.

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

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

WARD: Because you need to believe.

WARD (through translator): Because you need to believe it's true.

SHESTAKOVA (through translator): Yes.

WARD (through translator): That he's alive.

SHESTAKOVA (through translator): Yes. 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 (ph) backpack still sits in the hallway. Snizhana spends her days going through their messages to each other.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (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 places.

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 Svitlana Kivirenko's dream.

WARD: Hello, hi.

SVITLANA KIVIRENKO, MAMACITA FOUNDER: Hi. Nice to meet you.

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

KIVIRENKO: It was pure love. We had this nail salon, we had makeup here, we had a cosmetologist, so mom could take a break, yes, and relax.

WARD (voice-over): Earlier this month, Svitlana 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 superhumans, superheroes.

KIVIRENKO: I mean, 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 three-year-old daughter Masha on her own. Tonight, they

will climb 10 flights of stairs to reach their apartment.

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. That is so pretty. And now, you have light. From the power bank. Oh, 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?

[14:40:00]

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)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. Nick Reiner has pleaded not guilty to murdering his parents. He was arraigned in a Los Angeles court earlier

today in connection with the fatal stabbing of his mother and father, famed director Rob Reiner and photographer Michele Singer Reiner. They were found

dead with multiple stand wounds in December. A preliminary hearing has been set for April 29. The charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison

without parole or the death penalty. We'll stay across that story for you.

The FBI is trying to figure out why an armed man illegally breached the perimeter of Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home in Florida on Sunday morning.

Law enforcement shot and killed the man who made it to 20 to 30 meters roughly through the gate. The president and first lady were at the White

House at the time. Palm Beach County Sheriff said the intruder appeared to be carrying a shotgun as well as a fuel can. The FBI is now leading the

investigation into the man's background as well as motives.

Well, taking to Washington, a brand-new CNN poll is out on the eve of U.S. President Donald Trump's State of the Union address. And there's some

really of the lowest numbers he's ever seen. Mr. Trump's job approval rating has dropped to 36 percent, as you can see there, with 63 percent

disapproving us handling this job as president. Nearly half strongly disapprove of his job performance among political independents. Have a look

at this. His approval rating has dropped 15 points over the past year to 26 percent. That is the lowest it has been in either of his terms.

Meantime, just 32 percent of Americans say the president has the right priorities, while 68 percent, as you can see on your screen, see has not

paid enough attention to the country's most important problems, which will get you. But normally it tends to be the economy.

[14:45:00]

Let's get more on this. CNN's Washington bureau chief David Chalian joins me now with more on the poll results. And what the president's facing as he

heads, of course, in tomorrow's big speech. David, great to see you. So, put that headline approval number into context for our viewers. And how

significant you think there is the sharp difference between Republicans, Democrats and that number for independents then?

DAVID CHALIAN, CNN SENIOR VP AND WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF: Yes, that overall number of 36 percent approval. This has been where President Trump

has been sort of hanging out for the last five months or so. I mean, this is -- this has been sort of consistently on the low end for him.

But as you noted, that number among independents, 26 percent, it is a record low for Donald Trump among independents, which, as you know, are

sort of the political weathervane here in the United States. These are voters that tend to sort of align themselves with one party or the other

and give that party momentum. And we're only, you know, eight months out or so from these critical midterm elections.

So, that number being so low, that approval number with independents is going to give not just President Trump and his team at the White House, but

Republicans on Capitol Hill who are on the ballot this year in those midterm elections a real level of concern.

SOARES: And what I was looking as well, David, was some of the numbers, of course, some of the president's steepest declines. And we don't have this

broken down, but they can go to CNN.com and read the article on this is includes a 19-point drop. I saw in approval among Latino Americans and then

18-point drop when you ask adults under 45 years old. Is there some sort of correlation between the Latino vote there and the policy we have seen here

from this administration? I'm thinking ICE tactics that we have covered here. How much is this -- has that impacted these numbers, you think?

CHALIAN: Well, we have definitely seen the ice enforcement issue, especially after those two Americans were killed on the streets of

Minneapolis. That that has proven to be very unpopular broadly with the American people. And, yes, unpopular with Latinos. We don't have a question

on ICE enforcement in this poll, but I have no doubt that that is part of what has contributed to that turnaround, if you will. That precipitous 19-

point decline from just a year ago in Latino approval of Donald Trump's job performance.

And I would just note you noted younger people and Latinos. Those were two groups where Donald Trump in 2024 made significant inroads. It helped

deliver him back to the Oval Office for this second term. And seeing just in a year's time how much support in his assessing his job performance that

that has fallen is a big warning sign.

SOARES: Let me just read a little quote from a poll respond. The Republican from New Mexico, who says part of the reason why I think people

elected Trump was because they were hurting under Biden. I think people were expecting Trump to provide a little bit of relief. They're suffering.

Grocery prices are just through the roof. Everything is so expensive. So, I think he needs to talk about the economy and he needs to talk about what

kind of things he's already done. And that's looking ahead to tomorrow. Of course, economy, cost of living, living. Clearly, I imagine the top

concerns for most Americans, David.

CHALIAN: Hands down. 57 percent of Americans in our poll say the economy and cost of living is most what they want to hear from him on in the speech

tomorrow night. Nothing else comes close. So, I say, as you watch the speech tomorrow night, any time President Trump is focused on a foreign

policy issue or on crime and safety or even on immigration, he is not where the vast majority of Americans want to him to be in terms of giving them a

sense of how he's going to bring prices down.

SOARES: And I'm sure that many Republicans will agree with you as we head, of course, to the midterms as you were hiding that and the repercussions.

David, as always, great to get your insight. Good to see you. Thank you very much.

CHALIAN: Thank you. You too.

SOARES: David Chalian there. We're going to take a short break. We'll see you on the other side.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:50:00]

SOARES: Well, a new study finds climate change is threatening one of the world's most beloved sea animals. Scientists say warming ocean temperatures

are disrupting sea turtles' reproduction systems. Our Allison Chinchar has all the details for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): All over the world, conservationists protect sea turtle eggs from predators, so the babies can

survive and make their way to the ocean. But a new long-term study of loggerhead sea turtles found that climate change is presenting new

challenges to their survival.

For 17 years, researchers have been tracking individual female loggerhead sea turtles in Cape Verde, home to one of the world's largest loggerhead

nesting populations. They found that the warming oceans are causing the turtles to nest earlier and produce fewer eggs.

Fitra Nugraha of London's Queen Mary University is part of that team.

FITRA NUGRAHA, QUEEN MARY UNIVERSITY OF LONDON: So, climate change has influenced the nesting timing of the populations and also the inter-nesting

intervals within a season, the increasing temperatures may speed up egg development inside the body. Thus, shortening the successive clutches.

CHINCHAR (voice-over): A clutch is a nest of sea turtle eggs and a female turtle lays multiple clutches throughout a typical season, with ten or more

days in between. The earlier arrival of the Cape Verde turtles and shorter time in between clutches tells researchers they have adapted to the warming

ocean. But Nugraha says after a deeper look, a troubling issue emerged.

NUGRAHA: But when we follow individual turtles, picture -- a complex picture emerged. And that tells us that something is happening in the

oceans and it is beyond the temperature. It is the ocean productivity that is matters to all of this.

CHINCHAR (voice-over): The researchers started looking at sea turtle feeding grounds for answers and found a declining trend of chlorophyl in

plants and algae over many years. They found that re-nesting intervals lengthened from about two years to four years over the course of their

study. When the turtles did return, they laid fewer clutches and fewer eggs per nest.

Cape Verde hosts tens of thousands of nesting female turtles each year, and Nugraha says the future of the species depends on safeguarding their

feeding habitats rather than just beach protection.

Allison Chinchar, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: Well, the Olympic flame has now been extinguished, and the Italian cities of Milan and Cortina have bid farewell to the 2026 Winter Games. The

grand finale of Sunday's closing ceremony illuminated the historic Verona Arena. Thousands gathered to celebrate the unity among athletes, of course,

as well as nations. Norway was the clear leader in this year's medal count, with 18 golds, as you can see, a total of 41.

[14:55:00]

The U.S. came in second, with 12 gold medals, marking the country's most successful Winter Games ever. And the Netherlands and host country Italy

finished -- each finished, as you can see there, with 10 golds.

The last gold medal for the U.S. came in a hard-fought overtime win, with its fierce rival Canada in the men's, another hockey final. And the

director of the FBI helped the U.S. hockey team celebrate their triumphant win at the Winter Olympics on Sunday.

CNN obtained this video. Have a look at this. This is the director of the FBI, Kash Patel, a longtime hockey fan with team in Milan, in their locker

room there after their historic gold medal win over Canada. In response to media inquiries about the video, Patel posted on X that he was humbled to

have been invited to the celebration.

Well done to all of those who competed, of course, at the Winter Olympics, whether you won or didn't, taking part is the most important thing.

That's it for tonight. Do stay right here. "What We Know" with Max Foster is up next. I shall see you tomorrow.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:00:00]

END