Return to Transcripts main page
Isa Soares Tonight
Ukraine Marks Four Years Of Devastating War Since Russia's Full- Scale Invasion; New Desperate Plea From Savannah Guthrie As Her Family Offers $1 Million To Bring Home Their Missing Mother; President Trump To Deliver State Of The Union Address Today; U.K. Govt. Supports Proposal To Force Release Of Files On Former Prince Andrew's Appointment; Australia And New Zealand Support Removing Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor From Royal Line Of Succession; Mexican Forces Try To Restore Calm After Wave Of Violence; First Baby Born In U.K. Using Womb Transplant From Dead Donor. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired February 24, 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, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, Ukraine marks four years of devastating
war since Russia's full-scale invasion. We are live on the ground in Kyiv as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy renews his push for EU membership.
Then a new desperate plea from Savannah Guthrie as her family offers $1 million to bring home their missing mother. We are live in Arizona with the
very latest. Plus, we are just hours away from U.S. President Donald Trump's State of the Union address.
We'll break down what we expect to hear, and what's hanging on this moment. That and much more just ahead this hour. We do begin this hour in Ukraine
and the war in Ukraine. A war that Russia initially believed will be over in just days, has now lasted four long as well as grueling years.
And it's brought with it an enormous human toll. Difficult, really, to fully measure. A U.S.-based research group estimates between a 100,000 to
140,000 Ukrainians have been killed since the war began. Fifty nine thousand children are living without their biological parents in Ukraine,
just think about that.
Many of them, many really staying with foster families, and one of our CNN colleagues have put it most accurately, when she wrote that Ukraine is
becoming a nation of widows and a nation of orphans. Some 6 million Ukrainians, many of them women and children, have fled the country and
officially registered as refugees.
And Moscow's decision to invade Ukraine has also come at an enormous cost to Russian soldiers, 1.2 million of them have been killed, wounded or are
missing, all for relatively small territorial gains on the battlefield. Well, EU leaders joined President Zelenskyy today in Kyiv to mark the war's
four-year anniversary.
Mr. Zelenskyy called on his European counterparts to fast-track EU membership for Ukraine. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT, UKRAINE: It's vital that we have started working on the details of a key geopolitical security guarantee for Ukraine
and for all of Europe, and clearly did for Ukraine's accession to the EU. The year 2027 is very important for us, and I hope, doable. I hope so that
Putin cannot block our membership for decades
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Let's get more, our chief international correspondent, Clarissa Ward joins me now from Kyiv. And Clarissa, just four years on, just put it
into perspective for our viewers around the world. Just reflect on how Ukrainians -- how this was -- reshaped their lives.
CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Isa, we were here, of course, four years ago --
SOARES: Yes --
WARD: Today, as those Russian bombs began falling, and Russian tanks began rolling in. And we've been coming back regularly ever since. And I can
honestly say, I have never seen the country in quite such a bleak state. A lot of people here now really feel that they've reached a breaking point,
that they simply don't have the endurance to keep on going.
This has obviously been a particularly brutal Winter, the coldest in recent memory. There have been relentless Russian strikes on Ukraine's
infrastructure constant power outages, heating outages, hundreds of buildings here in Kyiv will not even have heating or power for the rest of
the Winter.
We met a young mother, a single mother with a three-year-old daughter who is often carrying her up and down ten flights of stairs to get in and out
of her apartment. And I think there's an increasing sense of bitterness here, too, like what happened to the United States?
They used to be our closest partner. Now they feel abandoned. We spoke to President Zelenskyy yesterday, we put this to him. We said, you know, how
is the relationship now? He said that they had good contacts in December, that the negotiating teams are talking on pretty much an everyday basis.
But he did have a personal plea for President Trump. Take a listen.
[14:05:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WARD: This woman said to me, I never want to hear the word, "resilient", again. I am so over being resilient. I am so exhausted. I am so broken.
What do you tell Ukrainian people right now who are feeling that they're done.
ZELENSKYY: It's very difficult. It's very understandable and painful that we want to end this war as quick as possible. And really, we -- each day,
we do all we can. I speak with all the partners. I try to negotiate. I'm asking different parts in different continents. Help me to stop Putin. But
if we will give him all he wants, we will lose everything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WARD: Now, Isa, when we asked him what he would like to hear from President Trump in his State of the Union address tonight, he took a very long pause
while he was thinking about it, and then he said simply, we want him to stay on our side.
And the very fact that they -- that he had to say that and so many Ukrainians feel that they are now in that position of almost begging the
U.S. to keep its focus on Ukraine, to continue supporting Ukraine, I think it's a pretty staggering assessment of just how much things have changed in
these four years. Isa.
SOARES: Yes, and I want to pick up, Clarissa, with what you said this increased sense of bitterness and abandonment. You have been covering this
war for four years. You've been in and out of the country, you've spoken -- I'm hoping that we've got Clarissa. Do we still have Clarissa? Clarissa,
are you with us?
WARD: Yes, I lost you for one second, if you could repeat the question --
SOARES: No worries. Of course --
WARD: Yes --
SOARES: I was saying, picking up on what you were saying in your first answer, Clarissa, where you said, there's an increasing sense of
abandonment, of bitterness. You have been covering this war for four years. Do Ukrainians, those you've spoken to, those you've interviewed, do they
believe there is a diplomatic row to ending this war?
I know President Zelenskyy had a message for President Trump for the State of the Union. What about ordinary Ukrainians? What are they telling you?
WARD: I think ordinary Ukrainians are much more pragmatic than you might think. They are increasingly willing to consider making territorial
concessions. But they, like President Zelenskyy, want to be sure that if they're going to make those concessions, that there will be security
guarantees in order to prevent President Putin or the Russian state from ever trying to invade Ukraine once again.
And they are not willing, no matter how high the stakes, no matter how desperate the situation, to sign any kind of deal that does not explicitly
make those guarantees. Now, when we talk to President Zelenskyy about the security guarantees, he said, we're almost there.
The U.S. hasn't signed, but what is still missing is that crucial language that would outline exactly how Ukraine's security partners would respond if
there was another act of aggression. He said that up until now, the Europeans and the U.S. are taking the attitude of, listen, we're building
in all these mechanisms to ensure that it never happens again.
He says that's not good enough. We still have to have a concrete plan for if it happens again. So, that appears to be the rub right now. But still,
some optimism that in the coming months, it might be possible with that U.S. support and also coming from President Zelenskyy with increased
pressure on Russia. Isa.
SOARES: Clarissa Ward for us there in Ukraine and Kyiv this hour, thanks very much, Clarissa. In a few moments, I'll speak to Jens Stoltenberg, the
former Secretary-General of NATO. You do not want to miss the conversation, of course, as we reflect on four years of this war in Ukraine now entering,
of course, its fifth year.
We'll turn our attention to the United States. The Guthrie family has announced a huge new reward in the hopes of getting back their missing
mother Nancy Guthrie. And this comes as spite, no major updates on her whereabouts. Nancy Guthrie was reported missing if you remember, from her
home near Tucson, Arizona, on February 1st.
She is the mother of "NBC" "Today" show host Savannah Guthrie. Savannah released this message earlier. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, DAUGHTER OF NANCY GUTHRIE: We need her to come home. For that reason, we are offering a family reward of up to $1 million for any
information that leads us to her recovery. All of the information about this reward and the details is in the caption below.
You can call the 1-800-Tip-line, you can be anonymous if you want.
[14:10:00]
Someone out there knows something that can bring her home. Somebody knows. And we are begging you to please come forward now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And this comes as new details emerge about that doorbell camera video from Nancy Guthrie's front porch. A source tells CNN, the video shows
the suspect visiting her doorstep on at least one other night not just in the morning, of course, when it's believed she was abducted.
And you can see in one of these images the masked man isn't wearing a backpack. CNN's Ed Lavandera joins me now from Tucson, Arizona. So, Ed,
let's start on the investigation front. What more can you tell us about this new image, this new video of the suspect. What is the sheriff saying
about this?
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we've had questions about that one image that was released around February 10th, almost two weeks ago. Since
the very beginning, it stood out because it was just so different from all of the other videos that showed the suspect with the mask, a backpack, and
a gun holstered around his waist.
That one image is missing the gun in the holster and the backpacks. We are trying to figure out where in the timeline that image could have come from.
Now, a source tells CNN that it's believed that that photograph comes from a different date altogether.
So, this person being here at the Nancy Guthrie's property on two different dates. Now, why is that significant? Obviously, there has been a lot of
belief among investigators that this was a targeted abduction of Nancy Guthrie. So, perhaps this person, this was part of the planning, the
reconnaissance or the casing of the area. Is it possible?
And we do know that investigators have been asking residents in the area around Nancy Guthrie's home for video dating from January 1st to February
2nd, and there's also been another call out with more specific dates, one of them dating back to January 11th between 8:00 p.m. and midnight.
So, a very specific time there wasn't really clear as to what exactly prompted investigators to put that call out to residents around here. But
clearly, given the indication that they had believed or are under the suspicion that this person had to have come through this neighborhood to
kind of get a lay of the land, if you will.
So, that's why a lot of this is significant. But we should also point out that after this reporting emerged, the sheriff here in Pima County, Chris
Nanos, says that he believes that this reporting is speculative, that the people saying this don't know exactly because there are no time-stamps on
the videos that were resurrected and recovered by private companies on the -- on that door camera.
So, you know, that's the information we're dealing with right now as this investigation is now entering its third week.
SOARES: And Ed, just before we came to you in the introduction, we played a small part of that heartbreaking video from Savannah Guthrie, asking the
public, of course, for help in finding her mother. Someone, somewhere, I think, she said, know something. This has got a bigger reward. Do we have a
sense of why now, why this is being offered now, the timing here?
LAVANDERA: Well, we learned from a source close to the Guthrie family that this was an idea that they had on the very first day of the investigation.
But it was a story that was generating so many phone calls, that the family was told that it would kind of just -- it would just be too much for the
call system that was already in place handling the tens of thousands of calls that would be coming over those initial days and weeks of this
investigation.
That it would just be too much to handle, and because of that, they -- that there were a lot of calls already like organically coming in, was the way
it was described to us. But that has clearly now changed.
We were in the -- in the 9-1-1 call center here in Pima County just a few days ago, where we were told that since the release of that suspect video
and those images from almost two weeks ago, which has really been the most dramatic clue we've received so far in this investigation, that the calls
were starting to taper down.
That perhaps there's a sense among residents and people calling in tips that there hasn't been any kind of new change, that those things were
starting to slow down. So, perhaps, the family felt the need to reinvigorate those calls because, as you heard Savannah say, and this kind
of matches what investigators believe they are under no illusion.
They do believe there is someone, a small group of people, or maybe just one other person who knows where Nancy Guthrie is and know the details of
how all this unfolded. And they're hoping to get one of those people to call in.
SOARES: Is hoping. Ed, thank you very much indeed. And still to come tonight, unpopular but unbowed. Donald Trump prepares for his first State
of the Union speech of his second term. We'll have that. And Iran says it's ready to do what it takes to find a nuclear deal with U.S. A live report
from the Middle East is coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:15:00]
SOARES: Well, with his approval numbers sagging in his domestic and international problems mounting, Donald Trump will address the nation
tonight for his annual State of the Union speech. Mr. Trump says it will be a long speech because he has a lot to talk about.
Among the items expected to be on the agenda, tariffs, affordability, his immigration crackdown and potential military action in Iran. A brand new
CNN poll finds the President is deeply unpopular. His numbers -- his approval numbers, I should say, have tumbled 12 points in the past year.
We had a long discussion on those numbers yesterday, if you remember. Let's focus on what we should expect today. Our White House -- go to White House,
and Kevin Liptak has a preview of the speech. So, Kevin, the numbers don't look great. And I know the economy was one of the biggest concerns for
majority of Americans. So, what is the President expected to say tonight?
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, you shouldn't be surprised he will talk about the economy. That's what White House aides have said is the
bulk of this address that the President will be delivering. And I think it's sort of two parts.
One, he wants to describe some of the steps that he's taken over the last year to try and bring prices down, things like lowering the cost of
prescription drugs, cutting taxes, those kinds of items. But I think sort of key -- what -- from the President will be to try and describe what more
he's doing.
Because the conundrum that he faces is that even though some of the economic indicators are fairly good, you know, growth is still positive,
the stock markets doing well. What you hear from Americans and polls is that, they don't necessarily feel that in their own lives.
And so, this is the challenge I think for the President tonight, is to try and sort of ensure Americans recognize that he understands that there is a
lot more work to be done on the economy. And that has not traditionally been something that the President comes to naturally.
He's much more of a boaster, he likes to talk about how things are doing well. He is less inclined, I think, to talk about where there remains work
to be done. And so, when you listen to the President's advisors, they say that, that is something that they're trying to sort of hone in on tonight
is striking that balance in the State of the Union speech.
And a lot of ways this is a kickoff to the President's election year messaging, very critical midterm elections coming in November. You know,
last week, top White House officials sort of huddled to discuss what the President's sort of strategy would be over the coming ten months.
[14:20:00]
And they did sort of narrow down that it would be the economy that they do need to talk more about the question of affordability. That's something
that the President has sort of mocked. But they did determine that, that was what most Americans actually did want to hear from him.
They also sort of recognized that talking about immigration, which is the topic that has been of so much focus for the last ten months isn't
necessarily a winning one for American voters.
And so, while the President will probably discuss that tonight in some form, talking about how the southern border is now much more secure,
talking about how he's going after, you know, criminals who are also undocumented immigrants in the country.
They don't necessarily want that to be the main take-away from the speech. They very much do want it to be about this question of costs and the
economy and affordability. And so, it remains to be seen if the President will be able --
SOARES: Yes --
LIPTAK: To stick to that message. That's not something he's traditionally been very good at. But that's certainly the hope among the people who are
preparing this speech.
SOARES: No, a lot of -- I imagine, a lot of ad-libbing going off script and apparently expected to be quite long in-between applause, I think, it might
be even longer, but I understand some Democrats are boycotting this.
LIPTAK: That's right. A number of them saying that instead of sitting in the chamber and, you know, staring, stone-faced or even trying to interrupt
the President, which is what we saw some of them do last year, they have determined that they will just not attend altogether.
And in fact, that was sort of the message from Democratic leadership, was that, instead of sort of making a show, a lot of them did not think that,
that went over particularly well last year. Instead of trying to disrupt the President, just don't show up, and maybe go to some of your own events.
You know, they're participating in some of these rallies around Washington as sort of counter-programming. You'll also hear the official Democratic
response from the Governor of Virginia, Abigail Spanberger, who won by a 15-point margin in her election last year.
She's going to be speaking from Colonial Williamsburg, which is sort of the colonial capital of the United States. I think trying to underscore some of
these questions about the state of Democracy in the United States that so many of President Trump's opponents are warning could be eroding under his
presidency.
And so, they will have an opportunity to respond. But I think it's always a difficult prospect to try and break through what is the biggest television
audience of the year for the President of the United States. It really is by all accounts, his evening. And so, Democrats will have their tasks cut
out for them and trying to get their own message across.
SOARES: Kevin, appreciate it, thank you very much indeed. Well, members of the U.S. Olympic Men's Hockey team are expected to appear at tonight's
speech at President Trump's invitation. The team, however, is facing backlash after laughing during a call with Mr. Trump following their gold
medal win.
The President joked that if he invited the men's team, he'd be expected to invite the women's team who, by the way, also won gold.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (via telephone): I must tell you, we're going to have to bring the women's team, you do know that? --
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two-point-two, 2.2 --
TRUMP: I do believe I probably would be impeached, OK?
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, President Trump did invite the women's team, they declined, citing scheduling conflicts, but expressed appreciation for the invitation
and recognition of their achievement. Congratulations to the ladies. Well, President Trump's new 10 percent global tariff is now in force, but his
administration says it's working to boost the rate to 15 percent.
The temporary tariffs imposed under section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 are the President's response to the Supreme Court ruling, his global
emergency tariffs illegal, if you remember, on Friday. The new tariffs will last for 150 days unless Congress votes to extend them.
The European Union, meantime, is calling on the U.S. to stick to the terms of the bilateral trade deal agreed to last year. President Trump says
countries that, quote, "play games following the court's ruling could face higher levies". Well, Iran's deputy Foreign Minister says his country is
ready to do whatever necessary to reach a nuclear deal with the U.S.
And Iranian officials are due to meet in Geneva, and that's expected to happen on Thursday. A source tells CNN that Iran is ready to submit new
proposals for limiting its nuclear activities to mediators from Oman, and it comes amid a massive build-up, of course, of U.S. firepower in the
region and talk of a major attack.
Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post, that his military leaders think the U.S. would easily win any war with Iran. I want to go to our Jeremy
Diamond, who is following this story. And Jeremy, just before coming to you, I was just seeing a kind of series of posts by Iran's Foreign Minister
Abbas Araghchi, basically saying Iran will under no circumstances, ever develop a nuclear weapon.
[14:25:00]
But it's also said it will not relinquish its right to civilian nuclear technology. What more are we hearing from the Iranians as we look ahead, of
course, to this meeting on Thursday?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and that is very much in line with what the Iranian negotiating posture has been thus far, and also
with what a source familiar with the matter told us earlier today, which is that Iran was expected to present its latest proposal today to the Omani
mediators.
And in that proposal, they would propose enriching -- maintaining their right to enrich uranium at low levels, you know, at limits to those levels,
but still preserving that right to enrich uranium. And the question is, ultimately going to be how low will that Iranian enrichment actually be?
Will it simply be something symbolic that allows the Iranians to save face, and will that be enough for the United States, which up until now has said
that Iran should not be allowed to enrich uranium at all going forward. Certainly, the goal of the United States is to prevent Iran from ever
obtaining a nuclear weapon.
And so, we don't yet know what kind of accommodation these two sides may be able to reach on the nuclear issue, let alone the other issues that have
been brought up. And that are certainly priorities for the Israeli government, Iran's ballistic missile program, for example, as well as its
support for regional proxies.
In this region, what we have been witnessing has been nothing short of an extraordinarily large build-up of U.S. military force in the region, as
well as in bases in Europe, which have traditionally been used to support operations in the Middle East.
And this obviously gives the United States the ability to exert overwhelming air power in the skies of Iran, should President Trump choose
to go with that military option. For now, it seems like the United States has certainly been trying to use that as a leverage point over Iran,
although to what success is not yet clear.
President Trump doesn't seem to have yet made a decision as to whether or not he wants to exert exercise that military option. But we do know that
today, lawmakers on Capitol Hill were getting briefed by top Trump administration officials, and all of the pieces are now coming into place
for that next series of negotiations between the U.S. and Iran mediated by the Omanis in the Swiss city of Geneva.
That is set to take place on Thursday. And following that meeting is likely when we will see President Trump kind of determine what the next steps will
be, but there's certainly a sense in this region right now, including by the Israelis whose Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu warned yesterday that
an Iranian attack on Israel would be an extraordinary mistake.
There is certainly a sense in this region that those negotiations on Thursday could very well be make or break, and depending on the Iranian
negotiating posture, that could very well trigger President Trump's decision to say this diplomacy isn't going anywhere.
Let's go for military action or instead to double down on that diplomacy with a sense of a viable pathway, we'll know a lot more in the coming days,
Isa.
SOARES: We will, indeed. Thank you very much, Jeremy Diamond, for us there in Jerusalem. And still to come tonight, Mexican troops try to restore calm
after a drug lord's death sets off a wave of violence. We'll report live from Jalisco, that's coming up.
And then the British political establishment continues to shake under the fallout of the Epstein files with a former prince under public scrutiny.
We'll have the latest with our Max Foster after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:30:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. Well, outrage is growing amongst U.K. lawmakers over the Epstein files as investigations look into alleged
misconduct in public office by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and former U.K. ambassador to the U.S. Peter Mandelson. Following the former prince's
arrest last week, the British government has said it will support a proposal to publish documents on his appointment as U.K. trade envoy in
2001, a role he stepped down from in 2011 over his ties to the convicted sex offender. Here's what one Labour minister had to say earlier.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS BRYANT, BRITISH TRADE MINISTER: Colleagues and many civil servants have told me their own stories of their interactions with Mr. Mountbatten-
Windsor, and they all betray the same pattern. A man on a constant self- aggrandising and self-enriching hustle. A rude, arrogant, and entitled man who could not distinguish between the public interest, which he said he
served, and his own private interest.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, Mountbatten-Windsor, has not been charged with any crimes and has previously denied any wrongdoing related to Jeffrey Epstein. Meanwhile,
the impact is extending well beyond the U.K. Australian and New Zealand have said they would support the removal of Mountbatten-Windsor, from the
line of royal successions.
CNN's Max Foster joins me now more on how this is shaking British politics, and is shaking, it's going all the way to the heart of Westminster. Those
comments by Chris Bryant that we heard, I mean, he really didn't mince his words, Max. How unusual is that? How rare to hear those kinds of comments
about a former prince?
MAX FOSTER, CNN LONDON CORRESPONDENT: Very rare. It's a centuries-old rule, effectively. It was a protocol before it became a rule. We can actually
bring it up for you. It says that you cannot debate the conduct of the king, the heir, or other members of the royal family in the House, partly
because they are one of the branches of Parliament, the monarchy, and they can't answer back in the House of Commons. So, the Speaker of the House had
to give special dispensation for the MPs to discuss this, and you saw how they didn't hold back.
SOARES: Where are we, then, on these documents? They were -- you know, they're expected now, they've been let to be released, right? Do we have a
sense of when we're going to get them, when they'll come to light?
FOSTER: There's this groundswell of anger about both Andrew and Mandelson and the police inquiry. They don't want to interfere with the police
inquiry, so what they're focusing on is how he got that role as trade envoy back in the day, so they want those documents, and they voted
overwhelmingly to have those documents released.
So, I think what's interesting is we have the Epstein files, we're also beginning to be getting the Andrew files. You know, there might be more
that come out from the police investigation as well if it goes to trial, and then there's Mandelson as well. Both have, you know, said they haven't
carried out any wrongdoing, but what we're seeing is more context, really, to the Epstein files, and we're seeing the British Parliament really
leading the way on this, and we're also seeing other parliaments having to react to it as well.
So, when we talk about the line of succession, there are -- every country where the king is monarch and sovereign has to pass that bill as well. So,
you're seeing 15 countries in total from Canada to Tuvalu to Australia having to pass this law as well.
[14:35:00]
So, it's having a huge impact around the world, to establishments around the world, but it's also taking a huge amount of parliamentary time, and
there are really key issues that are suffering because of this.
SOARES: And this is not something that's going to go away any time soon. Have we heard anything so far from the royal family now? We're talking
about the line of succession. We mentioned Australia and New Zealand said they would support the removal of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. At what point
do you think, as a royal correspondent, they will have to say something more?
FOSTER: Well, they've said off the record they are supporting the move to remove him from the line of succession, the palace. So, they are supporting
that. Again, extraordinary. I mean, look back in history where you would ever have a situation where you had the monarchy, which is meant to be
independent, a pillar of democracy, allowing Parliament to have control over their future. It's extraordinary. It really defies all historical
precedent.
And we're not really noticing the sort of house of cards, sort of, not falling, but teetering, because of these incremental movements. But what's
happening here is changing the way the U.K. is set up.
SOARES: Yes, the house of cards is definitely teetering, it's definitely shaking. And because we don't even have the documents yet, we haven't even
seen what's -- you know, some of these papers. And that's the concern, isn't it? There could be more and implicate more people.
FOSTER: Yes. So, you know, there was someone in government that approved Andrew's appointment as trade envoy. When, at the time, I mean, Richard
Quest will tell you, he's worked with him in those early days. There's lots of questions about whether he should be in that role. That was more to do
with his sort of playboy reputation, as it was at the time, and nothing to do with any of this.
But, you know, there are opposition politicians pushing, you know, what they're pushing for is what role Mandelson might have had in appointing
Andrew to the trade envoy position, which connects those two stories.
SOARES: Max, thank you very much. And Max is back with "What We Know" in 20 minutes' time. Thanks, Max.
FOSTER: Great show.
SOARES: Thank you. That's my show he's talking about, by the way. Well, in the U.S., the fallout from the Epstein files continues for public figures.
Celebrity doctor Peter Attia resigned from his new contributor position at CBS News. This after the latest trove of release documents revealed new
details about his relationship with the late sex offender, including the exchange of lewd messages. Attia has apologized to his team, as well as
patients, and has denied ever witnessing illegal behavior or seeing underage girls with Epstein. He has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
Turning to Mexico, and Mexican forces are trying to keep the calm today after a wave of violence sparked by the killing, of course, of the
notorious drug lord we told you about, El Mencho. Chaos erupted in Puerto Vallarta and other cities when a military operation killed the country's
most wanted cartel boss on Sunday. El Mencho led the most powerful, Jalisco New Generation cartel, that is a U.S.-designated terrorist group. At least
25 National Guard members were killed when his death set off a rampage by suspected cartel members.
According to the government, 20 of Mexico's 32 states were affected. Mexico's president insisting today the worst is over.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM, MEXICAN PRESIDENT (through translator): In Puerto Vallarta, things are also gradually returning to normal. And the most
important thing is that our objective, as I said yesterday, is security and peace.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Well, our David Culver is joining us from Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco State. David, good to see you. Look, I was speaking to a
journalist on the show yesterday from Guadalajara who was telling me Mexicans are incredibly anxious, worried about where this goes from here,
the sense of secure, how you can get security back. What are you hearing from Mexicans there?
DAVID CULVER, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Echoing that same sentiment, Isa. You know, you've got people who are just on edge and you
notice it with any little sudden movement. In fact, we were on the base behind me. It's a military base here in Guadalajara. And we were there
because the governor of Jalisco was holding a press conference. He was echoing basically the same message that you heard from the president there,
and that is Code Red has been lifted. Things are safe. Traffic coming back to normal. They're going to be opening public transportation today. Schools
tomorrow will reopen. There's a school just on the corner over here. And so, they're trying to certainly project an image of security and safety.
Now, does that resonate? Not necessarily. In fact, as that press conference ended and as we wrapped up our interview with the governor, we were being
told quickly to get off the base and we weren't quite sure what that was all about until we got off the base and realized there was a lot of police
activity and a lot of movement and there was a belief that there was an attack or an impending attack on the other side of the base.
And so, it shows even as they're saying things are safe and secure, it may be the case, but there's still such an uneasiness that any suggestion to
the contrary makes people want to react a certain way.
[14:40:00]
SOARES: And that points to the challenge that the Mexican president, Claudia Sheinbaum, that she will face in the days and months ahead, right?
Because there is a power vacuum clearly right now within the Jalisco New Generation cartel. And worth reminding viewers, the World Cup is around the
corner too and Guadalajara is one of the hosting cities. So, the pressure is on.
CULVER: There is a lot of pressure. You mentioned the World Cup. The governor was asked for that by -- there, you know, were some two dozen or
three dozen state media representatives here from Mexico and they said, what about the World Cup? Because we're hearing that potentially it will be
moved out of Guadalajara. He said that is false. That is totally false. The matches that are scheduled here will take place. He's been in touch with
FIFA. He says they will go on.
But to your point of how exactly they're going to be able to secure things going forward, there is skepticism. And you notice that even as experts on
the media here are speaking locally where they say, you wipe out the head, El Mencho, that by no means dismantles this cartel.
Now, they have projected some five individuals and they've even got them on different profile lists essentially here in the media where they list who
these people are, what their specialties are. That's how well known they are amongst certain security experts and now amongst the general public
here. And they try to determine then from those five who potentially will take the leadership role.
Will they consolidate power or will it fracture? We'll we see something like we've seen with Sinaloa where you have multiple different factions
within claiming control and infighting and more violence. That's the real uncertainty right now and that's something they're trying to figure out. If
it's going to self-sustain, essentially will you have Jalisco as a cartel find one leader and continue on or will there be infighting and ultimately
will it lead to more concern for the community?
SOARES: Yes. I know you'll stay across it for us. David Culver, thank you very much. Good to see you, David. Thank you.
Well, much of the northeastern U.S. is digging out of huge piles of snow after a strong storm hit several states while more than 330,000 customers
are still without power. A majority of those are in Massachusetts. One local utility company said the blizzard conditions on Monday made it
difficult to really restore power. And this storm brought the biggest snowfall on record for the city of Providence in Rhode Island and there is
potential for even more snow.
A new storm is expected in the Great Lakes region today, reaching the northeast by overnight Wednesday. However, it's not expected to be as heavy
as this past one. Here, let's get more on this with Gloria Pazmino.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, a historic snowfall here in New York City. More than 50 centimeters of snow fell here in Central Park.
That's about 17 inches. And even more in parts outside of the city. 78 centimeters out in parts of Long Island. That is history-making snow. In
fact, it is the ninth snowiest storm since 1869 and it is the biggest snowstorm New York City has seen in the last 10 years.
Here in Central Park, it's turned very much into a winter wonderland with a lot of people coming into the park to enjoy the conditions, just take in
the scenery, build snowmen, and take in the beautiful sights. But, of course, what comes next is the cleanup, and that's what we're seeing
throughout a lot of the city today.
Much of Manhattan, kind of the heart of the city, has been cleaned up. The primary roads are cleared. The sidewalks are being cleaned. But when it
comes to the outer boroughs, parts like Staten Island, Queens, they have a lot more accumulation and they are still very much in the middle of digging
out.
Now, this kind of snow that fell yesterday and on Sunday, this is very tightly packed, wet, hard snow. That means that the longer it sits around,
the harder it is to clean and the heavier it gets. So, you know, you should be careful when you're out trying to shovel and clean this snow.
Schoolchildren are back to school today. They were fully back in the school buildings after having a snow day yesterday. Some local officials, critical
of the mayor, are saying they should have had remote learning today given it's still very hard to get around in some parts of the city.
And then, of course, there's the airports. A lot of delays. In fact, as of early this morning, there were no flights taking off from the New York area
airport as well as Boston. And so, it is very likely that we will continue to see delays going into the evening hours and likely into tomorrow when
flights finally start to take off.
I'm Gloria Pazmino in New York, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And still to come tonight, a pioneering medical breakthrough. We'll hear from the surgeon behind the first baby to be born in U.K. using a womb
transplanted from a dead donor. That story just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:45:00]
SOARES: Well, an amazing medical breakthrough. Baby boy is the first child in the U.K. to be born using a womb transplanted from a dead donor. Grace
Bell, who was born without a womb, gave birth to a healthy baby named Hugo. You can see him there. The donation of a womb from a deceased donor is only
possible in the U.K. as part of this approved womb transplant research program. The donor's family described the tremendous pride at the legacy,
their words, their daughter leaves behind. It's a historic scientific development, giving hope, of course, to women without a viable womb who
want to give birth to their own child.
Joining me now is Isabel Quiroga, a consultant transplant surgeon at Oxford University Hospitals who co-led the pioneering research. Doctor, welcome to
the show. And first of all, congratulations. This is truly pioneering. How was that moment?
ISABEL QUIROGA, TRANSPLANT SURGEON: Well, many thanks for inviting me to your program. It's been a fantastic journey, as you can imagine. Being part
of the birth of a baby, the conception, the creation of that baby, and allowing Grace to have her own baby is just short of a miracle, really.
SOARES: Can you tell U.S., Doctor, about the operation and the road to that transplant itself? I'm sure this has been years in the making, right?
QUIROGA: Well, we've been researching. The research has been going on for probably 25 years in our group and in other groups across the world. We met
Grace many years ago now, probably four years. I met her three, four years ago. And of course, she has to go through a very stringent process of
assessment, physical and psychological, of course.
And she -- Grace doesn't have a living donor that could donate that uterus to her. So, she had to go onto the waiting list for a deceased donor. So,
she was on that list for some time. And then when she had the call, the final call, thankfully, the operation was quite straightforward. She was --
she recovered very well from the operation. And then the follow-up from there, that was also quite uneventful. So, we just need to make sure that
the uterus is taken well, that she does not develop rejection, and that she is fit and healthy, doesn't reveal any infections either.
[14:50:00]
And then finally, when she had the embryo transfer --
SOARES: Yes, go ahead. Go ahead, go ahead.
QUIROGA: Sorry, when she had the embryo transfer, she got pregnant and there we are, a very healthy baby.
SOARES: And a beautiful baby boy, a healthy baby boy. You said the operation was straightforward, but the removal -- the taking the womb, the
transplant, I mean, that must be a very delicate operation. Talk to us about that.
QUIROGA: Yes, absolutely. You never know what you're going to encounter when you're going to a donation. And she was -- so, our donor, again, that
retrieval, the organ retrieval was relatively straightforward. The organ was perfect. And this particular donor donated another five other organs,
life-saving organs, that is.
And then the transplant into the recipient, yes, it's not a straightforward transplant. It takes a long time. It's a long operation. These are very,
very small vessels that we need to join together. So, yes, it's not straightforward. It's obviously not something that we do every day, but
we're very, very fortunate. I'm very grateful to the donor family, of course, and very happy with the outcome.
SOARES: Yes. And very briefly, I mean, this gives so many women hope, doesn't it, Doctor?
QUIROGA: That's the main thing. What we've given is women hope. There's women that have been born without a uterus or that had lost it before they
were able to become mothers. Now, they have other options before they only had adoption or surrogacy, which is not legal in many other countries. So,
that opens and gives opportunities to thousands of women around the world, I think.
SOARES: Dr. Isabel Quiroga, thank you so much, and congratulations to you and the entire team. Really, really inspiring. Thank you, Doctor. We're
going to take a short break. We'll be back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. And we want to end tonight's show really where we began, focusing on Ukraine, by taking a moment to reflect on the
last four years of war in Ukraine.
[14:55:00]
Since Russia began its full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, this is the daily reality, really, for Ukrainians. Endless bombings, drone attacks.
Homes completely destroyed. Obliterated. Lives ended. The fear of going to sleep at night. Imagine that. Not knowing what the night will hold or what
destruction the morning daylight will reveal.
We have seen, and we have a portion of this on the show, families ripping apart. Heartbreaking goodbyes made on the sides of railways. How can we
forget these images? The soldiers make their way to the front lines. We have seen women and children, so many of them, as we told you at the top of
the show, forced to flee across borders, taking only what they can carry. To make a life in an unknown country. So, many, of course. We have spoken
to them. I have spoken to so many here on the show. All the while, their loved ones have to remain behind in the front lines, in this grueling war.
And for those who do remain, trying to find those moments of normality, imagine that, surrounded by constant reminders around you of the pain as
well as devastation of war.
That does it for us tonight. We will continue focusing on the war in Ukraine and pushing, really, for diplomatic solutions. Do stay right here.
"What We Know" with Max Foster is up next. I shall see you tomorrow.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
