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One World with Zain Asher
Two Leaders Vie To Shape Venezuela's Future; Trump: Iran Not Planning Executions; Military Action Still On Table; Ugandans Cast Votes In Crucial Presidential Rematch; Trump Threatens To Invoke Insurrection Act Over Minneapolis Unrest; Washington Post "Deeply Concerned" By Raid On Reporter's Home; X Restricts Grok's Ability To Create Explicit Images. Aired 12-1p ET
Aired January 15, 2026 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:00:51]
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. Live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga. You are watching the second hour of "One World."
We begin with a pivotal moment in Venezuelan politics as two women hoping to shape the country's future seem to be vying for the U.S. president's
favor.
This hour, opposition leader and Nobel Prize Laureate, Maria Corina Machado, sits down with Donald Trump.
Now, he's declined to endorse her in the days since the U.S. military strikes and the capture of Nicolas Maduro.
Machado's rival, Delcy Rodriguez, a staunch Maduro defender, seen here on your left, is now settling into her new role as acting president. She is
slated to deliver her first state of the union address this hour.
President Trump says that he spoke to her yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: She's a terrific person. I mean, she's somebody that we've worked with very well. Marco Rubio is
dealing with her. I dealt with her this morning. We had a call.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: On Venezuela and your meeting with Machado next week, if she gives you her Nobel Peace Prize,
will that change your view about her running that country?
TRUMP: Well, I have to speak to her. I mean, I'm going to have to speak to her. She might be involved in some aspect of it.
I can't think of anybody in history that she get the Nobel Prize more than me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Now, all of this as the U.S. seizes another oil tanker in the Caribbean as it tries to control the flow of oil from Venezuela.
CNN's Kevin Liptak is standing by at the White House, but let's begin with Stefano Pozzebon in Bogota, Colombia.
As we noted, Stefano, this is really a tale of two different women, two different ideologies. They know each other quite well, both of them vying
for the president's attention and approval.
How is this all playing out on the streets of Venezuela?
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, it's playing out just as everywhere else in the world. It's interesting how this dynamic is pretty
much playing out, out in the open with the White House basically holding no secrets that they are speaking with both these leaders, with both these
women who are essentially presenting and pitching to Donald Trump to very different visions for their own country.
By the way, they are not so dissimilar in their own profile. Both of them, both Delcy Rodriguez and Maria Corina Machado, are extremely apt at
controlling the narratives. Both of them are highly experienced with, for example, Maria Corina Machado, first visiting the White House back in 2005,
for a meeting with then-president George W. Bush.
And, of course, Delcy Rodriguez, instead being involved in the higher layers of the Venezuelan government from pretty much the last decade. Both,
for example, studied abroad with Maria Corina Machado studying in the U.S., while Delcy Rodriguez studied in both France and the U.K., and they are
both apt English and French speakers, which means that they can hold personal conversations with the president.
It's interesting just how this dynamic is presenting with Delcy Rodriguez, of course, appealing to the businessman side of Donald Trump, saying that
they can do deals together, regardless of the ideology.
Some of these deals, we understand, are already taking place with Delcy Rodriguez already offering and sending up towards the United States up to
50 million barrels of crude oil directly from Venezuela, while instead, of course, Maria Corina Machado is appealing to the political leader, saying
that she is the one that can transition Venezuela back into democracy, back into the concert of the Western world, and more firmly allied and aligned
with Washington, perhaps, fending off the influence of countries like China, Iran, or Russia, that instead have held close contacts with Delcy
Rodriguez in the past.
Both of them will be speaking pretty much at the same time. Delcy Rodriguez will be speaking on Venezuelan national television, as she delivers her
yearly state of the union address, her first as acting Venezuelan president, while instead Maria Corina Machado will be speaking to an
audience of one, to the audience of Donald Trump, as they share a private lunch at the White House, so no official visit and apparently no cameras
for us to follow this meeting.
[12:05:04]
However, you will probably know and appreciate that perhaps the most critical audience is just that one person, Donald Trump, who with just a
stroke of his pen, could change the fate of Venezuela and the fate of these two leaders at the same time.
Probably a comfortable ground for Trump himself, given his background as a former T.V. host and reality T.V. -- a reality show judge with people
jostling for his attention. We'll see how that plays out in the next few hours.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. And that meeting with the opposition leader Maria Corina Machado happening in just a few moments time.
Kevin, quite a predicament she finds herself in. Should she come to the White House perhaps with that Nobel Prize that she says that she hopes to
share with the president, even speculation that she will give it to him, the Nobel Committee saying that is not allowed?
Or will she be coming with perhaps ideas and information data points to -- to respond to his -- his claim that she doesn't have the support of the
Venezuelan people?
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: I think she's probably coming with both, sort of with the recognition that this interpersonal
relationship with President Trump that could potentially be greased by handing over a Nobel medal is the only part of the calculation here.
And I think so for President Trump, you know, as he's talking to Machado, he'll want to also discuss her ability to potentially govern Venezuela. He
said yesterday in an interview that they would be discussing the quote, basics.
And so I think both of those sides of the coin will be critical as they sit down in the president's private dining room for lunch.
You know, the administration has made pretty explicit that they're putting a sort of all of their cards right now in Delcy Rodriguez. They are
entrusting her with running the day-to-day operations in that country and using the leverage that they have, whether it's military or economic, to
ensure that she essentially does what they want.
They have also made pretty explicit that they don't see democracy in Venezuela as a priority at the moment. You know, you heard that from Marco
Rubio the day after they seized Maduro, saying that eventually, yes, they hope to see a democratic transition in that country, but that it was going
to take some time and that their priorities, at least for now, are elsewhere, including on the country's oil reserves. And they do view Delcy
Rodriguez as someone who can help facilitate U.S. access to the energy there.
And so as they get down to discussing, quote, the basics, I think President Trump will want to learn from Machado what exactly her plans would be for
running that country for actual governance.
You know, she has been the face of the resistance for so long. She's also spent so much time and energy trying to cultivate, not only President Trump
but other members of the right wing in the United States to try and essentially bring them to her side.
But they haven't necessarily been convinced that she can run Caracas on a sort of operational level. And so that's something I think that they want
to discuss.
You know, it comes to the Nobel Peace Prize. You're right, the Nobel Committee has essentially says -- said, you know, this is not how it works.
You can't just hand over the prize and say, we have a new Nobel Laureate on our hands.
But it does seem as if it would go a long way in convincing the president that he has someone here who is on his side that he can trust. You know,
the only sort of view that the president has into her at this point is essentially seeing her speaking on television.
And so if she can kind of cultivate that relationship further, we have seen in the past that that goes quite a long way in dealing with President
Trump.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Kevin, you'll be covering this closely for us. Our thanks to Stefano Pozzebon as well.
Well, turning to Iran where that country's defense minister is warning the government may not be able to prevent instability from spreading beyond its
borders as the regime struggles with the country's largest uprising in decades.
But the White House suggests, without offering any evidence, that the brutal crackdown against protesters is easing. President Trump is now
saying the administration will take a watch-and-see approach after threatening military intervention for weeks. Now, it comes amid a weeklong
state imposed near total communications blackout, and after Iran briefly shut down its airspace early today without explanation.
The country's foreign minister, meanwhile, is rejecting claims of mass killing, calling it a misinformation campaign.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABBAS ARAGHCHI, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: For 10 days, it was peaceful, legal demonstrations and protests for economic shortcomings. But after that
10 days, for three days, we had completely different story at terrorist operation.
[12:10:59]
GOLODRYGA: Obviously, state propaganda there being espoused by government officials.
Trump says that military options are still on the table after earlier this week telling Iranians that help is on its way without offering further
explanation.
Now one of the president's key allies in Congress is urging immediate action.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): Donald Trump picked the people over the Ayatollah. Donald Trump says the best way to make Iran great again is for
the protesters to win and the regime to come down.
How do you do that? Whatever action we're going to take, Mr. President, needs to embolden the protesters and scare the hell out of the regime.
If I were you, Mr. President, I would kill the leadership that are killing the people. You got to end this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: CNN's Nada Bashir joins me now live in London.
That is a big question. How to end this despite what government officials are saying. There are credible reports of thousands of Iranian protesters
who have been killed and even thousands more arrested.
The president of the United States saying that he has it on good authority that the killing has stopped. What is the mood like in the region at this
tense moment, Nada Bashir?
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Look, Bianna, it is very hard to verify the information coming from inside Iran. What little information we have been
gathering during this internet and communications blackout does continue to paint a grim picture of what is unfolding.
Of course, we have heard from eyewitnesses on the ground that protests have waned somewhat over the last two or three nights in response to the violent
and deadly crackdown carried out by the Iranian security forces.
As you mentioned, we've been having death toll updates from a U.S.-based human rights organization at this stage, that death toll and more than
2,400 people since protests began in late December, with some 18,000 others said to be detained.
And we are getting more reporting from human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, which has put out a report saying it has
credible information around mass unlawful killings in the word of this Amnesty report, being committed on an unprecedented scale.
Now, we have been receiving video and images from individuals on the ground, despite this blackout, many have been able, or some have been able
to get access to the outside world through landlines or through Starlink as slight connection.
Amnesty says it has verified video and photographs from several cities and provinces, which appears to show security forces firing live ammunition at
protesters. This is something that we have also heard from eyewitnesses on the ground from our contacts inside Iran.
We've also heard, of course, that they have corroborated this through interviews, and that footage also shows security forces at the rooftops and
doors of residential buildings, public building, civilian areas. And so there is a real sense of fear, of course.
We've previously heard from one Tehran resident telling us that even a curfew of sorts had been put in place in Tehran, preventing people from
moving between neighborhoods after 8:00 P.M., describing the situation as a sort of military situation on the ground. So you can imagine how tense at
the moment is quite now in Iran.
Of course, as we've heard from the Iranian regime and government, there is an attempt by the state to try to shift the narrative. They have accused
foreign agitators of being responsible for the expansion of this protest movement.
We've heard warnings that those who are guilty or charged with alleged violent acts or in their words terrorist acts, will be prioritized and
fast-tracked for trial. And in their words, punishment, according to the Iranian judiciary.
So, while there is some suggestion by the U.S. president and others that executions, for example, have been put on hold or halted entirely for that,
there is still growing fear over the safety and security of those that have been detained over their involvement in this protest movement.
And again, Iran is still in this internet and communications blackout. It is very difficult to confirm what exactly is happening on the ground.
And, of course, as we understand it, the U.S. president is still said to be weighing up options with regards to potential military action in Iran. We
know that several U.S. bases have been warned as a precaution for U.S. personnel to vacate and evacuate these bases.
But again, a lot of uncertainty right now as to what those next steps look like.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Nada Bashir, thank you.
Let's take a closer look at what's behind the unrest and what it might mean for Iran's future. Arash Azizi is a lecturer at Yale University. He's also
a contributor to "The Atlantic" and the author of "What Iranians Want: Women, Life, Freedom." And he joins me now live from Boston.
Arash, good to see you. Thank you so much.
I've been following your work now for quite a bit of time. And I'm curious to get your reaction to quite a shift in President Trump's tone and
language, just 24 hours after telling the Iranians that help is on the way and encouraging them to continue to protest.
[12:15:09]
Now appears to be pulling back, at least for now, suggesting that per his sources he's hearing that the killing has stopped.
In your view, because we have heard this type of language from the president before and ultimately have seen the United States respond, that's
exactly what happened back in June when the U.S. joined Israel in bombing Iran's nuclear facilities.
So in your view, is this another faint from the president? Or do you think that his calculus, at least for the moment, has changed?
ARASH AZIZI, CONTRIBUTOR, THE ATLANTIC: The president appears to be always very mercurial in how he makes these decisions. And the shift is -- is
quite astounding, if you think about it.
You know, not only he said the help is on the way repeatedly over -- over a few, you know, almost a week, right? He kept saying help is on the way,
which meant that some opposition leaders of Iranian's, they kept telling Iranian's don't worry, President Trump will help you soon.
If you talk to anybody in Iran at some point, they all expect something to happen for President Trump. But then he didn't say -- you know, he also
said take over your institutions. So it appeared that he was giving direct support to some sort of a -- a revolutionary movement. And then he sort of
done played the things and also said the killings have -- have stopped.
Now, even if the killings of protesters on the streets have stopped, which, you know, basically it means that regime has been able to quash the street
protests for a while, and these were some of them -- not -- these are indubitably the largest killings about protesters since the 1980s.
That means most Iranians have never seen anything like this, even if you take the lowest number, 2,000, 3,500 people have been killed, nothing like
that has been seen previously.
So I think he's pretty mercurial and also open to pressure from different sides. I believe Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and others were worried about what a
prolonged confrontation with Iran can mean.
But at the same time, I think many people will tell him that he will lose face, that, you know, that if -- if he doesn't act on it, he'll be seen as
someone who gave a pledge that he did an act upon.
So I think he might have still attacked, but it's clear that President Trump is sort of mercurial and makes his decisions in sort of a peculiar
way. And, you know, that is not the usual policy process that, you know, historians, you know, usually that's how decision-making in the U.S. folks
is not quite at work here. So, the President would decide, you know, every -- every morning and change his policy.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. There's also the argument that there's no U.S. aircraft strike, carrier strike group in the region right now, as there typically
has been. A lot of resources have been diverted as we've been reporting to the Caribbean. But it doesn't appear that military action is the only
recourse that the United States or its allies have here.
Short of a military response, just lay out what you think could be the most effective responses from the United States and actions. Is that some sort
of cyber-attack? Is that restoring internet access, which at least in the interim, I'm hearing from a number of analysts, is actually most -- most
crucial?
AZIZI: It is most crucial. And, you know, I'm not sort of taking enough to know how positive it is, but from taking experts that I speak to, I hear
that there's things that can be done.
He -- he can also, of course, use pressure in -- in negotiations, for example, if you can secretly tell Iranians that, you know, if you don't
restore internet, you know, this or that might happen.
So if he can use his influence and technical capabilities to bring about the registration of the internet. And phone connections are also cut.
Me, personally, I haven't been able to speak to a single member of my family directly. You know, indirectly, I've been able to get words, but
this really tells you how dire the situation is and that's true for most Iranians. So restoring that can be important.
Down the line, I think, frankly, it's -- I think if you ask most Iranians that like some help against the regime, but it's not clear to me what
exactly which military action can -- can help with what.
Excuse me. So I think -- you know, I think political action can also be important. I some sort of a support for the Iranian opposition and quoting
on them to put -- get their act together, put the differences aside.
If he wants to see a genuine sort of alternative to the regime, as he sometimes said that he does, that could be the most useful.
As for military action, I think Iranians will cheer if he hits an IRGC base or two. That's just naturally because they're in fight with it.
But it's not clear to me on what's the sort of a long-term plan. And -- and what are the -- what are the -- going to be the consequences of that,
especially since, you know, the Iranian regime some sections of it, I think will actually welcome some sort of a confrontation and they will use that
to carry out their own plans, including even perhaps changing the government from inside in -- in what they see as some sort of a Venezuelan
style change.
GOLODRYGA: Well, we've already seen the United States announce further sanctions just in the last hour or so against Iran as well.
[12:20:00]
Arash Azizi, thank you. Thank you so much for your reporting and your time.
Well, polls have closed in Uganda in a crucial presidential vote in that country. The country saw long lines as logistical delays, which hampered
some voting.
Singer turned politician Bobi Wine seen here casting his vote, once again, took on the country's leader, President Yoweri Museveni is hoping to
prolong his nearly four-decade rule.
He took a landslide victory in their previous encounter in the polls in 2021, which Wine claimed were rigged. With internet access restricted ahead
of today's vote, here's what Wine had said earlier.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOBI WINE, UGANDAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: As we hold our general elections in Uganda, the world should be reminded that while holding elections in the
dark, the internet has been switched off across the country. This is done in order to facilitate the intended rigging of the regime.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: So let's get the very latest from CNN's Larry Madowo in neighboring Kenya.
The votes are still being counted, but I don't think anyone's holding their breath in terms of what the official result is expected to be, Larry.
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Bianna. President Yoweri Museveni is expected to win this election. But Bobi Wine said today on
election day that they are winning this vote, but the security forces, the military and the army will rig the vote in favor of President Yoweri
Museveni, which is an interesting point because President Yoweri Museveni claims that in the last election in 2021, he actually was the victim of
vote rigging, that the opposition, Bobi Wine, essentially ballot stuffed. And that's why he explains Uganda has a system where the votes are counted
immediately after polls close at the polling station so that it eliminates cheating. But this is what Yoweri Museveni said after he voted.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YOWERI MUSEVENI, UGANDAN PRESIDENT: We're told to eliminate cheating and it's (INAUDIBLE) but -- but it depends on -- on one thing, vigilance. The
agents to be really be vigilant. But many times the agents are not -- are not vigilant, they are -- they are not vigilant.
So still, like in the last election, opposition infiltrated 2.7 million votes. Those votes which they saw position were not -- they didn't ever got
those votes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MADOWO: That man has ruled Uganda for 40 years. He's in charge of the army, the military, the security services. His son is literally the army chief of
the country. And he's claiming the opposition rigged, which is, it beggars belief for a lot of people watching that.
His government shut down the internet two days ago ostensibly to avoid the spread of fake news, any chances of vote fraud, as well as any incitement
or calls to violence. And that is the backdrop that the election is happening where the opposition is already claiming that there's massive
ballot stuffing happening and they don't expect the outcome to be representative of the wishes of the people of Uganda, Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: Yes, 81 years old, making him more than double the age, the average Ugandan. And quite incredibly stunning, quite stunning indeed.
Larry Madowo, thank you so much for your reporting.
Well, turning to the U.S. now, President Donald Trump is warning that he might invoke the Insurrection Act and that could mean U.S. troops on the
streets in Minnesota.
Now, this comes as officials in Minneapolis urged people to stay calm after angry demonstrations Wednesday night. It followed an incident where a man
was shot in the leg after allegedly assaulting a federal immigration officer. The man's injuries are not to life threatening.
Well, tear gas and stun grenades were used to try to disperse protests that erupted after that shooting.
Earlier, the head of Homeland Security talked to reporters about the latest protests in Minneapolis.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KRISTI NOEM, U.S. HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: I describe it as violent and -- and a violation of the law in many places. I discussed with the
president this morning several things that we are dealing with under the department in different operations. We did discuss the Insurrection Act. He
certainly has the constitutional authority to utilize that.
My hope is that this leadership team in Minnesota will start to work with us to get criminals off the streets.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Minneapolis is still reeling from last week's killing of Renee Good by an ICE agent. City Council member Robin Wonsley told CNN that local
leaders haven't done enough to protect residents.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBIN WONSLEY, MINNEAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL: As we're living under this occupation, people, as we think with last night's shootings, they can't
even travel on their expressway safely. They can't go to their schools and drop their children off safely. They can't go to their places of worship or
even take a bus safely without risk being abducted, assaulted or shot and killed by a federal ICE agent. And they are destabilizing the day-to-day
living of our communities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[12:25:06]
GOLODRYGA: CNN's Reid Binion brings us the more details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN O'HARA, MINNEAPOLIS POLICE CHIEF: I urge anyone that is at the scene to leave immediately.
REID BINION, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara urging protesters to go home Wednesday night amid clashes with law
enforcement after a federal officer shot a man in the leg.
The Department of Homeland Security said the subject, the Venezuelan man who is in the country illegally fled in his vehicle during a, quote,
targeted traffic stop then crashed into a parked car and fled on foot.
When the officer caught up to him, he allegedly resisted arrest. DHS said two other individuals attacked the officer with a snow shovel and a broom
handle.
O'HARA: During the struggle, the federal agent discharged his weapon striking one adult male.
BINION: Tensions rose as protesters gathered at the scene with a crowd following agents through the neighborhood.
Agents launched pepper balls and what sounded like flash bangs. Smoke hung in the air as officers deployed tear gas canisters with a member of the
crowd apparently throwing one of the canisters back at agents.
While still demanding ICE leave the city, officials including the mayor are asking the public to remain peaceful.
JACOB FREY, MAYOR OF MINNEAPOLIS: We cannot counter Donald Trump's chaos with our own brand of chaos. For those that have peacefully protested, I
applaud you. For those that are taking the bait, you are not helping.
BINION (voice-over): I'm Reid Binion reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: And coming up for us, "The Washington Post" is reacting to the FBI raid of a reporter's home. CNN's chief media analyst Brian Stelter will
have more details after the break.
And the A.I. chatbot Grok is making changes after a global backlash over explicit images. We'll look at the changes a bit later in the show.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: "The Washington Post" is reacting to an FBI raid on the home of one of its reporters. In an email to staff, executive editor Matt Murray
called the incident deeply concerning and aggressive.
FBI agents search Hannah Natanson's home and seized her electronic devices on Wednesday.
CNN's Brian Stelter has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST (voice-over): New alarm in newsrooms across America after the FBI executed a search warrant at the home of a
"Washington Post" reporter. FBI agents looking for Hannah Natanson's devices, seized a phone, two computers and a Garmin watch.
HANNAH NATANSON, REPORTER, "WASHINGTON POST": I think our reporting did show that --
STELTER (voice-over): Natanson is not accused of any wrongdoing. The search warrant related to the case of a government contractor in Maryland who was
arrested last week.
[12:30:01]
FBI Director Kash Patel said an unnamed "Post" reporter was quote, "found to allegedly be obtaining and reporting classified, sensitive military
information from a government contractor." Patel said the alleged leaker is in custody.
And later in the day, President Trump raised eyebrows by saying this.
TRUMP: The leaker has been found and is in jail right now. And that's the leaker on Venezuela -- a very bad leaker.
STELTER (voice-over): It is not a crime for journalists to receive and report on leaks in the U.S., but it certainly is a sore spot for Trump.
TRUMP: We have leakers all over this place, but a lot of it isn't leaks. You know, a lot of it's just made up by the newspapers.
STELTER (voice-over): That was Trump in 2020, during one of his countless tirades against the media.
Today's FBI search may be turning words into actions.
GABE ROTTMAN, VP OF POLICY, REPORTERS COMMITTEE FOR FREEDOM OF THE PRESS: It's a tremendous escalation by the administration in their intrusion into
the independence of the press.
The Justice Department has never executed a search warrant at the home of a reporter in a national security leak case.
STELTER (voice-over): At "The Post" headquarters today, reporters gathered around Natanson's desk asking what happened during the raid and sharing
support for her.
One "Post" colleague writing online, "This is an outrage and urging people to read her recent stories like this one, calling 2025 the year Trump broke
the federal government.
In a late December column, Natanson said more than 1,000 tipsters from inside the government, sent her messages on Signal, alerting her to changes
and cutbacks at their workplaces.
And last week, she was one of six reporters who wrote an exclusive story about Venezuela, citing secret government documents obtained by "The Post."
Brian Stelter, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: And new details on the double murder trial of Brendan Banfield, a former IRS agent accused of killing his wife and another man.
On Wednesday, the woman who says she had an affair with the defendant finished her testimony. At the time of the killing in 2023, Juliana Peres
Magalhaes worked as the family's au pair.
One year after her arrest, she later pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter. Here is her answering why she made that decision.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, what ultimately made you decide that you were going to enter this plea?
JULIANA PERES MAGALHAES, FORMER AU PAIR: Was the -- the thought of being the right thing to do, I guess. We all deserve to -- to know what's really
happened. And I just couldn't hold it. I just couldn't keep it to myself the -- the feeling of shame and guilt and sadness and all those feelings.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Banfield maintains his innocence as he faces up to life in prison.
Well, more now on the fire set to Mississippi's oldest synagogue. 19-year- old Stephen Pittman has been indicted on arson and hate crime charges. He faces up to 60 years in prison, if convicted, but the community has vowed
to rebuild.
Our Wolf Blitzer spoke with Rabbi Ben Russell, the spiritual leader of Beth Israel's Congregation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEN RUSSELL, STUDENT RABBI AND SPIRITUAL LEADERS, BETH ISRAEL CONGREGATION: We are holding each other together. Our community is amazingly resilient.
We have emerged stronger.
I've heard from congregants consistently over the course of days asking how they can help. We've heard from people who have moved off, you know, just
calling and -- and -- and asking and -- and just checking in on us. And so the -- the congregation itself, although we are shaken, we are also
stronger.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: That's encouraging to hear that. Beth Israel, of course, is the only synagogue in Jackson, the largest synagogue in
Mississippi.
What has the response been like from the community in the midst of this horrible assault?
RUSSELL: Oh, wow. The response has been amazing. We have received -- I've received personal phone calls from so many clergy around the city, from all
faiths. Literally every faith in the Jackson community has contacted us and -- and let us know that they support us, they're with us, and just wishing
us blessings and -- and well-being.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Blessings and well-being for a community that has been so hard hit by that fire.
All right. Coming up, a pivotal meeting at the White House, as Venezuela's opposition leader and Nobel Prize winner comes to Washington to talk about
her country's future.
Plus, everything is not all right in Hollywood. One actor's legal fight to preserve his likeness against A.I.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:35:47]
GOLODRYGA: All right. Welcome back to "One World." I'm Bianna Golodryga.
New images of Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado arriving at the White House just moments ago for her meeting with President Trump.
Now, the high stakes meeting comes after President Trump declined to endorse her to take charge in Venezuela following the U.S. capture of
Nicolas Maduro.
Machado has courted the U.S. President even dedicating her Nobel Prize to him, who had openly campaigned to receive the honor.
After today's talks with the president, the Nobel laureate is expected to meet with U.S. senators, including Minority Whip Dick Durbin, who says he
wants her opinion on the situation in Venezuela.
Time now for "The Exchange." We want to focus on the developments out of that country. Joining me is Venezuelan ex-patriot Daniel Di Martino. He's a
fellow at the Manhattan Institute.
Daniel, it's good to see you. I've been following your reporting and your analysis here.
After publicly embracing Delcy Rodriguez and basically rebuking Maria Corina Machado two weeks ago after the U.S. had taken their leader, Maduro
and his wife to the U.S., saying Machado doesn't have the support of the Venezuelan people, he's now meeting with her.
What's your best-case scenario for Machado and the opposition coming out of this meeting?
DANIEL DI MARTINO, FELLOW, MANHATTAN INSTITUTE: Yes. Well, number one, I think you're interpreting things that are not correct. Number one, nobody
has said that Machado doesn't have the support of the Venezuelan people.
I think that the president, though, understands that the problem in Venezuela is not the support of the population. Machado unequivocally has
the support of the population. That's a fact.
The problem is that the population is unarmed and the regime controls the weapons and they are in power.
And so the question is, how can you guarantee an orderly and peaceful transfer of power to a democratic and really pro-American government? That
I think is what Machado represents.
The -- the best-case scenario now for her is that the president and the Secretary of State Rubio will lay out a plan at some point soon with more
details of how they're going to execute that transfer of power. How are we going to hold elections?
[12:40:00]
GOLODRYGA: Right. And you were right to note it's not the Venezuelan people who don't necessarily support Machado and the opposition, it is the
existing regime and obviously the military infrastructure there as well. The country, the U.S., it's not in their interest to see Venezuela go into
sheer chaos now.
It also had been reported that the CIA and others had advised the Trump administration not to come out and publicly embrace Machado as the ruler
right now, or as the leader of the country, who they think rightly so won the election, because they were not very impressed and were rather
concerned about the lack of specifics and details that the opposition had brought forward as to what a transition would look like.
Have you heard that? Is there any truth to that in your view?
DI MARTINO: Well, what I can tell you is that for a long time, and I have believed this, and I think that the opposition has made the mistake of
thinking that the military would switch sides in Venezuela.
When the military, all the command, except for the basic soldiers are a drug cartel, and a drug cartel will never find it useful for Venezuela to
become a democracy, because then they can't be drug dealers any longer.
And so the question is, how can you transfer that authority to a democratically elected government that she were very likely win an
election, but any -- any other democratically elected government in Venezuela?
I think that the solution to this will eventually be that we'll see private military contractors in Venezuela to guarantee the peace. We'll -- maybe we
will see some sort of international plan of Latin American nations and in peacekeepers to Venezuela in order to guarantee that the army doesn't do a
coup even after free elections, because you can persuade Delcy, Jorge, Diosdado, Vladimir, the top leadership to live to Qatar, keep their stolen
wealth. The question is how to keep the order with the military inside.
GOLODRYGA: So on Delcy Rodriguez, we have heard President Trump call her terrific and signaled that he -- he can indeed work with her.
So, what is the red line in your view for what the United States can and should work within the interim without normalizing Chavismo?
DI MARTINO: Absolutely. I think that the Trump administration is seeking to -- for the Delcy Rodriguez regime to continue liberating political
prisoners, then released approximately 10 percent of all of them so far only. I have people who I know that are in these torture chambers, and --
and I'm really looking forward to that.
Number two, I think they need to let in the Americans actually fix the oil infrastructure and electric system. That's number one. They're already
cooperating with the private banks. They just did it by the way to prop up the exchange rate through the oil sales.
The issue with the oil sector in Venezuela is that it's one of the most inefficient in the world. If you see Venezuela from the night sky, it's
actually very bright because they burn all the natural gas instead of using it for exports. And so a lot of this can be improved simply with improved
equipment.
GOLODRYGA: Right. And that could take billions of years and many -- billions of dollars in many -- many years.
We also know that another tanker was just seized today and the U.S. also completed its first $500 million in sales Venezuelan oil.
Washington, of course, saying and deciding how that money is going to be split and spent. What are the hard guardrails in your view that should be
in place now to prevent elite capture and legal chaos?
DI MARTINO: Well, number one, it seems that they just conducted the first operation on the $500 million in revenue. $300 million are -- were -- were
given directly to private banks in Venezuela and not to the government.
And then those private banks need to auction the dollars at the market rate to companies that are going to import only food and medical equipment.
I think that given that the United States has a total naval quarantine and they control the ships that go in and out of Venezuela at this point, they
can guarantee that the export dollars are only used for medical equipment, which we know from the Bella 1, the -- the oil tanker that was seized, an
Iranian oil tanker with Venezuela oil, they even were bringing military drones from Iran. And -- and we don't want that to continue happening for
national security reasons.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. It is fascinating to watch the -- the split screen between what transpired in Venezuela and what we're seeing on the streets of Iran
just only to be a fly in the wall in whatever room the Ayatollah is in right now to have seen the capture of Maduro.
These two countries have a long history and what that means for his fragile tyranny there in -- in Iran at the moment.
Daniel Di Martino, it's good to see you. Thank you so much.
DI MARTINO: Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: And we'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:45:20]
GOLODRYGA: All right. Let's get a check on how the U.S. markets are doing right now.
Oh, green arrows today. The Dow, eight-tenths of a percent. The S&P 500, up nearly seven-tenths of a percent. And the NASDAQ also up over eight-tenths
of a percent. This is your business breakout.
Kenya is about to hammer out a trade deal with China. The deal would make 98 percent of Kenyan exports to China tax-free. China is moving towards
eliminating all trade tariffs with the 53 African nations it has relations with. Kenya hopes the deal will balance the $4 billion trade deficit.
And earlier in the day, a judge rejected Paramount's Skydance's bid to expedite its lawsuit demanding more information from CNN's parent company
Warner Brothers Discovery. Paramount wants to know how WBD decided that a friendly bid from Netflix was better than its own hostile bid. WBD says
that it will disclose its financials when it asks for shareholder proposal.
And YouTube is rolling out new parental controls to help keep kids from wasting their day away watching YouTube Shorts, the platform short-form
video feed. The company is now offering parents a new tool over a child's account, the ability to set a time limit. I like that.
Well, the social media company, X, says that A.I. -- the A.I. chatbot, Grok, will no longer edit images of real people in revealing clothing.
The change comes following global outrage after Grok was found to be complying with the user request to digitally undress images of adults, and
in some cases, children. Those images were showing up all over the social media app. X and Grok are owned by Elon Musk's xAI company.
CNN's A.I. correspondent Hadas Gold joins me with more details on this story. Quite disturbing. What more are we learning about this, Hadas?
HADAS GOLD, CNN MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Yes. So, after sort of weeks of controversy and outrage over these images that were showing up very
publicly on Grok's X account, because unlike a lot of other A.I. chatbots people may be familiar with, like ChatGPT or Google's Gemini, Grok has both
sort of a public-facing version and a private-facing version.
And in the public-facing version, you can just tag Grok in an X post and have it do things for you, whether it's research effect or as we saw over
the last few weeks, create images of people where in some cases user requesting it remove the clothing of adults, and in some cases, children.
And so now what X, the social media platform, has done is that it has put very strict guardrails about on Grok. And I'll read part of their
statement. They say, "We have implemented technological measures to prevent the Grok account from allowing the editing of images of real people in
revealing clothing such as bikinis." And they said that this restriction applies to all users including paid subscribers.
[12:50:08]
So previously anyone could tag Grok in an X post and ask it to edit an image. And then after a few weeks of the outcry over these images that we
were seeing of people in revealing clothing, they then restricted it to just paid subscribers, people who are willing to pay a monthly fee. And
then there's more information about who they are.
And now, they've changed it completely across the board where no one can edit this. Now, this comes after this global outcry. We saw some countries
like Malaysia and Indonesia completely banning Grok.
United Kingdom's Ofcom regulator is still investigating what happened. And they say that while they welcome these changes, they are still continuing
with their investigation. Canada is also doing an investigation. Brazil, France, India. All of these countries are reacting to what we saw posted on
X.
And then also here in the United States, just yesterday, California's attorney general said that they are launching, as a state, a formal
investigation into what happened. I'll read part of what the attorney general said. They said, "This material, which depicts women and children
in nude and sexually explicit situations, has been used to harass people across the internet."
The attorney general says he, "Urges xAI to take immediate action to ensure this goes no further and that they have zero tolerance for the A.I.-based
creation and dissemination of non-consensual intimate images or of child sexual abuse material."
Now, what's interesting, Bianna, is that Elon Musk has spent, over the last few weeks, time defending what Grok can do. At one point, he was sort of
enjoying all the controversy and reposting images of anything in a bikini from a toaster to U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer to even himself.
And now, he has come out and said yesterday he claims that he is not aware of any naked underage images generated by Grok, literally zero. And he also
claims that Grok will refuse to produce anything illegal as the operating principle for Grok is to obey the laws of any given country or state.
But researchers I've talked to, and I've seen this myself, this issue wasn't so much of Grok creating completely nude images, is that it was
creating intimate, non-consensual images of adults and children in very, very revealing clothing almost nude.
And in fact, that is illegal in the United States. Because last year Donald Trump signed the Take It Down Act, which criminalizes the creation and
sharing of these non-consensual intimate images of adults or children.
And in fact, the platforms now, starting this May, will have 48 hours to remove those images from their platform or they themselves could face some
consequences as a result of it.
So, despite what Elon Musk might say, these images, they were illegal in the United States.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Hadas Gold, thanks so much for your reporting.
Well, the man behind iconic films like "Interstellar" and "Dazed and Confused," now is entering a legal battle with A.I.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY, AMERICAN ACTOR: All right, all right, all right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: According to "The Wall Street Journal," actor Matthew McConaughey has eight -- had eight trademark applications approved by the
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. This includes that famous catch phrase you just heard. I'm not even going to try to attempt to mirror it.
McConaughey's attorneys say that the effort is meant to stop A.I. apps from using his voice or likeness without permission.
All right. I'll say it once. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:55:54]
GOLODRYGA: All right. Now, U.S. President Donald Trump is hosting Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado at the White House.
President Trump has not endorsed Machado to be Venezuela's next leader. And it's not clear yet if he ever will. We will have coverage throughout the
day of their meeting and the State of the Union address expected from Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodriguez.
Well, that does it for "One World" today. I'm Bianna Golodryga. Thanks so much for watching. "Amanpour" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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