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One World with Zain Asher

Tom Homan: Withdrawal of Personnel is Underway, will Continue Through Next Week; Border Czar: I.C.E. "Surge" in Minneapolis is Concluding; Nancy Guthrie's Neighbors Asked to Check Camera Footage; Trump Administration set to Revoke Major Climate Policy; Ukrainian Skeleton Racer Disqualified Over Helmet; James Van Der Beek Dies after Fighting Colorectal Cancer. Aired 11-11:30a ET

Aired February 12, 2026 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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ZAIN ASHER, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: Live from New York. I'm Zain Asher. Bianna is off today. You are watching "One World". Two and a half weeks after U.S.

President Donald Trump's Border Czar took over immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, Tom Homan announced the surge is over.

During a news conference earlier, Homan said the Minnesota operation has achieved its goals, including increased coordination with local officials.

But he says a small footprint of personnel will remain to ensure, quote, that agitated activity continues to decline. And he says the withdrawal

process has already started.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM HOMAN, U.S. BORDER CZAR: I have proposed, and President Trump has concurred, that this surge operation conclude. A significant draw down has

already been under way this week and will continue through the next week.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Homan was sent to Minneapolis last month to lower the temperature amid mounting outrage over aggressive tactics of federal agents and the

shooting deaths of two American citizens. Despite the draw down, Homan sounded a note of defiance, warning that mass deportations are still what

this country is going to get.

CNN's Kevin Liptak shows is live now from the White House. One of the reasons why, according to Tom Homan, the draw down is happening is because

he says there has been extensive cooperation between his team and also local Minnesota officials on the ground. But also, it's worth noting that

the political backlash has also put a lot of pressure on the administration here as well Kevin.

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah, and it was clear from the press conference that Tom Homan was striking something of a balance.

You know, he didn't necessarily want to project that the administration was beating a strategic retreat out of Minneapolis after this widespread

political backlash that had clearly begun to sunken here at the White House.

And, you know, he did list all of these sort of objectives that he said, had been achieved in Minneapolis, including better cooperation with

officials there, in particular, this idea that they were going to get better access to jails in Minnesota that had been something that the

administration had been seeking for quite some time, to essentially be able to go in to jails that were holding undocumented migrants, apprehend them

there and then move them forward for deportation processing.

He said that they had been able to get better cooperation on that front. But I think it was clear, just in listening to him and in watching sort of

how this had been proceeding over the last couple of weeks or so that this had been the direction of travel for quite some time.

You know, you had Tom Homan out last week saying that 700 officers were going to be coming out of Minnesota. You had President Trump himself

acknowledge in an interview last week that a quote, softer touch was needed despite this hardline immigration agenda, which, you know, has been his

signature political issue.

It's something that he essentially campaigned on last year, and that Tom Homan acknowledged today was a critical part of his message to the voters.

And so, I think all of that added up into a recognition that this campaign in Minnesota had to eventually wind down somehow.

The other, I think, critical political backdrop, and Tom Homan didn't mention this, but I think his important context is this funding battle for

DHS. You know, the agency is going to run out of money tomorrow. Democrats are insisting on all of these reforms in the agencies that have been

carrying out some of the more controversial tactics in Minnesota and elsewhere.

And I think the hope perhaps among Republicans is that this will be enough of a conciliatory move that it will allow the sides to come together and

come up with some sort of a plan to allow the agency to continue being funded.

Now as of this morning, that doesn't seem to be happening. Democrats have said that they will not sign on to this White House proposal that attempted

to bridge some of the gaps to how that all is resolved remains to be seen.

But clearly, I think, a move on the part of the administration that demonstrates that these tactics that they have been taking that this charge

of officers in Minnesota that lasted for 73 days that led to mask detentions.

[11:05:00]

And ultimately led to the death of two Americans at the hands of I.C.E. and CBP, that that was all unsustainable and had to be sort of changed in some

capacity.

ASHER: All right. Kevin Liptak, live for us. Thank you so much. All right, for the second time in a row, a top official in the Trump Administration is

skipping a NATO meeting. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is not with European allies today. Instead, the U.S. sent Pentagon Policy Chief

Elbridge Colby to Brussels.

This comes as leaders hold crucial discussions on the future of Ukraine's military support in the depths of a very harsh winter. Ukrainian officials

say that Russia launched hundreds of missiles and drones overnight. Here's NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, sending a clear message of unity.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK RUTTE, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: NATO stands with Ukraine. Our security is interlinked, and we all want to see this brutal war come to a just and

lasting end. Allies are united, united in support for Ukraine and united in our commitment to defend every inch of allied territory.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Clare Sebastian has more on the Secretary General's words of optimism amid a difficult chapter in NATO's history.

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Clearly, this was the NATO's Secretary General facing his latest major PR challenge. On the one hand, having to,

of course, reassert NATO's credible deterrent after the Greenland episode that we saw in January. And on the other hand, obviously having to make

sure that he can keep the United States engaged and involved.

And this is why I think we hear these superlatives coming from Mark Rutte about this being unlike any other NATO meeting that he's ever been to the

unity of vision that he saw from members. And he also spent a considerable amount of time talking up the increased investment on defense from members,

the progress towards that target to spend 5 percent of GDP on defense that was reached last summer.

And was, of course, a key demand of President Trump. But I think underscoring the challenge he faces were those questions that he

continually got about the absence of Pete Hegseth the Pentagon, sending Under Secretary for Policy, Elbridge Colby instead. And, you know, take a

listen to Mark Rutte really trying to reassure people that this was not a sign of U.S. indifference towards the alliance.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUTTE: The U.S. is completely anchored and at the same time in NATO where Europe is stepping up with Canada taking more of a leadership role. And at

the same time, what you are seeing is therefore a stronger transatlantic alliance. So yes, I think, as I said, this for me, was one of the most

pivotal meetings I've been part of since I have visited NATO meeting since 2010.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN: I think clearly there are concerns behind the scenes about the signal this sends in terms of U.S. commitment. But the other key urgent

task for this meeting was to refocus back on Ukraine. And I think underscoring the urgency of that was the fact that Ukraine had faced yet

another barrage of missiles and drones overnight, just before this meeting, targeting its energy industry.

The new defense minister, new Ukrainian defense minister, was there in Brussels, meeting on the sidelines with the NATO Secretary General. We got

a new pledge of air defense missiles from the UK. But clearly, with these Russian attacks mounting and with little to no progress in terms of

diplomacy for Ukraine, the pressure on the alliance, and we see, in particular, its European members and Canada, is mounting.

ASHER: Thanks to CNN's Clare Sebastian for that report. All right, turning now to some new clues in the search for Nancy Guthrie. She's the mother of

"Today Show" Host Savannah Guthrie. It's been 12 days she disappeared from her home in Tucson, Arizona. Authorities have actually just put up a tent,

a white tent, outside the front door to her house.

We don't necessarily know why this is, but officials sent out this alert to Nancy Guthrie's neighbors as well as investigators search for a suspicious

vehicle. They're asking them to check their home camera footage on two specific dates and time. One, on the morning that Guthrie was last seen

another day, nearly three weeks earlier.

CNN's Leigh Waldman is following this story for us from Tucson. So quite a few updates here. Firstly, as I mentioned, this white tent has been put out

-- put up this morning outside Nancy Guthrie's front door. You also have this apparent black glove that may have been found close by as well.

And then this idea that the sheriff has been going to the neighbors of Nancy Guthrie, asking them to release footage, any kind of video,

surveillance footage, outside their homes, from January 11th, I believe, and also January 31th. What more do we know?

LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Zain, a lot of activity, actually, just a few minutes before we started to speak with you, that white tent that was

put up just before 08:00 a.m. local time, already being taken down by those investigators. We saw investigators leaving Nancy Guthrie's home as that

tent was taken.

Their arms seemed to be full. We couldn't make out exactly what they were carrying when they were leaving that home?

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But the tent that was up for about an hour is now back down again. We don't know exactly what they were doing inside of that home, or what agencies

were going inside of that home? The tent really blocking our view there.

Now you mentioned this alert that was sent out to neighbors in this area who have those ring doorbell cameras. Neighbors being asked to look for two

very specific dates and times. January 11th being the first one, and that's interesting, because it's three weeks before Nancy Guthrie actually

disappeared.

They're asking neighbors to look between the times of 09:00 p.m. and midnight on that day. And the second date is January 31th between 09:30 and

11:00, flagging a suspicious vehicle in the area around 10:00 a.m. so that is what investigators are looking for right now, and what they're asking

for this community to help them in their search.

We have no description at this point about what that vehicle actually looks like, but we know that's something that they're looking for. But also, very

new this morning and just moments ago, within the last 30 minutes or so, Savannah Guthrie, the "Today Show" anchor, who has been desperately seeking

information about her mom and her mom's safe return posting on Instagram again with the caption, "Our lovely mom with a yellow heart, we will never

give up on her. Thank you for your prayers and hope".

Now the video appears to show old family videos and a picture of her mother, just a touching tribute, and really brings you to the people who

are at the center of all of this. It's not just an unnamed woman, it is someone's mom, it is someone's grandmother, and they're desperate to bring

her home, as we're now on day 12 of this search Zain.

ASHER: Leigh Waldman live for us there. Thank you so much. The Trump Administration is set to deliver a major blow to the global fight against

climate change in just a matter of hours. The Environmental Protection Agency plans to repeal the so-called endangerment finding, which says

climate change endangers human health and safety as well.

The 2009 hours analyst was issued under President Obama, and the repeal will have a seismic impact on U.S. climate policy. The EPA's Administrator

calls it the largest act of de-regulation in the history of the United States. CNN's Rene Marsh is live now from Washington, DC.

So, Rene, this is known as the endangerment finding. Essentially, it's the legal framework that allows the EPA to regulate emissions. Just walk us

through what sort of lasting impact the repeal of this will have?

RENE MARSH, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Zain. I mean, this will be one of the Trump Administration's most significant reversals on climate

change policy to date. We are expecting this, as you mentioned, to happen this afternoon, the president and his EPA administrator will officially

make this announcement where they will repeal the Obama era endangerment finding that was issued in 2009.

And what that finding determined was that six greenhouse gasses, including gasses like carbon dioxide and methane, are harmful to human health. And it

gave the EPA the legal authority to regulate those gasses by industry.

Now scientists are warning that this is going to devastate the global fight against climate change and human health. Science has shown very clearly

that greenhouse gasses not only harm health, but are outright, in some cases, leading to deaths.

The U.S., it is worth noting, is the second largest emitter of greenhouse gasses. And again, this finding, called the endangerment finding, really

became the legal foundation for the EPA to put limits on things like pollution from cars, power plants and the fossil fuel industry.

Now, the Trump Administration will also announce that it is repealing vehicle emissions rules. These two moves together effectively erases

federal limits on this kind of pollution. And all of this Zain is happening as the planet has experienced 10 of the hottest years on record, and as

many states and countries face just astronomical costs from extreme weather.

But we should know this will likely face almost certainly legal battles. The Supreme Court ruled in 2007 and also in 2022 that the EPA actually does

have the authority to regulate greenhouse gasses. So, we can bet that just moments after the Trump Administration makes this announcement today, there

will be lawsuits filed to try to stop them.

So, this will be a long, long legal fight. And if this repeal, though, is upheld, this could mean that EPA may not be able to regulate these sorts of

gasses at all Zain.

ASHER: Rene Marsh live for us there. Thank you so much. And we are learning new details about Tuesday's mass shooting in Canada. Police have identified

the suspected shooter as Jesse Van Rootselaar an 18-year-old Tumbler Ridge resident who they say dropped out of school four years ago.

[11:15:00]

Police say Van Rootselaar was born male and began transitioning to female about six years ago. They say they'd visited the Van Rootselaar resident

several times in the past to deal with mental health concerns involving the alleged shooter. Two of the victims were family members of the suspect shot

in their home and at the school. A teacher and five students between the ages of 12 and 13 were killed.

The father of one of the victims, Kylie Smith, called his daughter a beautiful soul, urging parents to tell their children that they love them.

12-year-old, Maya Edmonds was among those wounded in the attack as well. She remains in critical condition. Flags across Canada are at half-staff.

CNN's Paula Newton has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEP. COMM. DWAYNE MCDONALD, BRITISH COLUMBIA ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE: Upon arrival, there was active gun fire, and as officers approached the

school, rounds were fired in their direction.

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): New details about a deadly mass shooting in a small, tight knit community in Tumbler Ridge, Canada.

Mobile phone messages warned of an active shooter, describing the suspect as a woman wearing a dress with brown hair.

DARIAN QUIST, TUMBLER RIDGE SENIOR: The alarm went off that I've never heard before, and our principal goes throughout the halls, and she's

saying, people close your doors, lock down stuff like that. I didn't, I think, I thought it was a secure and hold and something like that at first,

so, but once things start circulating, we realized how serious it really was.

NEWTON (voice-over): The town's high school was in lockdown. Students barricading themselves in classrooms. Local journalists conveying the

terror now rippling through the small town.

TRENT ERNST, LOCAL JOURNALIST: I talked to concerned parent who's here waiting. He got a call from his son, who is sheltering in place in the gym,

and he is just waiting to hear from his other kid, and is quite rightly nervous.

NEWTON (voice-over): Authorities say police arrived within minutes, but found six victims already dead at the school, at least 27 injured. The

suspect, identified as 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar was also found dead in the school of a self-inflicted injury. Two other victims, Rootselaar's

mother and a sibling were found dead at a nearby home.

Police say a long gun and a modified handgun were used and disclosed that authorities were called to the suspects home several times for mental

health emergencies and firearms offenses. And they are no closer to settling on a motive.

MCDONALD: There's been much speculation within the community regarding the relationship between the shooter and some of the victims. All of that

remains part of the active and ongoing investigation.

NEWTON (voice-over): Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, visibly shaken and teary eyed, expressing the profound grief now felt right across the

country.

MARK CARNEY, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: A very difficult day for the nation. This morning, parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers in Tumbler Ridge

will wake up without someone they love. The nation's voice with you. Canada stands by you.

NEWTON (voice-over): Authorities are now surging resources to the area, including investigative support. Local leaders describe the community as

stricken as Canada enters a full week of official mourning. Paula Newton, CNN, Ottawa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ASHER: All right, he has been disqualified from the Winter Olympics over his insistence on wearing a helmet honoring those killed in his country's

war with Russia. More on the Ukrainian athlete ahead.

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ASHER: A Ukrainian athlete has been disqualified from the Winter Olympics over his helmet, which features images of athletes killed in Russia's war

in Ukraine. The International Olympic Committee says skeleton slider Vladyslav Heraskevych cannot compete because the helmet violates their

guidelines. Fans say they are devastated, with one saying, Heraskevych has, quote, won the medal of our hearts. CNN's Amanda Davies reports from Milan,

Italy.

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORT: Is remembering the victims of a war, fellow athletes who've lost their lives a demonstration of political propaganda.

That's what we've been talking about with this story over the last few days.

After four years of training, 15 minutes ahead of the start of the race, this morning, Vladyslav Heraskevych, sent us at CNN the letter he received

from the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation informing him of the decision that he was disqualified from today's competition.

Ukraine's flag bearer at the opening ceremony on Friday, he's been very open that these games was about more than simply the quest for medals. And

the 27-year-old has been determined that he would wear what he and his team describe as the helmet of remembrance for his competition. It features

pictures of 24 athletes out of more than 500 killed since the start of the war in Ukraine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VLADYSLAV HERASKEVYCH, UKRAINIAN SKELETON RACER: And I believe it's important to keep memory about these athletes, and memory about their

sacrifice. Some of them was also part of Olympic family. And I believe they deserve to be at Olympic arenas, and they deserve to be at the start with

me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DAVIES: The International Olympic Committee have said the helmet breaches was known as Article 50 of the Olympic Charter, prohibiting the

demonstration of political, religious or racial propaganda in any Olympic site. They conceded that no one disagrees with the message of the helmet.

But after multiple meetings over the last few days, including first thing this morning between the IOC President, Kirsty Coventry, and Heraskevych

they couldn't find a compromise. As he put it, he wouldn't betray the athletes that have lost their lives since the start of the war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIRSTY COVENTRY, IOC PRESIDENT: I really wanted to see him race today. It's been an emotional morning. So, yeah, you know, I think, for me, yeah, I

think, I don't think we were in tears, but it was -- he is an athlete, and for me, I was not speaking to him in that room as a president, I'm speaking

to him as an athlete.

We have these rules in place to try and be fair and also to try and allow for us to do both things right, to allow for athletes to express

themselves, but also to allow for athletes to be safe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DAVIES: Vladyslav's father and coach, Mikhailo was pictured looking incredibly upset in the aftermath of the decision. The Ukrainian President

Zelenskyy has reacted on social media criticizing the IOC for contradicting the spirit of the game, saying sport shouldn't mean amnesia, and the

Olympic movement should help stop wars not play into the hands of aggressors.

Heraskevych has long said some things are more important than medals, but he was hoping at least he'd get the chance to try for both. He said he's

set to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Amanda Davies, CNN, Milan.

ASHER: All right, another Ukrainian athlete is now speaking up, inspired by Heraskevych. Reuters reports that speed skater Oleh Handei was told to

cover over an inspirational message on his helmet too. He had completed Handei says that IOC called it war on propaganda.

The message on his helmet was a quote from Ukrainian poet which read, where there is heroism, there can be no final defeat. The 26-year-old is set to

compete in Saturday's 1500 meters short track speed skating quarter finals. And finally --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Last year you had the opportunity to go to Paris and study because you mean, you didn't listen.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That wasn't your fault.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it was my fault, because I should have made you go you.

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But I was selfish, and I didn't want you to go. I wanted you to stay here with me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Fans are remembering Actor James Van Der Beek, who died on Wednesday, at the age of 48. He's of course, most widely remembered as the

star of the 90s teen drama series "Dawson's Creek" and the coming-of-age movie "Varsity Blues". He announced in November of 2024 that he was

fighting stage three colorectal cancer.

He's survived by his wife, Kimberly and their six children. A post on Van Der Beek's Instagram page on Wednesday reads he met his final days with

courage, faith and grace. There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity and the sacredness of time. Those days will come. For now, we

ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother and friend.

And following his death, Van Der Beek's wife shared a link to a GoFundMe page to raise money for the family, saying the costs of medical care have

actually left them under a lot of financial strain. It's already raised nearly $1.5 million. All right, stay with CNN. There's more "One World" in

about 30 minutes. But first "CNN Creators" is up next.

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(CNN'S CREATORS)

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