Return to Transcripts main page
One World with Zain Asher
U.S. Military's Urgent Push For Laser Weapons; U.S., NATO Allies Gather In Munich Amid Global Tensions; AU Pair To Be Sentenced In Double Murder Trial; Chocolate Prices Are Spiking Ahead Of Valentine's Day; How To Fall In Love And Stay In Love; Russia Plans To Fly Its Tourists Out Of Cuba In Coming Days; Mexico Works To Contain Measles Outbreak Ahead Of Event; Colombian Suppliers Worry About Tariffs Exchange Rates; Border Czar: ICE Surge In Minneapolis Is Ending. Aired 12-1p ET
Aired February 13, 2026 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:00:37]
ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Standing in solidarity. European leaders make their message clear as they descend upon the Davos of defense.
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: The second hour of "One World" starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK RUTTE, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: Let me tell you, what I saw and heard today is unlike any NATO meeting I've taken part in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Key moments from the crucial Munich Security Conference. This hour, we'll hear from a man who says he's the one who can lead Iran to
democracy.
ASHER: Also ahead, a nation on the brink, Russia and Mexico rush to Cuba's aid as the United States chokes its fuel supply.
Plus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What made you decide to cooperate and testify against the defendant in this case?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: The au pair, the center of a double murder plot faces her sentencing.
ASHER: And later, falling in love is one thing, staying in love is another. This Valentine's Day, we'll talk about how to do both.
All right. Coming to you live from New York, I'm Zain Asher.
GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. You are watching the second hour of "One World."
Germany's Chancellor called on the U.S. and Europe to repair and revive their transatlantic trust at a security conference that is underway now in
Munich.
ASHER: Yes. Friedrich Merz acknowledged the deep rift between the two but argued that even Washington wasn't powerful enough to go it alone. Dozens
of world leaders and top diplomats meeting in Munich this hour are facing challenges not seen since the end of the Cold War.
This year's conference comes amid a backdrop of multiple conflicts and a time when transatlantic relations and global norms are being tested by
President Donald Trump.
GOLODRYGA: And some experts are calling it an era of wrecking ball politics led by demolition men.
NATO Secretary General focused on one positive change. He says Europe is shifting its mindset to focus on its own security.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUTTE: Europe really stepping up Europe taking more of a leadership role within NATO. Europe also taking more care of its own defense and this is
really a staggering change and this will make NATO stronger, because it means that a strong Europe and a strong NATO means that a transatlantic
bond will be stronger than ever.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: This year's conference comes amid a backdrop of multiple global crises including Russia's war on Ukraine. We are learning that the next
trilateral peace talks involving Kyiv and Moscow will take place in Geneva Tuesday.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met the German Chancellor on the sidelines of the conference today. And he is expected to also meet
Ukraine's president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: It's terrible. It's a war. That's why we want the war to end. People are suffering. It's the coldest time of
year. It's unimaginable, the suffering.
That's the problem with wars. That's -- that's why wars are bad. And that's why we've worked so hard for over a year now to try to bring this one to an
end.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: The conference comes amid a wave of Russian strikes on Ukraine overnight. Moscow, once again, targeted Ukrainian power plants in the
Odessa region.
We're live in Munich for you in a moment.
GOLODRYGA: And later this hour, our Christiane Amanpour will have a live interview with Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's last Shah. That's at 12:45
P.M. Eastern Time, 6:45 P.M. in Munich. You can watch it right here on CNN.
ASHER: All right. We are learning more about the abrupt closure of El Paso's airspace and the blame game that is now going on within the federal
government. The blunder is being traced back to the testing of a new anti- drone technology which set off panic when key figures were not notified.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. The interest in laser technology has only accelerated as military planners grapple with the rise of commercially available drones.
And as the defense industry has jumped to develop laser-based weapons systems for ground, sea, and air forces.
ASHER: CNN national security reporter Haley Britzky has more for us from Washington on this. So this is really a case of the left hand and the right
hand not speaking to each other. What we're learning is that CBP officials essentially deployed an anti-drone laser that was on loan from the
Department of Defense. And they didn't necessarily notify the appropriate authorities in time.
What more can you tell us here?
HALEY BRITZKY, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yes. So like you're -- you're saying, I mean, this is technology that was on loan from the Defense
Department to Customs and Border Protection. This is something that has been developed and tested within the Defense Department.
[12:05:10]
And -- and the use of it by CBP in recent days is what triggered this really abrupt closure of the airspace over El Paso. It caused a lot of
concern among officials, both in Texas and in Washington, who did not understand what was going on, who were a little bit out of the loop of why
this had happened. And, of course, closing the airspace over a major airport like that in El Paso was something that was a serious cause for
concern.
But like you also mentioned, I mean, this really highlights an effort by the military in recent years to better pursue these directed energy
weapons, these high energy laser weapons, which are used to shoot down drones, obviously, as we saw in the last few days, but also rockets,
artillery, things of that nature around the world.
It's something the military has been pursuing with defense industry very aggressively. Something that, you know, experts say is cheaper than some of
the more traditional weapon systems that could be used in this way. There's not physical ammunition that could run out.
And so in -- in some of those instances, it's a -- it's a better alternative for the military to use. We've seen those efforts really
intensify in recent years, particularly amid the war in Ukraine and Russia, when we see drones being used in such high quantity, drone swarms on the
battlefield. We see the same thing in the Middle East.
So, it's something the military is very aggressively pursuing. But in this case, something that that lack of coordination, that lack of communication
resulted in a very public concern from officials that people are still trying to get to the bottom of.
ASHER: All right. Haley Britzky, live for us. Thank you.
All right. The FBI has released new details about the person they're officially calling a suspect in the Nancy Guthrie case. He's the same
masked man seen in the video at her home on the day that she disappeared. They're looking for a man who is just under 1.8 meters tall with an average
build.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. They say he was wearing an Ozark trail hiker backpack, a brand sold by Walmart. And the reward for information leading to an arrest
has jumped now to $100,000, as investigators try to widen their search.
Those we spoke to say that they are hoping for the best.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My God, I've never had the FBI knock at my door before. That was a little unusual. There's some fear. I mostly it's just
anguish and disbelief.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I certainly hope they find her and find some resolution to this, no matter what the outcome is. So wishing, wishing them
our best.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Investigators are also asking for neighbors to submit any camera footage they have dating back to the beginning of the year.
All right. We want to update you on another story that we've been following very closely. In the coming hours, a Brazilian au pair will be sentenced
for her role in the scheme to kill her employer, Christine Banfield and another man, Joseph Ryan.
Julia -- Juliana, rather, Peres Magalhaes, the former au pair who had an affair with Christine Banfield's husband, pleaded guilty to manslaughter
after originally facing second-degree murder.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. The husband, Brendan Banfield, was found guilty of murdering both his wife Christine and stranger, Joseph Ryan.
Ryan was allegedly lured to the home with the promise of sex, then his murder was made to look like a home invasion. The au pair testified that
she shot Joseph Ryan and that Brendan Banfield stabbed his wife to death.
Jean Casarez joins us now from New York with the very latest.
What are we expecting with the sentencing, Jean?
JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this sentencing is just about over now and the judge is very close to sentencing Juliana Peres Magalhaes, who
is from Brazil. The emotional testimony that we had this morning, just minutes ago, of the mother of Joseph Ryan.
And this is the man, an escort, that was lured to the house by Brendan Banfield and the au pair. They were having an affair. And Christine
Banfield was asleep in her bed, knew nothing about it.
But Joseph Ryan, totally unknowing to, was lured to the house as an escort hired by Brendan Banfield and the au pair. And suddenly, they burst into
the bedroom and they murdered them both to pin it all on Joseph Ryan and the mother of Joseph Ryan testified today that she lost her everything,
that he called her every day, he helped her every day, he helped her through her cancer.
HE would do -- he would go with her to doctors. And it was very, very, very, one of the most emotional I've ever seen.
Now, here is what's going to happen. The prosecution recommended time served for the au pair because she flipped on Brendan Banfield. She
testified in the courtroom talking about this meticulous premeditated plan to murder them both in that bedroom, one being Christine Banfield.
And that she participated. She agreed to it. And because of that, the prosecution is recommending time served that she walks out the door just
minutes from now after the judge sentences her.
[12:10:10]
But the judge has discretion and the judge could sentence her to a term of years so she doesn't get out. And it looks like that she's talking in court
right now. That's Juliana.
It's looked like she is asking the judge for mercy right now right before she is actually sentenced and the emotion we can see and that judge is now
delivering the sentence.
So it's a big day, it's an important day and two lives were lost. And they were lost because two people thought they could lead their life together
forever if they got these other two people out of the way.
GOLODRYGA: It is really chilling. And you'll be following the sentencing for us. Jean Casarez, thank you.
CASAREZ: Thank you.
ASHER: All right. Still to come here on "One World." This Valentine's Day sweet treats may leave you with a stomach ache, all because on the price of
chocolate. We'll take a closer look after the short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right. Chocolate lovers are experiencing sticker shock ahead of Valentine's Day. Retail sales prices have skyrocketed more than 14 percent,
according to the latest research from Datasembly.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. The data shows that's a significant spike compared to the last two years tracking the best prices across 57,000 American stores
selling chocolate.
Let's go to Matt Egan who's going to walk us through why this happened and, again, brings us back to the central question we've been talking about as
it relates to the economy the past few years inflation, Matt, but we got a big report today.
MATT EGAN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Yes. Yes. Well, Zain and Bianna, I wish I was here with better news on this Friday and Valentine's Day Eve, but as
you mentioned, yes, we have seen a big spike in chocolate prices, 14 percent increase, year-over-year, according to Datasembly. That's an
acceleration from this point last year. And some more context, that's about five times the overall inflation rate.
OK. So, why is this happening? Well, this is a tough lesson in how global commodity markets work. The problem is there's been a shortage of the main
ingredient in chocolate like cocoa beans because of extreme weather in West Africa where most of the world's cocoa comes from.
There's been bad harvest. And so you've had a crash in supply, at the same time the demand has been staying roughly the same and so prices have had
nowhere to go but up.
[12:15:09]
You can see on that chart, there was this massive spike for cocoa prices. They went from around $2,500 per metric ton to above $12,000. And the
problem is that a lot of the chocolate on the shelves for everyone who's doing last-minute Valentine's Day shopping, that chocolate is really priced
at those crisis level prices.
And the good news is that I think as you can see on the chart on the right side, prices have started to come down.
Now, you might not see that just yet at the store. Analysts are hopeful that maybe by Easter, most likely by Halloween, you're going to start to
see lower prices when it comes to chocolate.
But for now, as you mentioned, definitely some sticker shock when it comes to chocolate. Back to you guys.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Matt Egan, I guess we'll have to turn to what? I don't know. It's all like --
ASHER: I'm a chocoholic, so.
GOLODRYGA: -- artificial flavored?
ASHER: Yes, no.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. Nothing beats chocolate. All right, Matt.
EGAN: Thank you, guys.
GOLODRYGA: Happy Valentine's Day.
EGAN: Same to you, guys.
GOLODRYGA: I hope your buying some chocolate for your special somebody as well.
EGAN: I will. I will.
ASHER: He just remembered. Literally just remembered.
EGAN: I haven't yet, but I will.
GOLODRYGA: I thank you there.
ASHER: Oh, yes. Thanks for the reminder.
All right. Time -- time now for a timeout is a segment that takes a step back from the stress and the chaos that comes from living in a divided and
polarized world.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. As you know, it can be tough to retreat from the headlines that bombard us every day, whether it's covering wars, the international
rise in extremism or humanitarian crises, gripping some parts of the country and the world.
ASHER: Yes. With Valentine's Day just around the corner, we are going to take a timeout for love. Falling in love is one thing, but staying in love
can certainly be the tricky part.
Our next guest knows a thing or two about fostering and sustaining love. John and Julie Gottman are renowned psychologists and researchers with
decades of experience in the field of couples, counseling and therapy.
The Gottmans, welcome to our show. So excited to have you both on.
You know, a spiritual teacher once said something that made me laugh. He said, everybody who is single is trying to get married and everybody who's
married is trying to get single. Not necessarily true, but it certainly belies a greater issue. And that is, you know, in our 20s, we spend so much
time figuring out how to find love, but not so much time once we actually do find love on how on earth to actually keep it.
What is the number one ingredient, John, I'll start with you, to actually keeping love in today's world?
JOHN GOTTMAN, CO-FOUNDER, GOTTMAN INSTITUTE: The secret ingredient is trust. And couples who can establish the sense of trust, which means that
each person is thinking for two, not just for one, are able to maintain their love. And that's the secret.
You agree, Julie?
JULIE SCHWARTZ GOTTMAN, CO-FOUNDER, GOTTMAN INSTITUTE: I do. I do. I mean, trust is so incredibly important. And the way that we see trust is when one
partner turns towards the other, does the other respond in a positive way, wanting to fulfill the first person's needs? Or are they turning away?
If they're turning away, not so good. If they're turning towards, that's what we call it, and really respond to the other person's bid for
connection, it's wonderful.
GOLODRYGA: You know, we're so glad to have you on the program. And this is one of these topics where we can make an entire hour out of it. So thank
you for --
JOHN GOTTMAN: Yes.
GOLODRYGA: -- for spending a good portion of this segment with us.
I was reading the review of a new book that -- that's just come out on this subject matter. And the theme of this book and the takeaway is that the key
to happiness is not just falling in love with somebody, but also feeling that love reciprocated.
And when it comes to communicating that you are giving as much as you are receiving, how important is that? And what are some healthy ways without
forcing that communication?
JULIE GOTTMAN, AMERICAN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Yes. You're bringing up a really great point, or at least that author is of reciprocity.
Very, very important that both people are expressing their love, though they may do so in different ways. One person may do it through doing things
for the other person. The first person may do it through words.
So as long as the love is conveyed in whatever behavior that partner feels comfortable using for communication, and the other person hears it as love,
that's the important piece, then it's good.
Did you have anything, honey?
[12:20:03]
ASHER: How sweet.
JOHN GOTTMAN: Well, one -- one of the things that I think is so interesting in this area about love is that, initially, when therapists thought they --
they needed to help couples who were unhappy, they just assumed that unhappy couples were not very nice to one another. And so they created this
thing called love days where people would be extra nice to one another.
But it turned out that this wonderful study discovered, it isn't that unhappy couples are not nice to each other, they are. The problem is that
the partner doesn't perceive it. Misses 50 percent of the positivity when they're unhappy. They have antenna just for negativity instead of
positivity. So that's really a kind of surprising thing about this idea of love.
ASHER: That is -- I mean, that is really interesting. I mean, the key is really to be very present in some of the signals you're getting from your
partner.
A friend of mine recently said to me that boring love is the best, which I just thought was so interesting because so much of what we are told about
relationships comes from Hollywood, right? Where you think that, you know, the more sort of stomach churning, you know, nuts in your stomach that you
have, the better.
And I remember when I was dating in my 20s in New York, you know, I remember calling my sister countless times being like, oh my God, wait, he
texted me on Wednesday and then he waited three hours and I waited three hours and texted me on Wednesday and I texted him, just that whole thing.
I mean, when it comes to dating, that is --
JULIE GOTTMAN: You got it. That is perfect.
ASHER: -- that is the ghetto. That is awful.
And when you're happy to constantly analyze. And then you'd realized that actually boring love is the best. Like I can't think of a better adjective
than boring, but this idea of stable, you know, this idea of stability, that it doesn't have to be the roller coaster that we've all been through
in our 20s.
GOLODRYGA: And trust.
ASHER: And trust. What do you make of that?
JULIE GOTTMAN: Yes. You know, boring is an interesting word because it usually has a negative meaning to it. Like, oh, God, get away from me. I
want to take a nap, right?
But, you know, the kind of love that is really wonderful is based on friendship, actually. It's based on being able to be open about everything
that's inside of you.
You know, not just the pretty compliments or the lovely, you know, roses or chocolates, though. It's sad that chocolates are expensive.
But -- but just, you know, sitting on the couch and watching, you know, the British murder mysteries, you know, where some very wealthy guy gets
murdered. You know, it's wonderful.
So, you know, just having a nice meal together, reading the paper together, even sitting in a room and just reading together without speaking, but
you're there. You feel the other person's energy, the other person's presence.
Doesn't have to be butterflies floating around. That's the early stages. But later on, it's this settled, beautiful, I think settled might be good
word. Settled, beautiful.
ASHER: Settled, settled. Let's not use boring.
JULIE GOTTMAN: Yes.
GOLODRYGA: I thought she's the expert.
JULIE GOTTMAN: Yes. For today. For today. Yes, that warmth.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. And -- and there's so much to desire in that too and appreciate and not take for granted.
And at the same time, you know, life, when you're with somebody for many, many years, it's not always what your social media account depicts. We are
humans. We are different. We have our mood swings. We have our disagreements.
And there, as we hear our positive and healthy ways to have disagreements and argue.
JOHN GOTTMAN: That's right.
GOLODRYGA: What is -- what is the number one way to maintain those healthy disagreements? And what is the number one no-no in your -- in your
professional views? What to avoid when you're disagreeing with your spouse?
JOHN GOTTMAN: Yes. That conflict has a goal, and the goal is mutual understanding.
And as long as you're working toward mutual understanding, conflicts become really a source of keeping your knowledge of your partner, updating your
knowledge and realizing that maybe you're not meeting your partners' needs at the moment. So there's something you need to understand about your
partner.
So it's really building that mutual understanding that is key in dealing with conflict.
JULIE GOTTMAN: Let me add to that. You know, I think one of the -- the key fundamental things to remember is don't describe your partner, describe
yourself.
And what I mean by that is to say, here's what I'm feeling about a situation, not about a personality for our viewers, but a situation.
[12:25:59]
And then here is what I need for you to shine for me. It's not saying what I resent, but I don't want you to do. It's flipping that on its head and
saying, this what would make me so happy if you would do this.
Take me to Paris for lunch, honey.
(LAUGH)
ASHER: John, come on.
JULIE GOTTMAN: Good idea. Yes.
ASHER: Yes. I mean, that -- that is fascinating.
JOHN GOTTMAN: Get it wonderful as they get.
GOLODRYGA: And chocolates.
ASHER: You also learn the importance of just letting things go. I mean, not everything has to be said. Without suppressing your emotions, just learning
from time to time, just let it go. You know, that's one of the things I think it's better --
JOHN GOTTMAN: Right.
ASHER: -- after being married for so long that I've learnt as well, learning to fight clean is what we say.
All right. John and Julie Gottman, so, so happy to have you on the program. Happy Valentine's Day to you both.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. We'll be playing the segment --
JULIE GOTTMAN: Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: -- on a loop at our homes, and hopefully our viewers will be doing the same, learning from the best. Thank you.
JULIE GOTTMAN: Wonderful. Thank you so much. Thank you.
ASHER: Of course.
We'll be right back with more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: All right. Welcome back to "One World." I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ASHER: And I'm Zain Asher.
Russia says it stands in solidarity with Cuba and it's sending aid to the beleaguered nation. Mexico is also sending aid as well. Some of it already
there as the U.S. steps up efforts to cut off Cuba's oil supplies. It's important to note that Havana imports nearly all of its country's fuel.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. To try to conserve it, school days have been cut in half, and those cuts are just part of Cuba's wider economic crisis. A nationwide
oil rationing plan is impacting the island's transportation and healthcare systems as well.
Mother of a young student says every day is a struggle.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YAIMA CALDERON, MOTHER OF YOUNG STUDENT (voice-over): Our teacher lives very far away and makes a sacrifice to get here. And we also have to make
this sacrifice to get here because we are interested in the children learning, because we are in fourth grade and it's the most difficult grade.
[12:30:06]
So, what do we do? We have to come, but truly it's not easy. I wake up at 3:30 or 4:00 A.M. to prepare things before the electricity goes out, so
this girl can wake up at 5:00 A.M. to have breakfast. I leave the house at 5:30 A.M. or 6:00 A.M. walking at risk of anything happening because people
don't trust anyone anymore.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: We're also hearing that Russia plans to fly its tourists out of Cuba in the coming days. This all comes after the Trump administration said that
the communist-run island will no longer receive oil from Venezuela.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. Washington has also threatened to impose tariffs on other suppliers like Mexico if they continue to ship fuel to the island.
CNN's Patrick Oppmann reports from Havana.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN HAVANA CORRESPONDENT: Mexican Navy ships have just entered the port of Havana carrying humanitarian aid, hundreds of tons of
it. But it's what they're not carrying is perhaps more important, which is oil.
The flow of oil from traditional allies of Cubas, Venezuela, Mexico, that over the years have sent billions of dollars of oil, that has all been cut
off under a pressure campaign from the Trump administration.
So we're seeing the impacts of that every day, less cars on the road, government-run hospitals cutting services, blackouts, the lasting longer
and longer, both of the Canada and the United Kingdom have issued travel advisories among other countries, warning their citizens not to come to
Cuba unless it's absolutely necessary, because they will face harsher conditions here on this island.
The U.S. is calling on the Cuban government to open up politically and economically, saying there needs to be a change in the communist-run
government if the flow of oil will start up again. But there's no sign that the Cuban government, at this point, is buckling under that pressure.
Patrick Oppmann, CNN, Havana.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: Our thanks to Patrick for that report.
Meantime, President Trump is on his way to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to meet with the Special Forces who carried out the capture of Venezuelan
leader, Nicolas Maduro.
But before he left, the president spoke with reporters about Venezuela. Let's listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) recognize the health of our communities and government (INAUDIBLE)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, right now, we have done that. We're dealing with them. And really -- and really, right now, he's
doing a great job.
He's done it. The government's doing a very, very good job. And the relationship is strong. The oil is coming out and a lot of money is being
paid for oil by other nations. And we're taking care of it. We're refining it. And we're the only one that has the capability to refine it.
Right now, the relationship with Venezuela is as soon as you can find it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Mexico is preparing to co-host the World Cup, which begins in about four months from now. But the country is dealing with an outbreak of
measles, a disease declared eradicated decades ago.
GOLODRYGA: As Valeria Leon reports, officials are scrambling to contain the disease before the tournament.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mexico now has the highest amount of measles cases in the Americas.
In several Mexican cities, health workers are offering vaccinations on the streets as officials race to slow the spread of the virus ahead of the
World Cup.
"We are going to achieve full control of the outbreak before the World Cup starts."
Jalisco state is not only hosting the big event, but it has the highest number of measles infections in Mexico.
Gerardo, a Jalisco resident, says he never imagined measles would come back, a disease Mexico declared eradicated decades ago.
Ninety percent of cases were in people who were not vaccinated, Mexico's health ministry says. That shows just how important vaccination is.
LEON: Mexican authorities have installed vaccination stands on Mexico City's streets, but the city's residents rushed to get a shot has led to
long lines and vaccines run out quickly, often in a few hours.
How long have you been waiting in line?
YAHIR FUENTES, MEXICO CITY RESIDENT: I've been waiting about an hour and a half. I arrived at 11:00 in the morning, so it's been like an hour and a
half. And yet, it's been very, very, very boring, to be honest.
LEON (voice-over): Mari Carmen (ph) is in charge of guiding patients as they wait in line, answering questions and helping organize the flow of
people.
She says she's encouraged by the strong interest from residents looking to get vaccinated.
With infections skyrocketing and fear rising, people are scrambling to get a shot.
[12:35:02]
Valeria Leon, CNN, Mexico.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right. Let's get a check and see how the U.S. markets are doing. The Dow is up about half a percent. S&P 500, two-thirds of one percent.
NASDAQ up about the same. This is your business breakout.
The U.S. annual inflation cooled more than expected in the month of January, falling to 2.4 percent, and it's an eight-month low, but the
latest consumer price index report shows core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices rose from December to a five-month high of
0.3 percent. It's a signal that some price pressures are still building.
The top lawyer of Goldman Sachs is resigning over the fallout from the latest Epstein files release. Kathy Ruemmler says that she'll be stepping
down at the end of June. She had maintained her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein was professional, but emails then reviewed by CNN show her
discussing personal matters and expressing gratitude to him for their friendship.
ASHER: Four astronauts are on their way to the International Space Station after SpaceX and NASA launched Crew-12 from Florida. The mission will
restore the orbiting lab to full-staffing after weeks of operating, which is three crew members, docking as expected Saturday.
GOLODRYGA: And flowers from Colombia have arrived in the U.S. ahead of Valentine's Day, but the kind of big sales driven by the holiday weekend
could one day be just a sweet memory for those who supply the precious plants.
CNN's Isabel Rosales reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Millions of Americans are buying Valentine's Day flowers for that special someone in their lives, a
significant other, a relative, a friend.
What a lot of Americans don't think about is where those flowers come from, or how U.S. President Donald Trump's trade measures have impacted the
industry.
Between January 15th and February 9th, about 65,000 tons of fresh cut blooms were imported from Colombia, which is the world's second largest
flower exporter behind the Netherlands.
The U.S. accounts for about 80 percent of Colombia's flower exports, with Valentine's Day making up 20 percent of their annual sales.
And even though tons of flowers arrived on time to the U.S. this year, some suppliers are warning future seasons could be threatened by President
Trump's tariffs, peso exchange rates and competition, like this grower near Bogota.
JOSE ANTONIO RESTREPO, GENERAL MANAGER, AYURE SAS ECLIPSE FLOWERS (through translator): We've been seriously affected. Last year, a 10 percent tariff,
which represents more than $200 million for the industry.
[12:40:09]
On top of that, there's an exchange rate we haven't seen in many years. And lastly, the minimum wage issue.
ROSALES (voice-over): Flowers are Colombia's most labor intensive agricultural product, but the industry, formerly employing about 240,000
workers across nearly 26,000 acres of farmland.
Jose Antonio Restrepo says around 85 percent of his employees work on minimum wage.
RESTREPO (through translator): And if conditions don't change, meaning if the exchange rate doesn't change, then we'll surely be in major difficulty.
I think starting in June or July, there will likely be farm closures and mass layoffs because the sector is in serious trouble.
ROSALES (voice-over): Despite the uncertainties, some workers are staying positive and finding joy in spreading the love this Valentine's Day.
SUSANA VEGA, EMPLOYEE, AYURE SAS ECLIPSE FLOWERS (through translator): An immense joy knowing that were bringing happiness to someone, to a woman, a
mother, someone so admired by a loved one, and that we're benefiting ourselves as well and helping a company move forward to overcome many of
the challenges that are happening right now. It's a very beautiful joy.
ROSALES (voice-over): Isabel Rosales, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: All right. Coming up for us, all eyes on Munich this hour. In just a few moments, Christiane Amanpour will have a live interview with the
son of Iran's last shah.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: Homeland Security Chief Kristi Noem said Thursday that if her department shuts down, there would be serious consequences.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KRISTI NOEM, U.S. HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: So this is a dangerous situation that we're in, that the Democrat party has chosen to shut down
the department that was created after 9/11.
This department was created recognizing that we are vulnerable to terrorist attacks and that American homeland needs to be funded and focused on
keeping us safe within our own borders.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Dozens of people protested demanding Noem resign while she was making those comments in California. Port officials reportedly tried to
muffle the chance for Noem's resignation by blaring sirens.
In the meantime, the White House border czar Tom Homan says he's ending the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis. The massive enforcement operation
began more than two months ago at its height. About 3,000 federal agents were deployed to the city causing a lot of pushback.
[12:45:02]
GOLODRYGA: CNN's Brian Abel has more on this story. And a warning for our viewers, some of what you will see is disturbing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM HOMAN, BORDER CZAR: I have proposed, and President Trump has concurred, that this surge operation concludes.
BRIAN ABEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The federal immigration crackdown in Minnesota coming to an end, as U.S. border czar Tom Homan
announces agents are leaving the state.
HOMAN: A significant drawdown has already been underway this week.
ABEL (voice-over): The aggressive surge that began in December, called the largest immigration operation ever by DHS was met with fierce criticism and
resistance by Minnesotans almost instantaneously, with clashes between protesters and agents in Minneapolis and residents becoming observers,
filming immigration enforcement actions in real time, leading to the first major flashpoint, the killing of Renee Good by an ICE agent.
Her death sparking, at times, violent confrontations between protesters and federal agents, tensions exacerbated by a second U.S. civilian killed in
Minneapolis by a federal agent, Alex Pretti.
The deaths upping pressure on the White House to end the operation, as protesters mobilize and democratic lawmakers threaten to withhold DHS
funding unless ICE reforms happen.
PROTESTERS: Shame, shame.
ABEL (voice-over): The Minnesota A.G. saying this about the crackdown as senators on Capitol Hill the day Homan announced the end of the enforcement
operation.
KEITH ELLISON, MINNESOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL: The surge is contributing to violent crime members. It's contributing to violent crime. Two of the three
homicides committed in Minneapolis in 2026 have come at the hands of federal immigration agents.
ABEL (voice-over): In Washington, Brian Abel reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: Turning to Hong Kong where many people there are preparing to celebrate the Lunar New Year in a few days.
ASHER: But for those who lost everything in a Tai Po high-rise fire just a few months ago, grief is likely to overshadow the celebration.
CNN's Kristie Lu Stout spoke with some families attempting to rebuild their lives.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The fire ravaged everything. Leaving behind these charred high-rises all shrouded in grief.
68-year-old Yip Ka-kui lost his wife in the Tai Po fire.
Nearly three months on, as Hong Kong marks a new Lunar New Year, sorrow overshadows celebration.
YIP KA-KUI, WANG FUK COURT RESIDENT: I lost my wife. I lost my property. I lost my house. We would not celebrate anything for this Lunar New Year.
LU STOUT (voice-over): His sons are by his side every day, including his youngest, who also lost his home in the fire. And each day, the father
leaves a voice note for his beloved.
KA-KUI: I just think she may listen.
LU STOUT (voice-over): Their families live together in the older son's home, a temporary arrangement in a cramped apartment. Three bedrooms for
seven people.
YIP SHUEN-YIN, LOST MOTHER IN HONG KONG FIRE: We still live in my house. My house has not too big enough to for them to stay. We need to stay together
in this moment.
LU STOUT: Family first, family must be together, right?
SHUEN-YIN: Yes.
LU STOUT (voice-over): The fire has taken at least 168 lives and left more than 4,000 people homeless.
The disaster united Hong Kong residents who gathered near the complex to honor the victims. Today, the memorial site is no more, and grieving
families are struggling to move on.
LU STOUT: After watching their home burn to the ground, thousands of survivors moved in with relatives or were placed in government-allocated
temporary accommodation. In a city with a notorious housing shortage, many are worrying where they will live next.
LU STOUT (voice-over): Local authorities say it will be challenging to rebuild the complex and are considering a buyback option. The brothers
won't accept that.
YIP SHUEN-TING, WANG FUK COURT RESIDENT: This problem is not just cash can solve it. This area is our childhood, our whole life.
SHUEN-YIN: The money is not our concern. We -- concern is we want a home. Even though you give me a lot, a huge money, you'd never give my mom back.
LU STOUT (voice-over): A few weeks ago, Mr. Yip held a funeral for his wife.
A DNA test provided a sample match, only after that was he able to bury her.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: All right. I want to go back to the conference in Munich where dozens of world leaders and diplomats are meeting on a tight security.
Our Christiane Amanpour is speaking with Reza Pahlavi, son. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REZA PAHLAVI, THE LAST SHAH OF IRAN: Many upheavals and perhaps unsuccessful campaign in the sense that the regime is still standing, but
the resolve and perseverance of Iranians have continued.
[12:50:10]
In the latest uprising which was, of course, the Women, Life, Freedom Movement, we saw to what extend Iranians from all walks of life, from the
four corners of Iran, including, of course, the diaspora. We're supporting that.
But I think something that is definitely the game changer, if I could call it that. And by the same token, the frequency of this protest increased
over the years.
If they were separated the first time, I'm thinking about the first upheaval of students during the Khatami era, all the way through the Green
Movement in 2009, and all the way to the last few years, we've seen that the repetition and frequency of these uprisings became more and more and
shorter and shorter.
And, of course, this time, well beyond a protest because of economic circumstances, what have you, when people start chanting death to the
dictator, that means they're fed up with the regime. They want political change. They want fundamental change.
They no longer believe that by reform we can achieve that end, that this regime simply doesn't allow for any kind of process, allowing for people to
decide whether or not they reject the current government they have.
So we are forced into revolt. And we started this revolt in the last few months. We saw how many people were chanting that (INAUDIBLE) came to the
streets, only to be faced with severe repression that led to unfortunately a genocide level reaction by the regime, shooting people on the street with
military weaponry, chasing people in hospitals, finishing up, shooting a, you know, final shot in their heads under hospital beds, women are
currently being raped in prison, soldiers are being arrested and executed for refusing to cooperate with the regime in the oppressing of people.
This is really something that is right under our eyes. There's a sea of blood that separates today, Iranian people with this regime.
So, if you ask me whether this time the nation is fed up and ready to act, they are.
What we do need, however, is an equalizing factor because we saw how the regime treated its own citizens. That's where I think a lot of Iranians
inside (INAUDIBLE) hope that an intervention that will neutralize the regime instrument of repression will finally give us an opportunity for a
final approach.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN ANCHOR: And what does that look like? Is that intervention by the United States? Certainly, even now, I know people are
saying inside Iran, certainly everybody outside Iran, that they are waiting for President Trump to actually deliver on what he said.
Remember, he said, seize your institutions, help is on the way, et cetera. And it didn't happen.
PAHLAVI: Well, not yet. And I think the reason it has and is perhaps because, first of all, mobilizing for it is not an easy affair. You have to
consider many aspects.
But most importantly, I think President Trump realizes that he needs to convince the whole world that I've given a diplomatic solution or the
diplomatic effort, the maximum chance.
We will have to see to what extent the Iranians are, from their side, are willing to settle for what is being asked. I don't see it very likely that
they will actually come even close to what are the demands, which will then say, look, by diplomatic means we haven't managed to get it done. So now we
can move forward with that.
AMANPOUR: Are you yourself in touch with the senior American administration officials? Is there a sense that they are also in this with you, so to
speak, that they also actually want to see regime change?
Because you know the latest statement from President Trump, after meeting with the Israeli prime minister just this week, he basically said, where
are we here? He said, there was nothing definitive reached in this meeting other than I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether
or not a deal can be consummated.
If it can, I let the prime minister know that will be my preference. So no talk about the people or regime change. How did you read that?
PAHLAVI: Again, I think for -- for what is obviously an attempt to say, let's try to resolve this diplomatically. But at the same time, I think
President Trump realizes that the Iranian people have been very clear in their ask for support. They actually believed in his promise of help is
near. Hang in there.
And that's a very important position to take. There's a lot at stake in terms of maintaining face vis-a-vis that -- that expectation.
But never mind my conversations with the U.S. administration or for the matter of European politicians. The most important conversation I have is
with the people of Iran.
And I can tell you from political prisoners, to members of civil society, to many Iranians that have been fighting the fight and have been dying on
the streets, they are asking the world to intervene. We are asking for humanitarian intervention to -- to prevent more innocent lives being killed
in the process.
[12:55:02]
We need to have that support and have an equal -- equalized playing field so we have a real chance as unarmed citizens to overcome this repressive
regime.
AMANPOUR: You know, again, a month ago you said, you were very confident that this is it for the regime. You said the planets were aligned.
But as we saw, which has happened over and over again, that they come out, there's a -- you know, the -- the government allows it for a minute, and
then they -- they crack down, and they did it again incredibly swiftly and brutally as we've all been documenting this time.
I want to ask you about what you said as well. You also called on people to come out, and you told them that there would be a 50,000 -- I'm picking
that number that you used, you know, guard of defectors and people who would save them and protect them during -- during their demonstrations.
Of course, that didn't happen, and they were alone, and they were slaughtered. So, why did you say that? What was it based on? And who are
the people that you say are defecting? And if not then, when? When are we going to see that?
PAHLAVI: Well, there are many elements within the -- the -- the regime structure that refused to carry out the orders of repression, and they were
severely penalized.
We know of some police officers that were executed by the regime for refusing to crack down. We know of the fact that the regime had to import
from Afghanistan, from Iraq, from -- from Lebanon.
Elements that were not even Iranian citizens to do the dirty job. That to me is a sign of desperation knowing that they were pushed back. They
panicked, they shot on the Internet, and in the darkest of night they did what they did.
To a point that today you have the Chancellor of Germany saying that this regime has lost complete legitimacy. So maybe finally, the changing factor
will be shifting from a four-decade-long policy of appeasement of this regime towards we have to find a solution beyond this regime. Most
importantly because of the people calling that.
Now, there has been defections already. We had a specific project as part of the entire movement to -- to call for people who have to show and
demonstrate the intentions to defect. Many have applied and many have reached. Many of them are members of the military, paramilitary forces.
They are also members of the civil bureaucracy.
Now, there's an extent to which they can do their part, but as long as the IRGC and Khomeini are sitting up there using them as an instrument of
repression, even if you have defectors, it's not enough to be a shield of protection.
People were chanting anyway on the streets. And we, in fact, were successful in pushing the regime back, except for the regime acted the way
it did.
So, what do we do now? Do we have a temporary retreat? We are. But people are continuing the struggle. They're continuing to chant slogans.
You see, an unprecedented solidarity of Iranians in the four corners of the world demonstrating their support for them. We've seen millions of people
on the streets of Iran that are doing it.
Does liberty have a price? Of course it does. Are we prepared to die for this cause? Of course we are. Our whole point is that, we don't have a
choice but to fight. We don't have a choice but to liberate ourselves.
And the only way you can minimize the -- the struggle in terms of time and -- and loss of human life is not to be alone in this fight. There's too
much blood between us and this regime. There's no turning back for us.
So the question is, is the world this time going to be on the right side of history and the support the Iranian people in their struggle for
liberation? Are we going to go back to business as usual and consider another movement that hasn't panned out?
And I think a lot of it depends on the policy of strengthening defense and not committing to one side or the other.
This is a choice to be made because the circumstances exist right now as we speak. There's an opportunity. There's a window that exists right now that
could be the game changer for the whole world.
AMANPOUR: I can really hear you trying to call on something. And that's something I think is intervention.
PAHLAVI: It is intervention only because the Iranian people realize that this intervention will eliminate the -- the most important stumbling block
between them and liberation, which is the regime's mechanism of repression and this killing machine.
What does it mean? It means IRGC. It means any other instrument of repression. It means further economic sanctions. It means cutting economic
-- the regime's means to basically pay the checks of their mercenaries at the end of the day?
It means putting more diplomatic pressure, and expanding their diplomats, shutting down the embassy, repurposing the frozen assets that belong to the
Iranian people to, in fact, help the Iranian people fund their campaign of labor strikes, help us with the internet and access -- to the to the world?
And, you know, we had specific demands on that as to where the world can take steps that would be helpful to -- to this campaign.
AMANPOUR: OK. So I think it's important not to forget that 47 years ago, it was your family that was overthrown. It was your father that was
overthrown. There was a reason for that.
And I wonder how you -- how you sort of talk about that right now, how you think about that right now.
END
