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What We Know with Max Foster
Machado Visits D.C. As Rodriguez Set To Give State Of The Nation; Trump Threatens To Use Insurrection Act To Deploy Troops; Calls For Calm In Minneapolis After New Shooting; Trump: Will Watch & See Before Ruling Out Military Action; Musk's Grok Drops Revealing Image Edits After Outcry. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired January 15, 2026 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:30]
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN HOST: Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado meets with Donald Trump at the White House.
I'm Lynda Kinkade, in for Max Foster. And this is WHAT WE KNOW.
At this hour, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado is in Washington making her case to U.S. lawmakers that she should become the
next leader of Venezuela. Next hour, she's expected to meet with a group of senators on Capitol Hill.
One Republican senator says he believes Machado is clearly going to become the president of Venezuela.
Earlier, the Nobel laureate met with President Donald Trump at the White House. And I want to take you to some live pictures from Caracas, where the
Venezuelan president, Delcy Rodriguez, is about to deliver her state of the nation address, less than two weeks after the ouster of former leader
Nicolas Maduro.
Well, these are the pictures right now. You can see coming in to us live.
We have our Isa Soares standing by for us in London. Kevin Liptak at the White House.
Great to have you both with us.
I want to start with you, Kevin, because before you know, we got to this point, we heard from Donald Trump speaking about Maria Corina Machado,
saying that she was a very nice woman. He's having lunch with her right now. What do we know so much about how this this meeting is going and
whether he's changed his mind about her prospects for leadership of Venezuela
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah. Well, and just to update you, we saw Machado leaving the White House a few moments ago, and
she took some time to greet some supporters who were rallying out on Pennsylvania Avenue right in front of the White House. So, sort of gave
them a wave and a smile. She didn't necessarily answer any questions about how that lunch went. It lasted around two hours, it seemed.
We heard from the press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, who was asked, you know, specifically whether Trump's mind could be changed about Machado,
whether his view of her as not respected inside Venezuela, as essentially unable to lead that country, could potentially have been swayed.
No, she was speaking as the lunch was going on, but it did not sound as if she was necessarily confident that the president's mindset could be
altered. She said that the president, when he made those statements, was making what she called a, quote, realistic assessment based on what he had
heard, based on what he had read, and that his opinion hadn't changed.
And, you know, I think when you talk to administration officials, their approach to this is really, in their view, a pragmatic one that they didn't
necessarily think that the opposition movement that Machado had necessarily the juice to lead an entire country a day today and that they were going to
be relying on Delcy Rodriguez as the person they felt was best positioned to essentially act as the interim government in that country, and that they
were planning to use the leverage that they had in Venezuela, whether it was military or economic, to essentially pressure her to do what they
wanted her to do.
They have essentially deprioritized the entire concept of democracy inside Venezuela. You know, their priorities at this point are stability and oil
and accessing the oil for American companies. And they felt that Delcy Rodriguez was the best positioned in order to do that, essentially
sidelining Machado entirely, you know, putting her really on the back burner here as this all proceeds.
You know, she had come in with this idea that potentially she would be handing over her Nobel Peace Prize to President Trump. She had already
dedicated it to him. But there was this idea that potentially she would bring the actual medal and hand it over to Trump. You know, the Nobel
Committee in Oslo said, you know, that's not really how all of this works. You can't translate a Nobel Prize to someone else.
But you know, that interpersonal relationship, even if they were able to develop it over that two hour meal, didn't necessarily seem like it was
going to convince the president that she was the best person to be running Venezuela, at least for right now.
KINKADE: Yeah, exactly. Even though Donald Trump did indeed say that he believes that he deserves that Nobel Peace Prize more than her.
Kevin, I'll come back to you in a moment. I want to go to Isa Soares.
We're just looking, Isa, right now at these live pictures of Delcy Rodriguez greeting lawmakers ahead of this state of the union address. She,
of course, was the vice president to maduro, who was ousted. How much support does she have in Venezuela right now?
ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Lynda.
Look, I'm just going to bring our viewers up to date. These images, just so that you bring our viewers aware there's a slight delay to these images for
context, but Delcy is basically greeting the inside the national assembly, members of the military, heads of military. And that front line, just what
you were talking to me. She just finished greeting the Nicolas Maduro son, Nicolasito, who was a lawmaker.
So this is interesting now to hear what is she going to say as she addresses the nation. And this is important for two reasons. One, you've
got, as you heard Kevin say, a split screen moment. We've got Maria Corina Machado who's just left, departed for the White House -- from the White
House looking for some sense of timeline of a transition, democratic transition from the United States.
Delcy is also having to straddle two key pressure points. You have one side. The pressure from the United States. We heard from President Trump in
the last 24 hours that he had a conversation with her. He said to her, we're getting along very well. I'm quoting him here. I had a great
conversation. She is a terrific person. We discussed a lot of things, and I think we're getting along very well.
So, she has that pressure on the side, making sure that she's aligned with the president, saying, so far its economics. And she speaks the economic
language, Lynda, because she was oil minister of Venezuela.
On the other side, and this is crucial as we look at the constitution of Venezuela on our screen just now, as her brother introduces her, she will
have to address and speak to the base and her base is the Chavistas, the Maduro, of course, her former boss. I suspect that she will talk about
Maduro, first of all, that she will ask for him to be returned.
She will say the key words that apply to that base and give some sort of signal of economic growth or potential for Venezuela. But steer clear of
mentioning President Trump, because I think that would irritate the base.
And that is important for two reasons. Not only her brother, who's president of national assembly, who is speaking right now, but as she
walked in earlier, she was flanked by the Diosdado Cabello. He is one of the henchmen of Nicolas Maduro, and while he may be in line on the economic
front, anything to do with democratic transition would be slightly problematic.
KINKADE: Right. Isa Soares for us in London, Kevin Liptak for us outside the White House, great to have your analysis. Appreciate you both.
We are going to continue to stay on this story. I want to welcome Latin American foreign policy expert, Ambassador Jorge Heine. He served as the
Chilean ambassador to China, India and South Africa. He's also the coauthor of the book "The Non-Aligned World".
Ambassador, great to have you with us
JORGE HEINE, FORMER CHILEAN AMBASSADOR TO CHINA, INDIA & SOUTH AFRICA: Thank you. Thank you for the opportunity.
KINKADE: We are awaiting that state of the union address by the acting president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez. We know that Donald Trump had a
conversation with her today saying it was a good conversation. But her legitimacy is disputed. And the timetable for free and fair elections is
not at all clear.
What do you expect we'll hear her say when she addresses the country and the world today?
HEINE: Well, I expect her to say that Venezuela will be moving forward under her leadership, that she knows exactly what she is doing. She played
an important role in the, you know, relative economic recovery that we're seeing in Venezuela in the course of the past two years or so. Oil
production is up. Things have stabilized. There's been greater room for private enterprise. So, I think she will assert her leadership, confirm
that the movement, the Chavista movement is very much in place and that she knows how to deal with this very difficult situation.
I mean, we have something quite extraordinary here. It's a sort of co- government. On the one hand, in Washington, it is said that they give instructions. On the other hand, we have an acting president in her. So,
it's really a unique situation.
KINKADE: Yeah. She looks like she's just about to address the nation.
Given her history as Maduro's vice president, to what extent does she represent genuine change versus just a continuation of the old regime?
HEINE: Well, look, some people have talked about regime change in Venezuela. There is no such thing. What we have seen in Venezuela is
leadership change. And that, of course, is something very different.
Now, let me emphasize something else. And you know about the meeting that Maria Corina Machado just had with President Trump in this sort of split
screen movement moment, you were referring to.
[15:10:01]
There's a basic principle in life and in politics, you don't switch horses in midstream. The notion that somehow at this point, Mr. Trump would
support the opposition joining the current government, Venezuela, in some form, or moving towards some sort of speedy transition is not in the cards.
You know, this is not the way things work. Things are extremely complicated as they are right now, and bringing in the opposition into the government
at this point, or, you know, in the very short-term future, I think would be really throwing in a wild card into an already very complex game.
KINKADE: There's also a lot to be said for the fact that this acting president was the former oil minister, and appears willing to make deals
with the U.S. We know that the U.S. has just seized the sixth oil tanker, and it's completed its first sale of Venezuelan oil worth $500 million.
It's encouraging U.S. companies to also invest in Venezuela.
What does this mean for Venezuela's sovereignty and also economic future?
HEINE: Well, look, the situation in Venezuela is really paradoxical. Here you have a country with the biggest oil reserves in the world, 20 percent
of all the oil in the world is in Venezuela, 300 billion barrels of oil. And yet it is a country that is impoverished. So, it has a lot to do to
lift itself by its bootstraps.
Miss Delcy Rodriguez has shown that she has some ability to do that, to manage that. And I would say that the decision that has been taken so far
to move forward in this very odd and very strange partnership is probably the best under the current circumstances.
KINKADE: So, what are the risks for U.S. companies that are considering investing in Venezuela, and how are they likely to reshape the political
landscape?
HEINE: Well, look all indications are that the oil industry in Venezuela is in such bad shape that the investment would require to bring it up to
speed would be enormous. The signals we've been getting so far from some of the oil companies, some of the U.S. oil companies at least, that have
spoken with Mr. Trump are, you know, mixed, to say the least. So, it's really something we'll have to wait -- it will have to wait and see.
The current price of oil doesn't help. And this would be a, you know, a long-term type of investment. So, you know, it's not -- it's not a clear
picture. The one that we are seeing right now.
KINKADE: Yeah, it certainly is. And plenty more to discuss. We are going to keep an eye on that State of the Union Address by the acting president
of Venezuela.
Ambassador Jorge Heine -- we appreciate your time today. Thanks so much.
I want to turn to the situation right now in Minnesota, where tensions have flared yet again after federal agents shot a man they say assaulted an
officer on Wednesday. Last week's death of a protester by an immigration enforcement agent has spurred on the demonstrations for days. And now,
Donald Trump is threatening to send in the U.S. military. The U.S. president warns that he'd use the Insurrection Act, saying it will stop
what he calls professional agitators.
Well, Minnesota officials are demanding ICE agents leave the city, but the secretary of homeland security is defending their presence.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KRISTI NOEM, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: In every situation, we're doing targeted enforcement. If we are on a target and doing an operation, there
may be individuals surrounding that criminal that we may be asking who they are and why they're there, and having them validate their identity. That's
what we've always done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, Julia Vargas Jones is in Minneapolis and joins us now live.
Julia, I want to start first on that shooting last night. That was the second time in a week a federal officer has shot at a person. What do we
know about the condition of the man who was injured?
JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. Lynda, this is what we're learning. We are learning that he was -- he was shot in the leg. We're also
learning earlier today from the secretary of homeland security, Kristi Noem. She spoke about the condition of the federal officer, who she called
as that -- she said that he was beaten up and bruised. She said that these were violent actions.
I'm sorry. I am just looking around here. I apologize for this. It's just we're seeing some activity. Some people have started running here again.
The tensions are running quite high.
As you were speaking about last night, of course, things got very -- this is a very different scene last night. This is still a relatively peaceful
protest, but things did turn ugly to the point that we had Minnesota local and state officials calling for the protests to remain peaceful for those
protesting, like the folks here today, to not play into the hand, as they said of the federal government.
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Not take the bait, they said.
We're going to have to move out of the of the road here. Again, this is federal building to my right here. This is the Whipple Federal Building.
And on this side, protesters, they have been -- some of them that we spoke to here since earlier this morning.
They're -- okay. We'll get out of the way. We'll get out of the way. We won't be obstructing this. I want to make sure that everybody here is safe,
Lynda.
So this is the situation here. The cars are coming around every time that these agents come, there is a reaction from this crowd. Of course, this is
what they're here to do to put pressure on these federal agents.
There are expletives being yelled at them. We have to stop right here. There's a whole range of different signs with a lot of expletives that I
hope are not necessarily in our shot, but that the sentiment is one of frustration. It is one of a city -- thank you so much -- of a city that has
seen so much in just one week.
And people are expressing this here. And some of that sounds frustrated, and it sounds angry. But as of now, where we are, we haven't seen any kind
of real violence.
What we have heard, and this was moments before we got here and we spoke to some eyewitnesses who were here moments before we arrived on the scene, was
that there were some kind of projectiles in thrown at just left of this crowd where there were agents that came out of the building and threw
projectiles, not at the crowd, but just to the right of it. Unclear if those were just stun grenades or if that was pepper spray that then
dissipated onto the crowd. We saw that also last night when things got quite ugly, and that's why we're seeing some reactions today.
Some of the people here, though are saying, you know, I wasn't out last night. That was too dangerous for me. I want to protest peacefully. This is
why I'm here now.
Of course, as we know with these things, as you well know, day and night are very different situations. Now, we'll wait and see what happens as
people come out of work and join this demonstration. This is -- has been a bit of a flashpoint, so we'll make sure to keep an eye on that for you.
KINKADE: Yeah. Julia Vargas Jones on the scene for us there in Minneapolis, we will come back to you if the situation changes. Thanks very
much.
Well, still to come, all options are on the table. Donald Trump has a decision to make on Iran, and his track record suggests that there may be a
twist yet to come.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade.
The White House says U.S. President Donald Trump is deciding whether to take any military action in response to Iran's targeting of anti-government
protesters. The White House insists that all options remain on the table. In the Oval Office on Wednesday, Mr. Trump seemed to suggest that things
were looking up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're going to watch and see what the process is, but we were given a very good, very good statement by
people that are aware of what's going on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: This is not the first time that Mr. Trump has had to decide whether to strike Iran. You might recall, last year, during intense
speculation about U.S. strikes, Mr. Trump said he would open a two-week window for negotiations and keep his options open.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I have ideas as to what to do, but I haven't made a final -- I like to make the final decision one second before its due, you know, because
things change. I mean, especially with war, things change. With war, it can go from one extreme to the other.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: With just days after those comments, the United States launched strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities.
So, what we don't know is President Donald Trump trying to keep Iran guessing over U.S. military action.
Joining me now is Nahal Toosi, a senior foreign correspondent at "Politico".
Good to have you with us
NAHAL TOOSI, SENIOR FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT, POLITICO: Thanks for having me.
KINKADE: So Trump launched those strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities back in June last year. Is he likely to do it again? What is he weighing?
TOOSI: He's weighing any number of factors, including the fact that it seems as if the protests in Iran are simmering down and dying, and perhaps
the regime might be ending its crackdown. But, look, trying to predict what Trump is going to do is a fool's errand. It's usually best just to be
prepared for all scenarios. And he does have a lot of options at his disposal.
KINKADE: He did say, though, on Tuesday, to protest is that help is on the way. And warned Americans to evacuate -- Americans in Iran to evacuate.
What does that signal?
TOOSI: Yes. And actually, some Americans have also been moved out of some bases in, in the Middle East. So that signals potential military action.
And the U.S. does have options there. We can send missiles, other types of airstrikes. We can even launch them from U.S. soil if we need to. But we
don't have a carrier in the region at the moment, although there are reports that one is heading to the Middle East, many of our assets are in
Latin America right now because of Venezuela.
But he also has other options. In fact, they announced some new sanctions on Iran. We have cyber options, any number of things. And look, at the end
of the day, if things do calm down in Iran, Trump could say, look, the rhetoric that I used already is the reason that the regime is kind of
backing off at the moment and not carrying out some of the executions that it has promised to carry.
KINKADE: Yeah. I mean, he claims his threats have stopped those, those executions of protesters. Just how much credit can he take for that.
TOOSI: I think it's fair to say that the Iranians themselves want to avoid a military confrontation with the U.S. They are trying to stay in power.
And so, if this kind of, basically calms Trump down he might go for it and they might be willing to let him have that credit.
But look, Trump also does have a history of head fakes, right? He seemed like he was willing to engage in some diplomacy last year with the
Iranians. And then he, you know, watched as the Israelis began bombing. So it's again, it's always best to prepare for any scenario. And if I was the
regime in Iran, I would be preparing for the worst-case scenario when it comes to Trump.
KINKADE: And, Nahal, you also wrote that Trump's involvement with Iran is a flashpoint for his MAGA base. Just explain why.
TOOSIE: Yeah, I mean, there is -- there are many in MAGA who, as much as they despise the Iranian regime and Islamism and things like that, they
don't want the United States to get involved in another Middle Eastern war. And so last year, they could forgive Trump for the nuclear strikes, the
strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, because it was basically a quick thing in and out, done a lot of damage.
[15:25:07]
But we didn't have to send troops, and we were able to respond to the Iranian retaliation. This time, though, if it's more open ended and there's
the possibility of a bigger Middle East conflagration, many in the MAGA base are likely to be kind of confused and unhappy with that, especially
when we also are now involved in Venezuela and threatening Greenland.
So, you know, you're also seeing, by the way, many in the Gulf, Israel as well, telling Iran, reportedly and the United States to please try to calm
things down and not engage in a war.
KINKADE: Nahal Toosi, great to have your analysis. Thanks for joining us.
TOOSI: Thank you.
KINKADE: Well, still to come, it sparked outrage around the world. Now Elon Musk is pulling a controversial feature from his chatbot Grok.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade.
Officials in Minneapolis are asking for calm as tensions rise following a second shooting by a federal agent. President Trump was threatening to
deploy the military using the Insurrection Act to stop what he calls professional agitators. Last week's killing of Renee Good by an ICE agent
has spurred on the demonstrations, anti-ICE protests flared again overnight after a federal agent shot a man the White House says assaulted an officer.
Well, the mayor of Minneapolis is among those calling for calm, Jacob Frey says a fight against the federal government is not the way forward.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR JACOB FREY (D), MINNEAPOLIS: This is not sustainable.
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This is an impossible situation that our city is presently being put in, and at the same time, we are trying to find a way forward to keep people
safe, to protect our neighbors, to maintain order. And we're in a position right now where we have residents that are asking the very limited number
of police officers that we have to fight ICE agents on the street, to stand by their neighbors. We cannot be at a place right now in America where we
have two governmental entities that are literally fighting one another.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: So, what we want to know is what needs to happen to bring down the temperature in Minneapolis?
Joining me now is CNN law enforcement contributor Steve Moore. He's a retired supervisory special agent with the FBI.
Great to see you. Good to have you with us.
STEVE MOORE, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CONTRIBUTOR: Thanks.
KINKADE: So, Steve, President Trump has threatened to invoke the insurrection act in Minneapolis. How realistic is that? And what would it
mean for local authorities?
MOORE: Well, it's very realistic. I mean, you just heard the mayor of Minneapolis himself saying that that they're at war with that -- they're
fighting the federal government. That's the definition of the Insurrection Act. Another definition of the Insurrection Act is if any state or city
obstructs or opposes the enforcement of federal law, it's about as black and white as you can be. This is the situation the Insurrection Act was
made to address.
So, I think the way to get out of this is cooler heads and grownups on both sides have to come together and say, we are heading towards a calamity
here. And you know, when, when one side is, is saying that they're going to send troops in, which is what would happen. And the other side is using
terms like fight ICE, for citizens, there's a lot of room to back up.
KINKADE: And in terms of, you know, the tense moments we've seen now, two shootings by ICE agents on protesters, one last week involving a U.S.
citizen, a young mother who was killed, another last night involving a federal agent and a man who was shot in the leg and is in hospital right
now. From a law enforcement perspective, how do these events change the tactical and safety considerations of both the officers and the protesters?
MOORE: Well, first of all, I'll differ with your terminology of calling them protesters. One of them was driving their car towards a federal agent.
They may have been protesting before. And right then, though, they were assaulting him with a deadly weapon. Similarly, the attempted arrest
yesterday or day before where there was a shooting again, those are not protesters. Those were suspects.
So, what we need to do is make sure protesting is protesting and not obstruction because once you get into obstruction, you give the green light
to armed federal agents to oppose you. And so, another thing we can do to back up is to is to step away from interfering or obstructing. I know there
are strong feelings, and I am not coming down on a position here.
I'm just saying, as the mayor of Minneapolis said, that there is no way to sustain a fight against the federal government in the streets of
Minneapolis. And if you try it, it's going to cost a lot of lives.
KINKADE: Yeah, certainly with a woman who was shot in the face in her car. There are multiple videos of that incident. Some you see officers urging
her to move on, others telling her to stop. So, there was a lot of confusion around that. Still learning a lot about that.
But in terms of how prepared these officers are to handle this situation, I mean, what can you tell us about the sort of training that some of these
ICE agents have had?
MOORE: Well, all of the -- all of the officers have trained at the federal law enforcement training center in Georgia. They go through the standard
course that every other, federal agent except for, say FBI, and maybe Secret Service and DEA go through. It's a standard law enforcement training
system that is acceptable as the same as police training in most states.
So, they are -- they have no less training than the police officers in Minneapolis. There's been a lot of talk about some of them being rushed
through. Well, those people haven't gotten time to get through the academy to be on the street.
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The officer who was hit by the woman's car a few days ago, he was actually an instructor -- a police instructor, a firearms instructor, and had time
in -- had time overseas in combat. So they're not -- I mean, there's a lot of talk going around that they're not well-trained. Certainly, there are
better officers or agents and there are worse agents, but a blanket statement like that isn't helpful either, because it kind of insinuates
that what you're dealing with here are amateurs in the street, and you can beat them.
KINKADE: Steve Moore, always great to get your analysis. Appreciate your time. Thank you.
MOORE: Thank you.
KINKADE: Well, it is the final moments of trade on Wall Street. And stocks, as you can see, are up today over half a percent. The Dow up after
some losses earlier this week. Shares in banks jumped today.
This is our Business Breakout.
Will the U.S. has completed its first sale of Venezuelan oil reportedly valued at $500 million. U.S. official says additional sales of oil are
expected in the coming days and weeks. U.S. president Donald Trump has made clear he plans to tap into Venezuela's vast oil reserves after ousting its
ex-leader, Nicolas Maduro.
U.S. mortgage rates have fallen to their lowest level in more than three years. The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate sits at just above 6
percent. Experts hope the drop could ease the stalemate in the housing market.
Elon Musk is bowing to public outcry over his chatbot Grok, which will no longer edit images to digitally undress people. Outrage over the app being
used to digitally edit pictures of women and children into a state of undress, or in sexually provocative poses, led to it being banned in both
Malaysia and Indonesia. Investigations were also launched in California and the U.K.
Hadas Gold is following the developments and joins us now from New York.
Good to have you with us.
So, what do we know exactly about these new restrictions, how effective they are on Grok's image generation and what enforcement measures are in
place?
HADAS GOLD, CNN MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. So, researchers and we at CNN started observing that over the last few days, Grok was not responding to
image requests on X in the same way as it had before. And I should note, there's sort of two ways you can interact with grok the A.I. chatbot. You
either tag it in a post on X and it responds publicly, or you can have a private conversation.
And so, for this case, we're talking specifically about how Grok interacts with users on X. And then late yesterday, after people started noticing
that it was harder to get grok to generate an image or to respond to people, that's when X confirmed in a statement that they posted to their
safety account that read in part, 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. This restriction applies to all users, including paid subscribers.
Now, previously anyone, and this is when this whole controversy started late last month. Anybody could tag Grok on X and say, hey, edit this image.
Either that they had uploaded or in response to somebody else's X post and say, edit this image. And then there was this big trend of people removing
real people's clothing. And in some very disturbing cases of children as well in various states of undress.
Then X restricted those just to people. That ability just to people who paid for X premium. They said that was because then they actually have some
accountability. They know who that person is because of the information you have to share. To use X premium, you have to give a credit card.
But I should note that despite all of these changes and this restrictions, the ability to remove someone's clothing from a real image is still
possible in a private Grok chat and other A.I.s as well. But unlike those other A.I.s, of course, Grok was responding to all of these requests
publicly, and that's why we saw this huge global outcry.
As you noted, Indonesia and Malaysia completely banned grok. Theres investigations by various countries, including the U.K. regulator Ofcom,
which said that its encouraged by the changes that X instituted, but it's still continuing on with its investigation. And now we have just yesterday,
California. California's attorney general, saying they are launching a formal investigation into this, saying that 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 said he urges xii to take immediate action to ensure this goes no further, and the attorney general saying that these images
violate California law. And I should note that they also violate U.S. law because of the Take It Down Act, which was passed last year and signed by
President Trump, which makes it illegal and a criminal potentially could be criminally prosecuted for posting and sharing non-consensual intimate
imagery, such as what we saw on X.
KINKADE: Hadas Gold, good to have you saying across that story for us. Thank you.
Well, still to come tonight, Ukrainians are battling harsh winter temperatures as Russian strikes leave many without any heat or light. We're
going to share with you what they told us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:43:17]
KINKADE: Welcome back.
Three quarters of Americans oppose the U.S. attempting to take control of Greenland. That's a finding of a new CNN poll. It shows just a quarter
support President Donald Trump's bid to annex the Danish territory. U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with
Danish and Greenlandic officials in Washington on Wednesday. The Danish foreign minister described the talks as frank and constructive, but says a
fundamental disagreement remains.
An analyst in Greenland says that while there was some relief among residents following that meeting, many are concerned for their future.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIRGER POPPEL, SOCIAL SCIENTIST, UNIVERSITY OF GREENLAND: To be honest, as it seems right now, the major threats to security in Greenland comes from
our U.S. allies, which is, of course, not very good. And hopefully the dialogue that has started now can make that relax.
MADS PETERSEN, BUSINESS OWNER: Having some military presence is going to be a new thing here. I don't hope it is the new normal to say so because we
would like to be free and walk out with no fears of people going to poke or something. So, it is going to be a, I think, an ambivalent feeling.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is declaring a state of emergency for Ukraine's energy sector as Russia attacks energy,
infrastructure and power supplies, repairs to thousands of damaged apartment blocks have been compounded by the extremely cold weather. For
Ukrainians, it's a fight to survive without heat or light.
Clare Sebastian has more on their struggle to keep warm in the freezing temperatures.
[15:45:05]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There's nowhere to hide from the cold in this Kyiv apartment. This is day five without heating for
Kateryna Skurydina. Day three without power.
KATERYNA SKURYDINA, KYIV RESIDENT (through translator): It's very difficult mentally, especially since everything that kept you going before
is falling apart. For example, when there is no electricity, sport keeps me going. I go to the gym which runs on battery power. Yesterday, they even
canceled the gym.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): She says, in a moment of desperation, she ordered everything she could to stave off the dark and cold -- power banks,
rechargeable candles. They make it cozy, she says. A Ukrainian clay pot hand warmer, even a heated blanket for her cat, ironically named Pushok
(ph) or fluffy, a still life of survival in Russia's escalating war of attrition.
Kyiv has become hardened to attacks on its energy grid, but a huge wave of strikes late last week, combined with a severe cold snap, took it into
uncharted territory.
PETRO PANTELEEV, ACTING FIRST DEPUTY MAYOR OF KYIV (through translator): The decision was made to suspend the heating system in 6,000 buildings.
This is an unprecedented measure in the history of the central heating system.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): On the streets, the rumble of ever more generators, the soundtrack to Ukraine's fourth winter at war. No one is
spared, not even the repair crews working 24 hours a day to bring power back online.
"We do not even know at home whether there is electricity," says Erasmus (INAUDIBLE), as he works to fix a damaged cable. "We are all living in this
situation."
Destruction often outpaces repairs for Ukraine's biggest private energy company.
SEBASTIAN: What happens at DTEK behind the scenes when there's a major attack?
OLEKSIY POVOLOTSKIY, HEAD OF ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE RECOVERY OFFICE, DTEK: Actually, the attack may take just a few minutes, but to recover after the
attack, you need months or even years. So, we don't have spare time.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): DTEK power plants have been attacked eight times since October. The company says a recent strike blowing a hole in the roof
of this one, letting in the snow.
POVOLOTSKIY: This winter, maybe because the Russians, they are not very progressing on the battlefield. They decided to put Ukraine into the
humanitarian crisis.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): It's a fate Kyiv is racing to avoid. More than 1,300 shelters, known as invincibility centers, have been set up in the
capital for people to charge devices and get warm.
The lamp hasn't charged for some reason, says Tamara Viktorovna (ph), who's in her 70s. Everyone here learning survival skills.
In another heatless apartment across town, Kateryna Voronina, who's 72 and has trouble walking after hip surgery, is struggling to stay positive.
KATERYNA VORONINA, KYIV RESIDENT (through translator): It's scary, of course. I'm holding on. I'm not complaining at all. But yesterday, after
the lights went out, I had what you might call an acute stress reaction. I was crying here all by myself. My friend called me. I couldn't stop.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): She says she regularly scrapes off the ice forming on the inside of her window, and waits.
Clare Sebastian, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: And in the western city of Lviv in Ukraine, another example of the unfathomable courage and strength of everyday Ukrainians. Keep an eye
on the bottom of your right screen there. This footage captures the moment a Russian drone narrowly missed hitting a worker shoveling snow. She pauses
for a moment before carrying on with her work. The mayor of Lviv called the woman, thanking her for her work, saying her courage has captivated the
nation.
Well, still to come, why an app in China with only one function is going viral. We're going to check it in. Check it out, really, after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:51:43]
KINKADE: Welcome back.
Well, what is the answer to widespread loneliness in the world's second most populous country?
CNN's Mike Valerio reports on a viral app that asks users a simple yet vital question.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE VALERIO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: "Are you dead? Tap to confirm."
There's a new app making waves here in China. It was first called Sileme, meaning "Are you dead?" But the name changed a few days ago to Demumu.
VALERIO (voice-over): Its purpose is straightforward. It's a daily check- in tool for people who live alone.
VALERIO: So here's how it works. This is the app. This is all of it. And if you don't press this green button, after two days, an emergency contact
you've preselected gets an alert. And then we hope that person checks in with you, potentially visits just to make sure that you're OK.
VALERIO (voice-over): It recently became the most downloaded paid app on China's Apple app store.
So why is an app like this, created by just three people, suddenly so popular?
Well, China's society is undergoing a major shift. More people are living alone, especially in urban areas. Whether it's young professionals choosing
single life or an aging population with fewer family caregivers nearby, safety concerns are rising.
Chinese research estimates that by 2030, the number of people living alone in China is expected to reach 150 million to 200 million people. For many,
the app offers reassurance. It's a safety net for those who worry about emergencies going unnoticed when they don't have close family members
around.
So here's what people are saying about it. Quote, "This world has finally gone crazy. Are there really many people who use this kind of software?"
Another comment says, "I actually had this idea before and hope there's such an app. I really need it."
Finally, this comment, "This 'are you dead?' feature is really great and can help many lonely seniors. At the same time, I would suggest naming it
to 'are you alive?' as it would provide more psychological comfort to the elderly who use it."
We've also noticed more young people in China seem to be mocking themselves by downloading the app and saying they're so stressed and busy they need to
check in with loved ones to say they're alive each day.
STUART GIETEL-BASTEN, CHINA DEMOGRAPHICS EXPERT: An app or a piece of technology like this can prevent one person from dying alone or from taking
their own life and to have just one small piece of connection, of course, that is a positive. But what you would never want for this to be is a way
that it that substitutes more meaningful social interactions that substitutes real-life contact.
VALERIO (voice-over): "Are you dead?" is more than just an app. It's a reflection of changing lifestyles and evolving challenges in China, a
simple tool addressing a very real concern.
Mike Valerio, CNN, Beijing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, finally, splashdown in the waters off California. After 167 days in space, four crew members from the International Space Station have
returned to Earth. Despite smiles on arrival, their return was described by one crew member, NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, as bittersweet.
The team were forced to leave the ISS about a month early due to a medical issue among the crew. It's the first time since the station was put into
orbit back in 1998 that astronauts have been evacuated due to health problems.
Details of the medical issue and who had it aren't being disclosed for privacy reasons. The age of the astronauts are between 38 and 58, but the
head of NASA says the affected astronaut is getting the help they need.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JARED ISAACMAN, NASA ADMINISTRATOR: Obviously, we took this action because it was a -- it was a serious medical condition, right? So, you know, in
that respect, it was a serious situation. The astronaut in question is fine right now. Good spirits and going through the proper, you know, the proper
medical, the medical checkups.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: That is good to hear. And thanks so much for your company.
That is WHAT WE KNOW. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Do stay with us. We're going to have much more news in just a moment.
END
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