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What We Know with Max Foster

Nancy Guthrie's Family Says They're Willing To Pay Ransom; Starmer Digs In, Tries To Fend Off Growing Calls To Resign; 78-Year-Old Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison In Hong Kong; Israel Moves To Tighten Control Over West Bank; Japanese Stock Soar To Record High On Takaichi's Win; Ghislaine Maxwell Pleads The Fifth To House Committee; Savannah Guthrie Release New Video On Search For Her Mother. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired February 09, 2026 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:21]

MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: Nancy Guthrie's family make a renewed plea for her return.

This is WHAT WE KNOW.

The search for the 84-year-old mother of NBC News anchor Savannah Guthrie is now in its ninth day. Over the weekend, investigators were spotted once

again searching Nancy's Arizona home. They were also seen at the home of her other daughter, Annie. Officials still haven't named any suspects

publicly. A local TV station reports, though a ransom message gave a deadline of 5:00 p.m. today and demanded $6 million.

The Guthrie family says they are prepared to pay.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, NBC NEWS ANCHOR: We received your message and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can

celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us and we will pay.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Ed Lavandera has more from Tucson.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Officials still saying that they do not have a suspect or persons of interest. But

throughout the last couple of days, we have seen intense law enforcement activity, not just here in the neighborhood where Nancy Guthrie lives, but

also at the daughter's house, which is about a 15, 20-minute drive from where we are here.

We saw law enforcement activity once again here yesterday in this neighborhood, searching the property underground, what appeared to be like

underground tanks here in the neighborhood, as well as recanvassing, re- talking to neighbors, asking them if they've seen anything suspicious or suspicious vehicles. They say all of that work continues.

So, it's almost like there's two different fronts here as investigators, federal investigators really kind of focus on the ransom note and trying to

get to the bottom of that.

Meanwhile, other investigators working the grounds here in this neighborhood, trying to find for that that one key piece of evidence or

some sort of clue that could lead them to who might have abducted Nancy Guthrie more than a week ago now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: CNN law enforcement contributor Steve Moore joins us now.

Steve, thanks for joining us.

STEVE MOORE, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CONTRIBUTOR: Thanks, Max.

FOSTER: Obviously, the police aren't telling us everything here, but there's some sort of interaction going on between the family and these

people are asking for the ransom.

What do you understand? What are you seeing happen here?

MOORE: Well, I think somehow the -- and I'm not making that sound like it's not credible, but somehow the FBI has come to the conclusion that, the

ransom note is legitimate and comes from the people who are -- took Nancy. And so, therefore, they're proceeding with this as if they still have her.

I think the message that was read by Savannah on the air, that was a well- crafted, brief succinct communication to the kidnappers and was probably crafted by the FBI.

FOSTER: They've only got until late this afternoon to hand this money over. Presumably, if they have it, they will do that. But it's a gamble,

isn't it? Because they're getting -- they're not getting messages directly or proof of life directly. They're relying on these messages going out to

TV networks.

MOORE: Right. And I simply don't believe they've gotten proof of life. I mean, had they gotten proof of life, I would have expected something along

the lines of, please tell her we love her and were we're going to pay the ransom and get her home. Nothing like that was heard.

So, yeah, it is a gamble, Max. I think that's the best way to say it. It is -- it is the kidnappers gambling that they can get money from you. And you

gambling about whether you can get your loved one back. That's the nature of this beast.

And they are taking a calculated risk. But at the same time, I think that risk puts them in favor, puts -- works in their favor. Number one, they

might return Nancy. But if they don't, we now have something to trace that bitcoin transaction. And the FBI is very good at tracing that they've

gotten billions of dollars back from these ransomware people on bitcoin, it is not untraceable. And it gives the bureau a very strong lead to find

these people.

[15:05:00]

FOSTER: That's interesting. I didn't realize you could trace it. They'll presumably be aware of that because they've been very smart, haven't they,

with their communications. They've been completely untraceable.

MOORE: So far, they have been as far as we know, untraceable but, Max, you know, this is not a surprise to you but these eight or nine days, the FBI

hasn't been sitting by phones waiting for the case to come to them. They have been conducting aggressive investigations into potential kidnappers.

If they have come to the conclusion that the kidnapper is local to Tucson, they are beating every bush right now.

And I would guess that you know, they say they don't have suspects or persons of interest. Well, they'll call it something else. But right now,

if they don't have at least half a dozen people that they are seriously looking at as potential suspects in this one, I would be astounded.

FOSTER: Okay. Steve Moore, really appreciate it. Thank you. Let's hope we hear something soon.

The British prime minister meanwhile losing grip on power it appears tonight with growing calls for him to step down amid fallout from the

Epstein files. Keir Starmer is meeting behind closed doors with lawmakers from his Labour Party looking to shore up support. We understand that

meeting has just finished.

Two senior aides have stepped down in the past 48 hours. Mr. Starmer has acknowledged appointing Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the U.S. despite

knowing about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Mandelson is now under criminal investigation. Scotland's Labour Party leader says enough is enough

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANAS SARWAR, SCOTTISH LABOUR PARTY LEADER: The distraction needs to end, and the leadership in Downing Street has to change. We cannot allow the

failures at the heart of Downing Street to mean the failures continue here in Scotland.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Nada Bashir is with us with more.

The meetings just finished. I mean, we're hearing in the last hour from Carol Walker saying apparently there were cheers coming from within the

chamber. We do know that his cabinet is all onside, which is vital. It's whether or not he's convinced the backbench MPs that he should stay in

power.

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. And earlier in the day, there had been a sense that there was some momentum growing behind these calls

for the prime minister to step down. Now again, this meeting has just ended, and it does appear, according to reporters who are in the hallways

outside of this meeting room, who are able to hear some of that applause that you mentioned that potentially he has managed to shore up that support

from his MPs and senior cabinet ministers.

But again, we are still waiting to hear from the prime minister speaking publicly and to hear more from those ministers who are in attendance at

that meeting as to what exactly the prime minister has pledged and promised.

FOSTER: He's fighting. We know that

BASHIR: He is fighting, but there have been growing calls for accountability and for some more clarity as to what exactly he knew when it

came to appointing Mandelson as the ambassador in terms of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, and whether these details that are now coming out in

these revelations as part of these Epstein files were actually known to the prime minister?

FOSTER: Well, he's sharing those communications now, isn't he, with parliament? Could it be that the people that want his job and we know there

are some aren't coming out and gunning for it quite yet because they feel he could be damaged even further by this release of communications between

him and Mandelson?

BASHIR: Potentially, but there's also a sense that this is a party that is really trying to put forward this image of unity and stability following

years of turmoil in British politics. And the hope is that potentially with Starmer at the helm, they will be able to see through the next election and

continue to shore up that support. But again, there are still real questions.

We are hearing criticism from the opposition parties calling for greater accountability, greater scrutiny over the prime minister's judgment. And of

course, that's also coming from within his closest aides and some within his own party as well. We heard from the leader of the Scottish Labour

Party saying that it is time for Keir Starmer to step down. Clearly, that hasn't been echoed just yet by anyone senior within the Labour Party.

FOSTER: But the pressures still on.

BASHIR: Absolutely

FOSTER: As it is on the monarchy right now. It's interesting hearing from the king tonight saying that well, the palace is saying that they will

cooperate with any police investigation and there isn't even one launched yet into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. There is -- you know, they're starting

to look at it there's no formal investigation for the king to come out and say, well, you know cooperate with whatever you want before there's even a

formal investigation speaks a lot to how concerned they are as well.

BASHIR: Absolutely. And we continue to learn more through these DOJ files that are being released around the actual how involved Andrew Mountbatten-

Windsor was actually, with this whole Epstein saga. And the evidence is increasingly damning.

So, there is a sense that the palace is trying to do some damage control here, and also to get ahead of anything that is later released and of

course, this is an issue that has drawn widespread scrutiny.

[15:10:07]

There are growing calls not only on politicians who are involved, but also of course, on the royal family to take some accountability in this. And

we've heard earlier in the day from the prince and princess of Wales commenting on this, saying that they are deeply concerned by the continuing

revelations, again showing their support for the victims. That's been echoed in the past by, of course, the king and the queen as well. But

clearly there is this sense that they are trying to reiterate their stance.

FOSTER: Separate themselves.

BASHIR: Absolutely.

FOSTER: Nada, thank you very much indeed.

China hitting back following fallout over the sentencing of Hong Kong billionaire Jimmy Lai. Beijing is urging countries to, quote, "refrain"

from making irresponsible remarks on judicial proceedings and not interfere in its judicial affairs. Many western governments have condemned the

prosecution and sentencing of Lai. The former Hong Kong media tycoon is 78. He faces the next 20 years behind bars. The sentence is the longest

delivered under a sweeping national security law imposed on Hong Kong in 2020.

CNN's Kristie Lu Stout was outside the Hong Kong courthouse when Lai was sentenced.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm standing outside the court where the former Hong Kong media mogul and longtime critic of China, Jimmy Lai,

has been sentenced to 20 years in prison. In December, he was found guilty of sedition and two counts of colluding with foreign forces. Now, collusion

here in Hong Kong under the Beijing imposed national security law is a very serious crime, punishable by up to life in prison. Jimmy Lai earlier had

pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

Now, in December, the three judges presiding over the case and convicted Jimmy Lai. They called him a, quote, "mastermind of conspiracies". They

pointed out his lobbying of U.S. politicians during President Donald Trump's first term, as well as how he used his empire, namely his "Apple

Daily" newspaper, to call for international sanctions against China and Hong Kong during the 2019 protests.

Now, this has been the most high-profile national security case since the law was imposed by Beijing on Hong Kong in 2020. It has been roundly

criticized by Western governments. The U.S. and other countries have called for the release of Jimmy Lai. In fact, U.S. President Donald Trump

reportedly pressed Chinese leader Xi Jinping to free Jimmy Lai during their talks last year China has repeatedly warned against any interference, and

Hong Kong has insisted that Jimmy Lai has received a fair trial.

So, what happens next? Well, an appeal could be a long, drawn-out process with a low success rate as for Jimmy Lai. He is 78 years old and has

already spent more than five years in prison.

Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Saudi Arabia, Jordan and other Muslim states condemning Israels sweeping new moves to tighten control over the West Bank. Israel's security

cabinet approved measures allowing the state to buy land for the expansion of settlements. It also made it easier for settlers to buy land amid a

sharp rise in settler attacks on Palestinians and their property.

Nic Robertson joins us live from Jerusalem -- Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, Max, it's really interesting because the same group of international countries that

President Trump leant on to give support and credibility to his Gaza peace plan late last year that envisaged a Palestinian state is now sort of those

same countries criticizing what Israel is doing because they see it as shutting down that possible pathway to a Palestinian state that President

Trump's 20-point peace plan talked about.

The Palestinian Authority sees this as just a way that war is being waged on the Palestinian people. That's what they say.

Bezalel Smotrich, the far right finance minister here in Israel, who's the author and the sort of engine behind this change that's making it easier

for settlers to get property inside the West Bank, to get land inside the West Bank, a vision he's always had and one that he's really pushed to

enable settlers to not just take land but to legitimize the taking of that land.

And now this next step, while it seems an incremental part of a process that this far right, right wing alliance in and around Prime Minister

Benjamin Netanyahu is intent on doing. Although it seems incremental, it is significant because the push and the drive is there to do it from part of

the Israeli side, and this is going to make it easier and therefore put pressure on those Palestinians inside the West Bank and drive them. They

assess to sort of live in smaller and smaller areas, be pushed into their big cities even off the farmland.

That's what they think is at stake right now, Max.

FOSTER: Okay, Nic, thank you so much.

And protests on the streets of Sydney as Israel's president arrives in Australia.

[15:15:03]

Thousands turned out across the country accusing Isaac Herzog of being complicit in the killing of tens of thousands of civilians in Gaza. Police

clashed with some of the protesters using pepper spray to disperse the crowd and making a number of arrests. Herzog was invited by Prime Minister

Anthony Albanese in the aftermath of the Bondi beach massacre. He spoke at an event in Sydney earlier, expressing his solidarity with members of the

Australian Jewish community.

Now, Japanese stocks soared to a record high today after an historic election by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Japan's first female leader was

enjoying high approval ratings and a glowing endorsement from U.S. President Donald Trump. But calling a snap election was still a huge risk.

CNN's Hanako Montgomery explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Sanae Takaichi's huge political gamble, one where she literally put her job on the line has paid off -- I

mean, to the extent that we could not really expect. I mean, most experts I've spoken to really said that it was likely that the liberal Democratic

Party would secure a majority in Japan's lower house of parliament. But the fact that the LDP was able to secure more than two thirds of seats is truly

something unexpected and historic, and what that now means is Takaichi will be able to pass through any bills really, with little to no opposition.

So, making her leadership and her really, I suppose, her job as a politician much, much easier. Now, Takaichi has a long list, a long laundry

list of issues that she must tackle from the get-go. First, of course, is the Japanese economy. We've seen record high inflation, a sliding Japanese

yen against the very powerful U.S. greenback and of course, just voters feeling very frustrated with the fact that their wages are increasing.

So, she will have to tackle the Japanese economy to appease these voters, to appease the Japanese public and show that she's on the right track to

make Japan a much stronger economy. Now, she must also deal with foreign policy. In her brief time as prime minister, less than four months, she has

shown that she's quite able and adept at really tackling different foreign policy issues and developing deeper ties with foreign nations. For example,

Italy's prime minister, South Korea's president, also the U.K., Canada and including the U.S. President Donald Trump.

In fact, when it comes to Trump, Takaichi has shown that she has a very good personal relationship with him. In fact, last week on Truth Social,

Trump went so far as to endorsing her as the prime minister of Japan, encouraging the people of Japan to vote for her in this very local

election. Now, Takaichi as early as Monday, so just a few hours ago, thanked Donald Trump for that endorsement and for his kind words, also

adding that, quote, the potential of our alliance is limitless. So, really just emphasizing the strength of the U.S.-Japan alliance here.

Also mentioning that her visit to the U.S. in March or expected to visit will be one of greatness and, of course will be an opportunity to develop

that alliance further. So again, long list of issues Takaichi must tackle. But for now, a moment of victory for the Japanese prime minister.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Coming up, Jeffrey Epstein's coconspirator says the only way she'll talk is if she can make a deal with President Trump. What Ghislaine

Maxwell's attorney says she knows about Mr. Trump and the former president, Bill Clinton.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:21:31]

FOSTER: Ghislaine Maxwell wants to make a deal. Her attorney says Maxwell will help exonerate U.S. President Donald Trump over questions related to

convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein if the president will grant her clemency. To be clear, Mr. Trump hasn't accused -- being accused of any

wrongdoing.

As expected, Epstein's former accomplice invoked her Fifth Amendment right not to answer questions during her deposition before the U.S. lawmakers

today. House Democrats say Maxwell's actions will not keep them from pushing for transparency.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JASMINE CROCKETT (D-TX): We will not be deterred. We will not be distracted. We know who it is that needs to be held accountable, and we

will go in and we will make sure that we continue to dig. This will not stop us because his coconspirator decided that she was going to try to play

games with us this morning. I got news for you, Ms. Maxwell. We're not done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: So, here's the statement that Ghislaine Maxwell's attorney read during her deposition. "Ms. Maxwell is prepared to speak fully and honestly

if granted clemency by President Trump. Only she can provide the complete account. Some may not like what they hear, but the truth matters. For

example, both President Trump and President Clinton are innocent of any wrongdoing."

What we want to know is, what can investigators really learn from Ghislaine Maxwell's testimony?

Joining me now, CNN legal analyst Joey Jackson.

I guess the first question, Joey, is -- I mean, how are we supposed to believe anything she says?

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yeah. You know, Max, that's the issue. The issue is there was going to be a challenge in any event. Why? Because

she's a self-interested witness.

How was she self-interested? She's self-interested because she's doing 20 years in jail as a result of being convicted of five counts in the Southern

District of New York back in 2021 having been sentenced. As we look at her there to 20 years in June of 2022.

And so, the fact that she was already convicted and that conviction, we should note, is predicated upon her relationship with the person we see

she's with there, right? That is Jeffrey Epstein. They had this three decade relationship beginning romantically and then all other types of

things that came out during the trial with respect to their relationship with regard to her being really his housekeeper of sorts, meaning just

taking care of all of his affairs, those affairs including luring women all over the country in the United States, you know, in addition to London, in

addition to New Mexico, in addition to Florida, in addition to New York.

And so, she knows a heck of a lot. The issue is, now that she's gotten that 20-year sentence, Max. And now that the Supreme Court has said we're not

intervening and the appellate court in New York, which is the second circuit, has said, you know what? We're affirming your conviction. The only

person she could turn to is Donald Trump, the president because he has the power to pardon or grant clemency, right?

The difference being a pardon, you're forgiven. You can go home nothing to see here. Clemency, not forgiven, but you get out of jail. So, now, you're

going to say, hey, give me what I want, which is get me out of jail, and I will really tell the truth.

The truth? Or will you just say what you think you need to say to the audience of one being the president so that he could be exonerated and you

could go on about your life? It's fraught with difficulties, Max. Very problematic.

FOSTER: Also, why would President Trump agree to it? Because, she said in the statement, he's completely innocent of any wrongdoing you know, you

know, that's probably going to be enough for him. Why does he need to see evidence of him not doing anything wrong?

[15:25:01]

JACKSON: Yeah, that's quite a good question. I think what her hope would be is that she could fill in the blanks in terms of giving the narrative,

right? She's given the headline which is, hey -- he's very, you know, he's innocent. He didn't do anything. But now if you fill in the blanks, you

know, well, he wasn't at a certain location at a certain time. I never saw him engage, particularly with any underage girls at all. He was always in

the backroom. He was never with anybody else.

I guess what she's hoping that he is, that he wants her to give color commentary, right? That is -- yes, he's innocent of everything, but this is

why so she could otherwise wax poetic about how innocent he really is. But I just think any testimony she would provide is fraught with difficulties.

And of course, it's not a surprise that she would go in front of this committee, Max, and say, plead the Fifth. The Fifth, as we know, the United

States constitution allows you not to incriminate yourself. Right? That's the Fifth Amendment.

And if you have a pending petition, as she does, and just to be clear, legally, where this stands is that her appeals have run out. But she's

filed a motion to set aside her verdict predicated on newly discovered evidence. What is that? Well, there's plenty, according to her.

But now that these files are being released, all kind of information is coming out. Even though she filed her petition two days before, you know,

some any of the files were released. But in any event, she's saying that there were these secret agreements of 29 people, and those 29 people were

very involved, four of which were coconspirators, others of which were involved but not indicted and you should have let me know about that when I

had this trial, because I, Ghislaine Maxwell, says would have called them as witnesses and they could have helped me.

I think that's a strong argument. However, the fact is, is she's a self- interested witness. She has a petition in court. She, of course, is going to plead the Fifth unless you give her something that would incentivize her

to talk. And so, we'll see what develops into the future but saying, hey, I'm not going to say anything unless I get clemency -- not a good look to

be sure.

FOSTER: Well, does it -- do you find it extraordinary that when these people are defending themselves, they never seem to be? They never talk

about the survivors or the victims first. They don't seem to be doing anything to help.

You know, if she wanted to really win people round, she would be saying, I will help show that these women weren't abused, I guess, but we've had the

same, haven't we, with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor again with Peter Mandelson, you know, he has talked a bit about the victims, but he's really

just protecting his position all the time. It just reinforces the whole story that this was a cabal of people looking after themselves.

JACKSON: Yeah, that's such a significant point because at the end of the day, the reason that there's this push for accountability, the reason you

have this congressional committee the House Oversight, who says hey, okay, number one, the Congress, of course, passed this transparency act back in

2025 last year, November, saying released the files by December 19th of 2025. That didn't happen, Max. We know.

But then there was this drip, drip, drip of information. We're still getting information. Then, of course, today the house being permitted to

see these unredacted files, meaning, hey, the things are blacked out to the public, but not to you in Congress, you could see it all.

And at the end of this. And that's why Congress is investigating, is because there are victims here, those victims who endured quite a bit. And

Congress wants to know who were your enablers. How was this allowed to happen?

How was Jeffrey Epstein allowed to escape back in Florida when they had him? They literally had him, Max, in 2006, 2007. He gets this secret

agreement right in 2008 where, hey, you can't prosecute me, any of my friends, I'm going to get this sweetheart deal. I'm going to plead to these

two charges really not amounting to any accountability in terms of the dozens and dozens of victims. And at the end of the day, that's what

Congress is doing.

Who was enabling, who was involved? Where are they? Right? What are the files say about them? And who did you victimize?

And so, yes, the victims are paramount. And I think that's what this is all about but according if you look in right before we began this segment, we

saw her there, Jasmine Crockett, she's running for United States senate in Texas. Accountability is going to come. And Congress certainly wants to be

at the very head of that when it does.

FOSTER: Joey Jackson, as ever, thank you so much.

JACKSON: Thanks, Matt.

FOSTER: Well, Buckingham Palace says it stands ready to support British police as it assesses a report that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor alleged

allegedly shared confidential reports with Jeffrey Epstein. The former prince has previously denied any wrongdoing over his ties to Epstein.

House Democrat Ro Khanna called on Mountbatten-Windsor to testify before U.S. lawmakers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. RO KHANNA (D-CA): Well, the king has to answer what he knew, what he knew about, and just stripping Andrew of a title is not enough. I mean,

Andrew needs to come before our committee and start answering questions. I mean, look, if you have allegations of raping a young girl, I don't think

the appropriate punishment is you no longer get to be a prince.

[15:30:04]

There's got to be more than that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Meanwhile, Prince William and Princess Catherine are sounding off on the fallout from the Epstein files. A Kensington palace spokesperson

issued a statement saying, I can confirm the prince and princess have been deeply concerned by the continuing revelations. Their thoughts remain

focused on the victims.

Still to come, it's a trial that could see Mark Zuckerberg take the stand to testify. Did social media apps harm a woman's mental health? We'll be

live in San Francisco, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: The family of missing woman Nancy Guthrie says they're prepared to pay for her return. Nancy is the mother of NBC "Today Show" host Savannah

Guthrie. She disappeared from her Arizona home nine days ago. Ransom notes sent to several news organizations purportedly demand that her family pay

$6 million. The Guthrie family posted a message on social media saying they'll pay it.

Over the weekend, investigators were spotted once again searching Nancy Guthrie's home. They were also searching the home of her other daughter,

Annie. No suspects have been named yet.

CNN's chief law enforcement and intelligence analyst John Miller joins us now.

John, the deadline is horribly close.

JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: Well, it is. The deadline is either 5:00 East Coast Time or 5:00 Central Time, but

either way, it's ticking down.

But one of the things that experience teaches us in these cases is that deadlines are set by kidnappers, extortionists and others to keep the

process moving, and the deadline usually comes within, or else I'll do X.

[15:35:02]

In this case, the deadline came with a threat.

But deadlines can often be talked through because of the logistics of accomplishing what they're asking for. Think of how it would be to be able

to put together that much money, and what things would be -- have to be liquidated to make that happen. So, it wouldn't be uncommon to talk past

the deadline. Remember, we're dealing with a kidnapper who, at least according to their communications with the family through the media seemed

to be entirely focused on getting a payoff for this.

So, walking away because the deadline passed without the money is probably not likely. The question we're facing right now, Max, is, is communication

continuing? Are those logistics being discussed?

FOSTER: Take us through the video that the family sent out. It's very short, wasn't it? But pretty telling.

MILLER: Well, it was very short. Just under 19 seconds. The words carefully chosen. You know what? She started off with Savannah Guthrie was

we got your message, and we understand so we don't know what was in the kidnapper's second message. We want the return of our mother. So, we can

celebrate her together. And that we are willing to pay.

And that is really all you get out of that. Now, some of it is clear, clearly written, because the kidnapper would understand it, because it's in

response to the message but it's not entirely clear to us.

FOSTER: Yeah, we might get you back, John, because we understand that Savannah has just posted another video, but I'll let you have a look at it

first and see what you make of it thanks for joining us.

MILLER: All right. Yep.

FOSTER: We're still waiting for word from the British prime minister's meeting with his party after a senior Labour figure called him to quit.

Several of Keir Starmer's cabinet ministers have, though rallied to his defense as he faces criticism over his former U.S. ambassador's links to

Jeffrey Epstein.

Last hour, political analyst Carole Walker told me that Starmer could yet hold on to power, at least for now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAROLE WALKER, PRESENTER, TIMES RADIO: What Keir Starmer had to admit last week is that he did know that Peter Mandelson not only knew Jeffrey Epstein

but had maintained his contacts after Epstein's first conviction. And I think that has really, really undermined his whole leadership. But what has

happened since then is when now waiting to see all the documents on the vetting process, on the contacts, the contacts that Mandelson had with

various figures in the current government and I think that those contenders to succeed Keir Starmer realize there's going to be a huge amount of flak

when that comes out.

We've also got two key elections coming up, a local by-election coming up before the end of the month. Labour is expected to lose that, or that

should be a reasonably safe Labour seat. And then early in May, a bigger round of elections in Wales, in Scotland, for the devolved administrations

there and in local councils. And if Labour lose a whole load of seats, then -- well, that is going to be very serious news indeed for Labour.

So, none of the contenders to succeed Keir Starmer want to be the leader that has to deal with all of that it makes sense for them to wait to sit

tight, and its every likelihood that within just a few months, Keir Starmer could well realize on his own that the time is up. And that is when I think

you could see a much wider leadership contest underway to succeed Keir Starmer as Labour leader and, of course, prime minister.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Carole Walker there.

Now it is the final moments of trade on wall street. And stocks are broadly higher. While the Dow is largely flat, Nasdaq is up around 1 percent.

This is our Business Breakout.

Now, more Americans are feeling worse off about their finances. A new survey from the New York Fed shows the share of Americans who feel they're

in a poorer place than a year ago is at its highest point since 2023. It also shows more people are expecting their financial conditions to get

worse. At least nine U.S. senators have traded stocks involving companies they oversee on congressional committees. That is according to new CNN

analysis.

Both Republican and Democratic senators have made such trades, although not all of them raise conflict of interest issues one watchdog group says it's

a troubling problem.

Elon Musk's plans to build a human settlement on mars have been put on the back burner. Instead, the SpaceX CEO says he wants to focus on sending

people to live on the moon. Musk says a self-growing city on the moon could be achieved in less than a decade. He says a similar plan on Mars will be

much more challenging and take more than twice as long.

[15:40:04]

It's time for opening statements in the social media trial that will see some of the world's biggest tech CEOs take to the stand. Lawyers for a now

20-year-old woman will argue that addictive features from Meta and YouTube harmed her mental health, and executives, including Mark Zuckerberg and the

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan are expected to testify.

What we don't know is will this landmark trial set a precedent for social media?

Joining me now from San Francisco is our tech reporter Clare Duffy.

Take us through it, Clare.

CLARE DUFFY, CNN TECH REPORTER: Yeah, Max. So opening statements have just kicked off in this trial, and the plaintiff's lawyer, Mark Lanier, really

came out swinging comparing these social media platforms to digital slot machines for children. As you said, the plaintiff in this case is a 20-

year-old named Kaylee. And she says she started using Instagram and YouTube as a young child. And she alleges that they -- she claims addictive

features on those platforms caused her to develop mental health challenges like anxiety, body dysmorphia and suicidal thoughts. She specifically

points to features like these endlessly scrolling feeds and late-night notifications.

Now, we also expect today to get a sense of how these companies are going to shape their arguments. The companies have repeatedly rejected the idea

that their platforms contribute to mental health harms for young people. And I'll tell you what we heard from both a Meta spokesperson and a YouTube

spokesperson ahead of trial today. Meta spokesperson tells me we strongly disagree with these allegations and are confident the evidence will show

our long standing commitment to supporting young people.

And then a YouTube spokesperson similarly told me providing young people with a safer, healthier experience has always been core to our work the

allegations in these complaints are simply not true and these companies point to features that they've rolled out, things like parental control

tools, content restrictions, time limits on how long young people can scroll, that parents can turn on. But what I've heard from parents and

advocates is that they really want to see these platforms do more, and that is the sort of thing that could potentially come out of this trial.

Kaylee's lawsuit is just the first of hundreds of lawsuits filed against social media companies. And so, whatever the outcome is, in her case, if

she were to win this case, that could have implications for how all of those hundreds of other lawsuits are resolved, potentially putting these

companies on the hook for significant monetary damages, but also to make changes to their platforms, Max.

So, this is something that we'll continue to watch very closely. This trial is expected to run for about eight weeks. So, through the end of March and

we'll certainly be watching for those executive testimonies you mentioned.

FOSTER: And you know, a risk for the CEOs to appear on such a high profile setting, right? And ask -- being asked really tough questions.

DUFFY: Yeah. I mean, the CEOs are being called by the plaintiff's lawyer here. And so, they, I think, don't necessarily have a choice about whether

to show up. And I think this is, again, a really important moment of accountability that many parents have been asking for. They want to get a

better sense of what these companies have known about the risks to their children, the efforts that they've taken, and specifically what the

leadership of these companies has done to try to mitigate some of these challenges that so many children have faced.

And so, I think that is going to be very interesting to watch here as we -- as we go forward, Max.

FOSTER: Absolutely. Clare, thank you so much for bringing us that.

Now still to come, Bad Bunny pays a vibrant homage to Puerto Rican -- to Puerto Rico during Sunday's Super Bowl half time show almost entirely in

Spanish. More on his performance, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:46:48]

FOSTER: Breaking news in the last few minutes, NBC News anchor Savannah Guthrie has posted a new video where she says she believes her missing

mother, Nancy, is still out there. This is what Savannah had to say a few moments ago on her official Instagram page.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, NBC NEWS ANCHOR: Hi there, everybody. I wanted to come on and just share a few thoughts as we enter into another week of this

nightmare. I just want to say, first of all thank you so much for all of the prayers and the love that we have felt. My sister and brother and I.

And that our mom has felt because we believe that somehow, some way she is feeling these prayers and that God is lifting her even in this moment and

in this darkest place.

We believe our mom is still out there. We need your help. Law enforcement is working tirelessly around the clock, trying to bring her home, trying to

find her. She was taken and we don't know where. And we need your help.

So I'm coming on just to ask you, not just for your prayers, but no matter where you are even if you're far from Tucson, if you see anything, if you

hear anything, if there's anything at all that seems strange to you, that you report to law enforcement. We are at an hour of desperation and we need

your help.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: The hour she's referring to there is this deadline of 5:00 p.m. that we've reportedly seen in a ransom note. Local TV also demanding,

saying there's a demand for $6 million, but the deadline is looming.

That's the context that Savannah was speaking to there. Are now making a public appeal, which can be common in these circumstances. Someone,

somewhere might know something about this and she's just asking for the public to hear her tell the police so they can reconnect with their mother.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:51:51]

FOSTER: Breaking news in the last few minutes, NBC News anchor Savannah Guthrie has posted a new video where she says she believes her missing

mother Nancy is still out there. This is what Savannah had to say a few moments ago on her official Instagram page.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GUTHRIE: We believe our mom is still out there. We need your help. Law enforcement is working tirelessly around the clock trying to bring her

home, trying to find her. She was taken and we don't know where. And we need your help.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: CNN chief law enforcement and intelligence analyst John Miller joins us now.

What do you make of it, John?

MILLER: Well, this is not another message over the airwaves to the kidnapper. This is a message to the general public. And what she is saying

is, thank you for your prayers. Thank you for the love. We believe that that is lifted us up, but not just us, our mother too, because we believe

wherever she is, she can feel those prayers.

But the bottom line is we need your help. The second underlying thing here is, even if you're not in the Tucson, Arizona area, even if you're far

away, if you see something suspicious, if you hear something, if somebody says something that you think we need to know, pass that on. Because we

have seen, Max, in prior, you know well-known kidnaping cases like that of Elizabeth Smart, where she was kidnapped in Salt Lake City, Utah, but she

was taken to San Diego, California, that where the victim is after much time has passed, may not be close to where they were taken from.

So, they are casting the net. They are trying to widen the net, and they are crowdsourcing to the public to say, because there's a deadline coming

up at 5:00, set by the purported kidnappers, or because, you know, there's rumors of other things don't dial out on us.

Stay focused. We need help.

FOSTER: Might they be appealing to people around the kidnappers as well?

MILLER: Well, I think any time you send out one of these and I mean, we use these cliches, you know gut wrenching, heart wrenching. These truly are

I mean, watching a family go through that and having sympathy -- empathy feeling that as they struggle with this, if you were part of the kidnapping

or even had knowledge of the kidnapping or suspicion of the kidnaping, and you were saying, I just want to mind my own business and stay out of this.

These are the kinds of messages that might turn you to pick up that phone, send that email, give that tip.

FOSTER: I mean, you noted earlier on this 5:00 p.m. deadline and a lack of clarity about what time zone it applies to. Another stress for the family?

MILLER: Well, it is and you know, the deadline came with a threat but that was in the very first communication with the kidnappers. The second written

communication that came via encrypted email to a local tv station in Tucson had a different message.

[15:55:04]

We don't know the content of that message. Their last communication back to the kidnappers was we got your message, and we understand and we're willing

to pay. But this -- this is basically engaging beyond the kidnapers engaging everybody else on the idea that both of these things happen,

happen at once while we are negotiating with whomever these people or this person is, we still need everybody else on board. Law enforcement is fully

engaged. They say in this latest message, but we need all of you.

FOSTER: John Miller, as ever, really appreciate it and our thoughts are with the family and indeed, Nancy, as that deadline looms. Thank you.

I'm Max Foster. That's WHAT WE KNOW. Do stay with CNN. There'll be more after the break.

END

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