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What We Know with Max Foster
Sheriff: DNA On Glove Has No Matches In Federal Database; Pioneering U.S. Civil Rights Leader Jesse Jackson Dead At 84; Iran: "New Window Of Opportunity" After Talks With U.S.; Warner Bros. Reopens Talks With Paramount Over Sale; Police: Man With Loaded Shotgun Arrested At U.S. Capitol; Chinese Zodiac Predictions For The Lunar New Year. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired February 17, 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]
MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: A trail in the search for Nancy Guthrie runs cold.
This is WHAT WE KNOW.
The results are in for the glove found near the home of the missing Arizona woman. The sheriff's department in Pima County says DNA on the glove
returned no matches when run through the federal database of known offender profiles.
This comes after the sheriff announced the Guthrie family and their spouses have been cleared as suspects in the 84-year-old's disappearance. Nancy
Guthrie is the mother of NBC "Today Show" anchor Savannah Guthrie.
Josh Campbell joins us now.
This is a real problem, isn't it? Because this was one of the main leads.
JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: That's right. And we just got that update in from the Pima County sheriff's department. They had been
waiting on results from the FBI after this glove had been found, about two miles from the Guthrie family home. Officials initially said that it
appeared to resemble a visually gloves that the suspect was wearing in that video that you see right there on your screen. This was taken just outside
Nancy Guthrie's front door just before her disappearance. Authorities have been hopeful that the DNA that they found on that glove would somehow match
something already in the federal system authorities saying no, that that is not the case, that it does not appear that the DNA comes back to any known
criminal.
And of course, as you note there, its important that the DNA that was found at the residence itself, also not showing up in any federal database, also
not connected to that glove. So as far as the DNA search, still a lot of work that they are having to do there.
There is one other step, Max, that they can do, and that is using this burgeoning technology called genetic familial DNA mapping. It's these
public commercial services that are available to all of us. If we want to learn about our genealogy, you can submit a DNA sample. They'll come back
with results. Law enforcement has used that quite often in the past, successfully I might add, to solve cases. And that's because even if the
suspect himself never actually paid for one of these services, a family member may have, which could provide clues because DNA is so closely
resembles each other among family members.
So that's something that we expect that they will be doing. Authorities also finally are moving in on that backpack that the suspect was wearing
there on that video. They've determined that it is a sold exclusively by the mega retailer Walmart. And so, the FBI is working with that company to
try to track down all the various different sales of that backpack.
Certainly tedious work, meticulous work that is required, but we've seen that in the past as well, that authorities can zero in on a particular
item, determine where it was actually sold. That could then potentially glean things like surveillance camera footage, perhaps showing this man
without a mask, as well as financial records from the actual purchase.
Max, a lot of work that they're still having to do now that they're essentially back to square one on the DNA front.
FOSTER: And how much of a positive sign is it that the family's been ruled out as suspects, because that suggests they have got a line of
investigation away from that?
CAMPBELL: That's right. And the sheriff told "People" magazine that after this investigation was launched, they looked at the computers of the family
members, they looked at their cell phones, they conducted interviews of the Guthrie family members. And this is all standard in any type of potentially
violent crime case. Authorities will look at those most closely related to a potential victim here.
But the sheriff coming out and saying that they've uncovered no evidence that the Guthrie family was involved. That's notable because we've seen the
slew of these amateur, you know, true crime enthusiasts, online sleuths essentially laying out various different theories, without evidence,
suggesting that the family was involved. The sheriff now coming out very forcefully, essentially admonishing those people, saying look, not only are
they not suspects, they've been nothing but cooperative.
FOSTER: Josh Campbell, appreciate it. Thank you.
CAMPBELL: Of course.
FOSTER: He was one of the most important American figures of the last half century. Jesse Louis Jackson, a Baptist minister, civil rights activist and
U.S. presidential candidate, has died at his home in Chicago. He was 84 years old.
Jackson inspired millions in his fight for racial justice and equality and helped pave the way to elect the first Black president, Barack Obama, who
wrote today for more than 60 years, Reverend Jackson helped lead some of the most significant movements for change in human history, from organizing
boycotts and sit ins to registering millions of voters, to advocating for freedom and democracy around the world. He was relentless in his belief
that we are all children of God, deserving of dignity and respect.
Fellow civil rights activist, Reverend Al Sharpton, also praised his friend and mentor.
[15:05:01]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REV. AL SHARPTON, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: Jesse Jackson changed American politics. Jesse Jackson changed the civil rights movement. He was a
consequential and transformative figure.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Well, Jesse Jackson was a moral and political force in American history. At only 26 years old, Jackson was at the Memphis balcony when
Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in 1968. Years later, he took kings message to the presidential stage. Jackson ran for the Democratic
nomination for presidency twice finishing third in 1984. In 1988, he finished second.
And here's a portion of a powerful speech before the Democratic National Convention.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JESSE JACKSON, CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER: It gets dark sometimes, but the morning comes, don't you surrender. Suffering breeds character. Character
breeds faith. In the end, faith will not disappoint.
You must not surrender. You may or may not get there, but just know that you are qualified and you hold on and hold out.
We must never surrender. America will get better and better. Keep hope alive. Keep hope alive. Keep hope alive, oh, tomorrow night and beyond.
Keep hope alive. I love you very much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Though Jackson never made it to the Oval Office. His so-called Rainbow Push Coalition became a bridge between generations of progressives
and civil rights campaigners. On the international front, Jackson helped win the release of several detained and captured Americans.
Jeff Zeleny joins us now.
Just on his political career, Jeff, I thought it was interesting and noteworthy where President Obama talked about how he registered millions of
voters. And that's what Obama means, doesn't it when he says that he couldn't have become president without that early work from Jackson?
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Max, that certainly is one of the indications that President Obama was talking about
there. But the speech you just played "keep hope alive", that was a speech delivered in defeat but it was a victory in a very different way because
Jesse Jackson had won seven million American votes. He had won 13 states.
He had really changed how Democrats elect their president. And that is what ended up helping Barack Obama in the years to come because Democrats used
to nominate candidates and used to sort of decide this in smoke filled back rooms at conventions. But when Jesse Jackson came onto the scene and was
winning state after state, suddenly, it was a fight for delegates. It brought everything out into the open. It made the party officials and the
party stalwarts not as important as the grassroots support of these delegates.
So, some 20 years after that remarkable speech in Atlanta, Barack Obama really continued the path there and won the Democratic nomination because
of grassroots support. We sort of forget about it now, but he was running as the underdog against Hillary Clinton, and she had all the institutional
support. She had all of the party officials behind her, but he had the grassroots.
So, because of all of those voters who the Jackson campaign registered, several more senators, the first African American governor in Virginia, for
example, were elected in the coming years. And it was that grassroots organization that ultimately led to the Obama campaign.
And interestingly enough, even though both were from the South Side of Chicago, not a lot of love lost for quite some time between the Jackson and
the Obama organizations, largely because Jesse Jackson thought that he was never necessarily given his due by a Barack Obama. He thought that Barack
Obama should have made him a central part of the campaign. Well, that of course, didn't happen because Barack Obama was running a more modern
campaign, a different kind of campaign, continuing on to a reach out to a variety of voters.
But there is no question that without Jesse Jackson, without that 1988 speech, there is no doubt that Barack Obama would not have won the White
House just 20 years later. So, a remarkable bridge of history, going from Dr. Martin Luther King to some 40 years later to see the first African
American U.S. president, Max.
FOSTER: Yeah, his place in history certainly assured.
Jeff, thank you so much for joining us.
ZELENY: Sure.
FOSTER: Iran's foreign minister says a new window of opportunity is opened after fresh talks with U.S. negotiators in Geneva. He says they reached a
guiding set of principles on a deal over Iran's nuclear program and now have a clearer path forward. The U.S. says it expects to receive detailed
proposals from Iran within the next two weeks.
Our Fred Pleitgen is in Geneva for us.
I mean, what sort of detail do we know about this, Fred?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Max.
Well, certainly, a lot of this is about Iranian uranium enrichment. That's certainly the big question mark between the two parties, and really the big
friction point between the United States and Iran. If you recall, in the run up to the talks today, but also the recent talks that we had in Muscat,
in Oman, between the Iranians and the Americans, indirect talks, of course, uranium enrichment, really the centerpiece of that.
[15:10:10]
The U.S. has said that it wants zero enrichment from the Iranians for them not to enrich uranium anymore. The Iranians have said to them that is not
acceptable. And so, finding a way out of that impasse certainly is one of the central things that the two sides will have been talking about. Of
course, one of the things we have to keep in mind is that from the very get go, the Iranians have said they want these negotiations to only be about
what they call the nuclear file, only about their nuclear program, not about things like, for instance their ballistic missiles or proxies in the
region.
That is what these talks are now indeed about. And finding a way forward out of that to make sure that the United States is comfortable with what
the Iranians are doing as far as enrichment is concerned, obviously as little as possible as far as the U.S. is concerned. And the Iranians will
put restrictions on their nuclear program that they have not had to that extent in the past.
Now, for the Iranians, the other main issue, of course, Max, is sanctions relief. They want a big sanctions relief. If they do go into a deal where
they would constrain their nuclear program even more than it had been constrained, for instance, during the last nuclear agreement, that, of
course, was taken back by the Trump administration -- during President Donald Trump's first term in office, those are all things where the two
sides are trying to find towards one another.
You just mentioned that the United States says it wants to see some more proposals from the Iranians to try and narrow those gaps, but I think the
big takeaway from the negotiations today is that the two sides are going to keep talking. And so therefore, that diplomatic path is still open, even
though as we see or even as we see, that large scale military buildup by the United States in the greater Middle Eastern region -- Max.
FOSTER: Okay. Fred, thank you.
Now, despite diplomacy, both Iran and the U.S. are flexing their military might at the same time. Iran is conducting naval drills in the Strait of
Hormuz, one of the world's most critical shipping lanes. It says the drills require closing part of the strait for a few hours for safety reasons. For
its part, the U.S. is building up military assets in the region with a second carrier strike group on the way and fighter jet squadrons and
tankers being rapidly repositioned.
President Trump says, quote, "In case we don't make a deal, we'll need it."
Well, Iran has repeatedly said it will not tolerate threats as a negotiating tactic. And now, that message is coming directly for the
supreme leader himself. He says President Trump cannot destroy Iran.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AYATOLLAH ALI KHAMENEI, IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER: They keep saying we've sent an aircraft carrier towards Iran. Very well, an aircraft carrier is
certainly a dangerous piece of equipment. But more dangerous than the carrier is the weapon that can send that carrier towards the bottom of the
sea.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Zachary Cohen joins us. He's been following developments from Washington.
I mean, the reality is that America is the most powerful military in the world. And if anyone can destroy Iran, it is America. But what do you make
of why we're seeing all this repositioning of assets?
ZACHARY COHEN, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yeah. President Donald Trump seems to be keeping his options open, even as U.S. officials
say that progress was made during today's talks. That's not going to change the military's ongoing build in the Middle East as you mentioned, the
second aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford, is still making its way to the region. And this dialogue between the United States and Iran and this
commitment to continue talking, does give it more time to get positioned, at least giving Donald Trump the option to move forward with military
action, a military operation that he has said would be catastrophic in size and devastating for the Iranian regime should he effectively decide that
he's not being offered what he wants from the Iranian negotiators.
Now, look, I was told coming into today's talks by a U.S. official that President Trump has not made a decision on whether or not he wants to move
forward with military action. Obviously, the rhetoric we've heard from both sides has been pretty extreme at times with senior administration officials
and the president himself suggesting that they would prefer to see regime change in Iran. And that's something that comes with a lot of questions,
including as we're told, that the U.S. really doesn't have a good idea of who might replace the current leadership in Tehran if they were even to
successfully carry out a regime change operation.
So, still, a lot of questions as to what ultimately is going to happen here. We know that President Donald Trump likes to use verbal threats as a
pressure tactic. This military buildup, these assets that are now in the region heading to the region, which include fighter jets, refueling
tankers, air defense systems that all is also another leverage point to increase the pressure on Tehran as the diplomatic path continues to be
pursued.
But, you know, are these two sides too far away from one another to reach an agreement that is suitable to President Trump? That remains to be seen.
FOSTER: Zachary, thank you.
After those Iran talks, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff then crossed town in Geneva to mediate between Ukraine and Russia.
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Those talks have now ended for the day. Ukrainian negotiators say the talks focused on practical issues and Ukraine is pushing for an end to the war
and Western-backed security guarantees. Russian state media reported the talks were very tense. Negotiations will continue tomorrow.
Coming up, another twist in the long-running saga for the sale of Warner Bros. Discovery.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: The drama surrounding the sale of Warner Bros. Discovery continues with the media company now reopening talks with Paramount. Warner Bros.,
CNN's parent company, now wants to hear Paramount's best and final offer. That is despite urging its shareholders to reject Paramount's offer and
move ahead with a sale of its movie and HBO assets to Netflix.
Now, Paramount says the move is unusual, but it is willing to engage in good faith.
CNN's chief media analyst Brian Stelter joins me now to make sense of it all.
I mean, clearly, WBD are looking for the best price here, but I'm wondering what outcome they're actually looking for if Paramount comes in with a high
price, then does Netflix counterbid. I mean, which way is this going, do you think?
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: The expectation is that Netflix will match almost any bid that Paramount comes in with? But, you know,
ultimately, it's a question of how high the price goes and who has the deepest pockets. Paramount is at $30 per share right now. The indication is
that they'll go up to 31 or maybe $32 per share. And these talks are going to happen for the next seven days.
So, it's a giant unknown here toward the end of February. And on March 20th, that's when WBD has now scheduled a special shareholder meeting to
actually vote on the Netflix deal that's on the table.
Two things really strike me today, Max. First, Paramount has responded in the past few minutes to this comment from WBD, and here's what Paramount
says. Although the board actions are unusual, Paramount says, the company is nonetheless prepared to engage in good faith and constructive
discussions.
[15:20:01]
At the same time, we'll continue to advance our tender offer, which means the hostile takeover bid, and maintain our solicitation in opposition to
the inferior Netflix merger.
So, basically, Paramount saying they're going to continue to press this hostile takeover bid, but sure, they're willing to talk to the Warner Bros.
board for the next week or so.
The other notable new development today is that Netflix is very aggressively criticizing paramount, basically saying it's a junk bond of a
company, basically saying that the company is broke and crooked, misleading shareholders and saying that any tie up between Paramount and Warner would
lead to consolidation and layoffs.
Netflix also highlighting the foreign funding that Paramount is relying on. Countries from the Middle East that are backing up the financing for this
takeover bid, and saying that that needs to be heavily scrutinized by regulators.
So, you have Netflix at the one hand expressing confidence that it's going to be able to move forward and acquire HBO and Warner Bros., on the other
hand, sharply, harshly criticizing Paramount for trying to bid more for the company. And like I said, all this going to play out for about a week.
That's the window now that's open for new negotiations.
FOSTER: That's a movie in itself one day, isn't it? But stay with us, Brian, because I want to talk about these fresh signs of the Trump
administration putting pressure on media, because the late-night talk show host, Stephen Colbert, is slamming CBS lawyers for scrapping a taped
interview with Democratic candidate James Talarico, who is running in the Texas Democratic senate primary.
Colbert's show later posted that interview on YouTube. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST, "THE LATE SHOW": And you know, you know who is not one of my guests tonight? That's Texas State Representative James Talarico.
He was supposed to be here, but we were told in no uncertain terms by our network's lawyers, who called us directly, that we could not have him on
the broadcast.
Then -- then I was told in some uncertain terms that not only could I not have him on, I could not mention me not having him on. And because my
network clearly doesn't want us to talk about this, let's talk about this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Now at issue, the FCC's equal time rule, which requires networks to give equal air time to political candidates. But obviously, that part of
it was on YouTube, wasn't it, Brian?
But I'm fascinated in this very public standoff between a content creator and a platform on who has editorial control.
STELTER: And it's ultimately about the Trump administration trying to exert all the pressure it can onto broadcast TV networks that televise
Trump criticism. Colbert is one of the most outspoken Trump critics on TV. He regularly books liberal guests who are sharing in that criticism. And
what you see here is the Trump FCC, that's the regulatory agency that oversees station licenses in the U.S., trying to use what little power it
has to scare these stations or chill them into changing behavior. In this case, keeping guests off the air who are critical of the Trump
administration.
Now, CBS has responded in the last hour to Colbert and said we didn't prohibit him from airing this interview. We just warned him of the legal
risks. And what does that mean? That means that the CBS network is taking the Trump administration's threats seriously, not looking this as a
toothless threat to use some old regulation and some new novel way, but actually taking the threat seriously. And that is what we've seen time and
time again from CBS and a couple other major media companies in the U.S.
The Trump administration will try to exert pressure and rather than stand up to that pressure, the network or the media company will flinch, will
maybe bend the knee, maybe roll over. That's been the criticism. And this is another one of those examples.
But, you know, these things usually backfire remember the Jimmy Kimmel episode last September where there was a lot more attention for Kimmel as a
result? Well, what we're seeing today is that the Stephen Colbert YouTube channel is getting tons of extra views. There are so many more millions of
views on that channel today because of all this controversy.
And here's the thing about the FCC rules. They don't apply to YouTube at all. They only apply to broadcast stations. So, this is one of those
examples of the Streisand effect in action.
FOSTER: Okay, Brian, I appreciate it. Thank you so much.
STELTER: Thanks.
FOSTER: Still to come, remembering American civil rights icon Jesse Jackson. I'll talk with someone who still fights for equality and justice
in the U.S.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:27:39]
FOSTER: Tributes pouring in all day for the late U.S. civil rights leader Jesse Jackson. He died at the age of 84 on Tuesday. President Donald Trump
praised Jesse Jackson as a force of nature like few others before him, while former President Barack Obama described him as a true giant. His son,
former Representative Jesse Jackson, Jr., described his father today as unique in American history.
CNN's Abby Phillip takes a closer look at Jackson's life and legacy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ABBY PHILLIP, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jesse Jackson's life was defined by a relentless fight for justice and equality.
JESSE JACKSON, CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER: I was born in Greenville, South Carolina, in rampant radical racial segregation. Had to be taught to go to
the back of the bus or be arrested.
PHILLIP (voice-over): Those early experiences drove Jackson to join the civil rights movement.
JACKSON: The fact is, against the odds, we knew there were great odds. We were winning.
PHILLIP (voice-over): In 1965, he began working for Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.
JACKSON: I learned so much from him, such a great source of inspiration.
PHILLIP (voice-over): King named Jackson to lead Operation Breadbasket in Chicago, an economic justice campaign for Black people. However, some say
King was frustrated by Jackson's brashness and ambition.
JACKSON: I'm sure he thought I needed more time. I was 24 years old.
PHILLIP (voice-over): Both men were in Memphis in April 1968 to support striking sanitation workers. King and other civil rights leaders were
staying at the Lorraine Motel.
JACKSON: He said, Jesse, you know, you don't even have on a shirt and tie. You don't even have on a tie. We're going to dinner. I said, Doctor, does
not require attire, just an appetite. We laughed and said, doc, the bullet hit.
Everything changed at that moment. It was a defining moment in the history of our struggle.
PHILLIP (voice-over): With King gone, his movement was adrift. Years later, Jackson formed Operation Push pressuring businesses to open up to
black workers and customers, and adding more focus on black responsibility, championed in the 1972 concert Wattstax.
JACKSON: In what we have shifted from burn, baby, burn, to learn, baby, learn.
PHILLIP (voice-over): And he expanded his own global reach to helping to free U.S. Lieutenant Robert Goodman, who was held by Syria after being shot
down, and later, other Americans held in Cuba and Serbia.
[15:30:06]
JACKSON: I learned how to negotiate as an African American growing up among white people. You have to negotiate every day.
PHILLIP (voice-over): The reverend set his sights on the White House in 1984.
JACKSON: Milking cows and coming back to the inner cities. So, I learned a lot during that period.
PHILLIP (voice-over): First thought of as a marginal candidate, Jackson finished third in the primary race with 18 percent of the vote.
That campaign almost went off the rails when Jackson used an ethnic slur to refer to New York Jews.
JACKSON: These mistakes, and they hurt.
PHILLIP (voice-over): He ran again in 1988, this time doubling his vote count and finishing in second in the Democratic race.
JACKSON: Keep hope alive, oh, tomorrow night!
PHILLIP (voice-over): At the time, it was the farthest any Black candidate had gone in a presidential contest.
JACKSON: But 20 years later, when President Barack ran, we were laying the groundwork for that season.
PHILLIP (voice-over): In 2017, Jackson had a new battle to fight, Parkinson's disease, but that didn't stop him.
JACKSON: If you hold on, if your cause is right and your grip is tight, you'll make it.
PHILLIP (voice-over): Late in life, he was still fighting. He was arrested in Washington while demonstrating for voting rights. His silent presence at
the trial of Ahmaud Arbery's killers prompted defense lawyers to ask that he leave the courtroom. Jackson stayed.
JACKSON: I am, I am somebody. I am. I am somebody.
PHILLIP (voice-over): From the Jim Crow South, through the turbulent `60s and into the Black Lives Matter movement, Jesse Jackson was a constant,
unyielding voice for justice.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: The struggle for civil rights in America is still very much alive, of course. On Monday, a judge in Philadelphia ordered the Trump
administration to return slavery exhibits. They had been removed by the National Park Service from a museum there. The federal magistrate evoked
the dystopian world of George Orwell's novel "1984". In her ruling, and that was amid accusations that the White House is trying to dismantle
historical truths.
DeRay Mckesson is a U.S. civil rights activist and executive director of Campaign Zero.
Thank you so much for joining us.
When someone so iconic as Jackson dies, you know, he lived this incredibly full life and, you know, has his place in history. But there also our
connection to those moments of change, aren't they? And it feels like you lose something when you lose someone like this.
DERAY MCKESSON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CAMPAIGN ZERO: He did live an incredibly full life. And, you know he redefined black politics on the
national stage. He redefined the Democratic Party. People said that the party would never listen to Black people. He changed that and in no
uncertain terms. He also gave us the economic boycott as a political tactic. That still is a powerful tool today.
And he importantly gave us coalition politics. The Rainbow Coalition changed the face of the party. It changed how organizers organize today. It
reminded people that we could bring a broad group of people together who actually had shared interests, and they might be unlikely allies, but we
could bring them together. And his campaigns did that, and I think I'm proud to be in the legacy of Jesse Jackson today. And you know, like you
said he lived a full life.
Now, a lot of lessons for us to continue to learn from that life.
FOSTER: Yeah. So many people, part of that legacy.
Let's hear from Al Sharpton, who described Jackson as his mentor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHARPTON: Everything Dr. King and Reverend Jackson stood for is at risk right now. Supreme Court is weighing right now Section 2 of the Voting
Rights Act. Right now, we're seeing what's going on with ICE and deportation.
So, we have the challenge not to mourn Jesse Jackson. He would not want us to have sanctimonious mournings if we weren't going to get up and do the
work
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: You know, we're speaking to the same thing, really, when we mentioned this museum in Philadelphia and the return of slavery exhibits
you know, events that would horrify Jackson, of course. But how do we keep his memory and that momentum alive when he's passed?
MCKESSON: You know, he was one of the elders who importantly, mentored so many young people. I first met Jesse Jackson when he came to Ferguson in
2014, when the police killed Mike Brown. He showed up and it was really important that he came because it was before the news had sort of coalesced
on the idea that this was wrong. You know, the police killed three people a day in this country, and it was Jesse Jackson as one of the first elders
from the civil rights movement to say to us, keep fighting and keep going.
So, I think that that lesson sticks with me today, and there's so many other people who followed along because of him. We think about the attacks
on black history and on black people today. We think about the police continuing to terrorize communities.
[15:35:04]
He's somebody who lived a long life, and he was one of the student organizers. You know, he started out really young and stayed in the fight
up until the end so again, I think that his life is a role model for so many of us.
FOSTER: And it was -- it was a long campaign wasn't it, about gradual change? Nothing too dramatic. And trying to get people to be involved in
peaceful protests. And you know, he was one of the key figures, of course, who took the fight to Washington from the south.
MCKESSON: Absolutely. Yeah, and you think about Operation Push, you know, it was an economic boycott. It created the framework in so many ways for
people to use economics in black communities as a power play, and not just have the black dollar circulate in other communities. He did that.
So, when people talk about the boycott with target today, that wouldn't be possible without Jesse Jackson when people even talk about the Democratic
Party, it was the change in the rules because of Jesse Jackson that allowed Barack Obama to win.
So, I think that history will remember him kindly. We remember him today. But I think that the long arc of his legacy will be strong.
FOSTER: Yeah. Just explain, you know, because obviously, President Obama put out, you know, this very touching tribute today. But he's effectively
saying that all the groundwork was laid by Jesse Jackson, by getting people to register to vote and actually just open up the idea of a black
president.
MCKESSON: Absolutely. You know, Jesse was critical of President Obama. You know, he had some he had some tough words for President Oama. And I
appreciate that because, you know President Obama was so popular at that point in time and even when people disagree with him, they were afraid to
be critical of him. But Jesse wasn't.
And I think that those lessons from that era of we got to tell the truth in every single room, every time, Jesse lived at unto the end. And I respect
that about him. I think about President Obama's remarks today are important, too because they didn't have to agree on everything, but they
did agree on a world that we could live in where the police don't kill people, a world where there was justice around lines of economics and race.
And that is important to remember today when we reflect on his life.
FOSTER: Absolutely. DeRay McKesson, thank you so much for joining us today.
MCKESSON: Good to be here.
FOSTER: Now, it's the final moments of trade on Wall Street. Stocks are flat after a long weekend in the U.S. The Dow Jones pretty subdued
following big sell offs last week, driven by A.I. concerns.
This is our Business Breakout.
The European Union is ramping up its investigation into Elon Musk's A.I. chatbot Grok. Europe's privacy watchdog, has launched a large scale probe
after Grok generated sexualized images on Musk's social media network, X. X is already facing similar investigations in France and the U.K.
The E.U. is also investigating global e-commerce platform Shein. The European commission has opened a formal investigation into Shein, saying it
will look into what it calls the site's addictive design, lack of transparency in the sale of illegal products. Shein says it will cooperate
with the investigation as an and has invested in measures to strengthen compliance.
The executive chairman of Hyatt hotels has stepped down after his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein became apparent. Billionaire Tom
Pritzker announced he would retire after his relationship with Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell was revealed in the latest release of files
by the U.S. Justice Department. Pritzker said he deeply regrets his association with the pair.
And the fallout, and furor over Epstein files continues to impact the British royal family or at least some former royals. The latest involves
companies connected to Sarah Ferguson, the former duchess of York.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER (voice-over): Six companies listing Britain's Sarah Ferguson as sole director are set to shut down as the Epstein firestorm rolls on. The
former duchess and her ex-husband, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, are under renewed scrutiny over their ties to the late financier after Epstein
pleaded guilty to prostitution charges involving an underage minor.
Last year, Ferguson's spokesperson said she had cut off relations with Epstein, quote, that she was aware of the extent of the allegations against
him. DOJ files suggest otherwise. Epstein's crimes were publicly reported in 2006, the year he was also first arrested. The latest tranche of files
released by the Department of Justice revealed the depth of Ferguson's friendship with the late financier, with one email thread discussing a
lunch date in Palm Beach.
This was 2009, just five days after Epstein was released from jail after serving 13 months it will be myself, Beatrice and Eugenie, Ferguson tells
him, referring to her daughters. At the time, aged 20 and 19 years old. Cannot wait to see you, she tells Epstein in a subsequent email.
Another exchange between Epstein and his assistant shows that he paid more than $14,000 to fly the duchess and the two princesses to the U.S. on that
trip.
[15:40:08]
Just days later, Ferguson thanks him for being the brother I've always wished for. And the following year, she goes as far as saying, "You're a
legend. I'm at your service. Just marry me."
Then in March 2011, Ferguson publicly apologizes for being associated with Epstein, saying in an interview, quote, "I abhor pedophilia and any sexual
abuse of children and know that this was a gigantic error of judgment on my behalf," except that in private she appears to apologize to Epstein for
publicly denouncing him, calling him a supreme friend.
Ferguson spokesman told British media this email was sent in the context of advice the duchess was given to try to assuage Epstein and his threats.
Now, publicly available documents show that in the past few days, six companies which list Ferguson as the sole director all filed an application
to strike the company off the U.K.'s official companies house register. It's not clear exactly what services those companies provided or whether
they were active at all.
We reached out to Ferguson's representatives multiple times for comment on the exchanges seen in the Epstein documents. CNN has also requested comment
from Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: All right. Still to come recounting their worst nightmare, students in Georgia deliver powerful testimonies two years after a deadly
high school shooting. Those details just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: Breaking news into CNN, police have taken an armed man into custody at the U.S. Capitol. Police say the man charged the Capitol whilst
wearing a tactical vest and that he had a loaded shotgun and additional rounds on him.
[15:45:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF MICHAEL O'SULLIVAN, U.S. CAPITOL POLICE: This individual had a tactical vest on. He was also had tactical gloves and when we looked in the
vehicle, he had a Kevlar helmet and a gas mask in the vehicle. He was also the -- like I mentioned earlier, the shotgun was loaded. He had additional
rounds on his person.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Brian Todd is in Washington.
It sounds like swift work by the police, Brian.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Max. According to Chief Michael Sullivan, who you just heard from there, he gave a little bit of
additional detail a short time ago on this incident.
According to Chief Sullivan, the incident unfolded at a little bit after noon Eastern Time. that's about three hours and 45 minutes ago, at the west
front of the Capitol. According to Chief Sullivan, police officers observed a white vehicle, a white Mercedes SUV parked on the -- at the 100 block of
Maryland Avenue. That's at the west front of the Capitol, near the botanical garden there. Police, according to Chief Sullivan, observed this
person exit the vehicle and start running toward the Capitol with a loaded shotgun.
At that point, he said the individual was challenged by U.S. Capitol police, ordered to drop the weapon. According to Chief Sullivan, the man
complied. He laid down the weapon, laid it down on the ground and laid down on the ground himself. And then according to Chief Sullivan was taken into
custody. As you heard him say, the individual had a tactical vest on and tactical gloves on his person then, according to Chief Sullivan, when they
went into his vehicle, they found a Kevlar helmet and a gas mask in the vehicle.
The shotgun according to Chief Sullivan was loaded. Now the chief was asked repeatedly about a possible motive in this case. They say, he said, that is
still under investigation. They have not revealed any potential motive yet. When asked if the suspect was known to police, the chief said the suspect
was not known to police, then gave one additional detail about the suspect saying this is an 18-year-old who does not live in the Washington, D.C.
area.
The vehicle was not registered to him. It had multiple -- he had multiple addresses, I guess attached to him at the time of his arrest. When asked if
the officers drew their weapons to challenge him at that moment. The chief said yes, they did draw their weapons.
Max, some additional context here. This comes just one week to the day before President Trump is slated to give his State of the Union Address at
the Capitol. It comes just over five years after the January 6th attack on the Capitol.
We just marked that anniversary last month. I do need to also point out that lawmakers were not in the Capitol at the moment this occurred. They
are away from the Capitol on a pre-scheduled recess -- Max.
FOSTER: Okay. Brian Todd, appreciate it. Thank you.
Powerful testimony today in a Georgia courtroom. Colin Gray is the father charged in a deadly school shooting allegedly carried out by his teenage
son.
In September of 2024, two students and two teachers were killed at Apalachee high school with nine others injured. Prosecutors argue the
father bears some responsibility for the violence. Earlier in court, young survivors described that horrific day.
A warning that some of the details are disturbing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STUDENT: I remember Melanie she had blood all on her arm. I remember her blood was like, getting on the side of me because I was like, kind of, like
laying on the side of her.
I remember my teacher telling me to stay awake because I was feeling really tired, and I couldn't keep my body up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Well, meanwhile, more details on Monday's deadly shooting at a youth hockey game in Rhode Island. The gunfire erupted inside a packed ice
rink. At least two people were killed. Three others are critically injured. Police say the suspected shooter targeted family members before taking
their own life. This investigation is ongoing.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:51:48]
FOSTER: More than a billion people around the world are ringing in the year of the horse. Lunar new year is considered the most important holiday
for many Chinese and other Asian communities. While celebrations may differ by country and region, many people still look to the Chinese zodiac for
hints about what's in store for this year.
CNN's Kristie Lu stout catches up with a feng shui grandmaster.
I know there are different ways of saying it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Lunar New Year is a season of celebration. And this year, it falls on February the 17th, the
start of the year of the fire horse.
LU STOUT: Sounds super intense. What could happen in the year of the fire horse?
RAYMOND LO, FENG SHUI GRAND MASTER: The horse is a powerful fire element. So it's a pure fire year. So fire is a very strong energy, very energetic.
There will be protests and anti-government and demonstrations and also not so peaceful.
LU STOUT (voice-over): Raymond Lo is a master of feng shui, an ancient Chinese art of creating harmony by balancing the elements. When a new Lunar
New Year approaches, many here consult a master like Lo to plan ahead.
Full disclosure, we're doing this just for fun.
LU STOUT: Donald Trump born in the year of the dog. Zohran Mamdani is the goat.
LO: Fire is not his favorable element. So it will stimulate his enemies and then, therefore, he will face oppositions and obstacles in the year of
the fire horse.
So he's a strong metal gentleman. He's in good luck.
Fire is the power to metal people. So therefore, he will gain in power. That's -- that's actually a favorable year for him.
LU STOUT: Also, the last time we talked, you said it was going to be a good year in 2024 for Joe Biden and a bad year for Donald Trump. That
didn't age well.
LO: Actually, it's Joe Biden because his luck. The year is not so bad, but he's luck is going down.
LU STOUT (voice-over): So then what about the luck of celebrities like Timothee Chalamet, born in the year of the wood pig, but with a birth date,
that means --
LO: He's strong water. So that's why he will be into a prosperous year. Also, water means girlfriends. He has more chance to encounter girlfriends
and more chance to make money.
LU STOUT: Well, let's not tell his current girlfriend that.
LU STOUT (voice-over): And if you're a horse in a horse year, like actress Margot Robbie, Lo says, watch out.
LO: If you are the horse, you are -- you're offending the year. And in penalty with the horse means you have more worries and more -- more
trouble.
LU STOUT (voice-over): Lo advises horses to protect themselves with a goat amulet.
Look, in 2026, anything can happen. Good luck and comment at full trot or not.
Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Beware of the horses.
Finally, tonight, China welcoming the new year with kung fu robots. A group of young kung fu artists teamed up with the bots for a unique knockout
performance during the spring festival gala today. Unreal.
Plus, that's not the only celestial event today.
[15:55:01]
We saw a rare sight of the skies earlier as there was a solar eclipse today. It was an annular eclipse, which means the moon is too far away to
completely cover the sun, creating a ring of fire where the edges of the sun are still visible. Unfortunately, the ring of fire can only be seen in
Antarctica, where it likely entered a few hundred scientists and some penguins in sum.
In terms of populated places, the most anyone could see was a partial eclipse in parts of South Africa and South America. Still amazing.
I'm Max Foster. That's WHAT WE KNOW. Do stay with CNN.
END
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