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Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to Testify in Landmark Social Media Trial; No Match in FBI Database for DNA on Glove Found Near Guthrie Home; House Oversight to Depose Ex-Victoria's Secret Owner Les Wexner Over Epstein Ties; Man with Loaded Shotgun Arrested After Charging U.S. Capitol. Aired 8:00-8:30a ET

Aired February 18, 2026 - 08:00   ET

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

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CLARE DUFFY, CNN TECH REPORTER: ... before she ever used social media. But of course, Zuckerberg is going to get really tough questions about, again, what they've put profit over safety here.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Again, and it is in front of the jury, is also in front of some parents. They're in the courtroom as well, right?

DUFFY: Yes, it's going to be really remarkable to watch parents who have flown in from around the country who say their children were harmed or died as a result of social media. And among those parents are parents who were also in the audience two years ago on Capitol Hill. In that moment, you'll remember Mark Zuckerberg turned around and apologized families who say their children were harmed by social media, they'll also be there today.

And that includes Joann Bogard. She became an advocate on this issue after her 15-year-old son, Mason, died trying to replicate an online challenge he saw in a YouTube video. And I talked to her before this hearing today. She told me, we're all doing our best as parents, but we are fighting these trillion-dollar companies. Those parents now hoping that this trial might lead to more change. But of course, it's going to matter really what the jury thinks of Zuckerberg's testimony today and how he performs in the stands.

BOLDUAN: Sure, a big day. Clare, thank you so much.

A new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, this morning, is that a ring under the glove? A possible new clue in the search for whoever took Nancy Guthrie, a gun shop owner's asked. Gun shop owners indicate they're being asked about specific names.

A dangerous combination of heat and sparks and wind launching fire tornadoes in the plains.

And a man's brazen attempt to kidnap a child and a mother's quick thinking that kept it from happening.

Sara is out today. I'm Jon Berman with Kate Bolduan. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

BOLDUAN: All right, let's begin this hour with the new leads in the search for Nancy Guthrie. Could this, what we're highlighting here, what's been described as a unique holster, gun holster, seen on that doorbell camera video, could that lead police to a suspect? The sheriff in Arizona says that investigators are now stopping by and interviewing gun shops in the area. One owner of a gun store tells Fox that the FBI brought in images of people and a list of names. Listen to this.

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PHILLIP MARTIN, GUN SHOP OWNER: I was able to look at the photos that he was showing me, and I told the FBI agent, I was like, I'm no investigator, but my intuition is telling me, based on how these people's facial hair looks like, it looks like the guy that was on camera at that house doing the kidnapping. He was like, yes, that's why I'm here. He was like, we're going to be going to different gun shops, checking to see if any of these names that I'm showing you here, any of these people have purchased a gun in the last year?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Authorities are also focusing in on this. This is the suspect's hand from that doorbell camera video. What's highlighted there is a Ridge or a wrinkle you see, but they also believe this -- the sheriff says that it could be -- it seems in his mind it could be the suspect wearing a ring underneath the glove. Law enforcement was back at Nancy Guthrie's -- in Nancy Guthrie's neighborhood Tuesday, appearing to check surveillance video, as you can see, in a nearby home.

The sheriff also tells NBC that Google is now trying to help further, using a technique he described as scratching to try and recover more footage from cameras at Nancy Guthrie's home. CNN has learned that Glove, though, found about two miles away from her home, is now being sent to genetic -- for genetic genealogy testing after what had been a lot of hope put behind the DNA testing on that glove and an FBI database, it failed to show any matches in that FBI database.

CNS Leigh Waldman on the scene for us again in Tucson this morning. Lee, what do you think is the big focus today?

LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kate, I know that we have been focusing on this lack of a hit from CODIS when it comes to that glove that was tested for DNA, but there are other avenues. CODIS is not an end all be all when it comes to testing for DNA. That's what the sheriff said. So now they're going to start a process called genetic genealogy testing. Well, this might have hit some pitfalls is because it's not necessarily as straightforward or as fast as the CODIS testing that we saw happening just yesterday.

Where that takes about 24 hours after they receive the DNA to be tested. This can take a bit longer. Experts say it could take 20 minutes. It could take several years to try and get a match back. And it's also not as straightforward when it comes to the legal

hurdles that they have to jump through. Take a listen to what one expert in this field had to say.

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CECE MOORE, GENETIC GENEALOGIST: If I was the Guthrie family, I would be begging AncestryDNA and 23andMe and MyHeritage to allow this profile to be compared against their databases. I don't believe they will allow it unless they are served with a warrant, and then I think there's going to be a knock-down, drag-out fight between the deep pockets these consumer DNA testing companies have and law enforcement in the courts.

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WALDMAN: So that's one avenue they have to go through, this genetic genealogy testing. This scratching that's being done by Google trying to uncover any new video that could be accessed from the Guthrie property could also unveil some key tips. Now the scratching, as the sheriff here in Pima County has described to NBC, it's like carefully peeling back different layers of paint, trying to find something that will shed light on this investigation.

This comes as investigators are still going to properties nearby, asking for any footage that they have from neighbors in this community, but this is a painstaking search that continues on for its third week now. You can see this growing tribute behind us. These yellow flowers symbolizing the hope and support the Guthrie family has from this community here in Tucson -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: All right, Leigh Waldman, starting us off. Thanks so much again, Leigh -- John.

BERMAN: All right, this morning, crews are racing to find at least nine backcountry skiers. They are still missing after getting caught in an avalanche in Northern California. Six skiers were rescued.

A live trail cam shows the dark and snowy conditions in Castle Peak. I'm not sure where that live trail cam is, but I am assured there is a live trail cam. You can see the conditions out there, and they're not good.

Let's get right to seeing a meteorologist, Chris Warren, for a sense of what the situation is like. What are they up against?

CHRIS WARREN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, John, this is what they were seeing yesterday. It is dark right now, as you saw, and there is still more snow in the forecast. But around mid-morning yesterday when the avalanche was reported, conditions were like this throughout the day.

It was windy, and it was extremely snowy, picking up a few feet of snow in just a couple of days. A couple of feet, two feet in a 24-hour period. Here's the current radar where there is snow falling right now in purple.

There's Reno, there's Tahoe right there, and where the avalanche happened right up here just to the west of Truckee. Now, for the search and rescue efforts that are ongoing right now, what we are seeing and what we are looking at is some very complex terrain, made that much more difficult when it comes to all of the snow that has come down. So, the Castle Peak area, that's the area in question, so somewhere in here is where the avalanche happened.

You can kind of see with the terrain just how steep and rugged it is. Now, these are backcountry skiers, so they're going away from the protected areas of ski resorts out into the area where conditions can be extreme. They were, and what we're still seeing now is that ongoing search and rescue mission here with conditions that are extremely difficult.

There's a lot of snow around. However, that being said, throughout the day today, again, these remote areas rescuers are trying to get to, there is a bit of a break in the weather. Still dangerous conditions because of the avalanche danger and more snow to come.

Winter storm warnings posted throughout the day. The high-resolution forecast radar shows snow will be picking back up late this evening. Tonight, John, with an increasing chance for snow that's going to last for several hours and could see several more inches of snow on the way as well.

As you see, the snow continues when the showers right through much of the day tomorrow.

BERMAN: Yes, it's not going to be easy, and obviously time is so important here. Chris, thank you very much.

Happening today, billionaire retail magnate Les Wexner, who brands including Victoria's Secret, set to be deposed about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. We are standing by for that to begin.

And then a man arrested after running toward the U.S. Capitol with a loaded shotgun. What we know about the suspect.

And how a mother and her two children are doing after being hit by a car right outside the doors of the preschool.

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BOLDUAN: Today in Ohio, the 88-year-old founder of Victoria's Secret, Les Wexner, is going to face questions going before the House Oversight Committee over his years-long friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. Wexner has deep ties to the convicted sex offender. He hired Epstein as a money manager way back when. A CNN review of the Epstein files that have been released by the Justice Department found Wexner's name was one of the names initially redacted in a co-conspirator document by the FBI. His name also appears in hundreds of other records, really showing federal authorities have closely scrutinized Wexner and repeatedly sought information from him over the years. Wexner says he cut ties with Epstein in 2007, and Wexner has not been accused of any criminal wrongdoing related to Jeffrey Epstein. But today is quite a day.

Joining me now, CNN legal analyst Joey Jackson for more on this. Thanks for being here, Joey. What do you think the Oversight Committee is looking to get from Les Wexner?

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes, so Kate, I think that they are going to really examine and scrutinize the nature of that relationship, right?

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If you have a person like him and as you noted, not accused of wrongdoing, but who has ties with Epstein that go back to the 80s, they're certainly going to be suggesting that he would have an opportunity to know what Epstein was up to. And so I think you're going to see a number of questions in that regard, focused on the nature of the relationship, what he knew, when he knew it, when was his opportunity to observe it, and not only as it results to that and relates to that, right? Because he's also involved, that is Epstein and Wexner, financial transactions, there's information that he had power of attorney, that is Epstein over Wexner's empire, information that there were other transactions done.

There was a 1994 real estate transaction between Epstein and Wexner where Epstein sold property for $0. So they're going to want to really probe into that. And at the end of the day, really kind of look at him with the sense of, hey, how could you not know? And in addition to that, I think they're going to explore what Wexner knew about other parties who are named.

Remember, Wexner is named, again, not accused of any wrongdoing to this point, but over a thousand times in the Epstein files. And so they're going to look at that. And then finally, Kate, but not finally, because there's a whole bunch of questions here, but I think they're going to want to explore the issue of the co-conspirator that you noted.

If you're in the files and you're noted as a co-conspirator, but oh, it's redacted, but now it's not because we've busted you and you have to disclose it. What was that all about? What was the intel that gave the FBI the view that he was a co-conspirator?

BOLDUAN: One of the questions that definitely members of Congress like Thomas Massey and Ro Khanna are asking here and now. What stops Wexner from pleading the fifth?

JACKSON: I think that there would be nothing to stop him from doing that. But pleading the fifth can't just be a blanket sort of plea to anything. It has to relate to whether or not it is self-incriminating against you. Now, certainly he has that right. Remember what a deposition is. They're probing questions so that this committee can get discovery.

That is information relative to this investigation. There'll be pointed questions asked to him by Democrats. There'll be pointed questions asked to him by Republicans.

Some will be more friendly than others. But I think if there's anything that goes into the mix of those ties at a specific time concerning a specific event, concerning relations that Epstein may have had with whomever at whatever time that he was present, that is Wexner, he may say, hey, I plead the fifth to that. And, you know, just the other thing briefly, Kate, they're going to him for this, right?

They're actually the committee is taking a field trip.

BOLDUAN: That I thought was an interesting element of this.

JACKSON: Yes.

BOLDUAN: Does that change something?

JACKSON: So it doesn't change it. But it's a it's a major accommodation. I don't want to suggest that the committee has not made field trips before, but, you know, they did it last year in the context of interviewing Border Patrol agents, agents because it was just more convenient. But to accommodate one person like this, boy, it's nice to be a billionaire.

BOLDUAN: Yes, you could say that's pretty much about anything. It's good to see you, Joey.

JACKSON: Always.

BOLDUAN: Really appreciate it.

Coming up for us, a deadly pileup after extreme winds and fires across the plains spark a huge dust storm in Colorado. More than 30 cars were involved.

And Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg taking the stand today facing a jury for the first time over the years long accusations his platforms are addictive to kids and that Meta hasn't done enough to protect those kids from harm. What is he going to say?

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BERMAN: This morning, an 18-year-old Georgia man is in custody after authorities say he charged at the U.S. Capitol. Police say he had a loaded shotgun and was wearing a tactical vest.

With us now seen as Brian Todd. What are you hearing about who this guy is and why he was doing this? BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, we're getting new details this morning. I mean, just a frightening incident that unfolded in just a matter of seconds right at the foot of the U.S. Capitol. Taking you through the tick tock of what happened.

It started yesterday at just a little bit after noon Eastern time on the West Front of the Capitol. Police observed a white SUV parked on Maryland Avenue just at the West Front of the Capitol. Now I'm going to let U.S. Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan take us through what happened next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF MICHAEL SULLIVAN, U.S. CAPITOL POLICE: Then we had a person exit that vehicle with a shotgun and begin running towards the Capitol. This individual was challenged by United States Capitol Police officers in order to drop the weapon, which he did comply with. He laid down the weapon and then laid down on the ground and was taken into custody by our United States Capitol Police officers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TODD: And we have new details on the suspect this morning. He is identified as 18-year-old Carter Camacho of Smyrna, Georgia. As for his motive, the police chief Michael Sullivan says that is still under investigation.

The chief said that when he exited the vehicle and had that shotgun that he was wearing a tactical vest and gloves, that the shotgun was loaded and had extra ammunition in it. And Chief Sullivan says inside the vehicle they found a Kevlar helmet and a gas mask. Now all of this comes amid the context of heightened tensions around the U.S. Capitol.

You have just last month the five-year anniversary of the January 6th attack on the Capitol. And on that anniversary last month, rioters who were convicted in the attack on the Capitol staged their own recreation of their march to the Capitol that day. Now that recreation was a peaceful event, but you've also got President Trump's State of the Union address coming up next Tuesday, the 24th.

And John, even more ominously, the context of added tensions, heightened tensions at the Capitol and heightened threats. According to the Capitol Police, they recently said that threats to members of Congress, their families and staff, just surged in 2025. About 5,000 more incidents, heightened threats.

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According to the Capitol Police, they recently said that threats to members of Congress, their families and staff, just surged in 2025. About 5,000 more incidents reported that year than in the previous year. This incident, coming in the context of that, John, makes it even more frightening.

Now, we do have to say that there were no members of Congress at the Capitol yesterday. They were on a recess at the time. But again, you know, it just comes in the context of these types of incidents.

When they happen that close to the Capitol, even more frightening.

BERMAN: Oh, it's alarming that this happened. And intense and good that the Capitol Police were there to take care of the situation the minute it happened. It could have been so much worse. Brian Todd, thank you very much.

This morning, a possible new lead in the search for Nancy Guthrie. Why the FBI is now said to be going into gun shops with names and photos?

And the peace talks between Russia, Ukraine and the U.S. coming to an end after just two hours. So what does that tell us?

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