Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Trump Talks Economy, Foreign Policy In Davos Speech; Israel Intensifies Military Operations In Occupied West Bank; ICC Seeks Arrest Warrants For Taliban Leaders. Judge Blocks Trump's Birthright Citizenship Order; Trump's Planned Immigration Crackdown; Hughes Fire Threatens 14,000 Structures Near Los Angeles; Interview with Cal Fire Battalion Chief David Acuna; Aid Trucks Deliver Food and Supplies to War-Torn Gaza; Palestinian Journalist Freed after Months in Israeli Jail. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired January 24, 2025 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:00:28]
KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to all of you watching us around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.
U.S. President Donald Trump touches on a wide range of issues, from tariffs to the war in Ukraine during a virtual appearance at the World Economic Forum.
Israel has intensified its military operation in the occupied West Bank. We'll ask an expert why.
And the International Criminal Court wants arrest warrants for Taliban leaders for alleged crimes against women in Afghanistan.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN Newsroom with Kim Brunhuber.
BRUNHUBER: We begin this hour with a flurry of headlines from Donald Trump, from a speech to the World Economic Forum to a White House signing ceremony. First, the U.S. President is promising to appeal a federal judge's temporary restraining order on his bid to end birthright citizenship.
The judge calls the effort blatantly unconstitutional as the 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship to all children born on U.S. soil. Next, President Trump has revoked the security detail for his former secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, much like former national security adviser, John Bolton. Pompeo has received threats from Iran for his hardline policies. Now, here's what Trump had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: When you, you know, have protection, you can't have it for the rest of your life. Do you want to have a large detail of people guarding people for the rest of their lives? I mean, there's risks to everything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Now, earlier on Thursday, the President outlined some of his economic and foreign policy goals in a video linked speech to the World Economic Forum. He told world leaders in Davos, Switzerland, that investing in the U.S. is a path to better relations and threatened tariffs against countries whose products aren't made in the U.S. He also had a message for NATO allies. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I'm also going to ask all NATO nations to increase defense spending to 5 percent of GDP, which is what it should have been years ago. It was only at 2 percent and most nations didn't pay until I came along.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: More now on Donald Trump's speech to the World Economic Forum from CNN's Richard Quest.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS EDITOR-AT-LARGE: This was classic Donald Trump. It was a fusillade of policies and wishes and possibilities, many of which will never actually come to fruition. But buried in the at least dozen topics that he raised, there were some major policy announcements. For instance, he said he was going to ask NATO members to increase the amount that they spend from 2 percent of GDP to more than doubling it to 5 percent. He'd mentioned this several times during the campaign. But today was the first time he'd said he was actually going to do it.
Then he said he was going to ask the Saudis to increase the amount that they'd said, they would invest in the United States from 5 or $600 billion to more than $1 trillion. And at the same time, he was going to insist, he said, that Saudi and OPEC lower oil prices, which would in turn allow for lower interest rates, conveniently not mentioning that he doesn't really have the power to unilaterally lower interest rates.
Perhaps for the European audience watching carefully, the biggest threat came on tariffs. Donald Trump warned the world's business that if you manufacture in the United States, well, you would not only benefit from a lower corporate tax rate, you wouldn't be penalized with tariffs. But if you chose to not manufacture in the U.S. which, as he said, is your prerogative, then there would be a variety of tariffs at different scales which would be imposed.
The world's leaders and now the world's business is in no doubt that this transactional president means business. No one can say they haven't been warned.
Richard Quest, CNN, Davos.
BRUNHUBER: Now, Trump also said his push for lower oil prices could affect the fighting in Ukraine. He seemed to suggest that cheaper oil could hurt the Russian economy enough to perhaps compel Moscow to make peace. Matthew Chance has more from the Russian capital.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Kremlin is stepping up attacks across Ukraine, seizing as much territory as possible ahead of a potential ceasefire in this brutal war. This as the U.S. President speaking to the World Economic Forum in Davos, made an impassioned call for peace.
[01:05:14]
TRUMP: Our efforts to secure a peace settlement between Russia and Ukraine are now hopefully underway. It's so important to get that done. That is an absolute killing field. Millions of soldiers are being killed. Nobody's seen anything like it since World War II. They're lying dead all over the flat fields. It's a flat field, farmland, and there's millions of Russians and millions of Ukrainians. Nobody's seen anything like it since World War II. It's time to end it.
CHANCE (voice-over): The remarks come amid expectations in Moscow of a Trump call with the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin. And after Trump's scathing social media post telling Putin to reach a Ukraine deal or face more sanctions, a threat which left the Kremlin unfazed.
We don't see any new elements here, Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, tells reporters in a conference call. In the first iteration of his presidency, Trump was the American president who most often resorted to sanctions. He likes these methods, Peskov adds.
But the Kremlin and the Trump White House have left the door open to a presidential summit to discuss Ukraine's future.
Back on the frontlines, Russia's special military operation, what the Kremlin calls its conflicts in Ukraine, continues to take an appalling toll in blood and treasure. An early end to the fighting is something that President Trump himself pointed out was in the Kremlin's best interests.
I'm going to do Russia, whose economy is failing, and President Putin a very big favor, Trump wrote in his social media post.
Publicly, the Kremlin leader insists Russia's economic situation is under control. But indicators, like soaring inflation and interest rates, suggest otherwise. And if a Trump brokered ceasefire also lets the Kremlin consolidate territorial gains, that may prove a very big favor indeed.
Matthew Chance, CNN, Moscow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Now, contrary to what President Trump said in his speech, millions of soldiers haven't been killed in the conflict. The Pentagon estimated in October that more than 600,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded in Ukraine. In a post in December, President Zelenskyy said 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed in action and 370,000 wounded, many with light injuries. Now, CNN can't independently confirm these numbers.
Israeli forces killed two Palestinian men during its ongoing military operations in the occupied West Bank. Video shows the building where the men were killed in an exchange of gunfire with Israeli troops now reduced to rubble. The two are suspected of carrying out a shooting attack that killed three Israelis and injured multiple people earlier this month. Israel claims they were terrorists affiliated with Islamic Jihad, a militant group linked to Hamas.
The deadly operation comes after Israel's prime minister on Tuesday declared the start of a, quote, large scale military operation targeting so called terrorists in the West Bank. Palestinian officials warn Israel is trying to replicate its Gaza offensive in the occupied territory.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VARSEN AGHABEKIAN, PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER: They're telling us very clearly we're done with Gaza for the time being. Now it's a time on the West Bank. And we will do on the West Bank what we have done on the Gaza Strip.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Over the past few days, Israel's expanded operations in the West Bank have killed at least 10 people, displaced thousands. It began shortly after the start of the delicate ceasefire process in Gaza.
All right. I want to go live now to Tel Aviv and Hagar Shezaf, West Bank correspondent for Haaretz. Thank you so much for being here with us. So we heard there Palestinian officials warning about what Israel's trying to do to Gaza. Israel's defense minister has said outright that the Gaza offensive is -- is basically a blue -- blueprint for -- for the West Bank here. So what is the aim here? What do you think that means as well for Palestinians in the West Bank?
HAGAR SHEZAF, WEST BANK CORRESPONDENT, HAARETZ: So, I mean, I think first of all what we are seeing is both obviously a continuation of what we saw in Gaza, but also a continuation of Israeli operations in the West Bank for more than a year now. But it has intensified throughout the war. Israel is specifically trying to target armed groups, armed Palestinian groups in Jenin, which is considered to be the center of the Palestinian armed groups.
[01:09:56]
At the same, at the same time, what we see that is influencing the Israeli decisions very much is the makeup of the Israeli government and specifically the fact that we have Bezalel Smotrich, who is -- is a settler himself and is, you know, a -- a very extreme right wing politician who is pushing very hard for months now that the West Bank will become a central theater of the war. So this is, you know, so it's -- it's obviously there are security considerations here, but there are also clearly political considerations in this escalation.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, absolutely. And in terms of the violence, what we're seeing isn't just sort of the -- the Israeli military operation. There's been a surge of -- of violence between Palestinians and settlers as well. What's behind that?
SHEZAF: Yes. So again, you know, what we have seen in recent years is, you know, I think maybe two -- two processes. First of all, we have seen a rise in the presence of armed groups in the West Bank and of arms and weapons by Palestinian militants in the West Bank, which has resulted in attacks against, you know, both settlers and people in Israel and also the Israeli military. So we've seen that.
And, you know, there has -- there has been a rising violence not, again, it's a longer process than only since the war began. At the same time, what we are seeing, again, a longer process, but obviously it has intensified since the forming of this government and even more since the war started is the rise of settler violence.
And again, a lot of settlers also received much more weapons since the war started, both from the Israeli military and people were able to obtain also weapons, you know, just personal weapons. So we've seen that influence the intensity of attacks, of settler attacks on Palestinians.
And you know, the fact that we have a very extreme right wing government that identifies very much with settlers has also resulted in, you know, a lack of any enforcement against violence against Palestinians. So that has obviously contributed to the intensifying of violence against Palestinians.
BRUNHUBER: So given that, do -- do you think all of this might actually threaten the -- the ceasefire in Gaza?
SHEZAF: I think, you know, it's hard to tell because obviously different players have different interests here. I think that it's -- it could threaten the ceasefire. I think that, you know, they are like, yes, I mean, it -- it -- it could because we also have, you know, the ceasefire includes obviously, you know, the swapping deal of the hostages -- hostages and the Palestinian prisoners and the release of the Palestinian prisoners to the West Bank is something that also influences both the Israeli actions and potentially, you know, the tension in the West Bank.
We have also seen Israel, the Israeli government ordered the -- the Israeli military to put in place dozens of checkpoints, new checkpoints in the West Bank, which has, you know, made just the life conditions of Palestinians there like deteriorate very much overnight. And, you know, I think Hamas is obviously taking a lot of credit for, you know, the prisoner release.
And you do see, you know, support industry in the West Bank for Hamas because of that, because it is seen as its achievement. And so I think that it is possible that we will see Hamas potentially reacting to Israeli actions in the West Bank. And again, we need to remember that Bezalel Smotrich, for example, but also Itamar Ben-Gvir and other players in the government.
And the Israeli government have also voiced, you know, their lack of support for the continuation of the ceasefire.
BRUNHUBER: Yes.
SHEZAF: So, again, so it's --
BRUNHUBER: A lot of --
SHEZAF: -- early to say how it will play out. But --
BRUNHUBER: Yes. A lot -- a lot of factors playing into this exactly as -- as you say. Something that we'll have to watch for as this plays out over the next days and weeks. Want to leave it there, but really appreciate having you on, Hagar Shezaf. Thank you so much.
SHEZAF: Thank you.
BRUNHUBER: The International Criminal Court is seeking arrest warrants for two Taliban leaders for alleged gender based crimes. Afghan women and girls have been living under the Taliban's repressive rule since the group rose back to power more than three years ago. But as CNN's Salma Abdelaziz reports, the ICC is cracking down on women's rights in Afghanistan.
[01:15:11]
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It gives us hope that our voices are not forgotten. That's what one woman inside Afghanistan told me after the ICC said that it is seeking arrest warrants for the supreme leader of the Taliban and the chief justice of the group for alleged gender-based crimes that could amount to crimes against humanity.
Now since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, the group has slowly but surely been erasing women and girls from public life. Girls can't go to university, can't go to secondary school, can't step out of their homes without a full veil, can't even sing in public. In fact, the latest edict from the Taliban says that women should not be seen from windows.
Now this is still one step away from an official arrest warrant from the Hague based court that would have to be approved by a judge. The chief prosecutor of the ICC also indicated that he may pursue arrest warrants for other Taliban officials. Human Rights Watch, which has closely been following these violations against women and girls in Afghanistan, welcomed the news and said it -- they hope that it leads to concrete action on the ground.
Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, London.
BRUNHUBER: A French woman who was blamed for her divorce because she didn't have sex with her husband has had that blame removed on appeal. The judgment concerned a fault based divorce case and the concept of marital duties in French law. But the European Court of Human Rights reversed the decision as a violation of, quote, the right to respect for private and family life. The woman identified as H.W. brought the case in 2021 after nearly a decade of seeking justice in French courts. This is what her lawyer said after the decision.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LILIA MHISSEN, LAWYER FOR THE APPELLANT "H.W." (through translator): This is a major victory for women because what the European court tells them through this decision is that you have the right to freely have your body at your disposal and you have the right to consent or not to consent to sexual relations. In no way does the fact of being married constitute a constraint or an obligation for a woman to satisfy her husband.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: The case further emphasizes the concept of consent in light of the high profile Gisele Pelicot drugging and mass rape convictions.
Still ahead, the mother of missing American journalist Austin Tice returns to Syria to find her son. Why she believes he's still there in a safe house.
Plus, CNN goes inside the crackdown by an Immigration Customs Enforcement unit. We have details just ahead. Please stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:19:57]
BRUNHUBER: Austin Tice's mother still desperate for answers more than a decade after her son disappeared in Syria. The U.S. government claims he was held by the Assad regime. But with Bashar al-Assad now ousted from power, Debra Tice went back to Syria to search for her son. CNN's Clarissa Ward has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the story of the lengths a mother will go to, to find her son. It's the story of so many Syrian mothers and one American. For 12 and a half years, Debra Tice has not stopped looking for U.S. journalist, Austin Tice. Taken at a regime checkpoint in Syria in 2012, he has been missing ever since, one of many thousands who disappeared in the prisons of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.
Six weeks after Assad's ouster, Debra is now going back to Damascus, joined by the head of hostage aid worldwide, Nizar Zakka, who is coordinating the search.
DEBRA TICE, MOTHER OF AUSTIN TICE: Almost 10 years since --
NIZAR ZAKKA, PRESIDENT, HOSTAGE AID WORLDWIDE: When was the last time? Which --
TICE: The last time I was here was in 2015 in May.
ZAKKA: Wow.
WARD (voice-over): At the hotel in Damascus, a group of journalists eagerly await her arrival. But for now, there are more questions than answers.
TICE: It's hard for me to think about how -- what is my way forward here, you know? Austin has been held by the Syrian government all this time. Who -- who is holding him now? Where is he? How -- what is the approach? I mean, it's like it's -- it's first grade again.
WARD: And where -- where do you think he is? What do you know? What can you share?
TICE: I feel like he is still in Syria. And I do think it's most likely he's in a safe house.
WARD: Are you saying that based on what you feel or what you know?
TICE: There's some of each. There's some of each.
WARD (voice-over): Faith has played a vital role in Debra journey. First thing Sunday morning, she heads to St. Anthony's Church, the place she came to pray on an almost daily basis when she first visited Damascus in 2014 and ended up staying three and a half months trying to gain Austin's release.
Prayers are needed by so many here, dotted around the city fliers with photos of those who disappeared under the Assad regime, leaving devastated families desperately looking for answers. For Debra and Nizar, the prisons where they believe Austin was detained hold important clues. They visit Al-Khatib prison, where Nizar's team has discovered some graffiti that the Tice family is convinced was written by Austin. Debra has been steeling herself for this moment for weeks and is intent on seeing it for herself.
WARD: Take a minute, take a minute, take a minute. OK. Take a minute.
TICE: OK. I feel OK.
WARD: I'm going to hold that for you. And do you want me to hold the light for you?
TICE: Yes, yes, yes, yes.
WARD: OK. All right. I'll hold the light for you.
TICE: OK.
WARD: OK. I'll go in first. OK. It's very small in here.
TICE: OK.
WARD (voice-over): The Tice family asked us not to show the graffiti itself out of respect for their privacy.
TICE: I'm going to stay in here for a minute. WARD: OK.
TICE: OK?
WARD: OK.
TICE: I just want to be in here for a minute.
WARD: Yes.
TICE: Just for a minute.
WARD: Sure.
TICE: I hardly even know what to say about that experience. It was beyond anything I could have imagined. These pictures don't even begin to tell you how unbelievably, unbelievably horrible, awful, terrible nightmare they are.
WARD (voice-over): At a press conference the next day, Debra talks about her experience visiting the prisons.
TICE: For all the mothers whose sons were disappeared in these dungeons, our hearts are joined. For all those looking now for answers about their family members, I am here with you in solidarity. We share --
WARD (voice-over): Unlike those Syrian mothers, Debra and Nizar were able to meet with Syria's new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, who offered support and confidence.
[01:25:08]
ZAKKA: He believes, like all of us, that Austin is alive and he's going to be joined with his mom. And we promised him that when he's back, we're going to come visit Sharaa again with Austin.
WARD: A lot of people will think after the fall of the Assad regime, after the prisons were opened more than a month later, the fact that Austin doesn't turn up, hasn't turned up, is not a good sign. And there are many people who assume that he was likely killed. How do you know or do you know with conviction that he is alive?
ZAKKA: We have enough information collected that Austin is alive and is in a safe house, is controlled somehow by the regime. Everybody, we -- we are receiving this information from the high sources confirming what -- what we believe in. So we don't see any reason, any reason to -- to think differently. In fact, we didn't have one thing, not ever, nobody provided one single evidence that Austin is not alive.
WARD (voice-over): It's Monday afternoon, the day of the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump.
WARD: Have you been in contact with the Trump administration? Do you feel optimistic? TICE: Oh, I feel hugely optimistic. And one of the main things is that his people reached out to me. I mean, they are in, they are ready, they want to go with it. They want Austin home.
WARD (voice-over): Looking out at the city as the sun starts to fade, Debra's hopes are high.
TICE: You remember the feeling of the baby's almost due, you know, that kind of thing of just waiting, you know, when are we going to be together again? I have very much that kind of feeling.
WARD: Do you feel when you look around that you're closer to him?
TICE: Yes, I feel like I'm closer to him. I feel like he knows that I'm here.
WARD (voice-over): The next morning, it's time to leave. But Debra is certain she will be back and soon.
Clarissa Ward, CNN, Damascus.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: An immigration battle is brewing here in the U.S. Donald Trump wants to end birthright citizenship, but a federal judge says not so fast. We'll have more on that next.
Plus, the latest on the massive wildfire north of Los Angeles and the urgent effort to contain it. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:29:59]
BRUNHUBER: Donald Trump's long-promised immigration crackdown is now underway. But a federal judge says his executive order ending birthright citizenship is, quote, "blatantly unconstitutional".
The judge, who was appointed by President Ronald Reagan, has now issued a temporary restraining order to block it. His order reads in part, quote, "I have been on the bench for over four decades. I can't remember another case where the question presented was as clear."
But Trump isn't giving up on the matter. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No. Obviously we'll appeal it. They put it before a certain judge in Seattle, I guess, right. And there's no surprises with that judge.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Leigh Waldman has more on the constitutional issues and arguments being made about birthright citizenship.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This next order relates to the definition of birthright citizenship under the 14th amendment of the United States.
LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A court battle is brewing over President Donald Trump's executive order declaring an end to birthright citizenship. But the CEO of the National Constitution Center says the 14th amendment is clear.
JEFFREY ROSEN, CEO, NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER: Ever since the amendment was passed in the 19th century, that's been interpreted to mean that if you're born in the United States, you're automatically a citizen whether or not your parents are here legally.
WALDMAN: The 14th amendment resulted from overturning the 1857 Dred Scott decision, which denied citizenship to black people and upheld slavery in U.S. territories.
The executive order keys in on one phrase in the amendment, "Subject to the jurisdiction thereof."
ROSEN: They're suggesting that if you're here illegally or your parents are here illegally, they have allegiance to a foreign power, in other words, another government, and therefore that you're not a citizen.
WALDMAN: Rosen says trying to end birthright citizenship isn't a simple task.
ROSEN: Basically, the Supreme Court would have to change its mind and reject an interpretation of birthright citizenship that goes back more than 100 years.
WALDMAN: The executive order aims to end birthright citizenship for children born after it was signed, but Hiroshi Motomura, immigration scholar at UCLA, says he worries about the thousands of people born before.
HIROSHI MOTOMURA, IMMIGRATION SCHOLAR, UCLA: That creates a precariousness that I think has a real potential to undermine societal cohesion for many people in this country.
WALDMAN: In New York -- I'm Leigh Waldman.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: The Trump administration is sending a signal about its foreign policy priorities. Officials say Marco Rubio will head to Central America and the Caribbean on his first trip as the U.S. Secretary of State. He'll visit Panama, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic.
Now, some of those countries have a high migration rate to the U.S., which Trump has pledged to stop.
Officials say Rubio also had a phone call with NATO's Secretary- General Mark Rutte and spelled out Trump's immediate foreign policy goals. Rutte called it "a good call".
The document, obtained by CNN shows details of the Mexican government's preparations for mass deportations from the U.S. Mexico's National Institute of Migration will offer a temporary shelter, transportation and medical care, along with guidance and support for reintegration.
Meanwhile, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum gave her perspective when asked about a potential state visit with U.S. President Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you rule out an invitation and sending people?
CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM, MEXICAN PRESIDENT (through translator): But that is normal because it is part of the bilateral relationship. So one thing at a time. There is no need to get ahead of ourselves.
At the time, President Lopez-Obrador was in the White House twice with President Trump. But the important thing is the agreements that must be made with the new administration.
And then at that time, we will see if the government employees travel or if government employees come here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: The Trump administration has moved quickly to shut the U.S. southern border and pave the way for promised deportations. Measures include a travel ban and detaining undocumented immigrants in a number of U.S. cities.
CNN's Shimon Prokupecz accompanied federal immigration officers on a mission to apprehend one undocumented migrant in New York.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. Good morning, everybody, on this cold New York morning. The first subject that we have is going to be a 22- year-old Ecuadorian male. He was convicted of rape of a minor here in New York City.
We're obviously eager to apprehend this guy and get him back into custody.
SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN PRODUCER: In the pre-dawn darkness of New York City last month, men and women of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement team get briefed on that morning's mission.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just be safe, guys. And let's go do our job.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we're going to attempt to apprehend on the corner.
[01:34:46]
PROKUPECZ: We're now outside a home in Flushing, Queens. We're waiting for an individual to come out with the ERO Team here in Flushing.
This is an individual who got into this country, was a got-away, meaning he didn't come officially through the border. And he has been here in the streets of New York City. He actually was convicted of rape.
And now the ERO teams, the ICE teams are trying to take him off the streets.
ERO stands for Enforcement and Removal Operations. The work takes patience.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You saw that guy across the street in front of you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. It's not our target.
PROKUPECZ: But finally --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's walking to the corner with a backpack.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There he is right there.
PROKUPECZ: At the ICE offices in Manhattan, Renaldo Ana Luisa (ph) is processed and fingerprinted. He chose not to speak to CNN.
Despite the seemingly successful operation, Ken Genalo (ph), the head of ICE New York City, is frustrated.
KENNETH GENALO, DIRECTOR, ICE, NEW YORK CITY FIELD OFFICE: We were able to take him down with no issue.
PROKUPECZ: This -- this is the way you would prefer it to be done.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is there anybody in front of me?
GENALO: Actually, I would prefer to take custody of the individual from NYPD or the Department of Corrections.
PROKUPECZ: New York City has sanctuary laws that limit local law enforcement's ability to coordinate with federal immigration authorities even in certain cases involving convicted felons in the country illegally.
Ana Luisa pleaded guilty to rape and was released after serving his sentence of 273 days.
GENALO: The NYPD, or Even in this case, the New York City Department of Corrections, had just reached out to us. If we had interest in this individual, we would have taken him immediately from them or from --
PROKUPECZ: Right.
GENALO: -- from Rikers Island.
PROKUPECZ: -- avoids having -- GENALO: And that avoids this whole scenario that we're working on
right now. Cases could take weeks, months sometimes, and sometimes even longer, because we don't know where the individual is at.
PROKUPECZ: Even New York City's mayor is advocating for a change.
MAYOR ERIC ADAMS, NEW YORK CITY: Those who are committing crimes in our city must be addressed and we should change the current sanctuary city law to address that issue.
PROKUPECZ: Genalo emphasized that ICE's focus is on those who pose a threat to the communities they are in.
GENALO: That's why I get disgusted and disappointed when I hear these false narratives about ICE is out doing sweeps. ICE is out doing raids. Once ICE is done going after criminals within like 3 to 4 months, they'll be going after and targeting abuela.
I mean in my lifetime, I don't know what planet these people live on, but it's going to take us a lot longer than three months, especially here in New York City and the other largest cities to arrest the criminals that are at large in our communities.
PROKUPECZ: But Trump's border czar stresses that others could be deported as well.
TOM HOMAN, TRUMP BORDER CZAR: There's going to be more collateral arrests in sanctuary cities because they forced us to go into community and find -- and find the guy we're looking for.
When we go find our priority target, which is a criminal alien, if he's with others in the United States illegally, we're going to take enforcement action against them.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Authorities are pointing to signs of progress in the battle against the latest major fire to torch the Los Angeles area. The Hughes fire burning north of the metro area is now 36 percent contained.
It's ripped through more than 10,000 acres, or more than 4,000 hectares, near the community of Castaic. And some 14,000 structures are at risk. So far, there's been no loss of life.
More than 16,000 people are under mandatory evacuation orders and almost 40,000 others have been warned to stay away.
CNN's Veronica Miracle has a closer look at the containment efforts.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VERONICA MIRACLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: If you look in the distance just here, where all of this -- where the fire burned through all of this hillside, you'll see a pink line in the distance. That's a line of fire retardant made of fertilizer. And it's used to
stop the fire from growing. And you can see here it really did its job, because closest to us there's burned hillside. But then just beyond it, there's vegetation that did not burn, which is incredible news.
If we walk just a little bit this way, you can really get a scope of the apocalyptic landscape and what firefighters were contending with. The rugged hillsides, they brought in bulldozers and hand crews. And they also had to attack this from the air to make sure that the flames did not reach nearby communities, which they were able to do.
Also today, California Governor Gavin Newsom is signing a $2.5 billion relief package. That's going to be money that will be used for victims of the recent fires, as well as for restoration and cleanup.
Veronica Miracle, CNN -- Castaic. California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: David Acuna is the battalion chief and public information officer for Cal Fire. And he's in Sacramento, California.
Thank you so much for making the time here for us this morning.
[01:39:47]
BRUNHUBER: Several blazes, including some new ones all burning. What concerns you the most right now?
DAVID ACUNA, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER, CAL FIRE: Thank you so much for having me on. You're correct. We continue to have new fires pop up. We've had several pop up in the Riverside County area, San Diego (ph) County.
It just reaffirms that the area between Ventura and San Diego is all in a threat level. And so we're frankly concerned about any area that's not currently burning, because that's where the next fire is going to be. Which is why we need the public's help to keep from making one more spark, which will allow for one less wildfire.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. You talk about the threat level. Obviously, it's the winds. A fourth consecutive day of red flag fire weather warnings. I mean, it creates such a huge challenge for firefighters, right?
ACUNA: It absolutely does because it moves the fire so quickly. But even once the winds slow down, the fuels will still be critically dry. All those grass and brush that we watch burn so fast on the Hughes Fire they're still that critically dry.
All that is right next to it can easily begin again if given the right ignition. So that's why we need people to be very vigilant.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. So dryness is a problem. But we could also have the opposite problem because in terms of the weather forecast it's sort of a good news, bad news story. Rain is expected which is obviously great help for fighting the fires.
But then there's that danger of mudslides.
ACUNA: You're absolutely right. It's a delicate balance. So because we are looking at the potential for there to be pockets of heavy rain may not be heavy overall, but because we have potential for heavy rain and lightning strikes, we're preparing now with protective actions on the Palisades and Eaton fires to ensure that water runs to the correct drainages rather than causing debris flows or mudslides.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, and you mentioned the Palisades and Eaton fires there. After those, have you noticed that people have been more willing to evacuate when they get the warnings? Do you think that was a wake-up call?
ACUNA: You know, the L.A. County sheriff spoke to that. And according to them on the press conference I watched, they said that they did notice that people were much more willing to listen to their orders and get out of the way early because of the -- just tragic loss of life that happened on the other Los Angeles fires.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. And again, you don't represent them but I want to ask you about that, because in the wake of the devastation of those fires, there's now an investigation into L.A. County's emergency alert system because some residents say they never got any evacuation orders.
So just in general, does that just emphasize how important these early warnings can be?
ACUNA: Well it does, but it also reaffirms the need to have multiple ways of getting information. So having your own cell phone, which everybody has the entire breadth of the Internet right in their palm of their hand. You go to fire.ca.gov and we always track fires over ten acres.
We'll always put up the evacuation warnings and evacuation orders so that if there is any type of hiccup, and I'm not sure if there was, but if there is, then we have a secondary means of getting that information out.
BRUNHUBER: Yes.
Listen, we'll have to leave it there. But really appreciate having you on this morning for us. David Acuna in Sacramento, thank you so much.
ACUNA: Thank you.
BRUNHUBER: Well, after ten harrowing months in Israeli detention, one Palestinian journalist now reunited with her family, is speaking out about the abuse and humiliation she says she and many others endured in Israeli custody.
We'll have more on that story and more, coming up. Stay with us.
[01:43:55]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRUNHUBER: Desperately needed food and humanitarian aid is flowing into Gaza now, with the cease fire between Israel and Hamas appearing to hold. Palestinians frantically tried to get what supplies they could in hard-hit Rafah in southern Gaza on Thursday. The U.N. office for Humanitarian Affairs says just over 800 trucks entered the enclave the day before.
Rows of tents and shelters are being set up for displaced families, but it's nowhere near enough, as the vast majority of Gaza's 2.3 million people have been displaced from their homes.
Just a few days into the ceasefire, people are struggling to find food, clean water and shelter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOAHHMED BADR, GAZA RESIDENT, HOME DESTROYED (through translator): It is an indescribable feeling, the feeling that you are sitting with your children and you cannot keep them warm. You are setting up a fire on top of your destroyed house, among the destruction and rubble.
And we are not at fault. Not at the beginning or the end. Our homes were safe and we were safe in our homes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: The World Health Organization said Gaza's health challenges ahead are immense as residents face rising disease and malnutrition.
90 Palestinian prisoners were released from Israeli detention as the ceasefire deal took effect earlier this week. In exchange, Hamas freed three Israeli hostages. Among the newly freed Palestinians is a West Bank journalist who was jailed for her social media posts.
Now, after ten harrowing months in Israeli jails, she's reunited with her family and her young daughter, who barely knows her mother's face.
CNN's Nada Bashir reports from Bethlehem in the West Bank.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Little Elia is still adjusting to finally having her mother back home. Rula Hassanein, a Palestinian journalist from the Occupied West Bank, was arrested by Israeli security forces when her daughter was just nine months old.
Now, after ten months in detention, she is among the first Palestinian prisoners to be freed as part of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement.
RULA HASSANEIN, PALESTINIAN JOURNALIST RELEASE FROM ISRAELI JAIL: Of course, my daughter forgot what I looked like. My husband and family members would show her photos of me. They would tell her that this is your mother. But a photo is nothing like the real thing. I would dream about my daughter a lot. My first Ramadan after having Elia was spent in prison. I was in
prison for her first Eid. And I also missed out on the memory of her first birthday.
BASHIR: This was the moment Rula was reunited with her daughter and husband last week. Having suffered from health complications in the first few months of life, Rula says it was a relief to see her daughter doing well after almost a year of agonizing separation.
But Rula herself has also been through unimaginable suffering while in detention.
HASSANEIN: During our transfer, we weren't allowed to drink water, eat any food, use the bathroom or even to pray.
BASHIR: Rula says that the day she and 89 other prisoners were transferred for release as part of the ceasefire deal, they were subjected to hours of psychological and physical abuse.
She recalls that they were pushed down to their knees, dragged across the ground while handcuffed and dressed only in thin layers while out in the cold. They were then made to watch hours of Israeli propaganda video before being released.
But like so many other Palestinians in Israeli jails, abuse and harassment had become a daily occurrence for Rula.
What were the conditions like inside the prison?
HASSANEIN: Regarding the female prisoners, they violated all international human right to protect us. We were also deprived of our most essential needs.
During our time of the month, male guards would say we don't need to change our sanitary pads every hour. Only every four or five hours.
[01:49:54]
HASSANEIN: They confiscated our underwear and left us with only one piece to wear.
We saw female prisoners from Gaza who were brought to Damon Prison. Some of them looked like they were in a very difficult state. During their time of the month, their clothes would be covered in blood. It was horrifying. The guards were mocking them.
BASHIR: The Israeli Prison Service has told CNN that they are not aware of any such claims, but the harsh conditions faced by Palestinians in Israeli jails has been widely documented.
In a report published in July 2024, the U.N. Human Rights Office said "Palestinian detainees are subjected to systematic beatings, humiliation and threats, in addition to severe restrictions on food, water and essential hygiene products."
Like many Palestinians, Rula was tried before a military court rather than a civil court and later charged with incitement on social media over posts shared where she had expressed frustration over the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza.
HASSANEIN: It isn't a new policy to hold Palestinians accountable for their thoughts. Many Palestinians have been targeted for their art or writing. It has become so easy for them to arrest someone simply by accusing them of incitement on social media.
BASHIR: For Rula, it is impossible to forget the suffering that she and other Palestinian detainees have been forced to endure. But she says her focus now is on enjoying each moment with her daughter and husband.
Nader Bashir, CNN -- in Bethlehem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: This could be the final legal chapter in the Amanda Knox saga. She's the American who was jailed in Italy and later acquitted of the 2007 murder of her British roommate.
Now, Italy's high court is upholding the remaining slander conviction against her. Knox was convicted of falsely accusing her former boss, Patrick Lumumba, of murdering Meredith Kercher. Knox had signed two police prepared statements, making the accusation later questioned her claims. According to Reuters News Agency Lumumba says he was very satisfied with the ruling.
For her part, Knox wasn't at the hearing but did react on social media saying, quote, "It's a surreal day. I've just been found guilty yet again of a crime I didn't commit."
Knox doesn't face any additional jail time.
Ireland and parts of the United Kingdom are now facing hurricane force winds. Storm Eowyn, a bomb cyclone is expected to peak in the morning hours over Ireland and Northern Ireland. The worst of the winds will then transition into Scotland and northern England.
Red wind level warnings have been issued, the highest level of warning. A bomb cyclone is a mid-latitude storm that has a rapid pressure drop or strengthens quickly.
After four decades, a Tina Turner song thought to be lost has been rediscovered. And we'll get a listen after the break. Please stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRUNHUBER: Martha Stewart has a new rose named after her. The lifestyle influencing entrepreneur started her own rose garden in the spring of 2023. Well, not satisfied just to stop and smell the flowers, she and various helpers found a new rose that would eventually need a name.
[01:54:47] BRUNHUBER: Now it takes years to bring a new rose to market and to get it named for you is considered an honor. Martha Stewart has other kinds of flowers named for her, but a rose by any other name may not smell so sweet. It's expected to be available in garden centers in 2026.
After four decades, the song Tina Turner recorded but never used for her hit album, "Private Dancer", has been rediscovered after it was considered lost.
The rock star recorded "Hot for You Baby" at Capitol Studios in Hollywood. It was found again and played for the first time on BBC Radio 2 "Breakfast Show" on Thursday. Listen to this.
(MUSIC)
BRUNHUBER: Now you may remember "Private Dancer" was a comeback album and a huge hit for Turner in 1984. "Hot for You, Baby" will be included in an anniversary reissue of the album in March. Called "The Queen of Rock n Roll", Turner died in May of 2023 at the age of 83.
Two musicals and a post-World War II drama have topped the list of nominees for this year's Academy Awards. "Emilia Perez" led with 13 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Leading and Supporting Actress, and Best Director. The film stars the first openly trans performer nominated for an Oscar.
And the blockbuster "Wicked" picked up ten nominations that includes Best Picture, Best Leading Actress nod for Cynthia Erivo and Best Supporting actress for first-time nominee Ariana Grande.
"The Brutalist", which won big at the Golden Globes, was also nominated for ten Oscars. And the Academy Awards will be handed out March 2nd.
Well, 25 newborn panda cubs in China made their public debut on Thursday. The event, called "Lucky Wishes and Adorable Newcomers", is part of a celebration for the upcoming Chinese New Year.
It featured two groups of the cubs born last year, and they were seen playing among sticky rice balls, snake-shaped toys and symbols of good fortune, red lanterns.
Well, thanks so much for watching.
I'm Kim Brunhuber and I'll be back in a few moments with CNN NEWSROOM after a short break.
Please do stay with us.
[01:57:18]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
