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CNN International: RFK Jr. Faces Confirmation Hearing for Health Secretary; Judge Pauses Trump's Federal Aid Freeze Amid Confusion; U.S. Middle East Envoy to Meet Netanyahu Today; U.N. Calls for Immediate International Action in Goma; Rwanda-backed Rebels Claim Takeover of Goma; Multiple Deaths Reported at World's Largest Religious Festival in India; Plane Catches Fire in South Korea While Preparing for Takeoff; Trump to Sign Laken Riley Act Into Law; Trump Administration Continues Crackdown on Undocumented Immigrants; Fed Likely to Pause Rate Cuts Thanks to a Strong Economy; Former Senator Bob Menendez to Be Sentenced; Analysts Ask for More Info on DeepSeek's Lofty Claims; Lunar New Year Celebrations Underway. Aired 8-9a ET

Aired January 29, 2025 - 08:00   ET

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


[08:00:00]

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWSROOM": Hello and welcome to our viewers around the world. I'm Max Foster. This is "CNN Newsroom." It is 1:00 p.m. here in London, that's 8:00 a.m. in Washington, D.C. where Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will sit down for his first confirmation hearing. We'll dig into President Trump's controversial pick, the Health Secretary. Also, U.S. Middle East Envoy, Steve Witkoff is in Israel today meeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with the second phase of ceasefire negotiations at the top of the agenda. And a devastating crowd crush at the world's largest religious festival leaves several people dead. We'll bring you the latest.

Well, in less than two hours, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will face the Senate's Finance Committee, his first test in the road to confirmation as Donald Trump's Secretary of Health and Human Services. Trump's pick is a highly controversial one. RFK Jr. is a known vaccine skeptic and has in the past pushed the false claim that vaccines cause autism in children. Despite that, Donald Trump tapped the one-time Democratic presidential candidate to oversee a department that approves vaccines and regulates food and drugs. Earlier, CNN's Sunlen Serfaty spoke with CNN's Kate Bolduan about today's hearings.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kate, it certainly is going to be very contentious on Capitol Hill. He is, as you noted, one of the most controversial nominees. And ahead of this hearing today, Senators have, from both sides of the aisle, have been very vocal about their concerns. They're going to be questioning him over his past views on abortion, spreading disinformation, vaccines, food safety, agriculture. Republicans though specifically making it clear, they're really going to hone in to get assurances on what exactly his stance is on abortion.

And over the last month, Kennedy himself, he has been making the rounds on Capitol Hill, meeting with Senators behind closed doors, trying to shore up some support. But this week, we have heard from at least a handful of Senate Republicans who are still uncertain on how they'll vote. That certainly is a big red flag for the administration, wanting to get their nominee through. As we have been discussing in the last days and weeks, Senate Republicans have a razor-thin majority on Capitol Hill, so he can only afford to lose three Republican Senators. That's assuming that all Democratic Senators oppose his nomination. So, it is a very close margin for him to be pushed through.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Our Sunlen Serfaty there in Washington. RFK Jr. facing a challenge, not only amongst critics in the Senate, but also his own family. His cousin, Caroline Kennedy yesterday describing him as a "predator" who is addicted to attention and power. She also recounted one disturbing episode, saying her cousin would put baby chickens and mice into a blender to feed his birds years ago. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAROLINE KENNEDY, COUSIN OF ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR.: We grew up together. It's no surprise that he keeps birds of prey as pets because Bobby himself is a predator. I watch his younger brothers and cousins follow him down the path of drug addiction. His basement, his garage, his dorm room were always the center of the action where drugs were available and he enjoyed showing off how he put baby chickens and mice in a blender to feed to his hawks.

It was often a perverse scene of despair and violence. Bobby is addicted to attention and power. Bobby preys on the desperation of parents of sick children, vaccinating his own kids, while building a following hypocritically discouraging other parents from vaccinating theirs.

He lacks any relevant government, financial, management, or medical experience. His views on vaccines are dangerous and willfully misinformed. These facts alone should be disqualifying.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Caroline Kennedy, a former U.S. ambassador, ultimately urged Senators to reject RFK Jr.'s nomination. For more, let's bring in CNN's Senior Political Reporter, Stephen Collinson. Do you think it'll make any difference? STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: You know, that -- what a bizarre twist in the Kennedy story, Max. I don't think that Caroline Kennedy's intervention will do much to sway the views of Republican Senators. I do wonder, however, whether it was intended perhaps to try to head off any Democrats voting for Kennedy. He is, of course, a former Democrat.

Some of his views on the food industry, the corporate domination of the industry and processed foods, do sort of come into line with some of the more libertarian members of the Democratic Party on the party's left wing. [08:05:00]

So that's possible. But generally, what we are looking at is three Republican Senators. Are there three Republicans who won't vote for him and (inaudible) this nomination? One to look out for as a former Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, who is a survivor of child polio. He voted against Pete Hegseth, the President's Defense Secretary nomination. So that's a possibility.

And then you're just looking for two more Republicans. So I thought that RFK was going to get confirmed. I don't think there are many Republicans who are looking to break with President Trump on this issue, or any of the other nominees. But I have to say over the last few days that the mood music (ph) on Capitol Hill around this nomination has got a lot worse.

So I think this may well be one of those nominations that do depend on the performance of the person in question in the hearing.

FOSTER: And he's going to be grilled, isn't he? I mean, she was very much crushing his character, presumably that will come up here and his previous lifestyle, let's say, but also on the facts, this link of vaccines and autism, which is disproven. Will he be grilled on the facts or his character, do you think?

COLLINSON: I think the facts will be the thing that sort of killed this nomination if that's what has happened. There is concern among some senior Republicans I know about the position on vaccines especially. RFK Jr.'s nomination really is born out of the pandemic, and this widespread and growing skepticism about vaccines in the United States that Donald Trump used for political purposes. That's one of the reasons that he was picked.

It was a play to Trump's base as much as anything else. But these questions do trouble some Republican Senators. There are several physicians in the Republican Senate Conference, so that could play into it. There's also this issue of abortion. He's going to get a lot of questioning from some conservative -- social conservative Republican Senators about his past positions on abortion, of courses. As the person who would pretty much run healthcare in the United States, he would be in a position to really affect this issue.

And it's one of the litmus test issues for many Republicans. So, that could be something as much as the vaccines for some Republican Senators that could give them pause. So, there are a lot of issues that he needs to clarify. In the end, it's going to come down to whether Republicans want to rebel against the President in another nomination.

I'll be very interested to see how much Trump would do to save the nomination if it got into trouble. I don't think Pete Hegseth would be Defense Secretary today if Trump hadn't come out before Christmas and given him his strong backing. Would he do the same to RFK Jr.? He does owe him politically because RFK Jr. was running as an independent who could have taken votes away from Trump, and he joined his campaign late in the day last year. Whether Trump sees that as a reason to show loyalty to him, I think is a big question, because loyalty often only goes one way in the mind of the President.

FOSTER: Yeah. OK, Stephen, we'll wait and see. It's going to be fascinating, isn't it? Thank you so much for joining us.

COLLINSON: Yep. Thanks.

FOSTER: -- from there in D.C. Do stay with CNN. We'll have full coverage of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s confirmation hearing when it starts in just under two hours.

Now, just minutes before Donald Trump's order to suspend hundreds of billions in federal grants and loans was supposed to go into effect, a federal judge blocked it. The judge wants to hear more from a coalition of non-profits who say the order will gut their ability to provide important humanitarian assistance, both in the U.S. and overseas.

The Trump administration says it's merely trying to root out programs that run counter to Trump's priorities. But the unprecedented scale of the aid freeze has caused a widespread confusion. Let's bring in CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich to talk about the widespread impact this freeze would have then.

I mean, it is pretty profound, isn't it? Huge amounts of people, regular people are dependent on this aid, just in the U.S.

VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. This freeze touches so many organizations and so many sectors. We don't even really know the full scope of it. But we do know some of the different programs that are going to be impacted. They're critical programs. They're critically underfunded programs to begin with, and they are so critical for so many Americans.

Take Meals on Wheels, for example. This is a program that delivers food to seniors. In many ways, it's a wellness check on seniors as well to make sure that they are doing OK. This program serves about 2 million seniors here in the U.S. and the CEO of the organization spoke to Richard Quest last night, and she talked about what this impact would mean to this program. Take a listen.

[08:10:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELLIE HOLLANDER, PRESIDENT AND CEO, MEALS ON WHEEL AMERICA: We have growing waiting list across the country even before the memo came out from OMB, suggesting that there would be a pause because funding for Meals on Wheels programs has never kept pace with the need, with the growth in the senior population, or with inflation. And as you know, we're very dependent on food and fuel for Meals on Wheels. So taking the air out of our tires, so to speak, has been something that's actually been happening.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YURKEVICH: Also, another sector that's going to be impacted is housing. This could be the difference between someone staying in their home and being evicted. There are a lot of federal funds that get put into rental vouchers for Americans to be able to pay their rent. Also, you see there, there's a lot of federal funding that goes into operating housing for elderly and seniors. Also being able to rebuild after major disasters, there's federal funding that is given to Americans for that. And also just basic needs, like being able to keep your heat on in your home, there's federal assistance that helps Americans with that.

Another sector that we know will be impacted likely is the health sector, health centers under Title X. This is a federally funded program that serves about 1.7 million Americans. Many Americans, this is their only health provider. And essentially, if this funding was cut off, Americans would not have access to basic contraception, to reproductive care, to family planning, and to cancer screenings. So, there's a lot of questions about when this impact will take place and just how widespread it will be.

But Max, just with these three different sectors and programs alone, you can see the impact that it will have for so many millions of Americans here in the U.S., Max.

FOSTER: Not just Americans as well, the U.S. is one of the biggest providers of aid internationally, quite often providing more than 50 percent of the aid when it's an international coalition. So people are really going to feel this outside America.

YURKEVICH: Yeah, there's certainly a ripple effect. That's just one organization that provides aid abroad that will be very much impacted. And we're already hearing from groups abroad saying that this is going to be very dire for a lot of people in the international community who rely on this aid for things like medical services, food and shelter as well. So this is not just a U.S. impact. This is going to have a ripple effect across the world.

People are bracing. There is confusion, as you mentioned, Max, about when this is all going to go into play and exactly how many people this is going to affect. But even just the small groups that we've talked about here on your show today, certainly going to have a really devastating impact for many if this aid is frozen. And for how long, Max? That's the big question.

FOSTER: Yeah, absolutely. OK, Vanessa, really appreciate your time. Thank you.

YURKEVICH: Thank you.

FOSTER: Donald Trump's U.S. Envoy of the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, is in Israel where he's set to meet with the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the coming hour. An Israeli official tell CNN, they're expected to discuss the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal. Meanwhile, we've just learned from officials in Gaza that up to half a million people have returned to Northern Gaza since Monday. Comes as we expect more hostages to be released on Thursday.

Our Jeremy Diamond joins us now, live in Tel Aviv. This is a key meeting, isn't it? Because it's really going to set the public tone, to this relationship.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, without a doubt. And it is also clear that they have a lot of important matters to address on the agenda. Steve Witkoff has stressed in recent days that it was not just about getting this deal across the finish line, but also now, the tricky matters of actually ensuring that this deal is being implemented. And now, we are also approaching that 16th day of the ceasefire during which Israel and Hamas are supposed to get back to the negotiating table to resume discussions about ultimately extending this ceasefire, seeing if it is possible to get this ceasefire beyond the next six weeks.

That is a major, major question mark at this point. So, we expect Steve Witkoff to meet with the Israeli Prime Minister shortly, in the next few hours, to discuss all of those matters. But I've also just learned, according to a source familiar with the matter, that Witkoff actually visited Gaza with the Strategic Affairs Minister of Israel, Ron Dermer, one of the closest advisers to Prime Minister Netanyahu.

It appears that they went to the Netzarim Corridor, that corridor right between the northern part of the Gaza Strip and the rest where we have seen Israeli forces now leave that area, allowing Palestinians to return to Northern Gaza. We also know that that is where there is currently a vehicle checkpoint that is ensuring that no major weapons are brought from the southern part of the Strip into Northern Gaza.

[08:15:00]

And so, that appears to be what Witkoff was observing, but it is quite a notable visit. It would appear to be the first visit by a U.S. official to Gaza in at least a decade, if not two decades, at this point. So, a very, very significant visit by President Trump's new Special Envoy for the Middle East as he now prepares to sit down with the Israeli Prime Minister.

FOSTER: Yeah. And take us through what you're expecting to hear on hostages.

DIAMOND: Yeah. So tomorrow, we expect that there will be three hostages released by Hamas. This will be the next phase of this agreement. We of course expected that to only come this Saturday, but after this disagreement over Palestinians returning to Northern Gaza, Hamas agreed to release three more hostages tomorrow, in order to ensure that the return of Palestinians to Northern Gaza could indeed take place. And so, we're expecting Arbel Yehud, one of the last female civilian hostages held in Gaza, to be released tomorrow alongside an Israeli soldier, Agam Berger, the last of the female Israeli soldiers, and a third unknown hostage also to be released. We do not yet know who is set to be released this coming Saturday as part of that next scheduled release. Max?

FOSTER: OK, Jeremy, thank you so much for that.

Still to come, Rwandan-backed rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo on the move. The situation in Goma is deteriorating quickly with the U.N. warning about spiraling violence across the region and a deepening humanitarian crisis. A live report just ahead. And tragedy strikes at the world's largest religious gathering. We'll look at what's behind the crowd crush that claims more than a dozen lives.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: As Rwandan-backed rebels consolidate control of Goma in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the U.N. says there are many dead bodies on the streets and warns about a possible breakdown in law and order as well. Hundreds of thousands of people have already fled their homes. U.N. systems (ph) are being urged to leave due to an increase in violence. And now, the World Food Program says it is temporarily pausing food assistance in Goma.

The decades-long conflict and struggle for control of Congo's mineral resources dramatically escalated on Monday where the M23 rebels marched into Goma and declared the key city under their control. CNN's Larry Madowo joins us now from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. Larry?

LARRY MADOWO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Max, this is a 30- year-old crisis that has peeled into the open again, with Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo trading a war of words over who exactly is responsible. The \eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has more than 100 active resistance groups, armed conflicts, different groups that are vying for control of that mineral-rich region.

[08:20:00]

But at the heart of this is the city of Goma. Two million people live in that city and they have gone through so much conflict, thousands of people have already died. And now, we're seeing this claim of the M23 rebel group claiming control of the city of Goma and the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo blaming Rwanda for arming these rebels, for being behind the siege on the city, which Rwanda increasingly denies, has always denied even though reports of the U.N., from other contributing countries that have troops in the U.N. stabilization mission stabilization mission have always blamed Rwanda for it.

Today, we have seen what are called mercenaries arriving on the Rwandan side from the Democratic Republic of Congo. These are private military contractors. There are many of them that work in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. They're from many European countries. And you see them getting received by Rwanda and the country saying that they have been rescued from the eastern DRC.

The East African Community that is a regional bloc that the DRC is a member of, President Ruto of Kenya is the Chair of that, was due to hold a virtual meeting, an emergency meeting to try and figure out exactly what's happening here and to call for a ceasefire.

The Southern African Development Corporation was also due to hold another emergency meeting tomorrow. President Samia Suluhu Hassan here of Tanzania is the Chair of that, and some South African soldiers have been killed just in the last few days, at least 13 from South Africa, a soldier from Tanzania, and from Malawi as well. These are all part of the international troops that are in the region to try and bring peace to it, as the biggest escalation in this conflict that we have seen in quite some time. And there seems to be no end in sight as the people there already displaced, having been through so much trouble, wondering if this is a liberation for them or another flare up in this long-running conflict, Max.

FOSTER: And there's a global story here because they're trying to get control of one of the most valuable sets of minerals in the world, the ones that we use in all of our technology.

MADOWO: That's correct. The Democratic Republic of Congress, specifically this eastern region, has large deposits of coltan and iron ore and gold and metals, minerals that are used in the manufacture of everything from electric cars to mobile phones and laptops and computers. And so, it's highly lucrative. That's part of the reason why this conflict has been running for so long.

You see this jostling for powers. The Chinese have huge interests there, but so does the United States and many other European countries. And that's why you are seeing this flurry of statements from Belgium, from France, from the United States, from the European Union, all calling for a ceasefire and asking for a return to the negotiating table to find a way out of the conflict, Max

FOSTER: Larry, thank you. Now, tragedy striking at the world's largest religious festival. At least 35 people were crushed in the massive crowds at the Hindu Festival in Uttar Pradesh in India. That's according to a local hospital source. Tens of millions of people gathered at the festival to bathe in Sacred River Waters. A video from the scene shows the size of the crowd and the chaotic scenes as first responders rushed to the injured. Kristie Lu Stout has more.

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Deadly crowd crush has taken lives at India's Maha Kumbh Mela, the largest religious festival in the world. According to local authorities, the crush took place after a barrier broke. In this video from Reuters, you see the immediate aftermath, devotees climbing over and through the fencing to escape the throngs of people. And emergency responders arriving at the scene with ambulances racing through the crowds to take the injured to hospital.

Pilgrims on site say that the crowd crush happened 1:30 a.m. local time, described harrowing scenes of chaos. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Suddenly, there was a huge crowd and we got stuck somehow. People started pushing aggressively and we fell.

RUDHU RAM, VICTIM'S RELATIVE (through translator): My uncle was brought here to the hospital, but I've not been able to see his body. Yes, he died.

LU STOUT (voice-over): It took place as about 100 million Hindu devotees were expected to visit the site on Wednesday and take a holy dip in the sacred waters in India's Uttar Pradesh state, this according to local media. This is a gathering that is so massive you can see it from space. These images were taken by NASA astronaut Don Pettit from the International Space Station.

Wednesday is one of the most significant days of the Maha Kumbh Mela Festival. It is the day when devotees come to bathe at the confluence of three rivers. After the crowd crush, security has stepped up. The state chief says that the situation is "under control." But despite the deadly crowd crush, millions of devotees still thronged the area. This drone video shows massive crowds gathering near the rivers. The danger remains after a sacred day turns deadly.

Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[08:25:00]

FOSTER: In South Korea, investigations are now underway into how a plane caught fire whilst preparing for a flight to Hong Kong. You can see the crews here, working on the burned out fuselage of the Airbus jet, which belongs to South Korean budget operator Air Busan. All 169 passengers and crew members evacuated, with three sustaining some minor injuries. The emergency slides were deployed on both sides of the single-aisle plane.

South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reports the fire began in the plane's tail. The scare comes less than a month after the deadliest air disaster on South Korean soil when a Jeju airplane flying in from Bangkok crashed at Muan Airport's runway. All but two of the 181 passengers there and the crew onboard were killed.

Now, coming up, the Trump administration is carrying out mass deportations, how it's impacting undocumented immigrants in the U.S. Just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: U.S. President Donald Trump is forging ahead with his agenda. Moments ago, his Press Secretary came out to the White House driveway and pushed back against criticism of the pause he ordered on federal spending.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: There's no confusion within this building. I know there is, again, a lot amongst the media and those who don't seem to just be able to read a memo and take it for what it is. It's very clear. This is a temporary pause on federal funding to ensure that tax dollars are not funding things that this president has signed out of law, so the Green New Deal, DEI, et cetera.

As I said repeatedly yesterday and I would like to double down on the fact that Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, which I'd like to be clear on that today, welfare benefits, individual assistance, food stamps, et cetera, will not be impacted. So, the American people should not be confused about this. And in fact, they should be grateful that this administration is actually valuing their hard- earned tax dollars.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Well, a federal judge has temporarily blocked parts of Mr. Trump's order to suspend hundreds of billions of dollars in federal grants and loans.

[08:30:00]

The Press Secretary went on to say everything they do is within the law. Also today, President Trump is expected to sign the Laken Riley Act into law. It mandates the detention of undocumented migrants accused of theft and violent crimes. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is continuing its crackdown on undocumented immigrants. ICE officials say they arrested over 960 people on Tuesday. In New York, there's a climate of fear as vulnerable immigrants try to follow their daily routines.

CNN's Gloria Pazmino spoke to some of them.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fear and uncertainty in New York City's immigrant community as federal law enforcement agencies launch immigration enforcement operations expected to last several days.

SARAHI MARQUEZ, DACA RECIPIENT: I feel scared. I feel nervous. I feel anxious.

PAZMINO (voice-over): Sarahi Marquez, a DACA recipient, was brought to the United States by her parents when she was six-years-old. She has degrees in psychology and biology, and helps run the family restaurant here on Staten Island. For the past two weeks, workers have become increasingly panicked.

MARQUEZ: We work long days. We're just trying to make a better place, and I wanted to speak out and not let fear intimidate me.

PAZMINO (voice-over): Since Trump signed his executive orders, Marquez has instructed her workers to memorize her phone number. Some are arranging transportation to and from work to avoid walking on the street.

MARQUEZ: It feels like we're hunted down. And I say to myself, what more can I do to prove myself?

TOM HOMAN, WHITE HOUSE BORDER CZAR: We're sending a message. It's not OK to be in this country illegally. It is not OK to enter this country illegally. It is a crime and there's going to be consequences.

PAZMINO (voice-over): More than 200 federal law enforcement officers fanned out across the city on Tuesday. Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noam, joined early morning enforcement operations. Fear is also spreading across the city's migrant shelters. Parents declined to speak on camera, but some told us they've kept their children from school in recent days, out of fear ICE could show up at school or that they will be picked up in any operations. Others told us they have no choice.

Henasis Romero (ph) says she takes her daughter to school so she can go to work. She feels some comfort thanks to her temporary protected status after fleeing Venezuela. But she worries some bad apples will ruin the American dream of many. It's selfish, she says, of President Trump's directive. We're here to work and provide for our families and the future of our children, she says.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAZMINO (on camera): Now, today's ICE operation here in New York City resulted in at least 24 arrests, including the arrest of a well-known Tren de Aragua gang leader wanted for violent offenses here and in Colorado. Now, many of the migrants I spoke to today told me that they agree people like him should be arrested and deported, but they worried that this administration will not differ between criminals and people trying to make an honest living.

Gloria Pazmino, CNN, New York.

FOSTER: For more on Mr. Trump's agenda, the confirmation hearings in Washington and more, let's bring in Brett Bruen. He was a former National Security Council official in the Obama White House, and a former Director of Global Engagement there. He's President of the Global Situation Room, joins us from Alexandria in Virginia. Thank you so much for joining us. Brett.

(CROSSTALK)

FOSTER: I mean, it is a frightening time, isn't it, for many of these undocumented immigrants? Our statistics show that the majority of them haven't had any offenses made against them. They're not criminals. They're going about their normal life, but they have to live within this new system.

BRETT BRUEN, FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL AND STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: It is a frightening time, Max, here in the United States, not just for those who may have entered the United States without permission or overstayed visa, but quite frankly, there's a whole community around them. And I think understanding the economic, the social, the security implications of this bludgeoning approach to the immigration issue is important because there are going to be collateral consequences. And we're only just, as your report suggested from New York, beginning to understand how that impacts farms and factories and restaurants and a whole host of other areas.

FOSTER: I just wanted to ask you about, you were a national security official. We were talking a bit earlier on with our correspondent about the effects on aid here. A lot of these programs are being cut off for national groups that provide aid, but also international groups are going to be affected by this as well. Do you think that's a security issue?

[08:35:00]

BRUEN: Max, can I just take a moment and clarify here how astonishingly irresponsible this is? The fact that they want to review programs is fine, but we are talking about stopping aid, aid that goes to those critical programs, whether it's security programs, whether they are stabilization programs in many parts of the world. I mean, they had to clarify overnight. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, forced out a late memo to say, well, lifesaving medicine can continue, even though we're not quite sure, does that mean for HIV aid programs? Does it mean for malaria programs? So, all of this has just created a whole lot of uncertainty and upheaval, and that in and of itself is going to create more issues.

FOSTER: Yeah. And then we've got the confirmation hearings as well coming, haven't we? JFK Jr., obviously the big focus of attention today. He does seem to have pretty much the right support, but we're hearing from our correspondent that he might come undone on the facts. For example, the allegations about vaccines have not been proven.

BRUEN: Yeah. And look, facts have not been the strong suit of many of these nominees or cabinet secretaries that have been confirmed. And yet, the Trump administration's approach has been ignore the facts, ignore the concerns, even amongst their own members when it comes to the likes of Pete Hegseth, the new Defense Secretary, and we are just going to bulldoze forward.

Now, that will work, Max, for a certain period of time. But even within their own ranks, and I think for an international audience, it's important to understand we are less than two years away from legislative elections here and Republicans are going to have to fundraise, they're going to have to win re-election, and it's going to be harder with this take no prisoners approach.

FOSTER: What should people outside the U.S. be making of this? I'm actually thinking about other world leaders, policy makers around the world, trying to figure out where they fit into this, what they feel is a very chaotic American political system now. It's not going to be less chaotic in future either, is it? But how do people -- how do other countries deal with the administration as it is now?

BRUEN: Well, we're talking to a lot of them and my advice is pretty simple. Find a way to do a judo move on Trump. That is to say, he just wants to look like he is getting something new, a shiny new object. So, figure out what you can offer up that is that bright new object because it is the superficial part that matters for him, not the substance, not even the strategy.

So whether it's Greenland, Panama, Canada, I mean all of these that you take -- the Mexico, Canada Trade Agreement, that was the agreement that Trump negotiated and he is now complaining about. So, it is not quite frankly, an issue of arguing over facts. It's an issue of arguing over feelings and making Trump feel important.

FOSTER: OK. Really appreciate your time, Brett. There's so much to take in. You'll be very busy for a few years. Thank you.

Germany's Chancellor lashing out at the world's richest man, Olaf Scholz had very pointed words for Elon Musk on Tuesday after Musk's comments that Germany should move on from its guilt over the Holocaust. Mr. Scholz spoke to CNN's Fred Pleitgen about Musk injecting himself into German politics. Here is Fred's report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Tech billionaire Elon Musk has been ripping into German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, calling him "an incompetent fool," while also supporting the far-right German political party, the AfD, for the upcoming German election on February 23rd.

Now, we caught up with Olaf Scholz on the sideline of a campaign event here in Berlin and he got very emotional when speaking about the fact that Elon Musk had said that Germans need to "overcome their historic guilt because of the Holocaust." Here's what he told me.

OLAF SCHOLZ, GERMAN CHANCELLOR: I disagree completely with Elon Musk and what he's doing. What is new is that he's intervening in favor of right-wing politicians all over Europe, and this is really disgusting. And I'm absolutely critical about what Elon Musk said about the history of Germany.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PLEITGEN (on camera): And that was Olaf Scholz speaking to me on the sidelines of that campaign event. Now, CNN has reached out to Elon Musk's lawyers for comment. We have not received any comment from them so far, but there are others who are also very critical of Elon Musk's comments, including the German Ambassador to Israel who said, "Elon Musk does not seem to understand very much about German history."

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin.

FOSTER: Now that 1,600 January 6th rioters have been pardoned, what now? After the break, we'll look at what one woman is doing to help them get back on their feet.

[08:40:00]

And a former U.S. Senator will find out his fate later, find out the likely punishment for Bob Menendez's bribery conviction.

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FOSTER: U.S. President Donald Trump sent shockwaves on day one of his new administration when he granted sweeping clemency to all of the nearly 1,600 people charged of the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. In Texas, one woman is working to turn her home into a retreat for fellow pardoned offenders. She describes it as a comprehensive healing program.

CNN's Donie O'Sullivan has the details. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CUDD: We're frantically working to get them done. I already have two J6ers living on our property.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): This is Jenny Cudd. She's opening her home here in the Texas countryside to pardoned January 6ers.

O'SULLIVAN: So you are building basically small homes?

CUDD: Yes. So they're about 300 square feet.

O'SULLIVAN: Right.

CUDD: And we'll ultimately build five of them. There's not very many people that get a second chance at life.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): For Cudd, this is very personal. She was sentenced to two months probation for entering the Capitol on January 6th.

CUDD: We did break down the Nancy Pelosi's office door.

I had death threats for two years. I had over a thousand one-star reviews on my business.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Cudd has raised more than $50,000 for the project.

CUDD: The J6 Road Home Project is a comprehensive healing program. So, we already have in place a national telehealth network and then we have jobs lined up all over Texas that are just waiting for these guys to get here.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): One of the pardoned January 6th convicts arrived while we were there.

CUDD: That's you? Ah, it is.

(LAUGH)

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Don Hazard was part of the Patriot Boys of North Texas militia.

CUDD: I'm glad to meet you.

HAZARD: Me too.

CUDD: Welcome.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): He was sentenced to almost five years in prison for his role in January 6th.

HAZARD: Make sure you get my face and everything on your news channel.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Among the charges was assaulting police.

HAZARD: I want the enemy to know exactly who is coming after them.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Until Trump's Pardon, Hazard had been in federal custody for more than three years.

HAZARD: Man, it's nice out here. I like it.

CUDD: So we'll have the -- bathroom will be back there and this will be like a little kitchenette and the bedroom.

HAZARD: Nice. Man, I love that smell of fresh lumber.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): After his release, he drove here to Texas. Yeah.

O'SULLIVAN: You're a free man now.

HAZARD: Total freedom. Total freedom. I mean, got my rights back, was able to go in a gun shop the other day, right when I got back to Texas, and check out some firearms and whatnot without feeling like I was doing without doing something against the law.

[08:45:00]

I'm interested in starting a business and something successful.

O'SULLIVAN: Do you regret January 6th at all? Do you wish you didn't go?

HAZARD: The only regrets that I have at all about what I did was, just got outsmarted by the left. It was a total setup. It was a trap and we walked right into it. We did exactly what they wanted us to do.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): The January 6th attack was not a setup, but many of the January 6th convicts that I've spoken to say they believe it was. And because they think they were set up, they don't have remorse or regret for what they did on that day.

O'SULLIVAN: So you pled guilty, right?

HAZARD: I did, but I mean, I was blackmailed into it. I resisted arrest. They charged me with an assault charge carrying up to 20 years. Way, way overkill.

O'SULLIVAN: You had, I think, pushed a police officer who was then knocked unconscious.

HAZARD: That's not really what happened. I tried to go up some stairs. OK? They caught me. They pretty much beat me up as far as I could tell, and then shoved me back down the stairs. I don't think any of us were fairly charged. None of us got a fair shake in court. Federal judges, prosecutors, I think they're all guilty of treason.

O'SULLIVAN: Do you think there should be retribution?

HAZARD: Most definitely. I think so. I mean, most definitely, I think so.

O'SULLIVAN: You got your dad, your granddads, your uncle, all military.

CUDD: All military. My Father-in-law, my cousin.

O'SULLIVAN: So this is The Wall of Heroes?

CUDD: Yes. And it's growing more and more day by day. And now, I'm going to get a giant picture of outside of the U.S. Capitol on January 6th and put that up on the wall of heroes.

O'SULLIVAN: But a lot of people right now, would look at the other people you have on this wall, people who were part of January 6th, they'd say, no, they're not heroes. To you, they are?

CUDD: Absolutely. To me, they are, because they were willing to stand up for their country and do what they believed was right. And most of them lost everything. So yes, to me, they're heroes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Now in just a few hours, former U.S. Senator Bob Menendez will be sentenced. Last July, the New Jersey Democrat was convicted of three of a years-long bribery scheme. He was found guilty of using his power and influence to help the Egyptian government and New Jersey businessmen. In return, he got cash, gold, gold bars, and lavish gifts, including a Mercedes-Benz. Menendez has submitted more than a hundred letters of support to the court. His lawyers are seeking leniency from the judge.

Coming up, the first big technology story of the year, DeepSeek is turning the A.I. world upside down. After the break, what it means for the future, this quickly changing tech landscape.

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FOSTER: In the coming hours, U.S. Federal Reserve is expected to announce it'll hit pause on cutting interest rates. This is the first Fed meeting of Donald Trump's second term. Stopping the rate cuts likely will not sit well with the President who wants a say in the Fed decisions. Fed Chair Jerome Powell will explain the reasoning behind whatever decision is made after today's announcement.

[08:50:00]

The U.S. economy has low unemployment and healthy growth, suggesting the Fed can hold off cutting rates. As the Fed hits pause, U.S. tech firms are scrambling to get ahead following the release of a new A.I. model from the Chinese company, DeepSeek. Its R1 model comes at a fraction of the cost of rival A.I. assistance like ChatGPT. That's what the makers of DeepSeek say. At least some tech analysts want proof that R1 actually lives up to that hype. There are also concerns about the influence of the Chinese government.

CNN's Ivan Watson has the details. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Celebration erupts across Chinese social media at the surprise success of Chinese A.I. startup, DeepSeek. The launch of DeepSeek's latest A.I. chatbot triggered a sell-off in American tech stocks, while the app surged to the top of the Apple App Store, beating out higher- profile A.I. competitors like ChatGPT and Google Gemini.

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: The release of DeepSeek A.I. from a Chinese company should be a wake-up call for our industries that we need to be laser focused on competing to win.

WATSON (voice-over): I've just installed DeepSeek on my phone. I'm going to ask it a question.

WATSON: How much did it cost to develop DeepSeek?

DEEPSEEK CHATBOT: As an A.I. assistant, I don't have access to internal company information. For more details about DeepSeek, please visit the official website.

WATSON (voice-over): The company claims it costs just $5.6 million to develop this model, a fraction of the investment spent by much bigger American rivals. DeepSeek's founder is Liang Wenfeng, a 40-year-old CEO who emerged from relative obscurity last week when he was invited to address the second most powerful man in the Chinese government. Liang studied Information and Electronic Engineering at China's prestigious Zhejiang University.

He founded the hedge fund Hi-Flyer Quant in 2015, aimed at using mathematics and A.I. for quantitative investment. Less than two years ago, he launched the A.I. company, DeepSeek, employing young, homegrown talent. Liang described DeepSeek as an accidental disruptor in this interview last week, adding there's a gap of one or two years between Chinese A.I. and the United States. But the real gap is the difference between originality and imitation. If this does not change, China will always be a follower.

ZACH KASS, FORMER HEAD OF GO-TO-MARKET, OPENAI: The success of open source models wherever they come from, In this case China, is great because it actually means that better technology will be available to more people at less -- at lower costs.

WATSON (voice-over): But it's when you ask DeepSeek about China that you see glaring limitations.

WATSON: I'm asking DeepSeek, has Chinese Leader Xi Jinping ever made a mistake?

DEEPSEEK CHATBOT: I am sorry. I cannot answer that question. I am an A.I. assistant designed to provide helpful and harmless responses.

ISAAC STONE FISH, CEO, STRATEGY RISKS: DeepSeek as the leader in A.I. would be catastrophic, but it would also be incredibly dangerous for free speech and free thought globally.

WATSON (voice-over): DeepSeek appears to have revolutionized the A.I. space race and opened many unanswered questions about the company and its founder.

Ivan Watson, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Crews are into their second day trying to rescue a 74-year- old man trapped underground near Tokyo. He's reportedly unresponsive inside a truck that was swallowed by a pool-size sinkhole. Rescuers say a second sinkhole opened up amid their efforts to save him as well.

Broadcaster NHK says that second sinkhole opened after crews used a large crane to lift the truck's bed out, but the driver's cab is still stuck there. They say rising water at the site could also make rescuing him even more difficult, a huge effort underway there.

Finally, around the globe, Asian communities are celebrating the Lunar New Year. This is the Year of the Snake. In Beijing, a team of robot dancers performed alongside their human counterparts during a televised gala. These high-tech droids strutted their staff in movements synchronized to the music.

[08:55:00]

And in Sydney, Australia's China Town, they ushered in the New Year with the traditional lion dance. Lunar New Year festivities continue for two weeks.

Thanks for joining me here on "CNN Newsroom." I'm Max Foster. "Connect the World" with Eleni Giokos is up next.

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