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U.S. Prosecutors Investigate Fed Chair; Trump Weighs Military Options in Iran; CNN Provides an Update on the 83rd Golden Globes Awards; Rights Group: 500+ Protesters Killed In Past 15 Days; U.S. Officials Divided Over Fatal ICE Shooting Of Renee Good; Heat Wave Triggers Blazes In State Of Victoria; New U.S. Dietary Guidelines Call For More Protein, Less Sugar. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired January 12, 2026 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Hello, wherever you are in the world. You are now in the "CNN Newsroom" with me, Ben Hunte, in Atlanta. It is so good to have you with me.

Coming up on the show, U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell under scrutiny as federal prosecutors open a criminal investigation into his testimony about renovations. A surging death toll in Iran. Donald Trump says he's weighing potential military options. The government cracks down on protesters. And later, all of the big winners and surprises from the Golden Globes.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom with Ben Hunte."

HUNTE: Welcome. The U.S. Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into the Federal Reserve and its chairman, Jerome Powell. It's over the Fed's $2.5 billion renovation of its Washington, D.C. H.Q. A Justice Department spokesperson wouldn't comment specifically on the investigation, but they told CNN the attorney general wants to -- quote -- "prioritize investigating any abuse of taxpayer dollars."

Powell testified before Congress in June, saying the renovation involved various agencies and that the costs had changed over time. He says this investigation is just the latest pressure tactic in an ongoing struggle with the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEROME POWELL, CHAIRMAN, UNITED STATES FEDERAL RESERVE: The threat of criminal charges is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public rather than following the preferences of the president. This is about whether the Fed will be able to continue to set interest rates based on evidence and economic conditions or whether instead monetary policy will be directed by political pressure or intimidation. (END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: Joining me now is Ryan Patel, a senior fellow at Claremont Graduate University's Drucker School of Management. It is good to see you, Ryan. How are you doing?

RYAN PATEL, SENIOR FELLOW, DRUCKER SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT, CLAREMONT GRADUATE UNIVESITY: I'm doing great. Great to see you, Ben.

HUNTE: Amazing. Let's get into this. We are already seeing markets reacting to this news with futures down between about half a percent and 1 percent. Is this a knee-jerk move or could it be the start of something bigger?

PATEL: Well, first off, this is rare and significant, right? Scrutiny hitting the Fed chair, Powell, at the same time. It's something markets see often. I think it is a short-term market reaction as markets are reacting, as you mentioned. But these moves reflect more than just fundamentals here. These are uncertainty, right?

And the question becomes -- this doesn't so much affect the long-term perspective but more so, you know, this oversight as we -- let's call it what that is, isn't so much of a weakness. Investors are pricing in some risks around some confidence and the process. So, to me, this is something we're going to see in the short term. The volatility is not shocking to me.

HUNTE: How do you expect international investors and U.S. allies to interpret this, though? Does it risks shaking confidence in the U.S. financial system?

PATEL: In the long term, it absolutely does, right? I mean, if this continues to go. I think the international community has seen the volatility, the back and forth. The fact that Jerome Powell came out and said that this was a tactic that's being done for interest rates, I think, does give a message to the rest of the financial community about what is going to occur.

I also think that when you think about the monetary policy of the U.S., trust and transparency is the biggest thing that you can have when it comes to this, you know, goal perspective. So, if you lose those things in the international investors or markets, it's one of those things that reminds you that strong institutions, they rely on what predictability, accountable behavior even under pressure. And so, when they're under pressure, other -- other variables start to feel that as well.

HUNTE: Some of the big concern here will be about the Fed's independence. Can you break down for us how critical that independence actually is?

PATEL: I think this is where -- we're at the crossroads, right? The Fed has to do based on numbers. That's why they have its own, you know, review over this. There are no other branches making an influence on them, on base where the data and information that they are looking at. So, what I mean by that is as of where we sit today, where the argument is, the pressure is coming on, you need to decrease inflate -- you need to decrease the interest rate as fast as possible.

[02:05:03]

That's what President Trump and his administration is saying. And the Fed's responsibility is to the people to ensure that we do not go back into a recession or don't move down so quickly. And their data is showing not to do that yet.

So, overall, in the long term, I think at the end of 2026, right, major houses, including Goldman Sachs, there need to be the interest rate to be 3 percent to 3.25 in a couple cuts priced across the year. That only occurs should inflation curb, unemployment stays where it needs to be based on what the Fed believes it is best for the U.S. economy. And so, that's where this issue becomes on who's seeing what data and how they're being pushed to decide.

HUNTE: OK. Well, thank you for staying up late for me, Ryan Patel. We appreciate it. Speak to you again soon.

PATEL: See you then.

HUNTE: As Tehran intensifies its violent crackdown on protesters, the U.S. president says Iranian leaders have called him to negotiate. In recent days, Donald Trump has threatened to -- quote -- "get involved if the regime kills protesters." And he reiterated that warning on Sunday, saying his administration is looking at strong military options and he will not stand by if Iran retaliates.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: If they do that, we'll consider things targets they wouldn't -- that they wouldn't believe. If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they've never been hit before, that they wouldn't believe. I have five options that are so strong. So, if they did that, it will be met with a very, very powerful force.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: This comes as Iran enters its third straight week of anti- government protests. One U.S.-based human rights group says more than 500 protesters have been killed in the past 15 days of unrest.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: This video you're seeing there, released on Sunday, shows black body bags lined up outside a forensic center in Tehran as family members search for their loved ones.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: More than 10,000 people have been reported arrested since protests broke out. Iran's government has cut off internet access since Thursday. A watchdog group says connectivity to the outside world is at just 1 percent of ordinary levels.

And in Los Angeles, no serious injuries after the driver of a moving truck drove through a large crowd of people rallying in support of the protesters in Iran. It happened on Sunday, in the city's Westwood neighborhood. A warning, some may find the following video disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: The writing on the side of that truck reads, "no shah, no regime," "USA, don't repeat 1953," "no Mullah." Law enforcement has confirmed the driver has been detained, and the FBI says it's working with them to determine a motive. CNN has reached out to the LAPD for more information.

CNN's Julia Benbrook has more on the Trump administration's response to the unrest in Iran.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Donald Trump has not made a final decision yet, but we do know that he is weighing options when it comes to potential intervention in Iran. In recent days, he has been briefed on different plans as the violence there continues. Hundreds have been killed and thousands arrested related to this.

Now, as Trump looks to follow through on his vow to help the people there, there are some concerns from within the administration that military strikes could backfire and actually undermine the protesters.

According to U.S. officials who spoke with CNN, a number of these proposals have centered on Tehran's security services, which are being used to tamp down the protests. Also being considered, cyber operations that target Iran's military or other regime targets. And then there's potential of helping bolster internet access through technology. Right now, the people there are experiencing an information blackout that has been going on for days.

Now, in a social media post, a post on Truth Social over the weekend, Trump made it clear that he could be willing to do something but provided very little details. He said Iran is looking at freedom, perhaps like never before, adding that the USA stands ready to help.

Now, we saw similar posts from Secretary of State Marco Rubio as well as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth during the weekend but, again, lacking a lot of details on what would take place.

Trump has said that the United States could get involved. He was pressed on when that could happen.

[02:10:02]

He did rule out that there would be boots on the ground. He has said that is not a possibility. Now, we do expect, as Trump is back in Washington this week, that there will be more formal briefings taking place, including one on Tuesday, with senior national security officials to discuss how to proceed.

Traveling with the president in Florida, Julia Benbrook, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: Negar Mortazavi is a senior fellow with the Center for International Policy. She's also a host of the Iran podcast. We really appreciate your time. Thank you so much for being with us.

We have heard that President Trump said Iran called him over the weekend to negotiate. What are your thoughts on that call and how might negotiations affect the protest plus U.S.-Iran tensions?

NEGAR MORTAZAVI, SENIOR FELLOW AT CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL POLICY, IRAN PODCAST HOST: I'm not surprised. I mean, we're still waiting to see -- to get verification and see how exactly that happened. It's notable that the foreign minister of Oman traveled to Tehran recently. Oman has long been a trusted mediator between Tehran and Washington, and they've played a key role in historic junctures for nuclear talks, for prisoner exchanges, et cetera. So, I think that's notable.

And then President Trump sort of implying that there's a back channel working also adds weight to that side. And, of course, from the Iranian side, I think they're taking the threats from the U.S. very seriously, the threats from Israel and from the U.S. for military attacks. And also, this is combined with the fact that the president and vice president have signaled that they may still be interested in negotiations and a potential nuclear deal.

So, I'm not surprised. But the question here is, where each side is willing to meet the other? Are each of them going to make enough concessions to sort of reach each other somewhere in the middle of the way or they're going to continue being so far away?

HUNTE: All right. Earlier, Trump also mentioned possible military options. Do you think strikes would be effective or could they potentially backfire?

MORTAZAVI: It's very hard to tell without knowing the options because I can't think of -- especially considering that the president has said he doesn't want to commit boots on the ground. So, an Iraq or Afghanistan model is out of the question. We know there's no appetite in the American public also for the U.S. getting involved in another endless war in the Middle East. We've seen the results of that. American blood and money and resources have been invested for two decades in that region.

So, what I'm thinking is, are they talking about sustained aerial bombardments? Are they talking about sort of an extension of what happened in June? In June, it was just nuclear sites. It's a few sites. Iran's nuclear program was targeted. What are the targets going to be now? Is it the missiles program? Is it military IRGC sites? Those are going to be many, many, spread across the country. How exactly will that help the protesters? I'm not sure because you're trying to use hard power from the outside to bring some or help some kind of a soft change or reform internally. Or if the goal is collapse of the system and regime change, that can also potentially lead to more chaos, civil unrest in the country and, you know, negative impacts and consequences that we've seen in neighboring countries, for example, a Libya model.

HUNTE: As you're speaking there, we're seeing some images from the protests. And we know that there has been an internet blackout for a few days now. I've seen posts on social media suggesting that the number of protesters may be dropping in some areas. What have you seen? What does it tell us about the strength of the movement right now? These pictures look packed.

MORTAZAVI: So, the protests started in the heart of Tehran's bazaar initially, and they slowly picked up. Then it looked like they were not going to expand. And then, suddenly, we saw a peak. And then at the beginning, at the very beginning of the protests, the state didn't really use that iron-fist crackdown model that they have used in recent mass protests in the past. So, they essentially gave a little bit of an opening and a chance for the protests to grow.

And the protests did grow. We saw, like you were saying, large crowds in many, many cities and towns across the country. Essentially, the protests grew like wildfire. It reminds me of the 2022 protests or the 2019 protests.

And then with the internet shutdown and the communications shutdown, essentially, it's not just internet, but also mobile phones, it seems like that iron-fist crackdown started, and also combining that with the comments of the supreme leader, which were very harsh, combined with other top leaders in the country that are saying they're going to use whatever it takes to crack down.

[02:15:07]

So, it looks like a very violent and deadly crackdown has started where just trickling of information and images are coming from the country. It sounds very horrific. Bodies piling up in morgues, in hospitals. It is actually a reminiscent of previous crackdowns of protests where they used an iron fist. Death toll is high, injured.

And also, those who are arrested, thousands and thousands have been arrested in past mass protests. This time, we're hearing of similar scenarios, and that can have ramifications down the line for protesters as well.

HUNTE: OK. We're going to leave it there, but we really appreciate your insight there. Thank you so much, Negar Mortazavi. Thank you so much. Appreciate it.

MORTAZAVI: Thank you for having me.

HUNTE: President Trump is looking to make inroads with Venezuela's interim government. Mr. Trump has signaled he's willing to meet with the new acting president, Delcy Rodriguez. Rodriguez had been serving as Nicolas Maduro's vice president until his capture by U.S. forces. Here's what President Trump told reporters on board Air Force One on Sunday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Venezuela is really working out well. We're working along really well with the leadership, and we'll see how it all works out.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): (INAUDIBLE).

TRUMP: At some point, I'll meet. Yes. She has been very good. Look, she asked us, can we take 50 million barrels of oil. And I said yes, we can. It is worth $4.2 billion. It is on its way right now to the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: Meanwhile, President Trump is set to meet with Venezuelan opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, this week. It comes after he recently doubted Machado's ability to lead a post-Maduro government. According to Trump, Machado -- quote -- "could only win an election with his support."

Now, to Capitol Hill where in the coming days, the U.S. Senate is expected to vote on a full measure to limit President Trump's war powers in Venezuela. The final resolution is expected to pass in the Senate, and the House will take up a similar measure later this month.

Still to come, Hollywood awards season is upon us, and the 83rd Golden Globes kicked it off in style. We'll break down the big winners in film and T.V. next. See you then.

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[02:20:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN: And the winner is "One Battle After Another."

HUNTE: The 83rd Golden Globe Awards ended just a few hours ago. Paul Thomas Anderson's dark action comedy, "One Battle After Another," was one of the big winners of the night. The film took home four Golden Globes, winning for "Best Motion Picture," musical or Comedy, "Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture," "Best Director," and "Best Screenplay." The film was produced in part by Warner Brothers and that is the part of the CNN's parent company.

On the T.V. side, it was Netflix's limited series, "Adolescence," that swept its categories, taking home four awards for "Best Limited or Anthology Series," "Best Performance by a Lead Actor in a Limited Series," as well as performances by supporting actor and actress on T.V. And the first ever Golden Globe for "Best Podcast" was presented as

well, going to "Good Hang with Amy Poehler" for the actress's celebrity interview show.

Let's keep talking about it. Journalist and cultural critic Rebecca Sun is here to talk about the big moments of the night. Thanks so much for being with me, Rebecca. How are you doing tonight?

REBECCA SUN, JOURNALIST, CULTURAL CRITIC: I'm doing well. Thank you so much for having me.

HUNTE: You're so welcome. It's good to see you. Let's get into this. We'll start with the big shocks. Were there any moments tonight that made you sit up and think, OK, that was huge, it was unexpected, wow?

SUN: OK. Well, the first shock I had didn't -- wasn't from a word "award." It was actually part of Nikki Glaser's monologue. I mean, she opened her monologue with a crack about CBS News, calling it CBS News. And I was shocked because the Golden Globes was being carried on CBS. So, that was just as a journalist. That was pretty funny.

HUNTE: Yes.

SUN: Other than that, I mean, I think -- can I say that on your air? But I think that I was surprised by Rose Byrne winning "Best Actress" for motion picture and comedy. She's in a super tiny movie. And so, you know, with other frontrunners like, you know, two-time Oscar winner Emma Stone in that category for Yorgos movies, like Yorgos Lanthimos movies, I think that Rose Byrne's win was a shock to her and certainly for awards followers. That was a pretty big and significant surprise going into Oscar voting.

HUNTE: It makes a lot of sense. I love "One Battle After Another" and "Sinners" too. Did they perform as well as you expected or did either one them surprise you?

SUN: No. They kind of -- it shook out the way that it was expected. I also have great respect for both filmmakers and personally really loved "Sinners." But I think that, knowing how awards bodies generally work, the fact that Paul Thomas Anderson won screenplay and director, you know, "One Battle After Another" winning musical comedy picture was no surprise.

I love "Sinners." And I -- and I -- I think it will be an uphill battle for them to win that ultimate big prize. They did get cinematic box office achievement, which was much, much deserved. But yes, it wasn't surprising that they were shut out after everything else. I think it is just genre. It's a horror movie. It goes deep into race, racial history in America, and that's still very tough for many voters.

HUNTE: That's a really interesting point, actually. Yes, that makes sense. "Hamnet" sneaking in with a best drama win, caught a lot of people off guard. Was that a Golden Globes only moment or do you think that momentum could carry into the Oscars as well? SUN: I think that momentum could carry into the Oscars. Again, like you mentioned, "One Battle After Another" is such a big juggernaut for this season, but "Hamnet" winning on the drama side really positions it as the -- like sort of the major rival to that.

You know, certainly, having Steven Spielberg as executive producer up there on stage reminded voters like, hey, "Hamnet" is a Steven Spielberg- affiliated movie, and that's going to really help with cutting through the clutter.

HUNTE: That makes sense. Yes. We'll talk about the T.V. side as well. What stood out to you the most? Any clear winners or any big disappointments?

SUN: No big disappointments.

[02:25:00]

I think the T.V. side, there were no big surprises. Again, the Golden Globes comes at the tail end of T.V. season after the Emmys. And so, everybody you expected has won. "Adolescence," which is one of my favorite series of all time, has not lost anything ever. If you look, the only things "Adolescence" has ever lost is things where they were up against another "Adolescence" actor. Those are literally the only nominations they've ever lost.

"Adolescence" continues to win. "The Pitt" continues to win. Jean Smart continues to win. You know, "The Studio." Hollywood is obsessed with itself. So, everything on T.V. was as expected.

HUNTE: Love that. We are potentially on the verge of major change in Hollywood with Warner Brothers, CNN's parent company, at the center of a possible sale. Did anything about tonight's wins or speeches hint at what the future of the industry might look like?

SUN: Yes. Well, Nikki Glaser again alluded to that. Right at the top, she made a joke about Warner Brothers being up for auction. I think one thing that was very insider-y, but I appreciated, was Paul Thomas Anderson. He got up there, and he specifically thanked Mike De Luca, who is one of the co-heads of film on Warner Brothers. He's such a champion of filmmakers.

And he's a guy who, despite turning out hits after hits, you know, "One Battle After Another," "Sinners," being a champion of like the new D.C. overhaul with "Superman," which was very well received this summer, his -- you know, his whole studio is imperiled, has been imperiled this whole time because of everything happening on the corporate side.

And so, yes, it's really weird. He was sitting right next to David Zaslav front and center, at Leonardo DiCaprio's table. And, you know, that guy is just trying to sell that studio for profit. So, I don't know what's going to happen. But I think a lot of people, all the emphasis on, hey, cinema should be in cinemas, right? Like, one of the winners talked about that. Movies should be watched in movie theaters. If Netflix gets Warner Brothers' Discovery, that might potentially go away.

So, there's a lot of uncertainty. And it's very ironic that Warner Brothers, the studio at the center of this, has so many, you know, award contenders this year.

HUNTE: Yes. Very interesting. The Globes love spreading the wealth. We've seen first-time winners, international films, even podcasts now. Is that the Globes trying to be more inclusive or trying to stay relevant in a very crowded awards landscape?

SUN: Yes, I think that it's them trying to stay relevant, but also just think of new ways to sell ads. I'm so sorry to be crass like that, but the Globes, it's ironic because if anybody remembers anything about recent Globes history, it's that inclusivity, meaning -- particularly racial inclusivity, was sort of their big weakness.

But, yes, I think that they're trying to think of ways to make it more popular. I mean, this year was the new podcast category, the cinematic box office achievement, which is kind of like the popularity Oscar that the Oscars tried a couple of years ago. It's another way to try to be like, hey, we're going to give a statuette to a movie you've heard of and that you probably watched. And so, these are all ways that award ceremonies are trying to drive up the ratings.

HUNTE: And I guess it worked. We're talking about it. Rebecca Sun, thank you so much for that. We appreciate it. We will speak to you again very soon, I'm sure. Thank you.

SUN: Thank you for having me.

HUNTE: OK. Let's keep going. The death toll rises in Iran amid ongoing protests. Ahead, we learn more about those killed and what some inside Iran are saying about the unrest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:31:49]

HUNTE: Welcome back.

U.S. officials tell CNN, President Donald Trump is weighing potential military intervention in Iran following deadly anti-regime protests in the country. A U.S.-based rights group says the death toll in Iran has now climbed to at least 554 people over the past 15 days of demonstrations. That number is said to include eight children.

President Trump had previously threatened to strike the Iranian regime if it used lethal force against civilians.

We are now learning more of what's happening on the ground in Iran and about those killed in the ongoing protests.

CNN's Paula Hancocks reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fears of a bloody crackdown by Iran's security forces against anti-regime protesters are being realized. The U.S. based group human rights activists have said that they have verified the deaths of well over 400 protesters in the last two weeks. Now, medical professionals have been giving harrowing accounts to CNN on condition of anonymity as they are concerned about repercussions from the regime.

One doctor in the city of Neyshabur has described indiscriminate killing on Friday. Now, video of what is described is difficult to obtain and verify.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At least 30 people were killed in the streets. Among those, 30 were very young children. A 5-year-old child was shot while in their mothers arms. Many others were hit with bullets and injured. In hospitals, they are being passed on from one spot to the other.

HANCOCKS: Among the victims, 23-year-old design student Robina Aminian, killed by gunfire Thursday while protesting. That's according to Hengaw, a Norway-based human rights organization. Her social media posts show her displaying traditional Kurdish outfits. Her uncle says she was hopeful for the future, but the Islamic republic stole that from her.

Mehdi Masoud was 39 and a two-time world classic bodybuilding champion, now coach. He was reportedly shot and killed Friday during protests in the northwest city of Rasht. According to pro-reform news outlet IranWire, he wrote in his last Instagram post, quote, "We only want our rights. The voice that has been stifled for 40 years must be shouted out."

Amir Mohammad Khan was a coach and referee for the sport Futsal. IranWire says he was killed by direct fire from security forces on Saturday night. Just three of the scores of victims killed by security forces, coming out and calling for change and paying with their lives.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: Anti-ICE protesters are demanding that federal immigration officers be removed from their communities. There was yet another wave of demonstrations across the U.S. on Sunday in response to the killing of Minneapolis woman Renee Good. In New York, protesters flooded the streets to voice their concerns about threats to public safety.

Despite the backlash, the Department of Homeland Security announced hundreds more Customs and Border Patrol officers would be sent to Minneapolis. The DHS secretary says it's to ensure the safety of ICE and Border Patrol agents operating in the city.

In an interview with CNN, the U.S. homeland security secretary defended her domestic terrorism comments made just hours after Renee Good was killed and Kristi Noem did not acknowledge the possibility that Good could have been trying to flee the scene.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: How can you assert with certainty that she was trying to hurt the officer, as opposed to she was trying to flee the scene?

KRISTI NOEM, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: If you look at what the definition of domestic terrorism is, it completely fits the situation on the ground. This individual, as you saw in the video that we released just 48 hours after this incident, showed that this officer was hit by her vehicle. She weaponized it and he defended his life and those colleagues around him and the public.

TAPPER: And the question is, I don't doubt my position is I wasn't there. I didn't see it. Some people say that it clearly showed that she was trying to hit him and did. Some people say no, she was clearly trying to move her car and flee and get away. I don't know.

What I'm saying is, how do you know? How can you assert for a fact within hours before any investigation this is what happened?

NOEM: The facts of the situation are that the vehicle was weaponized, and it attacked the law enforcement officer. He defended himself and he defended those individuals around him. That is the definition. When there is something that is weaponized to use against the public and law enforcement, that is an act of domestic terrorism happened in our in our shores. It happened here in our country. You don't get to change the facts just because you don't like them. We will continue to look at this individual and what her motivations were.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: Noem also defended the decision by federal authorities to not share evidence in the case with Minnesota officials. In a highly unusual move, the Justice Department has blocked state investigators in Minnesota from participating in a probe into the shooting.

CNN's Nick Watt has more on the fallout after the death of Renee Good.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK WATT, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Everybody is watching the same videos of the death of Renee Good and drawing starkly different conclusions. In fact, the chasm between what the federal government says happened and what a lot of local and state politicians say happen, that chasm is just getting deeper.

Kristi Noem, doubling down, saying Renee Good was a domestic terrorist. The mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, saying that perhaps Kristi Noem doesn't actually really believe what she's saying. He says he's watched the video and draws a completely different conclusion.

He wants, he says a, quote, neutral and unbiased investigation. He said, I shouldn't be doing it. Neither should Kristi Noem. We need an outside body to really determine what happened here.

Take a listen to what else he had to say on CNN. JACOB FREY, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA MAYOR: Because here's the thing,

she's calling Minneapolis, like this dystopian hellhole. You know, how many shootings we've had so far this year? Two. And one of them was ICE.

ICE said this was a federal agent recklessly using power that ended up in somebody dying, because that was a federal agent recklessly using power that ended up in somebody dying is exactly what happened. I mean, am I biased in this? Of course. And I'm biased because I got two eyes.

WATT: Now, Sara Jacobs, a Democrat representative, serves on the armed -- the Foreign Affairs and Armed Services Committee, she said that Kristi Noem is, quote, blatantly lying and should either resign or be impeached. Take a listen.

REP. SARA JACOBS (D-CA): If the administration is so sure of their account of events, then they should welcome an independent investigation because the evidence would show that. But I think they're telling on themselves by not allowing it, because they know that what they're saying is completely wrong and made up and preposterous, really.

WATT: Now, all of this while a group called ICE Out for Good, planned over 1,000 demonstrations across the United States over the weekend. We saw demonstrations, protests in North Dakota, Arizona, Georgia, Maine, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New York City. Also overseas, outside the U.S. embassy in Berlin, Germany.

All of those protesters remembering Renee Good vigil Sunday in Minneapolis. Another vigil on the scene of Renee Good's death , vigil for her. So this is not over in terms of the demonstrations, the protests, but also these dueling narratives over what actually happened here. Was Renee Good a domestic terrorist, as Kristi Noem would have you believe, or was this ICE agent reckless as the mayor of Minneapolis and many people across this country would say that Renee Good was innocent and she was murdered?

Back to you

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: Picking up the pieces, residents in southern Australia comb through the ashes of their ruined homes after wildfires in the state of Victoria.

[02:40:01]

Their stories just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HUNTE: Welcome back.

People in southern Australia are picking up the pieces after devastating wildfires. A huge heat wave triggered fires in the state of Victoria, burning homes and leaving some residents with nothing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALI MCIVOR, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA RESIDENT: I ran away yesterday with nothing. Nothing. My husband's away, so all his clothes are here. Everything we have is here. It's gone.

HUNTE (voice-over): Shocked residents returned to the burned out shells of their homes in Australia's Victoria state, the ground still smoldering in places after bushfires sparked by a recent heat wave ripped through hundreds of thousands of hectares of land.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Looking at it this morning, it's -- it's devastating.

HUNTE (voice-over): A drop in the searing temperatures, which topped 40 degree Celsius in recent days, is helping firefighters to suppress some of the fires. But officials say the blazes could continue to burn for several weeks.

JACINTA ALLAN, VICTORIA PREMIER: We will see fires continue for some time across the state. And again, that is why we are not through the worst of this by a long way. There are fires that are continuing right now that are threatening homes and property. And I ask Victorians to please stay mindful of local conditions.

HUNTE (voice-over): A state of disaster has been declared in several parts of Victoria state. Officials say hundreds of structures, including houses, sheds and other buildings have been destroyed, and thousands of people are without power. Authorities say the fire conditions are some of the worst in years and have brought in hundreds of reinforcements to assist local firefighters, who say they have a tough job ahead of them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's gut wrenching. It's destroyed Harcourt. Hopefully, we come out of this bigger and stronger after -- after this is all done.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[02:45:01]

HUNTE: Still to come, the U.S. publishes new food guidelines. Some aren't very surprising, but others seem very close to the health secretary's personal beliefs. Plus, there are people taking off their clothes on the London underground. We'll tell you why when we come back.

See you in a moment.

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HUNTE: Welcome back.

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unveiled new dietary guidelines on Wednesday. They do echo past advice, but with some changes. For instance, the MyPlate diet recommendation chart is gone, replaced with a new inverted food pyramid. It recommends so-called healthy fats and proteins and avoiding ultra processed foods and added sugar. The American Heart Association agreed with the need to eat more vegetables, but worried that promoting meat consumption could lead to more cardiovascular disease.

The health secretary calls the new guidelines common sense.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT F. KENNEDY, JR., HHS SECRETARY: Dietary guidelines rest on three pillars protein, healthy fats, vegetables and fruits, and whole grains. These guidelines replace the corporate driven assumptions with common sense gold standard scientific integrity. These new guidelines will revolutionize our nation's food culture and make American health -- and make America healthy again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: Dr. Marie-Pierre St-Onge is a professor of nutritional medicine at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

Thank you so much for joining me. How are you doing?

DR. MARIE-PIERRE ST-ONGE, PROFESSOR OF NUTRITIONAL MEDICINE AT THE COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IRVING MEDICAL CENTER: Very well, thank you. How are you?

HUNTE: I'm good, I'm good. Thank you so much for being here.

Let's get into this.

[02:50:00]

The new guidelines put more emphasis on protein and full fat dairy. From a health perspective, how significant could that be for improving Americans' overall health?

ST-ONGE: So, in my opinion it seems that the emphasis on protein seems to be a little surprising because in the U.S. there is not so much of an issue with protein intakes. So, recommending increasing protein intake for the majority of the population is not necessary at this point. Most of the population is getting an adequate amount of protein, and also, I think that proteins, according to the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee recommendations, were to the -- to emphasize plant-based proteins.

So, emphasizing legumes, pulses, nuts and seeds, soy and then smaller amounts of animal-based products.

HUNTE: Okay. Nutrition experts often push for whole foods portion control and avoiding highly processed products. How did the new guidelines balance scientific advice with the reality that many people just rely on convenience foods?

ST-ONGE: Right. So, the dietary guidelines advise to consume whole foods more less processed foods. So, reaching for more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, people should be continuing to reach for their less processed items, non-refined carbohydrates, and also the pulses and legumes and animal proteins that are not processed

HUNTE: One thing that's really surprised me since moving to America is that protein is everywhere in marketing right now. Weve got protein pancakes and protein chocolate bars.

Do you think that these protein heavy, ultimately junk foods could mislead people into thinking that they're trying to eat or potentially eating healthier than they actually are?

ST-ONGE: It's possible, I think, that the general public needs to be more cognizant of the nutrition facts panel. Being more careful about the ingredients that are in their foods and just verifying that those products aren't also hiding sources of added sugars that the dietary guidelines advise we should be consuming less of.

HUNTE: Some experts say that processed grains and sugars are driving obesity and diabetes. How did a new guidelines address the quality and the portion of carbs that people eat?

ST-ONGE: The dietary guidelines this time around seem to recommend, much less carbohydrates. It's not so clear. The recommendations for whole grains are two to four servings per day. But those should also be supplemented with other types of healthful carbohydrates.

We're talking about fruits and vegetables, carbohydrates from legumes and pulses and soy. So, I think that we can have healthy -- healthful sources of carbohydrates from our diets.

HUNTE: We've seen food companies massively shape the American diet for a long time now. How much the industry interests influence these guidelines and how can consumers actually trust that their health comes first?

ST-ONGE: So the diet -- the dietary guidelines advisory committee, the committee that actually makes recommendations to the group that writes the dietary guidelines is very carefully chosen to have balanced views and balanced expertise. Then in terms of the group that actually drafted the guidelines based on those recommendations, I'm not so sure how these experts were chosen, and the process for, for this group and in drafting the dietary guidelines.

HUNTE: There's quite a bit of talk on social media about these new guidelines potentially being surprising. Did anything surprise you in them?

ST-ONGE: There are a couple of things were surprising to me. First was the recommendation to season some foods with salt, spices and herbs in this specific sequence, while at the same time recommending that adults and, and the American population reduce their sodium intake. So, I was surprised to see recommendations to season foods with salt as opposed to just simply going for spices and herbs.

The other thing that I found surprising was the emphasis on full fat dairy, which I thought could be more flexible depending on the population. Some individuals will need to consume lower fat dairies to reduce their saturated fat intake. And we know from the research that dairy products from various sources, whether full fat, low fat, nonfat, can be part of a healthful diet.

[02:55:05]

And so the emphasis on the full fat products was, was surprising to me at this point.

HUNTE: Well, I think my whole team would agree that seasoning the food is always a good thing. So, we'll leave it there for now.

Thank you so much, Dr. Marie-Pierre St-Onge.

ST-ONGE: Thank you.

HUNTE: A frightening yet stunning sight in Hawaii. Kilauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, began erupting yet again on Sunday. The U.S. Geological Survey says occasional eruptions have been happening on Kilauea for over a year now. Geologists say each eruption typically lasts less than 12 hours, and they're separated by pauses that can stretch beyond two weeks.

And finally, for my hours, I think these people may have forgotten something, something important. Their trousers. Hundreds of people in London dropped them and opted for just underwear on the underground. It might seem strange, but it's called -- it's a tradition called the No Trousers Tube Ride. It's actually New York that's credited with starting the trend where people going pantless on the subway is a thing. Since then, the event has spread to several other cities worldwide.

Well, all right. Thanks for joining me and the team. That's all I've got for you. I'm Ben Hunte in Atlanta, and I will see you next weekend.

The news continues after a quick break. Rosemary, over to you.

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