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Trump Claims No Wrongdoing Over Latest Release of Epstein Documents; Five-Year-Old Liam Ramos and Father Back in Minneapolis; Partial Government Shutdown Expected to Last Until Tuesday; Storm Snow Totals Climb Over 20 Inches in Parts of North Carolina; Deliberations Expected to Resume Monday in Banfield Murder Trial. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired February 01, 2026 - 16:00   ET

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

BRIAN ABEL, CNN HOST: Trump says he's absolved of any wrongdoing even as questions mount over a list included in the released containing more than a dozen unverified allegations against him. Listen to what President Trump said aboard Air Force One late last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What I was told by some very important people that not only does it absolve me, it's the opposite of what people were hoping. You know, the radical left.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: CNN correspondent Julia Benbrook live at the White House for us.

And Julia, how is the administration responding to this list of unverified tips on Trump that was compiled by the FBI?

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we are hearing from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche about this latest release of documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. This release included more than three million pages of materials, and among those, more than 182,000 photos and videos. Throughout all of these files, there are several mentions of high profile figures, and that is not a surprise. We know that Epstein ran in those circles.

A CNN review found that President Donald Trump was mentioned more than a thousand times in various ways, in different contexts, and Blanche was pressed on this in an interview with CNN's Dana Bash earlier today about some of those mentions. And I just want you to take a listen to that exchange.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR: Among these new files is a list compiled by the FBI just in August of numerous salacious, and to be really clear, unverified allegations about President Trump.

Why did the FBI create this list last year and have all of these claims been investigated by the DOJ? TODD BLANCHE, DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL: So, look, it's not about

President Trump. It's about a ton of people, multiple, multiple, multiple people that that were, quote, "in the Epstein files." And what I think folks will see when they review the materials we released is that there have been hundreds of calls made to the FBI where allegations are made by either anonymous individuals or people who are very quickly determined to not be credible, whether it's the nature of what they're saying or the fact they won't provide any information or corroboration. And that's part of the Epstein files.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENBROOK: And as Dana pointed out there, Trump has denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein, and he has not been accused by law enforcement of involvement in Epstein's crimes.

We are seeing all of these documents after an effort on Capitol Hill, a bipartisan effort that pushed for more transparency there. It was led by Democrat Ro Khanna and Republican Thomas Massie, and ended up with a nearly unanimous vote for the release. Trump did ultimately sign that bill into law after saying that he didn't think it was necessary to release all of these, that this was not necessarily a step that needed to be taken.

But as these files come out, those two lawmakers that I've mentioned, they've said this is a significant step, but they've also said that they still have questions. They have taken issue with some of the deadlines that have been missed, as well as some of the redactions that are in these files. And then also maybe some of the things that should have been redacted, some of the victims' names and questions there.

So they're asking to see the unredacted files. They're asking to have more conversations with Blanche. He has said that he is open to that possibility -- Brian.

ABEL: All right. Julia Benbrook for us at the White House. Julia, thank you.

Now to our breaking news out of Minnesota. Five-year-old Liam Ramos and his father are back in Minneapolis today after being released from an immigration detention center in Texas. Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar posting this picture of the Ecuadorian preschooler and his father, Adrian, as they arrived at the airport in Minneapolis today with Congressman Joaquin Castro, who escorted them from Texas to Minnesota.

The pair, you may remember, were taken into custody during the Trump administration's massive immigration crackdown in Minneapolis. After spending more than a week at a Texas detention center, a federal judge ordered their release as their immigration case moves through the courts. Today, the deputy attorney general says the Justice Department may appeal the judge's ruling.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BLANCHE: The fact that they're here illegally is a crime. And so when you say they don't have criminal records, by their presence being here without status, having come into this country illegally or overstayed illegally, that is a crime. And so we have to be careful. And you're right, there is a schism in the law right now about whether an illegal alien can be held pending their proceeding, or whether they need to be released on bail. We very strongly believe that they should be held.

That is not true. There is a very meaningful dispute about whether they had properly applied for asylum. And again, I cannot get into the specifics of this litigation, but you can read the same briefs I can.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[16:05:04]

ABEL: CNN's Julia Vargas Jones joins us now.

And, Julia, what more are you able to tell us about this homecoming and the judge's blistering order?

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it was a blistering order, Brian, in part, the judge taking issue with part of the way that the federal government has read federal immigration law there. And we heard from the deputy attorney general making it very clear that he believes that that violation of immigration law should be taken as a violation of criminal law, of the criminal code.

In this opinion, the judge from the West Texas goes over not only the Declaration of Independence, citing Thomas Jefferson, and then he goes on to quote the Fourth Amendment, saying, "We the people are hearing echoes of that history." He also says, quote, "observing human behavior about these raids confirms that for some among us, the perfidious lust for unbridled power and the imposition of cruelty in its quest know no bounds and are bereft of human decency and the rule of law be damned."

Very, very strong words there, Brian. I mean, he does say, you know, we do in the United States deport people. And this family may choose to do so even voluntarily. But that that should be conducted in an orderly fashion.

Now, we did hear from an attorney for Liam's family that the family did apply for asylum when they entered the United States in December of 2024, in the state of Texas, that they had been pursuing their claim for asylum by following every established protocol, every step, going to every court hearing, and that they didn't pose a flight or safety risk. Of course, now that being questioned by the deputy attorney general himself, and now we know also that for the past 10, 11 days, the pair had been in the Dilley detention center in Texas.

That's where we see that photo right now of Congressman Joaquin Castro, who visited the two. And of that visit said that during that time, little Liam was asleep for most of it. He was lethargic and depressed. Now, the good news is that we are now hearing from his school that his classmates are very happy that he will be returning to school as well. Very happy to receive Liam in the classroom.

ABEL: No doubt people that are close to that family are relieved, at least for now, as this still moves through the court.

Julia Vargas Jones, appreciate you. Thank you.

Now to the partial federal government shutdown that will likely continue until at least Tuesday, with the House in recess until tomorrow. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is warning Speaker Mike Johnson not to rely on Democrats to fast track a Senate approved funding bill. Every House Democrat is expected to vote against the spending bill as they demand reforms to ICE, and are threatening to prolong the shutdown without them.

CNN's Camila DeChalus joins us now.

And Camila, we heard throughout the week that a deal was close, but there is no deal right now. So bring us up to speed on where things stand.

CAMILA DECHALUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right, Brian. It really does look like at this point in time that a partial government shutdown could potentially last longer than we anticipated, but sources are really telling CNN that there's a lot of conversations happening behind the scenes, and that the House is expected to hold votes to pass the remaining spending bills to end this government shutdown on this upcoming Tuesday.

Now, the real issue here is that House Democrats are not happy with the fact that the Senate passed a remaining spending bill that funded different parts of the government because it included a two-week short-term funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security. And they simply think that that was not the right call to make, especially in light of the recent events in Minneapolis.

Now, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries even went a little bit further. And he told the House Speaker Mike Johnson in a personal call yesterday, and he really making it clear that Democrats will not help Republicans when it comes to passing these remaining spending bills in the House.

Now, here's what Johnson and Jeffries had to say about this in the issue at hand. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KRISTEN WELKER, NBC NEWS ANCHOR: Are you confident that the government will reopen on Monday with Republican votes? Do you have enough Republican support?

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): Well, let's say I'm confident that we'll do it at least by Tuesday. We have a logistical challenge of getting everyone in town. And because of the conversation I had with Hakeem Jeffries, I know that we've got to pass a rule and probably do this mostly on our own. I think that's very unfortunate.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC NEWS ANCHOR: Will the House follow the Senate's lead and vote to keep the government open?

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): Well, it was a meaningful step in the right direction. Certainly the separation of the five bipartisan bills, which, in our view, promote the health, the safety and the economic well-being of the American people need to move forward. And we'll meet later on this afternoon as a caucus to discuss what we believe is the best path.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DECHALUS: Now, as you heard there, Jeffries is saying that a lot of House Democrats are going to talk amongst each other to really talk about the next step forward.

[16:10:05]

But really, this does put Johnson in a tough position because at this point he was really hoping to move these bills forward with Democratic support. But realistically that is not going to happen now. And without that support, he will really need all the support of all of his Republican colleagues. But even that is not guaranteed. Several conservative Republican lawmakers have expressed that they have a lot of problems and issues with some of the provisions in the remaining spending packages. And that could really present a huge problem for Johnson and his efforts to try to end this government shutdown.

Now, the bigger question here, Brian, is that even if this government shutdown lasts, what does this actually mean? And who is being impacted? And we're hearing that the longer this goes on, then that means that more Americans in this country is going to face even greater delays.

ABEL: And we will see how quickly this comes to an end potentially this week, maybe even longer.

Camila DeChalus, appreciate your reporting. Thank you.

Still to come for us, many people in the Carolinas are still feeling the effects from yesterday's bomb cyclone storm. We'll take a look at the conditions in Charlotte as cold temperatures take hold from Minnesota to Florida.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:15:49]

ABEL: North Carolina's Department of Transportation isn't mincing words. After the weekend's bomb cyclone led to dangerous roadways across the region that look like this, the office warned residents, quote, "stay home this morning unless it's an emergency or you are essential personnel." That's it. That's the message. The state saw the highest snow totals in the southeast, with one area getting nearly two feet total.

CNN national correspondent Dianne Gallagher has more. DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the bomb cyclone

may be gone, but the residual effects are going to be felt here in the Carolinas for some time. Just an absolutely record-breaking snowy Saturday. The governor saying that every single one of North Carolina's 100 counties experienced some kind of snowfall. Their big concern right now, well, it's this, right here.

You see, these roads, some of them still have snow pack on them. Others have this slushy mess that's wet. And all of them, the state warns, could potentially refreeze, as we are expecting frigid temperatures over the next few days here.

Now, during the storm, NCDOT said there were far too many people out on the road. They had more than a thousand collisions reported to them. Unfortunately, two people did die. We're talking about incidents on the road during a snowstorm, like a train hitting a semi-truck. Thankfully, nobody was injured and a more than 100 car back up on an interstate that shut it down for hours.

They say the plows are out working the interstates, the main streets, and they will eventually get to all of them. But they warn secondary roads and places like this could look this way for about a week. Some of that is the frigid temperatures, some of that's simply just getting to all the roads they can. In the eastern part of the state, ferry services remain suspended. There are still highways that are shut down, and they warn that it again could be some time for them to get to all of that because they have high winds that the plows simply cannot operate in.

Now, here in Charlotte, again, record-breaking snowfall that so many people were out enjoying 11 inches. That has it tied with an 1880 record for the fourth highest amount of snow ever recorded in this city's history -- Brian.

ABEL: Dianne Gallagher, thank you.

Still to come, jury deliberations continue this week in a double murder case where an IRS agent is accused of killing his wife in an elaborate plot with the family's au pair, who he was having an affair with. When we return, I'll be joined by a criminal defense attorney specializing in murder trials who's been watching this case closely.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:22:53]

ABEL: Today, the Trump administration is doubling down on its decision to indict and arrest independent journalist and former CNN anchor Don Lemon. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche spoke to my colleague Dana Bash earlier about the charges Lemon faces after he documented an anti-ICE protest at a church in Minnesota last month.

Here's a portion of that interview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BASH: Mr. Blanche, I want to go, actually, I went through the entire indictment. All 29 alleged overt acts of conspiracy. And there's a lot to ask you about, but I'm just going to pick a few here. OK. Starting with Overt Act number 20, which says, quote, "defendant Lemon told his livestream audience about congregants leaving the church and about a young man who Lemon could see was frightened, scared and crying. And Lemon observed that the congregants' reactions were understandable because the experience was traumatic and uncomfortable, which he said was the purpose."

Overt Act 21 says, quote, "As the operation continued, defendant Lemon acknowledged the nature of it by expressing surprise that the police hadn't yet arrived at the church and admitted knowing that the whole point of the operation was to disrupt."

Why wouldn't a jury at trial see this as a journalist observing what is happening, which is protected by the First Amendment?

BLANCHE: Well, you conveniently left out multiple allegations in that indictment about what else Mr. Lemon did, including surreptitiously avoiding saying where they were going, being part of the planning, being part of the decisions to make sure the police didn't know this was happening and federal law enforcement didn't know this was happening. There are multiple allegations there.

And guess what? He gets to have a lawyer and he gets to have a defense.

BASH: Yes.

BLANCHE: And so if he wants to go forward with the defense that aw shucks, I was just a journalist, he can do that. But obviously, as the indictment lays out in which you didn't read on the air, there's a lot of things that Mr. Lemon did --

BASH: Yes. But let's --

BLANCHE: -- that you would never do as a journalist. You would never do that.

BASH: OK.

BLANCHE: Let's be honest.

BASH: This is not -- this is not about me. This is about what happened. And this is about kind of the rules of the road.

BLANCHE: If you watch what Mr. Lemon did. OK. And I do not want to have a trial right here. It's not fair to him.

[16:25:03]

But I will say that he -- if you watch the publicly available live streaming that he engaged in, the comments that he made, I mean, that's what it matters, right? It matters like how do we balance the face act. How do we balance freedom of religion, the right of people to worship on a Sunday morning? OK. And the freedom of the press. And it's a balance that we have to engage in. I agree with you.

But my point to you is that I promise you that neither you nor your colleagues can honestly, with a straight face, if you watch everything that he did the day before with the planning and the day of with what happened when -- the comments he made while the kids were crying and screaming and racing away, while the parents were looking for their children upstairs.

BASH: But he doesn't have --

BLANCHE: While they were just trying to have a church service.

BASH: OK, bottom line question for you is --

BLANCHE: And so --

BASH: Is this -- was this really about what you just described, or was it about trying to make an example out of somebody who the president has sparred with?

BLANCHE: I don't even know that the president has even ever thought of Don Lemon. I don't know whether that's true or not, but I will tell you, we're not making examples of people. The day after that happened, the attorney general flew to Minneapolis. She was there for three days. What we saw, there is no scenario under which the American people are comfortable or think that that was right.

BASH: OK.

BLANCHE: I'm sorry. So no, this is not about making an example. It's about justice.

BASH: Mr. Blanche, I want to move on. I want to move on. But the White House on the official Twitter handle celebrated his arrest with the social media and a chain emoji. And it's -- so it's pretty clear that they're very well aware in the White House of this.

I want to ask about Georgia because this week --

BLANCHE: No, I didn't say they weren't aware. Wait, wait, wait, wait. wait. Hold on one second. I didn't say they weren't aware.

BASH: And they were celebrating it. That was afterwards.

BLANCHE: I didn't say aware. You said that -- no, no. You said that President Trump had some vendetta or something against Mr. Lemon. I said I don't know whether he even ever thought of Mr. Lemon. I have no idea. You're right there was --

BASH: He -- just yesterday he called him a sleazebag.

BLANCHE: -- a tweet that went out.

BASH: Just so you know, he called him a sleazebag just yesterday.

BLANCHE: After his arrest. After his arrest. BASH: OK. Just -- he said a lot of things before that, and it's

mutual.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: Now Lemon says he was covering the protests as a journalist and will vigorously fight the charges against him. His next court appearance is scheduled for next week in Minneapolis.

Deliberations are expected to resume tomorrow in the double murder trial of Brendan Banfield. He's accused of plotting with his family's au pair, who he was having an affair with to kill his wife Christine, and another man, Joseph Ryan.

Now, prosecutors say Brendan Banfield stabbed his wife and shot Ryan, who he was trying to frame for the murder. The defense argues he killed Ryan in self-defense after he caught him stabbing his wife.

Let's get more on this case with Elyse Hershon, who is a Boston criminal defense attorney.

Let's start with the jury, Elyse. They didn't get the case until midday Friday. In your estimation, how long do you expect this will take before we can get a verdict?

ELYSE HERSHON, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Good afternoon. Thanks for having me on your show. I expect this to take a while. This case essentially was all about, it was a battle of the experts. So each side called investigators, each side called blood spatter experts, each side called DNA experts, digital forensics experts who dumps laptops and phones and finds out who sends messages where?

There were over 400 exhibits. So the jury gets all of those exhibits back in the jury room, they go, I mean, probably Friday. They were just doing some organization. They're going to have to sit down and figure out who they believe. The au pair, who already pled guilty to killing this man, that they are accused of luring into the house off of a sex Web site. That's really kind of the shocking piece of this trial.

And she's accused of collaborating or in a joint venture with the husband, Brendan Banfield. Brendan Banfield is on trial. The au pair is not on trial because she cut a deal with the government to testify against him. I don't know if she came across as credible. She had a motive to lie. She was overstaying her visa and she also was -- she got a get out of jail free card. She gets a free walk from this, and all she has to do is testify against Brendan Banfield.

And there's letters that she wrote to her mother that says all I got to do is pin it on him now. So there's a lot for the jury to think about.

ABEL: OK, so prosecutors are basically saying that Banfield committed the murders because he was in love with the au pair and wanted to get rid of his wife. Do you believe the prosecution made that case as far as you are concerned? HERSHON: I think it's a possibility. But we have to remember beyond a

reasonable doubt is the prosecutor's burden in every criminal trial and beyond a reasonable doubt means there cannot be any other reasonable theory or possible theory as to what happened here.

Now, Brendan Banfield testified in his own trial. That is highly unusual in a murder case. Never mind a double murder case. He admitted to the affair. He admitted not so much that he was in love with the au pair

[16:30:00]

he said they had a relationship, but they were only together six to eight weeks before the au pair had testified that they concocted this elaborate plan to create a fake account in the wife's name. Lure somebody very specific off of a sex-fetish Website. Tell him to show up with knives and restraints. Act like he's stabbing him. And then, they would come in as heroes. That was her testimony.

And he said, no way. I didn't know anything about a plan. I was told by the au pair that there was some strange guy in the house. I came in and I shot him. And he had already stabbed my wife.

That's a viable theory. And because we have multiple theories here, I think that's the definition of reasonable doubt. It's whether the jury can get past these horrific deaths and getting past someone having to pay for them.

BRIAN ABEL, CNN ANCHOR: Well, and you maybe just answered it there. The defense argued the au pair made it up so she could get a deal from prosecutors. Did the defense convince jurors of that version of events successfully, create that reasonable doubt?

HERSHON: I think the defense did a really good job at really hammering in the cracks and sort of peeling those open and making the cracks wider.

There were some other strange things that really took away from the prosecutor's case and makes you doubt the investigation as a whole. Four members of the homicide team that worked on this Banfield investigation were either transferred, forced, or told to retire or left the police force altogether. Now, this was within a month or within a couple of weeks. They case -- a commander came in and started cleaning house after the au pair cut her deal for a free walk.

Let's also not forget that at the time that she was negotiating with the government, she was also negotiating with multiple news outlets, Netflix, Hulu, who were sending her money into the jail. Paying for her commissary. Paying for her to communicate with her family. Paying for her food. In exchange for her story.

So, it was in her interest, right, financially and also for her freedom to walk, to pin everything on Brendan Banfield. But I think he was pretty convincing on the stand that he did not plan this.

The au pair could have done it on her own, or the wife could have really been having an affair with this man. And because those two theories are also on the table, I don't think the prosecutor proved this beyond a reasonable doubt.

But if the jury dislikes him and dislikes the au pair, he could get convicted because of that.

ABEL: And we always know it's a risk when the defendant takes the stand. Elise Hershon appreciate your expertise. Thank you.

HERSHON: Thank you.

ABEL: It is being called one of the biggest upsets ever. In a Texas stunner last night, Democrats flipped a reliably red district in the state senate that President Trump won by double digits less than two years ago. Labor leader and veteran Taylor Rehmet beat Trump-endorsed Republican Lee Wambsganss by 14 points.

Now, earlier today, Trump, who urged voters on social media to vote for Wambsganss, tried to distance himself from the loss, telling reporters he wasn't involved.

Still to come, betting in America, it's exploded in popularity in recent years. All it takes a smartphone and then you can just place a bet in seconds. Up next, I'll talk to a sports gambling expert about how sports leagues have embraced gambling and the problems that have followed.

[16:33:23]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ABEL: It was a high stakes' battle in the men's final at the Australian Open. Two greats, two different eras, but only one historic outcome. At 22 years old, Carlos Alcaraz became the youngest man ever to complete a career grand slam.

His defeat of Novak Djokovic add the Australian Open title to his trophy cabinet in a stunning men's final. Alcaraz now joins an exclusive club with just five other men, winning all four of tennis's grand slams, the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in the open era.

The Super Bowl, next weekend. And as fans get ready to place their bets, experts are warning of the dangers of gambling addiction. As legalized sports betting grows in popularity, some young men say it's destroying their financial lives and their bond with the games they love.

So, let's talk more about this with Danny Funt, author of "Everybody Loses the Tumultuous Rise of American Sports Gambling."

Danny, in your book, you write about how gambling changes the way people see themselves. How do you think sports betting affects the identity of young men who are already tying their self-worth with competition and winning? DANNY FUNT, AUTHOR, "EVERYBODY LOSES" (VIA Webex): In such a short amount of time, for a lot of Americans, gambling has become the default way of engaging with sports. You know, there's always been people who bet under the table, you know, through a bookie or what have you.

The advertising, the embrace of the leagues in such an enthusiastic way, the nonstop references during games to gambling. All of it just makes so many people not think twice before betting, not just on the Super Bowl, but on every game they're watching. And that has such profound effects for sports and for fans.

ABEL: There's a new CNN article that's out today that details just how addicting gambling is. Several men said they didn't realize they were addicts until they were financially ruined. Why is gambling addiction so hard to recognize in real time, compared to some other addictions like drugs or alcohol?

[16:40:05]

FUNT: Believe it or not, for one thing, a lot of people betting on sports don't think of it as gambling. I think this is a very deliberate strategy of the industries to avoid the G word, as some people at those companies said they refer to it inside their offices.

People think of it as investing or a side hustle. So, that can make you a little slow to react to a developing problem. The other side of it is that it's an invisible addiction. So, you know, you don't smell gambling on someone's breath. You don't see marks on their arms where they're shooting up. I spoke with people who were betting day and night and even their spouses had no idea for years before they admitted they had a gambling addiction.

So, the addiction rate is surging as is the rate of many more people who just have a problematic relationship with gambling. They admit they find they're overdoing it. They're getting in over their heads.

And people in the industry told me for my book, they worry that they're egging on customers a little too aggressively.

ABEL: OK. Many of the men, interviewed by CNN for the article that we were talking about, said they had to give up sports just to stop gambling. If betting is now baked into sports culture is a healthy, bet-free relationship with sports still even possible?

FUNT: Oh, yes. But, you know, that's such a sad reality for people that they have to just turn off the game or the temptation is too great to gamble. It also makes me think about people who say they can't watch sports anymore unless they have a bet on the line. I used to hear that from people in recovery for gambling addictions.

Now, I think that's much more mainstream. People are so used to the rush of skin in the game and the sweat, as the industry calls it, that the idea of just watching a game for the game's sake bores a lot of people. And people in the leagues are worried about that. You know, they embraced it so aggressively because they said to make a lot of money in the short term. But if fans change how they think about sports to that extent, that could have real long-term consequences.

ABEL: The last thing I want to ask you here, because there are so many betting platforms now and on apps in your -- on your mobile phone, that's so easy. Where does personal responsibility end and corporate responsibility begin for gambling addiction?

FUNT: It certainly goes both ways. And people in recovery say, if I don't think I have some willpower, it makes it really hard for me to get better.

At the same time, I just found it so alarming to hear people in these companies tell me they feel like they're failing to meet their end of the bargain. Like they are preying on vulnerable people. Taking advantage of customers of all sorts. That this idea that legalization would create a fair matchup between sports books and customers isn't the reality.

And to hear that from people in the industry, not just people with gambling addictions or health advocates, that set off alarm bells for me and it seems like for readers in my book.

ABEL: All right, Danny Funt, appreciate you being with us and your expertise. Thank you.

FUNT: Thank you.

ABEL: Coming up next in the CNN NEWSROOM, we'll go live to the Red Carpet ahead of tonight's Grammy awards show. That's expected to be a politically charged event.

[16:43:35]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ABEL: Music's biggest night returns to honor the year's most incredible performances. The 68th Grammy Awards just hours away now.

Let's go to CNNs Stephanie Elam on the Red Carpet. And, Stephanie, in the last hour, you told us there could be some pyrotechnics. Are there any other behind-the-scenes moments you're able to share with us?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I don't know if anything is as good as that. I do know that we're probably going to get some surprise performances. We almost always do with the Grammy's. That's one of the things that we love about it.

What we do know, though, is that there was some begging involved for this year's show. Take a look at this and you'll know what I'm talking about.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to know --

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELAM (voice-over): From Sabrina Carpenter --

PHARRELL WILLIAMS, MUSICIAN: Because I'm happy. Clap along if you feel like --

ELAM: -- to Pharrell Williams this year, the Grammy's is known to be one big concert. It's also known for artists speaking their minds. In the wake of the shootings in Minneapolis, nominee Billie Eilish has called for celebs to speak out against the agency, getting into a war of words with the Department of Homeland Security. Recording academy chief, Harvey Mason Jr., says artists are, by definition, vocal.

HARVEY MASON JR., CEO, RECORDING ACADEMY: Musicians, we're communicators. We're storytellers. Maybe some people will choose to speak out about it, but you're definitely going to feel it in the music.

ELAM: Guiding the show will be comedian Trevor Noah, who almost didn't return for his sixth year.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I sent him a video just before Christmas. And I was on my knees, literally. I sort of begged him and I said, look at this lineup. Come and do one last one. And, luckily, he texted back, going, fine. I'm in. Can't wait.

ELAM: Winston expects 25 artists on stage for around a dozen performances, all intricately choreographed by a small army backstage.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Doing the Grammy awards is like running towards the edge of a cliff. And then, you just hope and pray that you've worked hard enough in the run that the parachute opens. But you also know there's that risk that you could also just run off the cliff and smash your face.

[16:50:02]

ELAM: Going for Grammy Gold are nominees like Bad Bunny, a week before he headlines the Super Bowl halftime show, as well as Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and Chappell Roan.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This world.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't lie --

ELAM: Kendrick Lamar, however, showing that this world just might be his, as he leads them all with nine nominations. The Grammy's also working to shed criticism that they are out of touch.

MASON: I was a musician, as you know, and a member of the Grammy organization, so I had a unique vantage point to understand what needed to change.

ELAM: Of nearly 4,000 new members added this year to its voting body, half are under 40 and more than half are people of color.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's the Grammy's, baby. Welcome, everybody. Welcome.

ELAM: This will be the final year for the Grammy's on CBS. After 50 years, the ceremony moves to ABC.

MASON: ABC, Disney is going to give us some different opportunities, different reach. And, of course, the streaming, the global. Thankful for CBS but also very excited for our next deal.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ELAM (live): Now, let me tell you about the Grammy's Red Carpet. It is one of the longest, as far as time goes, because there's just so many different artists that are making their way through so many different categories.

I want to give you a little show here. Because since we are out here, you can see just how packed it's getting now. Artists are stopping. Making their way. Doing interviews. Making their way through here. I mean, obviously, you've got to see people have brought their outfits out here as well. There are some styles out here. Lots of color. Lots of creativity, as you would expect, Brian, out here.

But, obviously, that energy is ramping up as we get closer and closer to the start of the actual show. Although, some Grammy's have already been awarded. So, we know that there are some that happen before the broadcast, and those are happening now before we actually get to the big ones, which, of course, are, like, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year and Best New Artist. Those are the big ones that everyone waits to see from the Grammy's -- Brian.

ABEL: All right, Stephanie, first, you look lovely. Second, are there any other wardrobes out there on the Red Carpet that everybody is going to be talking about tomorrow?

ELAM: I did see a woman who had on a skirt that was made completely of balloons that were not inflated. They were just balloons.

But you know what? It's early in the night right now. I can tell you -- look at that. That's one of the gentlemen from Pentatonix right there. And he is in shiny pink. He looks beautiful.

So, you know, there are outfits that are going to continue to come. The closer we get to showtime, the more creative the costumes, the wardrobes get. As we get closer to showtime. That I know from experience beforehand.

But you definitely see people taking the time out. There's lots of sequins. Lots of sparkles. Lots of crystals.

ABEL: And we will see if any of the outfits get political, in nature, as well. Stephanie Elam for us on the Red Carpet of the Grammy's. Stephanie, thank you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Forty-ninth. Oh, my God, there's a new record. Oh, my gosh.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: That there, 16-year-old Sam Ruthe just set a world record for the fastest mile run by an under-18 athlete. The New Zealander crossed the finish line at a race in Boston yesterday in just over three minutes and 48 seconds.

Now, he traveled 50 hours with his family to compete against professionals at the invitational. And just after the race, Ruth told reporters, there's definitely more in the tank. I've got three more races and could probably go a bit faster. Well, impressive, nonetheless, already.

Thank you for joining me today. I'm Brian Abel. NEWSROOM with Jessica Dean is up next.

But, before we go, there's some good news about a good dog that we want to share with you. A police K-9 helped find a boy with special needs who went missing during the height of the snowstorm in North Carolina this weekend. The Gastonia Police Department says K-9 Bo here, who you see covered in snow, and his handler, Sergeant Roland, were called in to assist in the search for the 13 year old, who left home on foot without proper clothing. And was at serious risk, due to the dangerously cold and snowy conditions.

Now, Bo was given a scent article and began tracking while multiple agencies established a perimeter. And we're happy to say that police said the boy was found cold but unharmed.

And that leads us to this. They may not be heroes, but they are still special to us. Here are some of our favorite dogs and one cat enjoying this weekend's snow.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What are you doing?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Holly (?).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sorry, (INAUDIBLE.)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Chloe (?).

[16:55:30]

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