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Congress Seeks to Reopen Government, Expects to Vote on the Federal Funding Bill; Italy's Famous Trevi Fountain Begins Charging an Entry Fee to Visitors. Aired 3-3:45a ET
Aired February 03, 2026 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[03:00:00]
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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church, Just ahead.
Russia resumes airstrikes on Ukraine, including in the capital, the attacks damaging residential buildings and even a kindergarten.
The fallout from the Epstein files is now rippling globally. What the U.S. Justice Department is saying about whether there could be new charges.
And how Rome is trying to tackle over tourism one wish at a time.
UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Rosemary Church.
CHURCH: Good to have you with us.
And we begin this hour in Ukraine, where Russia resumed missile and drone strikes on major cities across the country overnight. CNN staff report hearing strong explosions in the capital city of Kyiv. Other regions were also reportedly struck, including Kharkiv, Sumy, Odessa and Dnipro.
Officials say primary targets were residential and energy infrastructure. Authorities in Kyiv are reporting damage to a number of dwellings, commercial sites and a kindergarten. Some Kyiv residents sought shelter underground in the city's metro stations during the attack. The country continues to cope with extreme winter cold in face of energy infrastructure that's been crippled by targeted Russian strikes.
Now, this latest missile barrage marks the end of a brief pause in attacks. The Kremlin agreed to at the request of U.S. President Donald Trump. That agreement was reached just last week following the last round of trilateral peace talks.
The Kremlin confirmed the next round of talks between the U.S., Russia and Ukraine will take place in Abu Dhabi this week. A Kremlin spokesperson said there was, quote, "no clarity on whether Moscow and Kyiv were approaching a peace deal, but that some common ground could be found."
And Donald Trump struck an optimistic tone when speaking to reporters about the talks on Monday.
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DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: We settled eight wars and I think we're going to, I think we're doing very well with Ukraine and Russia. For the first time, I'm saying that we're doing, I think we're going to maybe have some good news.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: In a post on X, President Zelenskyy said Ukraine is ready for substantive talks that will bring an end to the war.
Well, last week's release of more than three million pages of material from the Epstein files is raising more questions about other people connected to the late sex offender and new criticism of the Justice Department for errors in their release.
The "New York Times" reports the DOJ published dozens of unredacted nude photos as part of the latest batch. One victim was quoted as saying that the news of that imagery being public was extremely disturbing. The Times now reports, quote, "officials have largely removed or redacted the images that the Times flagged for them."
Reopening those old wounds comes as the deputy attorney general says the DOJ does not expect to charge anyone else in connection with the Epstein investigation. He says the evidence has failed to meet standards for prosecution and told Fox News this.
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TODD BLANCHE, U.S. DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL: As you know, it is not a crime to party with Mr. Epstein. And so as horrible as it is not a crime to email with Mr. Epstein and then some of these men may have done horrible things. And if we have evidence that allows us to prosecute them, you better believe we will.
But it's also the kind of thing that the American people need to understand that it isn't a crime to party with Mr. Epstein.
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CHURCH: President Trump initially resisted releasing the files, and now he says the Justice Department needs to move on. I have nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein.
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TRUMP: And in fact, if you look at the DOJ, they announced, you know, they released three million pages. It's like this is all they're supposed to be doing. And frankly, the DOJ, I think, should just say we have other things to do because that whole thing has turned out. I mean, other than Bill Clinton and, you know, Bill Gates and lots of
people that have. There are a lot of questions about it, but nothing on me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Survivors are outraged after learning that some of their names were exposed in the latest release, and they claim their alleged abusers remain hidden due to flawed redactions.
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JESS MICHAELS, EPSTEIN SURVIVOR: This is a victim statement. The only thing that was supposed to be redacted was her name. So this is clearly, clearly protecting someone, something, many things.
And so to say to stand on that podium and say, well, you know, there's no names here and to hear for months now there's nothing in this, there's no reason, but then there should be no reason to have a black page. If there's nothing there, then what are you redacting?
MARINA LACERDA, EPSTEIN SURVIVOR: Is the DOJ going to step up and investigate this? Because these are serious allegations. And if we can't turn to the government to help us and the DOJ, then who will?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: And we have this just in to CNN. Our Eleni Giokos has just had a chance to ask a member of the British Royal family about the Epstein files. Here's what Prince Edward had to say.
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PRINCE EDWARD, GREAT BRITAIN: It's all really important always to remember the victims. And who are the victims in all this?
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely.
PRINCE EDWARD: A lot of victims in this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: And it looks like there will be more consequences to come in the U.K. from these latest Epstein disclosures. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is urging the former Prince Andrew to testify before Congress. He appears to be shown in photos like these in the latest release of files, in addition to previous claims of abuse in connection to Epstein.
The former prince has repeatedly denied all allegations of wrongdoing and said he never witnessed or suspected any of the behavior that Epstein was accused of.
Meanwhile, Peter Mandelson has resigned from the Labor Party after being mentioned in the latest files. Mandelson was the U.K. ambassador to Washington, but was fired last year due to his ties to Epstein. He's now facing calls from Starmer and others to retire from the House of Lords.
Well more on the latest Epstein files release from CNN's Tom Foreman.
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TRUMP: I didn't see it myself, but I was told by some very important people that not only does it absolve me, it's the opposite of what people were hoping.
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The newly released documents do contain a list compiled last year by the FBI of unproven allegations that President Donald Trump committed sexual assault, including one woman saying he raped her when she was just 13. That same woman sued Trump in 2016 over the claims, but dropped the lawsuit shortly after bringing them.
In another section, one of Jeffrey Epstein's victims says Ghislaine Maxwell presented her to Trump at a party. When asked about this, the White House points to a Justice Department statement that the files may include, quote, "fake or false submitted images, documents or videos." And Trump has always denied such allegations.
TODD BLANCHE, U.S. DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL: In July, the Department of Justice said that we had reviewed the files, the quote "Epstein files," and there was nothing in there that allowed us to prosecute anybody.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Still, the files have put a number of high profile people in an unwanted spotlight. A series of photos appears to show former British Prince Andrew kneeling by a woman or girl on the floor. There is no context and CNN's requests for comment were not immediately answered.
Billionaire Elon Musk has previously said he refused an invitation to Epstein's island. The documents suggest he wanted to be there for the wildest party. After the release, Musk posted, "I have never been to any Epstein parties ever and have many times called for the prosecution of those who have committed crimes with Epstein."
Howard Lutnik, Trump's secretary of commerce, said he and his wife decided to cut ties with Epstein two decades ago.
HOWARD LUTNIK, U.S. COMMERCE SECRETARY: My wife and I decided that I will never be in the room with that disgusting person ever again.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Yet the documents point to at least a couple of attempts to socialize with Epstein after that. The Commerce Department says Secretary Lutnik had limited interactions with Mr. Epstein in the presence of his wife and has never been accused of wrongdoing.
Another one-time top Trump advisor Steve Bannon appears in the files, at times mocking the president. And the famous names go on, though notably many show no links to any potential illegality. Dinner invitations for Woody Allen, Martha Stewart and Katie Couric,
who said here, I know you're not a foodie, but the lasagna was rocking.
Billionaire Richard Branson, New York Giants owner Steve Tisch are mentioned. And so is Brett Ratner, seen in a photo on a sofa with Epstein and some young women. He's the director of that new Melania Trump film.
The new release brought at least one fresh controversy too.
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The "New York Times" raised the possibility that the Justice Department had released nearly 40 unredacted images showing both nude bodies and the faces of the people portrayed, noting the people in the photos appeared to be young.
FOREMAN: Soon after informing the Justice Department of this, the Times said officials have largely removed or redacted the images. And the DOJ says it's working around the clock to address any victim concerns and additional redactions, which raises a subject many skeptics still want better explained.
What exactly were the Department of Justice rules for all of these redactions specifically? And could there be other information the public ought to know hiding behind those redactions or in the documents we haven't yet been able to sift through?
Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.
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CHURCH: The second government shutdown of President Trump's second term could soon draw to a close. House Republicans are signaling that they now have the votes to pass the bipartisan spending plan.
And a vote is expected in the hours ahead. That's after President Trump pressured some of the conservative holdouts to get in line with the rest of the party to end the partial shutdown. House Democrats are expected to vote against fast tracking the deal.
The Republican House majority is razor thin and they can only afford to lose one Republican vote whenever this bill hits the floor. Much of the debate has been focused on funding for the Department of Homeland Security and its controversial ICE agents. The current spending plan only gives them two weeks of funding while lawmakers debate reforms.
Well meanwhile, some House Republicans have been warning their conservative colleagues against breaking ranks by voting against the bill to end the shutdown.
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REP. DON BACON (R-NE): That means you're voting with the Democrats on this. This is a good bill for our defense. If all the other measures we have on there and they're bipartisan, not even overwhelmingly bipartisan bills that have been hashed out.
Tom Cole has done a great job on this and we should get it done.
REP. MARIO DIAZ-BALART (R-FL): Voting against the rule is just absurd. It really is. I mean, and we all have, you know, for things that not for anything that's in the bill, things that may not be in the bill that they want.
You know, that's detrimental. When you're voting against a rule, you're just basically giving handing the floor over to the minority party.
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CHURCH: Republican sources say they expect President Trump's sales pitch to be successful since few members are willing to defy him on a direct ask.
Well, the leaders of the U.S. and Colombia may be putting their bitter feud behind them. After a year of insults, threats, tariffs and sanctions, President Trump will host Colombian President Gustavo Petro at the White House later today. The meeting at Trump's invitation is crucial for Petro. He wants to convince the U.S. that his country is combating drug trafficking in the wake of the U.S. military operation in Venezuela, Petro is also aiming to have U.S. sanctions against him overturned.
Well still to come, the Rafah border crossing has reopened in Gaza for the first time in nearly two years. But there are multiple conditions in place. Those details and more just ahead.
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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone.
Well, top U.S. and Iranian officials are planning to meet in Turkey on Friday. Sources tell CNN that Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Istanbul. And Iran's President confirms Taiwan is pursuing, quote, "fair and equitable negotiations with the U.S."
President Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and officials from Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Pakistan are also expected to attend. This comes as regional allies scramble to find a diplomatic off-ramp to avert U.S. military action against Iran.
Now, before Steve Witkoff meets Iranian officials, he is expected to visit Israel. An Israeli source tells CNN that Witkoff is expected to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the coming hours.
And this comes just one day after the Rafah crossing partially reopened after nearly two years. It's the main border crossing between Gaza and Egypt and critical for the delivery of humanitarian aid. But last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there would be no passage of aid or commercial goods.
For now, only 50 people will be able to cross in each direction per day, that is according to Egyptian state media.
CNN's Nic Robertson takes a closer look now at what this means for Palestinians in Gaza.
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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): For a lucky few of Gaza's war-wounded, a day they've dreamed of, boarding buses in Gaza to take them to treatment in Egypt. Farid Khaled Al Qassas hoping he'd make it across.
We want proper, lasting treatment, he says. We are people who want life and love peace.
The once-bustling Rafah border post closed by Israel 20 months ago and still controlled by them, opening for the first time. According to Gaza's Ministry of Health, an estimated 20,000 Gazans need medical treatment outside of the war-torn enclave.
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Ibrahim al-Battan is war-wounded and needs dialysis, is hoping to get out soon too.
There used to be a hospital in the north, another in the city center, all of them destroyed, he says. I came out of intensive care two days ago. There's no treatment at all. So what am I supposed to do?
On the Egyptian side, more hopefuls. Gazans who fled the war, desperate to go home, facing Egyptian, then E.U. and then IDF controls before they're free to reunite with loved ones. Omar Zarib left with a sick relative last year and is desperate to go back.
I own a piece of land, he says. But when the war began, it was too dangerous to work there. And now I struggle for regular contact with relatives.
Israeli officials said the border could only reopen once the remains of the last hostage was returned, that was a week ago. But Rafah is far from back to pre-war business as usual.
No trucks crossing. And for now, only a few dozen carefully vetted Gazans able to do so.
Nic Robertson, CNN, Jerusalem.
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CHURCH: Joining me now is Paul Salem, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute. He comes to us from Beirut in Lebanon. I appreciate you talking with us. PAUL SALEM, SR. FELLOW, MIDDLE EAST INSTITUTE: Thank you for having me
on.
CHURCH: So why did it take this long to reopen the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt? And why will it be restricted to only 50 Palestinians being allowed into Egypt from the war-torn enclave?
SALEM: Well, I mean, this is all going back to the 20-point peace plan that was announced back in October by President Trump. The peace plan had all of these points in it, but it wasn't very clear what the exact sequencing would be. And there are different parties to this conflict that have different interests.
On the Israeli side, they still want Hamas to disarm, obviously, and they still want to put intense pressure on Gaza and Gazans in order to put Hamas in that difficult position. Hamas so far has refused to disarm, making also this process much slower. On the Egyptian side, they fear that maybe Israel wants most of the Gazans to leave Gaza and come to Egypt and sort of empty the Gaza Strip so Egypt is being strict as well.
I would say the player that is trying to move this forward, interestingly, I give him credit, is President Trump and the Board of Peace that was announced in Davos just last week. I think Trump and the Americans, as well as a number of regional actors, are trying to move this more quickly forward. But this is a significant step, but it's a very tiny one.
CHURCH: Yes, indeed, because the full reopening of the Rafah crossing was supposed to be part of the first phase of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement that went into effect in mid-October. But Israel refused to open the crossing until the return of all of the living and deceased hostages.
Now, that happened last week with the return of the last deceased hostage, Ran Gvili. So when will humanitarian aid likely be allowed through the critical Rafah border crossing? Because it sounds like, from what the Prime Minister of Israel is saying, he's not going to let that happen.
SALEM: Well, I think, you know, the Americans are important players in this, and President Trump is an important player. I would keep that in mind.
There has been the formation also of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, headed by Dr. Ali Shaaf. That group of 15 technocrats, Palestinian technocrats, all from Gaza, are currently meeting and preparing in Egypt.
They are scheduled to move into the Gaza Strip next week. So one would hope and I guess expect that this, you know, first opening, maybe then will be followed with more broader openings as the administrative structure backed by the Board of Peace and President Trump, you know, comes into formation.
But one element that really has not made much progress is the International Stabilization Force. That's also supposed to go in. We still haven't seen much movement on that.
CHURCH: And as you mentioned, the U.S. announced the start of the second phase of its ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas two weeks ago, when President Donald Trump officially launched his Board of Peace in Davos. So what happens next with phase two of this, excuse me, of this U.S.-brokered plan?
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SALEM: Well, what happens next, one is what I mentioned, that the naming, they have been named, but then the arrival of the Technocratic Palestinian Committee. This is a committee that reports effectively to the Board of Peace. It's not part of the Palestinian Authority, which is in the West Bank.
But many of the figures on this Technocratic Committee are close to or, you know, related to the Palestinian Authority. The other very important element is the naming and formation of the International Stabilization Force of either peacekeeping or, you know, peacemaking troops from the region, largely. This could be troops from the UAE or Qatar or Saudi Arabia or Turkey or others.
But really, it's only Turkey that's come up clearly and said that they would be willing to send troops. And Israel has said about Turkey that absolutely not Turkish troops. So there needs to be progress there.
Jared Kushner did announce in Davos during the launching of the Board of Peace, you know, the outlines of a flashy reconstruction plan. But certainly this committee that gets into Gaza, its priorities are, you know, to begin getting back some electricity, some services, some health, trying to open more crossings, whether from Egypt or Israel, to get more humanitarian aid in, and then to begin thinking of a plan for reconstruction.
That's going to take a lot of heavy lifting, I think, from the U.S. administration to push Israelis on one side and through friends and, you know, people who have relations with Hamas in the region to push Hamas as well, to make this process move forward.
But it's going to be a long process and I would like to say, keep in mind, there are 2 million people trapped in Gaza, utterly devastated conditions, obviously many dead and wounded, no real infrastructure, in the middle of a bitter winter. Things are simply horrific and we have to think of those people, you know, beyond the politics of it all.
CHURCH: Indeed. Paul Salem in Beirut, many thanks for joining us. I appreciate it.
SALEM: Thank you.
CHURCH: Well, another world leader visits Beijing. This time it's Uruguay's president. More details on the trip just ahead.
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CHURCH: Welcome back to "CNN Newsroom," I'm Rosemary Church. I want to check today's top stories for you.
Russia resumed missile and drone strikes on major cities across the country overnight, that's across Ukraine. Authorities say energy infrastructure and residences were the primary targets, leaving thousands without power and heat as winter temperatures plummet. This latest barrage marks the end of a brief pause in attacks the Kremlin agreed to at the request of U.S. President Trump just last week.
Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, has meshed with the new U.S. envoy for the first time. Rodriguez hosted Laura Dogu at Venezuela's presidential palace in Caracas on Monday. Dogu's visit marks the first significant public step toward restoring relations with Venezuela after U.S. Special Forces captured former President Nicolas Maduro last month.
Congress is on the cusp of ending the partial government shutdown after a fierce lobbying push by President Trump and Republican leaders. Key House conservatives now appear ready to support the bipartisan spending bill that's already cleared the Senate. But Republicans can only afford to lose one vote from their own ranks if all Democrats oppose the bill.
Uruguay's President Yamandu Orsi is now in Beijing where he is meeting with top Chinese officials, and that includes President Xi Jinping. The meeting follows a number of visits to China by Western leaders in recent weeks. CNN's Kristie Lu Stout has more now from Hong Kong.
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KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Beijing is the hot new destination for U.S. allies, including the president of Uruguay, who is in China for a state visit. And this comes on the back of U.S. President Donald Trump's dizzying foreign policy and heavy tariffs on American allies.
Now the president of Uruguay, Yamandu Orsi, he arrived in China on Sunday. He is the first Latin American leader to visit China this year and after the U.S. raid in Venezuela. Orsi is in Beijing to boost trade and investment opportunities with the Chinese.
And he is not alone, a veritable parade of U.S. allies, including some of America's closest partners, have visited China in recent months. Last month, leaders of the U.K., Finland and Canada went to China.
In December, the French president paid a visit. And later this month, the German chancellor is set to arrive.
Now visiting leaders have praised relations with China as key to stability and their own national security. And they're also overlooking issues that may have given them pause in the past, issues like overcapacity, like Chinese security overreach or China's human rights record. So why are we seeing this shift?
Now, a lot of it has to do with how the United States has changed under Trump. Steve Tsang of the China Institute of SOA says this, quote, mistrust of China remains deep, particularly over Chinese support for Russian war efforts in Ukraine. But European states cannot ignore China, particularly when the U.S. is going rogue from their perspective, unquote.
[03:35:08]
And how is Beijing viewing this trend? Well, it's claiming it as a diplomatic win and confirmation that a so-called New World Order is taking shape.
According to the state-run Global Times, quote, "it's less about these countries choosing China and more about them choosing to follow the trend of the times," unquote. And ahead of the trend, Trump has already planned a trip to China in April.
Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Still to come, make a wish for a price. Why Rome is now charging visitors who want to toss their coins into the city's famous Trevi Fountain.
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CHURCH: Welcome back to "CNN Newsroom." Let's check the business headlines now.
President Trump says the U.S. has reached a new trade deal with India. As part of the agreement, the U.S. will reduce tariffs on Indian goods in exchange for India's promise to stop buying Russian oil. According to Trump, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has agreed to reduce India's tariffs on U.S. goods to zero and remove unspecified non-tariff barriers.
The partial U.S. government shutdown is causing a delay in critical economic data. The Bureau of Labor Statistics won't be able to release the January jobs report and other labor market data this week as planned. The release of those reports will be rescheduled once funding is restored.
Elon Musk is merging two of his most ambitious companies, SpaceX and X A.I. Together, they will form what's being described as the most valuable private company in the world. The merger could indicate that X A.I. needs more money to compete with other A.I. companies while also highlighting the growing importance Grok will play in the future of space exploration. Alright, so if you want to toss a coin and make a wish at the famous
Trevi Fountain in Rome, you will now have to pay a fee. CNN's Barbie Latza-Nadeau has more on the new ticketing system that has visitors defied it.
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BARBIE LATZA-NADEAU, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): Tossing a coin into Rome's Trevi Fountain is a must for most visitors to the Eternal City. Last year, 10 million people parted with their small change. But now the tradition comes with a price.
Starting February 2nd, the city is charging two euros to get close to the basin below the 18th century sculpture of Oceanus in an effort to combat over tourism. Visitors were split on the Trevi Fountain fee, welcoming fewer crowds but lamenting the cost of accessing a public monument.
The proceeds expected to net the city between 6 and 20 million euros will go maintaining the fountain and running the ticket system as well as giving paying crowds a less crowded experience. One coin ensures a return to Rome, two means you'll fall in love with an Italian and three means you'll marry them, as long as you bought a ticket that is.
Barbie Latza-Nadeau, CNN, Rome.
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Thank you so much for your company, I'm Rosemary Church. Have yourselves a wonderful day. "World Sport" is coming up next.
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