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No Arrests Made As Nancy Guthrie Search Nears Two Weeks; Marco Rubio Tells Europe "We Belong Together" In Major Shift In U.S. Tone; ICE Plans To Convert More Buildings Into Detention Centers; Immigration Raids Drive Out Flower Vendors In Los Angeles; Key Takeaways From Latest CPI, Jobs Report; Does Positive Inflation Report Signal No Interest Rate Cuts To Come?; AI Researchers Sounding The Alarm On Their Way Out The Door. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired February 14, 2026 - 16:00   ET

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

[16:01:05]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello, again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

And we begin this hour with new details from law enforcement officials about last night's operation in Arizona as the search for Nancy Guthrie nears two weeks. The Pima County Sheriff's Department says no one was arrested while they carried out a federal search warrant at a residence near Guthrie's home which was based on a lead that investigators received.

CNN also observed authorities examining a gray Range Rover in a parking lot before they towed it away. It's unclear whether this was related to the Guthrie investigation. This comes as investigators say they found DNA on the 84-year-old's property that does not belong to her or those close to her.

The community in Tucson is rallying behind the Guthrie family as they await more information from authorities.

CNN correspondent Leigh Waldman is following these developments from Tucson, Arizona.

Leigh, it's been 13 days now since Nancy disappeared. What are you learning?

LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and I think this community has felt every single one of those days, Fred, so deeply since she was taken from her home. We saw that terrifying doorbell camera video that showed an armed and masked man outside of her house who was trying to cover up that camera with plants from outside.

This community is desperate to have Nancy come back home. They have been constantly leaving these yellow flowers to try and show their hope and support to her family, wishing that she comes back home safely. We know it's been an exhaustive search by law enforcement not only local, but also the FBI partners as well. Combing through this area, they've uncovered several gloves that they're sending off for DNA testing. You mentioned it. They uncovered DNA that does not belong to Nancy or

anyone close to her. They're trying to identify who that DNA belongs to. And we finally have somewhat of a suspect description. A man with a medium build between 5'9" and 5'10". But we spoke to neighbors who are sympathizing with just how harsh this terrain is for investigators trying to find those clues.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE LIPPMAN, NANCY GUTHRIE'S NEIGHBOR: The neighborhood has been portrayed as being really remote and isolated. And you know, we're 10 minutes from downtown Tucson. Just, it's spread out. It's desert landscape. So it's very difficult probably to find any type of clues as opposed if you're walking down a city street and buildings on, all the sides and right next to each other.

So I think it's difficult for law enforcement. And like I keep saying, incredibly difficult for the family.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALDMAN: Incredibly difficult for the family indeed, and that's who is at top of mind here. We want to remind you more about Nancy Guthrie, her children, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings, sharing that their mom is in fragile health. She's 84 years old. We learned from sources she has a pacemaker. Savannah saying in a video she's in constant pain and needs medication in order to prevent suffering and to survive. And presumably she's been without that medication this entire time. That's why this search feels desperate at this point -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: It is. It is indeed desperate.

All right. Leigh Waldman, in Tucson, Arizona, thank you so much.

Former FBI hostage negotiator Chip Massey is joining me right now for more insight.

Chip, when you hear that a federal warrant was issued at a residence, what does that suggest to you even if no arrests were made?

CHIP MASSEY, FORMER FBI HOSTAGE NEGOTIATOR: Hey, exactly, Fred. It's still great news. And here's why I say that, is because they're following every lead, every tip, anybody that calls in. And if it sounds like it's verifiable, it has a possibility of producing results, they're going to go. So we like seeing that. I know it's disappointing for the family, of course heartbreaking. But for everyone else it's an encouraging sign.

WHITFIELD: This week's developments like the doorbell footage, DNA evidence, I mean, this is key evidence, but it's been nearly two weeks.

[16:05:07] So does this put even more pressure on the need for tips? People calling in to say they recognize something about that video image or recalling that, wait a minute, maybe I do recall that there was something strange on certain dates because of certain criteria?

MASSEY: You know, you're exactly right and there are some advantages to this as well, Fred, is because we didn't have those video clips. We didn't have those captions just a few days ago. Now that we have these, there is nobody that's more afraid right now than the captor. This world has gotten very, very small, and he's operating under fear, under huge stress. So every movement that he makes, every time he's out in public perhaps, he's got to be looking over his shoulder.

Now, the investigators, they're calm. They are locked in. They are methodical. Going through this investigation step by step. So the advantage for us right now is on our side and time here. The more we know as time goes by, the better the captor is going to know less.

WHITFIELD: We heard Savannah Guthrie say they still have hope. What does keep investigators hopeful as they either re-examine areas they've already been or branch out to new ones?

MASSEY: Excellent question. And what it is, is always, Fred, is mission first. These folks are just there for a reason. They signed up for this because they want to help people and that's -- there's no greater mission than what they're on right now. So, you know, we have seen this. I worked on a case where we freed 22 people out of a hostage barn that were some of them were held there for months.

So if they're set up right, this thing can go very smoothly and we can, you know, we can have some great, great results. So I am not at all upset that this has taken a little bit longer than what the family of course has hoped for.

WHITFIELD: Yes. All right. Well, everyone is certainly prayerful and hopeful.

Chip Massey, thank you so much.

MASSEY: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. New today the U.S. making a major overture to its European allies. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at a global security conference in Germany, telling Europeans, "We belong together." It's a big shift from when Vice President J.D. Vance warned the same conference last year that Europe no longer shared some of the U.S.'s values and actually called it a threat from within. That set the tone for a year of publicly strained relations between the U.S. and Europe.

CNN correspondent Julia Benbrook is in West Palm Beach near Mar-a- Lago, where President Trump is spending the weekend.

Julia, take us through what Rubio said today.

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, in this highly anticipated speech at the Munich Security Conference, Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered some reassurance. He said that the United States and Europe, quote, "belong together." He highlighted shared history and said that the two are connected not only economically and militarily but he says culturally and spiritually.

So as he looked to reassure uneasy European leaders that the United States remains committed to this longstanding partnership. He did not abandon the underlying demand that Europe change its course in a number of ways.

I want to play for you an excerpt from his speech that highlights those two main points that he made throughout the speech.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE: Under President Trump, the United States of America will once again take on the task of renewal and restoration, driven by a vision of a future as proud, as sovereign, and as vital, as our civilization's past. And while we are prepared, if necessary, to do this alone, it is our preference and it is our hope to do this together with you, our friends here in Europe. For the United States and Europe, we belong together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENBROOK: So while that message that reforms need to be made remains at the heart of it, it is important to note that the overall tone, the delivery of Rubio's speech was far different from what we heard from Vice President J.D. Vance a year ago at this same conference. He harshly criticized Europe, saying that he believes they rely too heavily on the United States for support. Even using that phrase, the threat from within.

And that was top of mind for a lot of European leaders who are there now as they sat in the audience anxiously awaiting Rubio to walk up on that stage and deliver a message.

[16:10:09]

His shift in tone seemed to be a welcome one. There were even moments throughout the speech that those in the audience applauded specifically when he said, America is a child of Europe, and that their fates are intertwined. A lot of the audience was on its feet as he finished his remarks.

WHITFIELD: All right, Julia Benbrook, thank you so much.

All right, still to come, DHS plans to spend billions of dollars building new detention facilities across the U.S. Communities are already reacting to the prospect of these sites coming to their neighborhoods. Plus, many business owners have had a difficult time staying staffed under the threat of ICE immigration raids. The impact for florists scrambling to sell Valentine's Day flowers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:15:37]

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Rafael Romo in Atlanta.

ICE plans to spend $38 billion to convert 16 existing buildings into regional detention centers. "The Washington Post" reports in recent weeks the agency has acquired buildings in Maryland, Arizona, Georgia, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. Now Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock is seeking to block plans for ICE detention centers in his state.

And it appears the federal government plans to build detention centers for migrants on a massive scale in multiple states across the country over the next several months at a cost of tens of billions of dollars. According to documents published on Thursday, the estimated total cost for the new detention center model is $38.3 billion designed to strategically increase bed capacity to 92,600 beds.

That's because ICE expects an increase in enforcement operations and arrests in 2026 and the plan is to activate all facilities by November 30th. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement plan was referenced in a press release by New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte. One of the proposed sites for a detention center is in her state in the town of Merrimack.

The ICE plan also calls for what it calls the acquisition and renovation of eight largescale detention centers and 16 processing sites, as well as the acquisition of 10 existing turnkey facilities where ICE ERO already operates.

One of the new detention centers is located here in Georgia. CNN has confirmed with officials in the town of Social Circle, population 5,000, located about 45 miles east of Atlanta, that a million square foot facility there has been purchased by ICE to be converted into a migrant detention center for as many as 10,000 people, possibly as early as April.

According to a deed filed earlier this month and obtained by CNN, the Department of Homeland Security paid more than $128.5 million for the facility. That's more than four times more expensive than the building's last assessment value of $29.3 million in 2023.

Social Circle officials told me they're very concerned about the impact this will have on their water and sewer systems that are already strained because the opening of the detention center, they say, means its population would effectively triple.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIC TAYLOR, CITY MANAGER, SOCIAL CIRCLE, GEORGIA: As I've stated multiple times over the last month, we only have a limited amount of water to draw from to begin with in a capacity infrastructure system that is already stretched to its capacity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: In response to ICE's plans to build two detention centers in Georgia, Senator Raphael Warnock filed an amendment to, quote, "prohibit the use of federal funds for the acquisition, construction, renovation or expansion of ICE detention centers in both Social Circle and Oakwood," located about 48 miles northeast of Atlanta, a town that has also expressed its opposition to the plan.

According to the "Washington Post" in recent weeks, ICE has spent more than $690 million acquiring at least eight industrial buildings in Maryland, Arizona, Georgia, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.

And we have heard, Fred, that all of those people, many of those towns, the people locally there are opposed to these plans.

WHITFIELD: Wow. I wonder if they do have any recourse, though.

ROMO: Probably not. As far as we've seen here in Georgia the answer is possibly not.

WHITFIELD: All right, Rafael Romo, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

All right, street vendors have been a vital part of the Los Angeles economy over years, but the constant fear of sweeping ICE raids has largely pushed street sellers to stay home and wholesale florists are now having to find other ways to get flowers into people's arms this Valentine's Day.

CNN's Julia Vargas Jones is joining us live now from Los Angeles, from a flower market there.

So how are immigration concerns impacting overall business?

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the first thing you have to understand, Fred, is that the flower district here in Los Angeles is in downtown Los Angeles, where a lot of those ICE immigration enforcement actions and raids took place just around the corner from where we're standing right now.

Now this is mostly an economy that thrives on the wholesale of flowers, like bouquets like this.

[16:20:01]

It's not an arrangement per se, but this is what those street corner vendors buy to then go sell on the street corners. Now, this year, the landscape here is completely different. The presence of ICE and the absence of these people has made a lot of these businesses have to change their tactics.

We spoke to one of the salespeople here. Listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MANUEL PERTUZ, FLOWER SALESPERSON (through translator): We've had good days and bad days. When I say bad days, I mean days when there's a presence of federal agents. For safety reasons for us and for our customers, we have to close the store. And there are days when we feel it in our sales. Business is slower. It's not every day, but it does happen. JONES: When you have those federal agents, what do you do when there's

federal agents around? Why are you concerned about your clients?

PERTUZ (through translator): We're afraid they might arrest us. Right now it feels like it doesn't matter whether someone has papers or legal status. So for maximum safety of course, we're scared. Scared of being arrested and deported to our country without having committed any kind of crime.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: Now, Fred, what people here have been doing is making their own arrangements. People with no experience. So they have a bidding right behind me. You can see there are cars. There's plush toys. They're trying to diversify their inventory so they can still have some sales this Valentine's Day which the National Retail Federation does estimate nationwide is still supposed to be a record-breaking Valentine's Day with $29 billion spent on chocolates, cards and of course, flowers.

WHITFIELD: All right. Still a very volatile, very important business.

All right, Julia Vargas Jones, thank you so much.

All right, still to come, our panel of economic experts will answer the money questions that could mean prices dropping in reaction to the latest positive inflation news?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:26:28]

WHITFIELD: All right. We're learning from law enforcement officials in Arizona that a federal search warrant was carried out at a residence last night in connection with Nancy Guthrie's disappearance. The Pima County Sheriff's Department says no one was arrested during the search, which was based on a lead that investigators received.

Analysts say that operations like what we saw last night could become more frequent as investigators work their way through the more than 30,000 tips that have flooded in to the FBI. CNN also observed authorities examining a gray -- Range Rover, rather, in a parking lot before they towed it away. It's unclear whether this was related to the Guthrie investigation.

And this comes as investigators say they found DNA on the 84-year- old's property that does not belong to her or those close to her.

All right. On this Valentine's Day, the White House is loving two new key economic reports. Consumer prices rose 2.4 percent in January from the year before, marking an eight-month low and a sharp cooldown from the 2.7 percent rate notched in December. That according to Friday's Bureau of Labor Statistics' CPI report.

Pair this news with another bright spot this week. The U.S. economy added an estimated 130,000 jobs last month as the unemployment rate ticked down a 10th of a percentage point to 4.3 percent.

So, like every Saturday at about this time, we're going to spend the next 30 minutes talking about the thing that likely impacts you the most, your money. Our panel this weekend, Lydia Mashburn Newman, director of Monetary Economics at the American Institute for Economic Research, Jason Schenker, chairman of the Futurist Institute, president of Prestige Economics and author of "The Future after A.I.," and chief research officer at H Squared Research, consumer spending analyst Hitha Herzog.

All right, great to see all of you. Thank you so much. Let's jump right in.

Lydia, you first. I mean, read between the lines for us on these two important economic gauges. You know, what do these numbers tell us about where prices on consumer products are headed? I mean, does this mean that we'll start to see prices on things like groceries and gas or, you know, see further falling on those areas?

LYDIA MASHBURN NEWMAN, DIRECTOR OF MONETARY ECONOMICS, AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR ECONOMIC RESEARCH: It's definitely a welcome report. 2.4 percent. It's one of the lowest we've seen in eight months as mentioned. But behind that number, though, there's a little bit of concern. Part of that number being as low as it is, not to throw cold water on what should be a good report, but there is some -- there are some holes in the data including from the government shutdown in October that affect a number of metrics including those on housing.

And so we're definitely looking -- we're going to be looking at the months ahead to see whether or not this 2.4 percent lower rate does hold and if you're at home wondering why doesn't it feel like inflation is lower, you won't be wrong to think that things are elevated because we're still dealing with 26 percent higher prices than before the pandemic, with housing prices themselves being 30 percent higher than they were before the pandemic. So the difficulties are real still.

WHITFIELD: Yes, because so far people are noticing a dip in prices when it comes to eggs, you know, or gas. But then what about everything else?

So, Jason, you know, do these inflation numbers, you know, mean that further Federal Reserve interest rate cuts are off the table in the near future?

[16:30:09]

JASON SCHENKER, CHAIRMAN OF THE FUTURIST INSTITUTE: There's definitely a good chance of more rate cuts. The Fed releases their own projections of their -- what they think that that time they will do with interest rate policy. Back in December, they were forecasting one rate cut this year, one rate cut next year. Prestige Economics were expecting two rate cuts this year.

Lower inflation definitely opens the door for that. But as Fed Chair Powell said in his press conference in January following the Fed decision, he said that the upside risk to inflation have fallen. In other words, now we have slightly less inflation.

But also the downside risk to the labor market have also fallen. In other words, exactly what we've seen in these reports. The unemployment rate was better than expected, which means maybe the Fed doesn't need to cut rates as much. But inflation has also slowed. So, the Fed now has more leeway to cut if they need to.

WHITFIELD: And, Hitha, this week, we also learned that foreclosure filings jumped 32 percent from a year ago. I mean, that's huge, according to realtor.com. The most are happening in Delaware, Nevada, and Florida. So, if someone finds themselves in the position of being, you know, unable to make the minimum monthly mortgage payment, what should they start doing before it's too late?

HITHA HERZOG, CHIEF RESEARCH OFFICER, H SQUARED RESEARCH: Yes. I think this is a real problem. And I think when the consumer sees something like that, or they're faced with something like that, they have to really rethink how they are spending. And when something was once non- discretionary -- or discretionary suddenly has to become non- discretionary.

For example, we saw, when we were talking about prices, grocery overall has increased 15 percent in the last year. So, we are -- and this is not going to come down anytime soon. Specifically, you know, when we're talking about milk, eggs those kinds of things, those prices are going to go up. And it's a tale of two economies.

The upper spender, the one that can spend -- take their credit cards and pay them off quickly, they're the ones that are not that price sensitive. The lower part of that economy -- the economy, I should say, or the lower part of the K, if you look at it as a K-Shaped economy, they are the ones that are price sensitive. So, if you are facing something like that, as a consumer, you have to really rethink everything, that Netflix subscription that was once a mandatory thing, it is not mandatory anymore. You have to just get rid of all of that and really start buckling down. Foreclosures is a big deal.

WHITFIELD: Lydia, NPR reported this week on federal data from the latest household debt and credit report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York showed more than a million student loan borrowers had defaulted on their loans late last year, and millions more are headed in that direction. So, what options do student loan borrowers have if they're struggling to make their payments?

NEWMAN: It's very important to keep the student loan challenges in context. So, it's true that a million loans were moved into the resolutions component of the Department of Education. And what that means is that they're now eligible to speak with the Department of Education and develop a loan modification or loan repayment plan that might better suit their current financial situation.

We also want to keep in mind the amount of delinquencies, those that are 90 days past due are about 12 or 13 percent, which is high, but it's still not as high as things were in the 2010s. So, you might view this more as a return to normal. Now, we do want to keep a really keen eye on the 30 days past due and whether or not that moves into 90 days past due.

It's also an interesting observation that among those in that 90 days more serious delinquency category, a lot of them are actually in the 50-plus age category. So, we're talking about parents who may have supported their students in taking out loans, or those who may have gone back to school at a later time in their life and are now struggling to make those payments. And to hit this point, a lot of this is going to mean going through your budget, trying to find ways to make these payments that came back online in October, some of them ranging between $400 to $500 a month, and it will take roughly ten years to pay off.

So, it's definitely a huge component of the household budget now that wasn't there a while ago. And so, we'd like to encourage especially young people getting into student loans, try not to make them more than your first year's expected annual income.

WHITFIELD: Wow. All right. Thank you so much, everyone. Stick around. Speaking of college. If you or someone you know is graduating from college this year and headed into the workforce -- next, we're talking artificial intelligence and how AI is impacting jobs.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:39:20]

WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back. We're talking your money and artificial intelligence. Everywhere you turn, another story about how AI is impacting our lives. But in just the past few days, a number of high-profile AI staffers with OpenAI and Anthropic called it quits, with some explicitly warning that the companies that they work for are moving too fast and downplaying the technology's shortcomings.

Let's bring back now our panel. Jason, I want to start with you. You just wrote a new book on AI. So, what should consumers take away from these departures of these AI companies?

[16:40:00]

SCHENKER: I think the most important thing people need to know right now is that artificial intelligence for most businesses is going to be like what spreadsheets were for the finance world. You know, when Lotus 1-2-3, the forerunner excel came to the finance world, companies either quickly adopted the tech or they were quickly out of business. And using AI is going to be really important.

Executives come and go. But the most important thing right now, if people are thinking about the job market, is that there's still over 6.5 million open roles. And a lot of those are in physically demanding in-person roles.

Theres 1.2 to 1.3 million open jobs in health care. There's over 400,000 open jobs in construction, there's -- and manufacturing. There's almost 300,000 open jobs in construction. Theres over 300,000 jobs in transportation, warehousing, and utilities. That's a lot of open jobs when there's only 1.8 to 1.9 million people collecting unemployment.

So, there are lots of job opportunities, especially in the health care sector, which if you looked at the latest inflation report, year on year, medical care costs are up 3.9 percent year on year, even though inflation is only up 2.4. Why is medical care up so much? There's not enough people working in the sector, and it's going to be a long time before AI is taking care of people in that way.

WHITFIELD: Hitha, U.S. stocks fell Thursday as nerves about artificial intelligence disrupting different business models continue to cause angst on Wall Street. So, why does AI news rattle the markets?

HERZOG: Because it's this doomsday prediction. People are freaked out that their entry level jobs are sort of mid-range jobs are going to be taken away. But to echo Jason's point, it's actually an assistance to jobs. And it's really about that gap of skill set.

The worker who doesn't understand AI or does not have the skill set for AI is the one that's going to suffer. And I was looking at this study done by Upwork. It was saying that AI skills that are in demand is up 109 percent. Other skills up 23 percent.

And again, to echo Jason, we are looking at construction, for example. We need to reframe what the new American worker is going to look like five, ten, 15 years from now, when you have construction in demand, 500,000 now and growing to about three to five million in the next couple of years. And even Jensen Huang and Larry Fink from Blackstone -- and Jensen Huang is from NVIDIA saying, we need more electricians.

Who's going to build all those AI sources? We need those people to build those. So, there's certainly jobs out there. We just have to reframe where our minds are when it comes to jobs.

WHITFIELD: And training. So, Lydia, let's say you have, you know, a high school senior graduating this spring. Do they need to start taking into consideration the AI boom as they try to choose their college majors, if that's the route they go?

NEWMAN: It's certainly an important consideration. As Jason was mentioning, this is a technology that's probably here to stay, in which how excel came in or knowing your Microsoft office suite was for the millennials graduating. So, students graduating high school or college knowing how to use AI tools to help augment your own human capital skills will be absolutely essential, especially if you're going into white-collar type work, more in the service sector type work.

But there is a major demand for things in the skilled labor components of our economy. As was mentioned in health care and construction, plumbers, electricians. And so, these are actually very high-paying jobs, and they're going to be in high demand and continue to go -- to demand a higher wage because there is a shortage of folks filling those positions.

And so, I hope students can take a look as they graduate high school, sometimes a trade school can be almost more beneficial to your lifelong earnings. The four-year college degree isn't the automatic path that it used to be, speaking back on those student loans, we were talking about. So, there are a lot of really important considerations AI can help you, but so can these other skilled trades. So, do something that you love that fits with those different skill sets.

WHITFIELD: And then, Jason, adding to, you know, the previous question about, you know, college seniors set to graduate. Experts in tech and economics largely agree that AI is poised to disrupt many jobs and may eliminate some altogether. An entry level roles are likely to be at the forefront of that shift. So, how should they navigate that? They've been, you know, plodding through all those college years, counting on a certain vocation or profession or career path, only to now hear that, you know, the landscape is changing because of AI.

SCHENKER: This is a great question. There's some really good recent data out from the New York Fed which shows what's going on with unemployment rates for recent college graduates. So, in December, the national unemployment rate was 4.4.

But for recent college graduates, it was 5.6. So, for people ages 22 to 27. And that doesn't sound good until you realize young workers, 22 to 27, without a college education, they weren't at five, they weren't at 5.6, instead they were at 7.8.

[16:45:13]

So, there is an entire set of data around this at the population level available online from the BLS, Bureau of Labor Statistics. They have a graph about this, called Education Pays. In short, the more you learn, the more you earn. And the more education you have, the less likely you are to be unemployed.

Using AI is going to be a critical part of all jobs going forward. And I think we will see the job market improve in the next year or so as we see the lower interest rates providing some uplift. But for now, it is still better to be a recent college grad than it is not.

WHITFIELD: All right. OK, everybody on deck and at home. Love and money. You're going to want to hear all about this one.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:50:34]

WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back. Roses are red, violets are blue. On this Valentine's Day, what should you and your money do? My money panel is back with us. All right, let's talk about Valentine's gifts, folks.

CNN reported there is going to be some sticker shock this year. For example, consumer prices for chocolate have spiked 14.4 percent over the last year. Hitha, if you got hit by Cupid's arrow in the last few months, should you be conservative on your Valentine's gift or go all in?

HERZOG: Yes. At this point, I'm just going to ask for eggs for Valentine's gift. I mean, forget the chocolate.

WHITFIELD: That's the deal right now.

HERZOG: Part of the reason why that went up -- I know. Please, just give me some breakfast foods. That's all I need. Part of the reason why that price was so high is because there was a cocoa issue -- cocoa bean issue in West Africa. So, it went from regularly priced at 26, 000 -- 26 -- $2,600 per metric ton to $14,600 per metric ton. So, that's why we're seeing that price increase.

Now, what is really interesting is that the question isn't about, to your point, where are we going to go to dinner. Its more if we can afford to go to dinner. And I think people are trying to differentiate and make that tough decision.

The thing about Valentine's Day, that is where emotion overrides any sort of budgeting constraints. So, instead of maybe getting the expensive chocolates, people are going to get the drugstore chocolates, or instead of going out to dinner, they're going to stay at home and make dinner. People are certainly spending just in different ways.

WHITFIELD: Very true. Lydia, so finances are also a part of relationships, you know, the other 364 days of the year. So, how should you approach a tough financial decision as a couple?

NEWMAN: That is a great question. So, I think one of the best things you can do is to be transparent about your budget and your finances. They do say that one of the best indicators of financial success in your life is who you choose as a partner. And by being able to have open, transparent conversations about your finances, it makes a really big difference.

You can't deal with a hole in a bucket if you haven't actually looked at the hole. So, starting there. And then, it's also really important to start on a positive note.

What is it that you want your money to do for you? What are your goals with your money? Your money is a tool. And as a couple, what is it you want it to achieve for you?

And by starting with the end goal in mind, you can work backwards and deal with things like all of these higher prices that have come down the pike, whether it's chocolates or roses or travel, these days is up seven percent just from the month. And so, by being able to be transparent and talk to each other directly, you can make a lot of progress.

WHITFIELD: All right. But then, Jason, when is it OK to keep something like money or investment or savings related private from your partner?

SCHENKER: I keep my finances separate from my wife's, and we've always done that. So, is it private? Well, I keep it separate. I always talk about how it is. But I think that it depends how serious your relationship is. If there are problems that could impact your partner, that's where you should think about disclosing that. If you have joint accounts, if you have merged finances, then yes, full transparency is really good. But if -- it depends how you lay things out. You know, most -- if we look, one of the top contributing factors to divorce in the country is financial stress.

WHITFIELD: Right.

SCHENKER: And so, anything that adds that stress increases the probability of a relationship falling apart.

WHITFIELD: OK. So, Hitha, lastly. You know, in a relationship, what is something you look for in a significant other, financially? You know, good saver. Mostly cash-only person. I mean, what are the things to look out for or love?

HERZOG: I think when you want to find someone who is on the same financial page with you, you know, in addition to, you know, any sort of, you know, other relationship emotional stuff, but financial pages are really important, and you have the same financial goals in mind. Someone might be a saver. You might be a spender. You want to align that. And if, let's say you all are on separate pages, is there a way to align that even more?

The good thing about this, the bright spot in all of this, is that the younger generations, Gen Z, they're very much more transparent than maybe the Gen Xers, you know, i.e. my generation, are with financial transparency. So, that is a good thing. And making sure that communication is there, I think, is actually going to be the best foundation for any sort of relationship, especially when it comes to finances.

[16:55:20]

WHITFIELD: Right. For a long time, a lot of people thought, don't talk money. That's not good. But I'm hearing from all of you all. Yes, talk money. Talk about it openly. Be on the same page.

All right. Lydia Mashburn Newman, Jason Schenker, and Hitha Herzog, great to see all of you. And happy Valentine's.

All right. Tonight brings your weekly look at some of the headlines with some much-needed humor. 'Have I Got News for You' premieres tonight at 9:00, with special guests, Journalist Aaron Parnas and Comedian Scott Thompson. Watch it first at 9:00 Eastern right here on CNN. And then tomorrow on the CNN app.

And thank you so much for joining me today. Happy Valentine's. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. More NEWSROOM with Paula Reid after this.

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