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No Arrests After Investigators Swarm Nearby Home In Guthrie Case; European Leaders Breathe Sigh Of Relief After Rubio Speech; Ilia Malinin Misses Medal After Falling In Men's Free Skate; DHS Enters Partial Government Shutdown After Funding Talks Stall; ICE Plans To Convert More Buildings Into Detention Centers; Hollywood Talent Agent Casey Wasserman to Sell Company Over Epstein Files Revelations. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired February 14, 2026 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:21]
PAULA REID, CNN HOST: You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I am Paula Reid in Washington, Jessica Dean has the night off.
Tonight, investigators are combing through tens of thousands of tips in the search for 84-year-old, Nancy Guthrie, the mother of "Today" show host, Savannah Guthrie was reported missing 13 days ago, and the Pima County Sheriff tells CNN they have received more than 30,000 tips. Investigators are currently testing DNA that was found at Guthrie's property. Officials say it does not belong to her or those close to her. They are also testing several gloves that were found, some as far as ten miles away from her residence.
CNN's Leigh Waldman is on the ground in Tucson. She joins us now.
Leigh, what are you learning tonight?
LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Paula, it is good to be with you.
We are still waiting to hear more from the Pima County Sheriff's Office. It has been nine days now since they've held any kind of news conference with the FBI updating the community on their investigation. Meanwhile, there is still a lot of work happening behind-the-scenes.
We've seen the FBI combing through the area around Nancy Guthrie's home, trying to find any pieces of evidence that they can. We know they have collected some, including a number of gloves, some as far as 10 miles away some as near as less than two miles away from her home.
There is still an ask to this community around Nancy's home, within the two mile radius to look through their surveillance cameras. The last time we got some surveillance camera video was that doorbell camera video of the masked and armed man who tried to cover up that camera with some plants from Miss Guthrie's front yard, but they are asking for more video from the community here, from January 1st to February 2nd, anything that looks out of place -- people, cars, traffic, they are desperate for this information.
Now, our colleague, Ed Lavandera sat down with the Pima County Sheriff yesterday and had a conversation with him about some of what they've uncovered.
They had a discussion about that DNA. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF CHRIS NANOS, PIMA COUNTY, ARIZONA: We have DNA, so trust me, if we knew who it was, we'd be on it, but we do have some DNA, and we continue to work with those with the lab on that DNA analysis.
Every single lead is looked at, so some of the leads could be there is a white car, there is a white van, there is a white truck, there is a -- RING cameras, we go out, we get all of them and we see pieces and parts, so we are just chasing down leads.
I've got 400 cops out there chasing down 30-some thousand leads.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALDMAN: And when they are chasing those leads, that's when we are seeing that flurry of activity like we saw just last night with the SWAT activity about two miles away from where we are right now, but I do want to talk about what this community is doing.
They are rallying together, leaving yellow roses outside of Nancy Guthrie's home. That's a show of hope and support. A couple just came and left a white end that has those yellow flowers on that end. This is all centered around the desperation from this community, from Nancy's family, to bring her back home safely.
REID: Leigh Waldman, thank you.
And former Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis joins us now.
You were, of course, the lead police official at the time of the Boston Marathon bombing, one of the most famous manhunts of all time. In that investigation, you released photos and video evidence of suspects. Let's talk about the significance of images like the ones that have been released in the Guthrie case, how do they impact an investigation? They must help, right?
ED DAVIS, FORMER BOSTON POLICE COMMISSIONER: Oh, without a doubt, Paula. Once we got those photographs, it was just a matter of hours before we were able to close in on the individuals responsible so, so that avenue of investigation that the Pima County Sheriff's Office is pursuing right now is critical.
The photographs, unfortunately don't have a very identifiable face in them like we did. We were lucky to get really clear photos of the suspects' faces. It still took a full day before people recognized who they were, and then they activated themselves and ended up killing Sean Collier that that terrible night.
So, you know pushing the investigation, pushing the investigators to stay on the person, letting that person feel the heat will cause mistakes and not only that, but there are other avenues, like the DNA that the Sheriff was talking about that could be crucial to this investigation.
[18:05:10]
REID: I want to talk about the process of going through these tips. They have 30,000 calls, I am sure not all of these tips are equal. So, how does law enforcement approach this mountain of information they have?
DAVIS: Well, it certainly is a difficult task. Logistically, it is complicated. There are many people that are receiving the tips and entering the information into a database. That database has to be combed through to see where are the most promising leads.
So some of the -- some of the things are going to be very difficult to run down, and they will probably be put aside, but there will be very specific leads that will move to the top of the list of priorities. I am sure that there are people supervising that list and making sure that its double and triple checked so nothing falls through the cracks.
But it is a logistical nightmare, and the priorities have to be set as to what is going to be pursued, but what is important is people are engaged in this. People are paying attention and that could make all the difference in the world.
REID: You make a great point. I mean the entire country, like for the world, right, is interested in this case.
You've been leading -- you've led high-profile cases. Here, you have law enforcement, you have the public that's interested and you have the media that's communicating a lot of information. Speak to how you balance all of those relationships.
DAVIS: Well, we come a long way in that regard. It was very unusual to release photographs prior to the Marathon Bombing. Investigators wanted to keep all the information private, and I think we were able to show that the public can help getting the information out and asking the public to really be part of the team in pursuing the suspects, pays great dividends for us.
It is a force multiplier for the investigators, but balancing the relationships, and I think you're seeing that in Pima County right now, the FBI are taking the lead in this particular investigation. As the Sheriff said, there were 400 deputies out there doing interviews and other agencies that have to coordinate things like cell phone analysis and all of the complicated issues around DNA and having a good working relationship, being open, but also being frank about what --
The needs of the local sheriff are going to be different than the needs of the FBI Director, and so they have to come to some happy medium there, and it can be difficult.
REID: What will you be watching for in the coming days? With your law enforcement background, what are you watching for as this unfolds? DAVIS: Well, I think the cellphone information has probably been
analyzed and hasn't paid too many dividends, so I will be looking at familial DNA. There is not a lot of people with DNA in the system, so running the DNA that they have at the scene that the Sheriff just spoke about, and it is not just DNA, it has got to be crucial DNA, DNA that is probably linked to the suspect.
So, the whole process of going through databases to try to establish family links of anyone who might live in that area is probably the best bet right now.
REID: Ed Davis, thank you.
DAVIS: Thank you, Paula.
REID: And be sure to tune in tomorrow night for "The Whole Story" with Anderson Cooper. Ed Lavandera is in Tucson for more on the unanswered questions in the search for Nancy Guthrie. That airs tomorrow at 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time, and next day on the CNN app.
Still ahead this hour, key sticking points from today's Munich Security Conference, where Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered a reassuring message to American allies.
Plus, the services that will be impacted by the partial government shutdown if it stretches into next week.
And the man known as the "quad god" is reacting after missing out on a medal during the Olympic free skate.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:13:59]
REID: European leaders gathered in Germany for an annual global security conference are breathing a collective sigh of some relief after Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. is committed to its historic partnership with Europe, but that bond doesn't come without some strings. Rubio warned the Trump administration is ready to go its own way if Europe doesn't start carrying its own weight with regards to security.
CNN chief international anchor, Christiane Amanpour has more on that and the rest of the day's highlights from Munich.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: So here at the Munich Security Conference, what I might call the heavy lifting part of the day is over. We had the U.S. address by the Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Now, he came with an absolute mission to get and reassure the allies again. He said, it is not our wish nor our goal to break up the Transatlantic Alliance.
Although he did throw a few barbs, he talked about how Europe had essentially managed its own decline, foolish policies.
[18:15:00]
He cited, in his view the appeasement of the climate cult, mass migration, and again talked about how the globalization world was something that was against national interests.
In any event, what we've had this weekend is a general declaration from Americans, from Europeans, from the Secretary General of NATO that the old world order for the moment is gone, and that a new one has to start.
At the center of all of this, of course, is Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took the keynote after Rubio, and he basically asked again for certainly more anti-aircraft weapons, i.e. anti-missile weapons, so they could defend themselves against these constant and increasing barrages of missiles and drones from Russia.
He thanked Europe, he thanked the United States, but he said this has to be as we enter the fifth year of this war, we have to put pressure on Putin.
And you know what, he mentioned how the pressure he is getting from Donald Trump to do everything from signing a peace deal that Russia might like, including giving up territory that Russia hasn't even conquered, to holding elections under the war situation.
He joked about the elections. He found the time to joke a little bit. Here is what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: If Americans need elections in Ukraine and if Russians need elections in Ukraine, we are open for this.
AMANPOUR: Secretary General --
ZELENSKYY: But we can also give ceasefire for Russians if they will do elections in Russia.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AMANPOUR: Now, it must be said that according to all reports, in this first year of Donald Trump and his so-called negotiated process, it has been the deadliest year for both sides, Russia and Ukraine. And according to Ukrainian officials and activists, more Ukrainian civilians have been killed this year than any other year.
On my panel, also was the Republican Senator from Mississippi Senator Wicker, and he said, we do need to put more pressure on Putin. And he talked about what the Senate and what the House has ready in terms of sanctions and they are waiting for the administration to give the go ahead.
SEN. ROGER WICKER (R-MS): We will be able to vote in two weeks' time on sanctions and what Ukraine really needs is for your -- is for Russia to run out of oil, and if we pass meaningful, serious sanctions on the oil producers on say, the eight refineries around the world that Russia depends on, that can bring a meaningful -- a meaningful change in the negotiations.
AMANPOUR: And finally, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, plus the Prime Minister Of Britain, Sir Keir Starmer, they also took the stage to talk about how they are facing this moment to defend Ukraine, to defend Europe, by really starting what sounds very much like a rebuilding of a military industrial complex for Europe.
They want to be a superpower, i.e. They have a massive, massive population. They know they cannot depend entirely on the United States anymore. So, they want to sort of have their cake and eat it; i.e., you know step up their own military posture while also keeping America inside the fold.
So, a huge amount has been happening here, and this next year is going to be very, very important and very interesting to see how Europe rises to meet the challenge and whether the United States will really give Ukraine meaningful security guarantees in order to sign on to a peace deal and whether crucially, they can finally pressure Putin into actually agreeing to the basic necessities for any peace deal.
Christiane Amanpour, CNN at the Munich Security Conference.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
REID: Christiane Amanpour, thank you.
And on the other side of this break, a big disappointment for Team USA's men's skating and a curling controversy. We are live from Milan with the biggest headlines from the Winter Olympics.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:23:46]
REID: Thirteen days into the search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, the mother of "Today" show host, Savannah Guthrie and there still have been no arrests.
The Pima County Sheriff tells CNN, law enforcement is going through tens of thousands of tips that have come in. Investigators are currently testing DNA that was found at Guthrie's property. The officials say it does not belong to her or anyone close to her.
They are also testing several gloves that were found, some as far as 10 miles away from her residence. We will continue to bring you the very latest developments in this
investigation as we get them.
Olympic skier, Lindsey Vonn is heading back to the U.S. after a fourth surgery in Italy. Vonn said on Instagram that she will be able to return home to continue her recovery.
The 41-year-old broke her leg after she crashed during the women's downhill race, just nine days after rupturing her ACL. She had to be flown away in a helicopter. Vonn says, though she hopes her crash will not make people sad and instead inspire them to keep fighting for their dreams.
But Olympic dreams dashed in men's figure skating last night as people watched Ilia Malinin, known as the "quad god" stumble through his free skate routine.
[18:25:10]
The gold medal favorite fell multiple times, ultimately finishing in eighth place.
After the competition, he congratulated the gold medalist from Kazakhstan on the win and he had this to say about his own performance.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ILIA MALININ, TEAM USA OLYMPIC FIGURE SKATER: Honestly, yes, that was just -- I was not expecting that. I felt like going into this competition, I was so ready. I was -- you know, I was going to -- I just felt ready getting on that ice, but I think maybe that might have been the reason. Maybe I was too confident that it was going to go well.
So you know, honestly, it happened. I can't process what just happened so it happens.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
REID: CNN sports analyst, Christine Brennan joins us now Christine, you've of course been following this sport for a long time. I mean this was just heartbreaking.
CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: It certainly was, Paula. It was stunning, and really the worst meltdown, I think the Olympic figure skating world has ever seen from a favorite, a gold medal favorite, and Ilia Malinin was the prohibitive favorite. I mean, he -- it was, you know all but handed to him that he would win that gold medal with his incredible quadruple jumps, as you mentioned, the quad god -- he did seven, a historic seven quads in four minutes in Japan in a competition in December and he has just been rolling along. He hadn't lost since 2023.
But that ice is slippery and he fell twice and he had trouble with several other jumps. He just looked nervous when he came out on the ice to me. I've covered him for four years, Paula, and it just -- it just -- everything just kind of snowballed for him, 21 years old, the pressure of the moment.
If anyone ever doubted how big a deal the Olympics are and the pressure on the Olympics compared to any other sporting event, obviously now we have our answer when we saw Ilia Malinin have such trouble at something that he usually does so easily.
REID: And he sounded pretty self-aware in that interview, he seemed to take responsibility. I think we might have lost Christine.
Well I will just answer my own question. It did appear that he handled himself pretty well there in that interview. it sounds like we have Christine back.
I just want to talk to you about how he sort of assessed his own performance. He seemed to take responsibility for maybe a little bit of hubris. What is your reaction to that?
BRENNAN: Oh, he did. You know when you think, Paula about athletes, we see it all the time at throwing helmets at their lockers. And, you know, they are running away from reporters and don't want to talk after they fumble or, you know, smashing a racket or throwing a golf club. You know, they get a chance to probably do that within the next few days or week again. They can come right back and play another game, another match, something like that.
Ilia Malinin now has a four-year wait to the next Olympic Games and every answer, he was kind, he was thoughtful. He went through all of his mental thoughts throughout the entire, you know performance. Everything that went wrong over and over again with all of us, journalists -- he goes station to station in what is called the mixed zone.
The patience, the kindness the respect for journalists asking questions. It was extraordinary. I wrote a column about that in "USA Today" because he really, really was shining in that terrible moment for him, a total class act. And yes, there is bravado, but it is delightful bravado and he has obviously shown the world how he could handle defeat and be (AUDIO GAP) an answer to all the questions that he was receiving.
REID: Yes. Talk about that. That mental game. Right? We remember gymnast, Simone Biles, she talked about getting the twisties when she pulled out of some events in 2020. Talk about the pressure that these athletes put on themselves, the mental game.
BRENNAN: And they're so young, right, Paula? They are just -- they are young. Ilia is 21 you know, Simone going back to Rio, she was still a teenager about to turn 20 within a year or so.
I mean this is extraordinary pressure and we see the beautiful side, right? We see the side that looks glamorous and the victories and the joy. But behind the scenes, it is really tough. And the pressure to obviously make money and have sponsors and do all of these things before the Olympics, that's their opportunity to do that. So, we don't begrudge that, no one does.
This is their opportunity to make a lot of money, because once the Olympics are over, it usually ends for them. And so that -- add that kind of pressure, social media everything, whether its Simone Biles, Ilia Malinin, Michael Phelps, Naomi Osaka, we've seen so many athletes have to talk and deal with their mental health. I think that's a very important issue that Ilia Malinin himself talked about, and I think we will continue to hear from him as well.
REID: That is a great point. I also want to ask you quickly about the curling competition unraveling into a cursing match after the Swedish team accused Canada of cheating.
Canada denies that allegation. Tell us what happened.
[18:30:12]
BRENNAN: Yes, so the Canadian, Marc Kennedy, as he was starting to push the -- the stone down -- down the lane, there's -- there's video footage that looks like he touched it after it had hit the line, which you're not supposed to touch it after that. He says he didn't, and they don't allow video replay, and they don't have judges right on that line.
But the Swedes thought that he did, that he, in other words, made a mistake and actually then would have been cheating by touching it again, just giving it a little nudge before sending it on its way. So, here we go. You know, the Swedes and the Canadians just -- and it -- there were swear words flying, and -- but -- but the reality is there's really nothing that can be done about it. Canada won that match. There seemed to be more referees than officials today. That was yesterday that that controversy occurred. So, maybe they're adding -- upping their game with the officials to keep an eye on things within curling.
But yes, who would have thought that curling would give us a swearing match and furious Canadians and furious Swedes. But here we are at the Olympic Games.
REID: I mean, here we -- here we are. I'm a casual fan, but I too was shocked. Christine Brennan, thank you.
BRENNAN: Thank you, Paula.
REID: Olympic curlers make the sport look way easier than it actually is. Our Harry Enten gave it a try.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: Sweep. Sweep.
ENTEN (voice over): Curling, the one time when throwing stones won't actually make me any enemies.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ENTEN (on camera): I mean, I'm going to let go of this thing so early.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's okay. That's okay.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ENTEN (voice over): At least not here at the Plainfield Curling Club in New Jersey, where the athletes, well, they tried to make an Olympian out of me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ENTEN (on camera): It's basically a game in which the strategy is completely out in the open ...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
ENTEN: ... but it's your ability or inability to actually execute on that strategy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Exactly, exactly.
ENTEN: And how much does these things weigh?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Each one is 42 pounds.
So, right foot in the hack.
ENTEN: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Other way. Yes, there you go.
ENTEN: Yes, there we go.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And then you can squat and put your left leg on there.
ENTEN: Yes, perfect.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And then, you're going to lift your butt up.
ENTEN: Like this?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. And then you're going to push the red rock and come into a lunge with your left foot forward.
ENTEN: So, I'm literally going to go like right there.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
ENTEN: Oh, my God. And when can I let go of this thing?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Whenever you feel like you're cruising.
ENTEN: I make no promises.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You got it. You got it. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's really good.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, that's good.
ENTEN: Hey. I actually made it to the end, I think.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ENTEN (voice over): I admit, it looked easier on TV. As for sweeping, let's just say I won't be sweeping the podium in Milan. But hey, my Olympic trials did burn some calories.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Really nice.
ENTEN: You might note right now I'm a little bit out of breath. This actually is quite an athletic.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, definitely. So, in a game, you can usually burn around a thousand calories.
ENTEN: Booyah, baby. You know, this is what I do love about these videos is they do get me out in the field and I do have to actually exercise. Maybe not Italy this year, but when they bring the games back to Lake Placid, I'm heading up to northern New York, baby. Woo.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
REID: I could definitely see Harry being at the center of a curling up controversy should he ever make it to the Olympics. But based on that clip, it looks unlikely. Harry Enten, thank you so much.
And a partial government shutdown has hit the Department of Homeland Security. What it means for the agency ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:38:21]
REID: The Department of Homeland Security has shut down. The Department and the multiple agencies and offices under its umbrella entered a partial government shutdown as of midnight, after Congress failed to strike a funding deal. Nearly all of the DHS' 272,000 workers will remain on the job, but many won't receive a paycheck until the end of the shutdown.
Now, at the center of this is the fact that Democrats are demanding reforms to immigration enforcement, but Republicans are pushing back, saying the demands go too far and ignore agents' safety. Camila DeChalus has the latest.
CAMILA DECHALUS, CNN REPORTER: Well, Paula, these last few days there was a lot of fighting on Capitol Hill, especially over funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Now, this fighting really intensified after the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal agents in Minneapolis, and that really led several Democratic lawmakers to come forward and -- and demand a list of reforms to be made around immigration enforcement in order to exchange for their support for passing a funding package for the Department of Homeland Security.
Now, a lot of Democrats I spoke to say that their main focus is on accountability and funding priorities. Take a listen to what Democratic Representative Maxwell Frost had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MAXWELL FROST (D-FL): House Democrats are using our power and the power of the purse to say enough is enough. The people have spoken. We see poll after poll that people say this administration have gone way too far as it relates to this, I don't call it mass deportation, it's a mass kidnapping campaign of our own neighbors, and so we're representing our constituents by saying no. We know that through the Big Beautiful Bill that they passed to give ICE essentially unlimited amounts of resources and give huge tax breaks to billionaires at the cost of healthcare for working people.
[18:40:07]
We know they did that last year, but what we're saying is we're not going to give them a penny more.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DECHALUS: Now, a lot of the sentiments that he expressed I heard from several other Democratic lawmakers, and it's important to note that some Republican lawmakers I also spoke to say that they're open to having conversations around reforms to certain federal agencies, but they say the priority for everyone right now should be passing a funding package in order to fund the Department of Homeland Security.
Now, where things stand at this point in time is that both chambers, both the House and the Senate, they're not expected to return back to Washington, D.C. until February 23rd. But a lot of Republican leaders on Capitol Hill say that they could still call back members of Congress and give them a 48-hour notice to return back to Capitol Hill if a deal is reached. But at this time, because there's a collapse in funding for the Department of Homeland Security, that really does mean that all the federal agencies, federal employees under this department, they're going to have to remain on the job, and many of them will not get paid until this ends. And so, there's a real sense of urgency right now for lawmakers to get a deal done.
Paula, back to you.
REID: Camila DeChalus, thank you.
And ICE is planning on spending $38 billion to convert 16 billion -- 16 buildings into regional detention centers, according to the Washington Post. The agency has acquired buildings in Maryland, Arizona, Georgia, Texas, Pennsylvania and Michigan in recent weeks. Now, Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock is hoping to block plans for ICE detention centers in his state. CNN's Rafael Romo had been following all of the developments with the Georgia facilities. Raphael, what have you learned?
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Paula. Well, 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 large-scale 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, Paula, is located here in Georgia. CNN has confirmed with officials in the town of Social Circle, a town of 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. And Paula, that's more than four times more expensive than the building's last assessed 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 they say because the opening of the detention center means its population would effectively triple. Let's take a listen.
(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 -- in a capacity, an infrastructure system that is already stretch to its capacity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMO: In response to ICE's plans to build two detention centers in Georgia, Sen. 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.
And according to the Washington Post, and you were talking about it at the beginning, Paula, in recent weeks, ICE has spent more than $690 million acquiring at least eight industrial buildings in Maryland, Arizona, Georgia, Texas, Pennsylvania and Michigan.
Now, back to you.
REID: Rafael Romo, thank you.
And ahead, newly released video shows Jeffrey Epstein's former house manager trying to sell the convicted sex offender's little black book to an undercover agent. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:44:38]
REID: A top Hollywood agent says he will sell his company after facing new criticism for his appearance in the Epstein files. In a memo to his agency, Casey Wasserman says he has, quote, "become a distraction to his company's efforts." Recently released documents show Wasserman rote on Epstein's plane, and that he had a deeper and more intimate relationship with Epstein's associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, than was previously known.
[15:50:05]
He says he never had a personal or business relationship with Epstein, and Wasserman has not been accused of any criminal wrongdoing. Now, calls for Wasserman to step aside from both his company and his other job as chairman of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Committee intensified in recent days after the Justice Department released the new batch of documents. Wasserman plans to stay with the L.A. Olympic Committee.
Now, a newly released video from the Justice Department shows Epstein's former house manager attempting to sell Epstein's address book during a 2009 FBI sting operation. The book is said to contain addresses and phone numbers of high-profile people and victims of Epstein. CNN's Kara Scannell has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALFREDO RODRIGUEZ, FORMER HOUSE MANAGER: Names. Last names. Area codes. Okay?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who created this book?
RODRIGUEZ: Epstein himself.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This -- this book was made by Epstein?
KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is a video of an FBI sting operation with Jeffrey Epstein's former house manager and an undercover FBI employee from 2009. The Palm Beach house manager, Alfredo Rodriguez, believes he is selling Epstein's address book to someone representing a lawyer of Epstein's victims.
RODRIGUEZ: You will see a lot of important people here. SCANNELL: He claims that the book contains contacts of powerful people
as well as Epstein's victims.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, those are mostly underage girls? Those numbers?
RODRIGUEZ: They were very young.
SCANNELL: A source familiar with the case confirmed the video shows the sting operation which court documents show happened two years after the FBI demanded that Rodriguez turn over any Epstein documents. Instead, court documents say he kept the address book and tried to sell it for $50,000.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Alfredo.
RODRIGUEZ: How are you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How are you doing, buddy?
SCANNELL: In the occasionally redacted 45-minute video of the meeting, Rodriguez implicates Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's close associate who is now serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking of minors.
RODRIGUEZ: Ghislaine Maxwell was his former companion, a very powerful lady from England. She would go to the former east -- eastern countries in Europe and find girls for Epstein. And I knew that because I went with my wife.
SCANNELL (voice over): Rodriguez also claims that Maxwell kept a computer database of girls, something he said he saw briefly once.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What kind of pictures?
RODRIGUEZ: Naked, naked girls from -- from Sweden, from Romania, from Czechoslovakia, from Brazil --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All minors? All young girls?
RODRIGUEZ: Very young. Very young.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Like when you say very young, how young are we talking?
RODRIGUEZ: Sixteen, 17, they're teenagers. They had braces, mostly.
SCANNELL (voice over): Rodriguez provided no evidence to support the existence of the database.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go ahead and count it.
SCANNELL: The video, released as part of the recent trove of Epstein documents, abruptly ends after the agent hands Rodriguez a bag of cash and says he will call the lawyer. Rodriguez was arrested for failing to turn over the book as evidence. He claimed the book was his property and that he should be compensated for it, saying it was his insurance policy and that he feared Epstein would make him disappear or harm him. He eventually pleaded guilty to obstruction charges.
At sentencing, prosecutors said that if Rodriguez had turned over the book in 2007 when authorities first requested it would have significantly advanced the ball toward bringing Epstein to trial rather than allowing him to secure a plea deal. Rodriguez was sentenced to 18 months in prison and died in 2014.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
REID: Kara Scannell, thank you.
Now, after that video was published, the Justice Department said it failed to obscure the face of an undercover person in that video. CNN has updated its video with the face of the undercover person obscured.
Now, investigators are going through 10s of thousands of tips in the search for Nancy Guthrie. We're live from Tucson with the latest.
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[18:58:39]
REID: Chocolate lovers, I am one, are getting a not so sweet surprise this Valentine's Day. The price of our favorite treat probably went up. CNN's Matt Egan breaks down what is behind the sticker shock.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATT EGAN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: If you haven't finished your Valentine's Day shopping yet, there is still time left. But be prepared for some sticker shock, especially if you're buying chocolate. Chocolate's about 14 percent more expensive than this time last year. That's roughly five times the overall rate of inflation. So why is this happening?
Well, this is a lesson in how global commodity markets work. This problem started overseas with a shortage of the main ingredient in chocolate, cocoa beans. Extreme weather caused a bad harvest in West Africa, where most of the world's cocoa comes from. So, supply crashed. Demand didn't. Prices had nowhere to go but up.
Cocoa prices went from around $2,500 a metric ton to nearly $13,000 by the end of 2024. A Hershey executive told CNN this week that the company experienced, quote, "unprecedented cocoa inflation." And unfortunately, a lot of the chocolate on store shelves right now, it's made from cocoa beans that were still priced at or near those crisis levels.
[19:00:01]
Now, the good news is that cocoa prices have crashed, and analysts suspect that chocolate prices should start to level out by Easter ...
