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Powerful Winter Storm Lashes Northeastern United States; Violence Erupts Across Mexico After Death of 'El Mencho'; DHS Reverses Decision to Suspend TSA Precheck; Russia's War on Ukraine Continues; Armed Man Shot and Killed at Mar-a-Lago; Trump Raises Newly Announced Global Tariffs from 10 to 15 Percent; White House: Trump Set To Visit China At End Of March; Supreme Court Rules Trump's Emergency Tariffs Are Illegal; Powerful Winter Storm Slamming The Northeast U.S.; 2026 Winter Olympic Games Come To A Close; New Study: Climate Change Threatens Sea Turtles' Survival. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired February 23, 2026 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

UNKNOWN (voice-over): This is "CNN Breaking News."

BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Hello. I'm Ben Hunte in Atlanta. Let's get straight to our breaking news. A powerful winter storm is intensifying as it lashes the northeastern U.S. with heavy snow and gusty winds, too. From New York to Massachusetts, we are seeing an increase in wind gusts over 50 and 60 miles per hour. Nearly 10 inches of snow has fallen in some parts of the New York metro area.

The Storm Prediction Center warns that blizzard conditions will become more prevalent in the hours ahead, particularly near the coast. Some heavy bands could dump up to two inches of snow per hour.

Power outages have jumped to more than 180,000 as snow and strong winds knocked down trees and power lines, too. Travel also being disrupted on the ground and in the air. More than 5,000 flights on Monday have been cancelled so far.

CNN's Gloria Pazmino has more now from New York City.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's a travel ban in effect here in New York City that will not lift until noon on Monday. The mayor of the city of New York, Zohran Mamdani, asking New Yorkers to stay off the roads. Not only will it be dangerous into the later evening hours, but he is also asking people to stay off the roads so that emergency workers and sanitation workers who are in charge of the cleanup can get to work.

Also, importantly, going into Monday morning, the mayor announced that the city schools will be closed and students will have a full snow day. That means no remote learning, which is what they had to do less than a month ago when we had the last storm. So that is certainly very good news for New York City kids who will be able to enjoy the snow.

Going into the evening, conditions are expected to significantly deteriorate. The snow has started to pile up here in Central Park. The wind is picking up and it is very cold. That means it's very dangerous to be outside for extended periods of time. The city increasing resources and outreach to make sure that vulnerable homeless New Yorkers can be brought into shelter.

Now, we are, you know, here in New York. A lot of people are very much over winter, kind of done with the snow, but there were also some who were out here willing to enjoy it. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN: I am so ready to be done. It's not even funny. You know, with our first snowstorm that happened a few weeks ago, my flight to Mexico got completely cancelled. So, I've had enough.

PAZMINO: Yes.

UNKNOWN: You know, now that they're labeling this as like a true blizzard --

PAZMINO: Yes.

UNKNOWN: -- I don't even know what to expect of this.

PAZMINO: Yes.

UNKNOWN: I'm just headed to the gym. I'm not thinking about the cold too much.

PAZMINO: OK.

UNKNOWN: I love the snow, too. So --

PAZMINO: OK.

UNKNOWN: -- beautiful to be outside today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAZMINO (on camera): Now, the city has deployed more than 2,000 pieces of equipment to clean up the snow, 2,600 sanitation workers who are working 12-hour shifts to help with the cleanup. They've also opened up warming centers and deployed warming buses for those vulnerable New Yorkers. And the travel ban expected to lift at noon on Monday when much of the cleanup will begin.

Gloria Pazmino, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: Let's bring in Marc Chenard. He's the senior branch forecaster for the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center. Thank you so much for being with us. This storm has been moving so quickly. I know it has caught a lot of people off guard. Can you talk us through its current intensity in the areas that most at risk right now?

MARC CHENARD, SENIOR BRANCH FORECASTER, NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER: Yes. So, the storm is, at this moment, rapidly intensifying off the Mid-Atlantic coast. And then it's going to move off to the Northeast, off the New England coast.

Yes, so, we're seeing significant snowfall already. That has already occurred from portions of Delaware, New Jersey, New York City, Long Island. That's kind of where it's getting hardest hit now, New Jersey, New York City, Long Island. And then it's going to quickly move into Southern New England. So, Boston hasn't really seen much yet, but that's going to change here shortly as we head into the early morning hours.

So, yes, definitely an impact with system stretching all the way at this point from Delaware up into Massachusetts.

HUNTE: Do you think we're seeing anything unusual with this system compared to the past winter storms we've seen in terms of wind or snow or speed?

CHENARD: It has been a little while since we've -- some of these areas have seen like a true blizzard, so the combination of these very strong winds and the heavy snow. I mean, you go back to like the mid- 2000s, you know, we did have blizzard.

[02:05:00]

So, this will happen. It has just been a while. So, this storm does have that combination, though, of the heavy wet snow and the strong winds. So, that's kind of causing some of these hazardous conditions. It is just that combination of wind gusts, you know, up over 50 miles an hour, and that heavy wet snow.

HUNTE: For people who are in its path tonight and early tomorrow, what is the biggest immediate danger? Is it the roads, the power outages, something else?

CHENARD: It's probably both of those. Yes, travel is going to be nearly impossible as this worst part of this storm moves through. So, right now, the worst of it, like I said, kind of New Jersey, New York City, Long Island, then it's going to get into the Boston area early this morning. So, travel is not recommended. Road conditions will not be good with that heavy -- as heavy -- as the snow will be falling and the winds.

Power outages are also going to be an issue. It's a heavy wet snow. And with those strong winds, we're likely going to have power outages. So, it's likely a combination of that. Shouldn't be traveling. And there is that power outage threat as we go through the morning today.

HUNTE: There has been some talk on social media about how reliable or unreliable the forecasts are actually going to be for the next couple of days. What do think viewers should be paying attention to see if this evolves as is expected to?

CHENARD. Yes. Thus far, it seems to be evolving kind of as expected. We're seeing snowfall totals. Kind of what we were thinking. And there's an additional -- you know, New York City, for example, might see an additional foot of snow. So that would bring totals, kind of right in that one, to two-foot range that we were thinking. Boston still looks on track as well.

Maybe the only thing that we're seeing is some of the Northwest edge. It might be a little bit of a sharper gradient. So, somebody in inland areas could see a little bit less snow. But areas from New Jersey, New York City, Long Island into Southern New England, the storm -- the forecast is on track for the significant snow and strong winds.

HUNTE: How prepared, do you think, cities and states in the storm's path are right now?

CHENARD: Yes, I mean, it's hard to say, for sure. But, I mean, this storm now, this did evolve, you know, if you go back like a week or so, this wasn't necessarily a system that we knew way ahead of time was coming. But we did have several days of, you know, heads up that this was going to be a significant storm. So, you know, we had the watches up, and then that transition to warnings. So, there was, you know, a good heads up that this was going to be a significant system across these areas.

HUNTE: So, what's your final word to our viewers? You got about 30 seconds left.

CHENARD: Yes. So, the worst is yet to come for most of you, especially from Northern New Jersey into Southern New England. The next several hours are going to get bad and it's going to stay bad through the morning. We'll finally see some improvement as we head to later today. It is a quick moving system. By tomorrow, things should be much better.

HUNTE: All right. And just like that, Marc Chenard, thank you so much. We appreciate it.

CHENARD: Thank you.

HUNTE: Onwards, violence has erupted across Mexico following the killing of the country's most wanted drug leader, known as El Mencho, in a military operation on Sunday. You can see fires raging in this resort town on Mexico's Pacific coast. Earlier, an American tourist stranded in Puerto Vallarta described the -- quote -- "scary scene" occurring there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIM BECK, AMERICAN TOURIST: We've been coming down here for almost 20 years. And we've always told people to come down and check it out because you always feel safe here. We've never ever not felt safe. And today was the first day, as we left the hotel to go have breakfast and saw all the craziness going on and the violence and the smoke, that we were actually terrified. And we saw the people running down the streets, running from the flames and stuff and the fire.

And we ran back to the hotel, and then that's when they got the shelter and order place. And we've been here all day. And we're staying at Hotel Eloise (ph), and there's no restaurant or bar or anything here. So, we've all been here without anything all day. And the staff has been great, running and grabbing stuff, and bringing us some snacks and some water and stuff.

But it has been pretty scary. As you can see from the videos and pictures I shared, you know, blocks away is where all of it is happening. And all the OXXOs, they burnt down all of the little OXXOs. So, there has been little fires and stuff all over the city around us where it's normally fun and nice. And people walking around. And all the little local restaurants and all the locals being locked up and hidden with us, too.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: Officials say suspected members of organized crime groups unleashed the wave of violence after the death of El Mencho. He led the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

CNN's Valeria Leon has more for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fire, smoke, and chaos across several Mexican states. Cities brought to a standstill as criminal groups retaliate after Mexico's most wanted drug leader died following a military operation Sunday. Blocked highways, drivers forced out of their cars at gunpoint, trucks and buses set on fire.

[02:09:55]

Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, a former police officer, known to most as 'El Mencho,' was the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, wounded during a Mexican military operation, and later died while being transported to Mexico City.

The U.S. played a role in Sunday's operation, according to U.S. defense officials, though it's unclear to what extent. As fear spread, many Mexicans spoke out, calling for an end to the violence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EUTILBERTO ROJAS, SINALOA RESIDENT (through translator): People are aware of this violence. And what they want is peace, to live in harmony and justice, not in war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEON (voice-over): Blockades were reported across various states. And classes were suspended in at least three states as officials tried to contain the violence and keep civilians off the streets.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CAROLINA GUTIERREZ, SINALOA RESIDENT (through translator): I'm tired of seeing this continue every single day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEON (voice-over): Under El Mencho's command, the cartel expanded rapidly, challenging rivals like the Sinaloa cartel for control of territory and trafficking routes, according to U.S. and Mexican officials.

El Mencho managed to avoid capture for years. His detention and death is one of the most significant blows to organized crime in recent years and the first high-profile operation under President Claudia Sheinbaum.

The fall of El Mencho may mark a major security milestone. But with tourism, foreign investment, and security for the 2026 World Cup at stake, the world is watching how Mexico handles what comes next.

Valeria Leon, CNN, Mexico City.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security says a partial government shutdown and the major winter storm will not stop travel for active federal disaster response. The agency also walked back its decision to suspend TSA's pre-check program. The announcement comes as the DHS carries on operating without funding.

Camila DeChalus has the latest for us from Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAMILA DECHALUS, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, at this point in time, there's still no deal that has been reached in order to end this partial government shutdown. We're still hearing that both Democratic and Republican lawmakers are working behind the scenes in order to try to strike some type of deal that both parties can move forward and pass in order to fund the Department of Homeland Security. But those details are still being ironed out.

Now, we know that this really started, the partial government shutdown, when a few hours before funding for the Department of Homeland Security was going to lapse, Democrats put out their list of reforms that they wanted to see made to several departments and agencies under the Department of Homeland Security.

And Republicans basically responded to it, saying that it was a non- starter. And they said that this list went on too long. And they said that they would only respond and really put out a list of their own concessions that they were willing to make. But Democrats took a look at it and said that it simply was not enough.

And so, they sent a counter proposal back to Republicans in the White House. And at this point in time, we know that that counter proposal was sent on Monday night, and they still haven't heard anything from them yet. And Republican leaders haven't really vocally responded as of that date. And so, this is where things stand.

Now, in the week upcoming, we know that President Trump is expected to make several remarks at his State of the Union address to members of Congress, and they're hoping that he's going to address the elephant in the room, and that is that this partial government shutdown is still continuing and that both sides still have not found any common ground.

But we're hearing that those details are still working out. Democrats want to see the Trump administration and especially these federal agencies held accountable. And they don't like seeing immigration enforcement actions that have taken place in this country. So, they want to see something that change.

And Republicans on their end, they're saying they're willing to make some concessions, but not given to all the demands that Democrats are making. And so, that is something that we're actively monitoring in real time.

But we know that the date of February 27th, when it comes to the hundreds and thousands of federal employees under this department, they're going to start feeling the financial impact of this partial government shutdown.

And that is something that we're hearing from both sides, both Democrats and Republicans, that they want to avoid them. Employees just feeling the financial impact of it. And so, they know that they need to make a deal soon.

Camila DeChalus, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: Still to come, more coverage on the winter storm that is pummeling Northeastern U.S. with heavy snow and brutal winds. Stay with us. Plus, new protests across Tehran ahead of the latest round of nuclear negotiations between the U.S. and Iran. Details of all of that unrest are just ahead. See you in a moment.

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[02:15:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HUNTE: Welcome back. We are tracking a major winter storm in Northeastern United States. More than 40 million people are under blizzard warnings and coastal flood alerts along the East Coast. Parts of New York have already accumulated up to 10 inches of snow in just the past few hours.

The Storm Prediction Center warns that some of the heaviest bands of the storm are producing blizzard conditions and whiteouts, as you're seeing in those images there, yikes, making travel very dangerous, if not altogether impossible. On Tuesday, Ukraine will mark a very grim anniversary. Four years since Russia's full-scale invasion. Four years since this sound became a harrowing part of daily life for Ukrainians.

(SIREN)

Those sirens are still wailing every time Russia launches air strikes on Ukrainian cities. But in the nearly four years since Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has not achieved his war goals and Moscow has suffered staggering losses on the battlefield. But Ukraine is now facing waning support from the country's largest ally, of course, the United States, under the Trump administration.

Iranian students launched a new round of protests as Tehran faces mounting pressure from the U.S. to curb its nuclear program. Protesters held a march at a university campus in Tehran in honor of students killed during anti-government protests a few weeks ago. Demonstrators could be heard chanting -- quote -- "We swear by the blood of our friends, we will stand until the end."

Meanwhile, the U.S. special envoy told Fox News that President Trump is wondering why a deal still hasn't happened.

[02:20:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE WITKOFF, U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY: He's curious as to why they haven't -- I don't want to use the word "capitulated," but why they haven't capitulated.

(LAUGHTER)

Why under this sort of pressure, with the amount of sea power, naval power that we have over there, why they haven't come to us and said, we profess that we don't want a weapon, so here's what we're prepared to do. And yet it's hard to sort of get them to that place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: Iranian and U.S. officials expect a third round of talks will take place in Geneva on Thursday. Meanwhile, Iran's foreign minister says he's optimistic that a diplomatic solution will be reached on Tehran's nuclear program.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABBAS ARAGHCHI, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: And I believe that when we meet, probably this Thursday in Geneva again, we can work on those elements and prepare a good text and come to a fast deal. This is my understanding. I see it quite possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: Aaron David Miller, a former Middle East negotiator for the U.S. State Department, told CNN that the White House's flip-flopping on Iran may have jeopardized its leverage in these negotiations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AARON DAVID MILLER, FORMER STATE DEPARTMENT MIDDLE EAST NEGOTIATOR: If you don't define your objectives, then reality defines them for you. And frankly, we've had no presentation by the administration of exactly what it intends to do, what are the costs, what are the risks.

And I think the president is toggling. One day, it's we're going to -- what? We're going to basically hit them so they come to the negotiating table. And in the months to come, we're going to hit them harder. I mean, that's just not a strategy. It's frustrating, I understand, because this regime, frankly, almost impossible for America, for the United States, to get what it -- get what it wants, either negotiating table or in the battlefield.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: OK. We continue to track this dangerous winter storm as it slams the U.S. eastern coast. After the break, we'll have the latest on the storm and what to expect in the hours ahead. Plus, we are learning more about the man who was shot and killed on the grounds of President Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate. We'll have the latest on the FBI investigation. See you in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:25:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HUNTE: Welcome back. The FBI is investigating after an armed man was shot and killed on the property of President Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. The Secret Service says the man entered the secure perimeter early on Sunday morning. Neither the president nor the first lady were there at the time.

CNN's Julia Benbrook has more details from Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A White House official tells me President Donald Trump was briefed on the incident Sunday morning. It's important to note that both the president and First Lady Melania Trump were here at the White House when this took place. But they do often go to their Mar-a-Lago estate there in Florida. In fact, he has been there a lot in recent weeks.

Now, during a press briefing, the Palm Beach County sheriff, Ric Bradshaw, standing with representatives from the FBI and the Secret Service, outlined what they know, saying that a man around 1:30 a.m. entered the perimeter of Mar-a-Lago, and a deputy and two secret service agents went to investigate. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) RIC BRADSHAW, SHERIFF, PALM BEACH COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: They confronted a white male that was carrying a gas can and a shotgun. He was ordered to drop those two pieces of equipment that he had with him, at which time he put down the gas can, raised the shotgun to a shooting position. At that point in time, the deputy and the two Secret Service agents fired their weapons and neutralized the threat. He is deceased at the scene.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENBROOK: Authorities say this man was in his early 20s, he was from North Carolina, and that he had recently been reported missing by a family member. The FBI is taking the lead on this investigation. They are analyzing. They are also looking into this man's background as well as for a potential motive.

Shortly after news of the incident broke, FBI Director Kash Patel put out a statement. He said this, he said, the FBI is dedicating all necessary resources in the investigation of this morning's incident at President Trump's Mar-a-Lago, where an armed individual was shot and killed after unlawfully entering the perimeter. We will continue working closely with Secret Service as well as our state and federal partners, and we'll provide updates as we are able.

Officials have asked people in the area that if they have any video footage, doorbell footage that looks suspicious and could be related to this, that they reach out to authorities.

Julia Benbrook, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: Well, in the coming hours, E.U. lawmakers will meet to discuss whether to suspend work on a trade deal with the U.S. This all comes after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down President Trump's emergency tariffs on Friday. After that ruling, the Trump administration quickly announced brand-new global tariffs authorized by Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. Other sections in that act are for specific investigations into trade agreement violations.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent tells CNN he believes those investigations could result in higher tariffs, similar to ones we've already seen President Trump use.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT BESSENT, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY: The 122 is likely a five-month bridge during which studies on Section 232 tariffs and Section 301s are done. And I am highly -- I think it's highly likely that those tariffs will rise up and that the 122 could disappear after five months. So, you know, this is more of a bridge than a permanent facility.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: Beijing is also keeping tabs on the U.S. tariff ruling and how it could impact China's interests. Mike Valerio has all the details for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, some of the first takes from commenters across China certainly seems to convey that from their point of view, D.C.'s hand has absolutely been weakened by these emergency tariffs being taken away by the Supreme Court. The White House is certainly trying to counter that train of thought.

But, notably, we have a prominent political pundit, Hu Xijin, writing the following over the weekend. He wrote -- quote -- "Trump has one less card to play while China holds all of the cards." And digging a little deeper into that, what essentially he was trying to get with that statement, get to with that statement, is that while this primary tool, issuing these sweeping tariffs, has certainly been limited by the United States Supreme Court, China's main Trump card of access to a whole suite of rare earth minerals, that is still maintained by Beijing without any kind of restriction.

[02:30:07]

So, the main question that Beijing now is confronting or is confronted by is whether or not the United States is going to try to levy new tariffs in a different way towards China. And what we mean by that is the possibility of U.S. trade authorities saying that a certain Chinese company or Chinese sector could be in potential violation of trade rules and then able to be hit legally with a new set of tariffs by the United States.

So, to that end, let's listen to what the White House says about that part of the equation.

JAMIESON GREER, U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE: We try to resolve the unfair practices we identify. And if they're not resolved, you can take actions like tariffs or other things to try to resolve them. We have tariffs like this already in place on China. We have open investigations already.

VALERIO: Now important to keep in mind is that the United States may not want to rock the boat, so to speak, because president Trump and Chinese Leader Xi Jinping are due to meet here in this town in Beijing in just over a month, with the president landing here on March 31st and meetings with Xi that have to deal with the trade truce happening on April 1st and April 2nd. The last time they met was October of last year in South Korea, hammering out that trade truce.

And speaking of South Korea and Japan for that matter, both of those nations are neighbors here in the region, have trade deals with the United States that were hammered out. Under the threat of that trade cudgel of those tariffs. So, the question also arises, what's going to happen to those trade deals with South Korea and Japan? Even though the Supreme Court has said the authority under which the white house acted to launch those tariffs, the White House was not able to use that authority legally in that sense.

So far, the White House and administration officials are saying these trade deals with South Korea and Japan remain in place, and we have not heard from Tokyo or Seoul that either capital is willing to renegotiate their trade deals, at least at the moment.

Mike Valerio, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR: U.S. President Donald Trump is set to deliver his State of the Union address to a dissatisfied American public on Tuesday. A fresh ABC News and "Washington Post" poll shows his approval rating at 39 percent, with 60 percent disapproving of how he's handling his second term. The last time the President Trump's overall disapproval rating was that high was shortly after the January 6th, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol at the end of his first term.

A significant majority say they disapprove of how the president is handling the economy, tariffs, inflation and relations with other countries.

Earlier, I spoke with CNN's senior political analyst and Bloomberg Opinion columnist Ron Brownstein. I asked him about the President Trump's upcoming address to Congress and the political fallout following the Supreme Court's ruling on global tariffs.

Have a listen to it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: There were a lot of Republicans who privately were hoping that the Supreme Court would do what they were unwilling to do which was essentially say no to President Trump about the tariffs. I mean, we've seen consistently President Trump was elected above all, because people felt that their cost of living was out of control under Joe Biden. And people believe the tariffs are making are compounding rather than alleviating the problem. So, they have been consistently unpopular somewhere in the neighborhood of 60 percent of Americans have consistently said that they oppose the tariffs.

So, there were a lot of Republicans in Congress who were hoping that president Trump, that if the Supreme Court struck down the tariffs, that President Trump would use that moment as a kind of off ramp to move away from the policy. Instead, he has doubled down with this across the board, 15 percent tariff on essentially the entire globe. And you've seen very, very few Republicans in congress being willing to push back. So they're kind of, you know they look they basically lashed themselves to him and unless they are willing to establish more distance. I mean, this is something that could really come back and bite them because this is an idea the American public has simply never warmed to.

HUNTE: I'm still trying to get my head around how President Trump received a ruling, and then immediately slapped tariffs on the world distinct tariffs under a different law. Can you just break down for us what's really going on here? BROWNSTEIN: Yeah. Look, I mean, you know, the I think above all, I

mean one thing that is very consistent about Trump and his second term is that he is looking to expand presidential power in ways that are arbitrary the arbitrary exercise, really, of presidential power in ways that we have never seen. There's been extraordinarily little pushback from congress, virtually none Republicans have essentially kind of written him a blank check.

The Supreme Court has said no a couple of times before on the national federalizing the national guard, for example. But more often than not, through these unsigned emergency docket rulings, they've enabled what he's been trying to do. This is probably, along with the National Guard, the highest profile example of them saying no to him and he is reacting in the way that someone who does not hear know very often, you know, does and it is just a reminder that how intent he is on rolling over what have traditionally been kind of the separation of powers and checks and balances in our constitutional system.

HUNTE: And how things have seemingly always been until now.

With Trump's State of the Union Address coming up, what should we be watching for and what might he be trying to signal to voters and party leaders, or even foreign observers?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, you noted that poll today. Here's why that is significant views of the incumbent president really have been the most powerful force in shaping every off year election during his presidency. In 2018 and 2020, when Trump was in office the first time, exactly 90 percent of people who disapproved of his performance said in the exit polls that they voted Democratic for the House. And in fact, 89 percent or more of people who said they disapproved of his performance voted Democrat -- for the Democrat in every Senate race during his first term, except for one.

Now, obviously, if you got a disapproval rating at 60 percent, and 90 percent of those people are going to vote for the other side that is a pretty ominous prospect for your -- for your party. So really, the question is, does Trump have any kind of reset in him? I mean, the story of his second term is that he has been pushed back really into the core of his base.

I mean, the millions of voters who came to him in 2024 somewhat ambivalently, because they disliked, as I said, their economic experience under Biden and thought that Trump would do better they've been frustrated by both by what he has and has not done.

I mean, he has not achieved as much as they expected on the most important reason they voted for him, which is getting their cost of living under control. And he has pursued a lot of initiatives that they were hoping he would not. In particular, the very aggressive ICE enforcement.

And you see that again in the -- and the tariffs, and you see that again in the polling today. So does he have any message that can reach beyond his core supporters because that is what he is kind of eroding his support down to. And as I say, that is an ominous prospect for Republicans.

If he can't -- you know, if he can't improve from where he is now, then there are people who are going to wake up on election day who we never saw coming, who are going to lose. Now you know, he does have he does have eight more months. He can recover but if he doesn't, it could be a very long night for Republicans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: More than 40 million Americans are under blizzard warnings and coastal flood alerts, with power now knocked out to more than 215,000 utility customers in the mid-Atlantic. Snowfall is ramping up with the heaviest bands potentially dumping up to three inches per hour. The Storm Prediction Center says prolonged whiteouts are expected as wind gusts have now topped 60 miles per hour in some areas.

Parts of the New York metro area have already seen more than a foot of snow, and forecasters say the worst is still yet to come for northern New Jersey to southern New England.

Okay. The Winter Olympics have come to an end after more than two weeks of action-packed competition in Italy. We'll have details on Sunday's closing ceremonies after the break. See you in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:41:50]

HUNTE: Welcome back.

The Olympic flame has now been extinguished, and the Italian cities of Milan and Cortina have bid farewell to the 2026 winter games. One of the last gold medals went to the U.S. in a hard-fought overtime win over its fierce rival, Canada, in the men's hockey final.

CNN's Coy Wire has more for us on Sunday's thrilling showdown.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COY WIRE, CNN WORLD SPORT: For the very last event at these Winter Olympics, we got an overtime classic in the men's hockey gold medal game. Just like the women's final, the USA versus Canada. And just like that women's game, it's the USA coming out in overtime. The Americans withstood a barrage of shots from their neighbors to the north, 42 shots on goal. But Connor Hellebuyck saved 41 of them, setting a new Olympic record for a gold medal game involving NHL players.

And in overtime, it was Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils star, hammering home the game winning goal, laying it all on the line, blood on his face, teeth missing. An American legend is born. First Olympic men's hockey gold for Team USA in 46 years. I caught up with some of the fans who were over the moon.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my goodness gracious me. That was incredible that's all I can say. WIRE: Who was the star of the game for the U.S.?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got to say, the winner, Jack Hughes. Jack Hughes! No one else!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: USA!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Said that the greatest amazing, first time since 1980. Gold medal USA, all the way! Woo!

WIRE: Man, take me through that golden gold moment. What\s going through the mind as you hear the crowd roaring?

TAGE THOMPSON, 2026 U.S. OLYMPIC HOCKEY TEAM GOLD MEDALIST: Oh, it's crazy. I think every kid dreams about that moment going into the intermission after the third. They're just looking around the room, just thinking someone's going to be the hero is a pretty special feeling. Obviously, you know, Jack comes through for us there. You know, makes our dreams become a reality. Being gold medalist.

WIRE: How do you put it into perspective when you think about first gold medal for American men's hockey in 46 years, did that, like, sink in yet?

THOMPSON: No. It's crazy. Every kid grows up watching miracle. You know, every USA hockey player dreams of this moment, and now we're sharing that exact feeling that they had. It's pretty special.

WIRE: So, with that, and with the closing ceremony also on Sunday in Verona, that's a wrap from the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games.

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HUNTE: Joining me now live from Sydney, Australia, is Tracey Holmes, international sports commentator and host of the "Sports Ambassador" podcast.

Tracey, thanks so much for being with me. How are you doing?

TRACEY HOLMES, INTERNATIONAL SPORTS COMMENTATOR: Very good. Thanks, Ben.

HUNTE: Good to see you again. Let's talk about the men's hockey final. It hit 46 years after the Miracle on Ice at the 1980 Winter Games, and it was played in tribute to a U.S. hockey legend who died in 2024. There's a lot going on there.

Were you surprised by the U.S. win?

HOLMES: Look, I think it depends on where your allegiances lie. And it also depends very much on the way you were watching that encounter. And you'd have to say that for much of the back end of the game, it was Canada that had all of the momentum. As we heard in the report, 42 shots on goal, 41 of them. I think

that's correct, 41 from Connor Hellebuyck. That was stopped. I mean, that is a phenomenal performance. And then for Jack Hughes to slam it into the goalmouth and with that, earn the gold medal for the USA is really one of the incredible stories of the Olympic Games. And of course, one that is going to reverberate for many, many years inside the USA. No doubt

HUNTE: So like you said, that Canada did have so many long stretches of control more shots, more pressure, but no real payoff. Do you think that's just sport being brutal or was there something missing?

HOLMES: It's definitely sport being brutal. We also know that around these elements, you know, it's not just the game itself, is it? But it's the pressure that is being applied from everybody back home, no matter which country you're from or which country you support.

And then the spectators in the arena and what the atmosphere is like and many athletes tell you when they walk away with a gold medal that it's -- it has to be a situation where things just have to go right for you in that moment.

And so, even as we saw all the momentum could be going the other way, but something happens and its that tiny little infinitesimal amount that nobody can describe or know when it's coming or not, or when its going to be denied to you. But that is the difference between making Olympic champions or not.

HUNTE: We need to talk about Eileen Gu as well, adding another gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics. What were your thoughts watching her

HOLMES: Oh, look, she's phenomenal. You know, she also was not short on coming forward and saying that she is the most phenomenal free skier of all time at the Olympic Games, because at the last Olympics in Beijing 2022, she competed in three events for two gold and a silver she competed in three events here, and the only woman in those categories to do so, and again, walks away with three medals. That final goal coming in the halfpipe and what a -- what an incredible performance, you know?

She again is one of those athletes that your hairs go up watching her because it's phenomenal and to think that she did a lot of this without as much practice as many people, she couldn't actually get onto the venue to practice because she was competing in those other two events. She was really stretched. But again, its one of those things where when all is on the line, there are those who can come through, and there are others who really feel that pressure. But she manages to channel it into something very positive. And it's worked again.

HUNTE: And then that closing ceremony, it did feel quite surreal at times. Very fashion forward, super Italian vibe. How did it go down internationally? Did people like it?

HOLMES: Look, I think closing ceremonies are really interesting because people always compare them to the opening ceremonies but it's very different because basically when you get to the closing, the athletes are in the mood to party. The volunteers are worn out. The people that put the organizing committee together and just hope that nothing major goes wrong over the two weeks I just relieved. So, it's a really weird dynamic that's at play.

So, it was very Italian as you'd expect, but it was also full of, you know, a lot of praise and thanks for all of those groups that I was talking about. But one of the interesting things with every closing ceremony, not many people realize this, but in the opening, its very formulaic. The way the athletes march in with their country, with their flags, although it was slightly different here, with the opening being spread out amongst the different venues.

But it was a young spectator at the Melbourne Olympics in 1956 who was watching a broadcast on television of the opening, and he said, no, this is not right. It's supposed to be a celebration of the youth of the world, and he wrote a letter to the IOC president and he said, why don't you have this at the closing? Why don't you just let the athletes come in and mingle with each other and really show that this is how the planet can come together and be with each other without having to be segregated.

And that's exactly what happened and it has happened at every closing ceremony since 1956 it was good to see that tradition still follow. And then, of course, the handover to the next winter Olympics, which will be in the French Alps in 2030.

HUNTE: Yes, it will. Tracey Holmes in Sydney, thank you so much for that update. We really appreciate it, as always.

HOLMES: Thanks for having me, Ben.

HUNTE: Thank you.

We will be right back.

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[02:53:29]

HUNTE: A major winter storm is slamming the northeastern U.S. and of course, we're tracking the impact for you all night long you are looking at live pictures from Mystic, Connecticut. This view is courtesy of EarthCam. More than 40 million people are under blizzard warnings across 11 states that at least 215,000 utility customers are without power in the mid-Atlantic states. Forecasters say the worst is yet to come for northern New Jersey to southern New England.

A new study finds climate change is threatening one of the world's most beloved sea animals. Scientists say warming ocean temperatures are disrupting sea turtle reproduction systems.

CNN's Allison Chinchar has the details for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): All over the world, conservationists protect sea turtle eggs from predators, so the babies can survive and make their way to the ocean. But a new long-term study of loggerhead sea turtles found that climate change is presenting new challenges to their survival.

For 17 years, researchers have been tracking individual female loggerhead sea turtles in Cape Verde, home to one of the world's largest loggerhead nesting populations. They found that the warming oceans are causing the turtles to nest earlier and produce fewer eggs.

Fitra Nugraha of London's Queen Mary University is part of that team.

[02:55:00]

FITRA NUGRAHA, QUEEN MARY UNIVERSITY OF LONDON: So, climate change has influenced the nesting timing of the populations and also the inter-nesting intervals within a season, the increasing temperatures may speed up egg development inside the body. Thus, shortening the successive clutches.

CHINCHAR: A clutch is a nest of sea turtle eggs and a female turtle lays multiple clutches throughout a typical season, with ten or more days in between. The earlier arrival of the Cape Verde turtles and shorter time in between clutches tells researchers they have adapted to the warming ocean.

But Nugraha says after a deeper look, a troubling issue emerged.

NUGRAHA: But when we follow individual turtles, picture -- a complex picture emerged. And that tells us that something is happening in the oceans and it is beyond the temperature. It is the ocean productivity that is matters to all of this.

CHINCHAR: The researchers started looking at sea turtle feeding grounds for answers and found a declining trend of chlorophyl in plants and algae over many years. They found that re-nesting intervals lengthened from about two years to four years over the course of their study. When the turtles did return, they laid fewer clutches and fewer eggs per nest.

Cape Verde hosts tens of thousands of nesting female turtles each year, and Nugraha says the future of the species depends on safeguarding their feeding habitats rather than just beach protection.

Allison Chinchar, CNN.

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HUNTE: Okay, that's all I've got for you. Thanks for joining me and the team. I'm Ben Hunte in Atlanta and I will see you next weekend.

Our breaking news coverage continues after this.

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