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Early Start with Rahel Solomon

Witkoff Announces Prisoner Exchange Agreement; The Washington Post Lays Off A Third Of Its Staff; Lindsey Vonn: "I Will Compete" Despite Ruptured ACL. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired February 05, 2026 - 05:30   ET

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

[05:30:00]

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There was a post in the last few minutes from Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy who is mediating these talks in Abu Dhabi, saying that they had agreed -- the two sides -- to exchange 314 prisoners -- the first such exchange he says in five months. And he says that that's proof that sustained diplomatic engagement is delivering tangible results.

I think this is what we sort of have to look for in these talks, right? We're not getting closer, at least in terms of the statements coming out, to a true, lasting peace deal. But Ukraine still cares about these smaller concessions -- these prisoner swaps. Perhaps also, you know, there might be talk of another interim ceasefire regarding energy, something that perhaps more sustained and effective than the previous one. So that is a piece of news coming out of those talks in Abu Dhabi today.

RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN ANCHOR: Clare Sebastian for us there in London. Clare, thank you.

The nuclear weapons treaty between the U.S. and Russia is set to expire today and that's raising fears of another nuclear arms race. Russia says that it's prepared to counter any potential threats in the meantime, though it remains open to talks. The New START Treaty was signed in 2010. It limits the number of long-range nuclear warheads that both countries can deploy.

Russia says that the U.S. has not responded to its proposals to extend the treaty. President Trump has previously brushed off the treaty's expiration, suggesting that a better deal may eventually be done.

Ukraine accuses Russia of trying to manipulate the issue to intimidate with threats of nuclear escalation to weaken support for Ukraine.

The U.S. and Iran, meantime, are expected to hold nuclear talks on Friday. Iran's foreign minister says that he will meet with American envoy Steve Witkoff in Oman. However, Iranian leaders say that the talks must be fair and equitable.

Ahead of that meeting, President Donald Trump had an ominous message for Iran's supreme leader during his interview with NBC News. The U.S. president said that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei should be "very worried." Here's part of his exchange with NBC Tom Llamas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM LLAMAS, NBC NEWS ANCHOR: Should the supreme leader in Iran be worried right now?

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I would say he should be very worried. Yeah, he should be. As you know, they're negotiating with us.

LLAMAS: I know they are, but the protesters have said, you know, where are the Americans. We promised them we would have their back. Do we still have their back?

TRUMP: Well, we've had their back. And look, that country's a mess right now because of us. We went in, we wiped out their nuclear.

LLAMAS: We wiped them out, yeah.

TRUMP: So listen, if we want -- we have (PH) peace in the Middle East.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: President Trump also warned Iran that if it tries to revive its nuclear program at alternate sites after the U.S. strikes in June, "We're going to do bad things to you."

The Trump administration has been weighing another major strike against the Iranian regime. The U.S. carrier strike group is already present in the waters off Iran.

Meantime, an Israeli says that the country has brought forward a security cabinet meeting originally scheduled for next week amid heightened tensions with Iran.

Coming up for us, Jeff Bezos facing criticism after sweeping layoffs at The Washington Post. Coming up, a look at the cuts and how the paper's executive editor is responding straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL)

[05:37:43]

SOLOMON: Welcome back to EARLY START. The time now is 5:37, and this is your business breakout.

Let's start where -- let's start with where U.S. stock futures stand ahead of the opening bell on Wall Street, and futures at this point are set for a mixed open. Dow futures are off slightly. Nasdaq and S&P futures -- the S&P is pretty much flat, but Nasdaq futures look set to open slightly higher.

Let's take a look at some of the other business headlines this morning.

A new report shows that private-sector hiring in the U.S. slumped last month. Payroll processing company ADP says that private employers added just 22,000 jobs. That's about half of what economists had been expecting. The strong industry for job creation was education and health services, but most other sectors saw employment remain the same or even fall.

Pizza Hut says that it is closing hundreds of restaurants across the U.S. The chain has been struggling in a competitive pizza market and recorded another dismal quarter. Its parent company Yum! Brands says that Pizza Hut's U.S. sales dropped three percent in the fourth quarter compared to the same period a year ago.

Meantime, Yum! Brands' other restaurant chains, Taco Bell and KFC -- well, they actually reported fourth quarter sales growth of seven percent and one percent respectively compared to a year ago.

And the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is investigating Nike for possible discrimination against white employees. The agency says that it's looking into claims that may be related to the company's DEI initiatives and has asked Nike for records of pay, layoffs, and mentoring programs. NIKE says that it has already shared thousands of pages of information and is committed to fair employment practices and follows all laws, including those that prohibit discrimination.

Well, from Washington, D.C. to Atlanta, sweeping layoffs are hitting newsrooms as newspapers look to cut costs and push for profitability amid their transition to the digital age. The Atlanta-Journal Constitution says that it is cutting 15 percent of its staff with the headline reading that move is coming "as it continues a digital transformation." The AJC published its final print edition after 157 years just weeks ago.

And the storied Washington Post announcing that it has laid off about one-third of its staff. CNN chief media analyst Brian Stelter has the details.

[05:40:05]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: Hey, there. Yes, Jeff Bezos coming under criticism for his management, or you might say mismanagement of The Washington Post as there were sweeping layoffs at the Post on Wednesday -- the most severe cut that's happened in the 13 years Bezos has been the owner.

Every corner of the newsroom was affected. The metro desk decimated. The book section closing. The sports desk basically shutting down. Many international correspondents laid off. These cuts also affected the business side of the operation. In total, about one in three staffers were let go.

This has to do with Bezos wanting the Post to return to profitability. It has been losing tens of millions of dollars for years now and Bezos wants the Post to be on a sustainable footing. But we've heard from many Post staffers who doubt his approach. They say you can't cut your way to growth. And they're increasingly questioning his motives. In fact, some are now saying maybe he shouldn't be the owner at all. Maybe he should sell the Post.

We heard from the Post union. It's called the Guild. The Guild said in a statement on Wednesday, "If Jeff Bezos is no longer willing to invest in the mission that has defined this paper for generations and serve the millions who depend on Post journalism, then the Post deserves a steward that will."

On Wednesday I got on the phone with Post executive editor Matt Murray. He told me he believes Bezos remains committed to the Post's mission. He said, "I can say from my experience, Jeff is nothing but supportive of getting the house in order and being positioned for growth."

But we're hearing both from journalists inside the Post as well as from ex-staffers who are concerned that Bezos is actually thinking politically, focusing on his business interests and trying to curry favor with President Trump and the Trump administration perhaps to benefit Amazon and Blue Origin, two of the businesses he famously founded.

Bezos has been silent about the Post lately, but former editor Marty Baron spoke out on Wednesday calling what's happened to the Post a case study in "near instant self-inflicted brand destruction."

And former Post fact-checker Glenn Kessler said this week, "Bezos is not trying to save The Washington Post; he's trying to survive Donald Trump."

Editor Matt Murray told me that he rejects that argument and he said, "Our job [at the Post] should be reporting on Trump aggressively without fear or favor, and that's what we're here to do. We're continuing to do that, and our brilliant staff is producing a lot of great work on that front, as you know, because we're breaking a lot of scoops."

And that's true. The Post does break a lot of stories about the Trump administration. But now, in the coming weeks and months, it'll be doing so with many fewer staffers.

Brian Stelter, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOLOMON: Still ahead of us, athletes from around the world are gearing up for the Winter Olympics opening ceremony tomorrow. We will get a live report from Milan straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL)

[05:47:10]

SOLOMON: Welcome back. I'm Rahel Solomon. And here are some of the stories we are watching for you today. "TODAY" show anchor Savannah Guthrie and her siblings have made an emotional plea on social media for the safe return of their mother. The plea came on the same day law enforcement returned to the Tucson area home of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie who is believed to have been abducted. In response to reports of a potential ransom note, Savannah Guthrie said, "We want to hear from you, and we are ready to listen."

President Trump is suggesting that his administration could use a softer approach to immigration enforcement. The president says that he wants federal agents to focus on rounding up and deporting "really bad criminals." He said he is also looking at surging law enforcement in five additional cities.

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff says that the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia have agreed to exchange more than 300 prisoners. They reached the deal on the second day of peace talks in Abu Dhabi. Witkoff says that the negotiations have been detailed and productive, though significant work remains.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are now in Milan for the Winter Olympics. They landed just a short time ago ahead of tomorrow's opening ceremony.

Team USA's first-ever honorary coach -- that would be Snoop Dogg -- joining the torch relay on Wednesday. The Olympic flame passed through several Italian cities before arriving in Monza.

Competition is already underway at the Winter Games with mixed doubles curling, and the women's ice hockey tournament will also begin soon.

Let's go to Milan now and joining us now is CNN's Amanda Davies. Amanda, what's the energy like in Milan right now where all of this is taking place? How does it feel?

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORT: Oh, well, good morning. I'm really, really pleased to say for the first time since we got here on Tuesday the rain has stopped. The sun is shining. I can actually see the mountains and the snow in the distance for the first time. It feels like a properly crisp and cold Winter Olympic day here in Milan.

But the bad news for Lindsey Vonn fans, or it might be good news, depending on how you look at it -- six hours' drive away from here in Cortina where the women's alpine events are taking place the weather conditions actually have meant that the scheduled downhill training session due for this morning has been canceled. So we won't get the update so many people were hoping for on Vonn to see how she's actually really doing after that incredible announcement that she is still going to compete despite the rupture of her ACL on her left knee.

Her head coach, Chris Knight, said yesterday that she's doing box jumps. She's doing everything she can to test it out. But he says he's pretty confident she can still pull off this dream. He's got no doubts in his mind it is all going to be OK.

[05:50:05] An interestingly, the U.S. freestyle skier Landon Wendler has echoed those thoughts. He said he competed a number of times back in December 2024 with the same injury. He said it's very, very painful but it is entirely possible.

So a lot of people with their fingers crossed.

The men's downhill, though -- their training is back underway at Bormio. That's another venue again. And Vonn's U.S. teammate Ryan Cochran-Siegle was fastest yesterday, saying he's taking inspiration from Vonn. He finished ahead of the Swiss favorite and many people's favorite Marco Odermatt.

The Swiss Blade, as he's known, and the home favorite Giovanni Franzoni -- he won the iconic Kitzbuhel race just a week ago.

SOLOMON: And Amanda, the curling is underway and the U.S. women's hockey team starts their campaign with high hopes. What can you tell us?

DAVIES: Yeah. One thing you can always rely on at a Winter Olympics if not the sunshine is curling. It is the only sport with action every single day, but it's a really, really big moment here in Milan.

The women's ice hockey venue because the U.S. start their campaign trying to reclaim that gold. They lost one eight years ago. And four- time Olympian Kendall Coyne Schofield said it is all about the gold medal and a gold medal only as far as the team are concerned. They kick off against Czechia, led by eight players who actually play in that new professional PWHL -- the Professional Women's League that Kendall helped form just a couple of years ago.

Czechia ranked fourth in the world. The U.S. did get the better of them when they met in the semifinals of the World Championships last year. And they're hoping -- the U.S. -- that this is very much going to set the tone for a campaign to break that Canadian dominance. They, of course, have won gold five times since women's ice hockey made its Olympic debut in Nagano in 1998.

SOLOMON: Yeah. I mean, I've got to be honest. The Winter Olympics just really snuck up on me. I mean, my head has been in the snow here in New York. So it's nice to have you there to sort of bring us up to speed with everything that's happening. Also, in that winter wonderland in Milan.

Amanda Davies in Milan. Thank you.

Well, it is a new era at quarterback in this year's Super Bowl. Ahead, the very different paths that Drake Maye and Sam Darnold took to get to the biggest game of their careers.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL)

[05:57:00] SOLOMON: We are just four days away from Super Bowl LX, a game that will feature a changing of the guard at quarterback.

CNN's Andy Scholes has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Well, Super Bowl LX here in the Bay Area may be the beginning of a new era in the NFL. This is just the second Super Bowl in the past 13 years that doesn't have one of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, or Patrick Mahomes playing. Our quarterback matchup this year is Drake Maye versus Sam Darnold.

And Darnold has a story we've never seen before. He was drafted third overall by the Jets in 2018, but he was then cast off as a bust. He actually came here to San Francisco in 2023, and he credits his time backing up Brock Purdy as one of the keys to turning his career around.

Now, no other quarter back has ever gone from bust to leading a team to a Super Bowl title. And when speaking with Darnold's teammates this week they all told me they were so impressed with his journey.

COOPER KUPP, WIDE RECEIVER, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS: For Sam, being able to do what he did and go through the early trials that he did and be able to come back from that, it's impressive. It's really impressive. And it takes a lot of mental fortitude to be able to push through those things and to be here now and do what he's done the last couple of years is -- it's -- there's not many people that have done it.

AJ BARNER, TIGHT END, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS: For any player in the -- in this league, like, you go through ups and downs. You have successes and failures. And to know that a guy like Sam, you know, has weathered the storm and he's playing his best ball right now, I think it's encouraging as a player -- a young player to -- you know, to keep growing, keep learning, and the sky is the limit for any player that sticks to it.

SCHOLES: Maye, meanwhile, had an incredible second season throwing for more than 4,000 yards. And at 23 years old he would become the youngest quarterback to ever win the Super Bowl.

And when speaking with Maye's teammates they told me they are just amazed at the poise and leadership he already possesses.

TREVEYON HENDERSON, RUNNING BACK, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: He's done such a great job of just leading this offense, leading this team, and being a vocal leader. But most importantly, leading by example with the work that he puts in each and every day when he comes to practice. He's always looking to get better and push the guys around him to get better as well.

KAYSHON BOUTTE, WIDE RECEIVER, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: He's always there for us and it's good that a guy like that -- a quarterback. We -- everybody believes in him. We know we're going to find a way at the end of the day. CRAIG WOODSON, SAFETY, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: It's the way he carries himself and just the way that he goes about his work and trying to get better every day. Like, you know, that's something that you can just, you know, look at and be -- try to follow in his footsteps.

SCHOLES: Now, Maye has been with his wife Ann Michael since they were in seventh grade. They were middle school sweethearts. And Ann Michael is a master baker and boy, do the Patriots love when she brings them some goodies.

WILL CAMPBELL, OFFENSIVE TACKLE, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: Other than Drake, I'm the taste-tester. So --

SCHOLES: Yeah? What's your favorite? What's the best thing she cooks?

She made some cookies the other day -- some sour -- or not sourdough -- uh, Snickerdoodle with like cream cheese icing. They were good. She brings to the O-Line room all the time. So honestly, there hadn't been one thing that's been bad.

BEN BROWN, GUARD, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: Drake's brought them into the O-Line room a few times, so they don't last very long in there.

[06:00:00]

SCHOLES: What's the -- what's the best thing you've had?

Uh, I think we had some kind of -- during Christmas it was -- it was almost like a sugar cookie but with, like, peppermint bits in there. And I may have gotten that wrong. I don't know. I just saw it and I ate it, and it was delicious.

SCHOLES: Now, Maye will likely finished second in the MVP voting to Matthew Stafford. But we'll find out Thursday night who is the MVP along with all of the other awards as the NFL holds their annual awards show, NFL Honors, here in San Francisco at 9:00 Eastern.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOLOMON: All right, that'll do it for us here at EARLY START. I'm Rahel Solomon in New York. "CNN THIS MORNING" starts right now.