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Isa Soares Tonight
Outrage Across The U.S. As Tensions Deepen Over The Trump Administration's Immigration Crackdown; U.S. President Welcomes Oil Executives To The White House; Anti-Regime Protests In Iran Intensify As A Nationwide Internet Blackout Continues; A Closer Look At Russia's Oreshnik Ballistic Missile; CNN In Greenland As Concerns Grow Over Trump's Threats; Protesters Defiant Amid Regimes Communication Blackout; Israeli Settlers Beat Elderly, Deaf Palestinian Man In Mob Attack; ICE Agent's Phone Captures Fatal Minneapolis Confrontation; This Sunday, Hollywood Celebrates Best In Film And TV; Controversy Over Wild Card Player At W35 Tennis Tournament. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired January 09, 2026 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
ERICA HILL, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: Thanks so much for joining us this hour, I'm Erica Hill in for Isa Soares. Tonight, outrage across the U.S. as
tensions deepen over the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. We're on the ground in Portland.
This hour, the U.S. President welcoming oil executives to the White House as he seeks to carve up Venezuela's oil reserves. We'll go live to
Washington. Plus, anti-regime protests in Iran intensify as a nationwide internet blackout continues. Now, more than 24 hours in.
That and much more just ahead. And we begin this hour with these two cities on edge here in the United States, following two separate shootings
involving federal agents. Thousands of people nationwide protesting after the death of Renee Good, a mother of three who was shot on Wednesday by an
ICE agent.
Minnesota officials today, once again calling on the FBI to allow local investigators access to the evidence in that case, with some saying they
simply don't trust the feds to investigate this fairly.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR JACOB FREY, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: If you've got nothing to hide from, then don't hide from it. Include local experts in the process. We got
nothing to hide from here. All we want in Minneapolis is justice and the truth.
JASON CHAVEZ, MINNEAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL MEMBER: I am here on behalf of my entire community, echoing the calls to arrest, to prosecute and fire this
ICE agent who murdered Renee Good and to hold those accountable, complicit in this crime.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Homeland Security officials accused Renee Good of trying to run over an agent who they claim fired in self-defense. Minnesota's governor is
calling for a moment of silence, earlier declaring this a day of unity to honor Good's memory. Thousands of kilometers away.
Officials in Oregon are investigating the shooting of a married couple by border patrol agents on Thursday. Federal authorities accused the couple of
being linked to the notorious Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, and say they tried to run over agents who had pulled the couple over.
Nick Watt is in Portland for us with more of those developments. So, Nick, what more do we know about what actually happened in those moments?
NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erica, we have heard from the DHS that they have now named and released photographs of the two suspects here. Now,
there are similarities between Portland and Minneapolis, and there are some pretty stark differences.
So, what we are told by DHS is that this was a targeted traffic stop. They were looking for these two people that they say are involved with Tren de
Aragua as you mentioned. So, apparently, what happened 2:19 yesterday afternoon, they stopped the car, when officers identified themselves,
according to the DHS, the driver of that vehicle weaponized his vehicle and tried to hit one of the officers as he was driving away.
Shots were fired by the agents, the man driving the car was hit in the arm, the woman hit in the chest. So, again, like we're seeing in Minneapolis,
local authorities are saying, OK, sure, that's what the feds say happened. But we've learned, sadly, not to take their word for it.
So, the Oregon officials are also investigating this, and they are investigating this to see if federal agents exceeded their legal authority
in firing on this car as it was driving away and injuring these two people. Now, the two people were told both illegal immigrants from Venezuela came
in '22-'23, connected with this criminal organization.
The woman allegedly involved in a prostitution ring also involved apparently, potentially, in a recent shooting here in Portland, Oregon.
Now, you mentioned protests. There were protests here last night. This is the ICE facility in Portland, which has been magnet for protests over the
past year.
There were protests here last night. There were about a half dozen arrests, mainly because of people standing in the street here, not obeying police
officers when they were told to move. So, we have here in Portland, Oregon, we have these parallel investigations going on.
We have the Fed saying basically, the CBP officers were doing their job. They were targeting illegal immigrants who are criminals and trying to get
them out of the country.
[14:05:00]
Local authorities saying, OK, but did you overstep? Now, local authorities here, the mayor has said, we want ICE out of here. They do not want ICE in
this city. That's what the protests have been about. There's also the issue of the National Guard here.
You know, President Trump claimed Portland was burning down, claimed that incorrectly last year, tried to deploy the National Guard. There were a
number of court challenges that really stopped him doing that. But President Trump said this week, you know, we managed to get crime down to
near zero in Portland.
I mean, it just doesn't make sense because they never really deployed on the streets. They have been stood down, but President Trump says when the
crime ticks up again, as it will, maybe will come back. So, we're going to watch here in Portland as these parallel investigations go on.
And as we look at protests that might develop, which, you know, President Trump might at some point use as a pretext to try and bring federal troops
back into this city. Erica?
HILL: Yes, it's an important point, Nick. And just to dial down on one thing, you talk about these parallel investigations, part of the --
WATT: Yes --
HILL: Concern and the outrage that we're seeing, of course, in Minneapolis, is that local officials aren't being given access to what the
federal officials have --
WATT: Right --
HILL: In terms of their investigation. Are those issues also at play in Portland when it comes to these separate but parallel investigations?
WATT: Unclear, but it seems that there is not quite the tension that there is in Minneapolis between those two investigations. We have not heard from
the local authorities that they are in any way being impeded. But, you know, it's really interesting to see, and it's kind of a reflection of
what's happening in the U.S. at the moment.
The first that the local police here in Portland heard of this, was when this man, this alleged gang member from Venezuela, called 9-1-1 and said,
I've been shot, my wife has been shot. We need help.
That was the first that the police heard about it. The local police gave a press conference last night and said, you know, we don't really know
what's going on. We don't know the details of this incident.
And, you know, for people outside this country, it can be, you know, hard to understand that there is such a separation between --
HILL: Yes --
WATT: Local and state authorities and the federal authorities that they can come into conflict on occasion, as is happening in Minneapolis.
HILL: Yes, we're seeing some siloing, if you will. Nick, really appreciate it. Thank you. Exiled Iranian opposition figure Reza Pahlavi said the hard
line regime plans to use an internet blackout to, quote, "murder protesters". Anti-government protests are gaining momentum and they've
expanded throughout Iran.
A human rights group reporting at least 45 protesters have now been killed, while Iran's state media said the Revolutionary Guard has issued a
statement warning of retaliation. Reza Pahlavi, who is the eldest son of the last Shah of Iran, is also asking President Trump to be prepared to
intervene.
For his part, Trump has already threatened to attack Iran if security forces kill protesters. Today, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
said the U.S. President should focus on his own problems. Nada Bashir reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A stunning show of defiance against the Iranian regime. In Mashhad, the hometown of supreme leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the flag of the Islamic republic is lowered and torn to pieces.
Protesters here have a clear message. They want the regime gone. What began as organized demonstrations in Tehran's bazaars and universities over the
country's dire economic crisis, with inflation soaring, a plummeting currency and everyday items becoming unaffordable, has now become a large
scale protest movement against the Islamic republic.
In this video, protesters are heard chanting death to the dictator. According to the Norway-based Iran human rights NGO, dozens of protesters
including children have been killed since demonstrations began in late December. With state security forces reportedly using live ammunition in
some locations to suppress the protests.
Hundreds more have also been reported injured, and over 2,000 people detained, the NGO added. In a televised address on Friday, Iran's supreme
leader blamed, quote, "agitators" who want to please the American President for the unrest gripping the country.
But video shared online by protesters across the country shows the scale and force of the movement, with protests gaining momentum across more than
a hundred Iranian cities. Roads blocked, filled with crowds of protesters, buildings set alight.
Iran's security forces in one instance targeted in a counterattack. But the country has now been plunged into a total internet and communications
blackout. A tactic often used by the regime to suppress demonstrations, making it more difficult to organize and to share videos, evidence from the
ground.
[14:10:00]
And while we have yet to see the full force of Iran's security apparatus unleashed on protesters, there are fears the blackout could be an indicator
of more violence to come. The threat of a potential U.S. attack, meanwhile, continues to loom large, with U.S. President Donald Trump warning again on
Thursday that if protesters are killed, the U.S. may once again attack Iran.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think they're going to get hit very hard.
BASHIR: Nada Bashir, CNN, in London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Venezuela announcing the start of an exploratory diplomatic process with the United States. The Foreign Ministry says it's aimed at
establishing missions in both countries. This, as the U.S. President tries to articulate a long-term strategy for Venezuela after the ouster of its
leader.
Mr. Trump is meeting with oil executives this hour at the White House, posting on social media today that big oil would invest, according to the
President, at least $100 billion in the country. It's important to note, though, that so far the oil industry has been wary for a range of reasons.
Chief among them security and the rule of law. Mr. Trump also says that he has now canceled what he says was a previously expected second wave of
attacks on Venezuela, citing the acting administration's cooperation with the U.S. Trump touting Venezuela's release of political prisoners, calling
it a gesture of peace.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Tears there. Joyful reunions on Thursday as newly freed detainees embrace their loved ones. A Venezuelan rights group says it has confirmed
now the release of nine political prisoners. Meantime, Venezuela's opposition leader is set to travel to Washington next week, where President
Trump says he looks forward to her visit.
Maria Corina Machado dedicated her Nobel Peace Prize, of course, win to the President last year. CNN's Jeff Zeleny joining us now with more. So, Jeff,
when we look at this as everything is, I guess I wouldn't say falling into place, but we're starting to learn more about what could be coming, of
course. Let's start, if we could, with this meeting that is happening today, this hour for the President.
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Erica, so interesting. The oil executives effectively have been summoned to the White
House so the President can sort of talk through what he sees are the next steps in Venezuela. But as you mentioned before, stability is the key
question on the minds of these -- of these oil executives.
Is the country going to be stable? What is the level of uncertainty here going into this? But what they're worried about is, is effectively being
forced to make some type of an agreement with the President to invest billions of dollars into an unstable Venezuela.
So, that is one of the reasons that the President has not really articulated this. He suggests that the oil is there, you know, and people
are running up to get it. But it's much more complicated than that. And the idea here is that these American oil companies, many of whom are in a
litigation with the Venezuelan government for the last go-around here.
And they believe that their profits and their oil and their equipment might be seized once again, only Chevron, that's the only American oil company is
still actually doing business in Venezuela, all the others are not. So, coming up in the next half hour, these oil executives will be meeting at
the White House with the President to effectively walk through what the next steps are.
But those next steps are very uncertain here in terms of just what the stability or lack of stability is in Venezuela. And as for the second round
of attacks, interesting that the President mentioned he had called it off. It was unclear if this was ever going to happen anyway.
Yes, he did mention last Saturday when he was announcing this operation that it was possible, but there have been no discussions since then. So,
that is largely being viewed here in Washington with a few rolls of the eye. Erica.
HILL: Yes, perhaps some wise skepticism there. Just to follow through on the point of, you know, as you noted, as we've talked so much about, the
concern for many of these oil companies is the lack of security and stability in the country. And the President himself was very clear and has
said multiple times, and I'm actually quoting him here, that he wants to have the big oil companies go in, says they'll fix the infrastructure,
they're going to invest the money.
We want to fix up the oil, fix up the country, bring the country back, then have elections. It's important that he is going to meet with Maria Corina
Machado, but that is the main concern in terms of that security and stability is that, it's unclear what the plan is in terms of whether or not
elections or democracy are actually a priority for the Trump administration in Venezuela.
ZELENY: And they certainly do not seem to be at least the top priority. We've heard the President talk a lot about Venezuela, largely about the
military operation last weekend, and it was an extraordinary military operation. There's no question about that.
But what we've heard less from the President is talking about, OK, what is the plan going forward right now? Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been a
little bit more clear, and he certainly has been in the weeds in this, talking with officials in Venezuela.
[14:15:00]
But that the President has largely avoided the hard conversation here about what immediately comes next with those oil company executives are very wary
of doing this. We're talking a year's long project here, perhaps even more than a decade or so. The Trump administration will not be here by then.
So, what is the sort of risk for these companies, both security and financially, of going in and trying to start refining this oil? It's much
more difficult to refine as well. So, the reality here is the President suggested in a "New York Times" interview when they asked, are you talking
about three months, six months, nine months, a year before there are free and fair elections?
And the President said, I don't know much longer than that. Well, the reality is there's -- that is a lot of time and much more uncertainty. So,
we will see if the oil executives, sort of cave to the President or stand up to him and actually point out the reality of how much uncertainty there
is playing a role in their decisions. Erica --
HILL: Hope to be a fly on the wall for those conversations. Jeff, appreciate it, as always. Thank you.
ZELENY: Sure.
HILL: Still ahead here tonight, more on the protests in Iran. We're going to speak with an expert who says self-inflicted mistakes are really
plaguing the leadership there. Plus, Russia launching one of its most advanced missiles against Ukraine. We'll take a closer look at the
consequences and also European response.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: Our breaking news. CNN has now obtained the video of the -- more video, we should say, of the deadly confrontation between a Minnesota woman
and an ICE agent. So, this is a new perspective for us. We're actually seeing it. This is video from one of the officer's cell phones.
Thirty seven-year-old Renee Good was killed in the incident, of course, on Wednesday. I do want to warn you, you may find some of this video
disturbing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(POLICE SIREN BLARING)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's fine, dude. I'm not mad at you. Show your face. I'm not mad --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's OK, we don't change our plates every morning. Just so you know, it will be the same plate when you come talk to us later.
That's fine. U.S. citizen, former fucking (INAUDIBLE), you want to come at us? You want to come at us? I say go get yourself some lunch, big boy. Go
ahead --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Out of the car. Out of the car! Get out of the fucking car! Get out of the car.
(CAR ENGINE REVVING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[14:20:00]
HILL: CNN chief law enforcement and Intelligence analyst John Miller joins us now. John, you and I both have had the chance to look at that video a
few times. I just want from your perspective, John, what does this tell us? What more information does it add to this encounter, and add I mean, in
addition to all the other angles that we've seen at this point?
JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT & INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: So, that's what it adds. It adds another angle, but it also adds an angle that is as
close as we are going to come to what a body camera would have captured, because these agents in Minneapolis aren't operating with body cameras, but
it does give us much of his point of view perspective.
What I gleaned from the video is, you know, as he comes around the car and he, you know, passes the driver, he's filming her. Then he gets to the
passenger who's out of the car, who we understand is the driver's partner. And they engage in a conversation.
And he circles around the car again. At this point, the other agents have come up on the other side and they're saying, get out of the car. The
partner tries to get back in the car, and at this point, from his point of view, it looks like and sounds like when you have the audio that the car
makes contact with him as he's crossing that driver's side headlight area, you hear a noise.
Now, we're going to have to do some video and audio analysis to hear at what point is that noise separated from the shots which follow almost
immediately. And what is that noise? Is that the phone hitting his leg as he puts it down and raises the gun? Is that the car making contact with
him.
You hear a noise like a groan. The shots are fired, and then you see the car crash.
HILL: Right, And what's important there. And I think we should zero in on for a moment, John, is, as you point out, what we don't see, and what is
not clear from the audio that we have is whether, in fact, it was the vehicle making contact with the officer.
And that's been one of the -- that's been one of the questions, because we've heard -- I mean, we heard a couple of different, frankly, a couple of
different lines from the administration early on. But because of what we've been told. Given that these officers do not wear body cameras, I mean, what
is the chance that there would be further video from that viewpoint? Anything else that could potentially come in?
MILLER: Well, there's video everywhere, and there's always the possibility that some other angle from some ring doorbell camera, from somebody who has
some of this on their phone, who hasn't put it out there, will emerge. But we have the original video we know is basically from behind the car.
We have a higher shot, which is from a longer distance away that shows from the front of the car, but the quality of that video isn't great. This is
from the -- this is from the phone that's being carried by the agent who actually fires the shots. And it is really a 360 degree walk around the
car.
But the critical moment is as he crosses the front, and what you can see from what he can see -- it's not what he can see, what you can see from
what he records on the screen, what his camera can see, that point of view is, you see the car coming at you, you don't see the wheels tilted to the
right, and it does have a sound.
And we might want to play it one more time with the sound, so you can hear that bump that comes right almost simultaneously with the shots.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And it will be the same plate when you come talk to us later.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's fine, U.S. citizen, former fucking (INAUDIBLE), you want to come at us? You want to come at us? I say go get
yourself some lunch, big boy. Go ahead --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Out of the car. Out of the car! Get out of the fucking car. Get out of the car.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) --
(CAR ENGINE REVVING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh --
(GUNFIRE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MILLER: Now, that right there, that sound, that noise, and the shots are mixed up within that same noise. You can hear them rapidly if you listen to
it closely. That is where it appears and sounds like the car is striking the agent.
HILL: Yes, and that is, again, you know, part of more of what they'll be investigating. An important point as we see the woman turning the wheel
there. Certainly a story we're going to continue to stay on top of.
New calls today, we should point out as well, in Minneapolis from local officials, for access to some of the investigative materials that the
federal investigators have in this. So, that playing out as well, John, always appreciate it. Thank you.
MILLER: Thanks.
HILL: And we'll be right back. We're just going to finish with a short break here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:25:00]
HILL: Russia's attacks on Ukraine intensifying with one of its most advanced weapons, Oreshnik ballistic missile. Now, while Russia has not
confirmed where the missile hit, Ukrainian authorities report damage to a critical infrastructure facility in the western city of Lviv, which is of
course, not far from Ukraine's border with NATO member, Poland.
Now, Moscow says the attack is in response to Ukraine's alleged attempt to hit President Vladimir Putin's residence last month. It is a claim that the
CIA has disputed. As Russia continues though, its assault on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, hundreds of thousands across the country of Ukraine
are now without power, including more than half a million people in the Kyiv region.
It's an onslaught that comes amid already freezing temperatures, which are set to worsen in the coming days. The attack on Lviv marks the first time
Russia has unleashed this particular missile though, in more than a year. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh got a closer look at it just weeks after it was used
the last time, and here's more of what he learned.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Russia struck Lviv late Thursday with a rare Oreshnik ballistic missile.
Last January, CNN saw the remains of the first Oreshnik fired at Ukraine. It hit Dnipro in November 2024, killing nobody.
(on camera): Well, these are the remnants of what Ukraine has of a missile that Russia claimed was a huge breakthrough in technology, and that got the
world's attention when it landed around Dnipro in late November. This burned-out remains studied for signs of exactly what Vladimir Putin might
have been referring to when he talked about this Oreshnik missile being a new phase in Russia's ballistic missile program.
They claim that it could get through western air defenses. But the experts we've spoken to here are saying that in the technology they had looked at,
it doesn't seem to be an enormous departure. In fact, they've pointed at some of the components seeming relatively old.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was nothing so terrible about its use. Here's a gyroscope from Oreshnik. Yuri Gagarin flew with one of these.
WALSH: Putin said this is a new phase in their weaponry. Is that not true?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (text): His job is to say something. And we have to listen. The people are listening. We found lamps, Soviet lamps. Old.
Everything is old. And everything is Russian.
[14:30:20]
WALSH: And this they pointed to as well was the thing that seems so different. It's the multi-stage part of the missile. Each one of these
segments dropped off a separate part of the missile that landed targeted around Dnipro. And that's what terrified so many in the night sky to see
these separate projectiles landing over Dnipro. They were carrying conventional payload, but normally something like this could potentially
carry a nuclear device.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Well, as we mentioned earlier, Greenlanders have been plunged into uncertainty as President Trump renews calls for the U.S. to acquire the
Danish territory. Our Nic Robertson is in Greenland where he's been speaking with locals about Trump's comments.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Greenlanders here have woken up to not just the ubiquitous snow, and of course they're used to it.
I mean, just look at their dogs here. They can handle this stuff, the snow, the freezing temperatures. But what they've woken up to as well is
President Donald Trump doubling down on his desire to have and control Greenland. He says that it's not enough just to have the current
arrangement, that it's important to own it, psychologically important to own it. He says he gets more out of it that way. That's a better deal for
him.
So, this is what Greenlanders here have woken up today, an uncertain future, increasingly uncertain. And I was speaking to some Greenlanders a
little earlier today and they said, look, we've heard that Donald Trump wants to offer us $100,000 each per person. This is being reported by
Reuters, $100,000 per person. And they said, look, for some people here, you know, think about the fishermen whose livelihoods are being changed. I
mean, we're looking at snow, right? But climate change, they say, is making the temperature here much warmer. Some of the traditional jobs, the hunting
and fishing, the Inuit, and a large part of the population here do, that's not possible.
This person said to me, look, there are some people for whom that $100,000 is a huge amount of money. And I said, well, would you go for it? And they
said, look, no, we don't want to sell the country even if it's a lot of money. But the reality is all the minerals here in Greenland, they say
that's worth so much more than 57,000 people, $100,000 each.
The message coming back from people here again is this is Greenland. We don't want the United States to have it. We're going to defend it. This is
the message that's coming from Danish and Greenland politicians. Their ambassadors in the U.S. have been on Capitol Hill lobbying lawmakers there
at the European Union. Denmark is putting the issue of Greenland and the United States. Donald Trump's claim to it, putting it on the agenda there
for ambassadors of the E.U. to talk about this isn't going away. Donald Trump isn't making it go away.
And just before we started filming, a man came up to me and said, we're going to defend Greenland. And I said, well, how? America is big. And he
said, look, this is our country. This is for us. We want it this way.
Nic Robertson, CNN, Nuuk, Greenland.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Also joining me now, Pascal Confavreux, a spokesperson at the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and joins me now live from Paris.
It's good to have you with us this hour. I mean, we just heard such important reporting from Nic on the ground there speaking with people in
Greenland. President Macron has signed on, of course, to this statement along with a number of other European leaders stating Greenland belongs to
its people. It is only for Denmark and Greenland to decide, and also noting that European allies are stepping up.
In terms of stepping up, what could that potentially look like? Or is there a chance that there could be troops involved?
PASCAL CONFAVREUX, SPOKESPERSON, FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTRY: Of course, Greenland really belongs to Greenlanders. The president and our minister of
foreign affairs went to Greenland. We even intend to open a consulate in Nuuk soon. For us, it would be actually totally contradictory to American
interests to attack another NATO country. In a way, you have to choose between NATO and Greenland in this part.
HILL: If the choice is between NATO and Greenland, is there a concern that President Trump will choose Greenland and leave the alliance?
CONFAVREUX: Well, the -- for us, we've -- I cannot speak for the Americans, but I mean, the -- in terms of American interests, they already have a very
strong relationship with Denmark and Greenland. They have an access to this active security. They have a military base there. And so, they have to --
we are in full solidarity to the Danish prime minister who say that they have to stop these threats for Greenland.
HILL: Given everything that has been happening over the last week or so involving the United States, I know you've noted that you believe
international law was not respected by the U.S. when it comes to this intervention in Venezuela. President Trump in an interview this week with
the New York Times was asked specifically about whether he needs to respect international law. And he said, "I don't need international law."
He was then pressed on whether his administration should abide by it and he said he does think the administration should, but he went on to say, it
depends on what your definition of international law is. Do you believe that the definition of international law is actually open to
interpretation?
[14:35:38]
CONFAVREUX: There is an international law which is stated by the United Nations Charter and then which is created by the United Nations Security
Council. And it's -- we see this will that comes to the law of the might. We prepare for it because we're not naA_ve, but we want to struggle against
it because if the very states who have a special responsibility to respect the international law because they crafted it 80 years ago with the United
Nations as charter, if they don't respect it, then they will have big consequences in the future. And this is something that we deplore, but it's
something that we try to prepare to.
HILL: Pascal Confavreux, we appreciate your time this afternoon. Thank you.
CONFAVREUX: Thank you.
HILL: State media is reporting that Iran's Revolutionary Guard is now warning of retaliation in the wake of widespread protests. Demonstrations
ramping up across Iran over crippling economic conditions. A human rights group is reporting at least 45 people have been killed. Tehran's prosecutor
said on Friday some protesters could face the death penalty for their actions.
Exiled opposition figure Reza Pahlavi said the regime plans to use the ongoing internet blackout, which has of course been going on now for more
than 24 hours. He claims they plan to use that blackout to kill demonstrators. He, of course, is the son of Iran's last Shah and was 19
when his family was toppled in Iran's 1979 revolution.
Palavi is asking the U.S. president to intervene. Donald Trump for his part has already threatened to attack Iran if security forces kill protesters.
The country's supreme leader saying on Friday the American leader should focus on his own problems.
Ali Vaez is the International Crisis Group's Iran project director and joins us from Geneva this hour. It's good to have you with us. When we look
at where things stand, these are pretty much the largest-scale protests since 2022, since what we saw then. What though is different this time
around in your view?
ALI VAEZ, IRAN PROJECT DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP: Well, these protests are certainly snowballing. What's different about them is the fact
that they really cut across the board in terms of social ranking, in terms of economic situation, in terms of geographic spread. They kind of bring
the majority of the Iranian people together in their demand for the improvement in their economic well-being and demand for fundamental
political change that really amounts to regime change.
HILL: In uniting that, is there enough there to actually amount to regime change?
VAEZ: So, this is the key question because protests in Iran have often been vulnerable to two main elements, fear and fatigue. Fear obviously is a --
is a function of the regime's repression and for now we have seen that the regime has actually decided to bring down the iron fist. The reason they've
shut down the internet is because they don't want us -- they don't want the world to see what they're doing. The supreme leader speech today was very
harsh, so was the speech from the head of the judiciary. And it appears that the regime is going to crack down severely.
And the second problem is often fatigue. And this battle of wills between the state and the society, the society often blinks first.
HILL: How much of an impact is this internet blackout having do you think?
VAEZ: Well, a huge impact. First of all, it makes communication between the protesters so much more difficult. Second, it makes communication with the
outside world so much more difficult. We know that there were literally hundreds of thousands of people on the streets yesterday. But we don't know
how many have been killed and what was the outcome of what's happening right now. Even landlines are not working anymore. So, it's an absolute
blackout which is quite unusual but is also demonstrative of the fact that the regime's leadership is scared.
HILL: Yes, it's scared. And just how seriously do you think the regime is actually taking President Trump's threats?
VAEZ: Well, they have to take President Trump's threats very seriously. He killed General Soleimani, Iran's top general six years ago, and he attacked
Iran, joining Israel and severely degrading Iran's nuclear program just six months ago. This is putting aside what happened in Venezuela. The president
has proven that he's unpredictable and he can take very bold action against Iran. So, I think the Iranian leadership is taking it seriously.
Having said this, if they face an existential threat on the streets, it's not necessarily that different than facing an existential threat from the
United States. And at least having their own streets in their control, I think is what they see as essential for their own survival even if it
invites a U.S. strike.
[14:40:35]
HILL: Ali Vaez, I really appreciate your insight. Thank you.
VAEZ: Pleasure.
HILL: Dozens of Israeli settlers went on a mob attack in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, setting fire to cars beating an elderly deaf Palestinian
man. And I do want to warn you, the video we're about to show you is disturbing. CNN obtained this footage from Deir Sharaf, which shows a group
of masked settlers kicking the bent-over man. He's on his knees and hitting him with clubs. Other video from that same scene shows Palestinians running
for shelter as the mob approached. Now, the owner of a nearby factory says the 67-year-old man did not hear the group approaching and so therefore
wasn't able to flee.
Senior officials from the Palestinian Authority are in Ramla today to meet with the new designated director of the Gaza Board of Peace. Palestinian
Authority Vice President Hussein Al-Sheikh says discussions with Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov focused on transitioning to the second phase of
this U.S.-brokered ceasefire plan.
Now, it follows the new director's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday. Mladenov previously served as the U.N.
Special Envoy for the Middle East Peace Process.
Stay with us. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: We're turning to our breaking news this hour. That stunning video which shows a new angle of the confrontation between a Minnesota woman and
an ICE agent. This video was shot on the officer's cell phone. 37-year-old Renee Good was killed in that incident on Wednesday. And before we show you
the video, I do want to warn you. You may find it disturbing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's fine, dude. I'm not mad at you. Show your face. I'm not mad.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's OK. We don't change our plates every morning. Just so you know, it'll be the same plate when you come talk to us later.
That's fine. U.S. citizen. You want to come at us? You want to come at us? I said, go get yourself some lunch, big boy. Go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get out of the car. Get out of the (BLEEP) car. Get out of the car.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[14:45:12]
HILL: And Whitney Wild joins us now from Minneapolis. Whitney, you've been covering this since basically the very beginning. What more are we hearing
about this video?
WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, we are still processing some of the details surrounding it, but you know, that is going
to be another piece of evidence that investigators are going to look at when they assess the totality of this situation. As far as collecting more
evidence, I mean, more is better to give the complete totality of the situation. And that is something that the Hennepin County Attorney here
feels like is a major impediment for her right now.
The federal law enforcement has said that they are taking over this investigation completely. They will not allow Minnesota investigators to be
involved in this. They so far are not sharing any of the raw evidence. And the county attorney in Hennepin County said that typically when there is a
situation like this and the FBI conducts it exclusively on their own, when they do give a briefing to the Hennepin County investigators, they don't
get to see the raw materials for themselves. They only get to see sort of a high-level conclusion to that.
Here we are outside the Whipple Building. This is in St. Paul, Minnesota. This is a -- just a van driving by. But this is where we've seen law
enforcement clash with protesters multiple times throughout the day. So, let me just kind of walk you through here because you can see how it played
out just by looking at the ground. If you see -- if you look down here, you'll see -- you see this this like little pile of powder. That's what
they're detonating here, basically shooting this at protesters. This is pepper spray or you know, pepper ball. And it smells like the size of a
marble. And there's a bunch of them, a bunch of spots here where you can see they hit the ground.
What we saw a couple of times was law enforcement get pretty close to a protester and basically shoot those pepper balls at their feet. And then
some of them were -- went so far that they went into the parking lot which is you know several dozen yards if not maybe more like a hundred yards away
from where federal law enforcement is.
This situation has changed quite a bit since we've been here. What we've seen so far is more of these concrete barriers put up. So, you see a couple
of examples. I think people are thinking that they can turn into here and they can't now because there's these concrete barriers here. That is the
say -- that is also true at the other end of the facility here where you see federal law enforcement now staging in front of those concrete
barriers. So, these are the measures that federal law enforcement is taking to try to push the crowd back.
Earlier, we saw a scuffle between the protesters and a man who came out saying that he loves ICE and another man with him who was waving the
American flag and they had balloons that were heart-shaped and they were yelling that they loved ICE and seemed pretty intent on engaging with the
crowd. Back to you.
HILL: As you point out, there's been a lot over the last couple of days, of course. I just want to pick up on one thing that you were talking about. I
know we heard from local officials earlier today making that plea again for more information. They had initially been told they would be included in
terms of the investigation, now they're not.
Is there, especially as we're talking with an international audience here, Whitney, is there any sort of recourse for those local investigators, those
local officials? I mean, can they sue for access to that more complete information or are they essentially stuck with, as you put it, those sort
of high-level findings after the fact?
WILD: That is an excellent question. That is something that reporters sort of push the county attorney and the Minnesota attorney general on because
if you know anything about the -- you know, the law enforcement system here, it would stand to reason that they might be able to subpoena or ask
for a federal judge to intervene or even a local judge to intervene and open up an avenue for them to view some of that evidence or maybe even
speak with the ICE officer himself. But it -- when pressed on what they can do, the Hennepin County attorneys stopped short and said I think it's
premature. So, she would not say that she was prepared to enforce her jurisdiction. Which was -- it was interesting because in the press
conference she said make no mistake, we do have jurisdiction here and yet did not describe how she plans to enforce that jurisdiction.
So, we may -- this may just be one of those things that we have to see it play out and see what decisions they make down the line. But in the press
conference today, at this point, she would not again describe how she plans to enforce that jurisdiction. At this point though, they are asking the
public to come forward with any evidence, video, photos, you know, surveillance video that they may have captured on their ring door cameras,
for example. So, they are asking for the public to help them do some kind of investigation, inquiry, probe, whatever you want to call it. Although
they are tempering expectations to say they can't do an investigation that they think would meet Minnesotans standards without access to that raw --
that raw material. Back to you.
HILL: Yes. I know they were noting today too they haven't had access to the vehicle which is also interesting. Whitney, I really appreciate it. Thank
you.
Stay with us. Much more to come right here after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:52:37]
HILL: The stars will be out in full force this Sunday for the 83rd annual Golden Globe Awards, which of course celebrate the top films and TV shows
from 2025. Actress and comedian Nikki Glaser is the host among the nominees. The film One Battle After Another starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
Also, HBO's White Lotus, of course, HBO Max, and CNN share the same parent company. There's also some new podcasting categories this year coming with
a bit of controversy. Among the stars slated to present, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, and Miley Cyrus.
Well, the organizers of a professional women's tennis tournament are going viral for really all the wrong reasons. And that has them now admitting
they made a mistake. One of the players, a 21-year-old Egyptian, lost 6-0, 6-0. She served 20 double faults, won just three points during her 37-
minute debut. The player had applied to enter the tournament hosted by Tennis Kenya as a wild card and was given a space at the last minute after
another player withdrew.
CNN's Christina Macfarlane joining me now. So, there is -- there is some upset I guess we could say to put it mildly. We've covered a lot of tennis.
You've interviewed some of the world's best tennis players. I've watched a lot of tennis. This is sort of remarkable. How did it happen?
CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN SENIOR SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I think I've covered tennis for a decade. I've been to lots of Grand Slams, but even,
you know, mid and lower-level tennis tournaments as well. And I have never seen something like this before. And I think that's pretty much been the
reaction from millions of people around the world because, of course, as you said, this has gone viral.
The player in question is actually 21-year-old Egyptian Hajar Abdelkader. This seems, as you say -- let's put the video up so our viewers can see
what we're talking about here. It seems to have been her professional debut, but as many people have said, she doesn't really seem to have the
grasps of basic tennis here. At one point during this video, she actually has to ask the umpire where to stand to serve. Not many of her serves went
over the net.
And as you say, I mean, she had 20 unforced -- sorry, she had 20 double faults. This whole match took 37 excruciating minutes. But the really
strange thing about this, Erica, is no one really seems to know how she got into this tournament. The Egyptian Tennis Federation said she isn't
registered with them. And it was Tennis Kenya who granted her this wild card into the tournament. They said in a statement in response to this that
the slot became available following a short-notice withdrawal from the originally awarded main draw wild card recipient.
In hindsight though they acknowledge that this wild card should not have been granted. And as you say, I mean, obviously this has been met with
ridicule but some degree of anger as well because, you know, these lower- level tournaments are really important for aspiring professional tennis players. And of course, she might have taken the spot of someone who really
needed to be in this tournament. The pot -- the win for this tournament was actually $25,000.
[14:55:36]
HILL: Wow. Is she speaking out at all?
MACFARLANE: She is, as far as I'm aware, has not yet been traced and there is nothing on social media. I've been looking all over today. And yes, she
has said nothing. And they have, of course, the website the ITF have actually taken this Tennis tournament down now because of all the fierce
reaction to it. But look, I mean, if nothing else, it serves to make us all feel a little bit better than about our own tennis, I think.
HILL: It's true. I hate to say it, but it's true. I don't feel so bad about mine anymore. Christina, thank you.
It does raise -- it does though, as you point out, I mean, this is such -- so important for those aspiring in their professional tennis career. Lot of
questions. Lot of questions. Good to see you. Thank you.
MACFARLANE: Thank you.
Thanks to all of you for joining me this hour. Be sure to stay with CNN. "WHAT WE KNOW" with Christina Macfarlane is up next.
END
