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Isa Soares Tonight
Law Enforcement Officials Say They Believe Nancy Guthrie is Still Out There; Rage in Europe Grows As the Epstein Files Continue to Reveal Just How Far Epstein's Influence Really Stretched; Bad Bunny in the Spotlight Again Ahead of His Super Bowl Performance. FBI: One Person Arrested in Connection with Fake Ransom Demand; Bad Bunny Speaks Ahead of Sunday's Super Bowl Halftime Show; Imane Khelif Open to Genetic Testing by Olympic Committee. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired February 05, 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]
ISA SOARES, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, law enforcement officials say they
believe Nancy Guthrie is still out there. We'll have the latest from the search for the 84-year-old and her daughter's heartfelt plea for her safe
return.
Plus, growing rage in Europe as the Epstein files continue to reveal just how far the convicted sex offender's influence really stretched. And after
his searing rebuke of ICE at the Grammys, Bad Bunny is in the spotlight once again ahead of his Super Bowl performance.
A report from that news conference in just a moment. But first, tonight, the fallout over the Epstein files in Europe is deepening by the hour, but
not across the Atlantic, where the scandal first began, if you remember. Here in the U.K., the government is rocking -- is rock -- has been rocked
to its core.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is fighting for his political life after acknowledging he tapped Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the U.S. That is
despite knowing about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. Mandelson is now under criminal investigation for allegedly passing government information
to the late sex offender. Today, Mr. Starmer apologized to the Epstein victims. Have a listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEIR STARMER, PRIME MINISTER, UNITED KINGDOM: I am sorry. Sorry for what was done to you. Sorry that so many people with power failed you. Sorry for
having believed Mandelson's lies and appointed him. And sorry that even now, you're forced to watch this story unfold in public once again.
But I also want to say this. In this country, we will not look away. We will not shrug our shoulders, and we will not allow the powerful to treat
justice as optional.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: In the U.S., meanwhile, President Donald Trump has been spared critical scrutiny despite being repeatedly mentioned in the files. He faces
no summons to testify about the newly disclosed unverified sexual assault claims against him, and his Justice Department has no plans to release the
millions of Epstein documents that it still holds.
Mr. Trump denies wrongdoing and considers the case closed. Let's get more on both these strands. I'm joined now by Stephen Collinson in Washington,
who has explored this. And Stephen, you and I were talking about this, what, 48 hours ago? Because this is something that I keep hearing here in
the U.K.
So, just help us kind of understand and make sense of why the Epstein files and the release of the files thus far is causing more uproar here than the
U.S., because, you know, worth reminding viewers. We had that apology from Prime Minister Starmer, but he's not named in any of these files, whereas
President Trump has been named over a 1,000 times.
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: That's right. And just watching that apology from the Prime Minister there, obviously, he's doing
it for political reasons, but that level of sincerity towards the victims is something we've never heard from the President.
He's talked about how the Epstein file is a hoax, the entire Epstein affair is a hoax. That it's a conspiracy against him. So, the kind of level of
attention and potential for justice that victims are getting in the U.K. is completely different from that in the United States.
The two miserable days that Starmer has gone through, taking heat from all sides, have no real comparable here. I was just listening to Josh Hawley,
who is a Republican senator from Missouri, and he was being asked whether Trump should now go to the congressional committee, which is ostensibly
investigating this issue now that President Bill Clinton has agreed to testify.
And Hawley said, well, no, Trump talks about this all the time in public. We all know what he was going to say. Our colleague Manu Raju then asked
him, well, the testimony would be under oath. Isn't that important? And Hawley said, well, no, he says the same thing in public as he says in
private.
So, there is absolutely no level of pressure from the Republican Congress for Trump to do more to get to the bottom of this Epstein issue.
[14:05:00]
And, of course, the Justice Department, which is releasing these files and holding back, as you said, another 3 million of them is completely
controlled by Trump. The deputy Attorney General who is running this case, he's Trump's former lawyer, Todd Blanche --
SOARES: Yes. And just to remind viewers what we heard from Todd Blanche, I think it was on Sunday, he said, there's a lot of correspondence, there's a
lot of e-mail, there are a lot of photographs. But that doesn't allow us necessarily to prosecute somebody.
And then what? Twenty four hours ago, in that comment that he made to our colleague, that we should not repeat it, it was so incredibly misogynistic.
The President went on to say, you know, that we need to move on from the Epstein files. I wonder whether Americans -- putting the politicians aside,
whether Americans are prepared to move on.
Do they trust the DOJ, given, of course, the connections that you just highlighted there, because many of the Epstein survivors clearly don't.
COLLINSON: I don't think if you look at the polling, you can argue that Americans trust the DOJ, that they're happy with the way this has all
unfolded. Yet, at the same time, is it something that could break Trump's political project? Could it, severely damage his presidency?
There's no sense in which the kind of existential threat that Starmer is facing over this is repeated in the United States. I think one reason is
because we're so polarized over here, even over an issue like the Epstein files, with the plight of some of these survivors and what they've gone
through.
And there, you know, with Trump, there are so many tempests and political storms --
SOARES: Yes --
COLLINSON: Every week. There's probably three or four issues that are even more controversial this week alone over elections or over his foreign
policy, which are even more controversial than the Epstein files.
So, it's almost like he drowns the zone with controversy, and no one can really grapple with either of the -- or any of these issues or understand
the magnitude. And I think, therefore, their political effect is somewhat mitigated.
SOARES: Yes, and this flooding the zone is something that we have seen before from this administration, right? There are so many issues going on
that politicians, I'm guessing on both sides of the aisle, have their attention divided. So, it is stunning for many commentators, Stephen, here
in the U.K.
And across Europe now, as this continues to reverberate, that they say, you know, they're saying that many of the names from the United States are not
coming to light, whereas the rest of Europe is really feeling the impact of this.
COLLINSON: Yes, and I think that we have seen a little bit this week, Bill Gates --
SOARES: Yes --
COLLINSON: Was pressured to talk about some of what the e-mails said about him. And he, of course, once again said he had done nothing wrong. And --
but he did regret dealing with Epstein. There was the head of a big law firm that was forced to step down from his position last night because he
was corresponding with Epstein right up to 2019, the year that he killed himself in jail.
So, as the lack of government accountability becomes clearer, I think some of the media coverage is putting the focus on these people who are named
and asking the question, well, how is it possible that no one knew what Jeffrey Epstein was really like, especially since he went to jail, and
emerged from a jail in Florida in 2009, and then reconstituted many of these networks of the rich and famous. So, I don't think this is going to
end. I think when the Clintons go up to Capitol Hill at the end of --
SOARES: Yes --
COLLINSON: The month, that is going to be another pressure point. But, really for real scrutiny, I think it may end up having to wait in the event
that the Democrats win the House or the Senate in the Midterm elections in November, that may be the best hope of meaningful oversight in the United
States of the kind that you're seeing in the U.K. right now.
SOARES: And I'm guessing many will hope within, you know, within administration, probably hoping that people will have forgotten about it by
then. Stephen, appreciate it --
COLLINSON: Right --
SOARES: Thank you very much indeed. Bring you up to date with some of the breaking news that we have been following here, we will bring you a press
conference in the last what? Twenty minutes or so from the sheriff in Pima County in Arizona. He said that Nancy Guthrie is still out there.
Those are the words he actually used. That was a hopeful message from him about the disappearance of the mother of "NBC" "Today" show anchor, you see
her there, Savannah Guthrie. Law enforcement is still asking for help as the search now enters its fifth day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS NANOS, SHERIFF, PIMA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: At this time, we have not identified a suspect or a person of interest in this case. We are
working our best to do that. But to be clear, we have nobody of interest or any suspects that you would consider a prime suspect. We're just not there.
We're not there yet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[14:10:00]
SOARES: Where the 84-year-old was taken from her home early Sunday morning. The sheriff just confirmed that blood found outside her home was
in fact, Nancy Guthrie's blood, and I believe that was found on the porch. He also explained when a suspect may have been detected by the home
cameras. This was a bit. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NANOS: Sunday morning, early morning, at 1:47 a.m., the doorbell camera disconnects. At 2:12 a.m., software detects a person on a camera, but
there's no video available. They had no subscription, and therefore it would rewrite itself. Kind of -- it just kind of loops right and covers up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: We also heard from the sheriff, by the way, that there's a $50,000 reward for further information. He said this is a large and complex
investigation, new leads, he said, are coming in. But he also said we have nobody of interest, not there yet. So, we do not have any suspects.
And he added, there has been no proof of life. We'll get more, of course, and bring you much more on this search from the sheriff in just a moment
when we speak to one of our experts. We're going to leave that for just a moment and turn to Washington, because Donald Trump admits the tactics used
by federal immigration agents in Minnesota may have been too extreme.
In an interview with "NBC News", he said that he personally ordered Homeland Security to reduce the number of agents deployed to Minnesota by
700. He said he hates talking about ICE all the time, but said the immigration crackdown is totally focused on deporting criminals. He
admitted the operation could use, quote, "a softer touch".
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President, speaking of Minneapolis, what did you learn?
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I learned that maybe we can use a little bit of a softer touch, but you still have to be tough. These
are criminals. We're dealing with really hard criminals. But look, I've called the people. I've called the governor, I've called the mayor, spoke
to them, had great conversations with him. And then I see them ranting and raving out there, literally, as though a call wasn't made.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Let's get more from our Kevin Liptak in Washington. So, Kevin, give us a sense of what else the President had to say or any acknowledgment
by ICE of some of these tactics.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, and just to point out, it's extraordinarily rare to hear the President acknowledge any sort
of mistake. You know, this is --
SOARES: Yes --
LIPTAK: Someone whose entire political project, I think, is sort of built on doubling down and retrenching in his viewpoints. And so, just that sort
of very brief suggestion that he could have used a softer touch in Minneapolis, I think is significant. And when you listen to Tom Homan; who
is the border czar who the President dispatched to Minneapolis to try and lower some of the tensions there amid these scenes of chaos and scenes of
protest, you do detect a difference in how they're going about all of this.
You know, they're reducing the number of agents there by 700, to be sure, 2,000 will remain there. That's still a significant number. And it's more
than the Democratic leaders in the state want to see. Well, the way Homan puts it is that they were able to do this because they're getting more
cooperation from some of the counties there.
The counties have decided to allow ICE agents to go into jails to apprehend undocumented immigrants, who essentially they are looking for. That's
something that the administration had been pushing for, for quite some time. The way Homan put it was that it would be, quote, "smart law
enforcement, not less law enforcement."
He also described a sort of re-organization of ICE and CBP, sort of funneling them up into the same chain of command to essentially sort of
streamline operations in that city. So, Homan, I think certainly trying to make the point that they are still working to carry out this mass
deportation agenda that, of course, the President ran on in 2024 as a candidate that had been a major part of his political proposition to the
American people.
But I think in listening to the President there, it's clear that he recognizes that these scenes that have been taking place in Minneapolis had
started to become, you know, an enormous problem for him politically. And you've seen this entire issue of immigration kind of flip, you know, this
was a very strong point for him politically.
And it has sort of gone in the complete opposite direction to now becoming a major vulnerability. And so, when he says that he thinks he could have
used a softer touch, it is quite a rare recognition by him, and on his part that he may have made some sort of error in judgment in how he was carrying
all of this out.
Now, when you listen to Tim Walz and Jacob Frey, the governor of Minnesota and the mayor of Minneapolis, they say that they want to see this go much
further.
[14:15:00]
They want to see all of the agents leave Minneapolis. They also say that they want more participation in the state level investigations into the
killing of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. You know, the state has essentially been iced out of the federal investigation, and they want more evidence-
sharing on that front.
And so, even, as the President says that they're changing some of their approach here, it certainly seems clear that, that is not going to be
enough to satisfy some of the critics of all of this.
SOARES: Very briefly, do we know whether the administration has reached out to the family of Alex Pretti and Renee Good? I mean, he was talking
about the softer touch. I haven't heard the full interview. I'm not sure whether he was asked about this.
LIPTAK: In the past, the President has said that he has not spoken to those individuals. When he's talking about Renee Good, the thing he
constantly comes back to is having heard from someone that her family are supporters of his. That they're Trump supporters, that they were of the
MAGA movement, which I think gives you a sense of how the President is approaching all of this.
He has essentially said that, that made him feel even worse about her killing than he ordinarily would have. But there is no suggestion yet that
he has spoken to members directly of either of their families.
SOARES: Thanks for clarifying that, Kevin. Good to see you, thanks very much. Negotiators from Russia, Ukraine and the U.S. say they will meet
again soon. That's after they wrapped up two days of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi. Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the next
meeting will be held in the near future.
His chief of staff called this week's negotiations truly constructive. The U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff says Kyiv and Moscow each returned 157
prisoners of war to the other side. It is the first prisoner swap since last October. Meantime, Ukraine's Defense Minister says Elon Musk's
Starlink satellite internet terminals used by Russia have been cut off.
Kyiv claims the move is leaving some Russian forces on the frontlines without the ability to communicate. For more now on the Russian
perspective, here's the very latest from our Fred Pleitgen in Moscow.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Well, it seems as though the talks as Steve Witkoff, the U.S. envoy put it,
seem to have been constructive. And that's certainly something that we're hearing from the Russian side and from the Ukrainian side as well.
In fact, Kyrylo Budanov, who is of course, the head of the presidential administration of Ukraine, he came out and said that they were
extraordinarily constructive, as he put it. The Russians, for their side, also said that there had been movement on the talks.
However, those comments came from Kirill Dmitriev, who is the chief Russian negotiator ahead of that round of talks that happened today. It was quite
interesting to hear that Steve Witkoff also said that there had been some progress made on key issues, but he also said that difficult issues still
remain.
And one of the things that appears to have happened in this round of talks is that, first of all, they went into a trilateral meeting, which is sort
of a large meeting with the U.S., Russian and Ukrainian delegations, but then also tried to compartmentalize things into working groups to try and
work through some of those very difficult issues.
Of course, what we've been hearing from both the U.S. and the Ukrainian side is that territorial concessions that Ukraine might have to make as
part of any sort of peace agreement are still something that's very difficult for the Russian side.
Of course, they also say that they certainly want to have all of the Donetsk region of Ukraine as part of any peace agreement. Those are still
some of the very difficult things to work through.
The U.S. side has said that at the same time as this is going on, the atmosphere is still very constructive, and certainly, that prisoner swap
that happened today, they say, is also something that's a direct tangible result of these negotiations and the constructive atmosphere that they're
in.
Again, 314 prisoners being exchanged, the Ukrainian side saying that 139 of the prisoners that they received now had been in custody in the Russian
federation since 2022. So, certainly a large step for the Ukrainians. It sort of sets the tone.
And one of the things that we picked up on is that Volodymyr Zelenskyy; the President of Ukraine, he also came out and said that they want to continue
this momentum that has now started and want to have the next round of talks to happen as soon as possible.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: That's Fred Pleitgen reporting there from Moscow. Well, there are fears of a dangerous new arms race involving the world's two military
superpowers after the last remaining nuclear treaty between the U.S. and Russia expired today.
For the first time in more than 50 years, there are no limits on the size of nuclear arsenals for the two countries. Moscow and Washington did agree
to resume high level military communication, though nearly five years after those open channels were suspended.
Recently, U.S. President Donald Trump said any new arms agreement should be -- should also include China, an idea Beijing does not appear to be on
board with. We're going to take a short break, but we'll see you, of course, on the other side.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:20:00]
SOARES: I want to bring you more now on one of the top stories I was talking to you in the last 20 minutes or so. We had been hearing from the
sheriff of Pima County in Arizona, who says the FBI -- there have been no proof of life and no follow-up communication connected to the possible
ransom letters linked to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, as you can see there on your screen.
She is the 84-year-old mother of a prominent U.S. news anchor, Savannah Guthrie. The search for Nancy is -- Guthrie is now in its fifth day. The
Guthrie family has spoken directly to the potential kidnapper. They ask for a safe return as well as proof of life. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, DAUGHTER OF NANCY GUTHRIE: We too have heard the reports about a ransom letter in the media. As a family, we are doing everything
that we can. We are ready to talk. However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated. We need to know without a doubt that she
is alive and that you have her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: A family there hurting deeply, as you can imagine. Let's get more from our chief law enforcement analyst, John Miller, who joins us now.
John, I know you were listening in to the sheriff in Pima County, Arizona, with five days in, and I heard from him.
There is -- they don't have any suspects, but there has been, and there has been no proof of life. Your takeaways from what we've heard.
JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, a lot of information has just been given to us through that press conference. Authorities very
forthcoming. One of the things we learned is that there was blood on the steps outside the front door, that DNA tests show that blood belonged to
Nancy Guthrie.
That is suggestive, at least, that in some struggle, perhaps while being abducted, she may have been injured. We also learned that a camera was
removed from that same front door, taken off its bracket. One of these ring doorbell-type cameras which might have been useful in recording or
capturing an image of the abductor.
We also got a better sense of the timeline, and these are the significant hits. She is at 2:12 a.m., the camera system detects a person moving around
the property. At 2:28 a.m., the pacemaker that she has that communicates with her cell phone is separated from the cell phone.
[14:25:00]
So, if that is when a person was detected and when her phone was left behind after she was removed with her pacemaker from the property, it
suggests that whoever did this may have been on the ground in the house just 16 minutes before leaving with Nancy Guthrie.
We also know that a ransom note that they're looking at, and that they are trying to determine whether or not it is genuine, contains certain
information about the house that only somebody who was in there during this abduction might have known.
That sets a deadline of tonight at 5 O'clock, presumably for a first payment, and a second deadline of Monday. So, we're at a very critical
stage here.
SOARES: Two questions really on both of those points, because I was listening to the press conference as well. They said the software detects a
person, no camera, there's no video available. That was at 2:20 a.m. Do we know why there was no video? Was that disconnected? Just explain that.
Because I -- when he said --
MILLER: Sure --
SOARES: Talked about the software detecting a person on camera, but no video, that wasn't very clear to me.
MILLER: Right, and that has to do with these different services, whether it's ring doorbell camera or a nest camera, inside, outside, there are
various kinds of subscriptions for these. Some subscriptions say the cameras will be on if you are out and you want to dial into them and look
around the house while you're not there, you can access those cameras.
Other subscriptions say those cameras will record for various periods 24, 48 hours, and if you get an alert of movement in the house or a person, you
can rewind and see what that is. Apparently, according to the FBI, this was not that type of subscription that came with recording.
And what the sheriff told us is they've been working with the various companies saying, well, do you have any way of retrieving video from --
SOARES: Yes --
MILLER: That kind of subscription? And the answer, it turns out is, they say they don't.
SOARES: So, you said 2:20, what we heard from the sheriff, 2:20 a.m. of course, that was the software detecting a person, 2:28, that was the
pacemaker. Is there -- was there any sign -- in those 18 minutes, was there any sign of forced entry into the property, John?
MILLER: So, the sheriff was definitive on -- he doesn't know where those reports of forced entry came from. But he was also clear that he wasn't
going to confirm or deny them. Meaning, what they're trying to do is, they're trying to preserve certain information so that in any further
communications with the person behind the ransom note or any other people claiming to be the kidnappers, they'll be able to elicit those kinds of
details without knowing that it was out there with certainty in the public.
SOARES: Let's talk about that ransom letter. There was so much prior to this, and there was a ransom -- this was the ransom letter that was sent to
the media, I think that's what the sheriff said. The question of what they will be looking for, the verification, all that process. Just talk us
through that.
MILLER: So, what you want ultimately is a proof of life. Meaning you're demanding payment and you're demanding it in, you know, in cryptocurrency,
through the internet. Before any payment, you have to show us that you have Nancy Guthrie, that you are the people who has the victim.
So, that could be in the form of the best case. We want to talk to her. Put her on a phone call from some encrypted line or however you want to do it.
We want to be able to ask her things and have her answer things so we know it's her and not some A.I. recording that was created from interviews that
she did with her daughter on the -- you know, that were gleaned from the internet.
The second best thing is control questions, which is if you really have her, ask her this. What was the name of her puppy dog in the fourth grade?
Who was her favorite teacher in high school? The kinds of things that only she and the family would know. So far, they have none of that.
SOARES: Yes, and as we -- as we try, as they piece all together, as we try to make sense of it, and now we have the timeline. What are the big
standout big hole that you have at the moment in terms of -- in terms of inquiry for the FBI and the sheriff here, John?
MILLER: Well, the big gap right here is, are we dealing with the kidnappers or are we dealing with someone hiding behind an encrypted e-mail
chain demanding money through another encrypted chain? Because one person has already been arrested as an impostor --
SOARES: Yes --
MILLER: Demanding ransom. And we're going to learn more about that shortly. This letter contains certain details that have leaked out since
then, some details that had not leaked out at the time, that the e-mail was received, and a couple of things that are accurate that could have been
guessed.
But also could be actual observations from someone who was there. So, that's why it's important that they verify this before they do something
like send a lot of money to somebody who is another imposter.
SOARES: And the question of money is something I was discussing with my colleague, Max Foster, just upstairs. Who decides, is that the family
decides where to give that money in the US? How does that work?
MILLER: That's a family decision. The FBI is never going to, the government is never going to pay a ransom. The FBI is never going to tell
someone that they should or shouldn't pay a ransom. That is obviously a highly personal decision, but they said during the press conference, that
is up to the family.
SOARES: John, really appreciate for laying it all out for us and our thoughts and prayers, of course, are with Nancy and the family and the
Guthrie family. Thank you very much, John. We're going to take a short break. See you on the other side.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Well, the Super Bowl is set for Sunday, but the spotlight is never just on the game. It's on the halftime show, too, and its headliner this
year, Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny, has become a flashpoint, angering President Trump and his MAGA base. Bad Bunny is condemning the
administration's immigration crackdown, and he'll sing in Spanish at America's biggest sporting event. The NFL has staunchly defended its
decision to have him perform, citing his global fame.
Last week at the Grammys, Bad Bunny made history, marking the first time an all-Spanish album won Album of the Year, and he got a standing ovation,
too. Speaking at NFL pregame event earlier, he talked about returning to his Puerto Rican roots and paying tribute to the island's history.
Let's get more from CNN Espanol's Elizabeth Perez, who's in San Francisco, and just heard Bad Bunny speak at this Apple Music event.
[14:35:00]
Elizabeth, great to see you. I listened to a portion of it. What I was waiting to hear, or to be asked, was about, really, the elephant in the
room, and his comments at the Grammys regarding ICE, when he said, ICE out. Was that asked? Did he address this?
ELIZABETH PEREZ, CNN E SPORTS ANCHOR: Well, hello, Isa. It's a pleasure to be with you. Yes, everybody, I think, we were waiting to see if he could,
like, talk a little bit more about that. He avoided. He tried to make this press conference about music, about happiness, about all the expectations
people have for Sunday's halftime show, and he avoided the topic.
He -- I think he's a very genuine person, talking about his connection with his roots and his music, and that he wants to bring happiness to everybody
through what he brings to the world, which is music, and he left that out, but we cannot forget that on Sunday, he won three Grammys, and actually,
the last one was historical, because it was the first time a Latin singer wins the album of the year for an album totally in Spanish, as you said,
and when he was receiving the second award for urban music, he said that. He said, ICE out. We are not animals. We are not savages. We are human
beings.
And in this moment, he didn't say anything, but I think that sets the tone for what we can expect on Sunday. Maybe he will do a reference through
music. Maybe he will surprise people, but what we know is that he is ready. He is committed to do a spectacular show.
We know that the Super Bowl, since it started in 1967, it was, like, very little, but then Michael Jackson changed everything, and this year, having
Bad Bunny as the solo Latin performer marks, like, history, because even though in the past we have had Gloria Estefan, we had Shakira, Jennifer
Lopez, this is the first time a singer, a male singer, is going to perform alone in Spanish, and he might have guests, but he is the protagonist of
the halftime show, Isa.
SOARES: Yes, and as you were talking, I know from my team telling me in my ear that Caroline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, Elizabeth, was
asked who -- what TV, what channel the U.S. will have -- the U.S. administration would have on on Sunday, whether it would be, of course, Bad
Bunny or Kid Rock, which is a content being put on, putting on by Turning Point USA, and they said Kid Rock, which says everything there is to say
about both sides and how this administration feels regarding Bad Bunny.
But it goes to the point that you were making there, Elizabeth, and this decision to speak and to sing only in Spanish. Can you explain, was he
asked why that is important to him, the meaning of that?
PEREZ: Well, he left it very clear in the last album, "Debi Tirar Mas Fotos", which is a tribute to his island and to Latin America with rhythms
called plena, bomba, salsa, of course, and the trap and the urban sound that is very characteristic of Bad Bunny. So, for him, he wanted to play
tribute to the island that he grew up with.
We cannot remember that -- we cannot forget that Puerto Rico suffered in 2017 a massive Hurricane Maria that destroyed the electric power of the
island, more than 3,000 people died, and last year he did this residency concert in his island. He could have done it anywhere in the world, and he
chose Puerto Rico to do it there, and it was only 30 dates, and he extended it one more to coincide with the anniversary of Maria. So, for him, the
music, the Latin roots are very important.
We cannot forget also that this is, let's say, a kind of new artist. He has been almost a decade around, and look where he has arrived. He's in the
biggest stage of sports in America, and he's going to be the main singer of the halftime show. So, he has come a long, long way, and I think he's going
to prove on Sunday that he is going to make Latinos proud everywhere in the world.
SOARES: Well, I, for one, I am thrilled to see him on that stage. He's on my Spotify list, I'm very excited. Elizabeth Perez, good to see you. Thank
you very much.
Now, Cuba says it's willing to engage in dialogue with US, but without pressure. Here's what's Cuba's president speaking earlier.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIGUEL DIAZ-CANEL, CUBAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Cuba is willing to have a dialogue with the United States, a dialogue on any topic that one
wishes to debate or discuss. Under what conditions? Without pressure. Under pressure, no, one cannot have a dialogue. Without preconditions, in a
position of equals, in a position of respect for our sovereignty, our independence, our self-determination, without addressing issues that harm
or that we may understand as interference in our internal affairs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[14:40:00]
SOARES: Fuel supplies are running low in Cuba as the U.S. looks to cut off oil shipments to the island and the removal of one of Cuba's chief allies,
the ex-Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, has really heightened an economic crisis.
Spain is home to a large Cuban community and, as CNN's Pau Mosquera now reports, many of them fear the situation at home could escalate.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAU MOSQUERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fifteen years after moving to Spain, Chef Daime Hernando still prepares lunch every day with the same
goal in mind.
DAIME HERNANDO, HEAD CHEF, HAVANA BLUES (through translator): To be as authentic as possible to traditional Cuban food.
MOSQUERA (voice-over): She has been chef at the family restaurant since she moved to Madrid from Guantanamo in southeastern Cuba. The last time she
went home to visit was in 2019.
HERNANDO (through translator): Honestly, lately I've started to feel a little hopeful that things could change, that conditions might improve, and
that I'll be able to return to Cuba. I want to show my daughter where I was born, where I grew up.
MOSQUERA (voice-over): That hope driven in part by mounting pressure from the United States.
MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: There's no doubt about the fact that it would be of great benefit to the United States if Cuba was no longer
governed by an autocratic regime.
MOSQUERA (voice-over): Something the Cuban community in Spain is keeping a close eye on.
YUNIOR GARCIA, CUBAN ACTIVIST AND PLAYWRIGHT (through translator): There's a mixed feeling since the worst thing that could happen to Cuba is for
nothing to happen at all.
MOSQUERA (voice-over): It's been more than four years since activist and playwright Yunior fled the island. He was harassed and threatened by the
government and its supporters, who covered his windows with Cuban flags and blocked access to his home. Punishment for organizing anti-government
demonstrations. He was allowed to leave, but some of his family stayed behind.
GARCIA (through translator): I left my son when he was a meter and a half tall. He was my little boy. My father died in Cuba without me being able to
say goodbye to him.
MOSQUERA (voice-over): That pain, not enough to destroy his hope of returning, especially now, as a potential turning point for Cuba becomes a
possibility.
GARCIA (through translator): Leadership in the island has weakened compared to previous years, and that raises the chances that the regime
won't survive mounting pressure. The hope is that any change comes at the lowest possible cost to Cuban lives.
MOSQUERA (voice-over): A sentiment shared by many, given U.S. President Donald Trump's focus on Latin America.
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: We are dealing with the Cuban leaders right now.
MOSQUERA (voice-over): Even if there's some skepticism about the ultimate outcome.
MASSIEL RUBIO, CUBAN ARTIST (through translator): We can't call it positive change yet, because we don't know what will happen, but at least
there's a chance that things might start to shift.
MOSQUERA (voice-over): Artist Massiel Rubio Hernandez believes the only way to ensure a positive change for Cuba is to make sure civil society is
involved in talks between Washington and Havana.
MASSIEL RUBIO (through translator): If those people were part of the dialogue, well, there would be representation of those who will actually be
affected by the change, to let them express what they truly want.
MOSQUERA (voice-over): Come what may, Cubans in Spain hope that any change, whatever form it takes, helps restore the country and improves life
for generations to come.
Pau Mosquera, CNN, Madrid.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:45:00]
SOARES: Olympic boxer Imane Khelif knows how to take a hit, but she was never trained to become a political target. Since her Olympic gold win at
the 2024 Paris Games, the Algerian boxer has been subjected to a sustained campaign of abuse and invasive scrutiny of her gender.
In an exclusive interview, Khelif tells our Christina Macfarlane she has nothing to hide, and she's prepared to take a test to prove that she's a
woman.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN SENIOR SPORTS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An Olympic champion banned from her own sport, caught in a culture war about
what it means to be a woman. Mocked by the world's most powerful man, and now gold medal boxer, Imane Khelif faces an ultimatum. If she's to compete
again, she must confirm she is female.
IMANE KHELIF, OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL BOXER (through translator): The truth is, I have nothing to do with transgender. I know myself. I was born female. I
was raised as a girl. I went to school as a girl. I played sports as a girl. I have always been female.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): For the first time, she opens up about private details of her troubles and her plan to fight back. We meet in Paris where
18 months ago she clinched the Olympic victory.
MACFARLANE: What's it like to be here again and to have all those memories?
KHELIF: Yes, Paris, for me, it's my story in Olympics 2024.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): It made her an icon in her home country of Algeria, where as a child she sold scrap copper to pay for her training.
KHELIF: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Congratulations.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're so beautiful.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): But then, boxing's ruling body banned her last year, saying she needed to take a controversial so-called sex test to prove
she is eligible to compete. False and hateful rhetoric continues to this day by U.S. President, Donald Trump.
TRUMP: You won the gold medal. There were two transition people. They both won gold medals. The whole thing is ridiculous.
KHELIF (through translator): It is really hurtful to see the president of a country talking about you like this. I want to explain one thing. I have
nothing to do with transgender.
MACFARLANE: The president has repeatedly referenced your Olympic victory as a landmark case to support his push to ban transgender women and girls
from women's sports in America.
KHELIF (through translator): I want to clarify to people, to the president, and to all the politicians who are exploiting my image as if I'm
transgender, that I have nothing to do with transgender. I'm just an athlete. My dream is to play sports. Please do not exploit me in your
political agendas.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): If she wants to compete at the 2028 Olympics in L.A., she may have to submit to that test for Games in Trump's America.
Experts have called the test misguided and recently, the IOC vowed it would not bring back a practice it had dropped nearly 30 years ago.
MARK ADAMS, SPOKESPERSON, INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE: We're not calling for people to go back to the bad old days of sex testing, I think,
which was a terrible, terrible thing to do. And I'm sure we all agree that that is not the way forward.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): Despite that, she tells me she is ready to face a test, but only if the IOC run it.
KHELIF (through translator): Of course, I have the highest confidence in the International Olympic Committee. It is the top body mandated to settle
such a matter. Of course, I would accept doing anything I'm required to do to participate in competitions. They need to understand that while
protecting women, they shouldn't hurt other women.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): Boxing's ruling body provided no justification for its insistence on the disputed test. It came after a 2023 report
alleging that Khelif had XY chromosomes was circulated online. She says it's fake.
[14:50:00]
KHELIF: You see the report? You personally, you see the report?
MACFARLANE: I have not. No.
KHELIF: The report is not clear. It's just a test, a genetic test, with a company -- a small company of testers, but it's not clear.
KHELIF (through translator): The report that was published was modified. It was posted by people opposed to me and have animosity towards me.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): While Khelif maintains that test is modified, she reveals that she has naturally higher testosterone levels, currently a key
test in regulating women's sports.
KHELIF (through translator): Even if I have a higher level of this hormone testosterone, it's natural. For a year and a half before the Paris
Olympics, I was lowering my testosterone level. And everyone can review the blood tests that they were done by anti-doping agency.
MACFARLANE: You know that there are some people who believe that having high testosterone should exclude you from competing in women's sport. They
believe that it gives you an unfair advantage. What do you say to them?
KHELIF (through translator): Boxing does not only rely on the level of testosterone. Boxing relies on intelligence, on experience and on
discipline.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): Even after her struggle to box as a woman in conservative Algeria, the abuse has been deeply traumatic for her.
KHELIF (through translator): Even for my family, it was an expert Emely difficult time. After the Olympics, and to this day, I'm still working
psychiatrists.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): One place Imane finds comfort is among her boxing fans.
MACFARLANE: What do you say to young girls who want to be like you, who want to be an Olympic champion?
KHELIF (through translator): They have to challenge the status quo. They should have the courage to claim their rights and needs., because it is
necessary.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): Christina Macfarlane, CNN Paris.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:55:00]
SOARES: Well, the countdown is on to the official beginning of the 2026 Winter Olympics. We are less than one day away. The 25th edition of the
competition. Winning athletes will be awarded the most expensive medals in the history of the Games, by the way. That's because of the soaring prices
of precious metals. Some of the sporting action is already underway, starting with the mixed doubles, curling, that's it, and women's ice
hockey.
American football fans are gearing up for the Olympics. We are not gearing up for the Sunday Super Bowl meantime, but animal fans are picking their
favorites in the annual Puppy Bowl. Here is your starting line-up for Team Fluff and Team Rough. Unlike previous years, the half-time showdown will be
Team Oldies and Team Goldies. That's right, it's puppies versus senior dogs. This year's event will feature 150 dogs from 72 shelters right across
the United States, all available for adoption. The Puppy Bowl is part of the Discovery Channel, which is a sister network of CNN. They're all
absolutely adorable.
That does it for us for this evening. Do stay right here, "What We Know" with Max Foster is up next. Have a wonderful evening. I shall see you
tomorrow.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
