Return to Transcripts main page
One World with Zain Asher
U.S.-Iran Talks in Oman End, Iranian FM Says They'll Continue; UK Police Search Two Addresses Linked to Peter Mandelson; Fallout from Final Epstein Release Ripples Through Europe; Officials Say Guthrie's Front-Door Security Camera is Missing; Japanese PM Rides High on Popularity Ahead of Elections; Skier Lindsey Vonn Tests Ruptured ACL in Training Run. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired February 06, 2026 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: High stake talks between the U.S. and Iran have concluded in Oman. "One World" starts right now. The
negotiations come after President Trump threatened new strikes on Iran if there's no nuclear agreement. We're live at the White House with the
latest.
Plus, a new plea from the Guthrie family for the return of their mother, Nancy. We are live on the scene with the latest. And let the games begin.
I'll speak to the reigning men's figure skating Olympic champion Nathan Chen, ahead of the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics.
Hello, everyone. Live from New York. I'm Bianna Golodryga. Zain is off today. You are watching "One World". Teetering between war and peace in
pursuit of a diplomatic off ramp. The U.S. and Iran have wrapped up indirect talks in Oman, following weeks of escalating tensions and threats
by the White House.
And Tehran is now indicating there may be signs of possible progress.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABBAS ARAGHCHI, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: This mistrust has been created, and this was added to the previous mistrust between parties, but there is a
big challenge on the way of the negotiations. And we want to create a framework, a new framework for negotiations, which will ensure the
interests of the people of Iran. But today's negotiation was carried out positively, and it will continue.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: It's the first time both sides have sat down since the U.S. bombed Iran's nuclear sites last summer, and it's taking place against the
backdrop of an American military buildup in the region. However, we still don't know what specific topics were under discussion. And nearly eight
years after President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Iran nuclear deal, his ultimate objective now remains unclear.
CNN's Kevin Liptak joins me now live from the White House. Kevin, you have reported on, as have we, the president, has expanded now the demands from
the Iranians, as has been confirmed by the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, that this would entail in terms of whatever a deal could be agreed upon,
not only the end of its nuclear program, but also its ballistic missiles program and its support of proxies in the region.
Is the president still standing by those three main points?
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: I mean, as of now, he is. And you make a good point, because heading into these discussions, it
wasn't actually clear what was up for discussion. The Iranians had made pretty explicit that they only wanted to discuss the nuclear element of
this, you know, the enrichment of uranium heading out of the talks.
It seems as if that was the only topic that they were able to get to. That's at least according to the Iranians. But you heard, for example, from
Marco Rubio just on Wednesday, saying that they would need to get to these other topics if they were to strike sort of a full, comprehensive agreement
with Iran, which I think, sort of underscores the question that had been hanging over these talks.
Does President Trump, is he willing to have sort of these prolonged, extended discussions? You know, the Iran nuclear deal that the president
withdrew from took years and years to negotiate. It's not clear whether the president has the patience for those kinds of prolonged, extended
discussions.
Or does he want something immediate, something to put on paper right now, to say that we have taken the nuclear the ballistic missiles, the proxies,
we've taken all of those issues off the table, and we have an agreement. It seems pretty likely that the Iranians are not going to be willing to agree
to something that quickly, and that, I think, is the conundrum here.
You know, the president has amassed this massive military buildup around Iran. He's threatening new strikes, potentially all the way up to something
that could implement regime change in that country, but it's not necessarily clear that he's willing to undertake the months and years of
diplomacy that would be necessary to take all of these irritants in the relationship off of the table.
And I think when you look at the composition of the American side of the delegation heading into these talks. I think it's clear that the president
was trying to underscore that this military option remains on the table. Included next to Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner was the Admiral Brad
Cooper, who's the Head of CENTCOM.
[11:05:00]
You know, the U.S. military commander in charge of the entire Middle East region, I think underscoring that the president still very much is weighing
whether to take a military option here, whether to take a military strike if he perceives that the Iranians are stalling and the diplomatic window is
shot.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Kevin Liptak, thank you so much. Let's discuss further with Ellie Geranmayeh, she is the Deputy Program Director and
Senior Policy Fellow for the Middle East and North Africa Program at the European Council on Foreign Relations, and she joins me now live from
London.
Ellie, thank you so much for taking the time. Let's pick up there where Kevin left off. The U.S. delegation now had included in those meeting the
Head of CENTCOM, General Admiral Bradley Cooper. How unusual is that? And what message do you think the United States is trying to send Iran with his
presence?
ELLIE GERANMAYEH, SENIOR ANALYST AT THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: Well, it certainly was a new element to U.S.-Iran nuclear talks
that we haven't really seen in the last two decades of the negotiations on nuclear issues, at least. But on the one hand, your correspondent is
correct, that it is the military muscle being flexed here to back up the major military buildup that the U.S. has had on Iran's shore.
But at the same time, it could also indicate a scoping exercise by the U.S. to look at conflict de-escalation and also to avoid miscalculations by the
Iranian military side and the American military side. In the course of potential negotiations that may come up. The two militaries are very, very
close to each other.
It's a really high, tense moment for the two countries, and so we've had flare ups, for example, an Iranian drone being shot down by U.S. fighter
jets in the past few days. So, I think both sides will be keen to avoid anything going pop unintendedly That could flare up tensions amidst
negotiations.
Another thing that was also unusual about this delegation from the U.S. side was that the president's trusted son-in-law, Jared Kushner, joined the
meetings for the first time.
GOLODRYGA: Right. And this after also participating in high stakes meeting regarding the war in Ukraine. Ellie, you have the United States, on the one
hand, exerting maximum pressure here by saying that this isn't just the nuclear program that Iran must commit to eliminating.
And remember for our viewers, President Trump had said that, that program itself had been obliterated just about six, seven months ago following
those strikes on the nuclear facility. So, it's hard to describe this as a win for the president. If that's all that Iran is willing to agree upon.
The United States has expanded that to include the ballistic missile program that the country has, according to reports, started to build up
again, and also its support of proxies. Iran remains dug in, in that those other two demands are not on the table. So, where does that leave both
sides?
GERANMAYEH: Look I think it's without doubt that the two sides have been in a deadlock, particularly since June, when the U.S. conducted strikes
against Iranian nuclear facilities. For me as an analyst, the U.S. end goal is very unclear. So, in early January, we had President Trump saying that
the U.S. was locked and loaded to help Iranian protesters who have died by the thousands in a brutal crackdown.
So, is the intention here a potential protection of civilians on the ground? We're not sure. But now it's been extended to denying Iran nuclear
weapons at a time when the U.S. had said repeatedly that they actually destroyed and obliterated, according to President Trump, the nuclear
program back in the summer.
So, what has changed in their assessment over the past seven months? It's unclear. And now, of course, we've added here the issue of Iranian missile
capabilities and regional behavior that has destabilized the region. On the Iranian side, the response to this sort of maximum ultimatum from President
Trump has continued to be maximum resistance.
So, everything we have heard and seen from the Iranian side suggests that they are only focused on negotiations to resolve the nuclear dispute
between the two sides. Iranian officials have said they do not seek nuclear weapons, and they're prepared to give assurances on that front, and they
want to see what they would get in return for rolling back their nuclear ambitions.
But I would say that, in Oman, which is a very different theater for negotiations, for example, to Turkey or elsewhere in the region. The reason
why Iranians may have picked Oman and insisted on Oman is that they can have a series of discrete conversation with a very trusted interlocutor
that is the Omani government.
[11:10:00]
And I would not be surprised, if there were negotiations beyond the nuclear issue had discreetly at this stage, as a scoping exercise to see what sort
of principles the two sides can agree on in the future negotiation.
GOLODRYGA: Well, these are high stakes moment, as we know, Ellie Geranmayeh will be paying close attention to this all. Thank you so much for taking
the time. And we do want to bring you this breaking news into CNN, police in Britain are carrying out search warrants at two addresses linked to
Peter Mandelson.
He is the Former British Ambassador to the United States who was a confidant of disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Mandelson has been under investigation for his ties to Epstein. Police say they have not arrested him. CNN's Melissa Bell joins us now from Paris.
Melissa, quite an escalation in the investigation here. Just tell us what led up to it.
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Essentially, what the London Metropolitan Police are investigating, Bianna,
is the idea that the allegations rather surrounding what Lord Mandelson may have done back in 2009 when he was the British Business Secretary.
What the latest revelations from the Epstein file suggest is that he may have passed on to Jeffrey Epstein at the time in the wake of the 2008 debt
crisis, economic crisis, market sensitive information about the British government's attempts to fix their economy and get it up and running again.
Also, there are suggestions in some of those releases that we've seen that it may have worked the other as way as well that Jeffrey Epstein came to
him to find out again. Market sensitive information about when the Greek bailout was going to be ready. These are now the center of this criminal
inquiry, because the allegations are of misconduct when he was in public office.
Now, it is an escalation now, since we're hearing about these raids in terms of the inquiry and that criminal investigation now, but there's also
been a really fast escalation, Bianna, in terms of the political fallout for the prime minister, essentially the question of how much he knew, or
how far Lord Mandelson lied during the vetting process when he was appointed Britain's Ambassador to Washington.
This the question of Keir Starmer's political judgment, really at the center of this row now, and this is not going away anytime soon. The
government has vowed now to release all of the files regarding that vetting process, and that could be about 100,000 documents.
We understand they have to go through a special parliamentary committee to be cleared in terms of what can be released to the public and what needs to
be kept private for matters of national security, for instance. So, this is going to drag on for some time. This was a prime minister who is already
not looking particularly strong.
And there are mounting questions about whether Keir Starmer can survive what looks like a growing back bench rebellion against him, Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: And pressure is not only on government officials there all the way up to the prime minister in the United Kingdom. We know that the
fallout has spread through other European countries as well, including Norway. What do we know now about the royal family's ties to Jeffrey
Epstein that are starting to come out as well?
BELL: We have been hearing from the Crown Princess of Norway Mette-Marit of her embarrassment, her regret at her friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, since
this is another of the things to have emerged in these latest documents, Bianna. The idea that they had a fairly close relationship.
And she's apologized that for that earlier this week, pointing out, however, that whatever Jeffrey Epstein did wrong was solely the fault of
Jeffrey Epstein. So also taking her distance is really from his wrong doings. However, the pressure has been such that she's been forced to
apologize again today about this relationship and asked for a bit of privacy and a difficult time.
She's also, by the way, watched this week her son go on trial facing rape allegations. So, a difficult week for Crown Princess of Norway. Also, just
in terms of we've been talking this last week about how this has affected the British political classes, also the monarchy, in terms of the Former
Prince Andrew, who's now been forced out of Windsor as a result of the latest revelations.
Similarly, in Norway, it isn't just royalty that's been affected, but a Former Prime Minister now the subject of a probe into allegations of
aggravated corruption to do, that have that has emerged as a result of the ties that he seems to have had the Jeffrey Epstein. So, there doesn't seem
to be any fallout at this stage here in Europe, certainly from these latest revelations.
It just that the more you learn, the worse it gets, it seems, Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, no doubt, both in the United States and obviously abroad as well. Melissa Bell, thank you so much. Well, in Moscow, an unknown
attacker fired several shots at a Russian General.
[11:15:00]
That's according to the Russian Investigative Committee. Add to this hour Investigators are still searching for the shooter. State media reports that
the general is hospitalized in intensive care and is in serious condition. The committee has opened a criminal case into what it's calling an
attempted murder of a high-ranking defense official.
All this unfolding just one day after Russian, Ukrainian and American negotiators met for peace talks in Abu Dhabi. Fred Pleitgen is tracking the
story live for us from Moscow. So, Fred, this is General Vladimir Alekseyev. He is a highly decorated officer who, since 2011 has served as
the deputy head of the GRU that's the Russian Military Intelligence Agency.
What more do we know about how the shooting happened, and are there any suspects in --
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there. Bianna, well, this happened, apparently in the early morning hours of
today, there are people, eye witnesses that Russian media has spoken to, who said they heard shots around 06:30 or 07:00 a.m. inside that
residential building, which is on one of the main highways in the northwest of Moscow that leads into the city.
Of course, there's a lot of new developments there, and we saw in some of the videos, does seem like a fairly new residential complex where this
happened. Apparently, the general was shot several times, then the assailant escaped. Now you're absolutely right to point out that the
authorities themselves say they have not apprehended a suspect yet.
They don't know who's behind this. They say that forensic work is still going on. They've spoken to some of those eye witnesses, but as we know,
there are also a lot of surveillance cameras here in the Russian capital. So certainly, they're looking at that as well. But right now, no suspect as
yet.
Now that doesn't mean that Russia's leadership is not already pointing the finger of blame, and this comes in the form of Russia's Foreign Minister,
Sergey Lavrov, who has already accused Ukraine of allegedly being behind this, accusing them of trying to derail that negotiations process that you
were just talking to.
Of course, over the past two days, the Russians, Ukrainians and the U.S. have been speaking in Abu Dhabi, trying to find an end to the conflict in
Ukraine. Sergey Lavrov, accusing them of trying to derail that. The Kremlin not going that far. Dmitry Peskov, the spokesman for Vladimir Putin, was
asked about this today.
The Russians saying, or the Kremlin saying that they understand that their top military leaders, of course, always in danger with that war in Ukraine
going on. The same time, he also wished the general survival and for a speedy recovery. So right now, unclear who is behind this.
The Ukrainians have not said anything at all, neither confirmed nor denied. At the same time, of course, that investigation is going on. However, this
isn't the first time that something like this happen, top Russian military leaders being targeted here in the Russian capital.
Talked about a month ago, there was a major car bomb attack that killed a senior Russian military leader. And in the later stages of 2024, there was
also a very high-profile case where a Russian General was killed as he was walking out of his own residential building towards a car, and there was a
vehicle bomb there as well, Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Fred Pleitgen from Moscow, thank you. And still to come for us as one deadline passes in the abduction of Nancy Guthrie,
another one approaches. We'll bring you, new details from someone who has seen one of the apparent ransom notes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:20:00]
GOLODRYGA: Well, one deadline has passed, and another is looming in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie. She is the mother of today show host
Savannah Guthrie, who was reported missing last Sunday. At least three media outlets received ransom notes demanding millions of dollars in
Bitcoin.
The FBI says the first deadline passed at 05:00 p.m. Thursday, and the next is Monday. One of those ransom demands was sent to TMZ. Its founder Harvey
Levin tells CNN that one of the messages says Guthrie is, in his words, OK, but scared. The family is desperate for proof that she is indeed OK.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAMRON GUTHRIE, NANCY GUTHRIE'S SON: I'm speaking for the Guthrie family. Whoever is out there holding our mother. We want to hear from you. We
haven't heard anything directly. We need you to reach out, and we need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward.
But first we have to know that you have our mom. We want to talk to you, and we are waiting for contact.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: We're also learning more about the circumstances at Guthrie's home when she went missing, a security camera from her front door is
missing, and cameras at the home detected a person, but did not record any video. In addition, blood found on the porch has been confirmed to be Nancy
Guthrie's.
Ed Lavandera joins us now from Pima County, Arizona, with the very latest. This tragedy just continues as the days, as the hours go by, because Ed, we
know that Nancy Guthrie is elderly, 84 years old, in frail health, in need of medication to survive, and yet still no concrete clues.
What are investigators there telling you, and what can we expect to hear from them today?
ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. Well, despite, Bianna, the excruciating long days of not really getting any clear clarity
about what is happening or what has happened in this case, investigators and I sat down and spent some time with the sheriff yesterday, and he told
me that he is still hopeful that Nancy Guthrie is out here somewhere alive, and not just out there but alive.
And I thought that was rather telling. But they do know that with each passing day, whatever has happened with her becomes a more difficult
situation to bear. We are now six days into this investigation. And the investigators have laid out a timeline where they feel very confident that
whatever happened to Nancy Guthrie at her home in this neighborhood in Tucson happened between 01:45 and 02:30 a.m. is when she was taken against
her will from her home.
They continue to plead with the public to call in tips, anything that they might see that can lead to him. The sheriff tells me he believes that it's
going to be a tip that cracks this case.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERIFF CHRIS NANOS, PIMA COUNTY, ARIZONA: People are always asking, do I believe she's alive? Absolutely. Absolutely, there's nothing to say, she
isn't. We're waiting for that one big break. I just hope it comes faster.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: Investigators say that they are calling in more federal help. Other agencies in the area have been called in to help as well, to assist
in either interviews or analysis of information. All of that, Bianna, continues, but here, still on day six, still no word about whether even any
kind of communication has established, been established between the author of the ransom note, if indeed, if it's even authentic and legitimate and
just still no movement or clarity on where Nancy Guthrie might be, Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, and it was interesting to hear TMZ's Harvey Levin, who has said that that they had seen this ransom note firsthand, that given that
everything that he had read in that note, it is his belief, again, just his, that the suspect is in the Tucson area. How seriously are authorities
taking that claim?
[11:25:00]
LAVANDERA: They say they're taking everything seriously. And I listened to that interview, and I thought that was actually one of the most -- I had
the same thought when I when I heard him say that, I thought that was one of the more interesting things. And clearly, they're probably looking at
that specific nature of what was said in that letter.
And Harvey Levin said he had promised authorities that he would not reveal what that was, understandably so, but that is interesting. However, when
you ask investigators about these kinds of specific things, they're very hesitant to limit themselves about just like just focusing in on one thing.
They say, you know, they have to keep an open mind that, given that they don't know exactly where she is, that she could be anywhere, and they have
to take all of the tips, all of the leads, seriously. They don't want to just get focus in on one thing, so. But I did, I agree with you. I had the
exact same reaction when I heard him say that.
GOLODRYGA: As you see on the bottom right of your screen there are two tip lines to call. One of them toll free if you have any information, if you've
seen anything, any tips, as Ed had said, law enforcement is desperately in need to hear them. So please call those numbers that you see there.
Ed, you'll continue to be covering this very, very tragic story, hopefully it will have a positive ending. We are praying for our friend Savannah and
for the entire Guthrie family. Thank you so much, Ed. We'll be right back with more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: Welcome back to "One World". I'm Bianna Golodryga in New York. Here's some headlines we're watching today. Iran's Foreign Minister is
calling indirect talks with the U.S., quote, a good start.
[11:30:00]
Both sides met in Oman for the first negotiation since Washington bombed Tehran's nuclear sites last summer. Iran's Foreign Minister says the two
countries have agreed that talks will continue at another time, without specifying when. In Islamabad, Pakistan, authorities say at least 31 people
have been killed and dozens injured after a suicide bomber set off an explosion inside a Shiite Mosque during Friday prayers.
The Pakistani Taliban, the TTP has denied any involvement in the bombing. The U.S. Attorney General has announced an arrest in the 2012 Benghazi
attack. Pam Bondi says the suspect was a key participant in the attack and has been extradited to the U.S. On September 11, 2012 militants attacked
the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, killing four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens.
In Moscow, an unidentified attacker fired several shots severely wounding a Russian General. According to Russian Straight state media, Vladimir
Alekseyev is hospitalized in serious condition in the intensive care unit. The attack is being investigated as an attempted murder.
Well U.S. President Donald Trump is wading into Japanese politics. He has endorsed the country's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi ahead of Japan's
legislative elections, calling her a quote, strong, powerful and wise leader.
Now this comes as Prime Minister Takaichi is expected to meet with Trump at the White House next month. CNN's Hanako Montgomery has the latest on the
upcoming Japanese --
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Japan has caught the Takaichi fever. On social media, videos of the country's first
female prime minister get millions of views. Recent polling shows strong approval ratings, and unlike her recent predecessors, she's managed to tap
into young voters, some who obsess over her hand bag, shoes, even her stationary.
YUHOO OISHI, TAKAICHI SUPPORTER: I use the same pan as Sana-chan. You see her working hard all the time. Her smile is so cute.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): But while her charisma and star power are obvious, her policies as prime minister is less clear. In her short time in office,
her vague economic agenda has rattled markets, and relations with the country's biggest economic partner, China have soured since she made
comments that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan could trigger a Japanese military response.
She's done well in diplomacy, courting leaders from Italy, South Korea, the UK and even the U.S., President Donald Trump.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Prime minister in history --
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Now, she's turning that momentum into a high stakes gamble, calling for a parliamentary election at a time when her long
ruling conservative party is deeply unpopular.
MONTGOMERY: There are thousands of people here at this campaign rally to watch the Japanese Prime Minister speak. Sanae Takaichi has called for an
election just three months into her job, and she says that if her party loses, she would step down as premier. But judging by the sheer number of
people out here to support her, this is a political gamble that she thinks is going to pay off.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's a drummer. I'm a rock and roll musician. Ms. Takaichi is the same age as me, and when she became prime minister, seeing
her work so hard made me feel like life was worth living.
MONTGOMERY: We're in Nara Prefecture right now, which is where the Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is from, and where she started her political
career. And we've traveled back to her hometown to meet some of her old friends and to understand why she's so popular among the Japanese public.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): -- has known Takaichi for more than 30 years, in part, thanks to the sports car.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's a passionate person. That's why her car is red hot too.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): He fixed up her beloved Toyota Supra, a car that helps her image as a cool girl. Takaichi is clearly a local legend in Nara,
and it's not hard to find traces of her here.
MONTGOMERY: We got some cookies here with Takaichi's face on them and the British Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Iron Lady, Takaichi's role
model. And here you have Takaichi with the U.S. President Donald Trump.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): In the same neighborhood is Takaichi's district office. Here we meet her secretary of 16 years.
MONTGOMERY: Why do you think she is so popular among the general public?
MAMORU KINOSHITA, NARA SECRETARY FOR PM SAMAE TAKAICHI: First, her consistent approach to policy, never wavering, steadfastly upholding what
she says from start to finish. It's fundamentally sound. What particularly resonates with younger people is that she writes policies in her own words,
making them easy to understand.
MONTGOMERY: Do you think her comments on a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan were an accident, or do you think that was on purpose?
KINOSHITA: I do not consider it a gaffe. Naturally, it was simply a scenario.
[11:35:00]
If Taiwan had warships and if those ships were attacked, it would fall within a hypothetical assumption. Her response was fully consistent with
previous answers.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Voters will soon decide whether her star power alone can revive her party, or if her meteoric rise will end as quickly as
it began, leaving Japan at its most politically uncertain in years. Hanako Montgomery, CNN, Nara.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: Our thanks to Hanako for that report. And still to come for us. We are just hours away from the official start of the 2026 Winter Olympics.
We are live in Milan, just ahead. Plus, two-time Olympic gold medalist and Yahoo Sports Correspondent Nathan Chen, joins me on "One World".
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: Well, the Winter Olympics opening ceremonies are just hours away in Milan, in Cortina, Italy. The main ceremony will take place at the San
Siro Olympic Stadium in Milan. Delegations from 92 countries are set to take part. Many athletes will parade in the sites closest to where they
will be competing, and unlike previous games, two Olympic torches will be lit, one in Milan and the other in Cortina.
Well, a few hours ago, American skier Lindsey Vonn took to the slopes for the first time since rupturing a ligament in one knee. She competed her
downhill training run in Cortina, without issue. If you can believe that Sunday will be the first day of competition for the 41-year-old Vonn, who
won Olympic gold in 2010 is determined to compete in her fifth game, despite injuring herself last week as she tried to land a jump at the World
Cup event in Switzerland.
CNN's Amanda Davies joins us now from Milan with more. And I just have to say, the sheer grit of Lindsey Vonn, Amanda, she posted a video of herself
warming up and actually doing some weight lifting despite that ruptured ACL and she finished her first train run too. Just talk about the significance
of that, and how that has so many people, even outside the United States, really rooting for her.
AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yeah, Bianna. I mean, we know Olympics are super humans, but in terms of lessons about how to deal with adversity in
life.
[11:40:00]
I mean, we have seen it with bells on from Lindsey Vonn over the last week or so, haven't we? I think you have to say today was another step in the
right direction. That first downhill training run completed in Cortina, despite the best attempts of the weather to thwart her return to action.
And it was only a week ago today that she crashed and was given the news that she had completely ruptured her ACL. You have to say it wasn't a
perfect run, but she made it down at the venue that has brought her more success than any other female alpine skier.
And I mean, those of us watching were holding our breaths, wincing with every landing. I guess, fearing what could happen. But she can't ski with
that mentality, and gave little away with her reaction afterwards, ultimately finishing a time that's 11th in a field of 43, but she's
invested so much into this come back, very much against the odds, since her return to action after her retirement in 2019 and then her knee replacement
surgery on the other knee.
So, it seems there's really no chance. She's giving up on her dream of Olympic competition number five, and of course, that chance of a medal 16
years after winning gold in Vancouver. As she put it this morning on social media, a picture with a big smile on her face, she said, I know how lucky I
am.
I'm not going to waste this chance. And her coach, Aksel Lund Svindal, who was the person who spoke to the media afterwards. He described it as smart
skiing from Lindsey, saying they are going to decide whether or not she's going to run again tomorrow. I guess, risk things again tomorrow, or just
focus straight on the big race, which is on Sunday, which is all that matters, that's up in Cortina.
It's about a six-hour drive from here. But in this very much new world of the Olympic Games across the couple of venues, as you talked about, we're
here in Milan, and while we're gearing up for the Olympic opening ceremony, the U.S. figure skating team have also very much been living up to their
billing.
They are leading the way after the ice dance and pairs short program, and Alysa Liu has also posted the second-best score in the women's short
program. So, in the team competition, the U.S. are leading the way by two points from Japan ahead of Saturday's men's programs.
And I caught up with CNN's Sports Analyst Christine Brennan, a little bit earlier on before she headed to the ring. She's seen a fair amount of
figure skating in her life. This had 22nd Olympic Games. I asked her if she thinks the billing of this team as the greatest U.S. figure skating team of
all time is the right one.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: For the first time ever, there are three reigning world champions on the U.S. team. That's ice dance women and
men. And so, with Ilia Malinin and Alysa Liz and then Chock and Bates. I mean, the U.S. has never come into an Olympics with three reigning World
Champs.
So that portends really good things. Now that ice is slippery, we've certainly seen gold medal favorites who have not made it, but I think
that's where what we're looking at here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DAVIES: Well, it's certainly going well so far, that competition concluding on Saturday. But of course, as you were mentioning now, just a couple of
hours away from the official start of the opening ceremony, we were really lucky. A couple of hours ago, the Olympic torch passed by underneath us
here as it makes its final journey to the San Siro stadium.
I get so excited just to hear the word San Siro. It is one of the most iconic sporting venues in the world. It was the venue for an incredible
Cameroon victory over Argentina at the 1990 Football World Cup, the home of AC and Inter Milan, of course, as well.
And this evening, playing host to Mariah Carey, Andrea Bocelli, the U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and the U.S. delegation as well from the other
participating countries, because this is the big moment, or despite everything that's happened already this week, officially, we declare the
games open this evening.
GOLODRYGA: And we are lucky to have you there covering it all for us. Amanda Davies, thank you so much. Have fun, enjoy, and we will be tuning
in. Well, for the athletes' perspective, I want to bring in two-time Olympic gold medal winning figure skater and Yahoo Sports Correspondent,
Nathan Chen.
Nathan, welcome to the program. Great to have you on. You're headed to Milan not to compete this time. You're sitting that out. But as a Yahoo
Sports Correspondent, after years of being the one under the microscope of hearing your name from sports commentators as one to watch, now you are
going to be in that position. Just tell us what you're going to be looking out for.
NATHAN CHEN, YAHOO SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, well, thanks for having me, and I'm super excited to go to Milan. And as you mentioned, for a very
different reason. This time around, I've gotten a chance to hear and read a lot of the things that people have said about me, and, you know, I really
appreciated all the commentary, both positive and negative throughout my time.
So, I hope that I can provide some useful insights from my own personal experience, and just really excited to support the athletes.
[11:45:00]
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, and you're looking at Ilia Malinin and now pushing the boundaries of the sports and the sport you yourself helped to
revolutionize. He is the reigning world champion right now, and what is called the quad God. He is the first to land a quad axle in competition.
What specific technical or artistic evolution will you be watching for from him now?
CHEN: Yeah, I mean, I think that he comes in with a strategy similar to when I was competing in, that you really have no idea what he's about to
put down. So, I think it's going to be really exciting to see one, what exact jumps is he going to do, how many quad axles is he planning on doing,
and across, you know what program.
So, it'll be very exciting and certainly keeping us on our toes. But I'm really looking forward to, you know, him getting this experience. This will
be his Olympic debut. So, it's very exciting, and certainly a lot very, very big things in his future.
GOLODRYGA: How competitive is Team USA overall on the ice going into these Olympic Games?
CHEN: We have an amazing team this time around. You know, I think it's been said many times, but having three World Championships, World Champions
heading into an Olympics, from the same country, I think is really special. And I'm really looking forward to, I think that the U.S. has a really great
team, and I think we're -- we can expect to see some hardware coming back on.
GOLODRYGA: And the world sees, you know, maximum four minutes of the moment that all of these athletes, yourself included, you've been in this
position, have trained for years for without the cameras being on you 24/7. Just mentally and we heard there just about what got Lindsey Vonn to be in
the position where, even with a torn ACL, she says, I'm doing it.
I am going into this race, and I'm going to give it my all. Just talk about that grit and the mental focus that that requires.
CHEN: I think athletes are incredibly good at dealing with uncertainty when things are not quite going the way you expect them to. How do you adapt?
How do you modify and ensure that you still get your job done? At the end of the day, these are all athletes that have trained extremely hard for
many, many years.
They're very well trained, and they're also have overcome a lot of hardship. And I think every time you overcome one hardship you know that,
you're able to handle that you move on to the next one. I think athletes just continue to push that bar forward. And certainly, when the time comes,
they'll be ready.
GOLODRYGA: Not taking away from what we are about to see, which will be a very exciting Winter Olympic Games there in Cortina and in Milan. I know
you set your sights to Salt Lake City 2034 you are actually just a newly joined member for the Advisory Committee for those games.
Extra special and important for you, because obviously it's in your home country, the United States, we're rooting for you always in any capacity,
but your hometown as well, Nathan.
CHEN: Yes, yes, absolutely, yeah. I think Utah is a fantastic place to have an Olympics already demonstrate in 2002 and I think myself included, but
many athletes that came out of that generation were really inspired by that 2002 Olympics. And I really hope that that'll carry on to the 2034 games.
And we'll be able to have new American talent come out of those games, through the inspiration of the Olympics.
GOLODRYGA: Quickly last question, what's more challenging medical school or preparing to cover Olympic games that you once participated in?
CHEN: It's a great question. I will -- let you know once I'm in medical school, but I'm currently still applying. But beyond that, this is
definitely a new task for me, so I'm learning on the fly.
GOLODRYGA: Well, we are rooting for you in all capacities here. I'm sure you'll get with flying colors any school, be lucky to have you. Nathan
Chen, thank you so much.
CHEN: Thanks.
GOLODRYGA: And be sure to see more of Nathan Chen's 2026 Winter Olympics coverage at Yahoo Sports throughout the games. Well, it will be a weekend
full of sports, from Olympics in Italy to football in California, something called the Super Bowl is happening. We're going to have a preview of that
game, up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:50:00]
GOLODRYGA: All right, Super Bowl 60 is just two days away. The Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots will go head-to-head for American
football's biggest prize. But on Thursday, all eyes were on the NFL honor ceremony. LA Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford won the league's most
valuable player award.
He edged out Drake Maye, getting 24 of the 51st place votes, while Maye got 23 it is the closest voting for MVP since 2003. And don't feel too bad for
Maye, he'll be playing Sunday in the Super Bowl with the Patriots, and his coach, Mike Vrabel, was awarded Coach of the Year.
And excitement is building for Sunday Super Bowl. Our Andy Scholes is in Northern California ahead of that big game with this report.
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Well, the time for talking is now over here in the Bay Area ahead of Super Bowl 60, the Patriots and the
Seahawks both meeting with the media one more time on Thursday, and Patriots Head Coach Mike Vrabel.
Well, he knows all too well how to approach these final days leading up to the Super Bowl. He won three as a player for New England, and says he's
drawing on all those experiences with his team as we hit the home stretch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE VRABEL, PATRIOTS HEAD COACH: Trying to be intentional with the schedule, but also just trying to keep them engaged, keep them locked in,
and get them to believe that something that we do at practice today is going to come up in the game, and how we handle that, or how we execute
that, is could make the difference.
And so that's how we've tried to approach all our practices, is that something that you're going to do today is going to help us win.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: Now, meanwhile, Sam Donald's journey from bus to champion is almost complete. Now, along that journey, he made a stop here in San
Francisco to back up Brock Purdy in 2023 and Donald credits that season with really helping to turn his career around. And I caught up with Purdy,
and I asked him, what did he see in Donald during that season?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BROCK PURDY, 49ERS QUATERBACK: He was awesome man. He came in and was willing to, you know, learn from Kyle and Klay Kubiak and Brian Griese and,
you know, just his role as a backup league, he did such a good job with, you know, helping me out with things.
And just overall man like, he has a great attitude, and for him to come in and learn and then go to apply it in Minnesota and now Seattle and him have
success. Like, I'm really happy for him.
JAYDEN DANIELS, COMMANDERS QUATERBACK: You got Sam that has been through it all, seen a lot, stayed down, and obviously he's reaping the benefits now,
and 30 wins in two years is insane. So, I'm happy for him. You got Drake Maye. He's going out there second year in the league.
He's putting off for our quarterback class. So, I'm super happy for him.
WARREN MOON, HALL OF FAME QUATERBACK: Both teams have two quarterbacks who you wouldn't think would be here, but they're playing their best football
at the right time. So that's part of the reason why they're both here. One of the MVP candidates and in Maye. And then Sam Donald, we all know about
his story and his journey. It's a great story.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: And that was Hall of Famer Warren Moon and Commander star quarterback Jayden Daniels, who was picked right before Drake Maye in the
draft, talking about this quarterback matchup.
GOLODRYGA: Our thanks to CNN's Andy Scholes for that report. Well, for many, the highlight of Sunday's Super Bowl may have nothing to do with
football. Bad Bunny will be the first Spanish language artist to headline the half time show. The Puerto Rican artist says viewers shouldn't worry
about any language barrier, however, and instead, should focus on the overall experience.
[11:55:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BAD BUNNY, HEADLINER OF THE SUPER BOWL LX HALFTIME SHOW: I don't want to give any spoilers. It's going to be fun and it's going to -- it's going to
be easy and people only have to worry about dance. I know that I told them that they had four months to learn Spanish.
They don't even have to learn Spanish. They just it's better if they learn to dance, but I think there's no better dance than the one that comes from
the heart.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: All right, Bad Bunny is one of the most popular recording artists in the world, and in 2025 he gained nearly 20 billion streams on
Spotify. Earlier this week, he won three Grammys, including the coveted Album of the Year award. He is a very busy in demand guy, we'll be watching
Sunday.
All right, stay with CNN. I'll have more "One World" after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
