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What We Know with Max Foster

U.K. Police Investigating Peter Mandelson Over Epstein Ties; Trump Meets With Colombian President At White House; U.S. Official: American Aircraft Carrier Shot Down Iranian Drone; Police Ask Public For Help In Finding Nancy Guthrie; Russia Resumes Strikes on Ukraine's Cities And Energy Facilities; Norway's Royal Family Comes Under Intense Public Scrutiny; U.S. House Passes Bill To Reopen Government & Temporarily Fund ICE. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired February 03, 2026 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:32]

MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: The legal fallout from the latest Epstein files released.

This is WHAT WE KNOW.

British police have just confirmed that they are launching a criminal investigation into former ambassador to the U.S., Peter Mandelson, after

damaging allegations surfaced in the Epstein files. They reportedly looking into whether he leaked market-sensitive government information to the late

sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is calling the alleged leaks disgraceful. Mandelson earlier announced he's retiring from

the House of Lords.

Britain's royal family also facing increased scrutiny as Epstein fallout deepens. And it's not just former Prince Andrew in the spotlight for his

Epstein ties, but also his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. Her charitable foundation has announced it will close for the foreseeable future.

Today, at a panel discussion in Dubai, CNN asked Prince Edward about the scandal close to home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRINCE EDWARD, GREAT BRITAIN: I'm not sure this is the audience that is probably the least bit interested in that. So, they all came here to listen

to my education involving the future. And but no, I think it's all really important always to remember the victims and, and who are the victims in

all this?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: John Rentoul is the chief political commentator for the independent.

It's interesting, isn't it, hearing from a senior royal that view, because it's also the view the government has taken that the victims have to be

thought of first. And all the responses of these men should be relating to that, not to protecting their own positions.

JOHN RENTOUL, CHIEF POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. I mean, I think that's completely right. I mean, Edward is the first of the royal family to

comment publicly on this affair, which has come so close to his brother and his former sister in law, Sarah Ferguson. But also, the same principle

applies to Keir Starmer, the prime minister, who is trying to distance himself, as quickly as possible from Peter Mandelson, whom he appointed as

U.S. ambassador -- ambassador to the U.S., I'm sorry.

But yes, the mantra that you must maintain the victims at the front of the mind at all times, I think, is correct.

FOSTER: Well, you were as horrified as some of the M.P.s we've been hearing the allegations made against Peter Mandelson sharing this secret

information effectively.

RENTOUL: Well, yes, I was -- I was very surprised because it was completely reckless. And to have -- to have it recorded, written down in

emails -- I mean, I know it was a long time ago and it hasn't come out until now, but it is always dangerous to write things down. And, he

shouldn't have done it in the first place.

So, it is quite -- quite extraordinary reckless behavior. I mean, I'm not sure how much he was, hoping to gain personally by it, but it was plainly

completely wrong. Even if he was just doing it to show off.

FOSTER: I want to ask you about Keir Starmer's response to this, because he's obviously all over it now. The accusation is that he didn't act

quickly enough. We know that Downing Street launched an investigation last night and very quickly found relevant material which they sent to the

police. Gordon Brown also sending correspondence relating to Mandelson to the police. The police are now investigating, which is a big step.

But isn't there a problem just in the idea of that, that all this information was sitting in Downing Street and in Gordon Brown's files, and

we're only seeing it now?

RENTOUL: No, no, I don't think Gordon Brown knew about this until recently. I mean, he says he asked some questions in September, on the

basis of I'm not quite sure what some early, earlier emails that may have been released related to Epstein.

But no, I mean, I think I think neither Gordon Brown nor Keir Starmer knew the full extent of Peter Mandelsons involvement with Epstein. And the

nature of it. I mean, I think both of them are entitled to feel let down. They both obviously have their own reputations to think about.

I mean, Gordon Brown brought Peter Mandelson back from the political dead, in 2008 and 2009.

[15:05:07]

And, you know, Keir Starmer brought him back again as ambassador to the U.S. and they both have to explain their -- you know, what in retrospect,

looks like poor judgment.

FOSTER: So, Keir Starmer introducing legislation -- he wants to introduce legislation stripping Mandelson of his title, his peerage, the lordship

title, also Mandelson resigning from the lords.

RENTOUL: Yeah.

FOSTER: There are two big moves. The bigger move, obviously, is the criminal investigation. And it's interesting, isn't it, how the U.K. is

responding to this, because this is the first criminal investigation off the back of these Epstein files, and something greatly welcomed by the

survivors here because they want justice.

We're not seeing it though, are we, on the U.S. side with all the other men involved? And that's a frustration for the survivors. But it does show that

the U.K. actually, despite many of the criticisms here, is on the front foot.

RENTOUL: Yeah. No, I mean, speaking from, you know, very much a London perspective, it is extraordinary. How little impact this seems to have had

on somebody else who was very closely involved with Jeffrey Epstein and that's Donald Trump. But then Donald Trump is in -- is in office in in one

of the most powerful jobs in the land. And Peter Mandelson is not.

So I suppose, you know, you wouldn't expect equality of treatment, but there are certainly a lot of other people who have questions to answer in

relation to what's in these files.

FOSTER: Yeah. John Rentoul, really appreciate you joining us today. Thank you for your perspective.

Well, the bitter feud between the U.S. President Donald Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro appears to be over. The two leaders were all smiles

during a meeting at the White House today, in stark contrast with what happened over the past year. They had exchanged insults, threats, tariffs.

Back in the fall, the U.S. even revoked Mr. Petro's visa. We're expecting to hear from the Colombian president in the next few minutes, and we'll

bring you updates on that.

Meanwhile, an American military spokesperson tells CNN a U.S. aircraft carrier shot down an Iranian drone today after the drone aggressively

approached the ship in the Arabian Sea. He also says a U.S. flagged tanker was threatened in the Strait of Hormuz.

CNN senior White House reporter Kevin Liptak joins us from Washington.

On the face of it, this is a very worrying moment. You know, at the beginning of aggression from Iran that, you know, what do you understand

happened here, Kevin?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah. And it would seem as if it is heightening the tensions that exist between these two countries,

even as President Trump tries to pursue this diplomatic pathway that, in theory, is going to result in a meeting between his representatives and

representatives from Iran at the end of this week.

Now, this incident that involved the drone, it occurred about 500 miles south of the Iranian coast in the Arabian Sea. Pentagon officials and the

White House eventually saying that this drone was acting erratically, that it was acting aggressively, that eventually an F-35 from the USS Abraham

Lincoln shot it down.

That preceded a separate event a couple hours later, when Iranian gunboats tried to board and claimed that they were there to board a U.S. flagged

chemical tanker that was operating in the Strait of Hormuz. Eventually, a U.S. destroyer came and guided the tanker away, so none of these incidents

involving any sort of direct conflict between the militaries, but certainly underscoring the tensions that very much exist in the region as this

massive U.S. military buildup proceeds.

Now, the president is looking for a diplomatic solution to all of this. He is deployed. His special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son in law, Jared

Kushner, to meet with Iranian officials this week.

But even those planned talks seem to have also hit something of a snag. We understand that the Iranians are making new demands about how these talks

will proceed, including where they will take place. The understanding that our sources had yesterday is that this would occur in Istanbul. Now, we

understand that the Iranians are asking for the venue to move to Oman. You know, that country in the Gulf that has previously hosted U.S.-Iran talks.

They're also asking that these discussions occur just between the U.S. and Iran, whereas previously, just yesterday, the understanding was that many

representatives from other Gulf and Muslim nations, including the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, would be in the room, essentially acting as

observers.

The third issue that seems to have arisen is that the Iranians want these discussions to focus squarely on this question of the Iranian nuclear

program, not to expand out to these other issues that the U.S. wants to resolve, including Iran's missile program and its support for proxies in

the region.

[15:10:16]

Now, as of this hour, the talks still are expected to proceed. We heard from Karoline Leavitt, the press secretary, who said that, yes, the U.S.

delegation would still be meeting with the Iranians at the end of this week. But all of this, I think, underscores just how precarious all of this

is, just how uncertain this route of diplomacy appears to be, even as the president is very much publicly holding out the option of ordering up a

military strike.

FOSTER: Kevin Liptak, thank you.

In the U.S. state of Arizona, investigators are at a critical point in their search for Nancy Guthrie, the mother of "Today Show" anchor Savannah

Guthrie. Now, Nancy said to need medication and has now been without it for two days.

A short time ago, law enforcement in Arizona once again pleaded for the public's help in bringing her home. The sheriff was asked about a "Los

Angeles Times" report that blood was found at her home after she went missing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF CHRIS NANOS, PIMA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: I'm not saying there's blood inside that house or outside that house. What I'm saying is

our team processed a scene like you would think of any crime scene. We go in and we process it. We look for things like that -- blood, DNA, any kind

-- any kind of physical evidence, fingerprints, anything. And all of that is gathered and submitted to a lab.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Josh Campbell joins us now from Los Angeles with the latest because, you know, you're used to following these police investigations.

They can't say everything, but it's so mysterious on the face of it.

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: That's right. I mean, there are a lot of details that appears that they are still close to the vest,

sharing with, you know, the public right now, but that's oftentimes what they will do if there's a situation where maybe they are getting a sense of

who a particular suspect might be, maybe they're trying to home in on that person.

We did get an interesting update there from the sheriff that it appears that at least as far as her location, they do not yet know where she is,

and he appeared to be quite clear at that. He said they continue to gather information. One thing that a law enforcement source told me that they're

doing is actually trying to still process security camera footage from inside that home, and the sheriff said that they have actually brought in a

third party to try to help exploit that camera information, because that obviously could provide a key indicator of who was there, what time they

left, possibly the direction of travel.

And so, a lot of that still happening behind the scenes. But as you mentioned, you know, they are racing a clock right now because authorities

say that she needs critical medication, that if she doesn't have within 24 hours, it could prove fatal. We're now moving in to day three. So,

obviously, a great concern there for her well-being as authorities try to figure out where she is.

And then the final point I'll note, Max, is, you know, this isn't a large city that may have, you know, a lot of security cameras and license plate

readers and the like. This is quite a remote area. We're talking about our colleague, CNN colleague Ed Lavandera drove around that area, and he noted

that, look, a lot of these houses are so far from the road that even if they had a camera at the house, they may not capture the coming and going

of a potential suspect here.

So, a lot on the line here right now for authorities. They're appealing to the public. Anyone with additional information, they want to hear from

them. But so far it appears that they just simply don't have the leads.

FOSTER: You can only imagine what it's like for the family here. Is there any indication that, you know, her mother was under any sort of threat? I

mean, what are we hearing from the family?

CAMPBELL: We don't know. I mean, one big question is, was this targeted or not? Is this someone who, because of the notoriety of Savannah Guthrie and

Nancy Guthrie, her mother had been featured on the show in the past. And so that is one angle that authorities would be looking into. Is this someone

that may have tried to stage some type of kidnapping, perhaps for some type of ransom? You've obviously seen cases like that, you know, around the

world, authorities say that they don't have any cause to believe that that's the case yet.

They also -- the sheriff had said that they don't believe this was a home invasion or a robbery gone wrong. They say that everything is on the table,

but they haven't found any evidence that this was some type of robbery that was in progress.

So really, you know, I hate this answer, but a lot more questions right now than answers for authorities, because it seems like they just don't have

those details yet. I can tell you in these cases, you know, having worked in law enforcement, that sometimes all it takes is one lead, one little

small piece of information that can then send this in a new direction, hopefully a positive direction to locate her. Authorities are just waiting

for that big break.

FOSTER: Yeah. Which is why they're holding these press conferences.

Josh, thank you so much. I hope they get what they need.

Russia resumed strikes on Ukraine's cities and energy facilities overnight, leaving thousands facing some of this winter's coldest weather without heat

or power. This comes ahead of further trilateral talks between the U.S., Ukraine and Russia.

[15:15:03]

Here's what President Zelenskyy had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The Russians have once again disregarded the efforts of the American side. The

president of the United States requested that they refrain from attacking energy facilities and critical infrastructures during the meetings between

our negotiating teams. The American president said that they should refrain from attacks for a week. This was a very important and significant

decision. In fact, it began on Friday night and tonight. In our opinion, the Russians broke their promise.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Let's get a bit more from CNN's Clare Sebastian.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the quiet of Kyiv's frozen streets, drone wreckage and disappointment after a night that

brought a brief and limited pause in Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities and energy facilities to a shattering end.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): We heard people running down the fire escape. So, we got dressed, grabbed our documents and went downstairs.

SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Tatiana (ph) lives just two floors below where a drone hit this building.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): It's clear that this is simply extermination so that we just give up.

SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Monday night saw the biggest attack in more than a month on one of the coldest nights of the war so far.

ZELENSKYY (through translator): We believe that this Russian strike really violates what was agreed by the American side and there must be

consequences for this.

SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Much of the damage we can't show. Ukraine has banned images of critical energy sites for security reasons. But hundreds

of thousands of Ukrainians again left without power and heating.

An air raid siren still audible as the NATO secretary general joined President Zelenskyy in Kyiv to pay his respects to fallen soldiers.

His message to Ukraine's parliament:

MARK RUTTE, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: But Russia attacks like those last night, do not signal seriousness about peace.

SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Hardly news to those taking refuge in the city's many emergency shelters.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): There's nothing to agree on because if Russia doesn't want to end the war, what can be agreed upon?

They're imitating the process of an agreement so as not to anger Trump.

SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Nearby, Tatiana Krajinka (ph), displaced by war to Kyiv three years ago, watches her two children attempt their schoolwork in

the dim red glow.

"Of course, there was hope," she says, referring to the energy truce, "but I understood what would happen when it got very cold."

With trilateral talks set to restart in Abu Dhabi Wednesday, no one here has much faith in diplomacy. All their efforts focused on surviving the

final weeks of winter.

Clare Sebastian, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Coming up, Norway's royal family under scrutiny. The crown princess apologizing for her connection to Jeffrey Epstein now as her son

charged with rape, stands trial.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:21:01]

FOSTER: Norway's unusually private royal family is under intense public scrutiny this week. Crown princess Mette-Marit has been caught up in the

latest release of files concerning convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In 2012, emails sent from the crown princess to Epstein she described him

as a sweetheart and soft-hearted. She says the emails are embarrassing and has accepted she showed poor judgment. This, as her son, Maurius Borg

Hoiby, pleads not guilty to serious accusations of rape and domestic violence. The 29-year-old's trial started in Oslo today. He's not a member

of the royal family and was born before his mother married crown Prince Haakon.

So, what we want to know is how damaging will this trial be for Norway's royal family and indeed the Epstein connection?

Let's speak to Kjetil Alstadheim. He's the political editor of the Norwegian news outlet "Aftenposten".

Really appreciate you joining us today, because I really want to get a sense of how the public is responding, first of all, to the court case, but

also to the crown princess and her involvement with Epstein.

KJETIL ALSTADHEIM, POLITICAL EDITOR, AFTENPOSTEN: Well, the investigation, Max, has been difficult for the royal family since it started in August

2024. And then this revelation from the Epstein file came this weekend which was made the situation even worse for the royal family.

The crown princess has fallen dramatically on polling this this few days. Nearly half of those asked say that they do not want her to become queen

today. Her husband, the Crown Prince Haakon, becomes king. So that's not a good -- these are difficult times for the royal family in Norway.

FOSTER: What is the government view here? Because obviously you can draw parallels with what happened in the U.K. with Prince Andrew. But he was

quite easy to sideline and send off to a farm in Norfolk. But you can't do that with a crown princess. It's a constitutional crisis, isn't it?

ALSTADHEIM: Well, I wouldn't call it a crisis at this time, but its dramatic because she is a part of the future for the for the Norwegian

monarchy. And the prime minister said a couple of days ago that she had shown poor judgment. And I have I have not found any example of a Norwegian

prime minister criticizing a member of the royal family in that way, before.

FOSTER: So, what are the options here if this continues to escalate and the public has a big, understandable issue with anyone that had a

relationship with Epstein, let alone their future queen?

ALSTADHEIM: Well, I think she has to explain herself more than she has done so far. It's also an email she sent to Jeffrey Epstein where she

writes that I Googled you, and I agree that it didn't look so good. And with a smiley at the end. So, if she did, Google him. That was in 2011. Why

did she keep this connection, this friendship, until 2014?

So, there are a lot of unanswered questions. And at the same time, the monarchy is a patient institution, so they are in it for the -- for the

long run through the generations. So, the feelings and emotions in the Norwegian people right now might be changing again later. We'll see.

FOSTER: And in terms of her son, he pleaded not guilty, didn't he? How was that received?

ALSTADHEIM: Well, he pleaded he pleaded guilty or partially guilty on 23 of 38 charges.

[15:25:00]

He admitted criminal responsibility for violence and threats, but he pleaded not guilty on four charges of rape. So, it's an intense period for

him. The trial will last for seven weeks.

And this is, of course, massive media attention here, both from Norwegian media and also from international press. So, it's a hard time for the --

for the royal family. And remember, at the same time that our king and queen, they are still active, but they are closing in to 90 years old next

year. The crown princess has serious condition with her lungs and might have to have a lung transplant later. So, it's the Norwegian royal family

is vulnerable at this time.

FOSTER: Yeah. Kjetil Alstadheim, I'm really appreciate you joining us today to give us some insight on that. Thank you.

Now, the latest government shutdown in Washington about to come to an end. Theres been a breakthrough on Capitol Hill. We'll give you the details.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: The U.S. government's partial shutdown is on track to end soon. The House passed a spending package just a short while ago, sending the

bill to reopen the government to President Trump for his signature. The House created another funding cliff, though, for the Department of Homeland

Security in two weeks, which Arlette can tell us about -- Arlette.

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, the House voted to end this partial government shutdown, sending this bill to President Donald Trump's

desk for his signature. But there was quite a string of wrangling in the last minute for House Speaker Mike Johnson.

[15:30:00]

This is a reality that Johnson has had to face time and time again, as he is operating with a very narrow majority, and both the House GOP leadership

and even President Donald Trump worked hard to ensure that they could keep conservative hardliners on board. There were some Republican lawmakers who

had expressed concerns about this bill and had wanted to see some legislation relating to voter ID requirements attached to this measure.

Ultimately, they backed off of that demand and helped with a key procedural vote to advance that funding package. And then it was approved by the full

house.

Now, this will reopen parts of the federal government, a large portion. Think of places like the Department of Defense, Labor and Housing --

Housing and Urban Development. But one key thing in this is that the Department of Homeland Security is only funded for a total of two weeks,

which is actually the next ten days. And that is really where the next battle will lie.

This was a deal that was hammered out between the White House and Senate Democrats to only extend funding for DHS for two weeks, because Senate

Democrats and House Democrats as well, have been demanding changes to the way that ICE operates, the way that ICE agents are deployed across the

country.

So, now, these lawmakers will really be in this 10-day stretch to try to hammer out a deal. But there is a lot of skepticism that they will actually

be able to do this. Covering Congress, we all know very well that it takes a lot of time to get things done up here. And Senate Majority Leader John

Thune was very blunt. Just in the last few hours, saying that he thinks it's going to need a miracle if they are actually going to get this

accomplished in the next two weeks.

That would open the question of whether they are facing another shutdown just for the Department of Homeland Security, or if they could have a

temporary patch to extend funding for some time. But right now, the two sides really remain very far apart. But we expect these negotiations over

how ICE reforms could be made to really intensify in these coming weeks, and certainly expected to be a very contentious process.

FOSTER: Is there some Republican support for ICE reform?

SAENZ: There have been some openness. There have been these Republicans who have said it's clear that there are some things that need to change.

But the question is, is whether any of the demands that Senate Democrats and House Democrats will have will appease the Republicans to get them on

board?

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a press conference in the last hour that he anticipates Senate Democrats sending over to the White House

and Republicans, some of their demands that they want to see maybe potentially changes to the warrant process. Also, body cam video. That is

something that some Democrats have expressed openness to.

And so, certainly, there's a lot of fine tuning of the details that people will need to go through at this time. It's unclear whether they'll actually

be able to get any changes agreed to in the next ten days, at which point at least that one agency, the Department of Homeland Security, could be

facing a funding lapse very soon.

FOSTER: In terms of Donald Trump's base and his support, I'm just interested in Congress. Is that as strong as it was? Because obviously, you

know, around the whole Epstein affair, he had some division within the MAGA base. I'm just wondering if he's able to -- if he's able to sort of get

past that and build that support back up again.

SAENZ: Yeah. You know, the president has been working very hard to try to keep the Republican conference together on a host of issues. That's

something that we saw play out just today. But there are some -- there are -- what do you think about swing district Republicans who approached the

president at times in very different ways?

You know, a lot of people, Republicans and Democrats are starting to get tuned in and plugged in into how the midterm elections are going to shake

out. We have heard some Republicans say that, hey, there does need to be some type of messaging shift trying to focus more on things like

affordability and cost of living, because for so many Americans, the economy will be a driving factor.

So, it will be interesting to see in the coming weeks whether there will in months, especially as we approach this midterm elections, whether there

will be any distancing from Republicans towards President Donald Trump or if they will just simply continue to pass along the items and agenda items

that he wants.

FOSTER: Yeah, it really is about the midterms, isn't it?

Arlette, thank you so much.

We want to go to Capitol Hill where Renee Good brothers are actually testifying right now. I wanted to give you a bit of what they had to say.

This is something from a few moments ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRENT GANGER, RENEE GOOD'S BROTHER: When I think of Renee, I think of dandelions and sunlight.

Dandelions don't ask permission to grow. They push through cracks in the sidewalk, through hard soil, through places where you don't expect beauty.

And suddenly there they are, bright, alive. Unapologetic -- unapologetically hopeful.

[15:35:00]

That was Renee.

And sunlight. Warm, steady, life giving, because when she walked in a room, things felt lighter. Even on cloudy days. Renee had a way of showing up in

the world that made you believe things were going to be okay. Not because she ignored the hardship, but because she chose optimism anyway.

She chose to look for what was good, what was possible, and what was worth loving. Renee loved fiercely, openly, and without hesitation.

As a mother, Renee poured herself into love, the kind of love that shows up every day that sacrifices quietly, that cheers loudly, that believes

deeply. Her children were and are her heart walking around outside her body. And she made sure they felt safe, valued, and endlessly loved.

As a sister, she was constant. Someone you could lean on, laugh with or just sit silent beside. She had a way of making you feel understood, even

if when you didn't have the words yet. She didn't just listen. She saw you.

She believed in second chances. She believed tomorrow could be better than today. She believed that kindness mattered. And she lived that belief even

when things were hard. They looked for the light.

And if she couldn't find it, she became the light for somebody else. It was the excessively ordinary things that made Nee so beautiful. There are

billions of people who now know her name, and it would be so easy to fall into the false belief that the great heroic things are required to overcome

difficult things in the world.

But as Tolkien wrote, "It is the small, everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love."

That's why the image of dandelions feels so right. People try to pull them up, overlook them, dismiss them, but they keep coming back stronger,

brighter, spreading seeds of hope everywhere they land. Renee planted those seeds in all of us, in her children, in her family, in friends, coworkers

and people who maybe didn't even realize they needed her light at the time.

And sunlight. Sunlight doesn't ask for recognition. It just gives. It warms. It nurtures. It helps things grow.

Renee did that for us. She helped us grow. She helped us believe in ourselves. She helped us see the good even when life felt heavy.

Renee is not gone from us. She's in the light that finds us on hard days. She's in the resilience we didn't know we had until we needed it. She's in

the laughter, the memories, the love that continues to grow like dandelions, like sunlight and like Renee. Thank you

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: That hearing silence drawn upon it after the words of Renee Good, brother. Of course, the lady gunned down by federal officers on the streets

of Minneapolis and her brother, clearly finding it very difficult, but very important to tell politicians what sort of person she was. We'll be back in

a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:42:33]

FOSTER: You may have seen that powerful testimony we got from Renee Good's brother on Capitol Hill just now. The Trump administration trying to tamp

down some of the criticism coming from its surge of immigration officers in Minnesota. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says all federal

officers on the ground in Minneapolis will be equipped with body cameras to record their actions.

She says that if she gets enough funding, she will equip officers nationwide with body cams. As we heard earlier, the controversy over

immigration enforcement is taking center stage there on Capitol Hill. Democratic lawmakers are hearing from people who say they are victims of

abuse by federal officers, along with Renee Good's family members. We're also going to hear from Mario Martinez, who was shot by federal agents in

Chicago last fall.

Here's a bit more of what Renee Good's brother had to say about his family's ordeal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LUKE GANGER, RENEE GOOD'S BROTHER: The deep distress our family feels because of Nee's losses in such a violent and unnecessary way is

complicated by feelings of disbelief, distress and desperation for change.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Let's bring in CNN's law enforcement correspondent Whitney Wild with more on this.

I mean, I don't really know what to say. You know, the words just speak for themselves so powerfully, and politicians utterly silent

WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: What Luke Ganger had said during that hearing was that he, you know, he was really looking for

answers. He was coming to the lawmakers to ask for their help. And both he and his brother spoke about Renee and what she meant to them and what she

meant to their family.

And, you know, it was really a plea on, as Senator Blumenthal called it, really a plea on America's conscience, you know, really helping humanize

this issue that can sometimes feel very far away. It can feel like it's another city, it's another person. It can feel very disconnected.

And what they were trying to do was bring her into context, bring her into life for people who didn't know her, her brother Luke said that when he

thinks about her, he about Renee Good, he thinks about dandelions and sunshine, and the metaphor was meant to show that dandelions poke up

through the concrete. And she was, you know, someone who was as kind as she was strong.

And that was really the message that they were trying to send today. There has been, you know, a long list of updates over the last day or two.

[15:45:04]

The latest update out of Minnesota, which is where the bulk of this immigration action has happened within the last nine weeks or so. Governor

Walz said that he sent a letter to Kristi Noem because he's very concerned about children being taken into custody. As we know, Liam Ramos, who is

that five-year-old, he's that iconic photo with the floppy bunny ears, and he's got his little backpack on as he stands outside a salt stained vehicle

that is presumably a law enforcement vehicle with a federal agent holding on to the back of his backpack.

He and his father were sent to a Texas facility. He was sent home. But what Governor Walz pointed out was that they don't know how many children like

Liam are out there, because not every child was photographed. Not every child went viral.

And so, he sent a letter to Secretary Noem today demanding answers on how many children have been taken into custody, why and what their due process

is. And then he said that this idea that this is -- this is, you know, about immigration, that it's about fraud and that it's about all the things

that the administration is claiming is not on the level.

He thinks that this is really about pushing the state pushing election interference. And here's more about more from Governor Walz describing what

he thinks all of this is really about.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. TIM WALZ (D), MINNESOTA: The letter I received last week around the voting rolls was the central theme of this entire situation that we're in.

And that proved true down in Georgia. And it proved true by the president's own words yesterday. As he said, the Republicans need to federalize the

elections, especially in the 15 states, which would include Minnesota.

So, we know what this is about. But the thing that we're about and the reason that we're here today is, is this is about protecting Minnesotans

and most especially our children and our most vulnerable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WILD: He was referencing a letter that Attorney General Pam Bondi had sent to the state where she was -- as she said, suggesting ways that Minnesota

could come to the table, and then, you know, I guess appease, for lack of a better phrase, some of the administrations, you know, concerns placate some

of their concerns about the state of affairs in Minnesota. And one of those demands or as they -- Walz calling it demands, Bondi calling it suggestions

-- was about offering up voter rolls. The state the DOJ wants to see those Minnesota voter rolls.

They do not want to give that information up to DOJ. And there were other pieces of data they were asking for, too, which, you know, had to do with

other public assistance programs, Max. So while the immigration situation in Minnesota seems to be receding a bit, it is certainly not over, as you

heard from Governor Walz today, although he did say that he wants to continue working with federal law enforcement to try to figure out a path

forward.

FOSTER: Yeah, you've been covering it from the start. Whitney, really appreciate that. Thank you.

Now, a former CNN anchor, Don Lemon, speaking out about his arrest. The now independent journalist entered a church with a group of protesting ICE

operations in -- a group protesting the ICE operations in Minnesota while a church service was taking place. Lemon says his actions as a reporter are

covered by his First Amendment rights. However, federal prosecutors say he violated the FACE Act, which prohibits using force or threats to interfere

with someone practicing their religion in a place of worship.

Here's what Lemon told late night show host Jimmy Kimmel.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DON LEMON, INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST: They took me outside. FBI guys were out there. I mean, it was -- it had to be maybe a dozen people, which is a

waste, Jimmy, of resources, because I told them weeks before, maybe once or twice, that we would you know, I think my attorney tried to contact them

once, maybe twice, that I could just go in.

They want that. They want to embarrass you. They want to intimidate you. They want to instill fear. And so that's why they did it that way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Still to come, grit and determination. American skiing superstar Lindsey Vonn says shell compete at the Winter Olympics this month, despite

suffering a serious injury just days ago.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:51:46]

FOSTER: We're only a few days away from the start of the Winter Olympics. American skier Lindsey Vonn says she will compete despite a crash at the

World Cup on Friday. So Vonn made the announcement just a short while ago, adding her ACL is ruptured.

The 41-year-old says she understands her chances aren't the same as they were before the injury.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LINDSEY VONN, OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST SKIER: I will make it to the starting gate, but it's already been one of the best chapters of my life so far. I

think this would be the best comeback I've done so far.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Don Riddell joins us live from Atlanta. I mean, it really would be amazing if she came back and won.

DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: I mean, everything about Lindsey Vonn, Max, is amazing. She's always been an incredible athlete. She's always been a

fantastic story. And now we are in the epic phase of her career that must have Hollywood agents thinking about reaching for the phone because, you

know, she quit the sport almost six years ago because she was absolutely crippled by injuries. She decided to make a comeback last year.

That comeback had been going fantastically. A couple of wins. She seems to be on the podium pretty much every race. But then came that crash. Then

came the news that her left ACL was, and I quote, completely ruptured, her right knee had already been rebuilt and there was just this fear that this

comeback was going to end in tears. And she wasn't even going to make it to the Olympics.

But now she's saying, oh no, she will be there. She will be competing. Have a listen

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VONN: This is not obviously what I had hoped for. I've been working really hard to come into these games in a much different position. I know what my

chances were before the crash, and I know my chances aren't the same as it stands today. But I know there's still a chance.

And as long as there's a chance, I will try. Unfortunately, in my career, I've had a lot of challenges. I have always pushed the limits and in

downhill it's a very dangerous sport and anything can happen. And because I push the limits, I crash as many times as I crash. I've always gotten back

up as many times as I've failed. I've always won.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIDDELL: He says -- sorry. Vonn says that her knee is stable. There is no swelling. The muscles around the knee are reacting and firing as they

should. The downhill is actually really soon. It's this Sunday and she's just made that event I think must see TV.

She's going to have to have a practice run on Thursday, so we'll have a better idea of how she's faring. And she was hoping to compete in three

events. Also the Super-G and the combined team. She doesn't know if she's going to be able to do all three, but this is certainly her intention.

Regardless of this injury, she says she doesn't want to have any regrets.

And by the way, Max, we mentioned she's 41. She holds the record for being the oldest woman to finish on the podium at the Olympics in the downhill.

She set that record way back in 2018. She is trying to break that record again, despite everything that's just happened. Absolutely epic. No matter

how --

FOSTER: She is. Unbelievable.

Don, thank you.

RIDDELL: All right.

[15:55:00]

FOSTER: Finally, an extraordinary rescue story from Australia, 13-year-old Austin Applebee swept out to sea with his mother, two siblings whilst they

were kayaking and paddle boarding off western Australia. As light started to fade, Austin swam back to shore to get help. He swam for two hours

across four kilometers or 2.5 miles. Police then sent out a rescue team and all were returned to shore. Austin says he stayed motivated through the

rough conditions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AUSTIN APPLEBEE, SAVED FAMILY: I was fighting rough seas because I thought I saw something in the water and I was really scared. I was just thinking -

- I was just thinking in my head, like thinking I was going to make it through. But I was also thinking about, like, all my friends at school and

friends at my Christian youth. And yeah, I just said, all right, not today, not today, not today. I have to keep on going.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Look at the face of that proud mother.

I'm Max Foster. That's WHAT WE KNOW. Do stay with CNN.

END

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