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Republicans Want Answers After Trump Fires Fed Watchdog; Pete Hegseth Sworn In As Secretary of Defense; Former Hostage's Relatives Watch And Celebrate Her Release; Released Palestinians Return To Joyful Welcome In West Bank; Officials: U.S. Deports 264 Guatemalans On Military Flights; Trump Administration Orders Health Agencies To Pause Communications; World Monuments Fund Adds Moon To List Of Vulnerable Sites. Aired 5-6a ET

Aired January 26, 2025 - 05:00   ET

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

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[05:00:33]

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, we want to welcome all of our viewers from around the world and in the United States. I'm Polo Sandoval in New York.

Ahead on CNN Newsroom: Republican leaders are set to meet President Trump in Florida amid his purge of federal employees.

And concerns grow over the Israeli-Hamas hostage and ceasefire deal as a disagreement erupts over the failure to release a single hostage. What both sides are saying about the deal's future.

And then Elon Musk appears at a far-right rally in Germany. Why he says the country's upcoming election could change the course of history.

We'll begin your headlines in the United States after a storm of deportations, dismissals and controversial executive orders. It may be hard to believe that we're not even a full week into the new Donald Trump administration.

In the coming hours, we'll see the U.S. president meet with House Republicans at his resort in Florida. And as Trump looks to rally support for his agenda, some blindsided Republicans are looking for answers after the White House fired federal watchdogs in a sweeping purge. The president claims some of the inspectors general were, quote, "unfair and not doing their jobs."

More than a dozen federal agencies have been impacted so far. Inspectors -- the inspectors general, they ultimately conduct independent investigations into potential fraud or waste by government agencies. As journalists, we often pull their records and submit requests for information from that agency to bring you more and more details about problems within government. And now both sides on Capitol Hill appear unsettled by these firings.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER, (D) U.S. SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: Yesterday in the dark of night, President Trump fired at least 12 independent inspector generals at important federal agencies across the administration. This is a chilling purge and it's a preview of the lawless approach Donald Trump and his administration are taking far too often as he's becoming president.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: And at Saturday's Las Vegas event at this rally, Mr. Trump bragged about his federal government overhaul. CNN's Steve Contorno is traveling with the President.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Donald Trump took what appeared to be an extended victory lap in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday in what was really a very much a campaign style rally, although he spent a lot of time talking less about the campaign and more about the victories of his first week in office, including the executive orders he has signed, the actions he has taken to reverse President Joe Biden's agenda, as well as his controversial decision to pardon the January 6th rioters.

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I pardoned hundreds of political prisoners who had been viciously persecuted by the Biden regime. Hundreds of people were persecuted, including Christians, pro-life activists to Washington, D.C. police office just yesterday, whose lives were destroyed from chasing down a dangerous illegal alien criminal. And of course, I was very proud to pardon the J6 hostages.

CONTORNO: Trump also reiterated his campaign promise to get rid of taxes on tipped wages, telling the Nevada crowd that he anticipates it could be part of a tax package that Congress he hopes to pass later this spring, although it remains to be seen if House Republicans will get on board with it.

TRUMP: I'll be working with Congress to get a bill on my desk that cuts taxes for workers, families, small businesses, and very importantly, keeps my promise for a thing called -- and I know you didn't hear anything about this, and I'm sure it had no influence on the state, the fact that we won this crazy massive majority, a state that hadn't been won by a Republican in decades. But I'm sure you haven't heard, but we're going to get it for you. No tax on tips.

CONTORNO: Trump is back in South Florida, and on Monday he will meet with House Republicans at his Doral resort. It's the second time in recent weeks that he is convening with House Republicans as they work together to build out his agenda.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[05:05:04]

And Pete Hegseth was officially sworn in as the Secretary of Defense in the U.S. on Saturday. Vice President J.D. Vance had to cast a tie- breaking vote to get him confirmed, you recall. Hegseth says the U.S. will project what he described as peace through strength under his leadership at the Pentagon.

And Kristi Noem, also taking the oath of office on Saturday, she was sworn in as Homeland Security Secretary just hours after a bipartisan Senate vote to confirm her nomination. Noem says fixing what she calls the country's broken immigration system is among her top priorities.

As CNN's Annie Grayer reports, another round of President Trump's Cabinet picks are still facing confirmation hearings this week.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNIE GRAYER, CNN REPORTER: This week is going to be another jam- packed week for Senators as they seek to rapidly confirm the rest of Donald Trump's Cabinet. RFK, whose Trump's pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, has hearings on both Wednesday and Thursday in front of two different committees. Tulsi Gabbard will also be back on Capitol Hill on Thursday. Gabbard is Trump's controversial pick to be the nation's top intelligence official.

And then you have Kash Patel, whose Trump's pick to lead the FBI, who's also coming in for a hearing on Thursday. And as we've seen with the confirmations of Pete Hegseth to lead the Department of Defense and Kristi Noem to lead the Department of Homeland Security, Republicans are trying to move quickly and give Donald Trump these early wins to build out his Cabinet as quickly as possible. So there will be a flurry of actions, and we will continue to follow them every step of the way.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: U.S. President Donald Trump is suggesting moving more than one million Palestinians out of Gaza. He was speaking to reporters about the idea, and that's where Donald Trump said, quote, "We just clean out the whole thing," end quote. Citing the destruction in Gaza, he's suggesting that Egypt and Jordan possibly take them in. And the relocation could be temporary. It's unclear if the relocation could be temporary or long term.

Meanwhile, Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu says that he's trying to arrange a meeting with Trump in Washington, D.C. And in Tel Aviv, these protesters were on the streets on Saturday nights. They are again demanding that all hostages held in Gaza be released. And the uncle of one of the Israeli soldiers released on Saturday is asking Trump to help make that happen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAZI SHARABI, UNCLE OF RELEASED HOSTAGE DANIELLA GILBOA: We will not feel 100 percent joy and happiness until we will see all the other 90 hostages back in home. Please, Mr. President.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Also in the Middle East, U.S. President Donald Trump is giving Israel the option to acquire U.S. heavy bombs again if they wish to have them. Officials say that he has lifted a hold on the shipment of the 2000 pound or 900-kilogram bombs that was previously imposed by Joe Biden. The weapons can kill or injure people even if they're more than 300 miles away from the blast site. And Biden was concerned that they could be used discriminately in densely populated areas.

A CNN analysis showed that Israel used these exact weapons extensively in the early stages of the war, which experts partly blame for the high death toll.

Israel says that Hamas is not keeping up to its side of the ceasefire and hostage release deal, and that has led to gunfire on Saturday.

The sticking point is 29-year-old hostage Arbel Yehud. Israel says that she's a civilian and should have been released on Saturday. But Hamas is the group that's holding her says that she's a soldier.

Because of this, Israel says that it will not let Palestinians return to northern Gaza until she's released. But that didn't deter Palestinians from trying to go home anyway. But hundreds of them, essentially, they ran as Israeli troops fired some warning shots. The Israeli military says that soldiers did fire warning shots, but nobody was hurt.

Thousands of Palestinians in southern Gaza have been packing up, and few belongings -- really the few belongings that they have.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MINAR AL-SOURI, DISPLACED WOMAN FROM GAZA CITY (through translator): We want to go back to our homes. We're exhausted. Our families are still in Gaza City, and we want to see them. Enough.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I am waiting, moment by moment. The coming hours separate us from our return to the north. I am waiting for permission so I can take my son, who was murdered seven months ago, and give him a proper burial, God willing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Well, the families of the hostages released on Saturday gathered to watch and celebrate their return. CNN's Senior Global Analyst Bianna Golodryga has more.

[05:10:08]

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BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN SENIOR GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: I am in the home of the aunt and uncle of Daniella Gilboa, and I have to say it was just sheer emotion. So much enthusiasm here. Cheers of joy, champagne popping.

We are the only foreign news media who are allowed to witness this moment as family and friends saw their loved one, their niece, Daniella Gilboa, 20 years old, alongside three other female hostages for the first time in 15 and a half months.

SHARABI: Daniella, she's a daughter of a lioness. They are fighters, and they are proud Jewish girls who never lost hope, and I'm sure that Daniel never -- Daniella never lost hope.

DEKELE SHARABI, AUNT OF RELEASED HOSTAGE DANIELLA GILBOA: We didn't know what to think, you know? We just wanted to think good things, but we didn't know how we're feeling, and you just want to hug her, want to see her and to hug her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Meanwhile, 200 Palestinians say are back with their families after being released from Israeli prison. CNN's Nada Bashir joining us live from Jerusalem with more. Nada?

NADA BASHIR, CNN PRODUCER: That's right, Polo. We saw the release of those Palestinian prisoners yesterday in the occupied West Bank, the second weekend in which we have seen this kind of exchange. But this was a very different weekend to the first weekend, where we had seen a majority of women being released, as well as teenagers being released.

A number of them, of course, had been charged under administrative detention, meaning no charges laid against them. This time, what we saw was a majority of prisoners being released who had been serving time for serious offenses, including murder. Under the terms of the agreement, essentially what you would see is 30 Palestinian prisoners being released in exchange for each Israeli civilian hostage being released.

What we saw yesterday is 50 Palestinians being released from prisons in exchange for each Israeli female soldier being released. So that's why we've seen that slight increase in the number over the weekend in terms of that release. But again, we continue to see those significant celebrations taking place.

It was somewhat more orderly, in fact, and a smoother process than the first weekend. That release came far earlier in the day. There was a significant presence by Palestinian security forces on the ground to coordinate the movement of those buses through Beitunia into Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.

But as you'll see in this report, this was for many Palestinians a moment of celebration still. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BASHIR (voice-over): A show of force by Palestinian security forces as the occupied West Bank prepares for yet another release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli detention.

Buses have arrived now in Beitunia carrying those prisoners that are being released now on the second week of this exchange between Israel and Hamas. They are arriving now, escorted by Palestinian security forces here in the occupied West Bank after being released from the Ofer prison. In nearby Ramallah, crowds gathered to welcome those freed. 200 male prisoners were released in exchange for the release of four female Israeli soldiers held captive in Gaza by Hamas.

Among the prisoners, 121 men serving life sentences, according to Palestinian authorities, three of whom were arrested for orchestrating deadly bombings which targeted Israeli civilians. A majority of those released were convicted on serious charges, including murder.

In Israel, it is a shocking scene. Prisoners, many considered to be dangerous, being celebrated and walking free. But for Palestinians here, this is seen as a moment of victory.

If there is anything we are proud of in the history of this nation, it is Gaza, Mohammed says.

Those now freed cling on to their loved ones. Many are visibly frail and exhausted. The conditions inside the prison, they say were horrific. We'd be beaten in the morning and beaten at night. They would bring out large dogs that were trained to attack us. Briad (ph) says. They would raid ourselves while wearing masks and beat us. This morning, they woke us up at 3:00 A.M. and attacked us with dogs.

Mohammed Lazar (ph) had been serving a life sentence for the murder of an Israeli citizen. Now released, he says, mistreatment of inmates grew more severe after the October 7th attacks.

Over the last 16 months, we experienced severe suffering, Mohammed says, we went through many difficult things.

The alleged abuse of Palestinians in Israeli detention centers has been documented by several NGOs, as well as the U.N. Human Rights Office.

[05:15:07]

CNN has reached out to the Israeli prison service for comments.

While many here are celebrating this moment, it is hard to ignore the months which led to this point.

Of course, this is an important moment for our people, Leila Ghannam (ph) says, but we also feel remorse because the price was too high. The price of freedom was the blood of the Palestinian people.

And though the Israeli government has stressed that this is not a victory for Hamas, here, many say this is a moment of triumph for Palestinian resistance.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BASHIR: Of course, what we have seen over the last two weeks is an attempt by Israeli forces to try and block off areas of the occupied West Bank, so there have been increased road closures into the area.

But we continue to see those gatherings following the release of those Palestinian prisoners, though in a somewhat more controlled manner. And, of course, this is the second weekend. There are still weeks left of the first phase of the cease-fire agreement, which is expected to see 33 Israeli hostages released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli detention centers, including prisoners, of course, from Gaza as well.

In fact, that number could be far higher in terms of the prisoners being returned to Gaza. Amongst the figure that we saw yesterday, at least 70 are set to be deported, so they will not be residing in the occupied West Bank. In fact, they wouldn't have been part of that transfer into Ramallah yesterday.

But, again, the hope is that this cease-fire will hold all the way through phase one, that discussions will begin in the coming weeks for the implementation of phase two of the cease-fire agreement in order to fully complete what is set to be a full cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip. Polo.

SANDOVAL: Nada Bashir and her team bringing us some critical images from the conflict zone. Thank you, Nada.

Lebanon's government says that three people have been killed and 31 others injured by Israeli forces who opened fire on residents trying to return to villages in southern Lebanon. Israel had ordered people not to return to their homes along the Israeli-Lebanese border. And then there's video that's showing residents ignoring the order in the municipality of Kfarkela. Lebanese officials say that eight people were injured by Israeli fire here.

The Israel Defense Forces says that they had redeployed troops in southern Lebanon, even though they were supposed to withdraw a few hours ago. That deadline was part of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah militants. Lebanon's president says that the nation's sovereignty will not be compromised.

Onto the U.S.-Mexican border now, where it may seem a little bit odd, at least an odd place for an IRS employee to be working, but not if you ask Donald Trump on what he said next.

Also, how Guatemalan officials are reacting to Mr. Trump's aggressive immigration orders with deportation flights landing on their territory as they ramp up.

And Los Angeles looks to rebuild as devastating fires finally approach full containment, but the current rain forecast threatening to bring mudslides and landslides to the fire-ravaged areas. All that and much more when we come back.

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[05:22:19]

SANDOVAL: U.S. President Donald Trump is now suggesting that he would send some Internal Revenue Service employees to the border. And this comes after he a hiring freeze on IRS workers earlier this week. At a Las Vegas event on Saturday, Mr. Trump attacked the Biden administration's initiative for more IRS hires. And he also suggested the proposed increase in staff should instead be used to help his immigration agenda.

And this coming as President Trump's newly confirmed Homeland Security Secretary calls border security a top priority, she says. A source tells CNN that President Trump's federal crackdown on immigration, it could possibly target as many as 30 U.S. cities. The White House says that they've begun deportation flights using military aircraft. A reminder, deportation flights had been happening under the previous administration, just not using military aircraft, at least with photos not being shared by the Biden White House regularly.

A Guatemalan official says that the U.S. has already sent at least 264 people back to the country on those military flights. Here's CNN's Rafael Romo.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Guatemalan officials have been trying to put a brave face to weather the storm. They have chosen to seek cooperation with the Trump White House so that they can prepare for what could be a large number of Guatemalan citizens returning to their country.

Santiago Palomo, press secretary for the Guatemalan president's office, told us several key things regarding the deportations. Number one, the government of Guatemala has been in what he described as permanent communication with the White House. Palomo also confirmed that 264 citizens of his country were deported on U.S. military flights on Friday to Guatemala, including six children. And, number three, this official also said that Guatemala is ready to handle around 18 weekly flights of Guatemalan citizens deported from the U.S.

The issue of the deportation seems to be a top priority for the government of the Central American nation. Guatemala and Vice President Karin Herrera personally welcomed back to her country some of the migrants deported this week, greeting them at a Guatemalan Air Force base just outside the capital.

Meanwhile, the official we spoke with says the deportations were not a surprise for his government.

SANTIAGO PALOMO, GUATEMALAN PRESIDENT'S PRESS SECRETARY (through translator): Our authorities in the United States, led by the ambassador, Hugo Beteta, met this week with officials of Donald Trump's administration. There was fluid communication and they gave us detailed information about the flights that were expected this Friday.

ROMO: And to put the issue of deportations of Guatemalan citizens in perspective, the U.S. deported more than 66,000 back to their home country in fiscal year 2024, according to data from U.S. immigration officials. That's nearly a quarter of all noncitizens removed by the U.S. that year.

[05:25:13] The Guatemalan official we spoke with said those returning to Guatemala are being treated in a dignified way through a government assistance program spearheaded by President Bernardo Arevalo called Returning Home.

Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: Now the latest on the wildfires ravaging Southern California. Almost three weeks since their outbreak, the Palisades Fire now at 84 percent containment and the Eaton and Hughes fires nearing 100 percent containment. That's according to Cal Fire.

Meanwhile, Southern California has reason to be cautiously optimistic and all they have to do is look at these rain and snow accumulation totals that are expected. It's much needed rainfall. It's forecasted for the weekend and into Monday but for the many counties in the fire and burn scarred areas, the rain could actually prove to be too much of a good thing.

A flash flood watch is in effect from today through Monday in the fire ravaged areas which could face new threats of possible debris flows, mudslides and landslides to some of the areas affected by the fires.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIM HUDSON, INCIDENT COMMANDER, CAL FIRE: I've had a lot of conversation about the weather the last couple days where we are monitoring that. The third day of the incident we requested what we call a watershed emergency response team and they've been doing modeling and analysis of the soils and the areas and the terrain and working on thresholds for potential runoff. We're working on thresholds that could provide concern to it or cause concern and staying ahead of those as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: So many challenges that folks out west are still facing.

Still ahead, a new U.S. government communication directive. It has stopped health information from being released to the public, at least on a temporary basis, we will speak with an expert about the impact that this could have.

Also a naturalized U.S. citizen is ranting against immigration and multiculturalism. How Elon Musk is working to influence European elections. That's ahead.

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[05:30:35]

SANDOVAL: And welcome back to our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm Polo Sandoval in New York and this is CNN Newsroom. U.S. President Donald Trump will meet with House Republicans at his

resort in Florida in the coming hours. Meanwhile, the President has accepted the House Speaker's formal invitation to go and address Congress in March. And this comes amid growing concern among the GOP. Some Republicans are looking for answers after Mr. Trump fired federal watchdogs in a sweeping purge. The president claims some of the inspectors general were, quote, "unfair." More than a dozen federal agencies have already been affected, including the Departments of State, Defense, Health and Human Services. The list goes on there.

Inspectors general tend to conduct independent investigations into fraud or waste within a government agency. Mr. Trump is making changes at federal health agencies as well. His administration has directed them to pause external communications, including potential updates on health advisories for the public.

All documents and communications must now be reviewed by a presidential appointee before going out. Staff at the Department of Health and Human Services, the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which we became very familiar with during the pandemic, and also the National Institutes of Health, all of them say that they've received no warning before the directive was issued.

Now, officials tell CNN that it's not unheard of for a new administration to pause communications. But the scope of this order, it is quite unusual. And for many, it is also concerning, including for Darya Minovi. She is a Senior Analyst with the Union of Concerned [Scientists]. She joins us from Washington. Thank you so much for getting up early for us to talk about this crucial issue that has the potential to affect so many people. Appreciate you.

DARYA MINOVI, SENIOR ANALYST, UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS: Thanks for having me.

SANDOVAL: So how about we begin with what is at the heart of your concern here about this restructuring? As we said, it's not necessarily unusual for new administrations to sort of pause communications as they find their feet. But why is this not a good idea, and especially not right now?

MINOVI: Absolutely. So, as you said, during every presidential transition, there is some level of transition that happens, but there are some ways in which this one is unprecedented. As we saw with the CDC, there have been pauses in publication of scientific reports, one of which is the Weekly Morbidity and Mortality Report. This is one of the quintessential scientific reports that the CDC publishes every week for over 60 years, except for this week for the first time.

And this is one example of critical public health information that doctors, public health researchers, and the public rely on with real- time data that is incredibly important for responding to and being aware of public health threats. There's also a concern with the scope of this directive.

It's not just reports, but press releases, any meetings, guidances, regulations, everything is being held up until it is reviewed by a political appointee, I think, except for emergency alerts. So the slowdown is really preventing information that's critical to the public about threats to public health from being published.

SANDOVAL: Looking back at other -- and speaking to your colleagues too, Darya, can you think of any other examples that have been perhaps as shocking to you and your colleagues in previous administrations, or is this the first?

MINOVI: I think that the scope in this administration so far is the most shocking. Of course, there again is always some level of transition, but we will see, depending on how long this pause lasts, and also the degree to which political appointees continue to be involved in these decisions, like we saw during the last Trump administration, which was really concerning.

SANDOVAL: I read something about the CEO of a nonprofit that seeks to support public health workers that told CNN that a temporary pause in the information flow and that kind of echoes what we've heard -- that it should not be a cause for concern, but it's the extent to which it can be enforced that certainly would be concerning here.

[05:35:02]

So in your view, could something that requires immediate action, for example, a communication that could mean potentially life and death, could that potentially be waived?

MINOVI: Yes. My understanding is that there's case-by-case consideration, so emergency alerts, for example, would hopefully move forward. You can see on the FDA's recall alert page, they are still posting updates there, so hopefully those emergency alerts are still going out.

However, there is still critical information in these weekly reports and public health data that's not being updated on CDC's website and other alerts that go to doctors and hospitals that needs to get out. For example, we have an ongoing and worsening bird flu outbreak that, you know, clinicians need to know about, and that information has been put on pause. So hopefully this pause will not extend beyond the February 1st date that has been stated, because it could, of course, have life and death consequences.

SANDOVAL: Darya Minovi is a senior analyst with the Union of Concerned Scientists. Thank you very much for your expertise on this. It is certainly not a great time for this to be happening, so we'll follow along with you. Appreciate you.

MINOVI: Thank you.

SANDOVAL: You bet.

Well, thousands of Germans are demanding an end to right-wing extremism in their country. Some 60,000 people marched in Berlin on Saturday against the rise of the far-right Anti-Immigrant Alternative for Germany party. The AfD is hoping to win big in the snap elections next month, but protesters in Germany's capital say that they want the country to continue standing for democracy, openness and diversity, basically all that the AFD stands against.

The AFD party holding its own, much smaller rally on Saturday, and they were joined by a video by billionaire Elon Musk, who's no stranger to elections. CNN's Fred Pleitgen with details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The far- right Alternative for Germany, AfD, kicked off its election campaign here in the eastern German town of Halle/Saale, with a flurry of speeches, including by the party leader, Alice Weidel. And they're hoping to get their campaign supercharged with the help of U.S. billionaire Elon Musk, who did make a surprise appearance here at the party conference via video link, where he said that he continues to support the AfD. He called for less migration in Germany. He also called for Germany to close its borders and to do more for German citizens. Things that we've heard from Elon Musk in the past.

Now, the head of the AfD, Alice Weidel, she thanked Elon Musk for his support. Of course, the two are known to be quite close. They have done a video link with one another before. She also wished Donald Trump and his vice president, JD Vance, all the best. And one of the things that we can see is that many of the positions of the Trump administration are also positions that the AfD has as well. For instance, they say they want to close Germany's borders. They say they want to deport more people from Germany as well.

Now, we know that other politicians in Germany, including from the German government, have called what Elon Musk is doing by supporting the AfD meddling in the German election process. A lot of them have vowed not to work with the AfD. However, the AfD itself right now is riding high in the polls and after the election coming up in February, could be one of the strongest political forces here in this country.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Halle/Saale, Germany.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: Yeah, a lot of energy in that crowd.

Elsewhere, polling stations in Belarus are open for the presidential election today, but critics say that the result is a foregone conclusion. Alexander Lukashenko has been president since 1994, and he's set to claim his seventh term, all but dismissing the need to campaign, despite four other candidates being on the ballot. You see them there.

Mass protests following the last election in 2020. Back then, Western governments backed the opposition's claim that Lukashenko falsified the results and stole victory from an opposition candidate that's now living in exile.

From this world to another, the moon may seem far away from the influence of mere mortals like us humans, but just ahead, where a group here on Earth considers our closest celestial neighbor at risk and why it needs protection.

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[05:42:44]

SANDOVAL: Welcome back. The Moon is now apparently on the list of at- risk heritage sites. It is the first time a location beyond Earth has been listed as vulnerable by the World Monuments Fund.

You see, every two years, the international nonprofit highlights 25 endangered sites around the globe. Well, they say that extending that classification beyond our planet is due to the dawn of a new space age. The fund points to more than 90 historic lunar sites, each linked to humanity, which needed, really, preservation.

Notably, Tranquility Base. We all remember this, or at least we've seen this, right? The Neil Armstrong, where his famous footprint that sat there, put there on the Moon's surface in 1969, leaving that footprint.

And also the camera that recorded the so-called giant leap for mankind. This is absolutely fascinating. Let's bring in an expert right now.

Joining us from Australia is Alice Gorman. She's an Associate Professor, I should say, and Space Archaeologist with Flinders University. Welcome to the program.

ALICE GORMAN, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR & SPACE ARCHAEOLOGIST, FLINDERS UNIVERSITY: Thanks for having me on.

SANDOVAL: Alice, it's my understanding that you were actually part of a collective, one of the initial collectives that helped define that first declaration of the rights of the Moon a few years back. So help our viewers around the world, and perhaps in some galaxy far away, understand what the need is, why the need is there to protect the Moon.

GORMAN: Well, there's two levels to this. First of all, we have the whole Moon itself as a celestial body. And people are often quite shocked when I tell them that there are plans to mine the Moon, to extract its resources.

So we have to think about the natural values of the Moon. But humans have been sending spacecraft to the Moon now for over 60 years. And as you mentioned, we have places like Tranquility Base, where humans first set foot on the lunar surface, and about 100 other fascinating places.

And think if 50 years or 100 years from now, someone turned back to look at the lunar surface and said, how did we let that happen? How did we let them destroy Tranquility Base, the first traces of humans on another world? So this is kind of what this is really all about.

[05:45:09] SANDOVAL: You mentioned the camera, we've mentioned that famous footprint. What are some of the other artifacts that are on the Moon that require this kind of protection?

GORMAN: Well, we have stuff that comes from a range of different nations. So there's a site where a Japanese satellite crashed out of orbit onto the surface, There's Lunar 2, which was the first spacecraft ever to touch the Moon in 1959. It's got probes, rockets, little medallions, silver medallions scattered over the lunar surface.

We have two Russian rovers, which are not only fascinating vehicles in themselves, but they've left tracks across the lunar surface that have heritage significance. A huge raft of U.S., USSR, Chinese, Indian sites. You know, there's even a little bit of Australian space heritage up there. So, we want to be able to preserve some of this for future generations.

SANDOVAL: We also have seen these space exploration -- or at least these missions that we've seen at the private level in the United States, just looking at the future of space exploration, especially lunar exploration as well. Do you feel confident that a lot of these organizations and these companies have undertaken the right protections to ensure that the Moon remains protected as they continue to develop their projects?

GORMAN: Well, I would have to say no. I would have to say, although everyone is talking about sustainable lunar practices, and despite a lot of big brains working on this issue, there are no protocols or conventions or practices in place that will enable private companies to do their due diligence and not destroy heritage places or, you know, incredible natural landforms as well. So, there's a lot of knowledge out there. There's also a lot of goodwill, but we actually need to bring this all together and ensure that people are thinking ahead before they set down on the Moon.

SANDOVAL: Certainly goodwill, but also plenty of ambition by other countries that you kind of touched on at the beginning, and hoping to tap into some resources. So, quickly, I'm curious, Alice, what does this do now to initiate those protections that are needed for the Moon as future generations around the world set their sights on potential colonizing or on harvesting resources?

GORMAN: Well, I think what this status that the World Monuments Fund has created for the Moon, being put on the watch list, is kind of a way of saying to the international space community, we're putting you on notice. You have to get your act together, and you have to do something about this before there are irreversible changes to the Moon. So, I think this is a really good move, and I do think there's a lot of goodwill out there to doing the right thing.

SANDOVAL: And let's hope that this is one additional step in a positive direction. It is a fascinating story. I know you'll continue to follow it. And thank you so much for your insight, because I think there are a lot of people interested in this.

Alice, have a wonderful day. Thank you. GORMAN: Thank you.

SANDOVAL: All right. So, today marks five years, five years since the tragic death of basketball legend Kobe Bryant. Ahead, we remember his life and the legacy that it left behind. Stay with CNN.

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[05:52:37]

SANDOVAL: Well, today marks a sobering anniversary, as it's now been five years since the death of Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna. As we remember their lives and the lives of seven others who were lost in that fatal helicopter crash that day, we also remember Kobe's legacy, one that reached far beyond the NBA court, inspired millions of people around the globe on and off the court. Still, his highly decorated career will forever keep him in the conversation with the greatest of all time, as the greatest of all time.

Kobe Bryant recorded 20 seasons with the L.A. Lakers, with five NBA championships, two Olympic gold medals, and his name in the Basketball Hall of Fame. An amazing player and phenomenal father and husband as well.

Meanwhile, the stage sets a huge day in the NFL on Sunday, a spot in Super Bowl 59, going to be on the line for four teams, the Bills and the Chiefs and the Commanders and the Eagles. By the end of the day, two of those teams will be booking those trips to New Orleans for the game.

Here to break it all down, my good friend, CNN Sports Anchor, Coy Wire, a nine-year veteran of the NFL, may I say, Coy, at this early hour, I think I know who you're going to be rooting for.

COY WIRE, CNN WORLD SPORT: Let's go Buffalo. I played six of my seasons there for the Bills, and there is a big question today, Polo, is that can Josh Allen and the Bills finally get over the hump and beat Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs when it matters most in the playoffs? So far, the answer has been no.

Three of the past four seasons, it's been Mahomes who's ended Allen's run in the 2020 season in the AFC Championship, then 2021 in the divisional round in one of the greatest playoff games in NFL history. KC came out on top. And then last season again, Mahomes besting Allen in Buffalo for that third time as the Chiefs went on to become the first team in 20 years to win back-to-back Super Bowl titles.

So what could be different this year? Allen is playing the best he has ever played, the front-runner to win his first MVP. Secondly, Mahomes went 15-1 this season, his only loss to Josh Allen and the Bills.

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PATRICK MAHOMES, KANSAS CITY CHIEF QUARTERBACK: When you look at the great rivalries of the NFL, it comes with this. It comes with playing at each other every year in the regular season. It comes with playing in the playoffs. You have to combat. You have to look at your weaknesses and try to make those strengths, and then your strengths make them even better because you know that they're going to go out there and try to take away those things.

[05:55:01]

JOSH ALLEN, BUFFALO BILLS QUARTERBACK: KC Patrick is one of the greatest to ever play the game. You know, and they're one of the greatest teams to ever be assembled, you know, going for a three-peat. And that's what everybody wants to be in this league is to have the sustained success that they've had. They know who we are. We know who they are. And it literally just comes down to who executes well on Sunday.

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WIRE: Now, over the NFC, Divisional Foes Washington and Philadelphia, they are going at it again, this time for a trip to the Super Bowl. Each team won a game in their head-to-head matchups this season. The Eagles played in the Super Bowl two seasons ago.

Now their quarterback, Jalen Hurts, is playing better than he ever has. And this season, he has the best running back in the game, MVP finalist Saquon Barkley. Over 2,000 yards this season, eighth most in NFL history. And Washington's defense is ranked 30th out of 32 in stopping the run. With the Commanders, we may have a chance at history today. No rookie quarterback has ever led his team to a Super Bowl. That's exactly what the Commanders' Rookie of the Year frontrunner, Jayden Daniels, can do.

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JAYDEN DANIELS, WASHINGTON COMMANDERS QUARTERBACK: For me, football, it's fun. And like I said, it's like a safe haven for me. Everything I've been through personally in my life. So, you know, I'm not really going out there and stressing about the moment because at the end of the day, I get to do what I love each and every week. You know, win, lose, or draw. It's the final four. You know, there's going to be a lot more eyes on these teams. So you try, you could get out of whack. You could listen to the media, stuff like that. But, you know, if you keep your safe routine, stay consistent, you know, it'll be work out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: So cool, calm, and collected follow for a rookie. It's incredible. Now, I have noticed these past playoff games, the more chicken wings I eat during the Bills games, the better Josh Allen plays.

So although I may have to find some new suits, I'm hoping to get all bulked up on some chicken wings and watch those Bills head to the Super Bowl.

SANDOVAL: A little bit of wings, a little bit of hot dogs is going to be a good Sunday. I know you'll be watching. I know you'll be rooting for your Bills. I might be joining you on that as well. WIRE: All right, let's go.

SANDOVAL: Always a pleasure to see you, my friend.

WIRE: You too.

SANDOVAL: Have a great day.

And that's going to wrap it up for this hour of CNN Newsroom. I'm Polo Sandoval here in New York.

For viewers in North America, "CNN THIS MORNING" is next. For the rest of the world, it's African Voices Changemakers. Have a good one.

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