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CNN International: Vance Delivers Unexpected Message To European Leaders; Vance Meets With Zelenskyy; Ukraine Blames Russia For Strike On Chernobyl Nuclear Plant; Seventh Prosecutor Resigns Over Adams Probe; Adams Rejects Claims He Is Doing The Trump Administration Favors; Refugees Fear Future In U.S.; Rutte On Potential Ukraine Peace Talks; Israel Identifies Three Hostages For Release; Prosecutors Dismiss Adams' Corruption Case; Finding Love on Valentine's Day. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired February 14, 2025 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: This programming note for you, The Lead will officially change hours on Monday, March 3rd. We're going to slide one hour later. We're going to go -- start at 5:00 p.m. and end at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. That's starting Monday, March 3rd, right here on CNN.
The news continues now with Pamela Brown, who's in for Wolf Blitzer, but she's still right next door in a place I like to call The Situation Room. I will see you Monday.
ISABEL ROSALES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world and to everyone streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Isabel Rosales.
Just ahead, U.S. Vice President J. D. Vance delivers an unexpected message to European leaders, claiming the biggest threat comes from within. New York City Mayor Eric Adams rejects claims he is doing the Trump administration favors in exchange for help with his legal troubles.
And swiping right on the one, a Tinder dating expert will tell us how you can find true love on this Valentine's Day.
U.S. Vice President J. D. Vance met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Munich Security Conference Friday. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
J. D. VANCE, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: Fundamentally, the goal is, as President Trump outlined it, we want the war to come to a close. We want the killing to stop. But we want to achieve a durable, lasting peace, not the kind of peace that's going to have Eastern Europe in conflict just a couple years down the roads.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROSALES: Zelenskyy urging Washington not to make any decisions about Ukraine without Kyiv's involvement. He also says his country needs real security guarantees. Meanwhile, the U.S. vice president criticized European leaders saying their biggest security threat is not from Russia or China.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VANCE: And what I worry about is the threat from within. The retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental, values shared with the United States of America. If you're running in fear of your own voters, there is nothing America can do for you, nor for that matter is there anything that you can do for the American people who elected me and elected President Trump.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROSALES: All right. After the speech, Vance met with a leader of Germany's far-right AfD party, Alice Weidel. That is according to her spokesperson. Alex Marquardt joins us now from Munich. What has been the reception from European allies so far?
ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, stunned, shocked and many in that audience, Isabel, were expecting to hear Vance talk about Ukraine and a possible peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, or perhaps just a national security speech in general. Instead, what they heard was this blistering speech, a real criticism of key European allies and their domestic policies, Vance criticizing them, he says for cracking down on free speech, on social media, on the freedom to worship.
He said, as you just noted there, that the biggest threat to Europe is not external, but it's actually internal. He pointed to mass migration as being the issue that is nothing more urgent and specifically highlighting an attack right here in Munich just yesterday that was carried out by an Afghan migrant.
So, there was a lot of silence in that crowd, only scattered applause. Real shock, I would say, among many. We heard from the German minister defense afterwards, who said Vance's comments were unacceptable.
You noted that meeting that he had with the far-right party before leaving back to Washington, the AfD, which is very much participating in this month's elections, their members have a history of using language that the Nazis have used, that is racist, that is anti- Semitic.
And then, the last thing, Isabel, we should also know that Vance met with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine before he left Munich. He did not put down any definitive positions. He said he wanted to leave -- preserve the optionality for President Trump to make those decisions, but President Trump has already talked about not allowing Ukraine into NATO.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has said that U.S. forces should not be in Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping force. For his part, President Zelenskyy thanked the U.S. for their support, but said what is really important now are security guarantees that would prevent Russia from invading Ukraine ever again. Trump administration officials have said that those guarantees should fall to the Europeans rather than to the U.S. Isabel. ROSALES: Alex, do we know anything else about that meeting between Vance and Alice Weidel, the leader of the far-right AfD Party? Anything else about what was said?
[18:05:00]
MARQUARDT: Not right now. And obviously, we are hoping for more details and we are expecting the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, to speak tomorrow. Germany is in the throes of a very heated campaign season. Elections later this month. So, when Scholz speaks tomorrow, we would expect him to comment on this, not just on Vance's comments that really took aim not just at Europe in general but Germany specifically and then because of this meeting with the AfD.
And we should note that Elon Musk has been propping them up as well. I would imagine that that is something that the German chancellor is going to speak on as well. So, we'll be certainly paying attention to that. Isabel.
ROSALES: Alex, really appreciate it. Thank you. All right. Former CNN Moscow Bureau Chief Jill Dougherty joins me live now. Jill, appreciate you coming on the show, giving us your perspective. This was the vice president's international debut and it comes on this just bizarre week of mixed messaging, tense messaging about the future of Ukraine. What do you make of his performance so far?
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR, ADJ. PROFESSOR, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY, AND FORMER CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF: I was surprised to actually, as I'm sure a lot of people were, by his speech, because the subject is (INAUDIBLE), what everybody is talking about in Munich obviously is Ukraine.
And there was -- he met with Zelenskyy. He made a few comments. But that, you know, important speech was really dealing with these social issues. Now, I think it's important for Europeans to understand that there is that discussion in the United States, these social issues, especially the idea that a lot of conservatives have that the deep state is controlling them and will not allow them to speak freely. And J. D. Vance, the vice president, does believe that. He's talked about that before.
So, it's not surprising that he said these things, but the context, I think, was very surprising. And lecturing, you know, your allies at the very time that Vladimir Putin is another person who's a major -- he's not there physically, but certainly in every negotiation, or actually every discussion about negotiations, Vladimir Putin is there. Vladimir Putin is cracking down on his society in a really draconian way, arresting journalists, condemning them to prison, et cetera. So, to come out and, you know, swinging against the Europeans was very odd.
ROSALES: Do you think it's just a matter of showmanship of words, differences here in politics, or are we witnessing a true resetting of international relationships?
DOUGHERTY: You know, I think it could be both. You certainly have the issue right now with the administration, not really having a plan. There is no -- we see parts of it, but there is no real overall strategy or plan to decide to, you know, bring this war to an end. The president wants it over and then his people are supposed to figure out the details of that.
So, I think, you know, in that absence, you have a lot of different ideas that have come up. I mean, just look at what the American defense secretary said two days ago and then retracted about NATO. Then there was more J. D. Vance kind of pulled it back today. You have other officials saying other things. It's very confusing.
But I think one of the objectives may be to make it confusing, to bring up a lot of things at the same time and simply put people on their back heel. To trade -- you know, to -- certainly with the Europeans. Ukraine is confused. I've talked with Ukrainian officials who said they have no idea what the plan is either. And then, Putin, interestingly, sitting there in the Kremlin, watching all of this and his people not really biting, not really getting into this discussion, but letting the allies kind of debate among themselves and weaken unity. So, that's the situation that we've got.
ROSALES: Do you think the U.S. is taking the Russian worldview?
DOUGHERTY: In part it is. I think especially if you look at what President Trump himself has said, he often comes out blaming Ukraine for starting the war. And actually, we know, of course, that Vladimir Putin started the war by invading Ukraine. And it didn't just happen in 2022. He took over Crimea illegally in 2014. So, it's been going on for quite a long time.
[18:10:00]
I think also, he said, I trust Vladimir Putin and Vladimir Putin does want an end to the war. He's also said that any country in the position of Russia could never permit Ukraine to be a member of NATO. And then, of course, we all know that Russian does not have a veto on the membership of Ukraine or any other country for that matter in NATO.
So, these are positions that really are exactly what Vladimir Putin is saying, whether the president wants to quote him, President Trump, I don't know. But it's coming out as very much aligned with what Putin says.
ROSALES: Hey, and these words matter. And we certainly heard Trump yesterday calling Secretary of Defense Hegseth's worth about saying that Ukraine has no chances of getting into NATO spot on. That's what he called it. Jill Dougherty, really appreciate your time.
DOUGHERTY: Sure.
ROSALES: Well, meanwhile, Ukraine says a Russian drone attack has hit the former Chernobyl nuclear plant, calling it a war crime. Officials say the concrete shell that covers a radioactive part of the plant was hit, but that radiation levels have remained the same. Russia denies carrying out the attack, as Salma Abdelaziz reports. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Do you remember Chernobyl? Well, that nuclear power plant has been struck by a Russian drone according to President Zelenskyy of Ukraine. You're looking at footage that shows a Russian drone with a high explosive warhead striking the shelter that covers the fourth unit of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, sparking a fire that was later contained.
Unit 4 originally exploded in 1986, sending clouds of radiation across the Soviet Union and Europe. It was later encased in a sarcophagus made of steel and concrete. That casing has been significantly damaged by this strike, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Ukrainian officials are monitoring radiation levels and say there is no increase detected as of yet.
Now, President Zelenskyy says that this strike shows that President Putin is not willing to negotiate peace in good faith. President Zelenskyy accuses President Putin of trying to deceive the world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROSALES: Coming up, prosecutor protests. Yet another Justice Department lawyer has resigned after refusing to drop charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. The latest on this growing crisis, next.
Plus, they're in the U.S. legally, but they still do not feel secure. I speak to newly settled refugees whose futures look less and less certain under the Trump administration.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:15:00]
ROSALES: An unprecedented revolt by U.S. federal prosecutors in New York City continued on Friday. High ranking officials resigning after refusing to drop corruption charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams, as ordered by the Justice Department. Seven federal prosecutors have now handed in their resignations.
The latest to quit, the lead prosecutor in the Adams case, Hagan Scotten, who said in a statement Friday, quote, "I expect you will eventually find someone who is enough of a fool or enough of a coward to file your motion. But it was never going to be me."
Mayor Adams on Friday appearing on Fox News with U.S. border czar Tom Homan amid allegations that the Justice Department agreed to drop his case in return for his help on illegal immigration enforcement, Adams denying that allegation in the interview. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR ERIC ADAMS (D-NY): Think about my attorney, Alex Spiro, one of the top trial attorneys in the country, imagine him going inside saying that the only way Mayor Adams is going to assist in immigration, which I was calling for -- since 2022, is if you drop the charges? That's quid pro quo. That's a crime.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROSALES: Calls continued Friday for Adams to resign, or for New York's governor to remove him. All right. Let's get to Evan Perez, who's joining me live now. Evan, bring us up to speed. What else are you learning?
EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Isabel, this hour we're still waiting for one prosecutor to actually sign their name on this dismissal request to the federal court in New York to dismiss these charges, these corruption charges against Mayor Adams.
As you know, we've now been two days into this very extraordinary revolt inside the Justice Department. It's a crisis of a kind of, I haven't seen in, you know, more than a decade covering the Justice Department. And you had, obviously, this start off with the acting U.S. attorney, the acting U.S. attorney who was appointed by Donald Trump who resigned because she did -- said that she couldn't in good conscience actually go through with the request that was made by Emil Bove, who is the acting deputy attorney general in Washington.
Now, she resigned, and as a result of this Bove decided that he was going to move the case to Justice Department headquarters, to the Public Integrity Section, where promptly a number of other prosecutors resigned, rather than do this.
Now, today, the day began with Bove convening a meeting of the remaining lawyers in that section. There's a few dozen remaining lawyers, and he asked them to pick one person to file this dismissal. And after that, we're told that there was a meeting among the members there and they decided, after it all, instead of resigning en masse, that they would find one person to file that dismissal.
Now, we're still waiting to see that dismissal actually go through into the federal court. Now, even after this is done. We know that the federal judge is going to have the final say, and we expect that that judge is going to first try to investigate and figure out what is actually happening here. So, that could add to the embarrassment, certainly for the Justice Department and all of this.
Now, as you pointed out, Mayor Adams as well as the officials at the Justice Department say that there is no quid pro quo. But it was pretty made very clear -- it was made very clear that the Justice Department was going to try to drop these charges. And they said it was explicitly because they wanted Adams to focus on immigration enforcement. And so, that's where things stand at this hour. Isabel.
ROSALES: Evan Perez, thank you. Really appreciate it. Let's turn now to CNN Senior Political Analyst Ron Brownstein. He joins me live now. Ron, thank you so much. Scotten's resignation letter, it includes these fiery accusations. How significant is this a criticism considering the credentials of the man that this is coming from? I mean, he's a Harvard law graduate who was awarded two bronze stars as a troop commander in Iraq. He's a seasoned prosecutor. Does it carry more weight? RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes. I mean, you quoted kind of the splashiest line, but I thought the nut graph, as we say in journalism, was when he said, no system of order, liberty can allow the government to use the carrot of dismissing charges or the stick of threatening to bring them again to induce an elected official to support its policy objectives.
[18:20:00]
And he is really getting to the heart of what we see on so many fronts so quickly in this Trump administration, the willingness to use the administration of justice to reward friends, punish allies, and influence behavior. And this, I think, has brought those broader questions, you know, that swirl around everything from the January 6th pardons to his shelving of enforcement of the anti-corruption of our practices act, is really brings all that to a head in a very, I think, pointed and clear way for the public.
And as Evan said, I bet we are going to learn more when this goes before the judge, but you have to ask yourself, where is the Congress at this moment? Certainly, allegations like these from him, from his boss who resigned, that in essence there was a quid pro quo here would seem to be, you know, screaming out for congressional oversight.
ROSALES: Yes, you're suggesting a hearing of some sort?
BROWNSTEIN: Yes. I mean, you know, certainly, I think the judge is unlikely to let this simply, you know, vanish from his courtroom without getting some more answers himself. I'm not a lawyer. Lawyers tell me he has some leeway, but not infinite leeway to compel more information from the Justice Department about what went on.
But essentially, you have, you know, a Trump appointee who clerked for Antonin Scalia, you're right, Danielle Sassoon, who is basically saying that the attorneys for the New York City mayor offered a quid pro quo, which essentially the Justice Department accepted and is compelling its officials down the line to enforce.
I mean, those are very serious charges. I mean, this kind of succession of resignations, this domino of resignations there really hasn't been anything like this in the Justice Department, I don't think since the Saturday night massacre in October, 1973 when there was a succession of resignations over Richard Nixon's attempt to fire the special prosecutor, Archibald Cox.
So, this is very serious stuff that touches on this larger issue right away of how far Trump is willing to go to politicize the administration of justice, to reward friends and punish those he sees as adversaries and whether either the courts or Congress is willing to stand up to it.
ROSALES: The Justice Department claims that dismissing this case would allow would allow the mayor to focus on more pressing issues like illegal immigration and his re-election campaign. Do you think that justification holds any weight? BROWNSTEIN: Like I said, I'm not the lawyer, but you -- you know, we just quoted the lead prosecutor on the case who said that those simply should not be considerations in whether or not to move forward with this case.
And it's really important to reinforce what both he and, you know, and the assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District pointed out, they are holding the case over the head of the mayor. I mean, they are leaving open the possibility of, you know, restoring these charges, which, you know, obviously is a lever on him to influence his behavior on their policy objectives and agenda. And what you saw from the prosecutor and his statement was that is simply incompatible with impartial enforcement of the law.
You know, and the mayor said today on Fox & Friends, I'm collaborating. That almost seemed like a Freudian slip, you know, that he is, in essence, a collaborator to an occupying force is kind of the implication there that is coercing him.
And, you know, he is obviously facing a lot of challenges politically in New York and whether the governor uses her authority to try to remove him, but I think the real issue here is what this says about Trump and his administration's vision of how they intend to administer justice far beyond this case. This is a moment where everyone in society needs to stop. Take a look, take a listen, and assess -- really want to head down the road. We seem to be barreling down already.
ROSALES: Ron Brownstein, always a pleasure. Thank you. Well, federal health workers are bracing for what one source is calling a Valentine's Day massacre. Thousands of employees are being fired across the government as the Trump administration directs agencies to carry out widespread layoffs.
A source tells CNN that about 1,300 employees could lose their jobs at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention right here in Atlanta, Georgia. That could include the entire first year class of the Epidemic Intelligence Service, also known as the CDC's disease detectives, who have played a key role in tackling threats such as COVID-19.
Cuts are also expected at the National Institutes of Health. A source says exemptions are being made for employees involved in patient care.
Meanwhile, as the Trump administration pushes ahead with its crackdown on immigration. Refugees who enter the U.S. legally say they fear they could be deported if the rules change. Among President Trump's new policies and indefinite pause to the U.S. refugee admissions program and the end of a Biden-era plan that created a pathway for more than a half million people. It means many refugees in the U.S. are now living in total uncertainty. I heard some of their stories.
[18:25:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROSALES: When you arrived in Louisville, how did you arrive?
SEMSUDIN HASELJIC, PROGRAM LEADER, KENTUCKY REFUGEE MINISTRIES: Imagine me without prosthetics, on a stretcher, and in wheelchair.
ROSALES (voice-over): A war injured refugee for two decades now, Semsudin Haseljic's life work has been to help others like him at Kentucky Refugee Ministries.
A flurry of executive orders targeting immigration signed in one of Donald Trump's first acts as president. One of them indefinitely suspending refugee admissions, a legal and vigorously vetted pathway and cancelling flights that were already booked.
HASELJIC: We did not imagine a hard stop on a refugee arrivals.
ROSALES (voice-over): A whiplash moment for resettlement agencies nationwide. And especially heartfelt in Kentucky, which ranks top five in the nation per capita in refugee arrivals. The order claims the U.S. can't absorb large numbers of refugees without compromising the resources, safety, and security of Americans.
HASELJIC: The administration's claim that refugees, you know, are putting burden on the communities and everything, that's --
ROSALES: What do you say to that?
HASELJIC: That's totally not true because our refugees are becoming self-sufficient.
ROSALES: Trump says it's also a matter of national security.
HASELJIC: Refugees are the most vetted population that comes to the United States.
ROSALES (voice-over): And the order doesn't stop there. Federal funding to aid refugees already here is frozen. Money that would cover costs for food, rent, English classes, and employment services. Until refugees could stand on their own.
Janvier Ndagijimana family barely made the cut. Arriving just six days before Trump took office. Through a translator, he tells me he spent 30 years living in refugee camps. Forced to escape his homeland of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he insists, he would have died from war and violence.
ROSALES: When you heard about these executive orders, did you cry as a family?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He said he felt so much pain in him when he came to learn that.
ROSALES (voice-over): It's the pain of a father separated from his children. Two of them adults, had their tickets booked for this month, abruptly cancelled.
His son Jack says without that critical money coming into support refugee settlement, he's fearful his family won't make it.
ROSALES: You're worried you could end up homeless.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Yes.
ROSALES (voice-over): If the suspension continues. KRM projects it will lose almost $1.5 million this fiscal year.
ROSALES: But the money's not there right now.
HASELJIC: They say temporarily stop.
ROSALES: Are you worried that that could be extended?
HASELJIC: Nobody has crystal ball right now because the administration seems to be doing whatever they want to be doing.
ROSALES: What's next for their family.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The only thing they can do is just to pray to God to change in the heart of the president so he can do the right thing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROSALES (on camera): Coming up, NATO chief, Mark Rutte, shares his thoughts on potential peace talks to end the war in Ukraine. Stick around.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:30:00]
ROSALES: Welcome back to CNN Newsroom. I'm Isabel Rosales. Here are the international headlines we're watching today. A seventh U.S. prosecutor has resigned after refusing to drop corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Prosecutors are up in arms after the Justice Department ordered them to dismiss the case. Mayor Adams denies that the U.S. is letting him off the hook in return for helping the Trump administration execute its crackdown of undocumented immigrants.
Russia has detained a 28-year-old American accused of trying to bring cannabis laced marmalade into the country. That's according to Russian state media. The man was detained at a Moscow airport earlier this month after traveling from Turkey. He could face five to 10 years in prison, along with a fine.
Ukraine says radiation levels are normal at the former Chernobyl nuclear power plant after an early morning drone attack on Friday. Ukraine's president says a Russian drone hit the concrete shelter that covers part of the crippled reactor. You can see it right there in the video on the left. It sparked a fire and caused significant damage, but apparently, no leak or radiation. Chernobyl was the site of the 1986 nuclear disaster that spread radioactivity across parts of the Soviet Union and Europe. U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon are demanding an investigation after several of its vehicles were attacked by a mob of people near the Beirut airport. One of the vehicles was set on fire. The attackers were reportedly angry that an Iranian plane was not allowed to land at the airport earlier in the week.
OK. Returning to our top story, U.S. Vice President J. D. Vance criticizing NATO allies gathered at the Munich conference, suggesting that European leaders are leaving behind the values of democracy. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VANCE: Within living memory of many of you in this room, the Cold War positioned defenders of democracy against much more tyrannical forces on this continent and consider the side in that fight that censored dissidents that closed churches, that canceled elections, were they the good guys? Certainly not, and thank God they lost the Cold War.
Unfortunately, when I look at Europe today, it's sometimes not so clear what happened to some of the Cold War's winners.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROSALES: And Germany's defense minister calling the criticism unacceptable.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BORIS PISTORIUS, GERMAN DEFENSE MINISTER (through translator): Our democracy in the whole of Europe was called into question earlier by the U.S. vice president. He spoke of the annihilation of democracy and, if I understood him correctly, he compared conditions in parts of Europe with those in authoritarian regimes. Ladies and gentlemen, that is unacceptable. It is unacceptable and that is not the Europe and not the democracy in which I live and in which I am currently campaigning.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROSALES: My colleague, Christiane Amanpour, sat down with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Munich discussing potential peace plans for Ukraine.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: The Americans have said it's only the Europeans who they intend to police or whatever security guarantee any deal. Does that mean you face just Europeans? Is it NATO? What is it? When you think about that, who goes in to patrol any line of contact?
[18:35:00]
MARK RUTTE, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: But here's the thing. My worry is that we are now already negotiating with Putin without having Putin yet at the table. AMANPOUR: Fine. But that's what the Americans have done. I'm sorry. The defense secretary --
RUTTE: No, I'm not sure that -- no, I'm not sure they're doing that.
AMANPOUR: He said that no American boots on the ground. He said only Europe and he -- that's what he said.
RUTTE: I think the agreement is this, that whatever the outcome of those talks will be that Putin should never ever again to try to capture one square kilometer or to say it in American terms, one square mile of Ukraine. That is vital.
We cannot have a Minsk-3. This was the agreement struck after they kept Crimea after they were able to capture Crimea in 2014, 2015. We can never have that again. So, it has to be durable. We all agree on this. And then, you and I can brainstorm whatever those security guarantees should be, what it exactly should look like.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROSALES: And a programming note, Christiane Amanpour will interview Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Saturday at the Munich Security Conference. That's at 10:00 a.m. in Munich, and you can see it right here on CNN.
OK. To the Middle East now, where Israel has announced the names of the three hostages due to be released from Gaza on Saturday. Hamas is set to free the men that you see right here. They are Argentine- Israeli, Russian-Israeli, and American-Israeli. Hamas says Israel is then expected in return to release 369 Palestinian prisoners. Hamas has been using the hostage releases as shows of force.
And as Jeremy Diamond reports, the group's apparent resilience has become a bitter pill to swallow for Israeli authorities.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Week after week, Hamas has turned the spotlight of hostage releases into a choreographed show of force. Weapons brandished to the world, these militants delivering one clear message, we are undefeated.
For 15 months, Israel has unleashed the full weight of its military might in Gaza. Deploying tens of thousands of ground troops while dropping millions of pounds of explosives from the air. And yet, amid the rubble, Hamas still standing. Flaunting machine guns and rocket propelled grenades.
They said they defeated the resistance, here is the resistance. The resistance doesn't die and is always in the field and present. Even if a far greater war comes towards us, we are ready, this man says. All these young children are ready. Give this child a rifle and he is ready to fight.
At the funeral of one of Hamas' top military commanders, hundreds of militants parade through the streets raising serious questions about Israel's strategy in this war.
DIAMOND: What does it say that after 15 months of war, these are still the pictures that we're seeing?
AMI AYALON, FORMER DIRECTOR, SHIN BET: What it means is very, very simple, we refuse to understand it, we refuse to accept it, and we refuse to understand that we are fighting a different type of war.
DIAMOND (voice-over): Ami Ayalon is the former director of the Shin Bet, Israel's domestic security service.
DIAMOND: What you are saying is that these images of Hamas in Gaza should be a flashing red light for the Israeli government to change strategy?
AYALON: It is. It is.
DIAMOND (voice-over): Absolute victory over Hamas has been central to the Israeli prime minister's strategy since day one.
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: We will fight until we achieve victory, total victory. There is no substitute for it.
DIAMOND (voice-over): And he is showing no signs of changing course, still reluctant to discuss a day after plan for Gaza or to allow a Palestinian alternative to Hamas to govern the Strip.
AYALON: It's a wrong strategy. In order to win Hamas, you have to create a reality in which Palestinians will not support Hamas and Palestinians will not support Hamas only when they will see a better future without Hamas.
DIAMOND (voice-over): While some hold up Hamas' show of force as proof of Israel's strategic failure, others calling on the prime minister to double down.
ITAMAR BEN-GVIR, FORMER ISRAELI NATIONAL SECURITY MINISTER (through translator): It's time for a massive war. It's time to stop their fuel, stop their humanitarian aid, stop the aid trucks. It's time to destroy Hamas.
DIAMOND (voice-over): But there is mounting evidence that Israel's assault on Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands of civilians is backfiring, driving more Palestinians to take up arms.
ANTONY BLINKEN, THEN-U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We assess that Hamas has recruited almost as many new militants as it has lost. That is a recipe for an enduring insurgency and perpetual war.
DIAMOND (voice-over): Hamas has faced some anger in Gaza from a population drained by more than a year of war. The group now looking to build up its popularity amid the ceasefire.
[18:40:00]
We would like to salute the Palestinian people, our resilient people persevered under the fire of the Zionist cowardly enemy, this militant says. Thank God for everyone's safety.
At a checkpoint until recently manned by Israeli soldiers, Hamas militants now stand guard. Police officers from the Hamas run government now back on the streets, as Hamas officials seek to re- establish municipal services and show they can still govern Gaza.
Amid these shows of force, there is also a message to Palestinians in Gaza who would think to challenge Hamas, which has long silenced political dissent with a brute force. To them and the rest of the world, Hamas making clear it remains in power and will not surrender.
Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROSALES: Breaking news on one of our top stories. U.S. prosecutors have formerly filed to dismiss corruption charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams, a move that caused a firestorm of controversy and a wave of resignations of U.S. prosecutors there in New York. Evan Perez joins me live now. Evan, what else are we learning about this?
PEREZ: Well, the document that has been at the center of this controversy has finally been filed and it bears the signature of a senior attorney, a prosecutor in Washington at the public integrity section and, Isabel, you know, it basically shows what kind of drama has been going on behind the scenes.
And so, I'll read you just a part of what the document says. It says, in connection with the determination and directive of the acting deputy attorney general, the dismissal is necessary because of the appearances of impropriety and risks of interference with the 2025elections in New York City. It goes on to say that this determination basically is because these proceedings would interfere with Mayor Adams' ability to govern New York City, which poses unacceptable threats to public safety, national security, and related federal immigration initiatives and policies.
Now, just to, you know, back this up a little bit, this is a dismissal request from the Justice Department. A judge still has to sign off on this, but one of the interesting things about this and what is driving this controversy is that it is a dismissal without prejudice, which means that this charge could still be brought back, and that's one of the things that's driving the controversy because everyone believes -- all the prosecutors, seven of them who have resigned, believe that there was a quid pro quo here, which is Eric Adams will help the Trump administration be sort of a big voice on immigration enforcement and in exchange for that they would drop these charges and basically keep this hanging over his head.
And so, that's part of the reason why you see these prosecutors, seven prosecutors who resigned instead of signing this document. Another thing that's interesting is that in addition to the lawyer who signed this back in Washington, Emil Bove, who is the deputy attorney general, the acting deputy attorney general again who's been overseeing all of this, His name is also on the signature line here, as well as Toni Bacon, who is the senior acting official over the criminal division.
Again, an extraordinary couple of days at the Justice Department, where career prosecutors objected to these orders because they believed it was a dirty deal, that it was a corrupt deal that was being pushed by the Trump administration to get the New York City mayor to cooperate with them on immigration matters.
ROSALES: Evan Perez, thank you for that beautiful explanation and we know this is just the start of things.
PEREZ: More to come.
ROSALES: Well, stay with us on CNN. We'll have more ahead, including a look at the booming industry, that is Valentine's Day. And whether or not in 2025, love really can just be a swipe away.
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ROSALES: All right. Love may be in the air this Valentine's Day, but it's also very much on our phones. Dating apps traditionally see a surge in new users at this time of year, and Tinder says last year, Valentine's Day generated 78 million more swipes than usual. Wow. Almost 3 million more messages were also sent in just 24 hours. Other apps experience a big boost in activity too.
Well, whoever said romance was dead. Let's bring in someone who knows a thing or two about finding true love. Devyn Simone is Tinder's resident relationship expert. She joins me live from New York. Where were you years ago? I needed you before I got married, Devyn.
DEVYN SIMONE, RESIDENT RELATIONSHIP EXPERT, TINDER: Hi, Isabel.
ROSALES: Hello.
SIMONE: Look, I'm here now.
ROSALES: You're here.
SIMONE: For anyone that still does. And Happy Valentine's Day to you.
ROSALES: We are looking out for the singles today, Devyn, and they -- boy do they want to hear from you. So, this is peak season for Tinder right now. As this relationship expert, what tips do you have for someone looking to find their soulmate via an app?
SIMONE: Absolutely. It's don't get discouraged. People are indeed on the apps. The apps are still an excellent way to meet your match, to meet your person. You just want to be consistent in it. Tinder's Year in Swipe report actually found that nearly 70 percent of singles on Tinder said they are looking for a serious relationship in 2025.
And embrace some of the trends. One of the trends that we're seeing this year is what we're calling loud looking. So, that doesn't just mean that you're really loud when you go on a date, it means that you're being loud, you're being clear about what it is that you're looking for.
So, you know, you might say, you know, only matches me if you voted for someone or you must be -- I'm looking for someone who's close to their family or, you know, I'm looking for someone in a serious relationship, you absolutely can make the apps work for you and success, have success on the dating apps.
ROSALES: OK. So, I'm a journalist, right? For my friends who are single I fully background check that individual, which is a little much. Do you recommend having mom or sister do a little bit of screening before they go on that first date?
SIMONE: Look, about 48 percent of singles admit to doing a little research on their date. That is totally OK and you can do that. But don't look to learn everything in advance. I think there is a fine line because part of the magic of going on a date and really connecting with someone is feeling like you have so many things in common, right? And that comes from discovering that together. So, make sure you're not trying to learn their whole life story because then you won't know any of the questions that, you know, you might want to ask.
But another thing that you want to do to get a good insight of the person is look at their bios, read their bios. And if they have -- they don't have a bio, I don't care how cute they are, I don't care how big that fish is in their profile photo, I don't care how nice their smile, swipe left on them if they do not have a bio. It'll actually save you a lot of time.
ROSALES: Do you think there's still a stigma surrounding this sort of relationships that start on an app? I mean, my producer was just telling me here during commercial break that he has a family member who got married thanks to Tinder. We're hearing a lot of those stories.
SIMONE: There are tons of those stories. Think about maybe some of your favorite football players, like Jason Kelce. He met his wife on Tinder. I met my husband on an app. It's a real thing. It really does happen.
[18:50:00]
And I'm sure the people that were leading us and leading the charge in the horse and buggies, side eyed when cars came along, they were like, what is this thing? Who is Henry Ford? What are we doing? That's not going to work. And look at where we are now. I think the same is true with the apps. It's really important to embrace it.
You know, as a matchmaker, I help people on the apps and off the apps. And I can tell you that the apps are still the leading way in which people meet, match, and marry. So, it's really important. And if you feel discouraged because right now it's Valentine's Day, and you're like, oh, I don't have my person, fear not, because uncuffing season is just around the corner.
Right now, we're seeing peak season, which is January 1st through February 14th. But starting February 15th, we start to see uncuffing season, which is all those single people --
ROSALES: Opportunity.
SIMONE: -- that didn't get matched up. Yes, opportunity, Isabel, opportunity.
ROSALES: Oh, my gosh, Devyn. Thank you so much. And yes, let's not be snooting. We got to embrace the technology, right? Thank you.
SIMONE: Absolutely.
ROSALES: Really appreciate you, Devyn. Thanks. Well, still ahead, the Eagles fans have landed. We will bring you all the action as Philadelphia celebrates their beloved Super Bowl champs. Hundreds of thousands braving that cold to salute the birds, next.
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ROSALES: Call it a celebration that was strictly for the birds. But in a good way. The Philadelphia Eagles were given a hero's welcome in the city of Brotherly Love Friday after their big Super Bowl win against the Kansas City Chiefs. Hundreds of thousands of people lined up to salute their hometown stars.
Patrick Snell joins me now. These fans, they're on cloud nine.
PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: They are loving it, Isabel. Incredible scenes. Celebrations have been in full swing for some time, I would say now for the newly crowned Super Bowl champs, the Eagles and their adoring fans ever since Sunday night, in fact, when they just powered their way to that famous win in Super Bowl LIX, beating handily the Kansas City Chiefs who were going for an historic three titles in a row.
But this day, not about the Chiefs. Oh, no. On Friday, scenes to savor for all concerned with the franchise. The Eagles holding their celebratory open-air bus parade right through the streets of a jubilant Philadelphia. Magnificent aerial shot there.
As you said, an estimated 1 million people in total attending. They were street -- they were lining up on the streets as early as 7:00 a.m. They closed all the schools as well on Friday in that area. So, really cool moment, Isabel, for kids of all ages to just be there, to say one day, when they look back on this, I was there as a youngster. I was there when -- incredible. What a moment for players and fans alike.
Eagles players and staff making their way from Lincoln Financial Field to the famous steps, those revered steps in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in green buses. We saw slogans of world champions, thank you fans, and go, birds as well emblazoned on the side.
I want to hear now from Eagles' superstar quarterback Mr. Jalen Hurts.
[18:55:00]
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JALEN HURTS, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES QUARTERBACK AND NAMED SUPER BOWL LIX MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Told myself that when I got drafted that I wouldn't come to the Rocky steps until I won the championship. And now, we're here. And I know this year this team has had to battle through so much, this team has had to fight, this team has had to persevere, and there's been a ton of scrutiny, a ton of opinions, a ton of all of that. But I know about this city, one thing we do, we fight.
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SNELL: Those famous Rocky steps, indeed. And some fans even choosing to make the day even more special, Isabel, Valentine's Day, of course, reportedly to diehard supporters that telling local media over there of their plans to marry, to actually get married as soon as the parade was done. Incredible stuff. Romance is in the air. Back to you.
ROSALES: That it is. The only way it could have been better is Kendrick Lamar was there for a repeat of the halftime show.
SNELL: OK. There you go.
ROSALES: Thank you, Patrick Snell.
SNELL: Thank you.
ROSALES: And thank you for your company. I'm Isabel Rosales. Have a wonderful day.
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