to cnn news central. this just in to cnn as the trump administration plows forward with mass layoffs in its effort to gut the federal government. we're learning thousands of health care workers across multiple agencies are expecting to be fired today. meantime, the newly minted agriculture secretary is warning that terminations are forthcoming at the usda. this latest round of termination has targeted probationary workers, those who have been on the job for less than a year or two and have fewer protections than other federal employees. cnn's rene marsh is joining us now with more on this story. rene, talk to us about these new developments. >> so i. >> will say. >> that this. let's take a step back. >> so these. >> firings started happening earlier this week. but now fast forward to friday and things have certainly ramped up. each day we hear about a new agency and we're hearing about

thousands of more firings and the labor unions themselves, because this is happening so quickly, they're still trying to wrap their arms around exactly what is the full scale and scope of this to get some final numbers. but here is what we know right now. we know that more than a thousand were fired from veterans affairs. we know 2000 were fired from the energy department. nearly 1300 from the centers for disease control. uh, 3400 from u.s. forest service. and then i'm just getting this now. so bear with me as i read from my phone. employees at the interior department are now beginning to get word in this text message that a staff member received from a colleague. and this is time stamped at 239. so not a short time ago saying i've just been notified. so this person had been asked to do a project within the agency, and now she's informing her colleague, i can't do what you asked me to do, because i've just been told that i have been

fired. and again, this is, you know, this is what the president has promised, and this is what elon musk's doge has promised, which is this rapid shrinking of the federal government. and again, prior to this week, the conversation was about employees being placed on paid administrative leave. and now we're talking about thousands and thousands and thousands of federal employees being fired from their jobs. and just to give you a sense of the type of jobs that we're seeing, um, people being impacted, u.s. forestry, for example, they are in charge of maintaining grasslands and public forests. we've heard president trump talk a lot about this during the conversations about wildfires and the need to maintain the floor of the forest in order to get a handle on these wildfires. well, i spoke with someone, a source there at the u.s. forest street, and they said, look, usually serve as our reserve, we may likely when the peak season comes around, have to rely on private contractors. and that's

coming at a higher cost. making the point that having government workers be your resource as opposed to private contractors, is not necessarily more efficient. also, at the va, i spoke with the union who points me to an employee who was fired, and she served as, um, sort of a customer service agent at one of these vet centers. it's a community based clinic, which essentially helps these veterans find mental health care. so that's just a flavor of the type of jobs and the type of employees who we are seeing impacted by this dramatic shrinking of the federal government. boris. >> yeah, and it's happening right now. i wouldn't be surprised if you got more text messages as the day progressed. rene marsh, thanks so much for that reporting, brianna. >> another big story that we're following. turmoil at the justice department after a seventh federal prosecutor quits for refusing to follow orders to drop corruption charges against new york city mayor eric adams. and now some of them are calling out doj leadership in a scathing

resignation letters. cnn senior has resigned saying? >> well, brianna, this is a scathing letter. letter. and it really does call into question the leadership of the justice department and the entire reason why this is being done this day. this is a spiraling crisis at this hour, and we're still waiting to see which lawyer is going to be willing to put their name on the document to dismiss these charges. that's probably that needs to happen. perhaps in the coming hours. i'll read you just this letter, a piece of this letter from hagan scotten. he's an assistant u.s. attorney in the southern district of new york. one of these public public corruption prosecutors who has was on this case and was finally put in a position where he decided to walk out and he said the following. he said any assistant u.s. attorney would know that our laws and traditions do not allow using the prosecutorial power to influence other citizens, much less elected officials, in this way, if no lawyer within earshot

of the president is willing to give him that advice, then 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. now, the point here is this the justice department emil bove, who is the acting deputy attorney general, has been going around trying to find someone to to dismiss this case. he began with the acting u.s. attorney here in new york at the southern district. she refused. she resigned. uh, other people in the office also declined to do this. he moved the case to washington, to the public integrity section, where three officials last night decided to to leave, to resign instead of doing this. and today we saw scott, uh, scott and do the same thing. so now, brianna, at this point, we don't know who is going to sign this. in the end, what the donald, what donald trump wants is for this case to be dropped because he wants leverage over eric adams,

the mayor here to help with immigration. >> and is there is a reaction to these federal prosecutors resigning? >> yeah. look, there's a fierce reaction just in this past few hours. we know that public integrity lawyers in washington had a meeting with emil bove. again, the acting deputy attorney general, where he told them they needed to find someone. and there was a big discussion where they were trying to decide who, whether they were going to resign or not. so at this hour, we don't know whether one of those people is going to step up. but what you're having is a is a essentially a standoff between the leadership, the acting leadership at the justice department and the public integrity lawyers in washington. >> all right. really interesting. evan perez, thank you for that, boris. >> we have a lot to discuss with republican congressman nick lalota of new york. he's a member of the house appropriations committee and the small business committee. congressman, thanks so much for

being with us. i want to start there with small businesses. the small business administration is apparently being hit by these layoffs. did you hav opportunity to advise doge on that process? and what do you think might come from cutting staff at the sba? >> yeah, so. >> no, i haven't had any direct conversations with doge about this. it doesn't come to anybody's surprise that the trump administration is looking to downsize the size and scope of our federal government. of course, now we're spending more money, 25% or so, more than we spent as a federal government than we did before the pandemic. the president campaigned on and got overwhelmingly elected on a number of things border security being at the top of the list, but also reducing the size and scope of government and i. expect he'll do more of this. >> we did learn that some of the staff at sba accidentally received termination notices. apparently some clerical errors were made there. there have been errors at other places. do you think this process may just be

moving too fast? should it be handled more carefully to avoid errors like that? >> listen, it's unfortunate if those errors didn't in fact happen. there are 3 million federal employees in our system, many of whom are good, hardworking people, patriotic people who want to advance the nation's interests. but time is of the essence. we are a nation that's $2 trillion, has a $2 trillion deficit, $36 trillion in debt. that's the cause for much of the inflation that american families are feeling. and we have to reduce the size and scope of government. it has to start right now. >> congressman in the oval office earlier this week, elon musk himself acknowledged that accidents mistakes are going to happen. how is congress tracking those mistakes? do you think there's enough oversight over doge? for example, do you know why they need to access these sensitive payment programs that keep millions of americans personal financial information? >> yeah. so we're a $7 trillion entity, the united states

federal government. we welcome oversight in congress especially. we celebrate it. we want to ensure that the executive branch conducts the payments properly, regardless of which party controls congress or the administration. and we welcome outside help from musk and others who have a successful track record of building good and strong and efficient companies to help us manage these $7 trillion. like i said earlier, we have to get back to basics if we're going to reduce the deficit, reduce the debt and ultimately reduce the inflation. that's crushing so many middle class american families. >> it sounds, congressman, like you welcome the oversight. i wonder if you think elon musk does. should he testify before congress to talk about what he's doing at doge? >> know, maybe that day will come for the right, relevant committee, but we should all be on the same page. republicans and democrats, with making government more efficient. this ought not to be a one party priority. one man ought not to

be demonized along the way. i realize that some of my friends on the left don't like cutting spending. that's unfortunate, given where we are a budget that's much bigger than what it was just a small number of years ago. we should have a bipartisan push to reduce the size of government and, yes, to conduct oversight of those who would endeavor to do so. >> i am curious about how you feel about having the richest man on earth, someone that has business not only with the pentagon, but with even u.s. adversaries having the power to overrule spending that congress has already appropriated. you sit on the appropriations committee. doge is attempting to cut off money that's already been allocated. do you think that doge is superseding the authority of congress? >> so i don't use rich as a negative. the gentleman has earned a lot of success in our great capitalistic economy. a self-made individual, and we

should want to, as a federal government, welcome people into that system who want to make this more efficient so that we can have more prosperity as a country or offer more opportunities to our kids and grandkids. we should continue to do so. do that. and by the way, plenty of elected officials involved in the process. plenty of senate confirmed individuals involved in the process to carry through the will of the american people by having an advisor who is so savvy at business and has created so much business success, we as a nation should want to welcome that. >> i am curious about you describing him as an advisor, because doge attempted to cut off funding for usaid, for example, that was frozen by a federal judge. he's not just advising. and on the note about his wealth, it's not really a question of whether he should be rich or not. that's a separate conversation. and candidly, i don't care. it's more a conversation about the business that he does with foreign governments like china, u.s.

adversaries, and whether there's any conflict of interest in him having a handle over what these government agencies do, given that some of them are tied to what he's doing with his business, you don't see any concern. you don't see any problem with that. >> well, i don't care that he's rich. i only brought that up because you brought that up in describing him in your first few words. and with that characteristic. so i don't care about it. i'm happy to hear that. now, you don't care about it either. however, the water that he's carrying is exactly what the president campaigned upon. this should be no surprise to anybody. the president of the united states, president trump, campaigned on, promised, and won the popular vote in every swing vote, every swing state vote for a lot of different policy priorities, including reducing the size and scope of government. elon musk is an ally to that end, and nobody ought to be surprised about this. >> but there's a difference between electing president trump to carry out this mission of reducing government waste, one that i think a lot of people

would support. and having someone who is unelected, who does business at a very high level with, again, the pentagon and with even u.s. adversaries guiding what these agencies do, especially how they spend their money. you don't see that, like maybe having the goal of cutting waste could interfere with having someone at the controls that may have a conflict of interest with how they guide those agencies, and where that money goes. >> so i'll say two things in response to that. first, elon musk was granted a top secret, top secret clearance in 2022 under the biden administration. so apparently his trustworthiness was assessed during that time and a thumbs up was given to him because he got that clearance. but second, i don't think there's a bipartisan consensus on reducing the size and scope of government, as you said. and some of my colleagues, people would. >> support it. to be clear, also, a top secret security

clearance doesn't hand him the ability to freeze funding to federal programs. i just want to be clear, because you're putting. >> words in my. >> mouth. >> congressman. thank you. there's not yet a bipartisan consensus. >> i didn't. >> say reducing the size of government. there should be. but i think that the demonization of this one personality is a distraction from the core issue, that we must reduce the size and scope of government if we're going to reduce our deficit, our debt, and ultimately the inflation that's crushing american families every day. the elon musk personality thing is a distraction from the main issue on which there should be a bipartisan consensus. >> i'm not questioning his personality. i doesn't even have to be elon musk himself. it could be just another individual that has the ability to simultaneously conduct business with the pentagon and with american adversaries, and then guide where spending is going in the u.s. government without seeming to have actual oversight over what he's doing without

testifying before congress. he was. not elected. >> he was. >> go ahead. >> if you're very acute, inference is that somehow his dealings could lead to a conflict of interest. everybody republican, democrat, independent should join in rebutting that and ensure there are no bona fide conflicts of interest. but the real issue here is those who would oppose spending cuts. and that is the real issue. and the distraction that occurs from focusing so much on one individual. >> congressman nick lalota, we have to leave the conversation there. please keep us posted. if you're able to persuade mr. musk to testify before congress. >> we'll do. have a good day. >> thanks so much. still to come, the pope is hospitalized and being treated for bronchitis. we're going to tell you what the vatican is now saying about his condition. plus, an update on the tragic midair collision in washington, dc with the ntsb. just revealed to reporters. and later, the horrifying moment a humpback whale swallows and then spits

out a kayaker. that, and much more. coming up on cnn news central. >> cnn news central, brought to you by viking. exploring the world in comfort. >> sail through the heart. >> of. >> historic cities and. >> unforgettable scenery with viking. unpack once and get closer to iconic landmarks, local life and cultural treasures. because when you experience europe on a viking long ship, you'll spend less time getting there and more time being there. viking exploring the world in comfort. >> the thing about work, it's always changing, but with. >> the right perspective. >> what seems confusing or just out of reach can suddenly fall into place. if it's a work thing, it's a sure thing.

>> sherm. >> look out, cause here i come. have you ever had trouble. >> with your weight? same. >> discover the power of wegovy. >> with wegovy. >> i lost. 35 pounds. >> and some lost over 46 pounds. >> and i'm. >> keeping the weight off. >> i'm reducing my risk. wegovy is the only weight management medicine proven to reduce risk of major cardiovascular events such as death, heart attack or stroke in adults with known heart disease and obesity. don't use wegovy with semaglutide or glp. one medicines, or in children under 12. don't take if you or your family had mtc men two or if allergic to it, tell your provider if you plan to have surgery or a procedure, are breastfeeding, pregnant, or plan to be. stop taking and get medical help right away. if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or any of these allergic reactions, serious side effects may include pancreas inflammation and gallbladder problems. call your prescriber if you have any of these symptoms. wegovy may cause

low blood sugar in people with diabetes, especially if you take medicines to treat diabetes. call your prescriber about vision changes. if you feel your heart racing while at rest, or if you have mental changes, depression or thoughts of suicide may occur. common side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain, flu or upset headache, feeling tired, dizzy, or bloated gas and heartburn. some side effects lead to dehydration, which may cause kidney problems. >> with wegovy. >> i'm losing weight. >> i'm keeping it. >> off and i'm. >> lowering my cv. >> risk. >> ask your prescriber about wegovy. >> when i. >> started walton goggins goggle glasses, i had no idea what i was doing, but godaddy aero does using a.i. to build. >> a logo. >> website. >> and social content. >> so i can let the world know if your. >> goggles and. goggles they don't belong. >> on your noggins. >> if you know luxury, it's. >> not just. >> award winning. >> it's rewarding. >> saatva mattresses. >> supports all types of sleepers.

>> luxury is. >> handcrafted and assembled in american factories and brought directly to you with our complimentary in-home delivery and set up service, which is why over 90% of customers would recommend saatva to friends and family. saatva luxury mattresses made affordable. >> for you. >> on guard tonight. >> oh no, they. >> just got simplisafe. it protects the whole home inside and out. >> stop. this is simplisafe. >> whoa. >> that was impressive. there's no. >> safe like simplisafe. >> you never want to lose your edge. and the lexus rx completely understands that. >> it's a smart move to get a second opinion. you do it when you're looking for a contractor. you definitely do it with medical advice, so why not with your stock market

investments? we can help you see opportunities you may be missing at hennion and walsh. it only takes a second to schedule your free second opinion. so what's there to lose? speak to hennion and walsh. the second opinion people. >> it's the news. >> welcome back. >> but it's also kind of not the news. >> all the information on this show. so terrible. >> have i got news for you tomorrow at nine on cnn. >> the ntsb says it has now finished the on scene part of the investigation into that midair crash near reagan national airport last month. officials just gave an update saying that they now believe the crew in the army helicopter that collided with a passenger jet was wearing night vision goggles. this is just one of several revelations from the briefing. remember all 64 people on board the american airlines plane and three service members in the chopper were killed? cnn aviation correspondent pete muntean is live for us at ntsb

headquarters, where the briefing just wrapped. pete, what did you learn? major new detail after major new detail here, boris. and a really new narrative from national transportation safety board. >> jennifer homendy who gave. >> this first briefing since the week. >> of that january 29th mid-air collision. >> and for the first. >> time. >> we are getting details from the combined voice and data recorder on board that u.s. army black hawk helicopter. pretty big headlines here from that recorder. the biggest thing is that the altimeter, the radar altimeter on board that helicopter showed the helicopter at 278ft at the time of that crash. but now investigators are looking into whether the crew on board that helicopter was actually referencing the radar altimeter, which uses a radio beam, bounces it off the ground and back to the helicopter to give the altitude above ground level. or if they were looking at their barometric altimeter, the standard altimeter that

pilots use to determine their altitude above sea level. this is a really interesting discrepancy here, and the ntsb says that is something they will look into. also, we heard from ntsb chair jennifer homendy that this crew, they believe was wearing night vision goggles. that is key because night vision goggles can actually severely limit the scope of view, which would be a factor in alleviating the impending midair collision that was unfolding in front of them. also, hearing from the national transportation safety board that the instructor pilot on board the black hawk helicopter noted to the student who was on a checkride at the time, that the altitude earlier in the round before they reached the point of collision was at 3 or 400ft. remember the helicopter route that goes through the busy national airport? airspace is limited to 200ft, so a whole new can of worms here that the ntsb is opening up and they say they are just at the beginning of their investigation. they say it's way too soon to speculate if the

crew of the black hawk helicopter had the full whole view of whether or not they were at the right or wrong altitude. and now the ntsb is looking into that. they've also been looking into the wreckage that has been gathered at reagan national airport. all of the salvage operation that took place in the potomac river. they're looking at witness marks now to try and determine the actual angle of the collision. what is clear is that the crew of american airlines flight 5342 realized in the last second that this collision was about to happen. the crew pulled back on the control column, deflected the elevator on the tail to near its maximum position. ntsb chair jennifer homendy says, and tried to avoid this collision. apparently, it was a futile job that they tried to do, and all 67 people perished in this very sad crash. >> pete muntean, thank you so much for the update. live from ntsb headquarters, brianna. >> let's get some expert analysis from cnn aviation analyst peter goelz. he's the

former managing director of the ntsb. peter, really interesting here. obviously, a strong possibility. the blackhawk crew was wearing night vision goggles. and then there's multiple instances we learned where they may not have heard the full transmission from air traffic control, including when the crew was told to pass behind the passenger jet passed behind the. those key words may not have been received by the blackhawk crew. the instructor pilot telling the pilot flying. they believe that air traffic control was asking for the helicopter to move left towards the east bank of the potomac. your takeaway from learning those things? >> well, brianna, this press conference was chock full of new information and information that underscores the complexity of this investigation. this is not going to be an easy task. it's a hard job to figure out how this helicopter was off course. and i think that the tip off early on,

brianna, was where. chairman hammond indicated that before the key bridge and a few moments before. 300 and 400 foot altitude discrepancy seen within the cockpit. and it's not clear, you know, whether they were referencing, as pete indicated, that barometric altitude or the radar beam. uh, radio altitude, which altitude was triggering the pilot's actions. and the idea that they were wearing the night vision goggles further complicates the situation. you have to be scanning left and right all the time to get peripheral vision. and the goggles can be confusing in a crowded airspace. uh, in an urban area where you've got a lot of lighting coming up. so. so this was a very revealing

press conference, which underscored just how tough this investigation is going to be. >> and sorry, peter, you actually cut out there for a moment. but i know really just a moment. but it was a key one where you were saying that at one point well before. right. i mean, a ways away up the potomac, where the pilot who was flying says they're at 300ft, the instructor pilot says they're at 400ft. and neither pilot comments on the discrepancy. i mean, can you can you think of a reason why something like that? like, what are the possibilities? are they not paying attention to each other? is are those the two different altimeter readings? i mean, you take us through it. the possibilities of that discrepancy and then not dealing with the discrepancy are. >> well, prior to the key bridge where this discrepancy was was noted, they've got a little bit of leeway. but you know, it's still a crowded airspace. they may have been distracted. they may have been focused on other

issues. but i think she indicated this discrepancy for a reason, that that's where, uh, the flight started to go off course. and then they followed it almost in a tick tock fashion, right up to the collision. but but you're right. i mean, that that was not highlighted by the crew. is is a concerning matter. >> and then harmony says that 20s before the crash, radio transmission from the air traffic control tower was audible in both the plane and the blackhawk cvr. uh, the recorder with what's called a conflict alert playing in the background. tell us what that means. >> well, i mean, first of all, it underscores, uh, a challenge, uh, that that the flight crews from both planes, the plane and the helicopter could hear the

air traffic control, but they couldn't hear the response. and that that's a concerning issue. and, uh, when it's not uncommon in crowded airspace to have transmissions, what they call stepped on, you know, a person inside the cockpit could be keying the microphone to send out a transmission. and that steps on the sound. uh, but what it meant was that the blackhawk did might not have heard a key part of the instructions from the controller to pass behind the rj. >> incredible. what we have learned today. peter goelz, thank you so much for being with us. >> thank you. >> vice president jd vance, meeting with the president of ukraine as vladimir zelenskyy urges the u.s. not to make any decisions about ukraine without ukraine.

>> in the. >> lead with. >> jake tapper. today at 4:00 on cnn. >> for generations. >> this ally to the north has been by. >> your side. >> ontario. >> canada, a partner connected. >> by shared history. >> shared values and a shared vision for what we can. achieve together. >> stable and secure when. >> the world. >> around us isn't. you can. >> rely on. ontario for. >> energy to power. >> your growing. economy and. >> for the critical minerals crucial to. >> new technologies. >> ontario is your third largest trading. >> partner and the number. >> one export destination for 17 states. our long standing. economic partnership keeps millions of americans working in a changing world. it's time to bring jobs back home and build together more workers, more trade, more prosperity, more security. for generations, this ally to the north has been here and for generations more. we'll still be here, right by your

side. >> love. love will keep us together. >> now for something. >> you can both. >> agree on. >> a sleep number. smart bed is perfect for couples. the climate 360 smart bed is the only bed that cools and warms. >> on each side, and all our smart beds. >> adjust the firmness. >> for each of you. >> let's agree to agree on better. sleep and now save 50% on the new sleep number. limited edition smart bed plus free home delivery and 0% interest for 48 months. shop now. >> you are. >> great divers. you don't need me around. >> based on the. >> incredible true. >> story of. >> his last. >> mission is gone. >> nobody's not will become his finest hour. >> i'm not losing a diver today. >> last breath rated pg 13. >> only in theaters february 28th. >> if you're living with dry amd, you may be at risk for developing geographic atrophy or g ga can be unpredictable and progress rapidly, leading to

irreversible vision loss. now there's something you can do to. >> slow it down and get it going slower. >> ask your doctor about i survey. >> i. g a going slower. >> survey is an a.i. injection. don't take it if you have an infection or active swelling in or around your eye. it can cause eye infection, retinal detachment or increased risk of wet amd. issa rae may temporarily increase eye pressure. do not drive or use machinery until vision has recovered after an eye injection or exam. eye survey is proven to slow ga progression, which may help preserve vision longer. >> i deserve. it's g going slower. >> so shift gears and get going. don't delay. ask your doctor about eye survey. >> businesses and communities come together on tiktok. >> they don't show up like they do on tiktok. >> and i had all these people. >> rooting for me on tiktok. >> empowering over 7 million

u.s. businesses. >> there's no way i'd be. >> able to support. >> this building. >> or any of my employees. >> that went from maybe a few hundred people seeing my product to millions. >> they rely on tiktok to succeed. >> i don't think i could have gotten this far if i didn't. >> hav

want q1 full index reports on my desk by noon. >> are you getting any of this? yeah, i. >> got the. >> meeting notes. >> i'll ask it for action items in the channel. and maria already asked for a budget reminder. >> smart. >> got it, got it. boss. you got this. >> to my city. by the bay. >> nba all star. >> let's get it. >> on. watch on tnt, trutv and stream. br sports. on max. >> today, the trump administration took another step in its effort to end russia's war with ukraine. as vice president, jd vance met face to face with ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy at a security conference in munich, germany. in the lead up to that critical sitdown, vance used his speech at the conference to blast america's european allies. the vice president criticized them for their immigration policies and accused some of

them of not listening to their voters and suppressing voices they disagree with. he even went as far as comparing some of them to cold war tyrants. cnn's nick paton walsh, nick paton walsh joins us now live from london. nick, what more can you tell us about those comments from vance and how they're being received? >> i mean, look, it's. extraordinarily odd to see the city of munich, with all of its history with the nazis in the. >> 1930s. >> being used as. >> a platform. >> to essentially. >> suggest that. >> some of the most robust western democracies. >> are, in. >> fact. tyrants themselves. jd vance his speech went into suggestions that they were jailing opponents, that they were preventing reporters from doing their work and jailing them to even call into question romania's recent decision to annul the first round of a presidential election. because courts and the intelligence services had found evidence of russian interference in the vote that they essentially felt meant the vote wasn't valid anymore. and indeed, it had favored, by a very narrow margin, a far right

pro-russian candidate. so startling, really, to see the accusations he leveled, so many of them half truths or entirely fact free. and we've since learned, in fact, that one of his meetings has been with the alternative for germany. afd party's co-chair alice weidel, potentially on the sidelines of this summit here. and vance, also, too, trying to sow doubt into the validity period of electoral processes across these western democracies. these are u.s .'s key allies for decades. and so it's remarkable to see president trump's vice president here using this platform not to try and outline ideas about a peace plan for ukraine or make nervous european allies feel, indeed, in a venue like this, that the united states has got their back and isn't about to abandon them, but instead suggest in an area very close to eastern germany, which was until not far ago run by a pro-soviet regime and

brutal indeed, as it was, that, in fact, these western democracies are themselves closer to totalitarianism. it beggared belief, and we've indeed heard the german defense minister boris pistorius, say that it's unacceptable to have these comments made. so a remarkable moment, certainly one capped by meeting a german far right party that elon musk himself has been exceptionally strong. proponents of boris. >> nick bring us up to speed on his meeting with president zelenskyy of ukraine. how did that go? >> yeah, no major change in that. and i think after the last week of, frankly, whiplash noises from the u.s. secretary of defense, peter hegseth, who began his meetings in brussels with european allies, saying that ukraine wasn't going to be a member of nato or go back to its pre 2014 borders facts. i think that all those allies knew but weren't going to reveal publicly, given they're about to enter, it seems, into negotiations with russia where those two ideas would be key planks of things. they would offer moscow as concessions to

get them to stop the fight. he then appears to have gone back and said everything is on the table. so a real mess, frankly, in terms of what european allies and ukraine are supposed to think there. we had no real elucidation as to the united states position in his meetings. zelenskyy's meetings with vance and indeed rubio as well. so confusion still there. the notion from jd vance, he wants to continue to have optionality for any future negotiations. he's essentially saying what we've heard from hegseth and even keith kellogg, the general who is trump's ukraine and russia envoy, that it's really down to donald trump in the end, how this peace plan looks. the issue, i think, for kyiv in all of this is they feel like we heard from zelenskyy today that they are not front and center of this. indeed, they're anxious. they're being left out of it. and we're now seeing quite an increasingly robust relationship between trump and russian president vladimir putin. they spoken at least twice since trump came to power. that's a huge sea change from the

isolation from moscow for the entire biden administration since they invaded ukraine unprovoked, by their own choice back in february 2022, causing significant damage to the country's east and casualties in its civilian population. so, um, interesting to see how munich has been used by vance to put this culture war message essentially out there in the european democracies, who have for so long been american allies and call into question the validity of their elections. and also interesting, too, that this moment, which we thought in munich was going to be so much about trying to explain to the world what the trump administration's peace plan was. well, we've had that vacillate back and forth, it seems, over the last 4 or 5 days. and now in munich, vance has really talked about, it seems, issues closer to his, uh, societal, ideological beliefs and a lot of stuff that frankly wasn't true, uh, to an audience who were hoping for the more urgent worries about european security to be answered.

>> nick paton walsh breaking that down for us from london. thank you so much. coming up, a big change in louisiana. that state's department of health saying it will no longer promote mass vaccination campaigns. we'll discuss the impacts in just a few minutes. >> tap into etsy for original and affordable home in style pieces like lighting under $150 to brighten your vibe for under $100. put your best look forward with vintage jackets or pick up custom shelving for under 50 to make space without emptying your pockets, and get cozy with linen robes for 75 or less. for affordable home and style finds to help you welcome whatever's next. etsy has it. >> when i started. >> walton goggins goggle glasses, i had no idea what i was doing, but godaddy aero does using a.i. to build a. >> logo, website, and social content. >> so i can let the world know if your.

>> goggles ain't goggins. >> they don't belong on. >> your noggins. ha! it's a good day to cough. >> oh no. >> buh bye. >> cough later. chest congestion. hello, 12 hours of relief. >> well, hours. not coughing at the movies. hashtag still not coughing. >> ah. >> mucinex dm 12 hour. doesn't just quiet coughs. it treats coughs caused by excess mucus at the source and controls them for 12 hours. its comeback season. >> stubborn chest congestion. try mucinex 12 hour. >> if you have wet. amd you never want to lose sight of the things you love. >> ah, we get it. >> some things should stand the test of time. long lasting eylea hd could significantly improve your vision. more people on eylea hd had no fluid in the retina compared to those on eylea. at four months, eylea hd is the only wet amd therapy that helped eight out of ten people go up to four months between injections. after three initial

monthly treatments. if you have an eye infection, eye pain, or redness, or allergies to eylea hd, don't use eye injections like eylea hd may cause eye infections, separation of the retina, or rare but severe swelling of blood vessels in the eye. an increase in eye pressure has been seen. there is an uncommon risk of heart attack or stroke associated with blood clots. the most common side effects were blurred vision, cataract, corneal injury, and eye floaters, and there's still so much to see if you are on eylea or a similar type of treatment, ask your retina specialist about eylea hd today for the potential for fewer injections. >> if i had to start college. >> again from. >> scratch, i probably wouldn't. >> have made it. >> university of phoenix made. >> the process of transferring. >> my credits seamless and simple. >> life's too short. >> to repeat the work you've already done. >> sure. >> vistaprint prints business cards, but we also print these and those and engrave that. we print your brand on everything so customers can notice you, remember you, and fall in love with you if you need it. we print it with 25% off for new

customers at vistaprint.com. >> i wish my tv. >> provider let me choose. >> what i pay for. >> sling let you do that. hey, where are you going? see ya. >> oh. >> i wish my tv provider let me choose what i pay for and let me pause my subscription when i want. >> sling lets you do that. >> sling. i wish my tv provider let me choose what i pay for and leave me. pause my subscription when i want and have hundreds of free channels. >> sling lets you do that too, mr. fish. >> choosing customize your channel lineup. >> or watch for free. sling lets. >> you do that. >> introducing a revolution in pain relief. absorbing junior pro. the strongest numbing pain relief available. it's the only solution with two max strength anesthetics for fast, penetrating, relief absorbing junior pro. nothing numbs pain more. >> dear doctor. >> k, i used to think i was never meant to be beautiful. i was teased because of my teeth. i didn't like the person looking back at me in the mirror. i never thought i could afford dental implants. you and

your team work within my budget and help me feel confident in the plan we made together. i love my new smile. thank you. >> congratulations! you have a beautiful. >> soul, cynthia. finance the smile you want for as low as 1.48 a month per arch. >> schedule a free. >> consultation. >> closed captioning brought to you by. book.com. >> if you or. >> a loved one have mesothelioma. >> we'll send. >> you a free book to answer questions you may have. call now and we'll come to you. >> 821 4000. >> the louisiana department of health says it will stop promoting mass vaccinations, instead urging individuals to consult their doctors about the risks and benefits. an internal memo obtained by cnn from the state's surgeon general advises health workers to treat vaccines with nuance, noting the difference between seasonal vaccines and childhood immunizations. i'd like to bring in the founder of louisiana families for vaccines, doctor jennifer harris. doctor, thank

you so much for being with us. what do you expect is going to be the impact of this move to stop promoting mass vaccination? >> you know. >> really worrisome step, because when. >> these clinics. >> were active, they provided thousands of louisianans with essential vaccines every day. so without them, the fears that many families will not even be able to access routine immunizations. and i worry that we're going to see vaccination rates drop dramatically as a result. and then we're going to see increasing disease outbreaks. >> the director of new orleans health department says that her department is not going to abide by the state's directive. i wonder what you've heard from local public health officials and how they plan to handle this. >> yeah, i you know, for those who can like the new orleans health department, i think it's going to be so important. it's going to be important for other nonprofits, including our own,

to really try to promote vaccinations and accurate information, because even, you know, the department of health, their website now has misinformation on the website. >> what does it have on their. >> so they released a statement kind of going along with this, a letter that was released about their new vaccine policy. um, the statements are purposefully misleading. so they deceive the public by claiming that covid vaccines don't prevent transmission when we know that they reduce transmission significantly, though not by 100%. they distort the truth, falsely stating that vaccines are liability free when in reality there's an entire federal program that ensures swift and fair compensation for vaccine injuries that are very rare, allowing claimants to even reject the settlements and then sue in civil court if they're not happy with with that original settlement. um, they

also misrepresent the risk, um, making vaccines, you know, seem like they cause more harm than they do. we know that the risk from vaccines is exceedingly rare, but the adverse events that are caused by the infectious diseases they prevent are far more frequent and have severe long term harm associated with them. >> so, doctor, what would be your message to parents who are skeptical about vaccinating their kids who welcome this decision? >> you know, i hope that those parents have a relationship with a pediatrician that they can go to and talk to about these concerns. and, you know, i know that that's part of, uh, the message from the department of health is that there should be better relationships between patients and doctors. but again, vaccines are one of the safest interventions that we have. and the role of public health is to

both inform and provide access to preventive care. and this is vaccines are one of the best and most cost effective ways to do that, and to significantly reduce the disease burden for families. um, so not doing that is really going to impact especially those families who don't have a relationship with their doctor like that. >> doctor jennifer harris, we have to leave the conversation there. appreciate your time. >> thank you. >> brianna. >> just in to cnn. andrew lester has pled guilty to shooting a black teenager who rang the wrong doorbell at his home in 2023. as part of the plea deal. the 86 year old will be sentenced on march 7th and faces up to seven years in prison. then 16 year-old ralph jarrell showed up on lester's doorstep on the night of april 13th, 2023, after he mixed up the streets where he was supposed to pick up his siblings. the shooting shocked the country,

and it renewed a debate about gun policies and race in the u.s. jarrell survived the shooting and has since graduated from high school. back to plastic president trump moves to ban paper straws from federal buildings. what environmentalist s are saying about the move after a quick break. >> in coming. >> dishes stuck. dawn powerwash. >> flies through 99%. >> of. grease and. >> grime. >> in half the time. >> it absorbs grease five times faster, even replaces multiple cleaning products. >> those suds got game. >> dawn power wash the better grease getter. >> get in on. >> by one foot long. get one free right now in the subway app. that's right. buy one foot long sub. get another free deals this good usually come with a two year contract. grab the deal online or in app with code bogo only for a limited time. >> allison. >> introducing allison's plaque.

>> psoriasis. >> she thinks her flaky gray patches are all people. see. >> otezla is the number. >> one prescribed pill to treat plaque psoriasis. otezla can help you get clearer. >> skin and. reduce itching and flaking. >> doctors have been. >> prescribing otezla. >> for over. >> a decade. >> otezla is also approved to treat psoriatic arthritis. >> don't use otezla if you're. >> allergic to it. >> get medical. >> help right away. >> if you have trouble breathing. >> or swallowing. swelling of the face, lips, tongue. >> throat. >> or arms severe diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, depression, suicidal thoughts, or weight loss can happen. tell your doctor if any of these occur and if you have a history of depression or suicidal thoughts. >> with clear skin. girls day out is a good day out. live in the moment. ask your doctor about otezla. >> my accountant who uses unsecured email, has all my tax info. >> fraudulent tax returns. >> due to. >> identity theft increased by 20% last year. that's why lifelock monitors millions of

data points for identity theft. lifelock for the threats. you can't control. >> experience advanced. >> technology in the buick envision, equipped with the largest in class, ultra wide 30 inch diagonal display and google built. >> in. >> compatibility, innovation is at your fingertips. buick exceptional by design. >> can your pad flex with you without shifting? always flex foam can. it's the only pad made with a flexible foam core, with wings that fit securely for up to zero bunching and zero leaks. can your pad do that? see what foam can do for you? >> what do you got there, larry? time machine. you got to go back and see how the pyramids were built or something. nope. ellen and i want to go on vacation, so i'm going to go back to last week and buy a winning lottery ticket. can i come? only room for one. >> how am i getting home? >> sitting on my lap like last time? ronald? >> fine. >> but i'm bringing this. >> all right. >> or you. >> could try one of these savings options. >> the right money moves aren't

as far fetched as you think. >> there it is. see? told you. it's going to all work out. thanks. future me. >> precise designs, subtle >> precise designs, subtle did you know using the grocery outlet app gives you the opportunity to win groceries for life? imagine never paying for groceries again. well, what if i can't decide? avocados or tomatoes? why choose? at grocery outlet, you can afford both. and not just the basics. with grocery outlet, you'll find all your favorite brands included. including gluten free pasta and my favorite cookies?

um, huh, everything's included. so burgers and steaks for life?! you gotta win first. still worth it. now that's bargain bliss. ♪ grocery outlet bargain market you're worthy of more. get started at worthy.com. >> i'm valeria leone in mexico city, and this. >> is cnn. >> paper or plastic? when it comes to straws. president trump says it's not up for debate. he just signed an executive order to get rid of paper straws. in federal agency buildings, reversing a biden initiative that eliminated them. when asked about its impact on the environment, here's how president trump responded. >> and i don't think that plastic is going to affect. >> a shark. >> very much as they're eating, as they're munching their way through the ocean. >> cnn's vanessa yurkevich is with us now. vanessa, what are environmentalists saying? >> well, brianna.

>> the federal government. >> is the biggest purchaser of straws. so you have americans, environmentalists. >> and even some. >> of trump's biggest. >> critics agreeing on one. >> part. >> of this executive. >> order banning. paper straws and bringing. back plastic straws. just listen to jon stewart on the daily show earlier this week. >> you. okay. he's right. on this one, he. >> he is right. >> on this one. the straws are terrible. objectively terrible. >> i'm supposed. >> to have. >> some weird. >> tissue paper dissolve in my mouth just because turtles can't figure out straws aren't food. now, don't eat the tubes, you stupid turtles. >> so wallpaper. >> straws are obviously much better than plastic straws. they still present some problems. they're a lot more expensive. and they also aren't really great for our health. they still

have some toxic glues and chemicals in many paper straws. and on the cost side, paper straws are much more expensive than plastic straws. so we have the straw industry now advocating for biodegradable straws. you see that they're less than $0.03. not much more than a plastic straw. so that is what the straw industry is pushing for right now. the best case scenario, though, brianna, is reusable straws. but that's not really effective for large federal agencies, museums and schools. we know, though, that starbucks, for example, they have gotten rid of straws completely. they now have the sippy cup. so that's an alternative. they do say that you can request a straw and it will be biodegradable, but the straw debate is raging on. but industry experts saying, hey, the best case scenario right now and they hope the president is paying attention to this, is let's go biodegradable, not back to plastic. brianna. >> we'll see if he's paying attention. uh vanessa yurkevich.

thank you. talk about a big gulp. a father captures the moment that his 24 year old son is briefly swallowed by. good lord, a humpback whale, while kayaking. the incredible video. next, we'll talk about it. >> one second. you feel safe. >> and then. >> the police are on. >> their way. >> well. >> you still do. >> sail through the heart of historic cities and unforgettable scenery with viking unpack once and get closer to iconic landmarks, local life and cultural treasures. because when you experience europe on a viking long ship, you'll spend less time getting there and more time being there. viking exploring the world in comfort.

>> here's some information about replacing windows and doors that just may surprise you. i'm brian gary, i'm here with brian price from renewal by andersen. hey, brian. homeowners always ask. >> my windows aren't even ten. >> years old. why do i have to replace them? but if they aren't quality windows, they may not last. some builders put money into kitchens and bathrooms and cheap out on the windows. i see it all the time. but your reputation for quality is unheard of in this industry. thanks, brian. we've been the full service replacement window division of andersen for almost 30 years. so when people don't want to mess around and they want quality, they call us. what can you say about your certified master installers? well, a new window or door is only going to last if it's installed properly. renewal by andersen installers go through intense classroom and field training programs. many of them have installed thousands of windows. i mean, talk about mastering something. if the homeowner has an issue and has to chase down different contractors and companies, they get stuck in the blame game. and that's the worst, right? the

manufacturer points to the installer. the installer points to the manufacturer. with us, there's no blame game or finger pointing because we manage the whole process from consultation to installation. and you don't do estimates. no, we do something better. we'll come out, assess your current windows and doors and give you an exact price quote. nice. no pressure. >> today's homeowner a trusted home improvement resource for over 35 years, named renewal by andersen. the top pick for replacement window companies. we're proud of that. >> buy one window, patio. >> door or entry door. and get. >> the. >> next 140% off. get an. extra $200 off your entire purchase with no money down, no. monthly payments, and no interest for. 12 months and renewal by andersen is proud to offer an additional $300 discount to our military, first responders and teachers. call before february 28th. one 800 501 1400.

>> can't fool myself. >> it was. >> the most exciting time in the world. >> his life has truly joyful. >> moments and. >> some dave's been very excited about saving big with the comcast business 5-year price lock guarantee. five years? -five years. and he's not alone. -high five. it's five years of reliable gig speed internet. five years of advanced securit. five years of a great rate that won't change. it's back. but only for a limited time. high five. five years? -nope. comcast business 5-year price lock guarantee. powering five years of savings. powering possibilities. comcast business.

for the price that cable can't beat. start watching at fubotv. >> the lead with jake tapper next on cnn. >> and now a whale of a tale that has a remarkably happy ending. a kayaker navigating rough waters off the coast of chile's patagonia region suddenly swallowed whole by a humpback whale last saturday. watch this. his father was capturing the giant gulp on his cell phone and did not stop rolling the tape. >> no. doesn't miss a beat like it doesn't even shake, right? and then, after a few terrifying seconds, boom! the whale spits out. he's unharmed. the kayaker told cnn espanol he thought he was going to die, and that when he was inside the whale's mouth, everything got dark and it felt slimy. i think that's what i'd

expect. an experience like that might make some people think twice before going right back into those same waters. but when the father and son were asked if they would kayak again, they said in court in a chorus, of course. but i love how the dad is like, no, i'm just going to keep. >> yeah. >> just holding this camera steady. >> he also is yelling at him, hold it, hold it, grab it, grab it, grab it. i'm not sure if he means. i'm not sure if he means grab the whale or what, but i feel like my dad would do that to me. he'd be like, yeah, this is an adventure, son. >> grab the boat, son. maybe he meant grab the boat. >> hopefully. >> but i love how the whale's like, huh? no, thanks. >> yeah. >> no. um. >> um, have you ever tried raft before? >> maybe a bigger kayak. we're going to need a bigger boat. as someone once said. >> indeed. thanks so much for joining us this afternoon. >> the lead with jake tapper starts right now.