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. mesothelioma. call one( 800) 217-1487 now or visit us at. gofundme.com. >> twitter breaking the. >> byrd march 9th on cnn.

>> this is a devastating defeat for the social democrats, one of the worst in the party's history. >> i'm very grateful. >> for what j.d. >> vance said, addressing the democracy is. >> at stake. and free speech in germany. >> is really under pressure. >> my relationship with president trump, it never was in such. best way. >> he said, please tell the people to pray with me and for me. please tell them i'm i'm i'm comfortable and i love them. >> we must support the pope at this moment. >> live from london. this is cnn newsroom with max foster. hello. and a warm welcome to our viewers joining us from around the world. i'm max foster. it is monday. it is february 24th, 9 a.m. here in london, 10 a.m. across germany, where preliminary results in sunday's snap election showed the

opposition conservatives winning the vote and party leader friedrich merz, now on track to become the next chancellor. but the alternative for germany party came in second in the strongest showing for a far right party since world war ii. they say it shows they can't be ignored. earlier, the leader of the conservatives had this to say about the way forward. >> in the absolute priority of my seat is. >> my absolute. >> priority will. >> be to strengthen europe as quickly as possible so that step by. >> step. >> we can really achieve independence from the united states. >> from donald trump is clear that. >> but at. >> the. >> very least. >> after donald trump's statements last. >> week, it. >> is clear that the americans, at least this part of the americans in this administration, are largely indifferent to the fate of. >> europe. >> despite those words, u.s. president trump is celebrating the election results and suggesting the opposition win signals a global shift towards conservative movements. in a social media post, mr. trump

framed the result in germany as a rejection to policies on immigration and energy, drawing parallels between that country and the u.s. meanwhile, german chancellor schulz called the defeat a bitter result for his social democrats. he defended his government's track record and said he has led germany through dangerous times. >> these are. legislative period has been marked by enormous. >> challenges. >> two flight. >> hours from us. a terrible war is taking place, which russia continues to wage against ukraine. and every day people die, streets are destroyed, railway lines, villages and towns are destroyed. people die and there is still no end in sight. through this time, we and the government, led by me, have guided germany safely as a supporter of ukraine, but also as someone who ensures that the war does not expand. >> cnn's melissa bell joins us from berlin with the latest. so what can you tell us about the new chancellor of germany, who will have this crucial role heading up europe's most

powerful economy? >> he will. before that, he certainly has his cloth cut out for him, since he's going to have to form this coalition. he sounded this optimistic note last night, max, that he believed he could achieve this by easter. but it does seem a tall task, given how fragmented the political landscape is. now, this, of course, because of that surge, as you said in the afd's result, doubling their score and becoming the second force in german politics, a remarkable result when you consider where they came from. this is as alice weidel was just reminding us in that press conference, a relatively recent party that has benefited hugely from the dissatisfaction that exists here in germany and specifically in those parts of the former eastern germany, about the state of the economy. but more than that, about the question of immigration, the afd's policy on ukraine, of course, the stark, starkly different one to the ones of the establishment parties. they want to stop these

shipments of aid to ukraine and very much in line with the current american administration for moscow and kyiv to sit down and sort it out, that this war should come to an end. so there is this rupture that so many germans have voted for, as alice weidel and her co-chair were just reminding us in that press conference, 10 million germans voted for a huge shift in german politics. of course, they are also a party that will not be in power. friedrich merz has ruled this out, saying that he will hold firm with the firewall that has existed here in germany since the end of world war ii. but i think one of the most interesting things about what happened last night, even as we look ahead to these horse trading, this horse trading that will begin even now between the parties to see whether and how quickly they can form a coalition to try and face those crucial challenges. things like the faltering german economy, the largest in europe. but of course, the question of immigration and to speak to voter dissatisfaction, that political force, the afd, knows it will not be in power. friedrich merz has ruled it out, says he will stick to the

firewall. they are very much looking ahead to the next vote in four years and believe that they can continue building on that dissatisfaction. so this is the difficulty now for these more centrist politicians, and specifically the city that is likely to take power with coalition partners. how to address these key changes that need to take place in germany, even as the afd is now snapping at their heels. >> wondering if you're feeling echoes from the french election, which of course you covered as well, and many other elections across europe. people are often quite dismissive of the far right because they don't they haven't been getting into power, but they are becoming the dominant parties within parliament, so that will help them steer debates and policy that way. so what would you say we're speaking to here in terms of the general shift towards the right in europe? >> i think it's it's a great question, max, because what we've seen in germany here, not just with the result but

throughout the campaign, is a concentration of what's happened in so many european countries that surge in the far right, that surge in dissatisfaction in many countries, the surge in the number of parliamentary seats that are now in the hands of far right parties, who tend to have these themes in common, some of them are more eurosceptic than others. alice weidel party, for instance, is very eurosceptic. it is at the heart of why it was founded in 2013. marine le pen, with the national rally in france, has shifted her stance away from euroscepticism, certainly away from leaving the euro to focus on other issues, including immigration. so there are many different hues within the european political spectrum of these far right parties. but they do have in common. they tend to have in common a rejection of brussels, a closing of their borders, and are much more in line with the policies on many fronts of the current administration and the current american administration knows this, which is, i think, why you've seen this interference,

according to some here in germany, in their own politics. but it's happened with the tweets of elon musk and what we heard from jd vance at the munich security conference. senior american officials understand this, and they understand that there is power in fracturing europe and that that fracturing will come from the far right. so this is a crucial result, not just in terms of the future of germany, but given the position that germany has within europe. it's not just this economic powerhouse, but political leader of the european union and european federalism. over the course of the last few decades. it is fascinating that such a large proportion of the german electorate are now voting against that. and remember that on this question of her relative euroscepticism, the alice weidel is quite clear that it isn't simply opposition to brussels. what she is looking for is an ordered withdrawal from the euro, which is a quite astonishing position when you consider the importance to germany of things like its exports and to its economy. that is a fairly radical position.

still one, she has been firm on throughout her campaign. and this is something that 10 million germans have voted for. max. >> okay. melissa bell in berlin, thank you so much for your analysis today. now, ukraine's president marking the third anniversary of russia's full scale invasion with praise for the people of ukraine. in a post on the platform x, mr. zelenskyy writes three years of resistance, three years of gratitude, three years of absolute heroism of ukrainians. i'm proud of ukraine. he also shared this video. >> of the. ukrainian. rita zajko. >> this comes as president trump's envoy predicts kyiv will agree to a mineral rights deal with the u.s. this week. but zelenskyy told cnn he hopes the u.s. won't freeze military support in the process.

>> as i said, we want a successful agreement and if we will understand each other with partners, i hope that it will be. we will sign this the first agreement. or memo memo on which base we will. i mean, i will prepare other documents. so i hope that it will not have influence on other. steps of the united states. and they will not cancel or stop or freeze any support, especially military support, to ukraine. this is crucial for us. >> the president. >> my relationship with president trump. it's never was in such. best way. >> let's bring in cnn's clare sebastian here with us in london. when we talk about that relationship, it's obviously defined by what president trump said, describing zelenskyy as a

dictator. interesting to see, you know, in another part of that press conference, president zelenskyy actually offering to resign, effectively saying, well, if you do think i'm a dictator, i will go. but there is a negotiation to be done there too. >> yeah, i think this is really calling on all of his leadership. and i think rhetorical skills, which he has shown over the past three years, how to deal. now, as we are on the third anniversary of the war, with this biggest reversal in u.s. foreign policy in living memory, it's gone from a country that sort of has elevated him, allowed him to speak before a joint session of congress. you remember that biden offered him a ride out of the country at the beginning of the war to one that, you know, publicly attacks him and is publicly parroting the kremlin line on pushing for elections in ukraine, which seeks to de-legitimize him. so he essentially called that bluff. take a listen. >> as i said, we want successful agreement. and if we will understand each other with partners, i hope that it will

be. we will sign this the first agreement or memo? memo on which base we will. i mean, i will prepare other documents. so i hope that it will not have influence on other, uh, steps of the united states and they will not cancel or stop or freeze any support, especially military support, to ukraine. this is crucial for us. >> relationship. the president. >> my relationship with president trump. it's never worse in such. best way. >> so you got to hear that one again. but the one that we wanted to play was where he essentially says, look, i will resign if it means that ukraine is protected, can join nato. and we know that security guarantees for ukraine are the biggest critical issue now for

zelenskyy. he's in a situation where the u.s. wants, you know, the access to the critical minerals as a quid pro quo for future aid. and he is saying that he is not going to sign a deal that doesn't include some kind of security guarantee. >> obviously, joining nato is the red line for russia. so it's interesting how he bounced that back to president trump, who is the only person who is currently in negotiations with russia and how he will handle that because, you know, isn't zelenskyy just playing trump at his own game, playing hardball and saying, yes, we can do a deal. but there's negotiation on both sides here. >> yeah. and i think at this point, you know, it's he's probably feeling like he's got very little to lose. the u.s., you know, in those talks in brussels a week or so ago, essentially let the cat out of the bag. pete hegseth. although he then sort of moderated those remarks later, the new defense secretary saying that, uh, that it basically was off the table. nato for ukraine as part of a peace settlement, and that ukraine shouldn't expect either to return to its pre 2014 borders, which led to, you know, a level of alarm in europe which we now see playing out as well.

>> we're looking at live pictures here from kyiv. explain what's happening here today on this key anniversary. >> so they are holding essentially a forum to mark the third anniversary of of the war. i think, you know, it's worth pointing out, you see sort of top officials there, sitting there, that this is all happening at a very hot, very active stage in the conflict. we saw record numbers of drones fired over the weekend, 267. in one night, there was another massive attack using drones overnight into this morning. so this is you know, it's not about necessarily just peace talks. ukraine is still very much trying to to fight back against this adversary, which is moving forward on the front lines and continues to attack way beyond the front lines of ukrainian cities. and i think, you know, for russia, this strategy of attrition, of essentially trying to outlast ukraine and its allies to exhaust the enemy into submission, that has got them at this point all the way to the negotiating table, a bilateral, i should say, negotiating table with the u.s. so they are not backing down from this position.

so we see zelenskyy chairing this meeting there. >> yeah, we'll bring the highlights later on. thank you very much claire. let you listen in to that. and our beams of light illuminated the skies over a cemetery in the ukrainian city of lviv on sunday. the display is called lights of memory and honors ukrainians killed in the war with russia. hundreds of people gathered to mourn and commemorate the fallen during a service on sunday in brussels. european union buildings were lit in the colors of the ukrainian flag to mark the war's third year anniversary. since the beginning of the conflict, the eu has remained a refuge for millions of displaced ukrainians. and scenes of solemn remembrance on sunday in athens and around the world. on the eve of today's anniversary of russia's invasion. meanwhile, in paris, thousands of protesters, joined by elected officials and ukrainian refugees alike, gathered on sunday. they chanted anti-putin and

anti-trump slogans as they marched to the square where the bastille once stood. now, the u.s. agency for international development began gutting the ranks of its staff overnight as part of the trump administration's efforts to dismantle the agency. leaders told 2000 employees by email on sunday that they would be laid off just before midnight eastern time, with most remaining agency staff being put on administrative leave. a small number of employees will remain in their jobs to keep working on the few humanitarian projects deemed essential by the trump administration. the fbi, the state department and the department of defense are amongst a handful of u.s. agencies pushing back against an order for their staffers to justify their jobs. the office of personnel management sent a mass email to federal employees over the weekend, demanding they respond with five bullet points detailing what they did on the job last week. the deadline is

the end of the day on monday. the email does not mention any consequences, but a tweet from elon musk. does. the man heading the trump administration's department of government efficiency said if workers don't respond in time, it will be considered their resignation. senior leadership at several agencies have told their workers not to respond to the email at all. cnn's kevin liptak has more from the white house. >> this email that has been sent to all federal workers has injected a new layer of uncertainty into the federal workforce that had already been rattled by the first month of trump's administration. and it's not just rank and file members of the federal workforce now. it also includes senior managers, including trump appointees, who are trying to discern one, whether this email that federal employees received over the weekend is legitimate. and two, what to guide their workers to do going forward. and i think this all really began when president trump said on social media that he thought

elon musk was doing a good job in rooting out waste, fraud and abuse from the federal government, but that he wanted him to be more aggressive going forward. elon musk followed that up with his own post, saying that federal workers would receive an email asking them to recount their last week at work and saying if they didn't respond, they would be fired. a few hours later, federal employees started receiving those emails in their inboxes, asking them to list out five bullet points of what they did last week and respond no later than 11:59 p.m. on monday. and of course, that launched a whole amount of uncertainty into the federal workforce. and what you saw on sunday was a number of different agencies start to tell their workers not to respond. so, for example, at the pentagon, a leader there sent an email to the workforce that said the department of defense is responsible for reviewing the performance of its personnel and will conduct any review in

accordance with its own procedures. you saw something similar from kash patel, the new director at the fbi, who said, for now, please pause any responses. and at the state department, a senior undersecretary emailed the workforce there that said the state department would respond on behalf of the agency to this email. so what you're starting to see is some daylight emerging between senior trump officials at these agencies and elon musk and his doge department here at the white house, really, for the first time, really setting up what seems to be a standoff between some of these trump officials and musk to see exactly how far his power expands within the federal government. i think what is unclear so far is whether musk's assertion on social media that failure, failure to reply to this email will result in termination. what no one has been able to say is whether that threat is actually actionable. in fact, the leader of a federal

union has said it might not be legal. he says that instead, this is all intended to be cruel and disrespectful to federal workers, and says what he reflects is the white house's utter disdain for the federal workforce. you heard something similar from a republican senator on sunday speaking to cbs. listen to what he said. >> if i could say one thing to elon musk, it's like, please put a dose of compassion in in this. these are real people. these are real lives. these are mortgages. we it's a false narrative to say we have to cut, and you have to be cruel to do it as well. we can do both. >> so you hear john curtis there telling musk to inject some compassion into this effort. but i think at the end of the day, it's that lack of compassion that really is part of the goal here, ultimately, to try and make the federal workforce such an unpleasant place to work for some of these workers that they resign on their own. already, president trump has seen some success on this. 75,000 federal

workers taking a buyout offer. many thousands more are already being laid off. now, federal workers are contending with a new degree of certainty as they look to see how to respond to this new email, kevin liptak cnn, the white house. >> says confusion and fear grow across the federal workforce. president trump is showing no sympathy. he shared a spongebob squarepants meme on his truth social account on sunday, ridiculing the situation government employees are facing. the image offered a mock bullet point checklist for last week. reading cried about trump, cried about elon, made it into the office for once, read some emails, cried about trump and elon some more. now the vatican says pope francis is responding to treatment but is still struggling with complex medical issues that landed him in hospital over a week ago. an update on his condition just ahead. plus, israel is putting on a show of force in the occupied west bank, sending tanks into the palestinian

territory for the first time in two decades. and the death toll in kentucky rises following a devastating storm that brought fatal floods and damaging winds will have the details. >> love. >> love will keep. >> us together. >> now for something you can both agree on a sleep number 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 0% interest for 48 months. shop now. ocd is more than what you see on tv and in the movies. it comes with. >> unrelenting. >> intrusive images, thoughts and urges. if you have ocd and need help, you can get better with specialized treatment. go

to. kdka.com to learn more. >> climbing up on solsbury hill. i could see the city light. my heart going boom, boom, boom. >> hey. >> he said, grab your things. i've come to take you away. take me home. back home. so come on, take me home. >> ah. >> it's a good day to cough. oh, no. >> bye bye cough. >> chest congestion. hello. 12 hours of relief. >> 12 hours. >> mhm. >> okay. not coughing at yoga. antiquing, not coughing. not coughing at the movies. still not coughing. ah. >> oh. mucinex dm gives you 12 hours of relief from chest congestion in any type of cough day or night. it's not cough

season. it's always comeback season. >> look. >> she's just. >> sitting here. >> building her credit by. >> oh. >> i forgot you were here. >> self gives you credit for the rent you were going to pay anyways and reports it to the credit bureaus within 72 hours. free credit building for renters with self. >> speak now or forever. >> hold your. >> only took. >> for our cough liquid. unlike robitussin dm, delsym liquid offers 12 hours of cough relief all day or night. delsym cough crisis averted. >> my skin is sensitive and irritated, so i choose venus. extra smooth, sensitive with skin, soft blades and a strip with a touch of aloe to protect my skin for up to 0% irritation. get a shave made for your skin. my skin, my way. venus. >> we want. >> the effects of viagra, but faster. meet rose sparks. they contain sildenafil and tadalafil, the active ingredients of viagra and cialis, but sparks dissolve under the tongue. dissolvables

work faster than old school pills plus tadalafil, the active ingredient in cialis, stays in your system for long lasting results. faster acting and long lasting. we got you see if sparks are right for you at sparks. >> what happens. >> in. >> vegas stays. >> not anymore. play quick hit slots the free to play mobile slots game that everyone is playing from coast to coast. download quick hit slots for free and get a 6 million coin bonus. make every day a winning day. >> when it's time to start your business, it's time for shopify design with easy to customize themes. sell everywhere people shop and never miss a sale with the world's best converting checkout. see why millions of businesses sell with shopify. start your free trial today. >> i want to. i want, i want. one. want. i want i.

>> the vatican says. pope francis had a good night in hospital. he slept. he's resting. that follows news that the pope is now experiencing mild kidney failure. and while it's said to be under control, it's another unwelcome health complication for the 88 year old. he remains in critical condition as he fights double pneumonia in hospital. the vatican says he's still on oxygen but hasn't suffered another acute respiratory crisis, as he did on saturday. still, cnn medical analyst doctor jonathan reiner says this new development on the pope's condition is worrisome. >> in a. >> critically ill patient. like the pope. the kidneys are sort of the proverbial canary in the coal mine. and once you start to see kidney function deteriorate, that is often a very ominous sign. and coming, uh, 24 hours after what sounds like an urgent episode where the pope had difficulty breathing and needed

to be placed on high flow oxygen, the decline in his kidney function suggests a significant deterioration in his overall status. >> bobby joins us from rome. i mean, i know that you're dealing with these very incremental updates there in rome, but if you take a full picture of, you know, and sum them up. over the past week, there has been a very worrying trend here for catholics around the world. >> yeah. you know, max, i mean, everyone's very, very concerned about him. 88 years old, mobility problems, this kind of chronic lung, uh, respiratory issue that's now turned into this double pneumonia. there's a lot of concern. one of the things that we're finding is that we're getting a little bit more detail from the vatican and the afternoon bulletins, and that apparently comes from the pope wanting to be transparent. and so he wants people to know just how the reality of the situation, which is very critical at the moment. this morning we got a slight bulletin that said that he is resting.

that's the first time we didn't get he's having breakfast. he had a good night. he got up. so he's resting now. um, you know everyone is is very, very concerned. you see people gathering to offer prayers, offer support on wednesday. of course, this week is ash wednesday. he should be leading the procession for ash wednesday at a church in rome. obviously, those plans will not take place. there's someone else is going to have to do that, but it's a really important time for the catholic church. the jubilee year lent is starting and the pope 11 days in the hospital here behind me, max. >> in terms of how the vatican is handling it, as you say, they have opened up. do you feel that the pope is having very hands on involvement in these updates because, you know, at the back of his mind, ever since he took the papacy, he's always thinking, he has to think, doesn't he, about. uh, you know, ultimate handover of control, because that's what, you know, any pope has to do, any monarch has to do. >> yeah. you know, i mean, of

course, this is something that he's even spoken about in the past, about his weakness, about his health issues. he signed a letter that that would say he will resign if he becomes incapacitated. but i think you're a long way from that exact moment right now because he still, as we understand, recovering, he's responding to the treatment. he's being treated actively. and we understand that yesterday, on sunday, while he didn't deliver his angelus prayer, which he does every sunday, well, the last two sundays he did, of course, he did write it himself. and he thanked those medical personnel who are attending to him. and he thanked all those people praying for him. and we understand that those words came directly from him. we also have understood, certainly last week, even as his condition was getting worse, he was working with his closest collaborators who are here at the hospital behind me and who were working with him. so there is interaction. everyone who's talked to him and seen him, including his doctors, who gave a press conference last week, said that he's lucid, that he is very much in charge, that he still has his sense of humor, that he's still responding so

we can take, you know, kind of read the tea leaves to understand that he's he's not just lying in a hospital bed up there doing nothing. he still he's active, certainly in thought, if not physically. max. >> okay. barbie in rome. thank you. now, backlash over federal layoffs. why on more on why a republican lawmaker got booed by a crowd of angry voters who were asking him to stand up for them. that is next. and much more on the outcome in germany as well. the winner signaling it's no longer business as usual. we'll look at what that could mean for relations

with donald trump's america. >> $273. this is how much you spend every month on subscriptions. >> i only have like 2 or 3, right? >> that's what we all think. but in reality, there's so much more that we don't even know we're paying for. >> so how do i put more of this cash back in my pocket? >> rocket money is a financial app that shows you every subscription you're paying for, even that one you forgot about from five years ago. >> huh? i can't believe i'm still paying for this. i'll call and cancel right now. whoa whoa whoa. >> we can even cancel it for you. >> really? >> yep. all you have to do is tap a few buttons and they take care of it. download rocket money today. >> i was going. >> through the. >> menopause. and i really wasn't. >> feeling. >> great about my hair. >> plus, 39 has definitely made a difference to me. >> my hair. it started to feel thicker. i filmed my hair is more swishy and and stronger. >> it's lovely. >> to have one less thing to worry about. >> the bit that i care most about is is my hair and if it looks good, i feel absolutely brilliant. >> i would definitely recommend

planta 39. >> planta 39 caffeine shampoo. try it for your menopause journey. >> hi grandma, i played baseball today. >> oh that's great. >> what position. >> did you play? >> first base. >> that's what grandpa used to play when our hearing wouldn't allow us to use a regular phone. it made us feel isolated. >> it became difficult to communicate with our friends and family. >> clear captions was an easy solution for us. >> clear captions provides captions on a phone, like captioning on your tv so you can see what the caller is saying. live as they say. >> it, making it easy to understand and respond immediately. >> there is no insurance. >> or medicare required. >> clear captions service is provided at no cost to you through a federally funded program. we deliver, install, and train you on how to use your phone, all at no cost to you. >> give your loved ones the independence and connection they deserve. >> call now to see if you qualify to get a clear captions phone at no cost to you. >> call one.( 800) 592-1334.

that's one 805 92133 for. >> twitter. that's a great name. >> no one. >> no one. >> understood - people couldn't see my potential. so i had to show them. - i've run this place for 20 years, but i still need to prove that i'm more than what you see on paper. - today i'm the ceo of my own company. - it's the way my mind works. i have a very mechanical brain. - why are we not rethinking this? - i am more... - i'm more...

...than who i am on paper. >> with purchase of pillow for pain. call 1-800-530-2299. >> that's one( 800) 530-2299. >> i'm oren liebermann at the pentagon, and this is cnn. >> welcome back to cnn newsroom. i'm max foster. if you're just joining us, here are some of today's top stories. in just a few hours, u.s. president donald trump is expected to meet with french president emmanuel macron in washington. this comes on the third anniversary of russia's full scale invasion of ukraine. macron says he'll warn mr. trump not to be weak in the face of russian president vladimir putin. tens of thousands of mourners turned out sunday in the streets of beirut, lebanon, to take part in the long delayed funeral of slain hezbollah leader hassan nasrallah. israeli fighter jets flew just above the event in what the idf called, quote, a clear message to the

iranian backed proxy group. nasrallah was killed nearly five months ago in a massive israeli air strike. the vatican says pope francis had a good night in hospital. he slept and he's resting. that follows news that the pontiff is now experiencing mild kidney failure, though they say it's under control. this is the 11th day of hospitalization for the 88 year old pontiff. the head of germany's opposition opposition conservatives, says his absolute priority is to strengthen europe and achieve independence from the united states. that pledge from friedrich merz comes as preliminary results show the center right leader is on track to become germany's next chancellor. sunday's vote also saw a strong second place showing for the far right alternative for germany party, followed by chancellor olaf schulz's social democrats in third. the afd leaders say their performance in this election means they are the party of the future and cannot be ignored. joining me now from germany is deborah cole, berlin correspondent for the guardian.

and you know, the far right isn't right if we just take a look at their numbers. it's been an absolute surge and they now have a really strong position in parliament and will have an effect on policy that way, even if they don't make the government. >> that's right. i mean, they are the strongest opposition party. the afd had a historic night. they doubled their support compared to the last election in 2021. so this firewall that you might have heard about that bars cooperation by the mainstream parties with the afd is going to come under massive pressure in the coming years. >> um, how did they do it? i mean, what's your understanding, having reported on the election, having spoken to people, what is resonating about the far right? because i know, obviously economy was a huge issue here. also immigration. do they just speak better to those issues than the left? for example? >> well, there are there are a

party of anger. they're a party of, um, you know, of of protest, um, when it comes to their economic plans. um, very few voters cite anything that they, you know, would choose to do as being something that would be likely to help europe's top economy get back on its feet. the real issue. um, and they manage to completely harness the debate and really, you know, call the tune for, for the other parties. it was on immigration. and during this campaign, you saw a series of of deadly attacks, um, seemingly unconnected attacks, um, that were blamed on, on migrants where the suspects in each case, um, were asylum seekers who had come to germany in the last years and and become radicalized on german soil as it as it seemed. and that really spooked a lot of german voters. it was, um, it was a scary time for a lot of people. and the afd, uh,

apparently for some voters, for 20% of voters, made the case that under a government led by them, this wouldn't have happened. >> the winning conservatives also spoke a lot about immigration, didn't they? so we've seen a whole shift to the right in this election. how much has that got to do with the success of donald trump's policies in america? >> mm. yeah. i mean, you i'm sure your your viewers noticed, uh, the quite high profile for the german political establishment, shocking interventions by, uh, members of the trump camp, including elon musk. and then at the munich security conference, jd vance, uh, on behalf of the afd calling for an end to the firewall and musk saying that really, the afd was the only party that could, you know, rescue germany now, um, it didn't seem to have much of an impact on the polls. i mean, if you look at, uh, where they were at the end of december

and then where they were last night, they landed on 21%, which is about where they had been, you know, for for months and months. um, that said, um, those interventions, um, which last night friedrich merz the winner of last night's election, um, you know, called them brazen. these, these interventions, um, by musk and vance. >> i think it's interesting though, isn't it? you could you could see, um, a slight separation between musk and trump on this issue, though, because musk very clearly throwing himself behind the far right. then we saw and trump hasn't done that, but trump has thrown his support behind the. conservatives. so do you see different levels of extremity really between these two key players in america and how they've played into the german election? >> um, yeah, i wouldn't i wouldn't speak to that. i mean, i think that his his message last night on on truth social

was quite ambiguous. you know, he had said it was a great day for germany. um, and i think you could read that either way. um, and i think many people here read that as support for the afd, actually. um, but friedrich merz is the man he's going to have to be dealing with. um, you know, trump has threatened these, um, these punishing tariffs. and germany in europe is going to be hit hardest by them. and so i would expect, uh, you know, matze to be table having those conversations with him. >> okay. deborah cole in berlin, thank you so much for joining us today. >> thank you. >> actions in washington are impacting people across the country, and many voters aren't pleased about it. with some republican lawmakers facing angry crowds at town hall meetings in their districts. cnn's gloria pazmino has more on that. >> well, perhaps these are signs that the republican honeymoon.

>> may be. >> over. >> as some of these lawmakers are back in their districts during a recess from congress for the next several days, many of them have been holding town halls in their communities where they are getting an earful not just from democrats, but also republicans who are frustrated about the way that the trump administration has been enacting its agenda. also, the role that elon musk is playing in the federal government, and a lot of questions about the federal layoffs and whether or not there will be cuts to some benefits, such as social security. now, these town halls have been taking place all across the country here in new york, wisconsin, georgia and saturday night in trinity, texas, where congressman pete sessions was prepared to deliver what he thought was going to be a routine update about the work that he's been doing in congress. instead, he got a barrage of questions and accusations from his constituents regarding the role

of elon musk, the federal layoffs, as well as social security benefits. now, according to the new york times, there were several attendants in this town hall who got up and questioned him. at one point, one woman saying, when are you going to wrest control back from the executive and stop hurting your constituents? she was talking about the mass layoffs and agency closures, which she believes are unconstitutional. then there was another gentleman who asked about social security. he said, will you be courageous enough to stand up to them? now, this is something that both elon musk and president trump have said that they are focused on. social security administration and whether or not changes need to be made to that program. now, many of these lawmakers are holding town halls in person, which means that constituents can come out and sort of confront them. and that's why we're getting a lot of these videos where constituents are booing and shouting down their

lawmakers. other lawmakers are having these town halls either virtually or on the phone. that allows for perhaps a little bit more control, crowd control, trying to filter the type of questions that they're getting. but even there, they're getting a lot of pushback and criticism. i want you to take a listen to a republican retired u.s. army officer. this is what he had to say to congresswoman stephanie bice in oklahoma. >> can you tell me that doge with some college kids from a computer terminal in washington, d.c., without even getting out into the field after about a week or maybe two, has determined that it's okay to cut veterans. benefits. >> did you know that the va was in charge of payments for illegals for, um, for housing? basically the va? >> no, i'd like i'd like for you to send me. could you send

me that reference so i could research that? because. no, i'm not aware of that. and i would tell you that that's a red herring, a false flag. >> he was not the only frustrated caller at that town hall. a lot of questions about social security, about federal funding cuts and about mass layoffs and about elon musk. we are expecting to see many more of these town halls into the following week in illinois, missouri, pennsylvania, just to name a few. uh, there are town halls that are scheduled, and the question will be whether or not we continue to see this pattern of criticism, both from republicans and democrats, and whether or not lawmakers take those concerns back to congress when they're back in session. gloria pazmino, cnn, new york. >> now, federal workers are voicing their frustrations with the trump administration's mass government layoffs at yosemite national park in california. workers unfurled an upside down american flag, which symbolizes a distress call. more than 2200

workers at the interior department, which includes the national park service, were dismissed a little over a week ago. a flight going from new york to india lands in rome instead. up next, why this plane got an escort from the italian air force. >> you didn't learn. >> to build your credit in school. >> but you did. learn this. >> let self. >> help you navigate your financial journey and build your credit with free rent reporting, a credit builder account, a secured credit card, and more. we can't change the past, but the future looks a little brighter. start building your credit today with self. >> with allegra. >> i hope. >> you can. >> stop being. >> sneezy without feeling sleepy. get 0% brain interference for fast non-drowsy allergy relief with allegro. it's a no brainer. disney's snow white, in theaters march 21st. >> i'm a. big believer in super beta prostate. >> you'll notice. >> less urges. >> to urinate, and. >> you won't be getting up at night for so. >> many bathroom trips. >> i wouldn't say it.

>> if. >> i didn't truly believe. >> it. >> ah, it's a good day to cough. oh no. >> bye bye. >> cough. >> later. chest congestion. hello. 12 hours of relief. >> 12 hours. >> mhm. okay. not coughing at yoga. >> and. >> not coughing. not coughing at the movies. still not coughing. >> ah. mucinex dm gives you 12 hours of relief from chest congestion in any type of cough day or night. it's not cough season. it's always comeback season. >> speak now or forever hold your peace. >> only took for our cough liquid. >> ha ha. >> unlike robitussin dm, delsym liquid offers 12 hours of cough relief all day or night. delsym cough. crisis averted. >> i want. i want, on one one. 100.

>> it's the news. welcome back. but it's also kind of not the news. you think those phone guys will ever figure out how to keep 5g home internet from slowing down during peak hours? their customers have to share a wireless signal with everyone in their area. oooh. you know, it's kinda like when you bring a really big cake for your birthday, and then there's only a little, tiny sliver left for the birthday girl. aw. well, wish her a happy birthday. happy birthday... -it's... ...to her. -no, it's me. have your cake and eat it, too. don't settle for t-mobile or verizon 5g home internet. get super fast xfinity internet you don't have to share. forty's going to be my year.

>> i'm pete muntean at reagan national airport. this is cnn. >> italian air force jets had to escort an american airlines plane to rome on sunday because of a potential security concern. it was ultimately deemed non-credible. the flight was on its way from new york to delhi, india, when it was diverted. american airlines says the flight landed safely and law enforcement inspected the plane for departure today. but you can imagine the concern of the passengers looking out at that. now, a senior hamas official tells cnn. any future peace talks with israel are contingent on the release of more than 600 palestinian prisoners. they're meant to be freed after hamas handed over six israeli hostages on saturday, but israel says it won't release the prisoners until hamas guarantees the end

of. humiliating, humiliating ceremonies during the hostage releases. as the as the first phase of the ceasefire deal in gaza comes to an end, israel is warning that it could resume intense fighting at any moment. prime minister benjamin netanyahu says he has military plans ready to go if needed. the idf says it's ramping up operational readiness around gaza after what it described as a situational assessment. now israel is moving tanks into the occupied west bank for the first time since the end of the second intifada. and that was more than 20 years ago. palestinian authorities are slamming the move as an escalation of aggression. israeli defense minister says his country's military is expanding its operation in the palestinian territory. he's telling troops to remain in some refugee camps for the coming year. after about 40,000 people were evacuated, several palestinians told cnn the israeli military made them leave and they don't know when they'll be allowed to return. the death toll in kentucky has

now jumped to at least 21 victims after a powerful storm brought widespread flooding and damaging winds across parts of the u.s. kentucky has borne the brunt of that severe weather system. more than a month's worth of rain drowned much of the state in less than 24 hours. it brought water levels to historic highs and set into motion deadly floods. kentucky is unfortunately no stranger to natural disasters. just over two years ago, catastrophic flooding killed 43 people and devastated parts of the state. now coming up, hollywood celebrated 2020 for outstanding performances across film and television. the big winners of the night are the screen actors guild awards, coming next. >> you know what i love about quick. >> hit slots? >> it's the mobile slots. game that. >> gives you. >> those. >> authentic vegas thrills. >> quick hit slots has all the games you know and love, and best of all, the jackpot. download quick hit slots for free and get a 6 million coin bonus. make every day a winning.

>> take your business from launch to legendary with shopify. sell more with the world's best converting checkout and turn analytics into opportunities so you can scale further, faster. take your business to a whole new level. switch to shopify. start your free trial today. >> ocd is more than what you see on tv and in the movies. it comes with unrelenting, intrusive images, thoughts, and urges. if you have ocd and need help, you can get better with specialized treatment. go to know. com to learn more. >> some people have. >> minor joint pain. plus certain stomach problems. they may not be able to take just anything for pain. that's why doctors recommend tylenol. it won't irritate your stomach the way aleve, advil or motrin can. for trusted relief, trust tylenol. >> did i read this? >> did i get eggs? where are. >> my keys? >> don't wait. while memory and thinking issues pile up. these issues may seem like normal aging, but could be due to a buildup of amyloid plaques in

the brain. amyloid can build up over time. the sooner you talk to your doctor, the more options you may have. visit amyloid.com for additional information. >> are mornings cough congestion? >> i'm feeling better all in one and done with mucinex. kickstart. >> your headache. >> better now. >> mucinex kickstart gives all in one and done relief with a morning jolt of instant cooling sensation. it's comeback season. >> climbing up on solsbury. >> hill. i could see the city light, my heart going boom, boom, boom. hey, he said grab your things. i've come to take you home. come on, take me home. back home. so come on, take me

home. >> what's this? >> my new pony. and i love him. yeah. >> no. >> no, no. >> thank you. i ran the numbers on quicken. it's totally in my budget. bad. mr. sparkles. >> macgowan's birthday money, investments. >> all my income and spending and even built me a personalized budget so it's easier to save more. >> this is amazing. >> i know it is. yeah. >> do more with your money. i ready the best budgeting app. >> it's a lot of money. i'm going. >> to give you this designer bag. if you can prove to me that you know your finances, let's do it. how many subscriptions do you have? probably just netflix and spotify. all right. it's saying you have 13 subscriptions, which is costing you around $270 a month. what the app is telling you all of this, it shows you all your expenses in one place, and it can even help you create a budget, which i think you need coming from me. but okay, don't worry about those 13 subscriptions you didn't know you had. you can cancel the ones you don't want right through the app, and it can even help you try and get a refund.

>> my skin is sensitive and irritated, so i choose venus. extra smooth, sensitive with skin, soft blades and a strip with a touch of aloe to protect my skin for up to 0% irritation. get a shave made for your skin. my skin, my way venus. >> closed captioning brought to you by iconic brands. up to 70% off retail at rue la la. >> la la. >> you never pay full price. sees the deals. >> on top. >> names before. >> they're gone. >> shopper by. >> law.com today. >> we are, we are, we are. >> in a scene of faith and celebration days before the start of carnival in brazil. devotees from catholic and afro brazilian faiths gathered at the parade venue in rio de janeiro for a spiritual cleansing ritual, seeking protection and success during the country's biggest festival, aston martins. showing off its new car for the 2025 formula one season, the mercedes powered amr 25 is

expected to debut at preseason testing in bahrain on wednesday. look at that, aston martin revealed the car online on sunday. the team finished fifth in each of the last two seasons. the new formula one season begins next month in australia. last night in hollywood was the 2025 screen actors guild awards. it's where the stars themselves select the best performances across film and television. the cast of conclave won for their outstanding performance in a motion picture, depicting the secretive process of selecting a new pope. zoe saldana continued her award season sweep, landing the outstanding female actor in a supporting role award. this, for her part in the netflix cartel crime film amelia perez and hulu's hit tv series shogun, won big for their take on japan's warrior class. the ensemble cast took home the award for outstanding performance in a drama series. hollywood's canine stars are also getting their day on the

red carpet. the fido awards were held in london on sunday, honoring the greatest dogs in show business. this year, the best in the world award went to one very special crested cross. >> the winning film is. >> deadpool and wolverine, and the winner. >> is peggy. >> oh. >> of course, you might know peggy as dogpool who stole the show in deadpool and wolverine. she was once crowned britain's ugliest dog in a national contest, would you believe? and now she's getting attention for her magnetic performance. >> everyone loves peggy, and she's she's definitely got star quality when it comes to the silver screen. >> absolutely. and that's why we feature her quite regularly on the show with any excuse. at least maura does. who's producing? thanks for joining us here on cnn newsroom. i'm max foster in london, sitting this morning. up next, after a quick break.

>> a sleep number bed is perfect for couples. it helps reduce snoring with a tap so you both get your best night's sleep. and now save 50% on the new sleep number. limited edition smart bed shop the sleep number store near you.

>> your credit journey starts here with a secured self visa credit card with high approval rates. it's a great option whether you're just starting. >> out. >> or rebuilding your credit, and as you use it and make payments on time, you can build your credit one step at a time. visit self to apply. >> guys. what is peak performance mean to you? being ready when she is and lasting longer row can help you perform with access to prescription medications uniquely designed to suit your needs. rose sparks for an as needed boost or daily rise gummies with tadalafil for 24 seven readiness. however you want to get there, we got you. explore your treatment options and connect with the provider at. >> hi grandma, i played baseball today. >> oh that's great. >> what position did you play? >> first base. >> that's what grandpa used to play when our hearing wouldn't allow us to use a regular phone. it made us feel isolated. >> it became difficult to

communicate with our friends and family. >> clear captions was an easy solution for us. >> clear captions provides captions on a phone, like captioning on your tv. so you can see what the caller is saying live as they say. >> it, making it easy to understand and respond immediately. >> there is no insurance or medicare required. clear caption service is provided at no cost to you through a federally funded program. we deliver, install and train you on how to use your phone all at no cost to you. >> give your loved ones the independence and connection they deserve. >> call now to see if you qualify to get a clear captions phone at no cost to you. >> call one( 800) 592-1334. that's one 805 92133 for. >> twitter. that's great name. >> no one. for all those making it big out there... ...shouldn't your mobile service be able to keep up with you? get wifi speeds up to a gig at home and on the go.

introducing powerboost, only from xfinity mobile. now that's big. xfinity internet customers, cut your mobile bill in half vs. t-mobile, verizon, and at&t for your first year. plus, ask how to get the new samsung galaxy s25+ on us. when emergency strikes, first responders are the first ones in... but on outdated networks, the crucial technology they depend on, is limited. that's why t-mobile created t-priority... ...the only solution built for the 5g era, that can dynamically dedicate up to 10 times the capacity for first responders. t-priority. built for tomorrow's emergencies. ready today. (♪♪) >> on cnn this morning with kasie hunt. next.