HHS Freezes Child Care Payments To MN After Viral Fraud Allegations

25:25Now, he had a chance just a few weeks ago, just before Congress left for the holiday break. The defense funding bill came before lawmakers. Senator Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat and a combat veteran who also battled infertility, Well, she sponsored a provision that helped cover the cost for IVF treatment. She blames House Speaker Mike Johnson for stripping that provision. I want to bring in CNN anchor Brianna Keeler, who has closely covered this back and forth. Brianna, this issue is personal for you and for so many others. Yeah, I mean, it's personal for any military family, which is what we're talking about in this case, that needs or might need fertility coverage.

26:02And you don't know if you're going to need it until you're struggling to have a baby. I'm a veteran's spouse, but in my latest Homefront column, I write about how eight years ago when my husband was still in the Army, we'd just been married, I was 37, and we were ready to start trying for a baby when a deployment popped up. And because we are friends and journalists, and there's no such thing as TMI for either, I can tell you we froze his sperm, we tried what's called an IUI, we paid out of pocket for that, and it didn't work. and I thought, man, I wish I hadn't switched to his military healthcare, which is called TRICARE, because it does not cover fertility treatments.

26:40Fast forward, as you know, my husband and I, we have a seven-year-old, it ultimately worked out, but not without some ups and downs, and certainly some worry about not having fertility coverage under TRICARE. Well, last month, military families struggling with fertility issues, they got this lifeline that you just talked about. It was a provision to provide IVF coverage in TRICARE for recipients of that kind of insurance. It passed out of committee in the House and the Senate, and it had bipartisan support. It was to be included in that huge defense bill that goes through Congress at the end of the year every year.

27:13And then just days before the president was set to sign it into law, that provision was stripped out, just gone. And there had been a lot of families who were counting on that, including Courtney Deddy, who is the spouse of a Ohio Air National Guard member. She and her husband, they actually only have one embryo. for one last try and they have spent a lot of money out of pocket to get to this point. We have spent over a little over$100 ,000 alone when it comes to coverage for our testing, for treatments, but it goes beyond that even, you know, not just the treatments, It's the mental health. It's the travel.

27:56It's the there's so many other things such as chiropreservation. Now, Courtney Deddy actually voted for Trump. She was really banking on this. And Senator Tammy Duckworth is blaming Speaker Mike Johnson for pulling that provision out of the bill because of concerns about the destruction of some embryos in IVF. She actually sent a letter to Trump, who has called himself the father of IVF, saying that Speaker Johnson is making him the deadbeat dad of IVF. What is the Speaker's office saying about this? They didn't direct directly address Duckworth's claims, but they gave us a statement that says President Trump and congressional Republicans have been working to lower costs and expand access to IVF.

28:42The speaker has clearly and repeatedly stated he is supportive of access to IVF when sufficient pro-life protections are in place, and he will continue to be supportive when it is done responsibly and ethically. It's important to note Johnson's state of Louisiana actually has some of the most restrictive IVF regulations in the country. Embryos have to be sent out of state in order to be destroyed. But Courtney Deddy, for instance, and she speaks for a lot of military families who feel this way, she says denying them the coverage that members of Congress and federal employees have access to really feels like a slap in the face.

29:19And we should note for many military families, this kind of insurance, TRICARE, is the only insurance they can access. Military spouses have four to five times the national average rate of unemployment. And that is because of all the constant moves. You are a former military brat. You know about that. All of those moves make it very difficult to maintain a career or to find a new job. And that's where you might pivot to employer-provided insurance that could provide fertility coverage. It's a really important piece and a very, very important issue, particularly for the families that you're writing about.

29:52Brianna Taylor, thanks so much. Appreciate it. And, of course, you can look for Brianna on CNN News Central every weekday from 1 to 4 o 'clock Eastern. I hear she's on Air Burnett tonight as well, out front at 7 p.m. here on CNN. Well, after all the ceremonies, now it's done to business for New York City's brand new mayor. And he's already creating some controversy. We'll explain next.

30:17Hundreds of New Yorkers gathered on a bright and bitterly... New York City's new mayor is officially on the job. And Zoran Mamdani is wasting no time undoing the work of his predecessor. He used his newly minted executive powers to revoke a slew of orders put in place by former mayor Eric Adams, notably a directive that barred city employees from boycotting Israel. He also made clear how he intends to govern the nation's most populous city. I was elected as a democratic socialist and I will govern as a democratic socialist.

30:56I will not abandon my principles for fear of being deemed radical. My panel joins me now. Megan Hayes, it was not a pivot to the middle. No, not at all. Or pragmatism or triangulation or anything you want to say. But I think what really stood out in the last 24 hours was the message that he was sending by immediately reversing some of the orders related to Israel specifically. What was your sense of that? I think that he is trying to fulfill his campaign promises, and I think he is trying to show people that he's not all talk and that he is going to show some action. And if you saw him today, he was out at an apartment building, touring an apartment building, doing a lot of things for housing.

31:34So I do think that where some of his policies are very controversial, especially to folks in New York, like what you're talking about with some of the Jewish sentiment, he is trying to show that he is serious about affordability and serious about making decisions that will make New York more affordable for the people of New York. It's definitely what he won the campaign on. That's right. I don't think there's any issue with that. Reena, I think what's striking, though, is Israel's foreign ministry already responding to Mamdani's actions on Israel, posting on X on his very first day as New York City mayor.

32:03Mamdani shows his true face as he scraps the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism, lists restrictions on boycotting Israel. This isn't leadership. It's anti-Semitic gasoline on an open fire. Yeah, there are big risks here for his mayorality to derail pretty fast. I mean, backlash is boiling already. You've got Jewish leaders, Republicans, and like you said, even Israel's foreign minister are slamming it as endangering New York City's something like 1.5 million Jews. I mean, this is not a joke. There's a sleeper threat here, too, also in the legal pushbacks. If courts see what they're putting up as enabling hate speech, or if Albany decides to withhold funds over security lapses, basically you see Mamdani's agenda grind to a screeching halt.

32:49So I think look at the polls right now, showing that some 70 % of New Yorkers back stronger anti-Semitism measures and overplaying his hand could really tank his approval below 50 % really quick. I mean, take a lesson from Trump on that one. But this is an entirely different issue because if that starts to happen, that little mix there I just talked about, then what you can start to see is ammo for his challengers. And there's a twist also here that I was thinking about earlier, is that praise from CARE and Palestinian advocates, essentially they're calling it a free speech win. That could solidify his base if no major incidents occur.

33:27So I think for regular folks, they've just got to pray this all works out all right. But I am very concerned. I think this is not good for day one. but I'm also willing to say the courts are here. Let's see what happens. Yeah. The overlapping between state and federal funding issues as well is going to be really interesting if those, if it reaches that point. Okay. I got to ask about the Wall Street Journal story about President Trump's health to a former Biden administration official. Speaking of Wall Street Journal stories about a president's health. The president doesn't seem super thrilled about the story.

33:59The oldest ever to be inaugurated. He posted on X or on, Sorry, Truth Social, no facts. The White House doctors have just reported that I am in perfect health and that I aced for the third straight time my cognitive examination. Based on what we learned in the report, how worried should Republicans be about this? I don't know that people need to be worried, except for he keeps changing every time his health gets brought up. It changes what is being tested. And also, it's like the boy who cried wolf. Every time he opens his mouth about his health, it's a lie. No one believes anything he's saying.

34:31And so I just think that he needs to focus on actual issues and stop worrying about his own health. And he also needs to say to people to stop, believe their lying eyes. It did not work for Joe Biden. It will not work for Donald Trump. And going into an extremely difficult midterms, he needs to start focusing on issues and having those members on Congress focus with him and not having Jeffrey say that now we're going to investigate his health. Because as soon as Democrats take back the House, the very first thing is Donald Trump. They're going to have oversight hearings about his health. Yeah.

34:59I mean, it's both like maybe don't focus on the health as much. Also, maybe don't stop by a marble store this morning and buy marble, which is the most fascinating thing to me. But on the health issue itself, I think what's interesting, to Megan's point, he draws more attention to it because it clearly pisses him off. And he talks about it. And the weird thing is, you talk to people around him, he is still the same guy who's constantly moving, doesn't actually sleep at all, certainly has an energy level that I don't think I will have at that age. I hope I'm retired at that point. What do you make of it?

35:31There is a broader political ripple here that nobody's really unpacking. I hope everybody reads this piece, because I think everybody should hear the president in his own words, right? Confronting the visit to Walter Reed, you know, was that an MRI scan? Oh, CT of your abdomen or whatever. Look, I'm not a medical doctor here, but what I'm here to talk about is sort of this interview underscoring sensitivity, right? And Trump has irked its health again for the 25th time. OK, yeah, buddy, you're in the Oval Office. You need to, again, you need to be ready for this. But I think the bottom line here is that Trump is betting that his transparency on his terms really shuts down the critics.

36:08But look, I mean, if I were part of this administration, I would just say be ready for the scrutiny in this year. But being transparent and telling lies is not being transparent. And I think that's one thing that the administration is missing. when you go out there and say, I had an MRI, it was fine. No, no, no, wait, it was a CT scan, it's fine. I got these bruises from shaking hands, but it's also on my other hand that I don't shake hands with. That's just telling lies. And that's what causes more problems here. And that's what's creating all the issues. So that's not transparent. We live in this post-truth era, as you and I both know.

36:37And as political messengers and being behind the scenes, there's only so much you can tell your boss. Is it a lie? Is it the truth? It matters how it plays to the ears of voters. And I just think Trump thinks he's not hiding, he's confronting. and he says his health is perfect. He says doctors are backing him broadly, but self-admitted quirks like extra aspirin and stuff, that's not going to help. And let's just see what else we get this cycle. But I would just say it's what voters choose to hear, not what the truth is, sadly. For the record, his description of how aspirin works with the blood and the heart, and he said, does that make sense?

37:09It doesn't. We've talked to doctors about it. Thank you guys both very much. Appreciate it. Well, up ahead, the Pink Lady's on a mission. You may have seen the rallies or videos online. on what's behind their message. That's next.

37:26At a time of rising tension over immigration, Britain's hard right seems to be broadening its appeal. Cue the Pink Ladies, a new group claiming to protect the safety of women and children. But when CNN went to one of their rallies, it didn't take long to see they're doing this by exploiting anti-migration stereotypes and sometimes veering into misinformation. Here's CNN's Jemana Karachi.

38:16from cultures that do not think like we do, who treat women like third-class citizens, and who think it's acceptable to marry eight and nine-year-old girls. This is not racism, they say, and they're not the far right. But a lot of what we heard sounded an awful lot like the far right's narrative. I need to get the army involved. We're being invaded. Well, it's bloody terrible. It's all over Europe, you know, being invaded. by? By legal migrants. Advocacy groups say exploiting the issue of violence against women and genuine safety concerns is a common far-right tactic. The Pink Ladies say they're grassroots, women concerned about mass migration and what it means for their safety and the future of their country.

39:08Putting out catchy tunes like this one that market their agenda. The so far small group emerged a few months ago at a time of rising tensions over migration, with the far right seizing on that. A lot of people looking at what's happening in the UK from the outside, they might say that a lot of the things that you are saying are the talking points of the far right. What is far right? Far right is extremists. Far left is extremism. How am I extremist? I'm just a mum who's worked her whole life, who's bringing up three children, who lives in suburbia. I don't want my daughter to be sexually assaulted by men that have come over to this country that we've got no background checks on.

39:50If that makes me a far right, then there's something very concerning with the rhetoric, right? That's Orla Minnehain. She's a local candidate for the right-wing populist party Reform UK. Amid this show of pink solidarity and what was mostly a jovial and a time-surreal atmosphere, We heard from women worried about their safety and that of their daughters. Women are scared to walk anywhere and, you know, we live in a small town. This is the seriousness of what we're dealing with. The government doesn't publish detailed figures on crimes committed by asylum seekers, but there have been some high-profile cases that have put women and girls on edge.

40:31On top of that, there are the twisted facts that go unchecked. These five women have died, have been murdered at the hands of an illegal migrant catastrophe that this government is letting happen. Except two of the suspects in these five horrific murder cases are British nationals. But for Laura and others, what they heard here was enough for them to make up their minds. What is it that is making you feel unsafe? Well, it's all the rapes, murders, you know, what they've been talking about today. Jumana Karachi, CNN, Chelmsford, England. Welcome to The Lead. I'm Phil Mattingly in for Jake Tapper.

41:18This hour, President Trump issues a new threat warning Iran that the U.S. is, quote, locked and ready to go and will forcibly intervene if Iran shoots and kills protesters. But what does that actually mean? Will U.S. troops actually get involved? And how soon could it happen? Plus, the FBI says a teenager has been arrested, accused of planning to carry out a terror attack in North Carolina on New Year's Eve. The plot, allegedly inspired by ISIS, what we're learning about this 18-year-old and what the FBI says it found inside his bedroom. Also, alarming new data about the spread of measles in the United States.

41:55More than 2 ,000 cases were reported last year, and now multiple outbreaks are spreading again. Are there any signs the U.S. is making progress on getting this under control? And after a week of stunning college football wins, the semifinals of the college football playoff are now set. So who's able to win it all, and which players should we be keeping an eye on? It's ahead.

42:21The lead tonight, Iranian officials say U.S. troops will not be safe if they interfere in the explosion of protests across Iran. This after President Trump issued a late night warning saying if Iran shoots and kills peaceful protesters, quote, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go. Now, some clashes with police have already turned deadly as shopkeepers, merchants and students take to the streets with Iran's currency hitting record lows. It's the biggest protest since the 2022 uprising after Masha Amini was killed in police custody for allegedly wearing her headscarf improperly.

42:58We start things off with CNN's Kevin Liptak in West Palm Beach. And Kevin, what are you hearing from U.S. officials about what the president actually means here? Yeah, and what we've heard today is that no U.S. troops have been moved as part of this. Their preparation levels haven't been increased. What one White House official told us was that this was intended as a strong warning, but that the president hasn't taken any action yet. So as of now, it's not precisely clear what is actually locked and loaded, as the president put it in that 3 a.m. True Social post. When you talk to officials, they do say that there are some hypothetical options here for the president to take, you know, that would stop short of actually firing a missile into Iran.

43:43One would be similar to what President Biden did during those 2022 protests, which is to use American technology to kind of bolster the Internet connectivity to try and find a way to get around some of the regime's crackdown on information. You also hear talk potentially about sanctions on figures in the regime, potentially on the oil or banking industry, although Iran already has a heap of U.S. sanctions on it, so it's not clear what effect those would have. You also hear hypothetical discussion of potential cyber action. And you know the U.S. has used cyber attacks previously on Iran to kind of stymie some of the regime's efforts.

44:23And so, you know, a lot of potential options, hypothetical options for the president to take here, but not specifically clear what he's talking about, about being locked and loaded. What I do think is clear is that the president has shown that he has an appetite for risk in Iran, that his predecessors didn't necessarily share. You know, just showing support for these protesters at all is more than, for example, what Barack Obama did in 2009. He essentially said nothing about the street protests that were taking place in Iran at the time, fearful that it could lend pretext for the regime to claim that they were all backed by the West.

45:00And so President Trump clearly going further here than many of his predecessors have done. Now, it has drawn backlash certainly from the regime in Iran, who has said that the U.S. forces in the region could be a target if the U.S. intervenes. It's also drawn some backlash from some Republicans. Marjorie Taylor Greene, by now a fierce critic of President Trump's, wrote on social media that Trump threatening war and sending in troops to Iran is everything we voted against in 2024. I believe she's a member of Congress for three more days. Kevin Liftak in Florida. Great reporting as always, my friend.

45:39Thanks so much. Also in our world lead, four years into Russia's brutal war on Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky says he's holding a first-of-its-kind meeting with national security advisors tomorrow in Ukraine, along with European, American and NATO representatives on the hopes of getting closer to a deal to end the war. This as Russia pounds Ukraine's energy infrastructure with drones and missiles and hits residential areas as well, according to Ukraine. It's deploying its usual tactic of making winter as harsh as possible for the Ukrainian people. We're joined now by Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S., Olga Stepanichina.

46:16I really appreciate your time. Just to start with, Madam Ambassador, President Zelensky says some peace plan documents could be ready for signing as soon as this month. How confident are you that a peace deal could be imminent? Well, I think there's no question from anybody, including after the last meeting between presidents and Florida, that Ukraine is in no case will become an obstacle to any peace agreement which will secure Ukraine's sovereignty, but also will have a clear backup of the security guarantees. Just as we're speaking, our teams continue working and we have a team of Ukrainian officials who have no other job to do but to be engaged in performing the peace deal into the reality 24-7.

47:07So it was the expectation from both presidents after the meeting that January should become the month when the major agreement could be finalized. because as it was mentioned by my president, 90 percent of, you know, basis has been settled already. You mentioned the meeting between the presidents on Sunday in Florida. You attended the meeting. How receptive was President Trump to your team? It's been a bit of a roller coaster of a relationship, but it seemed coming out of the meeting that it had been in a fairly solid place.

47:46well I wouldn't say like a roller coaster but I think this was like was one of the most substantial constructive meeting and and the leaders first President Trump and President of Ukraine were digging deeply into so many details and I think there was a major understanding informed that the security guarantees from European allies and potentially from the United States is not part of Ukraine's wish list, but it's an inevitable part of the general peace deal, also just forcing and securing the implementation of the deal by Russian side, the aggressor. And I think this is very important, and I think this is one of the major outcomes of the meeting.

48:33Other than that, I think the dynamics has changed a little bit because between the two meetings over just the last two months, we had a 24-7 dialogue at the level of the teams, which has been structured. And there's been a lot of details into the discussion. And I think it was very helpful. And also the call between presidents of Ukraine and U.S. and European leaders have brought a lot of more clarity in terms of where we stand and what is the commitment on the European side as well. Just this afternoon or over the course of the last several hours, President Zelensky announced some pretty significant changes on the personnel side of things.

49:16He appointed Ukraine's spy chief as his chief of staff, proposed a new defense minister. Explain the significance of these changes heading into this year. Well, I mean, this is a very, very significant changes in the management. in a closer circle around the president of Ukraine. And also, Kirill Budanov was the chief of military intelligence to become the chief of president's office. He has been the major person behind the exchanges of prisoners of war. He would also be looking into other exchanges with the civilians, and he has been engaged in the peace process and the war process. and Ukraine's defense since the very first day.

50:06And this was also explained by President of Ukraine when he announced this appointment, that this gives the priority to doing and concentrating on anything else but making sure that Ukraine is capable to defend itself, that Ukraine is capable to fight back, and Ukraine is capable to reach the agreement of ending the war as a priority. So there's no other priority by that. With that understanding, that means that the government would have to do its own job. The parliament would have to do its own job. And the president and the people around here will be concentrated around that. Ambassador Olga Stefanishnow, really appreciate your time.

50:48Thank you so much. Thank you. What we're learning about the 18-year-old suspect tonight after the FBI says it foiled an ISIS-inspired terror plot in North Carolina. That's next.

51:06In our Law and Justice lead, the man accused of being the Washington, D.C. pipe bomber will remain in jail until he faces trial. A judge ruling today to keep Brian Cole Jr. behind bars, despite the defense arguing Cole should be released into his grandmother's custody. Now, Cole allegedly placed explosives outside the Democratic and Republican National Committee buildings on January 5th, 2021. He has not yet entered a plea to the charges and a trial date has not yet been set. Well, also in our Law and Justice lead, earlier today, the FBI announced it foiled an alleged ISIS-inspired New Year's Eve attack near Charlotte, North Carolina.

51:43An 18-year-old is under arrest, accused of planning to carry out a terror attack using knives and hammers.

51:54The defendant here is an 18-year-old named Christian Sturdivant. He was planning this attack in support of ISIS, and we have charged him with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. The federal officials say the suspect talked online with those he believed were two ISIS members. They were actually undercover FBI agents. I want to bring in Donnell Harvin, the former chief of Homeland Security and Intelligence for the Washington, D.C. government. Just to start with, the suspect, known to the FBI, he was on the radar in 2022 when he was 14 years old for a separate incident involving ISIS.

52:27That investigation ended because the FBI said the suspect was seeking mental health services and was no longer on social media. Three years later, the suspect now accused of planning an ISIS-inspired attack. What do you make of the suspect, how he was described, and how the FBI thwarted this attack? Well, there's two things. One, it should not come to surprise for the viewers that people as young as 14 are being sought out by ISIS and al-Qaeda and other jihadist groups for radicalization. I've seen cases as young as 12 years old. These individuals can be radicalized on video games and chat rooms.

53:06They're easy to manipulate. They get fed this content, this very violent content, which really is traumatizing for many of these young minds. And they often repost that to other individuals. In doing so, they seek out a community of like-minded people. This individual doesn't sound like was really quite operational, but that doesn't matter. At the end of the day, you can kill somebody with a knife or a hammer. We've seen this in other terrorist attacks in other countries. And so having him off the playing field, so to speak, from a counterterrorism standpoint, it's quite important. The last thing I'll say is that also understanding the networks, how he was radicalized, what website he was on, and who was manipulating them is going to be really key, particularly if they're U.S.

53:49citizens and on the homeland soil. Yeah, it's really critical context here. And to an earlier point you were making, the FBI says it found hammers, knives hidden under the suspect's bed, handwritten notes about the alleged plot, a list of targets, details about what he'd wear. To this point, he's only been charged with attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization. Explain to people, where does the investigation go from here, considering it seems like prosecutors are looking into additional charges? Well, that's a serious enough charge. From my understanding, he can get significant time convicted on that.

54:24But as the investigation unfolds and they're able to delve more closely into his networks, other information that he shared online, maybe people he was collaborating with, if there was a more viable plan or if there was a target, there could be more charges. This is really unfolding rapidly in front of our eyes. And so we'll hear more certainly from the FBI as it goes. But this may not be the end of charging for this individual or other individuals. You know, look back to the October thwarted Halloween plot where it started from one state, Michigan, and it spread to other states. You very well may see something similar to that happen here.

55:04I want to dig in a little bit more to another really great point you were making. the FBI noting that the serious danger from those who become radicalized online. Take a listen. We have seen that most successful attackers radicalize in a time span of between one and four years, and they typically mobilize to act in less than three months. Your assessment of the timeline laid out here. Yeah, this is something, you know, we've studied extensively. We don't really understand. We understand the pathways to radicalization. We understand the pathways of violence. But the mobilization, some people, it takes years to mobilize to actually do a violent act.

55:46And some people can do so very quickly. It really all depends on who's radicalizing them, how well mentally developed they are. And that's really key. That's why these jihadist groups are targeting young people. I mean, look just back at the October plot that we mentioned before. There There were several teenagers, 16 and 18 years old, that are now behind bars and being ready to go on trial for attacking Halloween festivities. And so, you know, it is a concerning thing. Unfortunately, we're starting out the year like this. But I have to mention, this time last year, we were actually talking about a terrorist attack that killed 14 people on Bourbon Street and injured almost 50 others.

56:31And so kudos to the law enforcement, not just the FBI. We mentioned the FBI, but also the local law enforcement. NYPD played a huge role in this and first detecting this individual and then involving other federal officials to the Joint Terrorism Task Force. They're on the job. They're looking out for individuals like this. But unfortunately, they're more and more springing up every day. Yeah, there's days where it feels like whack-a-mole, but certainly a much better outcome this time around than what you mentioned in New Orleans last time, last year. Donnell Harvin, really appreciate your time, my friend.

57:01Thanks so much. Well, new measles cases were reported today as an outbreak grows in South Carolina. But that's not the only state where dozens of new cases are being reported each week. The growing concern about more outbreaks. That's next.

57:20Some alarming new numbers in the health lead. The CDC tracking more than 2 ,000 known measles cases in 2025. This year, it's not starting off any better. South Carolina is tracking a full-blown outbreak. And other states, including Kentucky, New Jersey, Massachusetts, are out with warnings about possible exposures. Let's go to CNN's Jacqueline Howard. And Jacqueline, just how widespread has this highly contagious virus become? Phil, here in the United States, there were 49 measles outbreaks reported in 2025. Now, just to put that in perspective, in the year 2024, there were only 16 outbreaks reported.

58:01So this is what we're dealing with now in this country, this widespread presence of the measles virus. And keep in mind, in the year 2000, measles was declared eliminated here in the United States. Elimination means there has been no sustained transmission of the same measles virus strain for at least a year. But because of the outbreaks that we saw in 2025 and the possibility of these outbreaks being linked, that's why the nation's measles elimination status is now at risk. Now, we did ask the World Health Organization what exactly happens if the United States loses its measles elimination status.

58:44In a statement, WHO said this in October, quote, quote, there are no formal consequences of losing measles elimination status. However, having measles again as an endemic disease will have a profound negative impact on communities, including preventable deaths among some of the most vulnerable populations, end quote. So, Phil, that's the consequence right there. We might see more people sadly getting sick, sadly dying from a virus that was previously eliminated in this country. And in some cases, if a country loses its elimination status, it's asked to present an action plan laying out how it might prevent future cases through vaccinations or how it might respond to outbreaks and contain them.

59:37So we might see that in the future if the United States does in fact lose its measles elimination status, Phil. Jacqueline Howard, thanks. Here's a 2026 resolution. Stop being idiots. Like, just goodness. Jacqueline Howard, thanks so much. Only four teams are left in the hunt for college football's championship trophy. So which is the favorite to win it all? That's next.

1:00:07In our sports lead, if you've learned anything from this year's college football playoff, expect the unexpected. The semifinals are set after several stunning games on New Year's Day. Next week, Oregon will take on top-seeded Indiana, and Ole Miss will face off against Miami. I am personally dead inside as an Ohio State fan, and my soul has left my body. But the game last night was so good that I want to talk to Stuart Mandel. I'm willing to consider watching more college football. Stuart's the editor-in-chief of the Athletics College Football Coverage, one of the absolute best in the business.

1:00:40Stuart, in your latest write-up, you described this moment as a changing of the guard. Again, this feels very painful for me to read on some level. What are some of the key takeaways you want people to understand going into the semifinals? Yeah, well, this is a sport, as you know, that has long been dominated by kind of a small circle of the most prestigious programs, which Ohio State would certainly be one, Georgia, Alabama. And this year we saw all three of those schools go down in the quarterfinals. And who's in their place? Indiana, like you mentioned, is the number one seed. Indiana has been one of the worst programs historically in the sport.

1:01:20Here they are in the semis as now the team to beat. You have Ole Miss, hasn't won a national title since the early 60s. Their coach, Lane Kiffin, left them before the playoff to go to LSU. Here they are in the semis. Oregon's been good for a long time, but have not won a national title to this point. And Miami used to be one of the dominant programs, but have been down for about 20, 25 years. And now here they are back again. Indiana, you're a big time guy. I don't think it's possible for people who maybe don't follow this as closely as you do or I try to, just how bad of a program Indiana was.

1:01:59Forever. Literally forever. And for them to do what they've done this year, as somebody with far more expertise in this than I have, is there anything comparable across sports, not just in football, to what they've been able to do in the last 12 to 24 months, really? I guess if you're an NBA fan, it'd be like if the Washington Wizards suddenly next year came out and were the NBA champion, something like that. But Indiana, up until Kurt Signetti, their coach, got there last year, was the losingest program in history among the Power Four conferences. They have been so good the last two years that they've moved out of that last place spot, but they're still pretty close to it.

1:02:41And they were pretty bad before Signetti got there, the three seasons before that. Nobody can fully explain how they got in this position. I think they would have been excited as Indiana fans to win nine games, go to a decent bowl. They're 14-0. And like I said, the odds on favor to win this thing now after the way they destroyed Alabama. Yeah. And to be very clear, again, I'm obsessive about this stuff, which is why I'm dead inside after Ohio State lost. Watching the Big Ten championship game, it was one of those light bulb moments of, oh, wow, they are legit. They are very fast. They have elite athletes, which I think people would always kind of say, well, they probably couldn't have the five-star guys that the big conference powers have.

1:03:23Their defense was incredible. And they have Fernando Mendoza. Who else kind of player-wise are you watching in the semis that's like Mendoza level people need to keep their eyes on this person? Mendoza won the Heisman, but Trinidad Chambliss at Ole Miss, I think, finished in the top 10, but really overlooked nationally, I think, most of the season. he had a phenomenal game last night in the Sugar Bowl against Georgia. And he's one of those guys, he's just got that it factor. So they go and they play a Miami team here in the Fiesta Bowl who's been very dominant defensively in their first two games of the playoff.

1:03:59And he's the kind of guy that could, you know, like he did against Georgia last night several times, looked like they had him sacked. He escapes, he throws it downfield. He's got just an uncanny ability to escape pressure and throw downfield. So that makes them a factor, even though people weren't necessarily forecasting them going into the playoff. Also has a national championship under his belt in a different division. Looked like a totally different quarterback in the second half of last night's game they did in the first game against Georgia, where it seemed like kind of towards the end he wasn't necessarily primetime ready.

1:04:33Last night was insane to watch. All right, I got a little bit of time left. Tell America who the national champion is going to be so we can put a pin in it and tell you why you're wrong if you're wrong. I can't pick against Indiana at this point. They've beaten Oregon once already. That's who they're playing in this next round. They beat number one Ohio State in the Big Ten, and they just destroyed Alabama. They look like the best team. Anything's possible, obviously. The other teams are very good as well, but they are definitely the favorite. He's got the best mailbag in the business for the best in the business period.

1:05:08Stuart Mandel, really appreciate your time. Thanks so much. Thank you. Well, our small business series takes us to Oregon next, where an eyewear company says despite doing much of its manufacturing in the U.S., it's still struggling under the weight of Trump's tariffs. So what does that mean? Higher prices? Layoffs? We're going to find out next.

1:05:32In our money lead, when it comes to the sour mood most Americans feel about the economy, there are two men that President Trump likes to blame. former President Joe Biden and Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Here's just some of the things President Trump has said about the Fed chair in the last few months. I got a bad recommendation when I went with Jerome Too Late. He's too late. His nickname is Too Late. This guy is a numbskull. He keeps the rates too high and probably doing it for political reasons. I have to say this. I think he's terrible. I think he's a total stiff. I'd love to fire him, but we're so close, you know, maybe.

1:06:14But maybe I still might. Yeah, that was like a couple of days ago. We've just been on this track. It's going to be big. This month, President Trump will, for the second time in his career, announce his pick for Fed chair. The first one was Jay Powell. So what does it mean for the economy when he makes that selection? with me to discuss are two economic experts, former Trump economic advisor, Steve Moore, former director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Rohit Chopra. Steve, President Trump has also said, quote, anybody that disagrees with me will never be Fed chairman. Is it fair to share that once he gets a new Fed chair for better or worse, that it's Trump's economy now?

1:06:58Well, first of all, I do think it is important that we have an independent Fed that is independent of politics. But I also think it's important that we have a Fed that is competent and is not political. And some of the decisions that Jerome Powell has made make one scratch their head and say, is he out to get Donald Trump? They've consistently underestimated the growth rate of the economy during Trump's reign, and they've also overestimated the inflation rate. Look, we are going to get a new Fed chair sometime. I guess the announcement is coming soon. And that new Fed chair will take office sometime in late spring.

1:07:37And we'll see what happens here. But we've got the bottom line is we've got a pretty strong economy right now. We've got inflation headed down. It's not as low as we want it to be, Phil, but it's coming down. Rohit, to Steve's point, from a broader macro perspective, the economy has Because, hold on. Look, I feel like we're on year five, people being like, everything's about to collapse. And then the economy, and consumers in particular, remain far more resilient than people expected right now. What is your view of how much a Fed chair selection has to do with the broader US economy? Well, I think there's really two economies going on.

1:08:15One for those at the top, and then for the rest of everyone else. We saw this past year now the top 1 % have one third of the entire stock market wealth. Meanwhile, the rest of the 90 % have just a tiny share. They are falling behind on their credit cards. They are facing big cost increases on utilities more. So I don't know. I think whoever the Fed chair is, they're going to do what Donald Trump wants. We are already seeing the auditions play out, the sucking up. I think you are going to see people who really want to be a lapdog for him rather than a watchdog for the economy. Steve, to Rohit's kind of broader point about the economy and what we've seen over the course of the last year or so, kind of describing on some level the K-shaped economy, right, where wage growth for the kind of lower third, lower two-thirds of the economy has not been as robust as it has been for the higher end of the economy.

1:09:16And therefore, when you see surveys, that's kind of the cohorts that are struggling the most. What can be done to address that in the near term? Well, I don't agree with the K-shaped recovery at all. In fact, if you look at, we have numbers, the bottom 25 % have actually had wage gains that have outpaced inflation this year. So they're doing better, not worse. We just did a study showing the average family gained about$25 ,000 in their 401k plans. It's not true that just the rich have stocks. I mean, my goodness, there's 160 million Americans who have 401k plans and other retirement plans in the market.

1:09:55And by the way, I've advocated for 40 years that we should allow every single worker in America to be in the stock market with the Social Security money going to a 401k plan. But nonetheless, I think that the economy is picking up. And when people say that there's an affordability crisis and that and that and the consumer confidence numbers are low. And yet, if you look at what happened in the Christmas season, Phil, I mean, my God, that was a trillion dollars of spending an all time high. So what people are doing is different. And, you know, what they're doing is very different than what they're telling pollsters about how they're feeling about things.

1:10:29But Steve, they're charging all of that on credit cards and buy now, pay later. We saw record numbers. They paid$160 billion just in interest on their credit cards. You're saying that everybody is benefiting. 90 % of Americans just own 10 % of those stocks. And, you know, I served in both the first Trump administration and the Biden administration. The problem is this. When we gaslight people about how the economy is doing, it is very perilous. The reality is that people feel they are on a treadmill. They are racking up big debt. Credit card delinquency, for those who are seriously late, is at a 12-year high.

1:11:15Student loan delinquency has surged. Their cost of living is going up. So, look, I want the economy to be on the right track. I don't want there to be a recession. But there are some serious challenges that we should not delude people about. Steve? Look, I agree with that. But it's also true that real median family income, the people in the exact middle of the economy, saw about a$1 ,500 increase in their income this year. So, you know, but people tend to focus on the things that are going up in price, like housing and health care and beef prices. They seem to not be, Phil, looking at things like gas prices and egg prices and hotel prices and airline prices that have been falling.

1:12:00But look, I'm here to tell you, I think we're going to have a blockbuster year in 2026. And hopefully, I think we'd all like to see a rising tide that lifts all boats. Rohit, final word? Well, that seems like hope. But the reality is a lot of the policies of this first year have not turned out well. They said that the trade deficit would fall. It looks like it's increasing. They said unemployment would go down. It looks like it's increasing. on almost every metric, a lot of people are feeling much more worried than they did a year ago. I mean, the good news about this is we're going to have a full year, and I'm probably going to be talking to both of you quite often throughout it.

1:12:42And I'm just going to keep checking. I hope so. I'm just going to keep checking back and forth. Thanks to you both. I appreciate you both. Happy New Year to you both. Happy New Year. Thank you. Well, turning to our Business Leaders Series, where we speak with small business owners from coast to coast about President Trump's tariffs. Some optimistic, others not so much. With us today is Jason Bolt. He's the CEO of Revant Optics, an Oregon-based eyewear company that designs and sells replacement lenses for sunglasses and prescription glasses. Jason, really appreciate your time. Just to start here, Top Line, tell us more about your business and kind of the impact you've seen over the course of the last year as tariffs have really settled into place.

1:13:18Yeah, well, thank you so much, Phil. It's an absolute pleasure to be on the show today. Great way for us to kick off the new year. I love talking about the business we built here in Portland and American meat and factoring. So thanks again. Sorry about your Buckeyes, by the way. I just want to put that out there. So Revin, I started it 15 years ago. Last year, actually, we celebrated 15 years out of my dorm room at the University of Oregon. Got to put a Go Ducks in there. And I just found really a big problem with eyewear in that every time the lenses would scratch, you'd have to buy a new pair, an expensive pair, typically, if you have Ray-Bans or Oakleys or others.

1:13:53So I found a way to make replacement lenses affordably, really high quality and make them here in the U.S. And that was really the genesis of Revant. Now, speaking of the tariffs, they've had a substantially negative impact on our business. Really, over the last year, we had to pay an additional$500 ,000 in increased tariff costs that we had not budgeted for because of the tariffs. And that$500 ,000 would go towards new jobs, new machinery, new technology, everything we need to build manufacturing here in America, which I'm really passionate about. So that was a big hit. And then just the disruption to operations that comes from sort of the ebb and flow of, you know, is it going to be 100, 130 percent?

1:14:36How long are you going to last? What do we need to plan for? It's kind of like dancing on quicksand. We can't really get our footing because there's no clarity or solid foundation. So it's been a challenge for us this year. I think that's always been my biggest question of given the extent to which planning, forecasting, needing to have some sense of certainty going into quarters just as a business. How do you do it? Like what is your process? How has it changed? I'm going to give all credit to my team. You know, we've learned to be nimble. First, it was COVID and being a manufacturer in COVID, you know, was a very challenging thing to do here in the U.S.

1:15:15We did start manufacturing here in 2017. So we've been at this for a while now. But it's just challenging that, you know, the shifting sands again around how do we plan? How do we budget? How do we forecast? We have a three year plan. We want to go big. We want to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. So we plan three years out and then every year we work against that plan with a budget, a hiring timeline, everything you do as a small business. Now, when that gets disrupted, for example, with the$500 ,000 increase we had to pay last year, we have to change our plans completely to stay in a healthy spot.

1:15:50So I give all credit to my team, especially the finance team, operations, everyone involved in bringing materials in that we need to make our product here, making the purchasing decisions with machinery. We just have to remain nimble and kind of wait for things to come in right now, which is very challenging. Yeah, there's no question about that. What have you seen from the consumer side of things? What's been really helpful in talking to business owners on the ground is, you know, we're just having a broader macro discussion with economists about kind of the future of the trajectory of the U.S.

1:16:21economy. When you talk to people on the ground, you get a better sense of where consumers actually are right now. Yeah, absolutely. You know, I'm very connected to the business world here in Portland, beautiful Portland, Oregon. And a lot of the consumers will come in. You know, we interact day to day with consumers. So what I'm hearing is the affordability issue. The price of almost everything has gone up, unfortunately, and specifically really over the last five years. We've seen a lot of price increases and last year was no exception. So things are getting more expensive when we pay more in tariffs.

1:16:54It is a bit of a tax on small business. We have to pass on some of those costs just to stay viable as a business. And every business I'm involved with, which is a couple here that I've invested in, has to do the same thing. We also have some great partners overseas that have shouldered some of those costs. We don't have to pass along everything. But as we increase costs, it means we have fewer customers that can afford our product. And I love getting our lenses into the hands of customers to repair the eyewear they love. So fewer customers is disappointing, but it's an unfortunate reality of rising costs right now.

1:17:27Yeah, it's an important message for policymakers here in Washington to hear. It's also important for you to remember the Rose Bowl last year when Ohio State hung like 90 on Dan Lanning. I'm sorry. I'm grasping right now. It's been a rough couple of days, and watching you guys clearly move on to advance hasn't made it any easier. But most importantly, I genuinely appreciate your time and sharing your story, the story of RevanOptics. Jason Bolt, thanks so much. Thank you so much for having me. Well, multiple storms are taking aim at the west coast of the U.S. with warnings about flooding and even potential mudslides.

1:18:06We're going to go to the CNN Weather Center for an update on the forecast next.

1:18:14In our world lead, at least one person died and 12 were injured in Mexico City after a magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck today. What you're seeing here is a result of the camera shaking when the earthquake struck. The shaking lasted for about 15 seconds. The quake? It broke windows, toppled trees, and knocked down traffic lights in Mexico City. The one death came when a man tripped and fell while evacuating his apartment building. The quake struck during Mexican President Claudio Scheinbaum's daily news conference, forcing everyone, as you can see here, to evacuate. Well, in our national lead, we are keeping an eye on California heading into the weekend, where a new series of storms is getting ready to roll in, threatening to bring flooding, rock slides, and mudslides.

1:18:58CNN's Derek Van Dam is in the CNN Weather Center. And Derek, walk us through the big concerns heading into the weekend. Amongst all the videos, we've seen a flooding with roads turning to rivers in Southern California over the past couple of weeks. Here's a bit of a glimmer of hope. We noticed this video coming out of San Diego on New Year's Day of a young child being rescued from rapidly rising floodwaters in and around their vehicle. Wow, that's just really heroic to see those first responders addressing that situation so calmly and so professionally. Now, we have a bit of a reprieve in the heavy rainfall.

1:19:33So giving California at least a moment to catch its breath from these incessant atmospheric rivers that have bombarded the state over the past couple of weeks. But unfortunately, it will be a short-lived break. We have yet another atmospheric river taking aim at the state, starting to line up across the northern portions of California. and it will eventually shift further southward and impact Southern California from Saturday night into early Sunday morning. So here's a look at the latest flood alerts that encompass much of the Sacramento Valley into northern portions of the state. Remember the Sierra Nevada mountain range that runs basically north to south here with the atmospheric river coming in.

1:20:13It's going to produce rainfall that could lead to flash flooding. We've got a very saturated environment across this region in and around Sacramento. And then across the transverse mountain ranges that line west to east across southern California. As that atmospheric river starts to shift a little further south into southern California, you'll see how those mountains help wring out the available moisture and produce heavy rainfall once again across that part of the state. Widespread 1 to 3 inches for the greater Los Angeles area. Higher totals across the central and northern coastline of California.

1:20:45But what's interesting here is that you have to look really hard on this drought monitor map for any states in the lower 48 that are not impacted by drought, California being one of them. Back to you. Derek Van Dam, thanks so much. Well, coming up Sunday on State of the Union, House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. That's Sunday at 9 a.m. and noon Eastern on CNN. You, of course, can follow the show on X and Instagram at The Lead CNN. If you ever miss an episode of The Lead, you can watch the show on the CNN app. Erin Burnett out front starts now.

1:21:22Hey, I'm Anderson Cooper. On my podcast, All There Is, we explore grief and loss in all its complexities. You'll hear deeply moving and honest discussions with people who have faced and are living with life-altering losses. My guest is writer, poet Megan Fowley, who is married to the poet Andrea Gibson. Andrea died last summer after a years-long battle with cancer. Is grief different than you thought it would be? Yes, it is. I don't think that I thought that I would be able to have as much joy as I've had. I guess if I wasn't able to find joy and laughter now, I would have missed the point of Andrew's messaging.

1:22:06Talking grief, building community. That's what the podcast is all about. This is all there is. Listen and follow wherever you get your podcasts.