GEOFF BENNETT: Good evening.

I'm Geoff Bennett.

AMNA NAWAZ: And I'm Amna Nawaz.

On the "News Hour" tonight: President# Trump charges ahea.. reshaping U.S. foreign policy,# sending more migrants to Guantanamo,## and pushing out more government workers.

GEOFF BENNETT: While Israel's prime minister is# in Washington, displaced Gazans are returning## home.

We speak with the United Nations' top# humanitarian official about the situation.

TOM FLETCHER, United Nations#Under-Secretary-Gene... Affairs and Emergency Relief#Coordinator: The bigg... now is hold that cease-fire.

And every day# the cease-fire lasts, .. AMNA NAWAZ: And hiring slows, but# the unemployment rate ticks down.## What the latest jobs report# means for the U.S. economy.

(BREAK) AMNA NAWAZ: Welcome to the "News Hour."

Courts and Congress are struggling to keep# up with the breakneck pace set by the T.. administration as it dramatically# reshapes the American government,## national politics and the international order.

GEOFF BENNETT: Today, President Trump promised# more cuts and more political payback, even as the## courts stepped in to at least temporarily stand in# the way of big changes he put in motion days ago.

Lisa Desjardins starts our coverage.

DONALD TRUMP, President of the# United States: Thank you very much.

LISA DESJARDINS: Standing next to the prime# minister of Japan,.. Trump uses power.

He was asked, will he fire every# FBI agent who investigated the January 6 assault?

DONALD TRUMP, President of the United# States: No, but I will fire some of them,## because some of them were corrupt.

LISA DESJARDINS: Trump later seemed# to clarify that he wanted to fire## corrupt agents, and that could# be those involved in January 6,## this as FBI agents involved saw a win.# The Department of Justice agreed not to## release the list of agents who worked on# January 6 cases without two days' notice.

A court case around the list# will continue in the meanwhile,## that news coming as Mr. Trump welcomed# Japanese prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba,## the second foreign leader to visit the# White House since Trump has returned,## a world to discuss, North Korea, China,# tariffs and the future of U.S. Steel.

QUESTION: Have you changed your# mind about the sale of U.S. Steel?

DONALD TRUMP: No, I haven't.

LISA DESJARDINS: U.S. Steel, a Pittsburgh#.. Steel wants to buy it, but was blocked# last month by then-President Joe Biden.

Trump so far has agreed, no sale, but today# promised an investment deal is to come.

DONALD TRUMP: They're doing it as# an investment, no longer a purchase.

QUESTION: OK. DONALD TRUMP: I didn't want it# purchased,.. LISA DESJARDINS: As he extends a hand to some,# Trump and efficiency czar Elon Musk are working## overtime to push government workers out# and literally chip away their agencies.

Workers dismantled the agency sign at what was# USAID.

Leadership has been told as few as 300## workers total may be all that are allowed# to continue.

Trump was asked about Musk,## including his request for# access across government.

DONALD TRUMP: We have very smart people going# in, so I have instructed him go into education,## go into military, go into other things as we# go along, and they're finding massive amounts## of fraud, abuse, waste, all of these things.

So# -- but I will pick out a target and I say go in.

Elsewhere: MAN: We're members of Congress.

Let us.. LISA DESJARDINS: Democratic members# of Congress were turned away at## another agency where they said they had# unanswered questions.

On Capitol Hill: REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): Where is# your bill?

Where's your budget proposal?

LISA DESJARDINS: House Minority Leader Hakeem# Jeffries and other Democrats are stepping up## criticism of Trump and Republicans, who# have not come up with their draft for## a critical budget deal and, they say, are# ignoring funding problems for Head Start,## community health centers, and# the sudden unraveling of USAID.

REP. HILLARY SCHOLTEN# (D-MI): Republicans did that,## and Republicans in Congress are# doing nothing to stop this chaos.

LISA DESJARDINS: But Republicans, including House# Speaker Mike Johnson, who was at the White House## yesterday, say they are honing in on major# legislation and Trump is getting things done.

That includes 1,500 more active-duty# troops that the Pentagon said it's## sending to the southern border to# block new migrants from crossing## into the country.

Also as part of# Trump's agenda on immigration, today,## Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted# that she was heading to Guantanamo Bay facilities,## where the administration has sent# planeloads of undocumented migrants.

The ACLU is suing for information and# access to assess their treatment.

As## Republicans see a president who# turns out new actions every day,## his critics look increasingly# to courts to slow him down.

And we have seen court action in just the past# hour or so.

A federal judge has at least partially## blocked the administration's attempted purge# at USAID, a move that will protect thousands## of workers there.

Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump# appointee, said that his ruling will hold while## other legal matters, lawsuits about that continue.# He called his ruling a temporary, limited pause.

GEOFF BENNETT: So some# late-breaking news there, Lisa.

We also heard President Trump talk more# about the mandate he says that he's given## Elon Musk.

We heard him say that Elon# Musk has unearthed fraud across the## federal government.

They provided no evidence# of that.

But walk us through your reporting.

LISA DESJARDINS: Right.

This was an important moment, I think, in#everything that's happening when Trump was## asked about these questions.

First# of all, this was public permission## by the president that Musk basically can# go almost anywhere.

I also want to point## out that President Trump specifically# mentioned two areas, one, the military,## which we hadn't heard that Musk might be trying to# access military issues before, and also education.

Now, the court has limited Musk's team's# access to Treasury because of a lawsuit## there.

But we don't know if Musk's team is# following that court order.

As for evidence,## if you look at Musk's posts on his X social# media, he is constantly posting examples.

For example, today he talked about leases that# he says the government is no longer using for## empty space.

He talks a lot about DEI initiatives# that he says contracts that they have closed.

But## one of the issues here is that all of this is# being done in the dark.

We don't know exactly## who's making these decisions, which contracts# are exactly problematic, which ones aren't.

And a lot of these agencies# themselves don't know as well.

GEOFF BENNETT: Let's shift# our focus to Capitol Hill.

Overall, where does the push stand# for major Trump-backed legislation?

LISA DESJARDINS: Yes, that's right.

Well, believe it or not, putting together# what might be the most.. bill in recent history, turns out it's harder# than you might predict.

So Republicans are## actually having a hard time getting out of the# starting gate with this massive Trump bill.

What we know right now is that they# met, the House Republicans met at## the White House last night to try and# figure out their first starting point,## which is a budget resolution.

Here's Speaker# Johnson talking to reporters after that meeting.

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): Our message to# our friends and colleagues in the Senate is,## allow the House to do its work.

We are# moving this as quickly and as expeditiously## as possible.

But it's very close.

And I# think probably by tonight we wrap it all up.

LISA DESJARDINS: OK, that was last night, Geoff.# It's a day later.

We still don't have the budget## resolution.

It's hard to do these things.

And# they have missed their initial deadline, at least.

GEOFF BENNETT: So what are Republicans trying# to accomplish here?

What are the stakes?

LISA DESJARDINS: All right, we're# going to talk a lot about this in## coming days.

But here's a reminder.# It's big.

It's an ambi.. First of all, let's take a look at# what Republicans want to achieve## here.

At the top of that list, they# want to extend the tax cuts passed in## the first Trump term of office.

But# they want to expand those tax cuts,## potentially in a lot of different# directions.

That's part of the debate here.

At the same time, they want to# cut the deficit, those two things,## both of which are hard to do together,# and, of course, significant border and## homeland security measures, a lot# of money here involved.

And making## all that fit into a package that reduces# the deficit is -- the math is very hard.

GEOFF BENNETT: So what determines whether# Republicans can actually get this done?

LISA DESJARDINS: Yes, I want our viewers to be## able to know the players here# that are the most im.. And one of the issues here is, the House# wants to do it one way.

They want one## giant bill with everything in it.

The Senate# says, no, let's just get small things done,## first of all, including border security.# So, the House, on that side, you see## Speaker Johnson and Ways and Means# chair, the tax committee, Jason Smith.

Now, opposing them in how it could go about this,# really, are Senate new Majority Leader John Thune## and Lindsey Graham.

He's now the chairman of the# Budget Committee.

And both of them, actually,## while the House was supposed to move this week,# they couldn't get it together.

The Senate went## ahead and moved its budget resolution, which is# something that Trump has not really reined in on.

He's meeting with senators this weekend.# He met with the House members last night.## But he's not making a decision.

And they're# trying to let them figure it out.

They're not.

So one problem for Republicans# is that they can't even figure## out which direction they want to go# to get to this ultimate goal yet.

GEOFF BENNETT: Lisa Desjardins, you have such a# way of simplifying all of the confusing stuff.

We're grateful for your# insights and your reporting.

Thank you.

LISA DESJARDINS: You're welcome.

AMNA NAWAZ: In the day's other headlines: Deadly storms ... United States from one coast to the other.

In California, floodwaters inundated roads,# killing at least two people in Sonoma County,## where heavy rains triggered landslides# and destroyed homes.

Farther east,## a possible tornado ripped through# Eastern Tennessee late last night.## Officials confirmed two lives were# claimed in that storm as well.

AARON EVANS, Morgan County, Tennessee, Emergency# Management Agency: Roads will be blocked.

Power## lines are down.

There's still safety issues# going on.

And just ask people .. this community again as they go through these# tragic times and the people that lost their life.

AMNA NAWAZ: In the Pacific Northwest, more# peaceful scenes.

Snow blanketed the dense## forests of Southern Oregon, and that winter# weather is headed east and poised to affect## millions.

Forecasters say snow and freezing rain# is traversing the Northern states and will reach## New England by Sunday.

More than a foot of# snow could fall in parts of the Northeast.

U.S. job growth slowed last month,# but still signaled a labor market## on solid footing.

The first jobs report# of President Trump's second presidency## showed U.S. employers added 143,000# jobs in January.

That is the lowest## number since October and short of# predictions that were around 170,000.

The unemployment rate fell to# 4 percent, which experts say## may lead the Federal Reserve to hold off on# cutting interest rates until at least June.

Turning overseas, a small plane this morning# crashed in the middle of a busy road in Sao Paulo,## Brazil, shortly after taking off from a# private airport nearby.

Both the pilot## and plane's owner on board were killed,# and at least six others on the ground were## injured.

Pieces of the wreckage hit a bus and# a motorcyclist, but the crash just missed a## crowded intersection and a long line of waiting# cars.

The cause of the crash is not yet known.

Sources on the ground in Sudan tell# The New York Times that hundreds of## people have been killed in recent days as# fighting escalates in the country's civil## war.

The U.N. reported this week at least# 80 deaths in the southern city of Kadugli.

Residents there say they don't have access# to food or medicine.

As the civil war## approaches its third year, the Sudanese# army and rival Rapid Support Forces have## also clashed in the capital of Khartoum# and in Omdurman, Sudan's second largest## city.

The U.N. says at least 40 children# were among those killed just this month.

In Sweden, government officials say they will# work to tighten gun laws after the deadliest## mass shooting in the country's history.# Swedes are still in shock after a gunman## killed 10 people and himself at a school for# adults in the city of Orebro earlier this week.

Authorities believe the shooter used several of# his own licensed rifles.

Sweden's prime minister## said he wants to restrict assault-style rifles# and toughen the process for obtaining a license.

ULF KRISTERSSON, Prime Minister of Sweden# (through translator): It's about tightening## regulations for getting a weapons license at.. weapons.

We're also adding a proposal that# would allow police and social services better## opportunities to investigate medical reasons# that would deny a person a gun license.

AMNA NAWAZ: Police are still looking into# whether the suspected gunman may have## been a student once at the education center he# attacked.

They're still searching for a motive.

Back here at home, this may be, by one measure,# the most intense winter flu season in the last## 15 years.

The CDC says the percentage of visits# to doctor's offices due to flu-like symptoms was## higher last week than the peak of any winter# flu season since 2010.

Flu season typically## peaks around February, and the CDC estimates at# least 24 million flu cases this season so far.

At the same time, CDC models show both COVID-19# and other respiratory illness RSV on the decline.

And markets slid today on the heels of# those lower-than-expected jobs numbers,## as well as concerns about tariffs and# inflation.

The Dow Jones industrial## average dropped nearly 450 points, its worst# day in almost four weeks.

The Nasdaq headed## to a market-leading loss of 1.4 percent, and the# S&P 500 wiped out its modest gains on the week.

Still to come on the "News Hour":## Jonathan Capehart and Matthew Continetti# weigh in on the week's political headlines;## ahead of the Super Bowl, the boom in legal# sports betting; and longtime chef Lawrence## Chu gives his Brief But Spectacular take# on treating every day like a grand opening.

GEOFF BENNETT: President Trump said today# that he's in -- quote -- "no rush" to do## anything in Gaza.

Earlier this week, he talked# about the need for Palestinians to leave Gaza,## calling it a demolition zone, and for the# U.S. to take over the area and develop it.

AMNA NAWAZ: Meanwhile, Hamas is accusing# Israel of delaying aid deliveries that## were agreed to in the cease-fire# deal, an accusation Israel denies.

Stephanie Sy has this report with the latest.

STEPHANIE SY: Half-a-million families# streaming back to their homes in Gaza on foot,## on piggyback, children in tow, for more# than a year, their home a battleground## in the Israel-Hamas war.

They survived,# while many did not, but their apartments,## their businesses, everything that# makes a community are in ruins.

Amidst the destruction, rescue workers# and families dig, trying to locate the## remains of loved ones.

Bones are taken to the# local morgue, in the hopes that they can be## identified in the future.

Nearly two million# Gazans are still displaced, sheltering in## makeshift tents while winter's bitter elements# beat down upon them and temperatures drop.

Kawkab Hamouda's tent housing her and her# children collapsed in the strong winds.

KAWKAB HAMOUDA, Displaced Gazan (through# translator): Something like an earthquake## occurred and the wood collapsed on us.

I have# two children in the .. two stitches in his head, and the other was# injured by this metal rod which fell on him.

STEPHANIE SY: She recalls a previous# life of comfort and dignity long gone.

KAWKAB HAMOUDA (through translator): We are dying.## We have no food.

Look at the tent.

I do# not have money to buy th.. living decently and comfortably in the# north.

Who can I turn to now, to whom?

STEPHANIE SY: Nearly 91 percent of# Gazans are projected to suffer from## acute food insecurity this year.# And according to U.N. estimates,## over 60,000 children will need treatment# for acute malnutrition in 2025.

Gaza's residents have long relied on food# assistance.

Prior to the war, the U.N. was sending## an average of 500 trucks of aid a day.

During the# war, those deliveries became scarce and sporadic.

To make matters worse, armed looters have# targeted aid trucks in hundreds of cases,## further threatening the survival of# Gaza's civilians.

In one desperate scene,## IDF soldiers began shooting into a crowd waiting# for aid to be disbursed; 112 people were killed.

Since the cease-fire began, thousands of trucks# with food medicine and tents have arrived in Gaza,## but the future of its residents may# lie in the hands of politicians,## diplomats and dealmakers far away.

Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives# Mike Johnson and Israeli President Benjamin## Netanyahu met in Washington today, days after# President Donald Trump proposed to relocate## all Gazans in Jordan and Egypt, a proposal# which Johnson has backed as a logical move.

The plan has been roundly rejected# by those countries' leaders and the## Palestinians themselves, who want to stay# in their homeland, shattered as it is.

For the "PBS News Hour," I'm Stephanie Sy.

GEOFF BENNETT: One of the key# agencies overseeing the provision## of aid into Gaza is the U.N. Office for# the Coordination of Humanitarian affairs.

Earlier today, I spoke with# its leader, Tom Fletcher,## who was in Gaza earlier today# and joined us from Jerusalem.

You were in Gaza earlier# today.

What did you witness,## especially in the areas that were# harder to reach due to the fighting?

TOM FLETCHER, United Nations#Under-Secretary-Gene... Affairs and Emergency#Relief Coordinator: Well, thanks.

I came in through the north, wh.. 15 months.

And it's desolate, and it's being# pummeled.

You can't tell what was a house,## what was a school, what was a hospital.

And you see civilians picking through the# wreckage, returning to their homes.

And it## takes some time to even find where their# homes were, because everything has been## flattened.

So it's grim.

It's desolate.

But they# are heading home and they are trying to rebuild.

GEOFF BENNETT: Parts of Northern Gaza were on# the brink of famine.

What's the situation now?

TOM FLETCHER: They were.

So, two-and-a-half w.. very worried about starvation levels and famine.# We have now got two-and-a-half weeks of trucks,## convoys.

Almost 14,000 trucks# have gone in that time.

So we## have made progress in getting food to# those who need it, to the survivors.

And the risk is receding of famine.

We have got# food to a million people.

But the needs are still## massive.

I'd say the biggest needs right now are# tents, shelter, because a lot of people are trying## to head back to where their homes were.

And winter# is here.

It's very, very cold, wintry conditions.

So we have got to get them# something to sleep under.

GEOFF BENNETT: And what challenges remain# when it comes to distributing that aid,## given just the sheer scale# of desperation and need?

TOM FLETCHER: Well, you're right.

It's the scale that is so significant,#that is so massive.

I have been in Sudan## recently in Darfur.

I have been in -- on# the Ukrainian front lines.

I have been## across Syria.

And nothing matches what# we're trying to do in Gaza right now.

The good news, though, is that, since the# cease-fire -- and this is credit to everyone## who got that cease-fire in place -- it's# become much, much easier to ship in 600,## 700 trucks every day of lifesaving equipment.# So the biggest need we have right now is hold## that cease-fire open.

Every day the# cease-fire lasts, we're saving lives.

GEOFF BENNETT: Israel, as you well know, has# passed a law banning UNRWA from operating within## Gaza.

What has been the impact of that and# is that organization still distributing aid?

TOM FLETCHER: So UNRWA is the largest# of the U.N. operations working in Gaza,## and it's absolutely indispensable.# It's the backbone of that operation,## and particularly in the education and# health sectors, where it takes the lead.

And no other agency, no other U.N.# agency, no other organization, frankly,## including the Palestinian Authority, can step# in and can deliver education at that scale.

But,## of course, UNRWA is also operating in Jordan,## Lebanon, across the region.

And those# operations are continuing unimpeded.

GEOFF BENNETT: And, meantime, the# Trump administration is in the## process of hollowing out USAID.

What# might be the effect of that in Gaza?

TOM FLETCHER: Well, I don't think you build# a golden age by retreating from the world.

The U.S. has been an incredibly generous,# a humanitarian superpower for decades now.## It's led the world, almost half of some# of the humanitarian campaigns funded by## the Americans.

And I think Americans are# right to ask us to be more efficient,## more innovative, to make sure that more of that# aid reaches the people who need it so badly.

But without that support, and I hope# this is only a temporary freeze,## we won't reach tens of millions of people# who in the past have been supported by the## generosity of the American government# and ultimately the American people.

GEOFF BENNETT: How are Gazans and the# regional stakeholders to whom you have spoken,## how are they responding to President Trump's# idea for the U.S. to take ownership of Gaza,## for its reconstruction?

He's also suggested# that Gaza should be emptied of its population.

How is the region responding to that?

TOM FLETCHER: So most of them right now# are searching through the rubble for## their family members, for their loved# ones.

So that's what they're thinking## about.

They're thinking about the next# meal, and they're trying to stay warm.

But everyone mentioned it to me.

And what# they all say is, firstly, tell our story.## Get the media in.

Someone has to see what's# happened to us.

The second thing they say is,## well, someone, ask us.

They feel that no# one's actually consulted them on this plan.

And they're the ones who are being# threatened with this movement,## with being displaced once again.

And# then the third thing they say is,## this is the land we were born in.

This is# -- these are the homes that our parents and## grandparents built.

We have been displaced# so many times that we keep on rebuilding.

And they're going back.

There's a defiance there.## They're determined to survive.

And they're# determined to survive on their own land.

GEOFF BENNETT: A defiance and a determination.

Tom Fletcher, thank you for# joining us this evening.

TOM FLETCHER: Thank you.

AMNA NAWAZ: Today's jobs report not only showed# the pace of hiring slowed slightly in January,## adding 143,000 jobs.

It also revised# down jobs numbers between April of## 2023 and March of 2024 by nearly 600,000,# the largest annual revision in 15 years.

To help us make sense of all of this,# we're joined now by Austan Goolsbee,## president and CEO of the# Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

Austan, welcome back to the# "News Hour."

Good to see you.

AUSTAN GOOLSBEE, President, Federal Reserve# Bank of Chicago: Yes, thank you for having me.

AMNA NAWAZ: So let's start with today's numbers,# shall we, 143,000 jo.. expected.

We also saw unemployment tick down# to 4 percent.

Wages also rose 4.1 percent from## the prior year.

What do all these numbers# put together say to you about where we are?

AUSTAN GOOLSBEE: Yes, there's a lot of numbers,## and you always want to be careful# overindexing on one ..

Remember that the payroll jobs created# number is plus-or-minus around 100,000.

So## it was 150,000-plus or minus-100,000.

I think most# measures of the job market have been pretty solid,## and they're largely saying the economy's kind# of settled in at something like full employment.

Always, in January, you have these# big revisions and this was the biggest## revision in some time looking back on the# previous year.

But we have had a lot of## variability.

Just the last month's number# got revised way up.

So we're just going## to have to look for the through line# and not overreact to any one month.

AMNA NAWAZ: And that big revision down,# though, there are some technical reasons## here as well.

But does it overall# in any way say to you that maybe## the economy's actually been growing much# more slowly than we'd previously thought?

AUSTAN GOOLSBEE: I don't think so, because, as I# said, we have a lot of measures of the job market,## the unemployment rate, the number of jobs.

We can# look at the ratio of how many job vacancies there## are to how many unemployed workers there are,# hiring rates, quit rates, are there layoffs.

And by taking the totality of those measures,# it looks to pretty much looks to be a kind## of a stable arrangement.

That said, I do# think we had an experience over the year,## because this recovery has been so much different# coming out of COVID than in previous recoveries,## a lot of the adjustments that the# Bureau of Labor Statistics has to## do to the -- to when it comes up with the numbers.

As they got the real data, they led to# bigger revisions than we normally have.

AMNA NAWAZ: So let's talk about what all this# could mean for the future.

Obviously, you and## your colleagues at the Fed watch all of this# very closely.

You are a voting member this year.

We have seen inflation trending down.

It hasn't# quite hit that 2 percent target we know the Fed## wants to see.

And the next decision, we believe,# on interest rate cuts could be on March 19.

So,## as of today, where are you on# the possibility of a rate cut?

AUSTAN GOOLSBEE: Well, I have been saying -- I# said in the summer that I thought where we were## going to end up in the relatively near future,# let's call it one to one-and-a-half years, was,## the rates would come down, because the economy was# looking pretty solid.

The job market had settled## in about where we thought it would settle,# that inflation was coming down to 2 percent.

And we then cut a full percentage# point off of rates.

And now,## if we slow the pace of how fast the rates# cuts come, that would make sense to me,## because we're getting closer to the# stopping point.

But I still think that## if you take the through line and we can get# around some of these policy uncertainties,## I still think we're over the next year to# year-and-a-half that rates be trending down.

AMNA NAWAZ: But you're saying# slowing on the pace of those,## so likely no rate cut ahead# on the next decision day?

AUSTAN GOOLSBEE: Yes, I don't like# tying our hands, when we have still## got a lot of information to# get before the next meeting.

But, at the last meeting, I said it makes sense# to me, as we're getting to this spot where we## need to figure out and feel our way toward what# in our language we call neutral, we're going to## feel our way to neutral, it makes sense to slow# down how rapidly you're doing that, because## monetary policy's impact on the economy comes with# a lag.

It doesn't all just happen instantaneously.

So you can't just jam it and then hope it's right.

AMNA NAWAZ: You mentioned some of the# uncertainty ahead.

I have got a little## over a minute left here, but I want to get# your take on this, because there's a lot of## new proposals and new policies we have seen from# this administration on things that could impact## the work force or trade in dramatic ways,# when you look at deportations ramping up,## immigration crackdown, potential# tariffs on major trading partners.

How are you looking at those?

And do you see# any of those as potentially inflationary?

AUSTAN GOOLSBEE: Yes, some of those are -- could# clearly be inflationary.

You have got others,## deregulations, we have had a# high productivity growth rate,## some of them that would be disinflationary.

I kind of have -- my view has been, we want to# get a through line, and this is adding a kind## of dust in the air and making it harder to see.# So I think, unless we get to and at the point## where we get to resolving some of these policy# uncertainties that might muddy our index of,## if you see inflation progress# stalling or even going back up,## is that because the economy is overheating,# in which case the Fed would be primed to act,## or is that because of some of these policy# things that might just be temporary?

That's going to be a tough spot for# the Fed to try to disentangle.

And so## that just emphasizes slowing down the# pace at which it's going even more.

AMNA NAWAZ: Austan Goolsbee, president and# CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago,## thank you so much.

Good to speak with you.

AUSTAN GOOLSBEE: Yes, great to see you again.

GEOFF BENNETT: From Elon Musk gaining# unprecedented access to sensitive government## information, to Democrats trying to build# what they call a bigger and better party,## we turn tonight to the analysis# of Capehart and Continetti.

That's Washington Post associate editor# Jonathan Capehart and Matthew Continetti## with the American Enterprise Institute.# David Brooks is away this evening.

It's good to see you both.

MATTHEW CONTINETTI, American# Enterprise Institute.. GEOFF BENNETT: So, Donald Tr.. goal of the deconstruction of the administrative# state.

We have got takeovers and the hollowing## out of major government agencies, offering# severance agreements to government workers,## pausing federal grants and loans, which,# of course, is now tied up in the courts.

Jonathan, are the shockwaves being felt across the## government signs of a super committed new# administration shaking up the status quo,## or are we witnessing the full assault# on the limits of executive power?

JONATHAN CAPEHART: Both, Geoff.

Both.

Remember, Donald Trump campaigned.

He told us# this is what he was going to do.

Project 2025## is all about doing what is happening right# now.

And so they are trying to deconstruct,## as I think of Steve Bannon, who# said, the administrative state.

And they are -- as I said last# week, President Trump and Elon Musk,## in particular, are taking a wrecking# ball to the federal government by sowing,## sure, chaos and confusion and fear.

But he's# following through on what he promised to do.

GEOFF BENNETT: How do you see it, Matt?

MATTHEW CONTINETTI: I think Jonathan's right.## This was a promise made, promised kept,# as they like to say .. And I think what's important to understand# about Trump and how he's going about these## initial weeks is, he wants to deliver# results.

Trump always feels as though## the political class that preceded him talked# a big game, but never accomplished anything.

So we had the Grace Commission during Reagan.# We had Al Gore's reinventing government.

We## had the commissions dealing with the debt# and taxes during the Obama years.

Nothing## happened.

And so here he is.

Elon Musk says# he wants to treat the federal government## like a new acquisition.

Well, Donald Trump# says, go for it.

Let's see what happens.

GEOFF BENNETT: What about the question# Democrats are raising, Jonathan?

Where## are the guardrails?

Who's going to stop any# of this?

Democrats in Congress obviously don't## have any power.

Republicans in Congress are# moving in lockstep with this administration.

The courts have stepped in# where they deem appropriate,## but obviously can't keep up with the velocity# of the Trump administration.

Is there any## guard against his instinct to wield, to# really claim and wield expansive power?

JONATHAN CAPEHART: Well, see, here's the thing.

Right now, the courts are the only guardrail.# And I think people need to unde.. courts operate on a timetable that is completely# different than the rest of us.

And we just have## to appreciate that.

The fact that citizens and# lawmakers and organizations have gone to court## to stop President Trump on a whole host of things,# from birthright citizenship to the buyout plans,## that is right now sort of the, for lack# of a better saying, court of last resort.

In the old days, Geoff and Matthew, it used to be# that Congress would be the backstop, would be the## entity, the legislative branch standing up for its# prerogatives and saying, Mr. President, no, we are## the ones who decide what agencies come and go.

We# are the ones who decide what the budget will be.

But, instead, the MAGA Republicans who were# there in Congress, from Speaker Johnson on down,## they're happy.

They're happy to go along with# what President Trump and Elon Musk are doing,## which is why they are silent on# a whole host of things that even## 10 years ago would have had Congress up in arms.

GEOFF BENNETT: How do you view Congress really## abdicating their role, ceding# their power to the executive?

MATTHEW CONTINETTI: Well, I# think this process of ceding## power to the executive is decades# in the making, and it's bipartisan.

Congress has really just become an# investigatory body that delegates## tremendous authority to the executive# branch of government and the bureaucracy.## And we now see the results when you have# Trump come in his second term wanting to## leave a profoundly changed government in# his wake when he departs the Oval Office.

And you see that, because of acts of# Congress, Congress' own denial of its role,## the president has enormous power# to wield.

And let's remember,## when President Obama said he had a pen and a# phone, the first Trump administration used a## lot of executive orders.

Joe Biden tried to# cancel student debt through executive order.

This process we're seeing is long in# the making.

And I think one reason## Washington is stunned is that# you have an outsider in Elon## Musk actually punching the delete# button on some of these programs.

GEOFF BENNETT: Jonathan, Matthew raised# the question I was going to ask you,## because that's what I have heard from Republicans# this past week, that Democrats can't in good## faith criticize Donald Trump, when Joe# Biden tried to unilaterally without## Congress waive $400 billion worth of student# loan debt.

And when the Supreme Court said no,## you can't do that, he basically shrugged and# then tried to do it via piecemeal approach.

JONATHAN CAPEHART: This is like# comparing apples and cannonballs.

What we're seeing coming from the# Trump administration is executive## orders uprooting and upending the# federal government.

And what makes this## all the more galling and terrifying for a lot# of people is that he has delegated a lot of## power to someone who was elected to no office,# to someone who was not confirmed by the Senate.

He is accountable to no one, except for maybe,# except for maybe President Trump.

And President## Trump has already said, well, he will only do# things that we want him to do.

Well, so far,## Elon Musk is doing everything# that Donald Trump wants to do.

That is what is so terrifying about this moment,## is that you have an unelected person, who also# happens to be the wealthiest person in the world,## and also the wealthiest person in the world# who owns a huge social media megaphone,## and is able to manipulate the information# that the people on that huge platform receive.

That's what is so dangerous about what is# happening now.

And as we're trying to compare## President Biden's executive order on student# loans and what Donald Trump is doing,## Donald Trump is destroying.

President Biden# signed an executive order and, yes, pushed the## limits of executive action, but to the benefit# of people who were drowning in student debt.

He did it in order to help people,# not to destroy the government that## the American people depend on for a# whole host, a whole host of things.

GEOFF BENNETT: Let's shift our focus back to# Elon Musk for a second, because, Jonathan,## we actually have the sound that you mentioned.

Here is how President Trump responded to a## reporter's question about whether# he gave Elon Musk any red lines.

QUESTION: Is there anything you# have told Elon Musk he cannot touch?

DONALD TRUMP, President of the United States:# Well, we haven't discussed that much.

I will tell## him to go here, go there.

He does it.

He's got a# very capable group of people, very, very, very,## very capable.

They know what they're doing.

They# will ask questions and they will see immediately## if somebody gets tongue-tied that they're# either crooked or don't know what they're doing.

GEOFF BENNETT: So, Matt, it would appear that# Elon Musk has a fairly broad mandate, in that## it's not spelled out at all, I mean, if you take# into account what President Trump is saying there.

MATTHEW CONTINETTI: I think President Trump has# told Elon Musk, let's change the government,## let's slim it down, let's dramatically reduce# the federal work force.

And if you need to## go fast and break things, as they say in# Silicon Valley, to do that, that's fine.

I will say that if Elon Musk were the health# care czar or the energy czar coming up with## big plans for government spending or to# combat global warming, I'd think there'd## be a lot less uproar in Washington, D.C.

It's# the fact that he has the goal of changing## the federal government and limiting it, at a# time when we have record deficits and debts,## that I think is angering a lot of people# who are invested in the current system.

GEOFF BENNETT: In the time that remains,## I want to return to this open question# ab.. because, Jonathan, you wrote a column for The# Washington Post this past week, the thesis of## which is that the Democratic Party's issue isn't# rooted in policy.

It's rooted in perception.

Tell us more about that and whether Ken Martin,## the newly elected head of the# DNC, can effectively change that.

JONATHAN CAPEHART: Well, the perception# of the Democratic Party is it's filled## with elites who only care about niche# issues and don't listen to the rest of us.

And, as everyone knows, in a lot of instances,# perception is reality.

I was one of three people,## MSNBC anchors, who hosted the last DNC# forum.

And there were two instances that## happened that sort of put this perception# in high relief.

One was a question asking## for a commitment to dedicated seats# for transgender folks within the## party to be -- the serve within the# party in the governing structure.

Another was protesters who were# loudly screaming about climate change## and getting big money out of politics,# something that everyone on that stage## was for.

And yet no one wanted to# listen to what they had to say.

And what was great about -- good about those# two moments that were instructive, Faiz Shakir,## a friend of "PBS News Hour," was the only# person the stage who did not raise his hand## on the transgender question.

There was also one# on the question for seats for Muslim DNC members.

He said, I don't think we# should be dividing people## up by identity.

We should focus on# people who are up for the mission and## the program of the DNC and have them# bring their identity to the table.

He's absolutely right.

And then with# the protesters, Jason Paul said,## this is the way people in the country view# the Democratic Party, and that is our problem.

That's why I say the policy isn't the# problem.

Democrats have policies that## address the American people's issues.

It's the# perception.

And that is what Ken Martin has to## do.

And we're about to find out if he's# able to do it, to change that perception.

GEOFF BENNETT: Jonathan# Capehart and Matthew Continetti,## thanks again for being with us.

I appreciate it.

JONATHAN CAPEHART: Thanks, Geoff.

AMNA NAWAZ: This Sunday in New Orleans,# the Philadelphia Eagles will try to block## the Kansas City Chiefs from taking home an# historic third consecutive Super Bowl title.

There will also be an historic amount of# money riding on the game.

The American## Gaming Association estimates that nearly# $1.4 billion will be legally wagered,## as Paul Solman reports, proof of a snowballing# and potentially perilous sports betting craze.

ELI MANNING, Former NFL Player: I'm doing the# FanDuel Kick of Destiny 3 live Super Bowl Sunday.

PAUL SOLMAN: Super Bowl Sunday, our eyes and# ears blitzed by calls to get in on the action.

KEVIN HART, Actor: Now, I know it's the Super# Bowl and all, but everyone gets a free bet?

PAUL SOLMAN: Nearly seven years after# the Supreme Court struck down the ban## on commercial sports betting, 39 states and# the District of Colombia have legalized it.

Last year, more than one in three Americans# said they'd put money on a game at some point## in their life, up from the year before, while# the American Gaming Association estimates that## commercial sports betting revenue reached more# than $14 billion, up 28 percent from 2023.

ROB MINNICK, Former Gambler: And it's gotten to# a point where, if you're not betting on sports,## people are starting to question# why you're watching the game.

PAUL SOLMAN: For 25-year-old Philadelphia# resident Rob Minnick, the gambling gateway## was fantasy sports played as a teenager.

The# switch to sports betting, which he began on## illegal and offshore sites before turning# the legal age of 21, was all too easy.

ROB MINNICK: If I was going to hang# out with my friends or a family event## was going to be happening, the center# focal point was a professional sport## of some kind.

And so this idea that we# could do what we were already doing,## but now make money doing it, it was like# way too good to be true.

And it was.

PAUL SOLMAN: Too good because fun with friends## became six to eight hours a# day of compulsive gambling.

ROB MINNICK: Gambling was my way of# expressing myself to prove I was smart,## to prove I could win, to prove that I was worthy.# And the money kind of reflected the scoreboard.

PAUL SOLMAN: After six years of# betting, he joined Gamblers Anonymous,## eventually kicking his habit two years# ago, and now hosting a podcast "One Day## At a Time: Gambling Awareness," talking to# people like himself about their struggles.

MAN: I started sports gambling, which was# really what was my biggest vice, when I was 19.

ROB MINNICK: I'm going to call this an epidemic# of addiction that's heading towards the United## States, if not already hitting the United States.# It's not because the doors opened up and you got## access.

It's because the doors opened up and# people started pulling you through those doors.

MAN: All right, boys, who are we betting on?

PAUL SOLMAN: With the ads and# come-ons that now buffet us all.## Of course, gambling addiction is nothing new, but# understanding how big the problem is difficult,## as there's no comprehensive national data.

The National Council on Problem Gambling estimates# about 2.5 million Americans meet the criteria for## severe gambling problem, while another 2 percent# to 3 percent have a mild or moderate problem.

And## recent studies found that legal sports betting# decreased household savings and investments,## led to more bankruptcies and loan delinquencies,# even contributed to a rise in domestic violence.

HARRY LEVANT, Northeastern University:# I made my last bet on April 27, 2014,## and on that same night, nearly took my own life.

PAUL SOLMAN: Former lawyer Harry Levant,# disbarred for stealing some $2 million## from client funds to fuel his gambling addiction.# Now a licensed counselor and advocate for reform,## Levant testified before the Senate# Judiciary Committee in December.

HARRY LEVANT: We have known for more than 12# years that gambling is an addictive product## and gambling disorder is an addiction similar to# heroin, opioids, tobacco, alcohol and cocaine.

PAUL SOLMAN: Levant's own struggles began# well before the advent of widespread legal## sports betting, and he acknowledges# that states now receive a cut of## gambling revenues to build roads,# schools and even fund treatment,## like the 1-800 gambler help lines# tagging those ads you see everywhere.

And so: HARRY LEVANT: I'm sympathetic to the ne.. but what has happened here is, they have# no recognition or very little recognition## of the product the gambling industry and its# sports and media partners have rolled out.

NARRATOR: This is you, and# this is your powerful hunch.

PAUL SOLMAN: He's pointing to the boom# in offerings since the ban was lifted.

NARRATOR: With FanDuel,# it's easier than ever to... PAUL SOLMAN: Proposition bets, wagers o.. length of the national anthem there, whether# Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce get engaged.

JAMIE FOXX, Actor: BetMGM has got all the# sports betting in one place and it's live, baby.

PAUL SOLMAN: There's live betting,# which turns every moment of every## game into a betting opportunity, and# with A.I.

constantly adjusting the odds.

NARRATOR: You have got the power to create# your perfect parlay any way you want.

PAUL SOLMAN: And there are parlays, which string# together multiple bets, giving winners potentially## sky-high payouts, but stacking the deck hugely in# favor of the house, a fact that is not advertised.

MAN: And we will take an 18 again.

MAN: Yes, yes.

MAN: We will get our money.. PAUL SOLMAN: Finally, livestreaming# on both legal and offs.. and featuring influencers# like mega-rapper Drake... MAN: You want $20,000.

Congratulations, man.

PAUL SOLMAN: ... who is paid to# play and lure in new players.

All the while, the sports# books harvest data from users,## gaining insight into how to# keep customers coming back.

HARRY LEVANT: I'd like to say it this way.

When# the first cave person invented the first wheel,## there was some schmuck three caves# down laying 3-1 the wheel wouldn't## work.

Gambling has been around a very# long time.

It's not going anywhere.

But this is a fundamentally new, different,# defective and dangerous online product.

PAUL SOLMAN: Last year, Senator Richard Blumenthal# and Representative Andrea Salinas, both Democrats,## introduced the Gambling Recovery Investment and# Treatment Act to fund treatment and also research.

Five states with some form of legal gambling# currently offer no funding at all for the## treatment, and in September Blumenthal joined# Democratic representative Paul Tonko of New## York to propose the SAFE Bet Act to limit TV# ads, restrict the number and the type of bets,## ban A.I.

use to track players habits and# create micro-bets, among other things.

HARRY LEVANT: Every other addictive product,## government regulates the advertising,# promotion, distribution, and consumption.

PAUL SOLMAN: Sitting just behind# Harry Levant at that Senate hearing## in December was the American Gaming# Association's Joe Maloney.

The AGA## says federal regulation not only isn't# necessary; it will actually make things.

JOE MALONEY, American Gaming Association: The# advancements in technology are just going to## continue to take place.

They're just not going# to take place in the legal regulated market.

PAUL SOLMAN: This is the key to# the legal industry's argument,## that it's taking the action away from illegal# gambling, with its loan sharks, kneecappers,## and unregulated offshore markets# that teenagers like Rob Minnick use.

So, for example, in 2022, in Texas and# California, which haven't legalized sports## betting, the AGA says players spent more# than $600 million in the illegal markets.

JOE MALONEY: Where they're prey to deceptive# consumer practices, where there's no promotion## of responsibility whatsoever, and there's# zero taxes being remitted back into the state## for the purposes of providing accessible# clinical support for those demonstrating## problematic activity or any other priority# that they might deem those monies to go to.

PAUL SOLMAN: The SAFE Bet act is expected# to be reintroduced in this Congress,## although both Rob Minnick and Harry Levant agree,# the legal gambling genie is out of the bottle.

HARRY LEVANT: I encourage people to become more# aware of what is happening and understand there## are serious risks involved and become part of# the conversation to bring public health reform,## not to prevent people from enjoying gambling,## but to prevent an industry and its# partners from preying on the public.

And, with that, I wish people who are gambling# on a Super Bowl for recreational reasons, I wish## them well with their bets.

Enjoy the game.

I'm in# Philadelphia right now.

I need to say, go, birds.

PAUL SOLMAN: For the uninitiated,# those birds would be the Eagles.

And for you all and the "PBS News# Hour," Paul Solman in Boston.

GEOFF BENNETT: As the Chinese new# year celebration continues this month,## we bring you a brief put spectacular take# from Lawrence Chu, the heart and soul behind## Chef Chu's, a beloved dining destination# in the Bay Area for over five decades.

AMNA NAWAZ: Known for his culinary# artistry and commitment to community,## Chef Chu reflects on the power of food to bring# people together.

Here he is in his own words.

LAWRENCE CHU, Chef: So many people ask Chef Chu,## when are you going to retire?# Are you going to slow down?

Are you kidding me?

Before I came to America, my# father told me that America is the best country,## reaching land, product and opportunity.

It's a# country where a person can have a dream.

With## a lot of hard work, with a little bit of luck,# your dream can come true.

I truly believe that.

I come here in 1963, and I see, wow,# this is America.

I have been dreaming## for years.

Finally, I arrive.# I'm living in San Francisco,## Chinatown.

The cable car goes# up the hill.

I can't believe it.

Every morning, I can -- I feel it's like an# earthquake when the cable car went through.

I## love San Francisco.

I was so lucky.

The# third day I arrived in San Francisco,## I able to find a job at Trader Vic's.

They immediately gave me a busboy job.

From the# busboy job, I learned a lot.

Chef Chu opened a## restaurant in 1969 December, because I met my# future wife.

I wanted to impress her.

I told## her I have a dream.

I want to open a Chinese# food restaurant in America at big corner.## And I want you to help me.

She said no, but if you only find one# good location, have one restaurant,## I will help you.

That's how we started# the restaurant.

And a few months later,## I found a location in the 1067# North San Antonio Road, Los Altos.

The idea is serving the comfort food for# a comfortable price.

In a Chef Chu Chinese## restaurant, our motto is treat each day like a# grand opening day.

The difference between Chinese## cooking and American cooking, Italian cooking,# Japanese cooking, we use, oftentimes use a wok.

The good thing is that sometimes,# even if you made a mistakes,## they come up with something so good, everybody# talk about, oh, Chef Chu, what that dish it is?

My father definitely is a role model# for me.

He is the one to talk about## family value.

He emphasizes Sunday night have# dinner together.

Before you finish your dinner,## already starting to talk about next# Sunday, what we're going to eat.

My wife is my inspirator, motivator.

She# knows what is real life.

I have a dream,## but she knows dream just a dream and that this is## America.

You have to make the money the# old-fashioned way.

You have to earn it.

Now today, I'm 81.

I'm still enjoying# what I'm doing.

I was -- never can## imagine I can reach at this level in# my life.

The most I'm proud of is,## is all my children who respect# me.

I have a sense of achievement,## sense of accomplishment, above all, the sense# of authority, authority in Chinese cooking.

So I'm not going anywhere.

I will be# here.

I'm waiting for you to come in.

My name is Lawrence Chu.

People call# me Chef Chu.

And this is my Brief## But Spectacular take on treating# each day like a grand opening day.

GEOFF BENNETT: We got to go to Chef Chu's.

And you can watch more brief put spectacular# videos online at PBS.org/NewsHour/Brief.

AMNA NAWAZ: And a news update before we go now.

President Trump said on social media this# evening that he will immediately revoke## former President Biden's security clearance# and will also end his intelligence briefings.

GEOFF BENNETT: The ability to receive intelligence# briefings after office is a courtesy extended to## past presidents for decades.

Mr. Trump noted a# similar action back in 2021, when then-President## Biden said there was no need for Mr. Trump to# get briefings, citing his erratic behavior.

And that is the "News Hour"# for tonight.

I'm Geoff Bennett.

AMNA NAWAZ: And I'm Amna Nawaz.

On behalf of the entire "News Hour" team, thank#..