This is a rush transcript of “Your World with Neil Cavuto” on February 2, 2022. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

CHARLES PAYNE, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: We are live in Arlington, Virginia where a judge is set to rule in the dispute over masks in schools. Who will get the final say, Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin, who issued a mandate making masks optional, or several schools that want masks to stay?

Why something that just said today could give us a clue in which way this goes.

We’re going to talk to Virginia’s lieutenant governor, Winsome Sears, serious about this in just a moment.

But, first, troops on the move, President Biden sending 3,000 troops to Eastern Europe, as Russia continues to build up forces on the Ukraine border; 2,000 U.S. forces will be sent to Poland, while another 1,000 American troops will be shifted from Germany to Romania.

Republican Senator Josh Hawley calling the troop movements a mistake. We will get reaction from Nebraska Republican Deb Fischer, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Welcome, everyone. I’m Charles Payne, in for Neil Cavuto. And this is “YOUR WORLD.”

First to Jennifer Griffin at the Pentagon with the very latest — Jennifer.

JENNIFER GRIFFIN, FOX NEWS NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Charles, today’s announcement is separate from the Pentagon’s announcement last week that 8,500 U.S. troops have been given prepare-to-deploy orders in the event that NATO calls up its 40,000-strong NATO response force.

This is a separate deployment order that President Biden authorized to send 3,000 U.S. troops to bolster NATO’s eastern flank.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KIRBY, PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: The United States will soon move additional forces to Romania, Poland and Germany.

I want to be very clear about something. These are not permanent moves.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: One thousand troops from a Striker squadron based in Vilseck, Germany, will be moved to Romania to augment the 900 U.S. troops already there on rotation; 1,700 U.S. troops from the 82nd Airborne at Fort Bragg, a brigade combat, team will go to Poland.

And 300 members of the 18th Airborne Corps will set up a headquarters in Germany, the same unit used to oversee the evacuation from Afghanistan. Kirby said there are additional troops in the U.S. now that have been placed on high alert.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: Do you have any evidence that Putin plans to move beyond Ukraine’s borders? Why are you bolstering these eastern flank allies if you do not have evidence of that?

KIRBY: Because it’s important that we send a strong signal to Mr. Putin and, frankly, to the world that NATO matters to the United States. It matters to our allies. And we have ironclad Article 5 commitments. An attack on one is an attack on all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: Leaked U.S. documents published in Spain’s “El Pais” newspaper revealed the U.S. offered to allow Russia to inspect two bases in Eastern Europe where Moscow suspects the U.S. has Tomahawk missiles in exchange for the U.S. being able to do the same at two Russian bases, an offer to return to arms control talks.

But it’s not clear that is Putin’s goal — Charles.

PAYNE: Thank you very much, Jennifer.

Also, folks, new satellite images, meanwhile, continue to show Russia building up its forces along the Ukraine border backed by tanks, helicopters and warplanes.

Steve Harrigan is in Kyiv, Ukraine, with the very latest — Steve.

STEVE HARRIGAN, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Charles, those new satellite images show just how the Russian position continues to grow along Ukraine’s border to the south, to the east, and to the north, especially around Belarus.

The influx of troops, as well as weapon systems continues. U.S. officials say, when it comes to dealing with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, they need to keep a range of options open.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIRBY: We don’t know exactly know what Mr. Putin has in mind. We don’t exactly know what he’s going to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIGAN: Here in Ukraine, officials are warning that, if diplomacy fails, there could be a much wider war, a war that could engulf all of Europe.

And when you do go around the city here in Kyiv, you don’t see visible preparations for war. But when you talk to people, even in bucolic settings, like ice fishermen on the frozen river, when you talk to them about how they feel, what they’re thinking about, many are thinking about a potential war in the very near future.

Here’s one fisherman.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): If war comes, we will not run out of the country. We have no place to go. We are not aggressors, but defenders. And they should think twice about attacking, because we will defend our homeland.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIGAN: With Putin scheduled to attend the Opening Ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Beijing this Friday, Kremlin watchers are thinking, at least for a couple of days, the threat of imminent invasion here is going down — Charles, back to you.

PAYNE: Steve, thank you very much.

Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley, meanwhile, not happy with the president’s decision to send troops to Eastern Europe.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOSH HAWLEY (R-MO): Bad idea. It’s a mistake. It’s a mistake to send more American troops to Europe at this time.

But, listen, I mean, it’s just another foreign policy crisis that this administration’s blundered into. And I’m sure it will not be the last.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAYNE: So, does my next guest Agree?

Nebraska Republican Senator Deb Fischer is a member of the Armed Services Committee.

Senator, thank you very much for joining us.

Your thoughts on this latest move?

SEN. DEB FISCHER (R-NE): Well, thank you, Charles.

I think this latest move is a direct result of the indecisiveness of this administration. When you have President Biden showing weakness by granting Putin his wish for Nord Stream 2, that set the stage for this.

And as we look ahead at what we need to do to keep Europe stable, I think we need to be clear that troops are not going into Ukraine, but they’re going into countries, our NATO partners, to show our commitment to NATO and our commitment to security and our commitment to stability of that region.

PAYNE: And, Senator, to that point. I mean, we all play armchair quarterback during football season and when things like this come up.

So when I read an infantry squadron sent to Romania on the eastern flank, it sounds more as an offensive, rather than a defensive movement.

Again, what happens? We don’t think — we know Americans don’t want us to go to war. We don’t want to have any armed conflict there. We already made a huge mistake, to your point, with the main asset that we could have negotiated with. So are we putting troops in harm’s way needlessly?

FISCHER: Well, of course, we never want to do that.

But let’s remember, Charles, that NATO is a defensive organization. Putin has tried to color it that he is taking all these belligerent moves in the region towards Ukraine because he is saying NATO is offensive in nature, it puts his country in danger.

That is not true. If you follow secretary — the secretary of defense minister in the U.K., Ben Wallace, his comments that he had recently in Parliament, he wrote an op-ed, really highlighting that false narrative that Putin has put out there about NATO.

So let’s counter that and be honest about what NATO is. NATO is defensive. The Americans that are being sent over by the administration, while I’m sorry that we didn’t see sanctions put in place earlier directly on Putin, on his financial institutions that could have slowed this down, could have stopped it, the troops that are going over, they are going because of our commitment to NATO.

PAYNE: The — is there any chance, then, with respect to a resolution?

We heard an offer was made to inspect bases on both — at least our offer was made to inspect two bases. I’m not sure whether Russia would agree to that or not. But is there anything, any sort of last-second reprieve possible to avoid armed conflict at this point?

FISCHER: You know, you always hope that you can solve things through diplomacy.

But let’s be honest here. Putin has been very up front in rejecting what this administration is offering to him. He has done it with them directly. He has done it through NATO. I think it’s because he’s going to test the resolve of the Biden administration, when you had President Obama sending MREs and blankets over to Ukraine, followed by President Trump, who sent Javelins.

Those were defensive arms that he sent to Ukraine. And then we follow with this administration, with President Biden, who looks weak, who looks like he gives him to Putin, and this is the result.

PAYNE: Yes.

Now, you received a briefing today on Afghanistan from Defense Secretary Austin and Secretary Blinken. You said you left frustrated. Why?

FISCHER: I was very frustrated.

I usually don’t make a lot of comments when I leave briefings or I leave hearings, but this classified briefing did not need to be classified. We spoke about Afghanistan. We spoke about Ukraine. There was very little that would have been of a classified nature that was brought up.

This was a hearing with the two secretaries, with the Armed Services Committee, as well as the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The American people have a right to know on what is going on in Afghanistan now, what our posture is there, what we can do, what we should do, and the same for Ukraine.

And, instead, they basically demanded that they would be there, but only for a closed, classified hearing. That is not right. And I was frustrated. And many my colleagues were as well.

PAYNE: Senator, thank you so much for your time and your wisdom.

Thank you very much.

FISCHER: Thank you.

PAYNE: Snow and ice targeting a wide swathe of the U.S., in fact, more than 100 million Americans in its path. It’s already wreaking havoc on travelers. And we’re on it.

Plus, 30 trillion reasons why more D.C. spending may be dead, is that good news for inflation?

And will a judge let masks continue to be optional in Virginia schools? A decision is expected any minute now.

We will ask the state’s Republican lieutenant governor, Winsome Sears, what she’s expecting.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAYNE: FOX on top of a massive winter storm bearing down ice, sleet and snow, threatening more than 100 million Americans from Texas to Maine.

And it sounds like it won’t be the last, if you go by the groundhog Punxsutawney Phil, Phil predicting at least six more weeks of winter this morning.

To FOX Weather meteorologist Adam Klotz on what he’s predicting for this storm — Adam.

ADAM KLOTZ, FOX NEWS METEOROLOGIST: Hey there, Charles.

Yes, well, you said it. It’s a massive winter storm currently stretching its way across the country from as far south as Texas, everything in the blue. That is snow. It’s going to be reaching ultimately all the way up into Maine. But everything in the pink is ice and then everything out in front of this, at times some very heavy rain.

So you’re getting a little bit of all of bit here with this system. Winter storm watches, warnings advisories do stretch from Texas all the way up to Vermont, where you are going to see some of the heaviest snow, and then up into Maine.

Here’s your future forecast. And the time stamps just back to your top left there, this is a very slow-moving storm. So we’re talking about from right now taking you all the way into the future until Friday morning. and you see not a lot of movement there, because it moves so slow, if you’re in the path of this, there’s a lot of time for all of these different things to kind of add up for you.

So you’re looking here at a fairly wide area where you’re looking at those pink colors, at the very least six inches of snow, but a lot of areas getting up to a foot of snow, and then a couple of spots where you see some of those purples where those snow bands really pile up. You could be talking about 18 inches of snow before this is all said and done.

But I think worse than the snow for folks are going to be the ones just to the south of this. You start to talk about ice. It takes a whole lot less ice to do some major damage, and the ice still to come here, a very large area from Texas stretching up to the Ohio River Valley getting up to about a quarter-of-inch of ice.

That’s going to take down power lines, take down branches, which will take down power lines. And that could mean a whole lot of power outages because of this. So, what I’m really concerned about here, at least for right now, probably is some of these ice storm warnings that you’re seeing stretching from Kentucky back down into the Ohio River Valley and then stretching down to Mississippi.

Ice is going to be one of the real major concerns. And, of course, Charles, we will be watching it here over the next 48 hours as this all kind of rolls its way across the country.

PAYNE: Yes, and we will be watching you.

Very ominous-looking maps. Thanks a lot, Adam.

To FOX Weather mobile multimedia journalist Robert Ray in Columbus, Missouri, where the snow is settling in — Robert.

ROBERT RAY, FOX WEATHER MULTIMEDIA JOURNALIST: Yes, Charles, take a look at this massive pile of salt behind me and what Adam was saying about the ice that potentially could come in.

In Columbus, Ohio, in the capital of this state, what we’re going to experience is the trifecta of this weather — winter weather storm. Charles, we’re going to see a freezing rain, sleet and snow. Temperatures right now hovering about 38 degrees, but what’s going to happen? They will drop overnight.

And that will turn into that freezing rain/sleet tomorrow. It will be a snowy mess here. In the next few hours, Columbus will deploy literally dozens of snowplows and salt spreaders. And they will come into this silo and start bringing all this out.

The reason that they are not out there right now is because it’s been raining all day, Charles. And what happens is, the salt then goes and pushes aside, and it’s not effective at all. But you see this right now. This is one pile of salt. And this is the color of brown, where they have beet juice. They put beet juice literally into the salt that dissipates all of the ice on the roads

And then we walk over here, Charles, and we see this is the way the salt came right out of the mine with this blue color. This stuff is very effective and will be hopefully the answer to this terrible winter storm that’s going to roll into here tomorrow. They could see the mix, like I said, the trifecta of all that this storm will bring.

Let’s hope that everyone here is ready and stays off the roads starting tonight into tomorrow, Charles.

PAYNE: Absolutely. Robert, thank you very much.

Meanwhile, folks, more than 4,000 flights already canceled or delayed today.

FOX Business’ Grady Trimble is at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport with the latest — Grady.

GRADY TRIMBLE, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Charles.

Not too busy here at the American terminal. And that’s because so many flights have been canceled, across the country, more than 2,100 cancellations today, another 2,100 flights delayed.

Looking at the departures board here, you can see there’s a lot more red and yellow than there are on-time flights. At O’Hare alone, almost (AUDIO GAP) 50 flights have been canceled, about a third of all flights leaving this airport today.

We will show you a live picture outside of the American terminal here, where you can see the snow has stopped. But the culprit is still on the ground here, the culprit for all of those cancellations. Similar situation in St. Louis, where about three-quarters of all flights out of that airport were canceled. In Detroit, about a quarter of all flights, and cancellations are mounting in Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Midway, Kansas City and Houston.

That’s to say nothing of the roads across the Midwest, where conditions are just plain sloppy in some cases, downright dangerous in others. And, remember, Charles this is a one-two punch of winter weather. More on the way tonight and into tomorrow. We’re already seeing more than 2,500 flights canceled tomorrow — Charles.

PAYNE: What a mess.

Grady, thank you so much.

All right, folks, lawsuits piling up in Virginia’s battle over masking up. A judge will soon decide the fate of Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin’s order making masks optional in schools.

What does Virginia’s lieutenant governor, Winsome Sears, have to say? Well, she’s here.

Also, new video showing border agents rescuing migrants from drowning in Yuma, Arizona. That’s the same sector where President Biden’s Homeland Security got an earful from those on the front line. Are their frustrations being heard?

We’re going to hear from the mayor of Yuma. He will tell us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAYNE: A mega sell-off in Meta shares in after-hours trading, the parent company of Facebook missing earnings estimates for the latest quarter and gave disappointing guidance.

By the way, Spotify also getting hammered.

We’re back in 60 seconds.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAYNE: To Virginia, where a judge is set to make a decision who has the final say on masking in schools.

FOX News correspondent Mark Meredith is in Arlington with the very latest – – Mark.

MARK MEREDITH, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Charles, good afternoon.

We are waiting to see if a judge will rule with Governor Glenn Youngkin or if he will decide that schools have the final say about when and wear masks should be used.

We saw the governor of Virginia, the newly elected governor, issued an executive order in January basically allowing students and parents to decide over the school system about the masking policies. We have heard from a number of parents who have applauded the governor’s efforts, saying universal masking is putting their kids at a disadvantage.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABBIE PLATT, PARENT: She should not have to wear a mask all day long. How many people are wearing a mask for seven to eight hours all day long?

The people that are making these decisions are not having to suffer in these circumstances.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MEREDITH: But seven districts, including many in Northern Virginia, think the governor is going too far and also putting both students and staff’s health at a disadvantage.

We heard from a lawyer representing those schools suing the governor shortly after today’s hearing wrapped up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN CAFFERKY, ATTORNEY: But the case has to do with sort of structural issues about who is going to be making decisions and who’s in charge and who’s responsible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MEREDITH: The hearing lasted a little bit more than two hours.

We are expecting a decision to be made either tomorrow or later on this week. However, it’s unclear when this is all going to be solved, because we are already hearing from lawyers about appeals. It will likely go all the way to the Virginia state Supreme Court.

And there’s also a federal lawsuit that’s been filed by the Virginia chapter of the ACLU, claiming the governor’s order, Charles, is violating the Americans With Disabilities Act — Charles.

PAYNE: Thank you very much, Mark.

So, what is the plan if the decision does not go Governor Youngkin’s way?

To Virginia’s Republican lieutenant governor, Winsome Sears.

Lieutenant Governor, what’s plan B, just in case this does not go the way of not only the governor, but let’s also say the folks who put him in office?

LT. GOV. WINSOME SEARS (R-VA): Well, what’s going to happen is, we’re just going to follow the law.

The decision, we’re expecting probably tomorrow, and we’re expecting that we will prevail and that the parents will be able to make the decision about where their — about the masks that the children should wear or should not wear. Imagine giving the parents the ability to make those decisions for their children.

I mean, what a concept. So we are hoping that we will prevail. But if we don’t, Charles, we’re a nation of laws. We are a commonwealth of laws. We’re going to abide by the decision that the Supreme Court of Virginia provides for us.

And if we can’t get anything through the legislature, then that’s what we have to live with. From what I understand, the law anyway that everybody is focusing on that says we do have to follow the law in Virginia, which was based on Senate Bill 1303, from what, I understand that expires in August.

PAYNE: Right.

SEARS: So, one way or the other, this mask mandate will come to an end, finally.

PAYNE: How much of this, though, is just really sort of a bitterness over losing the election? And, again, I will get back to this point.

I think the state made a loud and resounding message not only to the folks there, but to the rest of the country, that parents want to be the ones who make the main decisions for what happens to their children, whether they wear masks or what they learn in school.

SEARS: When we ran for office, we were running for a whole year, and we told the voters exactly what we were going to do.

We did not hide anything from them. We said that we were going to give the parents the option of choosing whether to mask or not. And now that we have won the election, imagine that you’re trying to fulfill your campaign promises. Imagine politicians are trying to live up to their word. That’s all we’re trying to do. That’s what the governor is trying to do.

And we have our attorney general, Jason Miyares, who argued that very same case right now before the Virginia Supreme Court. Now, you ask, well, what is the issue about them winning — us winning elections, and now they’re out of power?

PAYNE: Right.

SEARS: Elections, as the president said to us not so long ago, President Obama, that elections have consequences. And so these are the consequences of winning an election.

We get to fulfill our word. The parents are looking for us to do that. And we are going to.

PAYNE: Right.

SEARS: How difficult is it, Charles, to say, those parents who want to mask the children — their children, mask your child, but if you don’t want to mask, don’t mask them?

I don’t understand how that impacts you at all.

PAYNE: Yes.

Lieutenant Governor, I want to change the topic here for a moment, because the suspect and that deadly shooting of two officers at Bridgewater College making a court appearance today.

This is a nationwide epidemic, the rise in crime. What are your thoughts, particularly as we see just two more officers taking this sort of damage?

SEARS: My God, my God.

Here we are reaping what some politicians have sown. They have vilified our law enforcement officials. And so people are emboldened to do whatever they think is their idea of right. It’s whatever their truth is. And if their truth, their truth is that policemen are bad, well, then they’re going to do things to get rid of them, aren’t they?

And so what we’re saying is, we’re not going to allow that to happen. We are a nation of laws. We understand that our policemen need training, our policewomen need training. Law enforcement, they need some more training. And that’s what we’re going to do.

PAYNE: Yes.

SEARS: But how can it be that we are losing our law enforcement in this manner, not just in Virginia?

You saw what happened in New York.

PAYNE: Yes.

SEARS: I was raised in the South Bronx, and I just can’t believe what’s happening.

We have the gentlemen, John Painter, a former police chief of the Grottoes. And he decided he was going to retire and come to Bridgewater, a safe community, retirement, nice, a quiet community. You’re not even safe there, apparently.

PAYNE: Yes.

SEARS: And then he was, as you probably know, the best man to J.J. Jefferson. And, by the way, Mr. Jefferson just celebrated a birthday. And he instituted, when he was at Shenandoah University, so many safety features on campus, that he was given an award in 2017.

PAYNE: Yes. Well…

SEARS: And we have to remember, when policemen are running, they run towards the violence, while we’re running away. They put a vest on and go to work every day.

PAYNE: Yes.

SEARS: These are our heroes.

PAYNE: It’s really heartbreaking.

SEARS: My God, what is happening to us?

PAYNE: Well, you know what? A lot of it goes — this rhetoric is — this war and police started as rhetoric more than a decade ago, and it’s mushroomed into this. And the people who have offered it, at some point, we need to hold them to account.

Lieutenant Governor, it’s a pleasure, my first time interviewing you.

I have waited for this moment. It’s an honor. Thank you very much. And congratulations.

SEARS: Thank you.

And we mourn with the families. And it shouldn’t be that our policemen aren’t coming home.

PAYNE: Absolutely. Thank you so much.

SEARS: God help us.

PAYNE: So, a dramatic rescue of drowning migrants from a canal in Yuma, Arizona, by our border agents on the front line.

We’re going to talk to the mayor of Yuma on the crisis that just keeps surging.

You know what else is surging? Our national debt, now topping $30 trillion — that’s with a T — dollars. Not good, but someone else may — well, something else may be from this.

We will explain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAYNE: A White House COVID Task Force briefing wrapping up. Did a bombshell study from Johns Hopkins university on lockdowns come up?

Jonathan Serrie is in Atlanta with the latest — Jonathan.

JONATHAN SERRIE, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Charles.

The study did not come up in the White House briefing. However, federal health officials did say they would welcome a Senate — a proposal that’s in the Senate to create a bipartisan task force that would look into the origins of COVID and the U.S. response, both by the Trump and Biden administrations.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, CHIEF MEDICAL ADVISER TO PRESIDENT BIDEN: Well, I think it’s important to look at every aspect of this outbreak for lessons learned. That is not only what the origin of the virus and the origin of the outbreak is, but many other things that we could learn from in the future, so that we can prevent something like this happening or respond better if and when it does.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERRIE: Johns Hopkins University has published an analysis of data that they gathered from 24 studies and determined that early pandemic restrictions on travel and business and school closings only reduced COVID- related deaths by 0.2 percent.

The authors write: “While this meta-analysis concludes that lockdowns have had little to no public health effects, they have imposed enormous economic and social costs where they have been adopted. In consequence, lockdown policies are ill founded and should be rejected as a pandemic policy instrument.”

The analysis, led by three economists, did not look at the effect lockdowns had on hospitalizations. Delaying a surge on the nation’s health care system was one of the early goals of these public health measures. But the study’s focus on limited reductions to COVID-related deaths against a backdrop of social, educational and even political disruption, is causing many early opponents of lockdowns to feel vindicated.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK BRNOVICH (R), ARIZONA ATTORNEY GENERAL: I think what these studies show is what some of us knew, is that, ultimately, there’s economic and there’s social costs to these lockdowns, and yet there’s very little benefit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERRIE: The study’s authors say the focus should now shift from mandates to voluntary measures people can do to protect themselves against COVID — Charles.

PAYNE: Jonathan, thank you very much.

SERRIE: Certainly.

PAYNE: Meanwhile, all of this COVID spending has the nation’s debt surging, now topping $30 trillion in counting. Both parties, of course, share the blame.

I want to bring Gary Kaltbaum.

Because, Gary, will this be the wakeup call that Washington needs finally stopped spending?

GARY KALTBAUM, FOX BUSINESS CONTRIBUTOR: I thought 10 would be the wakeup call, then 20, now 30. And, unfortunately, Charles, nobody seems to care. It’s almost like a footnote.

And it should be front and center. I mentioned to you earlier today one of the outcomes. By the way, to simplify things, this just simply means that politicians spend $30 trillion over and above what we already send them, which is just absolutely obscene.

But, for me, the big story going forward, we’re at about 1.5 billion of taxpayer dollars each day going towards interest, not to roads and bridges and downtrodden, the elderly and children who need food, but to nothing. And it grows every day. It’s going to go to $2 billion each day. Each day, $3 billion is added to our debt. And there’s nobody to stop it. Nobody seems to care.

And we have a president, who voted for $29 trillion that $30 trillion trying to tell us that a $6 trillion spending bill will lower deficits. Feel better now?

PAYNE: So, what do you think, then, Gary?

I mean, is it that because there were — we were sounding the alarm over 10 years ago about going off the cliff, and we didn’t, I mean, have they been emboldened, or have they bought into things like modern monetary theory that says, you can print money forever, that you can — why not print it forever? You control the printing press, so why stop?

KALTBAUM: I think human nature says, well, we got to 20, and the world didn’t then. Let’s go 21 and onward and upward we go.

The problem is, this crowds out the economy going forward. I already explained to you interest expense that could be going to so many great things. And, again, I just worry about a blowup.

And I think there’s a darn good reason why we have a Central Bank pinning rates down to zero percent and printing money. It’s the cover the you-know- what of all this, because if rates ever got out of hand, it would go up markedly.

PAYNE: Right.

KALTBAUM: And I think markets would react. And we have had this wealth effect for the markets that have helped the economy. If that heads south, I think trouble lies ahead.

And, again, Charles, unfortunately, I don’t hear anybody talking about it in Washington, D.C.

PAYNE: I got less than a minute to go.

We had a really shocking ADP number. We lost 301,000 jobs. One firm, PNC, thinks we’re going to have officially lost 400,000 when that number is reported on Friday. What are you expecting?

KALTBAUM: It’s not going to be good. And you know that because the administration knows and they have telegraphed it.

I’m hoping it’s a one- or two-off because the Omicron, and we get back to better going forward. If it’s not, and it’s a trend downside, that’s not going to be good news at all for the economy, for profits of companies.

PAYNE: Right.

KALTBAUM: And then we get into somewhat of a vicious cycle.

So, fingers crossed again this is an outlier because of the last COVID that came out.

PAYNE: Yes, let’s hope so.

Eleven million jobs are open, and wow.

KALTBAUM: Yes.

PAYNE: Gary, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

KALTBAUM: Thanks, Charles.

PAYNE: Well, migrants streaming in, some agents lending it all out. Is the Biden administration listening?

We’re going to talk to a mayor who just met with the homeland security secretary.

And another sea of blue in New York City, with thousands mourning the loss of Officer Wilbert Mora, emotions running high wondering when the violence will end.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAYNE: The mother of slain New York City police officer Wilbert Mora receiving the flag draped on his casket as he’s laid to rest, this coming the day before President Biden will be visiting New York City to meet with Mayor Eric Adams about the crime surge there.

To FOX’s Bryan Llenas, who’s outside of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, right now with the latest — Brian.

BRYAN LLENAS, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: For the second time in less than a week, the NYPD and the city, Charles, are mourning the life of a fallen officer here in the city.

And, today, the images were just, quite frankly, gut-wrenching and heart- wrenching, as hundreds of NYPD officers lined Fifth Avenue to honor Officer Wilbert Mora and his family one last time as they made their way through the city that he loved.

Mora was just 27 years old. His commanding officer called him the ideal police officer, a rising star, someone who, with just four years on the job, was leading other officers under his wing. Mora and his partner officer, Jason Rivera, were shot and killed in an apartment by a criminal with a long rap sheet and an illegal gun.

His commanding officer told the family today that Mora died fighting, firing back, even after being hit. Today, he was posthumously promoted to detective first grade for his heroism. But that brought little comfort, though, to a mother who is grieving.

Today, Laura’s mom, who — well, she just clenched the American flag as she said goodbye to her son, the youngest of four children. She immigrated to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic when Mora was just 7 years old.

In her eulogy, Mora’s sister Karina slammed the justice system.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KARINA MORA, SISTER OF WILBERT MORA (through translator): How many Wilberts, how many Jasons, how many more officers have to lose their lives before this system changes?

The NYPD protects us, but who protects them and who looks after their lives?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LLENAS: Mayor Eric Adams today promised the family inside that church that they will — the city will provide the NYPD with the resources that they need. The mayor will meet with President Biden here in the city tomorrow.

And, as for Detective Mora, well, he was a hero even after death. He donated his organs and saved five total strangers. He saved their lives with that action — Charles.

PAYNE: Brian, thanks. Thanks a lot, Brian.

So, with migrants streaming across the border, new numbers showing more coming from across the world. Now agents are asking Biden’s team, what in the world are they thinking?

We’re going to talk to a border mayor on the front lines next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QUESTION: Chief Ortiz, you admitted that morale is at an all-time low at CBP. Are President Biden’s policies to blame for that?

RAUL ORTIZ, U.S. BORDER PATROL CHIEF: No comment. Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAYNE: The border crisis going global, more migrants now crossing our Southern border from faraway countries.

William La Jeunesse is following it all. He’s in La Joya, Texas — William.

WILLIAM LA JEUNESSE, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Charles, regardless of where you are in the world, the word is, effectively, this border is wide open.

We saw it earlier today, with families walking up from the river. Apprehensions of families and unaccompanied minors is way up. And as for the rest, well, single adults, just 40 percent of those are being returned under Title 42. Agents are seeing the usual mix of Central Americans and Mexicans, but also an increase in Venezuelans and Nicaraguans, who many argue are exploiting asylum and other legal loopholes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS CABRERA, VICE PRESIDENT, BORDER PATROL UNION: We know they’re gaming the system. They know they’re gaming the system. It’s a loophole that has been here for, what, nine years now. And nobody has decided to close this loophole?

If this was a company for profit, we would have been bankrupt years ago.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LA JEUNESSE: So, while many focus on the Border Patrol, per se, it’s mostly policy decisions in Washington driving illegal immigration, pulling people here, along with a booming economy, right?

So, in Yuma on Monday, we found mounds of trash, ground littered with abandoned I.D.s and plane tickets. Why? Well, that erases their name and any evidence really of where they came from, allowing the migrants to adopt a story to avoid deportation.

So, in that dirt, Charles, I found money from Venezuela, plane tickets from Amsterdam, Mexicali, Oaxaca, but also migrants from Russia and Ukraine, basically all over the world, Peru, Brazil, Haiti, you name it, Charles.

And what does it tell us? Well, that many people believe they’re going to get through.

PAYNE: Wow.

LA JEUNESSE: Back to you.

PAYNE: Absolutely amazing. Thank you very much, William.

Now to the front lines of this crisis, Yuma, Arizona, Mayor Doug Nicholls.

Doug, Mayor, your town under local emergency, I think this goes way back to early December. Why now? What’s happened with this crisis that you have had to do this?

DOUGLAS NICHOLLS (R), MAYOR OF YUMA, ARIZONA: Well, it really comes down to basic numbers.

If you look at year ago at this time, we’re up over 5000 percent of where we were a year ago today on the number of crossers just on the family units alone. So, it became to a position where the Border Patrol was being overwhelmed for a short period of time. And we have seen a lot more activity in our community.

And so in order to make sure we had the right attention and the right resources, I declared that local emergency. And I think that’s been effective in helping us address this on a national level.

PAYNE: What happens when you do that? Do you get extra — do you get federal help with what that emergency?

NICHOLLS: There can be federal help that comes with that.

Because the governor has also declared an emergency, it piggybacks on that authority. And as things become a necessity, whether that’s National Guard or FEMA-type resources, that opens the door for those resources potentially to come to you.

PAYNE: Right.

Mayor, we just heard from William La Jeunesse 45 percent of folks now coming from outside of Mexico and in the Northern Triangle, 2,100 from Russia, up from 73, 358, from Ukraine, 1,100 from India, 566 from Turkey.

I mean, is there — do you feel like there’s sort of this sign saying, if you make it to the border from anywhere in the world, you can come in?

NICHOLLS: Well, what we get routinely is, when migrants come across, and if you talk to them, they say they have been invited, that President Biden has invited them, he’s got money waiting for them.

This is the messaging that I talked to the secretary about when he visited here, is that the messaging has to change. Otherwise, this doesn’t get fixed any time without some real — some real heavy effort.

PAYNE: Now, on the growing frustration, particularly for those who work this every day, there are reports that a Yuma agent turned his back on DHS Secretary Mayorkas, prompting this leaked video. It’s audio from that moment. Let’s take a listen.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS, U.S. SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: The commitment remains that we will keep fighting.

And let me just say, you can turn your back on me, but I will never turn your back — my back on you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You did the day you were appointed.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

PAYNE: Mayor, do you blame these agents for being this frustrated?

NICHOLLS: You know, I really don’t.

These are our citizens, our neighbors, our friends, our family here in the community. And it’s a concern that I have for them. You can see it in the way they just are, because they’re so overwhelmed. They’re not doing the mission and the job that they want to do, that they have the passion to do.

They have to deal with immigration, instead of border security and national security. It’s real demoralizing for them. I know there’s a lot of people looking for ways out, whether that’s retirement or lateral moves. And that’s going to only exacerbate our problem.

So, I think having a work force that is happy, at least, or attempts to be satisfied with their daily work is a primary way to make sure that we have agents willing to secure our borders.

PAYNE: Yes. Yes, it’s ironic that that’s the overarching message with our jobs market.

And yet here we are. These border agents, I mean, they are true heroes in this crisis. In fact, I want to get your quick reaction to this video from the Yuma sector. Agents rescued two migrants from drowning in a canal.

So they’re disgruntled, but they go out there and put their lives on the line every single day, don’t they?

NICHOLLS: They do.

Having that level of commitment to put yourself on the line to help other people that are essentially breaking the law, that is the American spirit. That’s the spirit here in Yuma. We want to help people, but we want to do it the right way and the safe way.

And crossing canals with your family isn’t that way to do it.

PAYNE: Mayor, how do you see this? How do you see this, the outcome of this? I mean, this has gone on for a long time. The White House has been called out.

They give it lip service for the most part. And we just talked about this. It’s getting worse. People from all over the world see this opening. And they — of course, who could blame anyone for not — wanting to live here? But how does it end?

NICHOLLS: Well, it only ends permanently with a congressional change of the law.

The law hasn’t really been touched in over 20 years. We need to have that in place, so that the correct policies can be put in place. And then those policies can be executed. That’s the only way that this fixes itself.

PAYNE: Yes. Yes.

NICHOLLS: We can’t rely upon the cartels to fix it…

PAYNE: Wow.

NICHOLLS: … because, just through Yuma, that’s going to be over a $16- million-a-week business. They’re not willing to shut that off.

PAYNE: Yes. Mayor, I got to let you go.

Thank you so much. And good luck with everything. Really appreciate it.

NICHOLLS: Thank you, Charles.

PAYNE: Folks, that will do it for me.

Of course, you can catch me weekdays every day 2:00 p.m. on FOX Business “Making Money.” This is an extraordinary time in the stock market, a lot of ups and downs, particularly Friday. You must tune in, your portfolio, your retirement all at stake.

Hope you enjoyed the show.

Now hand it off to “THE FIVE” that starts right now.

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