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White House Sends Negotiators to Pakistan for New Talks With Iran ; FDA Moves to Fast-track Review of Psychedelics for Mental Health; World Cup Tickets Reselling for Millions of Dollars; Israel and Lebanon Agree to Extend Ceasefire by Three Weeks; Justice Department Drops Criminal Investigation of Fed Chair Powell; Consumer Sentiment Drops 6.6 Percent in the Last Month; Tech Job Cuts as Companies Lean Into A.I. Aired 2-2:30p ET

Aired April 24, 2026 - 14:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[14:01:31]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": On again, off again, and now on again. The White House sending two negotiators to Pakistan to discuss ending the war with Iran. Vice President J.D. Vance, though, is staying at home on standby unless progress is made.

And on the fast track, the FDA planning to review psychedelic drugs for treating mental health issues. We're going to look at which drugs and what illnesses they could be used to address.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": Plus, soccer sticker shock. If you are a football fan trying to buy a ticket for the World Cup, well, it could cost you millions of dollars in some cases. We're following these major developing stories and many more, all coming in right here to "CNN News Central."

We do begin with Breaking News on the war with Iran. President Trump will now be sending Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan this weekend for negotiations with Iran. We're told the Vice President, J.D. Vance, will be on standby to go, but he will be staying back. He'll go only if talks progress.

This was White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt last hour.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The Iranians want to talk, they want to talk in person, and so the president is, as I've said many, many times to all of you, always willing to give diplomacy a chance.

So Steve and Jared will be heading to Pakistan tomorrow to hear the Iranians out. We hope progress will be made and we hope that positive developments will come from this meeting, and we will see.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SANCHEZ: Earlier, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a second U.S. aircraft carrier is about to join the standoff over the Strait of Hormuz, adding the military's blockade of Iranian ports will last as long as it takes.

We're joined now by CNN Political and Global Affairs Analyst, Barak Ravid. Barak, thank you so much for being with us. What more are you hearing today?

BARAK RAVID, CNN POLITICAL & GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, first, I think the meeting between Kushner, Witkoff and the Iranian foreign minister, from what sources are telling me, it's not clear that it's really going to happen this weekend. Araghchi is supposed to arrive in Pakistan tonight. He's going to meet the Pakistani leadership tomorrow. Then he's going to travel to Oman, then to Russia, to Moscow, and only then he could go back to Pakistan.

And I think that Kushner and Witkoff are leaving sometime tomorrow. They will only get to Pakistan on Sunday afternoon, maybe even evening. So I think that they will meet the Pakistani leadership first. So I think all in all, from my sources, it looks like if a meeting will take place, it could happen on Monday.

KEILAR: And Secretary of State, Marco Rubio says, Barak, that President Trump helped secure this three-week extension of the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. What comes next in these negotiations? Could any complications thwart a potential deal between the U.S. and Iran?

RAVID: Well, I think that first, those two tracks are connected. While Israel and the U.S. say that there's the Lebanon track and there's the Iran track, those two are connected. And there's a reason President Trump joined the talks yesterday with the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors. One reason is that he really wants to push for a summit between the leaders of Israel and Lebanon, which is a great initiative.

[14:05:00]

Second thing, he wants to continue the ceasefire and prevent another escalation in Lebanon. But the third thing is that Trump also knows that if Lebanon -- the fighting in Lebanon resumes, it will have influence on the talks he's having with the Iranians and on his efforts to reach diplomatic deal because President Trump, at the moment, doesn't want to resume the war. He wants to try and solve the Iranian nuclear issue through a diplomatic deal.

I'm not sure that this upcoming meeting could lead to that deal. We'll have to see. I hope it will. But the track record of meetings between Mr. Witkoff and Mr. Kushner and Mr. Araghchi hasn't been so good. You know, in before the war, 12-day war in June, there were talks between Araghchi and Witkoff that did not produce a deal.

Before the current war, there were talks between Kushner and Witkoff and Araghchi that produced a shouting match and not a deal. Let's hope that this time it will be different. SANCHEZ: We shall see. Barak Ravid, thanks so much for sharing your reporting.

RAVID: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: So the unprecedented criminal investigation of the Federal Reserve Chair is now officially over. The Justice Department closing its case concerning Jerome Powell, according to a post from D.C.'s U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro. She ends her statement saying, quote, "I will not hesitate to restart a criminal investigation should the facts warrant doing so." From its start, Powell said the probe into whether he misled Congress about the renovation project at Fed headquarters was politicized.

KEILAR: Its dismissal now paves the way for President Trump's pick for Powell's replacement to take over next month. Republican Senator Thom Tillis had promised to block Kevin Warsh's confirmation unless DOJ dropped its case against Powell. Here's what Tillis said just a few days ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. THOM TILLIS, (R-NC) BANKING COMMITTEE: Let's take the win. Let's get Warsh in there. Let's get Chair Powell comfortable with actually exiting at some point, not to 2028, and do that by eliminating a bogus investigation that started this whole drama.

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KEILAR: CNN Business Senior Reporter, David Goldman has the latest here. And, David, this ends some major uncertainty surrounding the nation's central bank, for sure.

DAVID GOLDMAN, CNN BUSINESS SENIOR REPORTER: It does. And that's why it was so strange to so many people that the Trump administration was doubling down on this investigation. I mean, it was holding up Trump's preferred pick for the Federal Reserve because Tillis wasn't going to vote for Warsh to get into the Fed to replace Jerome Powell, who Trump has said that he hates, and wants to put someone who's going to lower interest rates into the Fed.

Also, it had a very low chance of success because a federal judge quashed the Department of Justice's subpoenas in this case, which was an unusual and rare move. And on top of that, a federal prosecutor said it found no evidence of wrongdoing in this case.

And so, it was really strange that they were doubling down. And now, it's equally strange that they're lifting this probe. Because why are they doing it now? Warsh had his hearing on Tuesday. So why wait until Friday to do this? And it seems as though they're trying to save face here by saying that the inspector general for the Federal Reserve is going to be carrying on this investigation. So it's not a criminal probe anymore. It's an inspector general probe.

But that's been going on since July. So it's not a new probe. It's just an ongoing probe. So a lot of questions here. But at least now we can move on. And it seems like Warsh is clear to get into the Fed.

SANCHEZ: Yeah. Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt suggested that the investigation wasn't over, that it was merely changing hands. And she added this about the IG probe.

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LEAVITT: This is a project that's been going on for a very long time. It's costing taxpayers billions of dollars. And I think it's in the best interest of the taxpayer to get to the bottom of it.

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SANCHEZ: Will you fact check that for us? Are taxpayer dollars involved in this renovation?

GOLDMAN: Yeah, not directly. So the way that the Federal Reserve makes money is just the same way that your bank makes money. It makes money on the securities that it has and the interest that it charges on that. And then it makes money on the various fees that it charges to its customers for services. Those customers are your bank and everyone else's bank. The Fed is huge.

It is the central bank. And so, it has billions and billions and billions of dollars at its disposal to spend on projects like this. The question is, is that a good use of its money to do a massive renovation, or should it be putting its money to better use perhaps? That's open for debate.

[14:10:00]

But taxpayers are not directly funding this project. That's not true.

KEILAR: David Goldman, thank you so much for that.

Prices are climbing and hopes are plummeting. Still ahead, Americans uncertainty over their finances growing as the ongoing war with Iran rocks the economy.

Plus, psychedelic drugs, once considered unconventional, just got a step closer to being approved for mental health treatments.

SANCHEZ: And later, it's going to cost a pretty penny to go to the World Cup final if you don't already have tickets. The resale market now getting millions for just one ticket. That and much more coming your way, next.

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[14:15:22]

SANCHEZ: Some brand new numbers out today show people are fed up with the economy as gas prices during the war with Iran continue to rise. Consumer sentiment dropped 6.6 percent in just the last month. A slight improvement actually from a preliminary report earlier in April, still the lowest level on record dating back to 1952. KEILAR: And polls also show Americans are not happy with President Trump's handling of economic issues. A new survey shows just 30 percent of adults approve of how the president is handling the economy, with 70 percent disapproving. Just 23 percent of those polled approve of how Trump is handling cost of living issues.

We're joined now by Scott MacFarlane. He's the Chief Washington Correspondent for the MeidasTouch Network. Scott, thanks for joining us to talk about this.

SCOTT MACFARLANE, CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, MEIDASTOUCH NETWORK: Thank you.

KEILAR: What are you seeing in these consumer sentiment numbers?

MACFARLANE: I see what candidates who are running for office are saying and what they're writing. It's clear they're getting some feedback, either from the door knocking or the polling, that they've got to drive a message on pricing. Start there, finish there.

It's here in Washington, it's like we're driving down the road 100 miles an hour without noticing the engine light is on or the brakes are iffy, because they're fighting over seemingly everything. They're having this ornate dinner tomorrow night, black tie. And the constituents are concerned about data centers, they're concerned about electric costs, they're concerned about their cars.

And there is a myopia that is infecting this whole town that people don't recognize. That's where the voters are. Congress and the administration don't seem to be there, too.

SANCHEZ: How much longer do you think the president's voters can afford the temporary pain that this war is inflicting on them? Because as gas prices are rising, the president is saying, don't rush me.

MACFARLANE: The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the DNC also, are trying to emphasize this is not sustainable. They're trying to emphasize it to their candidates to make sure that they're recognizing that when they go out there and try to win votes. And when you get to this point, you're now less than 150 days until early voting, we're in this thing now, they know to drive that message.

And I just -- it is striking to me that we're here in Washington and this week went by without anybody doing the same, people who have elective office and are trying to keep their offices.

KEILAR: Does that myopia that you are detailing extend to how folks here, I mean, we're here on outside the Capitol. Does that extend to how folks here are seeing this politically? I mean, are Republicans afraid? Are Democrats seeing opportunity?

MACFARLANE: I think Republicans have lost the capacity to message effectively on this because they have to support the war. And it's not a mystery to any, this is not Sherlock Holmes or Matlock stuff. I mean, the war is driving up gas prices and people recognize that nobody could be told otherwise. So they've lost their step. They can get their footing back, but they're running out of time. 150 days means there's precious time left to win your primary and then pivot to the general.

SANCHEZ: I wonder what you make of the news regarding Fed Chair, Jerome Powell, the U.S. Attorney in D.C., Jeanine Pirro announcing that the criminal investigation was over, the IG investigation apparently of the renovation cost is continuing. The administration seeming to imply that somehow they're going to get down to the bottom of what happened with the renovations.

But what this means effectively is that Trump's pick for the Fed will likely be confirmed now that the demand that Tillis put forward, the Senator, is off the table.

MACFARLANE: This is a political necessity to get that next Fed Board Chair confirmed, but I think to a lot of Democrats, Senator Elizabeth Warren included, it looks sus. Did I use sus right?

SANCHEZ: You did.

KEILAR: You did. You nailed it.

(LAUGH)

MACFARLANE: I've been practicing all week for that one. Elizabeth Warren and others are making the argument, they're dropping this matter, they're dropping this investigation until a confirmation, then they're going to restart what looks for now to be a meritless investigation because the Federal Reserve Inspector General has been looking at those renovations for years and there hasn't been a whisper of anything criminal or unlawful.

Maybe the facts will change, according to the U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, but you don't want to be arguing maybe the facts will change about pretty much anything.

KEILAR: So if this paves the way, as it appears poised to do so, for Kevin Warsh to take the helm when Jerome Powell's term expires in mid- May, what are you looking for on a Warsh-led Fed?

MACFARLANE: There was a declarative, extended argument this week, Brianna, by Warsh that he is not a, I'm sorry, sock puppet was the phrase they used at his confirmation hearing. He's not going to do the bidding of the president, but there is, to put it charitably, mounting concern among critics of the White House that he is there to do the president's bidding. A non-independent Fed is perhaps not the Fed that was envisioned many decades ago.

[14:20:00]

KEILAR: Yeah. Scott, it's great to have you. Thank you so much for being with us, Scott MacFarlane.

MACFARLANE: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Thanks.

KEILAR: And still ahead, the FDA has its fast-tracking reviews on psychedelics as mental health treatments. We're going to talk to a researcher who studies the impact of drugs like psilocybin and LSD that they have on disorders like depression and addiction.

Plus, more layoffs in the tech world as companies dive deeper into artificial intelligence.

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[14:25:00]

SANCHEZ: The future of psychedelic therapy in the U.S. just got a major boost. Today, the Food and Drug Administration announced it was granting a fast-track review for three companies studying psychedelics to treat mental conditions like depression, addiction, and PTSD.

KEILAR: We're joined now by Dr. Frederick Barrett. He's the Director of the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

Doctor, thanks for being with us. You know, when we talk about psychedelics, talk to us about the specific drugs that we are referring to. What are they?

DR. FREDERICK BARRETT, PSYCHEDELIC NEUROSCIENTIST: Thank you so much for having me. And there are quite a few drugs that are considered psychedelic, but those drugs that are really most promising at the moment include psilocybin, which is a naturally occurring compound in hundreds of species of mushrooms, and also LSD, which is a laboratory chemical, and MDMA, and a new drug to many people called methylone.

These are all compounds that act on the serotonin receptors in the brain and have really profound impacts on our thoughts, our perceptions, and our kind of state of consciousness.

SANCHEZ: So what kind of illnesses or issues would be most receptive to these therapies as treatment?

BARRETT: Right, so these at present moment are still all experimental compounds, so none of these are approved as medicine at the moment, but the strongest evidence that we have to date suggests that psychedelic drugs may be helpful in treating depression, substance use disorder, and PTSD.

Quite a few other illnesses are being studied for psychedelic therapies, but the evidence for those other illnesses is still pretty early.

KEILAR: And so there's obviously going to be a concern from some folks that are looking at this and they're saying, we're talking about serious drugs here. How do you sort of marshal the benefits or the potential promise of some of these drugs while avoiding potential danger, the dangers of abusing these drugs? BARRETT: That's a great question and very important to highlight that these are very powerful psychoactive compounds and they've been studied in the past 25 years under very controlled circumstances. So anybody who is applying for an experimental research trial will be carefully screened and if they're found to be eligible for the trial, they'll undergo further preparation to help understand what might occur during their drug administration sessions.

After that preparation, they'll arrive at the lab early in the morning and then be carefully monitored by a professional care team throughout the day. And we will also follow up with people for days and weeks afterwards to make sure we can provide aftercare and help them to integrate what they experienced.

And so under these carefully controlled circumstances, we think these compounds may be actually relatively safe compared to many other therapies and for some people, they may be quite effective in treating the illnesses that we discussed.

SANCHEZ: What about ibogaine specifically, doctor? That was the one that President Trump mentioned was a compound worth researching.

BARRETT: Yeah, thank you. Ibogaine is a very interesting compound for a number of reasons. It's been traditionally used in West African spiritual practices. It is a unique compound in that, unlike other psychedelic drugs which work directly on a small number of systems within the brain, ibogaine seems to work with a much wider set of brain systems, including the dopamine system, the serotonin system and the opioid system.

And because of this denser and more complete interaction with a number of brain systems, people feel that ibogaine may be more effective than other psychedelics in treating a range of conditions. But wrapped up within this is also the fact that ibogaine is one of the few psychedelic drugs known to have a severe cardiac risk. And for this reason, it's been almost impossible to study within the United States.

KEILAR: I've talked to a lot of veterans who, you know, they've tried ketamine for depression. Some of them have had luck with that. Some of them haven't. And so many of them are desperate for relief from depression, from PTSD related symptoms that they've had, that there's actually become in a way this medical tourism to Mexico, maybe some other places as well for ibogaine treatment.

It doesn't sound in many cases like it is a free for all. A lot of them that I've spoken to are going for a pretty kind of controlled experience. But at the same time, I wonder if they're looking for something outside of the U.S., how does this potentially bring in time, maybe some of that oversight back to the U.S. so that they're not going somewhere else to seek treatment?

BARRETT: That's a really great question.