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Trump Says He Won't Testify Tomorrow In New York Civil Fraud Trial; Zelenskyy Coming To Washington This Week As Ukraine Aid Talks Stall; Intense Fighting In Southern Gaza As IDF Expands Into Khan Younis; 6 Dead, Dozens Hurt After Tornadoes Hit Tennessee; Trump Defends "Dictator For One Day" Comments; Texas Supreme Court Temporarily Halts Emergency Abortion; FDA Approves First Gene-Editing Therapy To Alleviate Human Illness; Elon Musk Restores X Account Of Conspiracy Theorist Alex Jones. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired December 10, 2023 - 16:00   ET

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

[16:00:00]

DANA BASH, CNN HOST: Public courts in Long Beach, California, and she was at -- in an area where she looked around and she noticed that everybody was white, the clothes was white, the shoes were white, and she thought -- and it was mostly men, and she thought this is just right. And she said at that moment I realized that I was going to get good at tennis and fight for equality.

And she said those two goals were always hand in hand. She didn't say I'm going to be a tennis champion, and then once she got to that point, oh, I'm going to fight for equal pay. She said from an early age, those were twin goals, and I can't even imagine having that kind of sense of self and understanding of the world.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Really.

BASH: At that young age. She was like 11 or 12.

WHITFIELD: It's extraordinary. I mean, dual life mission. Yes. Starting very early. Well, she's extraordinary. So glad you got a chance to spend that kind of time with her and now we get to reap the benefits to watch this incredible "BEING BILLIE JEAN KING."

Dana Bash, thanks so much.

BASH: Thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: "BEING BILLIE JEAN KING" airs tonight, 10:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific only on CNN.

Hello, again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield in New York. And we begin this hour with this breaking news.

Donald Trump just announced that he is now not going to testify at his New York civil trial tomorrow. Just moments ago on a long rambling Truth Social sentiment, Trump said, quote, "I have already testified to everything and have nothing more to say other than that this is a complete and total election interference, Biden campaign witch hunt, that will do nothing but keep businesses out of New York. I will not be testifying on Monday."

That from the former president. So for days, though, Trump had vowed that he would be retaking the witness stand tomorrow in the high- stakes trial that threatens his real estate business. New York Attorney General Letitia James is suing Trump for $250 million and seeking to bar him from doing business in the state.

CNN's Zachary Cohen joining us now.

Zach, what more do we know about this, you know, sudden change of heart?

ZACHARY COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fred. Clearly a reversal here from Donald Trump, who had seemed adamant that he wanted to take the stand for a second time in this New York civil trial. Now as you mentioned posting on Truth Social just moments ago that he will not be testifying, in all caps, he says, will not be testifying on Monday. He goes on to continue to attack the prosecutors and the judge in this case, calling it election interference, witch hunt, some familiar terms, and familiar attacks that we've seen from Trump, not only in this case but in others.

But I want to play some sound from Trump's lawyer, Alina Habba, from just the other day when she said that lawyers had advised Trump not to take the stand again, but that he was adamant about doing so anyway. Listen to what she said to reporters just a few days ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALINA HABBA, ATTORNEY FOR FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: He still wants to take the stand, even though my advice is at this point, you should never take the stand with a gag order, but he is so firmly against what is happening in this court and so firmly for the old America that we know, not this America, that he will take that stand on Monday.

He will open himself up to whatever they want because he's not afraid. People that are afraid cower. President Trump does not cower. We'll be back on Monday.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: President Trump doesn't cower. That was what she said about his willingness and desire to testify again, but just this afternoon, Trump walking that back, clearly, you know, saying that he's already testified and that he has no reason to take the stand again. So an interesting kind of comparison there between the statement from Trump's lawyer a few days ago and now his decision to no longer testify on Monday in the New York civil case.

WHITFIELD: Yes, interesting indeed. All right, Zach Cohen, thank you so much. Tell us if you learn anything more.

All right, right now, joining me to talk more about this is Harry Litman. He's a former U.S. attorney and a former deputy assistant attorney general.

Great to see you, Harry. So your reaction to Trump's decision to no longer take the stand tomorrow.

HARRY LITMAN, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY: Yes, I wasn't particularly surprised. I had always thought that was kind of posturing and that he might well back down at the event. It's the smarter legal move. He's got very little to gain. He would probably have taken the stand and given the same kind of infomercial that Donald Trump Jr. gave, but it wouldn't have gone to the evidence and most dangerously, he would have faced cross-examination.

WHITFIELD: Right.

LITMAN: Which is, you know, the rules really permit a probing yes or no set of answers, and that could have put him in hot water for either having to tell the truth or commit perjury. So this is a case that he already realizes he's going to lose. And the only value, when it goes up on appeal, they're going to ask, did the judge below have enough there to say he was guilty? And whatever he might have added on his side of the ledger wouldn't really affect it anyway.

[16:05:06]

Plus, he has really nothing to say, I think, other than the magnificence of his empire and the like, and that wasn't going to impress the judge at all.

WHITFIELD: Yes, so perhaps the prosecution was really looking forward to him taking the stand again tomorrow because, you know, there might be a misstep. That cross-examination moment could be pivotal for them. So then now, how does the prosecution redirect if it even needs to, since he is no longer making himself available in the morning?

LITMAN: Yes, you're certainly right. You know, they knew he might have been faking, but somebody has been staying up all weekend with, you know, constructing very, very surgical questions.

WHITFIELD: Right.

LITMAN: Now, what happens, the prosecution has a couple, we're told, pretty ministerial quick work witnesses and then it goes to the judge who will probably ask each side for what the lawyers call conclusions of law and statements of fact, and he'll choose among them. And within about three weeks or so, I think a blistering shellacking of Trump and company will emerge from the judge, and then it will go up on appeal.

But I think that's what we can now expect. And I think, you know, a couple of days from now, it will -- all the evidence will be in.

WHITFIELD: So those statements of fact, that would be like a closing argument, something you see in another kind of trial, like a criminal trial, for example, but since this is a civil fraud, you're talking about the statement of fact that the judge will then review before rendering a decision on paying up.

LITMAN: That's exactly right. Each side gets to say here are the facts that the evidence shows. Here are the conclusions of law, and those are the building blocks of this eventful decision. They will be night and day, believe me, in difference from Trump's team and the A.G., and you can expect them to mainly go with the A.G. but it's customary for him to give each side a sort of shot at submitting those.

WHITFIELD: OK. Harry Litman, great to see you. Thanks so much for that breakdown.

LITMAN: Thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. All right. A battle is brewing in Washington where Republicans and Democrats in Congress are locked in a standoff over critical emergency aid packages for Israel and Ukraine. And today, we learned that President Biden will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this week at the White House to discuss the stalled funding.

Here with us now is CNN's Kevin Liptak and Alex Marquardt.

Kevin, you first, what do we know about Zelenskyy's visit? Is there any movement on negotiations for, you know, this urgent military aid? Might he even have a visit on Capitol Hill or is it strictly the White House?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, he will visit Capitol Hill, and he will be there at a very critical moment, and the fact that President Biden invited Zelenskyy to Washington really does show you that the White House is looking for quite a dramatic move to try and break this impasse over Ukraine aid on Capitol Hill.

So he will meet President Biden at the White House to talk about what the White House calls this vital need for new assistance, but he will also address all senators in a meeting in person on Capitol Hill, and he will also meet with the Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson. So sort of making the rounds of Washington to try and make the case that continued American investment in Ukraine is necessary, and certainly his challenge will be to try and convince some skeptical Republicans that this additional $60 billion that President Biden has requested can make a difference on the battlefield, when so far in this counteroffensive, Ukraine has not necessarily been able to change the battle lines significantly.

But certainly, these talks have not really yielded progress so far. We did hear from two of the key negotiators this morning, Democrat Chris Murphy and the Republican James Lankford, sort of setting out their positions. Listen to a little bit of what they had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT): This is one of the most dangerous moments that I have ever faced in American politics and I wish Republicans weren't holding Israel aid and aid to Ukraine hostage to the resolution of immigration reform.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you get Ukraine aid passed separate from this?

SEN. JAMES LANKFORD (R-OK): No. No, the focus is what we hear from so many people is, why would we deal with other people's national security and ignore American national security? Why would we literally allow people across our southern border this administration labels national security risks by the thousands coming into the country separate from just the migrants that are coming for employment?

We have individuals they have literally labeled national security risks coming into the country. Why would we not work to be able to stop that? We can do two things at once.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIPTAK: So we did hear from President Biden last week that he was willing to make significant compromises when it comes to these new border rules, and certainly he is coming under pressure from all sides on this, certainly from Republicans and some Democrats who want him to do more to stem the flow of migrants across the southern border. But also from progressive and immigration advocates who worry that he will agree to too much, and perhaps go back to some of the restrictive policies from the Trump administration when it comes to migration.

[16:10:08]

Now we did hear from Senator Murphy today that the White House plans to become more engaged in these talks over the coming weeks, but certainly it remains to be seen whether presidential involvement and even the involvement of President Zelenskyy can convince some of these skeptical Republicans to pass more aid for Ukraine. The clock is ticking. The White House says aid will run out by the end of the year -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Kevin Liptak, thank you so much.

Now to Alex Marquardt there in Tel Aviv watching the developments on the ground there in the region.

So, Alex, where does Israel seem to be focusing their forces right now today?

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly on the south, but there are still a lot of fighting in the north, Fred. We did hear from the IDF earlier today saying that some 250 targets had been struck in the previous 24 hours. That sounds like a lot, and it is, but it's actually lower than the average that we have seen since that pause broke down some nine days ago.

There was a strike on a house today that killed some 45 civilians, that's according to the WAFA Palestinian news agency. So when Israel says that they are striking terror targets, you know, locals in Gaza say that so many of those targets, those buildings being struck, actually are civilian buildings, whether they're schools or mosques or homes.

There were also dozens of people killed, according to local reports, as the Israeli forces have been pushing south towards the city of Khan Younis. That's where the IDF has been trying to encircle the city. They say they have broken through defensive lines in and around the city. And that is where they believe that several top Hamas officials are and may be underground.

The Israelis have also told residents and civilians of Khan Younis to flee even farther south. Many of them had come from the north and went to Khan Younis. There was an urgent appeal that was issued on Saturday for specific areas of Khan Younis and then the people there to leave to go towards the southwest, toward the coast where Israel says that they will be more safe and where there are established shelters.

We asked the IDF what those shelters are. It's still not clear, but you have hundreds of thousands of people who are now fleeing to the southernmost tip of Gaza, around the city of Rafah, and the shelters that there are simply bursting at the seams and overflowing. A lot of people sleeping outside. It's an extraordinarily dire situation -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: It certainly is. Alex Marquardt, thank you so much.

All right, still to come, crews are searching for survivors after tornadoes in this country leave at least six dead in Tennessee. We're live in Nashville, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:17:09]

WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back. The storm system that left six people dead in Tennessee is threatening the East Coast today. 36 million are under a threat of severe weather in the southeast through the mid-Atlantic. And 54 million are at risk of flash floods in the northeast. Today, weather officials confirm the system created an ef-2 tornado in Kentucky Saturday. They received reports that at least 25 tornadoes hit multiple states. The most are believed to have been in Tennessee.

Emergency officials say half of Tennessee's victims were killed by a tornado in the Clarksville area. Witnesses captured this video of the monster twister.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my god.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Wow. CNN's Rafael Romo is in the Madison neighborhood of Nashville, where three people were killed by the severe system.

Rafael, witnesses describe, you know, how whole houses are just simply gone.

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that is right, Fred. Full houses gone. Lots of damage and devastation here, and take a look at this. A cleanup effort has just begun a few moments ago. This excavator showed up and just to give you an idea about the challenge that officials have here, there was a tree that had fallen on top of a house right behind us. And so the excavator took the tree off and put it on the other side right there. There is a pile of debris right there.

And let me show you, it's not the only pile that we can see in this neighborhood. There's another pile here across the street. But you are right. There was a series of monster tornadoes that hit this area of Tennessee. Six people dead, three in this neighborhood, including a minor. Another three in Clarksville about 70 miles northwest of here, including a minor as well.

And just a few moments ago, I was talking to a lady a couple of houses down. She told me that her daughter had barely survived the tornado and that they were trying to help her recover whatever they can of the belongings that were left behind. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JULIA DESPAIN, TORNADO SURVIVOR: Everything just shook up. Everything. She lost the side of her house, all her furniture, all the bedroom, downstairs, upstairs, but she is a tiny 5'3", 115-pound respiratory therapist and she held on to the door as much as she could as it shook up.

JOHN DESPAIN, TORNADO SURVIVOR: Half the house was just blown away. So just family and friends just got together and all these wonderful people out here, and just to try to gather her memories and help her get a fresh start again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[16:20:05]

ROMO: And Fred, in the middle of this tragedy, we have seen many beautiful things happening today. We have seen volunteers coming to help people in any way they can. I saw a gentleman with a truck loaded with bottled water. A couple that was bringing coffee to the people here. And that's the reason, Fred, why Tennessee is known as a volunteer state. And we have seen it in many, many ways today. Back to you. WHITFIELD: Yes. People pulling together. All right, Rafael Romo, thank

you so much.

Coming up, former President Donald Trump doubling down on his comments saying he would be a dictator on his first day back in office should he win re-election. More on his comments next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, on the campaign trail in New York last night, former President Donald Trump tried to downplay and dismiss warnings that his potential victory in 2024 would represent a threat to democracy.

[16:25:07]

Last week, Trump claimed he would be a dictator only on day one of his presidency if re-elected. He also openly talked about how he would weaponize government to exact retribution against his enemies if re- elected.

CNN's Alayna Treene joining us right now.

Alayna, Trump spoke about these warnings last night. What more is he saying?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He did. He actually doubled down again last night, Fred, while giving these remarks at the New York Young Republican Club. He's essentially repeated the claims that he had told Sean Hannity when he was on that town hall earlier in the week that he would be a dictator on day one if re-elected to the White House in 2024 in order to build a wall and to, quote, "drill, drill, drill."

As you mentioned, Fred, he also tried to undercut the narrative that some of his critics are pushing that he would be a threat to democracy by saying it's a hoax cooked up by the Democratic Party. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: In the past few weeks the radical left Democrats and their fake news allies have unveiled their newest hoax, that Donald J. Trump and the Republican Party are a threat to democracy. Would you believe? It's what it is, it's a hoax. We call it now the threat to democracy hoax because that's what it is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TREENE: Now, Fred, he also flipped the script during those remarks last night and tried to paint it as if Joe Biden is the one who is a threat to democracy. And we've seen Donald Trump use this strategy before. He's trying to move the attention off of him and reshape the narrative to make it seem like his opponents are the ones who are actually doing this. Of course, there is no evidence that the White House has any involvement in the indictments that Donald Trump is facing.

But, look, you know, in my conversations with Republicans and those close to the former president, they do admit that there is a concern that his amped up rhetoric on this and continuing to talk about being a threat to democracy could actually hurt him. And especially if he were to win the nomination and go on to compete in the general election. How this would play with independent voters and voters in the general is something that they don't know.

And so there is a concern around this. But there's a couple other things that I think are worth pointing out. One is that I think we need to be very clear about what Donald Trump has been doing and saying himself. He's publicly said both on the trail as well as in interviews that he would use the Justice Department if re-elected to go after his political enemies and that he wants to move the DOJ underneath presidential control, and effectively give the executive branch a lot more power.

But another thing that's also very interesting is what this is doing for Democrats. By Donald Trump continuing to talk about this, he's effectively giving Democrats and President Joe Biden an opening to attack him on this because one of the big things that they have been trying to do is not only try to paint the general election as a rematch between Trump and Biden, but they also want to make it a choice between authoritarianism and democracy.

And so when Donald Trump continues to talk about this and say again that he would be a dictator on day one, that's just giving Democrats more of an opening to continue with that narrative.

WHITFIELD: All right, Alayna Treene, we'll leave it there for now. Thanks so much.

TREENE: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, coming up, a woman battles for a legal abortion after the Texas Supreme Court blocked a lower court emergency approval.

And the FDA approves two new treatments for rare and life-threatening blood disorder. How it could help tens of thousands next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:32:51]

WHITFIELD: A pregnant Texas woman must wait for her states Supreme Court to decide whether or not she should be allowed to have an emergency abortion. Kate Cox says her unborn baby has a fatal genetic disease that is now putting her health at risk. A lower court ruled issue -- ruled on Thursday that it would allow Cox to get the procedure. But Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton asked the states high court for

an emergency stay, and has threatened to prosecute anyone who helps Cox get the procedure.

Here to discuss is Amy Hagstrom Miller, founder and CEO of Whole Women's Health, an abortion provider with clinics in multiple states.

Good to see you.

So, what's your view? You know, if you are a woman in Texas looking for an abortion, and it is an emergency case just like Kate Cox, what -- what are woman women trying to do? What are they deciding to do?

AMY HAGSTROM MILLER, FOUNDER AND CEO, WHOLE WOMEN'S HEALTH: You know, this is about women's health and safety. I mean, this is a person who had a wanted pregnancy, that has a fetal anomaly that can be very dangerous for her to continue the pregnancy. This is really serious health care, and Ken Paxton has a history of denying people access to safe OB/GYN care, including abortions that are necessary in the situation that Mrs. Cox is in.

You know, it goes all the way back to COVID, trying to use the executive order to ban abortion, all the way through SB8. You know, our attorney general in Texas is a convicted felon, and how dare he blocked this person from getting the safe health care that she needs, in order to take care of her body and her family.

WHITFIELD: So what are you hearing from other clinics that are operating in Texas, and what their -- what kind of options they are exploring, and how difficult things are for them?

MILLER: Sure. I mean, Texas already banned abortion. The second that Roe was overturned in the Supreme Court, there haven't been elective abortions in the state since that time. And there is a another lawsuit, where over 20 women have joined that lawsuit, who were denied pregnancy care, health care, for pregnancies because of the way this law was written.

[16:35:05]

It not only blocks people from getting safe elective abortions, it blocked people from getting the care that they need during pregnancies. This is dangerous for women's health, it's dangerous for the communities in Texas, and this person should be able to get the care that she needs, so that she can care for the children that she has, and her future. And, it's ridiculous that Ken Paxton is stepping in, trying to block this procedure from happening for this woman.

WHITFIELD: And, of course, you know, aside from Kate Cox's health and well-being, what are you hoping to come out of this legal fight?

MILLER: You know, millions of people in this country right now are being denied safe abortion care. Since the Roe v. Wade decision was overturned in June of 2022, 14 states have banned abortion completely, and more states than that have restricted access to abortion. We have, in our clinic in New Mexico, we are seeing people from Texas,

all over Texas, people are driving from Austin, San Antonio, Dallas- Fort Worth, even as far as Houston, all the way to Albuquerque. Banning abortion doesn't prevent the need for abortion, it just restrict people's access for safe medical care.

And we have to take a stand. These opinions don't represent the majority of Americans. Most people support access to safe abortion, locally, and in our communities. And this is ridiculous, but the attorney general is doing right now.

WHITFIELD: If this case does not go, in Kate Cox's favor, what legal ramifications could doctors and clinics in Texas face, in your view?

MILLER: You know, many people have had to leave the state of Texas to get health care, both elective abortion and the kinds of abortion procedures that Mrs. Cox needs. And, that is unheard of.

I mean, most people can't afford to take time off of work, to travel out of state to get basic health care. And, I think we are seeing damage to the community, we're seeing damage to people's health, not only their physical health, but the health of their families, their mental health. This is an incredibly extreme restriction, and I think we need to go at it in whatever way we can.

I'm thankful to the Center for Reproductive Rights, and to this family and the doctor who is involved in this case, for trying to push back, through the state of Texas no less than 11, times when we had our clinics here. And this is oftentimes what it takes. Both community action and community building, and legal action, and representatives in the state and national legislature, to come together in all bodies of government to give us back the access to safe abortion that we need, and that people deserve.

WHITFIELD: All right. Amy Hagstrom Miller, thanks so much for being with us today.

MILLER: Thank you so much, Fredericka. I appreciate it.

WHITFIELD: All right. The FDA has now approved a breakthrough treatment for sickle cell disease. It is the first ever medicine in the United States to use a technology that allows scientists to modify the DNA of living things. And, it's a potential cure for debilitating disorder that disproportionately affects African Americans.

CNN's Meg Tirrell had a chance to sit down with a young sickle cell patient, whose life has been transformed by this new treatment.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Two years ago it was hard to imagine 15-year-old Johnny Lubin for doing this for long. Born with sickle cell disease, an inherited disorder affecting the red blood cells, Johnny has been in and out of the hospital his entire life, dealing with bouts of extreme pain and other serious complications. JONATHAN LUBIN, CRISPR SICKLE CELL TRIAL PARTICIPANT: It was kind of hard for me to like do things, like have fun and stuff, because I'd always have to be worried about if I'd have a pain crisis or not.

It would mostly be in my back, like my lower back, and it always like -- would be like really - like a pounding pain in my back. So, it hurt a lot.

TIRRELL: How long would they last?

FABIENNE DESIR, JOHNNY'S MOM: Sometimes days.

TIRRELL: Until now, the only hope for a cure for the estimated 100,000 people in the U.S. with the disease has been a bone marrow transplant. But like more than 80 percent of patients with sickle cell, Johnny couldn't find a donor.

DESIR: We were desperate. At that point you're like, OK, what's going to be next? We thought that we were going the lose him.

TIRRELL: So, Johnny and his family decided to try something that's almost never been done before.

J. LUBIN: I was worried that I might be - like, get like super powers or something.

TIRRELL: As part of a clinical trial for a completely new kind of treatment, Johnny is now one of the first people in the world to have his genes edited using CRISPR to treat his disease.

J. LUBIN: And I'm like, wow, that's -- that's pretty cool.

DESIR: And scary.

J. LUBIN: And -- yes, and freaky.

TIRRELL: Do you feel like a medical pioneer?

J. LUBIN: I don't know. I feel like -- I feel like a guinea pig.

TIRRELL: In sickle cell, a genetic mutation causes red blood cells, which carry oxygen around the body, to be misshapen, like crescents, or sickles. They can get stuck in the blood vessels, causing severe pain and decreased oxygen to organs.

[16:40:07]

CRISPR allows you to make a precise cut in DNA. In this case, cells are removed from the body and edited to turn on production of a different form of the oxygen-carrying protein hemoglobin, a type we have when we're babies, explains Johnny's doctor, Monica Bhatia. Then the edited cells are returned to the patient.

DR. MONICA BHATIA, NY-PRESBYTERIAN/COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IRVING MEDICAL CENTER: So in essence it's a fetal hemoglobin induction process.

TIRRELL: And that's good enough?

BHATIA: Fetal hemoglobin, we know, has oxygen - a higher oxygen- carrying capacity then adult hemoglobin or sickle hemoglobin. And so, yes, it is more than good enough.

TIRRELL: And so far it has been good enough. Twenty-nine out of 30 patients, including Johnny, met the trial's goal, being free from having a pain crisis for at least a year after treatment.

TIRRELL: How long has it been?

J. LUBIN: Two years.

DESIR: Two years.

JR LUBIN, JOHNNY'S DAD: Two years.

TIRRELL: Now Johnny and his family celebrate his treatment day as his second birthday.

J. LUBIN: October 4th is when I got the infusion. So basically I got the whole new like dose of like cells and stuff.

TIRRELL: And while Johnny didn't turn into a super hero, what he got might be even better.

JR LUBIN: So, I'm starting to teach him how to drive. So, that's another, you know, thing to worry about. So, yes, so we're stepping into the regular worrisome of, you know, raising a teenager.

TIRRELL: The chance to be a regular kid.

DESIR: He's a clown. My baby's a clown.

J. LUBIN: Yes, I am.

TIRRELL: Meg Tirrell, CNN, Trumbull, Connecticut.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Oh wow, he's incredible.

Thank you so much, Meg Tirrell, for bringing that to us.

All right. Coming up, Elon Musk restoring the X account of right wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. We'll tell you what led to Jones's return to the platform, after a five-year ban.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:46:12]

WHITFIELD: All right. This just, and more than 300 members of Harvard University's faculty have signed a petition supporting president Claudine Gay. And this comes amid calls for Gay to step down, after her testimony on Harvard's antisemitism policy before Congress. The petition says, quoting now, we, the undersigned faculty urge you in the strongest possible terms to defend the independence of the university, and to resist political pressures that are at odds with Harvard's commitment to academic freedom, including calls for the removal of president Claudine Gay, end quote.

A source tells CNN a scheduled meeting of Harvard's governing board is happening on campus today, adding, it's not an emergency meeting. Gay has since apologized for how she answered questions about whether calling for the genocide of Jews would violate Harvard's rules.

And today, Elon Musk, a loud in notorious conspiracy theorists back on to X. Alex Jones, now owes a billion dollars to victims of the Sandy Hook shooting for spreading the lie that the mass murder of first graders was a hoax, well, today, Musk posted an informal poll on Jones's return, saying the people have spoken, and so it shall be.

It has been five years since Jones was removed from what was then Twitter.

CNN business writer Clare Duffy is covering the story for us.

Clare, what's this all about?

CLARE DUFFY, CNN BUSINESS WRITER: Yeah, it's interesting, Fredricka, because when Elon Musk took over what was then Twitter at this time last year, he said he would not bring Alex Jones back to the platform, despite returning other previously banned, and really controversial users. Musk explain his position at the time by citing the death of his own first born child, saying of Jones that Musk had no mercy for anyone who would use the deaths of the deaths of children for again, politics, or fame.

Jones, of course, was removed from Twitter in 2018, for violating its policy against abusive behavior. But Musk appears to have been swayed by a right leaning pressure campaign in recent days that was advocating for Jones's return. Musk posted that poll yesterday. And about 70 percent of the 2 million respondents voted in favor of bringing Jones back.

And I will say, Fredricka, that Musk didn't just bring back Alex Jones, he actually elevated his profile today, by engaging in a livestream interview with him on the platform. And, this really seems to be in line with Musk's increasing promotion of fringe and extreme views on the platform, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Wow. So, what does this ultimately mean for Musk and X?

DUFFY: You know, it's hard to see how this is going to be good for the platform. X has been in the midst of this really major advertiser exodus, with brands leaving the platform, pulling their advertising spent, over concerns about hate speech, and Musk's own promotion of fringe ideologies. Musk, in recent weeks, has promoted an antisemitic conspiracy theory, which he later apologized for. But he's also promoted the dangerous pizzagate conspiracy theory, which emerged it ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

And so, it's hard to see how bring back Alex Jones is going to help, advertisers want to return to this platform, which is really crucial, because advertising is X's core revenue base. But Elon Musk doesn't appear to be changing his tune. He told advertises an interview last month to go F yourselves.

WHITFIELD: Oh boy.

All right. Clare Duffy, thanks so much.

All right. So for many this time of year it's about giving back. Well, "CNN HEROES: AN ALL-STAR TRIBUTE" salutes ten extraordinary people who put others first all year long. The star studded gala airs live tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNNOUNCER: Tonight, on CNN.

ESTEFANIA REBELLON, YES WE CAN WORLD FOUNDATION: We provide bilingual information for Mexican children at the U.S. border.

ANNOUNCER: Support the extraordinary people making a difference in the world.

MIKE GOLDBERG, I.CARE: We are rebuilding the colonies here in the Florida Keys.

OSEI BOATENG, OKB HOPE FOUNDATION: I am going to ensure that people in Ghana have access to health care.

DR. KWANE STEWART, PROJECT STREET VET: If I see a pet in need, and a person cares for them dearly.

ADAM PEARCE, LOVEYOURBRAIN: Trauma can be a pathway of growth.

ALVIN IRBY, BARBERSHOP BOOKS: We install child-friendly reading space in the barbershop.

YASMINE ARRINGTON BROOKS, SCHOLARCHIPS: We all are connected because of the shared experience of having an incarcerated parent.

STACEY BUCKNER, OFF-ROAD OUTREACH: There should be no homeless vets period, none.

TESCHA HAWLEY, DAY EAGLE HOPE PROJECT: I don't want to be defined as a victim of my circumstances.

MAMA SHU, AVALON VILLAGE: I do want to make sure that they get all of the attention and love that they deserve.

[16:50:00] ANNOUNCER: "CNN HEROES: AN ALL-STAR TRIBUTE", tonight at 8:00, on CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:55:24]

WHITFIELD: Hold that Tiger. Louisiana State University quarterback Jayden Daniels is your 2023 Heisman Trophy winner. What a moment that was. The award was given annually to college football's most outstanding player.

And at last night's ceremony in New York, Daniels said winning the award was a dream come true. See the areas right there. Daniels just completed a stellar senior season, with the LSU Tigers, leading the nation in total offense, with more than 4,900 yards, while throwing and running for 50 touchdowns. Daniels is just the 3rd player in LSU's history to win the Heisman, the first since quarterback Joe Burrow took home the trophy in 2019. Congratulations.

All right. The answer, who are the Los Angeles Lakers? The question, what team won the NBA's first ever in-season tournament? Well, last night, Anthony Davis had a big game, scoring a season high 41 points to go, with 20 rebounds, powering L.A. to a 123-109 victory over the Pacers in Las Vegas.

And riding high from this victory, perhaps an even bigger family victory, Lakers star LeBron James will now watch his son Bronny play, months after that scary heart attack threatening Bronny's life, and college career.

Bronny will play in his first college basketball game with USC today. Congratulations. Many times over.

All right. For many this time of year is about giving back. Well, tonight on CNN heroes, an all-star tribute, we salute ten extraordinary people who put others first all year long. The star studded gala, hosted by Anderson Cooper and Laura Coates, begins in just a few hours from now, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

CNN's Danny Freeman is at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, getting ready for tonight's big event.

Danny, what can we expect?

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Fred, here at CNN, we cover a lot of hard, difficult, and often sad topics. But being here at this event to honor these CNN heroes is an absolute privilege, because these people are so inspiring, doing so much good work. And we're going to see it all, right here on CNN.

We are on the red carpet right now, and you know the red carpet means? You're going to see a lot of celebrities be here at the museum of national history in New York. We're going to have Brooke Shields, Jeffrey Wright, Sterling K. Brown, Martin Sheen as well.

But, Fred, tonight, really is all about these ten heroes. And I've got to say in the process of preparing for this assignment, and hearing all of these peoples stories, it is incredible. You're going to want to stay and watch this.

You have someone who is using their own Jeep to provide showers and washing services and aid to homeless veterans around this country. We have another person who has a mobile health van delivering health clinics to a number of communities and countries at Ghana. You also know the person who is concurring tourists to come with him at his nonprofit, and replant coral in coral reefs in Florida. The list goes on and on.

There's such impressive, inspiring people. They've also had to overcome a lot in their own life, and are now giving back. Eight o'clock, Fred, don't miss it.

WHITFIELD: Oh, it's extraordinary. And so, inspirational.

Danny Freeman, thank you so much.

And we are just a few hours away from it all getting underway. "CNN HEROES: AN ALL-STAR TRIBUTE", and you can, of course, watch it tonight, starting at 8:00 Eastern time.

And it's a very busy week here on CNN. Make sure to join CNN for two Republican presidential town halls this week. Live from Iowa on Tuesday, is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and Vivek Ramaswamy will be on Wednesday. That's at 9:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

All right. Thank you so much for joining me this weekend. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

CNN NEWSROOM continues with Jim Acosta right now.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jim Acosta in Washington. Good evening.

We begin this hour with Donald Trump doubling down on his vow to be an American dictator. He claims only for one day.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT: Baker today in "The New York Times," he said that