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Iran: "Far from a Final Agreement with U.S." Iraq Races to Form a New Government; Thousands Try to Return Home in Lebanon; Mass Shooting in Ukraine; U.S. Army Trains for Drone Warfare; Venezuelans Rally for Machado; IRGC: Strait of Hormuz Closed; Pope Leo Set to Hold Mass in Kalimba, Angola. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired April 19, 2026 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.

Conflicting stories. U.S. President Donald Trump says talks with Iran are headed in the right direction. But an Iranian official says the two sides are far apart. A rare mass shooting in Ukraine leaves at least six people dead. We'll look at what officials are saying about the shooter. And a race to save a humpback whale that's stranded off the German coast. We'll speak to a marine biologist about what's involved in the whale's chances for survival.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN Newsroom with Kim Brunhuber.

BRUNHUBER: President Trump is insisting that peace talks between the U.S. and Iran are progressing. But Iran's parliamentary speaker says they're far from reaching a final deal. Iranian gunboats fired on a tanker traveling through the Strait of Hormuz, and a container ship was hit by an unknown projectile off the coast of Oman. That's according to maritime authorities. Now, comes after Iran announced that it would close the key waterway again, blaming the U.S. for breaches of trust. President Trump says the U.S. won't tolerate blackmail over the Strait. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: They wanted to close up the Strait again, you know, as they've been doing for years. And they can't blackmail us. In fact, a lot of the ships are coming up to Texas. I don't know if you know, in Louisiana, the ships are coming up. They got used to it. Maybe they'll keep doing it. It's worked out pretty good. We're taking a tough stand. They've killed a lot of people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Top U.S. officials were seen arriving at the White House on Saturday as negotiations with Iran reach a critical juncture days before the ceasefire is set to expire. I want to go to CNN's Leila Gharagozlou joining us live from London. So, a lot going on since you and I spoke yesterday. Take us through the latest.

LEILA GHARAGOZLOU, CNN REPORTER: Yes. So, there's been a lot of back and forth since we spoke yesterday about the Strait, whether it's open, whether it's closed. The Iranian foreign minister, Seyed Abbas Adhochi, had originally said that the Strait was open, and CNN estimates about nine vessels did manage to get through the critical waterway. Since then, the IRGC has said that the Strait is closed again, citing breaches of commitment and breaches of trust. The breaches that they're talking about are the U.S. blockades on Iranian ports.

Now, the U.S. CENTCOM commander says about 23 vessels have been turned back around to these Iranian ports, so they haven't been able to get through the U.S. blockade. Now, these are obviously going to come up in these talks that we're expecting in Islamabad. We have these talks looming, the Iranians and the Americans, and the Strait of Hormuz has been a sticking point, and it's going to continue being a sticking point for them. The Iranians want to have their territorial control of the Strait affirmed, so it's going to be interesting to see where these things go.

Now, President Trump has taken a slightly more optimistic tone about the possibility of an agreement despite what we're seeing happen in the Strait, whereas Mohammad Ghalibaf, the speaker of parliament and lead negotiator, today told Iranian state media that they're far from a final agreement. So, it'll be really interesting to see what's going to happen as the ceasefire deadline looms.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, that's right, exactly. I mean, we're getting different stories from both sides, but we have that ticking clock until the ceasefire expires. I mean, you know, what are the chances? Is there any optimism that something will be done before that clock does expire?

GHARAGOZLOU: So, I mean, analysts have been quite split about whether something happens. There's quite a few different analysts that I've spoken to who have said that they do think that there might be some sort of escalation between the U.S. and Iran because a deal is very hard to achieve in such a short amount of time. The JCPOA, for example, the critical nuclear deal, took years to get to hundreds of hours of negotiation, and we're in a much more precarious situation. So, there is quite a lot of concern that things are actually going to end up escalating.

BRUNHUBER: All right. appreciate that. Leila Gharagozlou, thank you so much. And CNN's Julia Benbrook has more on where the White House stands ahead of the ceasefire deadline.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: While speaking with reporters in the Oval Office Saturday morning, President Donald Trump made brief remarks about the ongoing conflict in Iran. He did say that good conversations are going on. He also said that the United States will not be blackmailed. Take a listen to those remarks.

[04:05:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We have very good conversations going on. It's working out very well. They got a little cute, as they have been doing for 47 years. Nobody ever took them on. We took them on. They have no Navy. They have no Air Force. They have no leaders. They have no nothing. Actually, their leaders are -- it is regime change. You call that enforced regime change. But we're talking to them. They wanted to close up the Strait again, you know, as they've been doing for years. And they can't blackmail us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENBROOK: Following that event, CNN did keep track of some top officials who stopped by the White House, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe. At one point, Vice President J.D. Vance's motorcade was spotted on campus. And this is all just a week after Vance led negotiations alongside Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

When he announced that those talks were ending without an agreement into the conflict, Vance said this was the best and final offer from the United States. Even then, Trump expressed confidence that the Iranians would want to make a deal. And in recent days, he has said that the two sides could be close to an agreement.

But there are still a lot of questions here and some potential sticking points, including suspending Iran's uranium enrichment program and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. And then there's the ceasefire agreement, that fragile ceasefire agreement that is in place and just days away from expiring. Trump was asked, would he consider extending that timeline if there's not an agreement in place? And he said, maybe I won't do that.

So, really putting a timeline on this once again. But as we know, these timelines have often been pushed or changed as things evolve.

Julia Benbrook, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Joining us live from Abu Dhabi is Mina Al-Oraibi, editor- in-chief of The National. Thanks so much for joining us here. Appreciate it. So, just to build off of what we just heard there, the ceasefire expiring in days. I mean, what do you make of where things actually stand right now?

MINA AL-ORAIBI, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, THE NATIONAL: As your correspondents have highlighted, it's very fluid. It's moving. There is the possibility that the ceasefire could be extended. There is a possibility that talks are announced very quickly. And there's also the risk that you get back to active kinetic warfare. And that's the option that everyone wants to avoid, especially here in the Gulf. This is very much on our doorstep. So, there are efforts being made. There were very important meetings happening in Turkey. They had a big forum, the Antalya Diplomacy Forum. We had our correspondent there. And much of the talk there was an effort to keep the Pakistani track of mediation continuing while the Egyptians and the Turks are also putting in quite a bit of effort. You've had phone calls between Iranian officials and here in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar.

So, the Iranians have reached out to some of the countries in the region, which, of course, have been targeted by Iran over 40 days during the war. And there is hope that de-escalation can continue. But at the moment, it's very unclear what ultimately will be the decision of the Iranians to try to de-escalate, but also, of course, how the U.S. reads the situation in terms of the straight and foremost.

BRUNHUBER: Let me ask you about the U.S., because one of the things we've been hearing from analysts is the way that President Trump frames everything publicly, talking, you heard him there, about regime change, saying Iran has nothing left. All of that stuff could actually be making it harder to get a deal because Tehran can't sign onto anything that looks like a surrender. I mean, how do you think that the language coming out of Washington is becoming an obstacle in and of itself?

AL-ORAIBI: The language coming out of Washington, first of all, is adding to the uncertainty because it's unclear if this is a negotiation tactic or what is coming from the United States president is actually what's immediately on his mind and just being put out there publicly to the world. So, it's a complicating situation for people to, one, understand. And two, in terms of the Iranians, I mean, they have been difficult and not very serious in negotiations with various administrations.

So, I think we shouldn't overemphasize that point when it comes to how the Iranians are reacting or what their calculations are in the region. The biggest concern, of course, is this idea that the straight and foremost is now a negotiation chip that the Iranians are using, whereas in reality, when it comes to international law, they should not be having the ability to close off this.

[04:10:00]

So, while you see that the rhetoric goes up and down from Washington and equally from the Iranians through social media, reality is behind closed doors. There are very serious matters that are on the table. And often what we hear is that the American negotiators are serious and they do come up with very concrete ideas and plans. Of course, it's different what we see on social media and in some of these quick media moments.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, nothing new that language in public is different than what we're hearing from diplomats behind the scenes. I want to talk to you about that negotiating chip, as you put it, the straight and foremost. I mean, it's been like a revolving door this weekend. Iran opened it and shut it again with that within hours because the U.S. wouldn't lift its blockade. So, you've got both sides essentially trying to control the same waterway at the same time. I mean, what options do countries that depend on the straight actually have right now?

AL-ORAIBI: Well, there's a number of options that they do have. One is increased pressure on Iran in terms of really serious diplomacy from the countries that are affected. That includes everything from China and Singapore through to the Europeans. That Iran here is not only gambling with its relationships with the regional countries, but actually globally that that cannot be left to stand. And we've seen efforts through the U.N. and through other media or multilateral groupings saying that we can allow this to stand.

Again, not only is it the importance of the straight and foremost, the precedent that is being set now for waterways to be used in this way politically and also militarily could be very, very dangerous for the rest of the world. So, they have the option of the pressure on Iran. Also, going through international organizations now seems to be very useless. And that is concerning not only for the international maritime organization, but also, of course, the U.N. So, what role do they have to make it happen?

And also, it is important to say that for shipping, a lot of this where the idea of the straight being closed, it's the concerns about insurance. So, insurance payments really rising very highly. So, there's a lot to be done also with the private sector to manage the risk factor and how much can be done to actually open up the street in terms of ships willing to take the risk. And that's very difficult. It's only insurance premiums. It's people's lives.

So, I think there's a lot to be said about seafarers, insurance, what mechanisms can be used to tell the Iranians we're going to go ahead and be careful. And of course, there is that forced use of actually having a maritime force to protect ships that are trying to go through.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. So, complicated, as you say. Before we go, I want to ask you this. Because the war is obviously rippling out beyond Iran. We've seen it in Lebanon, for example. But Iraq is another story that isn't really getting as much attention. I know it's a subject dear to your heart. I mean, what's happening in Iraq right now?

AL-ORAIBI: Well, Iraq during the war, of course, was being hit by both sides. You had militia groups that are aligned with Iran striking not only American bases, but Iraqi government installations. We had tankers being struck by Iraqi militias at the behest of the IRGC and Iran. On the flip side, you also had, of course, the U.S. taking out weapons depots for militias, strikes in the middle of even Baghdad, targeting certain militia groups. So, that's in terms of the war.

That's scaled down a little bit, but it hasn't stopped. The drone attacks are continuing. Iraqi militias also targeted Gulf countries. And they were targeting Saudi Arabia and a number of other countries, Bahrain, Kuwait. And they actually called in the Iraqi ambassadors to denounce Iranian-motivated actions that were coming out of Iraqi territory. The U.S. is becoming more forceful. They've put a $10 million bounty for information. Not bounty, but information about one of the most important militia leaders in Iraq. And they've also put in sanctions for seven different militia groupings. When you read the U.S. Department of Treasury's statement about it, they say since 2006 these attacks have been happening and targeting of the U.S. and Iraq, which is quite something, 20 years later until there's more action being taken to single out and isolate these groups that are, of course, not only damaging to American interests, but very much Iraqi and regional interests.

BRUNHUBER: Appreciate your expertise on this, Mina Al-Oraibi. Thank you so much.

AL-ORAIBI: Thank you for having me.

BRUNHUBER: Well, long lines of cars navigate the wreckage and rubble in Lebanon. People uprooted by the war are trying to return home during a 10-day ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel. And you can see vehicles passing over a makeshift crossing at the site of Qasimia Bridge in southern Lebanon. It was bombed by Israeli forces shortly before the ceasefire. The roads are congested with people anxious to see what, if anything, is left of their homes. More than a million people in Lebanon have been displaced in this latest conflict with Israel.

[04:15:00]

The damage is catastrophic in some of the southern suburbs of Beirut. Households and livelihoods have largely been reduced to rubble as the smell of death hangs in the air. And some people say this is still home, and they plan to eventually rebuild.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMILA BASSAM, DISPLACED IN LEBANON (through translator): We will rebuild with our own hands. We're not afraid. Even if it takes us 10 years to repair, it doesn't matter to me. My house in the village is also gone, but we'll repair it too, and it'll come back better than it was. What matters is that we live with pride and dignity, not to be ruled by anyone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Now, traffic is bumper to bumper along the highway in the coastal town of Sidon. Civilians are trying to return to their villages in southern Lebanon. Both the Israeli and Lebanese armies have warned residents against returning. The ceasefire remains fragile, with both sides accusing the other of violating the agreement.

Ukrainian officials say a mass shooting in Kyiv is being investigated as a terrorist act, but the motive is still unclear. They say a Russian-born man went on a shooting rampage on Saturday, killing at least six people and leaving more than a dozen others injured. The gunman later took hostages in a supermarket before being killed by police.

For more, Sebastian Shukla joins us from Berlin. Sebastian, just a tragic story here. Walk us through what we know.

SEBASTIAN SHUKLA, CNN PRODUCER: Yes, good morning, Kim. A real tragedy that has befallen the Ukrainian capital, which is saying something given that this nation and the whole country has been under attack from Russia since 2022.

But what this incident has really done is really affected people locally, because what happened yesterday was a gunman went into a supermarket and throughout the course of this incident has proceeded to kill six people and injure dozens of others. I think we're hearing at least 15 other people.

The gunman himself is now also has been neutralized, has been killed, and those other patients are receiving treatment in hospital. But it's really unclear about what the motive is here, what law enforcement officials are now trying to investigate is really behind this. And we know also very little about the perpetrator of this. We know that he's been named as Ruslan Kravchuk. He's a 58-year-old originally born in Moscow.

But that does not mean he's Russian in this instance. And that he has now obviously been killed as a result of the law enforcement officers operation to get rid of him. But I want you to take a listen to what President Zelenskyy had to say about the incident as a whole.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): It's known that the attacker set an apartment on fire before going out onto the street with a weapon. He had passed criminal convictions. He lived in the Donetsk region for a long time and was born in Russia. Everything that could be known about him is being established and why he did what he did. Every detail must be checked.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHUKLA: This area of the capital city, Holosiivskyi District, Kim, is a southern part, largely residential. What people would expect to find around there are the usual amenities of areas of a city like this. Supermarkets, shops, bars. And the video that is now circulating on Telegram of this shooter is really quite shocking.

I've seen one video where he appears to at least shoot one person at point blank range. We know that two of the six people who he killed outside that supermarket. The four others were inside. And obviously, the Ukrainians now are trying to really get to the bottom of exactly what happened. But what cannot be understated, Kim, is that this really has left the city a little bit shocked. This is not something that the Ukrainians are particularly used to.

Although the prevalence of guns has been relatively high given the war, the state issued firearms to people ahead or just after the invasion of Ukraine. But they were all registered and you had to be part of Ukraine's territorial defense. But we've not seen incidents like this, domestic terrorism like this, really since that invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. And actually, across Ukraine's history more generally, incidents like this are pretty rare. Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right. I appreciate that, Sebastian Shukla. Thanks so much. Sub-zero temperatures, armed drones and waist-high snow. We'll have an inside look as the U.S. Army prepares for the future of modern warfare ahead on Siena Newsroom.

Also, ahead, the message Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado had for her supporters as she pushes for a bigger role in her country's future. Those stories and more coming up. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:20:00]

BRUNHUBER: The battles being fought in Ukraine and Iran are making clear that technology is changing the nature of modern combat. One element that's quickly racing to the forefront is drone warfare. The U.S. Army is working hard to make sure it's ready for battle in any conditions. Our Jim Sciutto went to Alaska to see how soldiers are training to defend against growing threats in the Arctic.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST (voice- over): In the frigid landscape of Northern Alaska, troops from the U.S. Army's 11th Airborne Division are training to defend the Arctic from Russia and China. They call themselves the Arctic Angels.

MAJOR CRAIG BARNHILL, 11TH AIRBORNE DIVISION, U.S. ARMY: We're prepared to, you know, address any threat that were needed to, that the nation asked us to. Specifically, we are focused on the Arctic.

SCIUTTO: I mean, this is tip of the spear, right?

BARNHILL: Yes.

SCIUTTO: So, got to be important for your training and command.

BARNHILL: Yes, absolutely. Getting out here, like it builds grit, it builds a physical and mental strength in the soldier, understanding that you're. Equipment is going to keep you alive.

SCIUTTO (voice-over): The weather is unforgiving. Temperatures dipping to 50 below zero waist deep snow and winds that could bring frostbite within minutes wanting.

[04:25:00]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Launching.

SCIUTTO (voice-over): But now there is a new threat hovering above their heads.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two and three. Good job.

SCIUTTO (voice-over): These soldiers are training for the dawn of drone warfare.

LT. COL. DANIEL LUDWIG, 11TH AIRBORNE DIVISION, U.S. ARMY: So, this year was the first year that we got as much emphasis and as much push on it. So, we have more drones now than we ever had in the past. We've had drones before, but the emphasis is definitely ramped up, given the technology and world events, how everything is maturing.

SCIUTTO (voice-over): This is the new reality for the U.S., its allies and adversaries, demonstrated in deadly terms by the war in Ukraine, where drones now account for the vast majority of casualties. Ukrainian and Russian forces now deploy airborne drones, which can ram into and destroy aircraft, blow up tanks and armored vehicles, and even rain down flammable chemicals on personnel. Ukrainian sea drones defeated Russia's once feared Black Sea Fleet. And today, ground drones are patrolling the battlefield like deadly sci-fi robots. China has been watching and learning. It is testing these armed robot dogs.

Now, the U.S. is integrating drones into every aspect of training for war. And in the Arctic, they are being battle tested.

SCIUTTO: How much are you learning from Ukraine, the war in Ukraine?

LUDWIG: Right. So, there's absolutely lessons learned that we pull in, and there's innovations that happen out there, you know, on the battlefield at a very rapid rate. So, we're constantly seeing what's going on over there, monitoring what's going on over there. And we have also some similar things in the environment going on in the Arctic.

So, in Ukraine, they often talk about the mud season versus the frozen season. When does the ground firm up, so to speak? We have very similar conditions here in the Arctic. Precipitation like this right now has a huge impact on drones.

SCIUTTO (voice-over): Drones operate in hunter-killer pairs. A surveillance drone spots the target. A killer drone takes it out.

SGT. AUSTIN FANDEY, 11TH AIRBORNE DIVISION, U.S. ARMY: This would be something that you would strap right on the bottom of the drone here. This was something I 3D printed just before coming out here.

SCIUTTO: Do you feel like as you fly these around that you're the soldier of the future to some degree, or really, it's the present?

FANDEY: I think so, working in tandem with the hunter as the killer, for example. It's really hard to get away from these, and being on the receiving end, it's kind of a little scary.

SCIUTTO (voice-over): And here's why. Killer drones can hit 70 miles per hour, spitting out a menacing buzz reminiscent of a World War II kamikaze.

FANDEY: With these, it just comes screeching at you. SCIUTTO: There's no outrunning this?

FANDEY: There's no outrunning them.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Launch, launch, launch.

SCIUTTO (voice-over): Once you're detected, it's probably too late. And the hunters can detect you in more ways than one.

SCIUTTO: The thing about drones is that they've got two ways to spot you. Not just seeing you on camera, but sensing you, sensing your heat signature. And that's that red spot you're seeing right now on his screen. That's me standing in the middle of the road and below freezing weather, and they can spot you from more than a mile away.

SCIUTTO (voice-over): Hunters and killers. Hunter identifies the target, killer destroys them.

SCIUTTO: The field of view is just amazing. There we are on screen. That's us, sitting ducks.

SCIUTTO (voice-over): Hyper-visibility in drone warfare requires hyper-mobility.

SCIUTTO: So, this is the CATV cold-weather all-terrain vehicle.

LUDWIG: We can move under tree cover into the forest pretty easily. So, any vehicle that's going to give you that kind of mobility and allow you to get to places that are less suspected to have people and equipment, that's going to be a great opportunity to survive.

SCIUTTO: Because the battlefield is so visible in drone warfare, if you stay in one place for too long, you're likely dead. That's where a vehicle like this comes into play. Essentially a mobile command post that can move over all kinds of terrain in winter and summer conditions and quickly.

So, as I understand it hides heat signatures.

LUDWIG: Yes, absolutely. So, it's not just a visual, it's also electromagnetic and thermal. So, you can use it typically to move soldiers, or I've modified mine slightly to use as a command post.

SCIUTTO: Enemy drone spotted here. How quickly can you get --

LUDWIG: I'd say less than five minutes.

SCIUTTO: Wow.

LUDWIG: Yes.

SCIUTTO (voice-over): Fact is, U.S. and NATO forces still have a great deal to learn.

[04:30:00]

In the U.S. and Israeli war in Iran, multiple Iranian drones have penetrated U.S. and allies' air defenses, one striking a U.S. base, killing six U.S. service members. And when NATO went head-to-head with a Ukrainian drone unit it exercises last year, just 10 U.S. base killing six U.S. service members.

And when NATO went head-to-head with a Ukrainian drone unit it exercises last year, just 10 Ukrainian drone operators defeated a force of thousands, destroying more than a dozen armored vehicles. That was just an exercise.

SCIUTTO: Do you feel like you're playing catch-up to some degree?

BARNHILL: I wouldn't say we're playing catch-up. I think we're using lessons learned there to drive the directions we go.

SCIUTTO (voice-over): The focus of the 11th Airborne and the rest of the U.S. military is training to fight the real thing and win.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Thousands of Venezuelans came together in Spain to show support for opposition leader Maria Corina Machado this weekend. The crowd gathered under the scorching sun in Madrid's iconic Puerta del Sol Square for a rally on Saturday. Machado held the rally with Venezuelan diaspora after meeting Madrid regional leader Isabel Diaz Ayuso. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate has been advocating for the Venezuelan opposition to be given a prominent role since the U.S. ousted former leader Nicholas Maduro in January.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIA CORINA MACHADO, VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER (through translator): Madrid is the heart in Europe of the Venezuelans who had to leave. This city hasn't only received you and integrated you, it has loved you. Today, the whole world is looking at Seoul because they know that today we are planning our return.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: All right. Still to come here on CNN Newsroom, we'll bring you the latest developments from the White House to Tehran and where the two sides stand ahead of the looming ceasefire deadline.

Plus, the first American pope responds to criticism from the president. That plus the latest on the Pontiff's tour of Africa ahead in a live report. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:35:00]

BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom. More on our top story this hour. Iran has once again closed the Strait of Hormuz just three days before the ceasefire is set to end. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has warned approaching the strait will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and any offending vessel will be targeted. Now, this as President Trump claims that talks with Iran are going very well, but that the U.S. would not give in to blackmail.

Meanwhile, Iran's Supreme National Security Council says it's reviewing new proposals from the U.S., but has yet to respond. In the Oval Office Saturday, President Trump was flanked by Health Secretary RFK Jr. and podcast host Joe Rogan. It was the signing ceremony for an executive order aimed at accelerating research into psychedelic drugs as mental health treatments. The president also pledged $50 million in funding for research into the hallucinogen ibogaine, a drug he appeared eager to try on Saturday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Ibogaine, because it's so important, and experienced an 80 to 90 percent reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety within one month. Can I have some, please? I'll take it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: And then President Trump later said he stays too busy to be depressed. Now, early research into ibogaine shows the compound found in an African plant may alter neural pathways. The drug has been used to treat depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms in veterans, as well as curb opioid cravings. But experts are concerned the administration could bypass industry benchmarks and potentially put patients at risk.

Pope Leo XIV is in Angola this hour, the third stop on his four-nation tour of Africa. He's set to preside over mass in Kilamba in a little less than half an hour. The pontiff says his trip is about encouraging the continent's growing Catholic population, quote, "peacebuilding" with people of all faiths. The first American pope also says he isn't trying to debate Donald Trump.

CNN Vatican Correspondent Christopher Lamb is traveling with the pope, and he joins me on the line from Kilamba, Angola. So, tell me, listen, you and I spoke yesterday. The pope was in Cameroon. Now, he's in Angola. Take us through what's happening now and what you're expecting over the coming hour or so.

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kim, it's a whirlwind tour of Africa for Pope Leo. I'm here in this esplanade in Kilamba where we can see thousands, tens of thousands of people who turned out for this mass to be celebrated by Pope Leo. Angola is the third stop on his four-country tour of the continent.

And Leo, while here, has already criticized what he sees as extractivism in this country, which is very materials rich, oil rich, diamonds rich. And in fact, Kilamba, where he's celebrating the mass, is actually a town that was built by Chinese construction as part of an oil for housing deal.

So, Leo really in the heart of Angola and dealing with or addressing some of the major issues here. But of course, his Africa trip has seen him face these extraordinary attacks from President Donald Trump. And on the plane from Cameroon to Angola, he did address that issue, saying that he doesn't want to have a debate with the president. That's not in my interest, he said. And he also said that some of the commentary or narrative of his trip in Africa had been inaccurate, particularly a speech which he gave in Cameroon, where he said that the world was being ravaged by tyrants.

Now, many people viewed that speech through the lens of this clash with President Trump. He said that wasn't correct. The speech was written two weeks earlier. So, Leo trying to dampen things down in that row, extraordinary row with the president. And I see that Vice President J.D. Vance has thanked Pope Leo for his remarks. And it seems that the row has died down.

But Leo here, he said in Africa as a messenger of peace, here to encourage the Catholics on the continent who make up around 20 percent of the global Catholic Church. It's such an important place for Catholicism. It's a growing church. And in Angola, around 40 percent of the population are Catholic.

[04:40:00]

So, Leo is expected to celebrate this mass starting in about 20 minutes time. A huge crowd here, Kim. I can see it sprawling in front of me in Colombo for this papal liturgy, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right. appreciate that. Christopher Lamb in Angola, thanks so much. Communities across the U.S. Midwest are beginning the recovery process after destructive tornadoes capped a week of severe weather. Twisters, baseball-sized hail and other intense storm conditions damaged homes and businesses across several states, from Texas to the Great Lakes. The weather system is steadily weakening as it pushes east, and that will give the storm-weary central U.S. some much-needed relief on Sunday as cooler temperatures move in.

A stranded humpback whale off the coast of Germany has captured the hearts and attention of a nation. After the break, we'll bring you the latest on the complex rescue effort underway to save the whale fans that have affectionately named Timmy. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: An ongoing rescue effort to save a stranded humpback whale dubbed Timmy has captured the attention of an entire nation. The German public has been enthralled as rescuers have repeatedly tried to get him back into open waters over the past four weeks. Now, this latest attempt is a complex operation requiring flotation devices and multiple boats to essentially tow him around Denmark and out to sea. It could be Timmy's last chance.

To learn more on this moving story, I want to bring in Karen Stockin. She's a professor of marine biology at Massey University and a Rutherford Discovery fellow with the Royal Society Te Aparangi. Thank you so much for being here with us. Really just a compelling story that we've been following for days here. Now, as I understand, the plan is to slide air cushions under a 26,000-pound humpback whale, lift him onto a tarpon and tow him, as I said, into the North Sea.

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I mean, you've coordinated stranding responses for the International Whaling Commission. So, just on the logistics alone, has anything like this ever been done?

KAREN STOCKIN, PROFESSOR OF MARINE BIOLOGY, MASSEY UNIVERSITY: Hello. Good morning. Yes, it has, but with great uncertainty, unfortunately. What we're dealing with here, obviously, is a very complicated situation. Not so much just because of the sheer size of the whale, but because of its current condition at the moment. It's undergone multiple stranding events, as you will know, and currently it's not doing so well.

So, realistically, this is an incredibly challenging situation for both the authorities and, of course, all the caregivers involved in this rescue attempt.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. OK. So, let me ask you a bit more about that, because Timmy's been in the Baltics since, what, early March. He's wounded, barely moving, as I understand it. I said in the intro that he, you know, this could be his last chance, but realistically, I mean, does he have any chance, do you think?

STOCKIN: Yes, that's a terribly difficult question, and I've got to be honest and say that his chances are incredibly slim. The reality is that we know that with stranding events, often, especially in situations like this, where you're dealing with a humpback whale. So, this whale is not in its usual environment.

So, this is what we would call out of habitat, where the animal has come into shallow waters. It's really massively away from where it should be in terms of the deeper waters of the North Atlantic, and as a consequence of this, we're dealing with a situation that would suggest that the animal has come in for a reason. Now, in many cases, when animals come out of habitat, it can well be because of ill health, or it can be because they're chasing prey, or subsequently are avoiding predators.

But in the case of Timmy, what we've seen is a very prolonged and gradual decline in body condition, and unfortunately, that's very much what you see in the videos and photographs that obviously have been posted with regards to this incident.

So, it is incredibly a long shot, and this is the juxtaposition, really, because you're dealing, in some cases, with compromised animal welfare and potential veterinary ethics when it comes to deciding whether or not this is the right course of action for the whale itself.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, I mean, it's possible you could be doing, I guess, more harm than good. You say this is a long shot, and you kind of explain why sometimes these whales enter habitats that aren't their natural habitat. I want to pick up on part of that. I mean, your research has shown that whales that get re-floated often re-strand almost immediately, and that's what we've seen, as you said, with Timmy multiple times now.

I mean, in general, not just with his situation, why does that keep happening? Why do they keep going back?

STOCKIN: It really depends on the stranding event. Like, for the whales that we often deal with in New Zealand, these are often pilot whales that form very strong social bonds. So, in those cases, often you're dealing with healthy animals that have very strong social bonds, which means that if you're not re-floating them in the right order, the rest of the group will bring the others ashore. So, in that case, it's a little bit more clear-cut because it's normal social biology rather than health, which is the driver.

In Timmy's case, these are not whales that typically strand, and usually, again, when they do, there's often a very good reason for it. And I think that's the concern here is we're not only dealing with a potentially sick and debilitated whale, but my concerns are with so many different stranding events already happening, and just the sheer pressure that those organs are under every time that whale strands.

Unfortunately, it's an incredibly difficult situation, and my heart goes out to everybody involved. But it's -- yes, there comes a point where balancing animal welfare against the human desire to always, rightly so, get involved and do the right thing, it's challenging.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, well, that's just it. I mean, this story has captivated Germany, captured the world, really. There are live streams, protests on the beach, a woman, you know, jumped off the boat trying to reach him. I mean, you've studied how public emotion can shape the decisions in stranding cases. In this case, the German government sort of said, no, we're not going to do anything, and then responded to the outcry, and eventually is now trying again. I mean, what should people who are watching at home understand about that line between compassion and what's actually best for the animal here?

STOCKIN: Yes, that's a great question, and we've certainly seen a lot of this in New Zealand, and it's been part of, as you say, the research we've been involved in. I think the first thing to remember, of course, is compassion is a good thing. No one is saying it's not. In fact, compassion is what conservation work.

So, compassion is an excellent process and a tool that we need in conservation management. Where the line comes is where we sometimes need to be able to recognize that the human desire to be involved and to be doing something, and that's the hard thing.

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Sometimes if we seem not to be doing something, it feels as if that's somehow a failure on our part. And I would argue it's not, not always. It really does take a level of careful consideration around what is in the best interest of the animal versus what we understandably want to do.

Every single individual involved in this incident wants the very best for undoubtedly. The question is that sometimes can be at our cost. Letting him settle and possibly giving him the space basically is a very big difference to what really is underway at the moment, which is another very complicated and probably very stressful interaction in trying to refloat all over again.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, just a heartbreaking story, which as you say, is unlikely to have a happy ending, but I suppose there is still hope. Professor Karen Stocking, thanks so much for joining us.

STOCKIN: No problem.

BRUNHUBER: We'll be right back here on CNN Newsroom. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: The first round of the NBA playoffs has officially tipped off and the postseason openers didn't disappoint in Cleveland. It was the Raptors versus the Cleveland Cavaliers.

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Now, the score was tight in the first half until Cleveland's offense hit a hot streak. The Cavs carried a 27 to 9 point run through the end of the second quarter and deep into the third. The Raptors couldn't close the gap losing 126 to 113.

Now, things got physical in Denver between the Nuggets and the Minnesota Timberwolves. There were over 40 fouls called over the course of the game. The Nuggets took the lead in the first half. The Raptors were including multiple technicals. Those penalties led Denver's Jamal Murray to sink a perfect 16 for 16 from the free throw line and MVP candidate Nikola Jokic scored a triple double with a bloody nose helping lift Denver to a 116 and 105 win down the stretch.

Meanwhile in New York the Knicks downed the Atlanta Hawks. Now, both teams came out firing to start the game finishing the first half just two points apart but New York's Karl Anthony Towns proved to be clutch late in the game helping overwhelm the Hawks with a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter. The Knicks would go on to win 113 to 102.

Lastly the Los Angeles Lakers hosted the Houston Rockets. Saturday's matchup was missing major stars from both teams including Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Kevin Durant. Despite the shorthanded roster the Lakers shot over 60 percent from the field and were able to consistently clamp down on Houston's offense. L.A. took the lead at the start of the second half and never looked back holding on to win 107 to 98.

All right. That wraps this hour of CNN Newsroom. I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back with more news in just a moment.

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