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One World with Zain Asher
Netanyahu Calls for Talks with Lebanon on Disarming Hezbollah; Hezbollah Claims New Attacks After Israeli Strikes on Lebanon; Oil Markets Rattled by Uncertainty Over Strait of Hormuz; Artemis II Crew to Splash Down in Pacific After Dangerous Reentry; U.S. And Iran Preparing for Saturday Talks in Pakistan; Trump Ally Viktor Orban Could See 16-year Leadership End. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired April 10, 2026 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: A shaky ceasefire with negotiations quickly approaching. "One World" starts right now. Peace talks between the
U.S. and Iran are set to begin on Saturday in Pakistan, with a ceasefire between the two countries barely holding together.
Plus, this weekend could be a pivotal moment in Hungary. Prime Minister Viktor Orban facing his biggest challenge yet as voters head to the polls.
And countdown to splashdown the Artemis crew are on their way back home, but they still have the riskiest part of their mission ahead of them.
Hello, everyone, live from New York. I'm Bianna Golodryga. Zain is off today. You are watching "One World". And we are one day out from high
stakes negotiations in Pakistan, though, ongoing attacks between Israel and Hezbollah are threatening to derail the U.S., Iran ceasefire.
These are images of Beirut, which has been devastated by the Israeli strikes. Earlier, Hezbollah said that it targeted Israeli soldiers in
Lebanon and an Israeli border town Friday morning. This as U.S. and Iranian delegates prepare for talks in Islamabad. Streets have been emptied as the
Pakistani capital enforces a strict security lockdown.
Here's what U.S. Vice President JD Vance had to say as he departed Washington for Islamabad earlier today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JD VANCE, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We're looking forward to the negotiation. I think it's going to be positive. We'll foresee, as
the President of United States said, if the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we're certainly willing to extend the open hand.
If they're going to try to play us, then they're going to find that the negotiating team is not that receptive. So, we're going to try to have a
positive negotiation. The president has given us some pretty clear guidelines, and we're going to see.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Tehran argues that Israel's attacks in Lebanon are violating the truce, something the U.S. and Israel have disputed. Lebanon's Health
Ministry says more than 1800 people have been killed and thousands more injured. Israel says that it is targeting Hezbollah command and military
sites.
Sources say President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu held a quote tense phone call on Thursday. We have just learned that Lebanon's Prime Minister
will travel to Washington in the coming days for talks. Jeremy Diamond is in Tel Aviv, Israel with the latest. So, Jeremy, just talk about the latest
round of firing back and forth.
Hezbollah once again targeting Israel there, and Israel responding in kind. Give us the latest.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, that's right, Bianna. We have continued to see air strikes from the Israeli military in Lebanon
unabated, as well as Hezbollah rocket fire towards Northern Israel, last night, in fact, there were also Hezbollah rockets that were targeted at the
center of Israel, with air raid sirens going off here in Tel Aviv.
And indeed, all of this is happening despite the fact that there is this new diplomatic effort now afoot Israel saying that it is willing to engage
in direct negotiations with the Lebanese government, the Israeli Prime Minister making that announcement last night at the request of President
Trump, who also urged the Israeli prime minister to scale back Israeli attacks in Lebanon.
And the Israeli Prime Minister announcing last night, as he was talking about these negotiations, that there will be no ceasefire in Lebanon, and
Israeli officials have told us that any negotiations with the Lebanese state will happen under fire with continued Israeli air strikes in Lebanon.
Sources have indicated to us that Israel does intend to scale back some of its strikes in Lebanon, but we have yet to fully see exactly what that
looks like on the ground, because while we certainly haven't seen the level of strikes that we saw on Wednesday, when Israel killed more than 300
people in a matter of minutes through a series of 100 plus strikes inside the Lebanese capital and other parts of Lebanon, we have continued to see
strikes.
We've continued to see Hezbollah rocket fire as well. And the real question now is whether or not this is all going to undermine the broader ceasefire
agreement between the United States and Iran as Iranian officials are continuing to insist that this ceasefire include the Lebanese arena as
well.
[11:05:00]
That is part of the reason why we haven't yet seen the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and ultimately, we'll see you know how much this all
impacts the negotiations that are now set to take place tomorrow in Islamabad, Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: Of course, and remember, one of the goals of the administration in starting this war was to dismantle Iran's proxies. And here you have
Iran demanding that its most important proxy also be included in the ceasefire Israel pushing back. But Jeremy, give us more insight into this
phone conversation between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu that's ultimately led to what could be historic talks between Lebanese
leadership and the government there and Israeli officials.
DIAMOND: Yeah. Well, President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu had a series of conversations this week that did touch on the Lebanese issue.
First, it was when President Trump informs Prime Minister Netanyahu at the 11th hour that this ceasefire agreement with Iran was happening.
Then the announcement quickly followed. The Israeli Prime Minister in that call had asked that Lebanon not be included in the ceasefire agreements.
And then we saw, of course, both Israel and the United States saying it was not despite what the Pakistani mediators were saying and what the Iranians
were saying.
Then subsequent to that, there was a phone conversation on Wednesday where President Trump urged Netanyahu to engage in these negotiations to scale
back strikes in Lebanon. And then we're told that there was another phone call yesterday, far more tense, according to an Israeli and American source
familiar with the details of this conversation.
According to the Israeli source, this is the call that led the prime minister to announce these negotiations, because he feared that President
Trump would announce a ceasefire in Lebanon, notwithstanding what the prime minister wanted to do or not, one that would basically put the Israeli
Prime Minister in the position of having to abide by a ceasefire that he had not agreed to.
And so, you can see the dynamics that are at play here, and the extent to which Israel's desire to continue carrying out strikes against Hezbollah in
Lebanon, you know, has risked unraveling this ceasefire with Iran altogether. And while the United States, you know, is kind of on the one
hand, saying Lebanon is not included, on the other hand, pressuring Israel to scale back its strikes, you know, it seems like for now, both sides have
landed in a place that they are comfortable with.
But again, the big unknown is, to what extent is Iran going to continue to insist that Lebanon be included? And the other question is the Lebanese
government, you know, they, Lebanese officials have indicated to us that they will not negotiate under fire. And so, they are also under pressure
from their own population, which just suffered this, you know, very this mass casualty event on Wednesday as a result of these Israeli strikes not
to negotiate, you know, amid that carnage.
And so, there's so many complicated dynamics at play here, but ultimately, the big one is going to be what Iran's response to all of this is and how
it impacts those negotiations tomorrow.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Jeremy Diamond in Tel Aviv for us. Thank you. My next guest is Ambassador Dennis Ross, who played a leading role in the Middle
East peace process under both Republican and Democratic presidents. He's also served as Special Assistant to President Obama.
In his opinion piece for "The Washington Post", Ross explains how President Trump can still walk away with a strategic win. Dennis, welcome back to the
program. I want to get to your piece in just a moment, but picking up there from the points that, Jeremy, was making as it relates to aid talks between
Israel and the Lebanese government, which could prove to be historic.
But at the same time, while continued fire is exchanged between Hezbollah and Israel and under pressure from the United States now that this back and
forth not jeopardize the ceasefire talks happening in Islamabad. Do you think there is an opportunity here to box out Hezbollah with the talks
between Lebanese officials and Israelis, or do you think it's only going to give them time to regroup?
AMBASSADOR DENNIS ROSS, FORMER SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT OBAMA: No, I do think there's an opening here. I think there's a larger issue, and that
is, how much does the Trump Administration and do the current Iranian leaders, how much are they committed to the ceasefire?
My own sense is that we're seeing posturing on both sides, but they both want this. It wouldn't be happening. It wouldn't be holding even with some
of its fraught character, if they didn't both want this, if the president became convinced that the ceasefire with the Iranians was being jeopardized
by what the Israelis were doing in Lebanon.
He would exert much more pressure than he has to this point, the pressure, as you indicated, as Jeremy indicated, came through a phone call on
Thursday where, basically the prime minister feared the president was going to go ahead and announce a ceasefire, as it related to Lebanon.
[11:10:00]
And that helped produce the agreement to go ahead and begin talks with the Lebanese. It's noteworthy that the Lebanese, you have President Aoun, weeks
ago publicly said he was ready for talks with the Israelis, and the Israelis didn't respond. So, the fact that the Israelis are responding now
is clearly a function of what President Trump has said to the Prime Minister.
Plus, I think the Prime Minister understands, ultimately, he doesn't have an answer for Lebanon, unless you have a Lebanese government that is not
just willing but also capable of disarming Hezbollah. So, I do think there's an opening here. I suspect the question of how much Israel will do
in terms of fire is also going to be influenced by the president, by what's going on in the talks in Islamabad.
And also, what the Lebanese are saying, whether or not they will continue to have they will be prepared to launch these talks if Israeli fire is
continuing.
GOLODRYGA: Well, as we've noted with a number of experts, while Iran and the IRGC there may have the upper hand as it relates to the Strait of
Hormuz, many times, historically, Iran has overplayed its hand. So going into these negotiations, as you note in your piece, just a few days ago,
the president sort of dismissed the urgency of reopening the straits.
Now he's insisting upon it. I can't imagine that Iran can have more than one or two demands here. What happens when they walk in and say, our two
demands include that the Strait of Hormuz obviously under their control, and a ceasefire in Lebanon. How do you expect the White House to respond
there?
ROSS: I think it's easier for the White House to respond to a ceasefire in Lebanon than it is to respond to anything that retains even the semblance
of Iranian control or the ability to manipulate what happens through the Straits of Hormuz. Every American president, really, going back to the
period after the Second World War, made it very clear that a hostile power having control over the supply of energy out of the Middle East was
something that was completely unacceptable.
I think the President Trump, after dismissing it, as you noted, has come back and emphasize that this is fundamental that ultimately has to be a
non-negotiable item. It may be that we will see other issues, that they will come up with formula that are bridging kinds of formula.
On this one, there really isn't a bridging formula the notion that the president said that maybe we and they could collect tolls, or there could
be money made out of this, would there be some kind of condominium that is a -- if that were to be the case, be a huge mistake, because it would then
be acknowledging that the Iranians have control over an international waterway.
Understand, this is not like the Suez Canal or the Panama Canal. Those are both man-made, man-built canals.
GOLODRYGA: Right.
ROSS: Waterways through sovereigns. This is an international waterway. It has never been controlled by anybody. It is not under anybody's sovereign
control. It has to remain that way, or it becomes a strategic defeat for us.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, as much as the president may want to publicly say that this was a victory for the United States if he walks away with Iran
retaining control over the Strait of Hormuz, something which they did not do six weeks ago, it is hard to view that as a victory.
Your piece in "The Washington Post" is titled how Trump can still pull out a win in Iran, and you make the argument that the best-case scenario for
Trump to do just that is to wrap this war up as soon as possible. As we know, there's not much appetite here in the United States for continuing
the war.
There's definitely not an appetite, even within his own party and base, for sending boots on the ground. So, other than continuing to threaten more
military strikes with the assets that he already has in the region. What can the president do to end this quickly, while still legitimately
declaring victory?
ROSS: He can declare victory legitimately beyond what's been achieved militarily at this point, if, in fact, there is an agreement to take the
440 kilograms of near weapons grade enriched uranium, plus another 20 percent plus another 180 kilograms of uranium enriched to 20 percent which
is also highly enriched uranium, out of Iran.
That has to -- if that doesn't leave Iran, then it means the Iranians retain what is the most important element in being able to build a bomb,
the combination of those two elements of highly enriched uranium. Mean you're talking about at least 15 bombs worth of material the hardest thing
to develop and accumulate.
[11:15:00]
It doesn't by itself, produce a bomb, but it's the most important thing to be able to produce a bomb, so long as that's in Iran, that means they
retain the option, you can't claim that you've ended the possibility of Iran having a nuclear weapon, if they retain that. So, two things have to
be achieved by the president.
One is that, that material has to leave Iran. And two, the Straits of Hormuz have to be open. Other things can be negotiated, the scope of
sanctions relief. I mean, that is something that should be negotiated. But if you have those two things, and then you're in a position, I think, to
end the war and claim success.
And what I was saying in the piece is that Iran has no means at this point, this leadership has no means to deal with any of the grievances that the
Iranian public has in great abundance. There are inner contradictions in this system that will play themselves out. So, if you can end this war in a
way where the Iranians don't legitimately claim they have succeeded, then I think the inner contradictions will play themselves out, not immediately.
I'm not suggesting this happens in the next few months, but within 12 to 18 months, either we're going to see an Iranian Gorbachev or we're going to
see a different kind of regime than we've seen so far.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, and that solely depends on then the Iranian themselves, and how much more pain they can withstand as a population that has been
under this leadership now for nearly half a century. Ambassador Dennis Ross, it is notable that these are not easy achievements that the president
needs to make, opening the Strait of Hormuz and removing the highly enriched uranium to declare victory, but we'll see what comes out of the
talks this weekend.
Appreciate the time. Thank you. Well, oil markets are rattled due to uncertainty over the critical Strait of Hormuz. Analysts and shipping
executives tell CNN that it's still too risky to cross the vital waterway, and only a few ships have made the journey in recent days.
On top of this, the war driven jump in gasoline prices is largely responsible for pushing U.S. inflation to 3.3 percent in March. This new
data shows U.S. inflation is now at the highest level in nearly two years. CNN's Matt Egan joins me from New York. And Matt, I guess we expected this
bump in inflation following the war and its impact on energy markets over the last six weeks.
But this is also a president who campaigned on bringing down inflation. Just walk us through the numbers and the impact that it's having thus far,
MATT EGAN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, Bianna a look, this was a hot inflation report, and you can really see the fingerprints from this war all
over this report, especially, of course, when it comes to gasoline prices. So, consumer prices, they were up by almost 1 percent 0.9 percent between
February and March.
That's triple the inflation rate from the month before. This is the highest monthly rate in almost four years. The annual inflation rate 3.3 percent
that's a touch lower than expected. However, this is the highest annual inflation rate in nearly two years. In fact, when you look at the trend for
annual inflation, you can see how it's going almost straight up again because of the war, 3.3 percent.
I mean, this is the highest annual inflation rate of either of President Trump's two terms in the White House. And as far as why this happened,
well, look, gasoline prices skyrocketing 21 percent between February and March. That's the most since the BLS started tracking back in the 1960s but
it's not just gasoline, airfare also going up by 3 percent that reflects strong demand.
And perhaps the early evidence of skyrocketing jet fuel linked again, to the war. Other things that got more expensive include tomatoes. Tomatoes
skyrocketing 15 percent. The news wasn't all bad, though, thankfully, egg prices continue to come down dramatically from that peak a few years ago,
and grocery prices overall.
They actually went down a little bit, although I got to say, you get to wonder if that's going to last, given the surge in diesel costs that's
going to impact transportation, same diesel that farmers use for their machinery, also the fertilizer shortages and just supply disruptions caused
by the war, all of that could end up increasing the price of groceries.
And Bianna, one other point for you is the fact that this inflation is really swallowing up the wage gains that Americans have seen, right? This
red line here shows where inflation is annual inflation, and the blue line is wages. And you know, a few years ago, you had this terrible situation
where prices were going up so much more than paychecks.
Then that situation reversed, and people were really making more money than their prices were going up.
[11:20:00]
But unfortunately, you can see now these lines are diverging again, and that does mean that the cost of living is really swallowing up all of these
pay hikes. Back to you.
GOLODRYGA: And Matt, how are the markets reacting to this report?
EGAN: Yeah, Bianna, take a live look at U.S. markets not a major impact. And I think that is because, as you noted, a lot of this was expected,
right? We could see every day, and we've been reporting on it, how much gasoline prices have been going up. So, it's not a shock to investors that
this is a disappointing inflation report and that we're looking at a nearly two years high for the annual inflation rate.
The thinking right now, Bianna, is that the Fed is likely not to really change much right now when it comes to interest rates, right? They probably
can't hike interest rates because they think this inflation will be temporary, and they're also still a little bit worried about the job
market, but they're also not likely to continue cutting interest rates any time, especially when you're talking about 3.3 percent inflation. Back to
you.
GOLODRYGA: All right, Matt Egan, thanks so much for breaking it down for us.
EGAN: Thanks.
GOLODRYGA: Have a good weekend. All right, the story you've been waiting for after breaking records and barriers in deep space. The Artemis II
mission is now in its final stretch home. The crew is due to wake up just moments from now to prepare for reentry into Earth's atmosphere.
They're expected to execute a final engine burn to ensure the spacecraft is on the right course to come back home. The Orion is set to splash down off
the Coast of Southern California in the Pacific Ocean, just after 08:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Our Ed Lavandera is at the Johnson Space Center in
Houston, with more.
One of my favorite places in the world is right where you're standing the Johnson Space Center there, Ed, and as much as everyone focused on takeoff
some 10 days ago, a lot of attention is going to be on this splash down, which could be actually the riskiest part of this entire journey.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, no, this is it. This is show-time, the amount of pressure that the Artemis crew and the
astronauts, as well as the NASA teams here on the ground at Johnson Space Center know the magnitude of this moment.
This is a space mission that has captivated the world, and it all comes down to these 13 minutes here at the end, when the Orion capsule will be
blasting through the Earth's atmosphere for this splash down off the Coast of San Diego, California this evening.
But this capsule will be put to a strenuous test temperature of nearly 5000 degrees, traveling in at a speed of 24,000 miles per hour and then a very
rapid descent in speed before it splashes down, it will only be going about 20 miles per hour after the parachutes deploy.
But there are so many questions around whether or not the heat shield of this capsule can withstand the strenuous conditions of this Earth's
reentry. Remember, during Artemis I which was an uncrewed space mission, that heat shield took on a lot of damage to it. And there has been a small
group of heat shield experts, led by a former astronaut who have been critical of this mission, questioning whether or not it should have
happened to begin with.
The NASA officials here at Johnson Space Center know that they have to hit the trajectory and the angle with which this capsule comes through the
Earth's atmosphere to ensure that that that heat shield does not come apart. And that is the crucial part here. And NASA officials insist they
have done all of the analysis, all of the testing for several years.
They've had sign off from the astronauts before this mission even took off. But even with all of that, there are nerves leading up to this splashdown
tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEFF RADIGAN, ARTEMIS II LEAD FLIGHT DIRECTOR: It's 13 minutes of things that have to go right, is the way I think about it. You know, I have a
whole checklist in my head that we, you know, we're going through, of all the things that have to happen.
AMIT KSHATRIYA, NASA ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR: It's impossible to say you don't have irrational fears left, right. But I would tell you, I don't have
any rational fears about what's going to happen. We've done the work we need to and where we, you know, have full confidence in the team, the
recovery team, the flight control team, analysis and the work we did.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: And Bianna, to add to the tension of what we will see unfold tonight. There will be six minutes during this reentry where there is zero
communication with the astronauts inside of that capsule that many of their family members will be watching from the gallery behind mission control.
You can imagine the intensity of that moment as everyone in that room waits to hear those astronaut's voices come out on this side of the atmosphere,
waiting for this crew to splash down, Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: No doubt, Ed and given everything that you just laid out so much for having a quiet Friday evening without stress tonight in homes across
the country and the world, but we will be watching, and we'll be cheering them on. Ed Lavandera thank you. And we'll have much more on this later in
the show, with a Former NASA Astronaut.
[11:25:00]
Still to come on "One World" Sunday's national election in Hungary could bring a 16-year reign in politics to a dramatic end. Take a look at the
candidates and their strategies up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: Voters in Hungary will head to the polls on Sunday for a pivotal national election. Live pictures here from an opposition rally in Budapest.
Peter Magyar has a held a double-digit lead in the polls for more than a year now, and he may be about to unseat right wing prime minister and
staunch Trump ally Viktor Orban.
Orban has been in power in Hungary for 16 years. So, let's go to our Melissa Bell, who joins us from Hungary. And Melissa, we will just have to
wait and see how things unfold on Sunday, given the power that Viktor Orban has held over the country and over the institutions there for 16 years.
But in terms of Peter Magyar, it's important to note that he too had one at one point, been part of the same Fidesz party as Viktor Orban's, and he
considers himself right of center as well, though they do have divergences, specifically as it relates to a close relationship with Vladimir Putin and
his stance on the war in Ukraine.
Just walk us through the stakes here leading up to this election.
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Peter Magyar only left Viktor Orban's Fidesz party two years ago, and since then,
and specifically on this campaign trail, where he seemed to make such progress, he's been very careful not to stray too much into the field of
foreign policy. He's spoken very little about Russia, very little about Brussels.
He's really focused on domestic issues, the fact that Hungarians look at their neighbors and feel that the economic stagnation is the fruit of
Orbanism 16 years on. That his economic policies that for such a long time had allowed him to sell the idea of that consolidation of power that you
mentioned, because a vast amount of power has been placed over the last few years in a relatively small circle of people with all of the graphs and
accusations of graph that followed that past, as long as people were doing well.
It's been a lot of a much harder thing to sell over the last two or three years, when people have really begun to feel the pinch in their pocket,
public services that have suffered. And so, you mentioned a moment ago Peter Magyar's meeting right now in Budapest. We're about an hour away in
Szekesfehervar, which I've now mastered the pronunciation of.
[11:30:00]
It's not the only reason -- Bianna, this is where Viktor Orban is about to hold one of his final rallies. It's due to start in about half an hour. And
as you can see, the turnout is pretty underwhelming. We've had a chance to see an advance of his speech that should start in half an hour so.
What he's going to say, and what we expect is for him, really, to return to two of his big tank campaign themes. On one hand, economic prosperity. He
argues that for 16 years, that's what he's given Hungarians. And the other big theme of his campaign is he sought to see off Peter Magyar, and all the
success he's had back at the polls is the war in Ukraine.
He's trying to convince people that if the government changes hands, they will be much more closely involved in the war in Ukraine. And that's about
what he's about to repeat to this crowd just a couple of days before these crucial polls, but in front of a very small crowd, Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: Wonder how much we should read into that, given that he has drawn large crowds, and he's really been quite successful in speaking
directly to voters, very disciplined on that front, especially younger voters. Melissa Bell, let me try it in Szekesfehervar, Hungary.
I think that's probably the best I can do. Not nearly as good as you rolling off your tongue, but we tried. It's a Friday. Thank you so much.
You will be covering this for us this weekend, ahead of Sunday's election. Appreciate it. And still ahead for us, the U.S. Vice President is on his
way to Islamabad for high stakes talks between the U.S. and Iran. We'll have a live report ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: Welcome back to "One World". I'm Bianna Golodryga in New York. Here's some headlines we're watching today. Vice President JD Vance is on
his way to Pakistan for high stakes peace talks between the U.S. and Iran. The speaker of Iran's parliament is now saying negotiations can only begin
after a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran's blocked assets.
Despite the ceasefire announcement, very few oil tankers are moving through the crucial Strait of Hormuz. Analysts say that it's still too risky to
cross the vital waterway.
[11:35:00]
U.S. President Donald Trump says that Iran is doing a poor job in allowing oil through. The astronauts of the Artemis II mission are expected to wake
up any moment now and start their final day in space. The crew is set to splash down in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, California later this
evening, capping a historic 10-day mission that took them around the Moon.
And U.S. inflation rose to 3.3 percent in March. That is the fastest annual pace in nearly two years. Rising oil prices pushed up the consumer price
index, and it's expected to get worse. Analysts say it's largely due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and its fallout.
Well, all eyes are on Islamabad ahead of expected talks between the U.S. and Pakistan. The Speaker of Iran's Parliament has issued conditions for
the start of peace talks. Iranian media report that he will lead the delegation. And Vice President JD Vance heads to -- heads up the U.S.
delegation.
Before leaving for Pakistan, Vance warned the Iranians not to try to play the United States. CNN's Kevin Liptak joins us from the White House. So
clearly, Kevin, as our previous guest, earlier, said that this is a lot of posturing publicly from both sides. But in reality, how much leverage does
the United States come to the table with in terms of bringing this war to an end successfully? And that includes opening the Strait of Hormuz.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: You know, I think when you talk to administration officials, they do feel like they're going into
these talks relatively optimistically, that the Iranians behind the scenes are far more eager to strike a permanent deal than perhaps their public
posturing might suggest. But clearly, their continued control over the strait is a massive point of leverage.
It's something that's causing an enormous amount of concern at the White House. And so, as JD Vance now flies over there, I think there's a
recognition that he will have a very difficult task in front of him. You know, he has not had this kind of diplomatic assignment before. He spent
most of this war, sitting mostly on the sidelines.
And of course, we know that at the beginning of it, he warned the president about becoming engaged in a full-on conflict. That's part of the reason why
the Pakistanis thought he would be a better fit to lead the delegation than Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who will also be there, but it will be JD
Vance who is at the forefront lending, I think, a degree of credence to the talks, a degree of formality, in some ways, compared to how Witkoff has
operated, which is essentially writing down these proposals, passing papers back and forth.
I think Vance is expected to engage in something of a more formal engagement with the Iranians as these talks proceed. You know, I was on
that trip with him to Hungary earlier this week, and he did try and downplay, in some ways, his role in all of this. He says he had just been
sitting on the phone with the intermediaries, going back and forth, talking about some of these sticking points.
He also downplayed this question of whether Lebanon was involved in the ceasefire, saying it was just a misunderstanding, but that too, I think, is
going to prove to be a tricky thing for them to discuss. The parliament leader saying today that, in addition to lifting sanctions, that the war in
Lebanon would have to end as well.
And so, a lot of them, a lot of obstacles to overcome before they can come to some sort of permanent agreement.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Kevin Liptak for us, thank you. And still to come for us, renowned chef Marcus Samuelsson is well known for his culinary skills,
but his latest dish is helping the next generation and the underrepresented.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:40:00]
GOLODRYGA: Well celebrated Chef Marcus Samuelsson has broken barriers in the culinary world, and now he is using his platform to mentor the next
generation. He's also amplifying underrepresented voices and reshaping the global narrative around African cuisine. He joined our Larry Madowo as this
month's "African Voices" change maker.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You have mentored and hired a lot of upcoming black chefs. Why is representation so important to you in this
space that's always been kind of an elite space where people from seven backgrounds were not welcome.
MARCUS SAMUELSSON, CHEF & RESTAURANTEUR: What is shifting the moment people of color has always been food, but it's been the anonymous journey. We were
not seen. We were not heard. For me, it's about bringing the authorship and justifying and -- changing the anonymous journey right, to a visible
journey.
And the greater power today is through social media. People can connect in a different way. And you know, America's food is cooked by many people,
whether you're Asian American background or European American background or Latinx American background, and we should be able to share all those
stories and uplift them and highlight them others project is, you know, on top of the tallest building in East Africa.
And it's a way to see old ideas with new artists meeting. If you looking down from the 45th, 47th floor, there's a tiny school there about two
blocks away, and those students are all cooking students that work in our restaurant, having that pathway between the young cooks that can inspire
and eventually, hopefully, they can also see themselves in terms of hospitality and building their own businesses.
That's a black chef that reached a certain level. When I was a young teenager coming up and cooking, I never found a cookbook or content or
anyone that looked like me, so I knew something always grew in me, like the minute I get a chance to have my own kitchen, hire my own crew, I knew that
I would always make sure of two things.
I would hire women and I would hire people of color, because those were the two things I never saw in my upbringing as a chef, and we have roles right,
as a young line cook, my role was to show up say yes, chef and work hard. As an executive chef, I had the power to with the choices of who do I buy
the food for, who do I bring into the space?
But also, who do I hire as an owner? I have to challenge myself and continue. If this industry is going to change for the better, I can't just
sit on the sideline and hope somebody else going to do that. I'm in the center of that. I have these opportunities. And so, for me, it's very
important to be a game changer in the industry.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: Also, he's an incredible chef. And still to come for us, the countdown is on to splash down for the Artemis two astronauts they're
preparing for the most dangerous part of their 10-day mission. What they can expect as they hurdle towards Earth, that's just ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- in the Pacific at this time of year for the home coming of integrity, astronauts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:45:00]
GOLODRYGA: All right. Well, you are looking at live pictures from space. The Artemis crew now awake aboard the Orion capsule and gearing up for
their final leg home. The historic 10-day Moon mission is wrapping up in about eight hours, when the crew is expected to splash down off the Coast
of San Diego, California.
Retired astronaut "Danny" Olivas joins me now. He's flown on two space shuttle missions, and has completed five space walks. "Danny", who better
to talk to than you about what we can expect to see a little later this evening. And what we do know is the crew will be hitting the atmosphere at
nearly 24,000 miles per hour, generating temperatures around 5000 degrees Fahrenheit.
There had been some concerns about this very reentry process with Artemis I. Just talk to us about how perilous and dangerous this return back to
Earth is?
JOHN "DANNY" OLIVAS, FORMER NASA ASTRONAUT: Right. That's a really good characterization. So, Artemis I returned home in December of 2022 and the
engineers immediately noticed that the heat shield on Artemis I, didn't perform as they had expected it to.
Rather than it ablating or wearing away, it actually was cracking and pieces were flying off. And after a multi-year investigation, the NASA
engineers and scientists ultimately determine what the root cause was, and basically is that there's gasses that build up inside this material the way
it's actually manufactured.
Now in Artemis II, it has essentially the exact same heat shield. So, NASA is expecting that they're going to have some similar issues, and in order
to mitigate that risk. What they've done is they've modified the profile, the entry profile, rather than coming in and doing what they call a skip,
basically skipping off the atmosphere, and then doing a second entry, which is what they did with Artemis I, they're going to do what's called a loft
entry.
So, they're going to come in directly, and then they're going to have a little bit of down range capability, but not the same level of skip off the
atmosphere and then reenter and they're trying to basically control the heat as it's been absorbed into the heat shield.
GOLODRYGA: How much will we in watching this be able to see in terms of this reentry point, and how long will it take once we can see it?
OLIVAS: Yeah, well, we're going to be looking for from the ground, or from, you know, the televisions that will be flying around, probably with
airplanes and helicopters, is basically the parachutes. We're going to be looking for the parachutes to deploy and the crew to be basically making
their way down to a splash down.
We will not see all of this going on this reentry profile, because it's going to happen in the upper atmosphere. That's where Orion is going to
burn off most of its energy coming home from the Moon. As you mentioned, you're talking anywhere from 24 to 25,000 miles an hour as it reenters the
atmosphere.
[11:50:00]
But much of that energy dissipation is going to happen up high, and by the time it hits the thicker part of the atmosphere, it's going to be
sufficiently slower, and that's what we're going to deploy the parachutes, and we're going to watch that relatively gentle landing in the waters off
of San Diego.
GOLODRYGA: Incredible. And what will the astronauts be doing throughout this time?
OLIVAS: Well, it may sound like it's just simply a ride, and it's really not. They will be carrying out procedures at various stages of the entry
profile. They'll be arming and enabling and disabling disarming various systems in order to secure their vehicle, even when they land in the water
that's still an active vehicle.
So, there's still thrusters that have propellant in them. There are still systems that you know have an explosive type of devices on them in order to
actuate them, such as like with the parachutes, and they will be in the process of saving all of that before the rescue crews get to them and
extract them from the --
And it's only after the hatches are open, they get pulled into the rescue boats that, at that point, the mission is pretty much over for them.
GOLODRYGA: And how precise is that splash down as they are landing. I mean, is this within you know, what type of range are we expecting as those
rescue crews there are waiting to extract them once they land?
OLIVAS: Well, this goes back to the whole loft portion of the entry profile. If it was a direct descent, like we saw during the Apollo era,
it's a pretty well-known and pretty precise location, like we've seen conducted with SpaceX, but the loft was designed to give them what they
refer to as down range capability that in the event that there's weather or there's some sort of hazard in the water that they want to try to avoid,
they have the ability to modify that entry profile a little bit to be able to put them someplace else.
So having said that, it's really going to depend on, you know, right before they do the entry profile as to exactly where they're going to enter, but
once they start entering down, the rescue teams will head to the recovery location, and it'll be on the order of miles that they'll be able to see
them and track them and bring them down.
And there's going to be lots of assets in the area there to support them in the air as well as in the water.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, and they'll have access and communication throughout the entire process of reentry with mission control. Yes.
OLIVAS: Well, not necessarily, not during the actual entry, when you're seeing that peak heating. Peak heating, basically generating a plasma
around the vehicle.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah.
OLIVAS: So, communication can and does get spotty, but once they get beyond that, yeah, we'll be able to hear from them and be able to talk all the way
down.
GOLODRYGA: Right. I know that's what you're going to be watching for, as will so many others, as we've marveled over the last 9, 10, days here with
this mission, historic mission at that. "Danny" Olivas, thank you so much for the time.
OLIVAS: Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: And we will have special coverage as the crew of the Artemis II mission returns to Earth following their historic trip around the Moon,
join us at 07:00 p.m. Eastern, 04:00 p.m. Pacific Time, that's 07:00 a.m. Saturday in Hong Kong. Well, next week, CNN marks my Freedom Day, shining a
light on the fight against modern day slavery.
And today, we bring you the story of one woman who was trafficked and exploited as a teenager, but her life changed when she was finally rescued.
Now she's helping other survivors find their paths. CNN's Hanako Montgomery has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Behind the simmering pot of noodles with her mother-in-law beside her "Kat's" days are filled with
the joy of cooking and the pride of supporting her family.
"KAT", HUMAN TRAFFICKING SURVIVOR: These are the egg tarts I made at home.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): But for "Kat", a name she chose for her privacy. Her journey to this point began in circumstances no child should ever face.
When "Kat" was just 15, she was staying with an older friend she trusted. She tells us that friend trafficked her and recruited other girls.
At the time, "Kat" was desperate to find money to fix a broken motor bike, and didn't realize what kind of work she was being lured into.
"KAT": I thought we were going to a party or something. Then when a group of men walked in. I started to become suspicious. I was afraid, shocked and
sad.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): For nine months, she was exploited. Eventually, Thai anti trafficking. Police rescued "Kat". She later came to freedom
home, a safe space where she could receive deeper care and develop skills to build a better future. The CEO and Co-founder of The Exodus Road, Laura
Parker says when "Kat" first came to freedom home, she was looking for the best way forward to provide for herself.
LAURA PARKER, CEO AND CO-FOUNDER OF THE EXODUS ROAD: Economic sustainability and the ability for a survivor to be able to provide
meaningful income and a dignified job is so critical, and that was one of the biggest things that she needed.
[11:55:00]
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): At the shelter, "Kat" found stability and opportunity and completed vocational training before graduating from
technical college specializing in baking.
"KAT": When I started baking, it helped me relax and let go. I don't overthink.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Today, she sells her own baked goods and helps run a noodle shop, earning enough to support her small family.
KAT": I'm proud of myself that I've come this far. I feel much more grown up.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): "Kat" continues to lead, mentoring other survivors and encouraging them to pursue their dreams.
PARKER: They trust her, because in some way, she has been where they currently are, and there's nothing like that sisterhood of survivorship.
The investments and the connection and inspiration that one survivor can give to another survivor is absolutely unmatched.
KAT": I want them to have hope and push themselves to the highest possible point. I want them to fight.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): From exploitation to empowerment. "Kat's" story shows that a life once defined by abuse can heal towards safety.
KAT": My name is "Kat". I'm 20 years old. I'm a baker, a mother and a graduate from the freedom home.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Hanako Montgomery, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: And coming up on Wednesday, April 15th, join CNN for My Freedom Day, a student driven worldwide event to raise awareness of modern-day
slavery. Follow the hashtag My Freedom Day on social media and check out cnn.com/myfreedomday. And do stay with CNN. I'll have more "One World"
after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
