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One World with Zain Asher

Officials: Witkoff And Kushner To Islamabad For Talks With Iran; Israeli Operations In Lebanon Draw Comparisons To Gaza; U.S. Special Forces Soldier Arrested For Betting On Maduro Raid; Multiple Tornadoes Rip Through Parts Of Central U.S.; Hundreds waiting At Everest Base Camp Amid Glacier Block; Trump To Attend Event Celebrating Press Corps He Often Attacks; U.S. Fast-tracks Psychedelic Drugs Research For Mental Illnesses; FDA Approves First-Ever Gene Therapy For Inherited Deafness; Aired 12-1p ET

Aired April 24, 2026 - 12:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:00:34]

CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN ANCHOR: Diplomats from both the U.S. and Iran are headed to Islamabad for talks. The second hour of "One World" starts right

now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE HEGSETH, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Iran will never get a nuclear bomb. The choice is theirs, but with this blockade, the clock is not on

their side.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: Well, the clock is ticking, but Donald Trump says he has all the time in the world. We're live in Pakistan with the latest on diplomatic

efforts to end the war.

Also ahead, expedition delayed. Right now, glacial ice is standing between hundreds of climbers and their Mount Everest dreams. We're live at the

scene.

Plus.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Once the US had extracted Maduro, Van Dyke had won that bet. The authorities say he won more than $400,000 from that bet

alone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: Shocking arrest. An American soldier has been arrested. Authorities say he bet on a top secret mission that he himself was involved

in.

And later, witness a miracle. This little boy was born deaf, but now, his life is filled with sound. The brand-new treatment that's changing the

game.

Live from London, I'm Christina Macfarlane. Zain and Bianna are off today, and you're watching the second hour of "One World."

Now, CNN has just learned that the U.S. President Donald Trump is sending special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jack Kushner, to Pakistan to participate

in talks with Iran.

Sources tell CNN, an Iranian delegation, led by the foreign minister is expected in Pakistan later today.

Well, these diplomatic moves come after the defense secretary held a press briefing earlier urging Tehran to cut a peace deal and claiming America's

blockade of Iranian ports as, quote, tightening by the hour.

Pete Hegseth went on to say that Iran's forces have been reduced to a gang of pirates with a flag. And he had some harsh criticism for America's

allies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HEGSETH: We are not counting on Europe, but they need the Strait of Hormuz much more than we do, and might want to start doing less talking and having

less fancy conferences in Europe and get in a boat. This is much more their fight than ours.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: Well, CNN's Kevin Liptak has the latest.

And, Kevin, so this new reporting in just the last few minutes that the U.S. are now sending a delegation to Islamabad. What more can you tell us?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes. And this provides some more context of what exactly we will see unfold in Pakistan.

Over the weekend, we understand that the president's envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, are now being dispatched to Islamabad to join those

discussions that we had heard about earlier between the Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, and the Pakistani officials who have been

mediating these talks between the U.S. and Iran.

Now, as of now, our understanding is that the Vice President J.D. Vance will not be part of this delegation, just as the leader of the Iranian

delegation who had been the parliament speaker, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, will also not be in Islamabad for these discussions.

But there is the prospect that if these talks advance and that they raise to the level of those officials that Vance is essentially on standby to

leave and to go and participate. He is in Washington right now. He's at the White House. We saw him arrive just within the last hour.

And so I think it does give you a sense that the wheels of diplomacy continue to turn, and in some cases, continue to turn relatively quickly.

This trip coming together, just in the last several hours, you know, what had been holding the U.S. off for the last several days is this perceived

lack of understanding about who in is -- or who in Tehran has the ultimate authority to sign off on a deal.

They had detected divisions with the Iranian regime between the moderates and the hardliners. And President Trump even suggesting yesterday that the

Iranians didn't know who their leader was. And they were waiting to hear back what precisely the negotiating position was by the Iranians before

they agreed to another round of talks.

This suggests that there has been some advancement in those conversations. What exactly that is? We don't know just yet. What exactly the Iranians

have come back and said that they're willing to agree to when it comes to their nuclear enrichment, when it comes to the stockpile of highly enriched

uranium, all of these sticking points that had been in place during the last round of discussions, again, were not clear what exactly that is.

[12:05:23]

But I think the fact that the president is now dispatching these two high- level officials to Islamabad for this discussion does give you a sense that there has been some development on that front.

And the fact that JD Vance has now on standby to head to Islamabad. If the leader of the Iranian delegation, the parliament speaker also heads in that

direction.

And so a lot developing and a lot will develop, I think, over the next 24 to 48 hours, but clearly an important advancement in our understanding of

how this diplomacy is proceeding.

MACFARLANE: Yes. Significant development. Kevin, thank you. And we will be live with a view from Islamabad in just a few minutes.

But first, Hezbollah says the recently extended ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel has no meaning following renewed violence. Israel says it hit

rocket launches in southern Lebanon, as Hezbollah said it launched attacks on northern Israel.

And while there's been hope the three-week extension could help bring peace, Israel's ambassador to the U.N. told CNN on Thursday that the truce

is not 100 percent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANNY DANON, ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: We have to be honest, you know, the Lebanese government, they have no control of Hezbollah. And

Hezbollah is sending rockets, trying to sabotage the ceasefire, and therefore, we have to retaliate. Every time we -- we see a threat, we take

action.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: Well, Israel's strategy in Lebanon is drawing comparisons to its operations in Gaza. Jeremy Diamond has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through text translation): All houses in villages near the border in Lebanon will be destroyed, according to the Rafah and Beit

Hanoun model in Gaza, in order to permanently remove border-area threats from the residents of the north.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After leveling homes, neighborhoods and entire cities in Gaza --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through text translation): Four, three, two, one.

DIAMOND (voice-over): -- Israel is exporting that model to southern Lebanon, raising civilian infrastructure in towns and villages near the

border to carve a buffer zone out of Lebanese territory, which the Israeli military says is aimed at distancing Israel's northern residents from the

threats posed by Hezbollah.

But in one town after the next in southern Lebanon, rows of homes have been flattened, shops torn to the ground, entire neighborhoods erased.

Over six weeks of war, the Israeli military systematically demolished the town of Ayta ash Shab, now practically wiped from the map.

Along this street in the border town of Aadaissah, which once held a pharmacy and auto repair shop, one building after the next has been reduced

to rubble. Even the local mosque was not spared.

Steps away, an excavator, and alongside it, a multi-story building, not yet destroyed.

To Hassan Rammal, it represented plans for the future, a building he erected in his hometown, apartments on top with shops on the ground floor.

It had been partially damaged in a previous Israeli strike. Construction was underway just one month before the current war broke out.

Those dreams dashed the moment Rammal saw this video confirming the worst.

HASSAN RAMMAL, DISPLACED SOUTH LEBANON RESIDENT (through text translation): Somebody sent me images, and I saw that the building I was renovating had

been destroyed. I felt that the hope that once existed had diminished.

For you to build, only to be demolished, build, demolish.

DIAMOND (voice-over): There are countless stories like Rammal's in south Lebanon. A Shia majority area where many, like Rammal, support Hezbollah.

In the town of Bint Jbeil, fierce fighting with Hezbollah militants soon gave way to control demolitions, raising the city's old quarter of

buildings beyond.

Such massive destruction of civilian infrastructure is considered to be a violation of international law and a potential war crime.

The aftermath is both apocalyptic and yet terrifyingly familiar. Revealing the same kind of systematic destruction Israel carried out to create a

buffer zone in Gaza.

And like in Gaza, the fragile ceasefire in Lebanon doesn't mean Israel will cease demolitions. Israeli officials say they will continue.

In videos filmed by nearby residents, post-ceasefire, the ruins of this Lebanese village give way to more destruction. Excavators working to tear

down more buildings.

[12:10:08]

Lebanese communities within this roughly five-mile wide buffer zone, now controlled by Israeli troops, are facing more of the same. That buffer zone

means Rammal hasn't been able to return home, but he remains defiant.

RAMMAL (through text translation): Israel can say whatever it wants. There will not be a buffer zone.

DIAMOND (voice-over): And refuses to give up on his dreams of homecoming.

RAMMAL (through text translation): This land is dear and precious. Even if we only build a tent, I will return so I can smell the soil of my village.

This is my village until I am buried there, until my last breath.

DIAMOND (voice-over): Jeremy Diamond, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: Going back to our breaking news now. President Trump is sending special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan for talks with

Iran. CNN's Nic Robertson is joining me now live from Islamabad.

Nic, Kushner and Witkoff heading to Pakistan where you are with, we understand, J.D. Vance being held on standby as it were to join, if talks

develop positively.

What is all of this signify to you and what are you hearing there?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes. Number one, this seems to be a fast-paced development because a few -- it was only seems

like a few hours ago that we heard that the Iranian Foreign Minister was coming here. And although Pakistani officials have said that they hoped

that his meeting, his bilateral meeting with Pakistani officials would then lead to the next round of face-to-face talks between the U.S. and Iran, the

indications, we were getting from sources here, was that this was just going to be the foreign minister having a bilateral meeting with the

Pakistanis here.

And that was sort of further cemented, if you will, or heavily suggested by the Iranian side because we were understanding and the Iranian foreign

minister had tweeted that he was going to have a meeting here in Islamabad, then go on to Oman for a meeting, then go on to Moscow for a meeting.

So the understanding we had was that the Iranian foreign minister was going to be on the ground here for just a few hours before he left again.

Now, that may not have changed, but that's where we were in our understanding maybe half an hour ago.

Obviously, this announcement and the -- and the sourcing that CNN has at Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff, are going to be on their way here, maybe

changes that picture a bit.

It will, of course, take them time to get here. You know, fast jets -- civilian fast jets are still going to take about 17 hours, it took the vice

president to get here when he traveled here from the U.S. east coast.

So I think there's still a degree of time that earliest it could physically really seem to happen face to face here would be sometime on Saturday.

Does the Iranian foreign minister plan to go to Moscow -- to Moscow and get back here again to meet them? That's not clear.

I mean, one of the things that has become clear is that what the Pakistani mediators have tried to do here is to create a talks environment where

nothing is too fast paced. The -- the -- the talks, two weeks ago, that were sort of tried to be one and done in 21 hours, that didn't work out.

So any rounds of talks here, I think they will try, the mediators will try to make sure that they are given time to breathe. Both sides can sort of

understand each other.

But it is a fast-moving moment in diplomacy when just a couple of days ago things seemed to be stagnating. You know, the vice president was going to

come last minute, he didn't. Iran's been putting down demands like the United States must end its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

All those key points to the Iranians. That narrative hadn't changed as of a few hours ago. So we were only looking at incremental diplomatic steps if

it was just bilateral, Iran and Pakistan. But now, we're looking at a different spectrum potentially.

MACFARLANE: Yes, certainly fast-paced development, significant too. We will continue to follow it closely.

Nic, appreciate it. Thank you.

Now, a U.S. Special Forces soldier involved in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is now accused of cashing in after allegedly

betting on that raid.

Prosecutors say the soldier wagered about $32,000 on Polymarket, one of the best known prediction betting sites that Maduro would be ousted by January.

They say he won about $400,000 using classified information.

Here's what President Trump said when asked about insider trading on prediction markets.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The whole world, unfortunately, has become somewhat of a casino. And you look at what's

going on all over the world and Europe and every place, they're doing these betting things. I was never much in favor of it. I don't like it

conceptually, but it is what it is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[12:15:05]

MACFARLANE: Well, we should make clear that CNN has a partnership with Kalshi, another prediction market providing us with data. It's one source

that our journalists can use in covering stories or events.

Let's bring in CNN's Kara Scannell. And, Kara, I mean, this is your reporting and it's quite extraordinary. Just walk us through it.

KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Christina, it is. I mean, this is the first criminal case that's been brought involving bets on these ever more

popular prediction markets.

And in this case, this was a bet that caught the attention of a lot of people who follow this. It was a bet that went from $32,000 and up to --

with this profit of $400,000.

And the reason why the payoff was so big is because it was not expected. So, what the authorities allege in this indictment is that this special ops

sergeant, an active duty officer in the U.S. military, was involved in the planning and execution of the extraction of a Venezuelan president, Nicolas

Maduro, by the U.S. military forces.

And in the hours leading up to his knowledge of those plans, he placed a number of bets on Polymarket that said that Maduro would be out of

Venezuela by the end of January.

So knowing and having that classified information is what prosecutors say here was illegal, that he'd use that information to turn it into a profit

for himself when no one else was betting in that direction. That's how these bets paid off so big.

And he made his first court appearance in North Carolina this morning. He will come to New York where he will face the charges later this month and

enter a plea in the case.

He's facing five criminal charges, including the use of government information for his personal gain. He has not yet entered a plea. He's been

released on bail. We haven't been able to reach him yet for any comment.

But this is still an extraordinary moment, given the rise in the popularity of these markets to now see the first crackdown here.

And as you said, President Donald Trump, they're reacting to it. He made a -- a similarity, a comparison to a majorly baseball player Pete Rose, who

had bet on his own Cincinnati Reds. Trump did pardon him posthumously.

There are chatter on the Capitol Hill about whether this soldier should be pardoned for these trades. No sign of that yet as this process is just now

getting underway.

Christina.

MACFARLANE: All right. Well, it's a great reporting, Kara. Thank you.

Now, multiple tornadoes ripped through parts of the central U.S. on Thursday, including this powerful twister in Oklahoma, leaving a path of

destruction in its wake.

This video from the town of Enid, Oklahoma, shows major structural damage, overturned vehicles and widespread debris.

Vance Air Force Base was impacted in Enid and is closed until further notice as officials assess the damage.

Well, the mayor of Enid says no deaths have been reported, so far, and people who were hurt have minor injuries.

Well, CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar had a closer look at the powerful storm system.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. This was an incredible tornado, and even more impressive was not just the size, but also how long it stayed

on the ground. This particular tornado was seen for at least 30 minutes. That is very impressive, especially when you consider that the vast

majority of tornadoes are on the ground for less than 10 minutes.

So this one, because of its size and the fact that it stayed on the ground for so long, is why you ended up incurring not only so much damage, but why

you have so many videos.

Again, you can kind of see here the closer up video where you can see that tornado off in the distance, the violent power that came with that tornado.

Another view here showing the sheer size of this.

Now, it went through many different sizes. We had a rope tornado at one point, the very skinny down to the wedge tornado at some point in time. All

as it made its way through and around the Enid, Oklahoma community.

Now, this was one of several tornadoes that kind of moved through the state of Oklahoma and that general region through the evening and overnight

hours.

Here, you can see some of the damage that that one in Enid caused. Again, just the buildings. You can see all of the damage from around these

particular areas.

The drone video really showing you however the scope of the damage here. You can see this entire neighborhood just leveled these homes wiped off of

their slab foundations. The trees surrounding it are all down on the ground.

So, again, yes, here you can see the overall street just pretty much taken out by that particular tornado there.

More storms are still in the forecast for the remainder of the day. And you can see those continue through the evening hours for states like Texas,

Arkansas, Louisiana and even in through Mississippi. And that will go well into the evening and overnight hours.

Once we get into Saturday, that first round really kind of fizzles and falls apart over much of the southeast. And then we start to make way for

the next round of storms that are going to fire up late into the afternoon and continue into the evening.

And unfortunately, in many of the same places that we just saw, not only severe weather yesterday, but could potentially see some more severe

weather yet again today.

And it continues even after that. So, Sunday and Monday, we continue to see the threat for severe storms. We just start to notice a shift in where the

threat for those storms begins.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[12:20:08]

MACFARLANE: Thanks to Allison Chinchar.

All right. Coming up, anxiety at the top of the world. Details ahead on the hundreds of people waiting to climb Mount Everest with one major obstacle

in the way.

And the vice president versus the prince, why Donald Trump is pushing back on remarks by Prince Harry about the war in Ukraine.

And the U.S. government puts psychedelic drugs on the fast-track. We'll look at what that will mean for those with mental health illnesses.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MACFARLANE: Now, take a look at these new images out of Everest Base Camp. Hundreds of climbers and Sherpas are now playing the waiting game due to a

massive block of glacial ice you can see there.

It's blocking a route to the summit. And in response, specialized high- altitude workers known as Icefall Doctors, are working to map out a solution.

Meantime, more people are arriving at Base Camp. This is raising concerns that when the route does eventually open, there could be traffic jams near

the summit.

Well, my next guest is journalist and filmmaker Ben Ayers. He's joining me now from Namche Bazaar in Nepal, which located south of the Everest Base

Camp in complete darkness. I can see there, Ben. I hope it's not too late or too early for you.

So --

BEN AYERS, JOURNALIST AND FILMMAKER, EVEREST LIVE: Not at all.

MACFARLANE: -- can you -- good. Can -- can you tell us, Ben, like what -- what happened with this glacier? I believe it's called a Serac and -- and

how it was that you came to learn that this huge piece of ice had moved to block the mountain.

AYERS: So, basically, the way that Everest climbing works and what a -- what the Serac is, it's a part of this ice fall, which is the beginning of

the Everest climb. It goes from Everest Base Camp up to the first camp on the mountain.

And it's actually the most dangerous part of the climb because it's almost like a frozen waterfall where there are just these huge, huge chunks of ice

that are constantly moving and falling.

These Icefall Doctors, their job is only to find a way through this maze of these huge pieces of moving ice to get up onto the higher flanks of the

mountain. And this year, they encountered a blockage of this Serac, which is like a big overhanging piece of snow and ice that can -- that can

sometimes weigh millions of tons.

[12:25:06]

And the Serac that they've encountered is too dangerous to be sending climbers through or around because it could fall over at any moment. And

this is what stopped all progress up the mountain about a week ago.

MACFARLANE: So, effectively your attempt to scale the peak is now delayed. I mean, what do you expect is going to happen next? Are you going to be

able to pass? Or -- or is it game over, climb over?

AYERS: Well, the -- the -- the first response was to sort of wait and see. And to see if maybe this thing would fall over naturally and let the -- let

the progress continue, but that hasn't happened.

So just today, actually just a few hours ago, the teams working on the base of the mountain have come up with a new solution. Typically, there's a

different set of rope-fixing teams for the bottom part, the icefall, and then the upper reaches of the mountain. They -- they require different

specialties. They're run by different organizations.

But now, these two organizations are combining forces, and they're sending up a bigger team tomorrow to see if they can find another way through that

safe enough to open the mountain again.

They're also going to be using helicopters to ferry some of the rope-fixing teams up onto the mountain to start the rest of the route so that they save

time and not everybody's waiting for this impasse to be crossed.

And -- and I understand that it's somewhere in the region of 410 climbers who've been issued permits to climb Everest. I mean, I -- I can't quite see

where you are, but I'm wondering what the mood is there and whether there's concern that climbers, you know, because of the delay might try to push

through to the summit to sort of speed up their ascent.

AYERS: Well, absolutely. As of right now, there are 410 permits issued for Everest, but there are also surrounding peaks of Lhotse and Nuptse, which

all use the same beginning of the route.

So that's just for also foreign climbers. There's probably 1,200 to 1,500 people that will be trying to get on the mountain. This includes all of the

support staff, the high altitude workers.

So, the concern that the -- now that we're a week, 10 days behind schedule, that the weather windows, basically everybody waits for the jet stream to

move away from the summit of the mountain. And that allows for good weather and good summit conditions.

These tend to be -- these are called weather windows and they tend to happen a few times this season. It's possible that the first series of

weather windows will be missed and that's going to condense everybody trying to go to the summit at the same time, which can create a lot of

chaos higher up. And there are certainly concerns about that.

MACFARLANE: Well, we hope that doesn't happen, of course. And I don't know how many -- where exactly you are at altitude, but you're in darkness. You

paint a very good picture for us, though, of what is happening there, Ben. So we really appreciate it. Thank you. And stay safe.

AYERS: Absolutely. Absolutely. Take care. Thank you.

MACFARLANE: Now, President Trump doesn't party with journalists very often. That's why this year's White House Correspondents' Dinner getting a lot of

attention. We'll have a preview, after the break.

Plus, a medical breakthrough is allowing children born with hearing loss, a chance to hear for the first time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KERRI, MILE'S MOTHER: I never thought this would be possible.

What did the leopard say? Ah.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:30:36]

MACFARLANE: Welcome back to "One World." I'm Christina Macfarlane.

President Trump is brushing off remarks by Prince Harry after the British Royal called for more U.S. action to end the war in Ukraine. Prince Harry

made an unannounced visit to Kyiv on Thursday, calling on Washington to increase its support for Ukraine and urging Vladimir Putin to choose a

different course.

Here was Donald Trump's response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Prince Harry today has said that he would like to see you do more to end the war in Ukraine. Do you think it's appropriate for a

Royal to make those comments ahead of the visit on London?

TRUMP: Prince Harry?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.

TRUMP: How's he doing? How's his wife? Please give her my regards, OK? You know. No, I don't know. I know one thing. Prince Harry is not speaking for

the U.K. That's for sure.

I think I'm speaking for the U.K. more than Prince Harry.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: Well, all of this comes as King Charles and Queen Camilla are set to visit Washington next week.

And before that, a celebration of speech and journalism. And for the first time, as President Donald Trump, is going to attend the White House

Correspondents' Dinner. He has boycotted the gala for years.

Critics say this were risks normalizing U.S. president's assaults on the press, but the journalists who invited him say they're glad he will attend

Saturday's event and embrace the tradition that dates back 100 years.

Well, CNN's Alayna Treene joins us now from the White House who is, I understand, going to the dinner tomorrow night. I hope it's not in a work

capacity, Alayna.

But -- but look, you know, we know there's no love lost, right, between Donald Trump and a number of journalists and media networks. So, what do

you think we can expect tomorrow?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. It's really fascinating that he's coming. Not only for the reasons you mentioned, I mean, all of

the times that the president has criticized and attacked reporters to their faces online, but also because this is a first for the president.

Trump -- Donald Trump had gone when he was a civilian to the dinner in the past, but he has never attended the White House Correspondents Dinner or

spoken there as president. We never saw him attend the dinner during his first term. He did not participate in the dinner last year. And so this is

going to be a different moment for President Donald Trump.

Look, I mean, obviously, he's been working on his speech. We did hear from the White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying this week that

it'll be a good speech that he's, you know, working with some comedians on it.

He's normally -- I mean, normally when you look at past presidents, there are a lot of, you know, maybe 45 minutes for a speech that often goes

around half an hour. I'm very curious to see. I mean, that is not typical for Donald Trump. He likes to spend an hour or so talking. So this could be

a good portion of the evening on Saturday.

But it is a huge question of how he's going to address the press. I mean, I've gone to countless Donald Trump rallies, different political events,

events now that he is in office again for his second term, and almost every speech.

He does make some sort of remark criticizing what he calls the fake news and going after different networks, bringing up stories that he disagrees

with.

So very curious to see how he will handle that on Saturday night. I don't doubt that he'll probably make something -- some similar remark just given

he's not going to put on a show just because it's in front of all of the press. And so it'll be interesting to see.

[12:35:04]

And it is going to be interesting as well. There is going to be a mentalist, you know, every year, the White House Correspondents' Dinner and

the Association behind it has an entertainment, I guess, dedicated to entertainment in the past. It's typically been comedians. This year,

they're changing up and having a mentalist come.

And so unclear yet if the president is going to stay for that or if he's going to engage at all with that specific guest, but should certainly be

entertaining.

MACFARLANE: Definitely. And perhaps, who knows? It sounds like you might be in for a long night, but we shall see.

Alayna Treene, thank you.

Now, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has just announced it will fast track its review of certain psychedelic drugs to treat mental health

conditions. This follows an executive order from the president clearing the way for such research.

For years, psychedelics have shown promise in helping those with mental health illnesses, especially when traditional treatments have not worked.

Three companies will get vouchers to study psychedelics aimed at treating severe depression and PTSD.

So time now for The Exchange. And my next guest says psychedelics have so much potential to help people, particularly using MDMA to treat those with

post-traumatic stress disorder.

Rachel Yehuda is a professor of trauma and resilience at the Icahn School of Medicine and at Mount Sinai. I hope I said that correctly. Thank you so

much for joining us.

So, first, could you just walk us through what this news means and -- and how these drugs will be treated by authorities and physicians moving

forward?

RACHEL YEHUDA, PROFESSOR, ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI: Well, what this means is -- thank you for having me, by the way. What -- what

this directive means is that it's going to be easier for people to do studies of psychedelic compounds and for these three specific companies to

go on and fast track towards regular regulatory approval with the FDA.

MACFARLANE: I mean, you've said, as I said just there, that these drugs have so much potential to help people.

What do the drugs themselves do to help alleviate the pain of mental illness?

YEHUDA: Well, what I think that they do is that they put people in a frame of mind where they can tolerate and process very difficult material that

comes to mind.

When you have a mental health condition like depression or PTSD or addiction, there's usually some event that is also involved in why you feel

the way you feel.

A lot of our mental health symptoms are, of course, also biological. So by taking this compound, you open the channels of neuroplasticity, open the

channels of your emotional connection, and you're able to look at very difficult material in a different way.

And sometimes the experience of taking the psychedelic can be very, very intense. But many people claim that it's very transformative, particularly

if it occurs in a therapeutic context with therapists who are able to help people process the material that comes up for them.

MACFARLANE: And just out of interest, where do you see this having the most impact? Like, is there a specific mental illness where psychedelic therapy

would have more of an impact?

YEHUDA: Well, I think that a potentially psychedelic therapy is going to be helpful for a wide range of mental health conditions, especially if trauma

is at the root of them.

And it's going to also be helpful for things that have been really difficult to touch. For example, suicidal feelings are very difficult for

people to manage or addiction behavior.

So, I think PTSD, depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders are all going to benefit from being able to -- to use psychedelic therapy in the

future, yes.

MACFARLANE: I mean, we also saw this week that the Trump administration moved to loosen up the rules on medical marijuana as well. I just wonder

what you thought of -- of that and the effect that might have on the legal weed industry.

YEHUDA: Well, marijuana is already legal in many states, so I'm not sure how much impact it will have on usage, but it will have very strong impact,

just like the executive order on psychedelics and being able to do the kind of research that is necessary to bring the right evidence to bear.

So again, I think the executive order is really going to make things easier to bring psychedelic therapies quicker. And we've already seen with three

compounds that they're going to be accelerated to the fast-track. That's just the beginning.

[12:40:07]

It's important that these compounds weren't chosen because they're the best, but because they're far enough along in the regulatory review.

So, I think the announcement today reflects where the pipeline is now, not where it's going to be in the future, not where the ultimate evidence is

going to eventually lie. But that's because now it's going to be easier to do research that is going to be able to help us make the case for who

should be best treated with psychedelics and perhaps who shouldn't be treated with psychedelics and how they should be used in the context of

other therapies.

MACFARLANE: And it's interesting, isn't it? Because for so many years, the perception of psychedelic drugs has been quite negative. What has

contributed to change that perception, do you think?

YEHUDA: Well, I think it's a combination of a lot of things. First of all, there have been these fantastic testimonies by veterans and important

people who have tried psychedelics and have reported that it has been a transformative experience for them.

There's been more research beginning with the MDMA-assisted therapy research that really was breakthrough for PTSD and is probably going to

emerge as a very important therapy. We've had our own results treating combat veterans with MDMA-assisted therapy and it's very, very profound.

I think people are -- are more open to the idea of psychedelic therapy in general. I think it's lost some of its negative stigma.

And I guess the most important factor is that there's a real mental health crisis right now. Across the world, certainly in the United States, about

20 percent of people can be diagnosed with a mental health condition.

And the current therapies just aren't cutting it for a great deal of people. So we might have to think out of the box for this. And psychedelic

treatments are out of the box thinking they certainly represent new approaches. And I think there's a real hospitality now to doing something

new.

MACFARLANE: Yes. And I hope that, you know, conversations like this will help to kind of loosen that stigma with the general public.

Rachel, so great to hear your thoughts on this. Thank you.

YEHUDA: Thank you very much.

MACFARLANE: Now, a new gene therapy is changing the lives of some babies born with inherited hearing loss. It's the first time ever that treatment

has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for this type of rare genetic condition.

CNN's Meg Tirrell has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: A year ago, this little boy, Miles, could hear almost nothing, but now, his life is filled with sound.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Shake, shake, shake.

KERRI: He loves music and dancing and running around. I -- I never thought this would be possible.

What did the leopard say? Ah.

I mean, to find out that your baby is profoundly deaf, is just so scary. And I remember sitting in that room and it was dark and I just started

sobbing. And it was really the start of our journey.

TIRRELL: Miles was born with a rare genetic mutation and a gene known as OTOF. It's so rare, only about 50 kids are born with it each year in the

United States.

But it turned out that there was a clinical trial going on of a completely new way of treating this kind of hearing loss. Miles' parents signed him

up.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh.

KERRI: Hi.

TIRRELL: In results from about five months after the treatment, 11 out of 12 participants had improvements in their hearing. Six could hear soft

speech and three had essentially normal hearing.

Now, that therapy made by the company Regeneron, has just received FDA approval.

So, how does it work? Well, it's called gene therapy. It involves using a harmless virus to deliver a working copy of a gene directly into the inner

ear to fix the faulty mutation that's causing Miles' hearing loss.

For his family, the results were incredible.

KERRI: He didn't like music. He wouldn't sit for stories. He would try to interact with the siblings for the best of his abilities but, you know, it

was hard for him.

And then after the surgery, we quickly started to realize that his hearing was coming back.

What is that?

MILES: (INAUDIBLE)

KERRI: One of the days we were heading to school I was like, Miles, I love you. And he would had his back to me. He turned right around and he went

and blew me a kiss. And I was like, you heard me. You heard me say that and you blew me a kiss. It's just amazing.

TIRRELL: The new gene therapy is the first-ever for hearing loss.

And though Miles' condition is rare, the hope is that this will lead to more breakthroughs that can extend the kinds of benefits that Miles has

experienced to many more people.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:45:32]

MACFARLANE: Nairobi is known for its multiculturalism and creative arts. Eleven years ago, it became the first -- first the city in Africa to host

the World Design Week. Inside Africa revisited the city to explore the impact on that event on the local scene.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NAISIANOI SAITOTI, EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT, NAIROBI DESIGN WEEK: We're bringing attention, much needed attention to the Kenyan creative industry. How can

we get our community to get seen, to get appreciated?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This year's Design Week, celebrates what it is to be human and the power of connection.

NJOKI NGUMI, STRATEGY CONSULTANT AND ARTS PRACTITIONER: The late Toni Morrison was iconic in saying that, the arts make us remember who we are.

The arts are able to remind us what we're capable of. The arts are able to seduce us into being better versions of ourselves.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There are up to 80 exhibitors, largely across textiles, jewelry and fashion, many of which are returnees.

VICTOR MAINA, CREATIVE DIRECTOR: The networks that I've gotten at Nairobi Design Week have been really important for my business.

My particular jewelry brand is focused around our Kenyan heritage. And also it's very much craft led. So that means you are going to have to look at

artists and groups and design around the cowries, which are very important churn in Africa.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A lot of the designers here are working with local and sustainable materials.

These sunglasses are made from recycled floorboards and cow horn, a byproduct of the meat industry.

They were made in a factory 20 kilometers from Nairobi Center.

LUCY KABUTI, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND FOUNDER, WARIDI EYEWEAR: When we started, we were doing design only and outsourcing the manufacturing bit.

The fact now that we have a production facility here, it means then we take control of the quality, we take control of the process, we take control of

the design and we take control of everything that is happening here.

So whatever products that you get out there, it is personalized, it has so much love, it has so much passion and it has so much human element into it.

We want to go deeper into the eyewear and then see how far we can go when it comes to the eye care space.

For example, at Nairobi Design Week, we are using (INAUDIBLE) technology to bring out the sunglasses for the visually impaired.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:50:32]

MACFARLANE: Now, the U.S. and Canada Take Your Child To Work Day is a chance for kids to see what their parents do all day. And on Thursday, U.S.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries got in on the fun by taking questions from children of members of the Capitol Hill Press Corps.

And one of the toughest questions came from Sonya Raju, whose dad is CNN's Manu Raju.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SONYA RAJU, DAUGHTER OF CNN ANCHOR MANU RAJU: Why do voters do Democrats so poorly?

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): Oh. Did your dad give you that question?

It's a great question, ain't it? I'm going to have words with you after this, Manu.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: Chip off the old block. Well, Jeffries went on to say there's frustration with both political parties. And that it's up to Democrats to

convince voters they can make their lives better.

And now, we want to update you on Gaza and a moment of hope and joy following the U.S. brokered ceasefire deals signed back in October.

Two men and their help is teamed up to find books for a new library from the rubble of bombed out buildings in the enclave.

Clarissa Ward reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What would you rescue from the rubble? For a group of Gaza book lovers, the answer was knowledge

itself. And I want to show you the Phoenix Library. It's the first library to open in Gaza since the war began and it's a very special place.

Now during the war, every single one of Gaza's main public libraries was either damaged or destroyed by Israeli bombing.

So Omar Hamad, Ibrahim Massri and a group of brave bibliophiles decided to do something extraordinary. They began sifting through the rubble of these

libraries and rescuing the beautiful books inside with the goal of building a new library that would preserve Gaza's knowledge and history.

Omar told CNN they called it the Phoenix after the bird itself rising up from the rubble.

In a place where so much has been destroyed, this library represents something that can't be bombed. The resilience of the human spirit and the

desire to learn.

SHAHD AL MASRI, STUDENT: Books for me are a way to live. They are a way to survive, to understand. And especially here in Gaza, our only weapon is

knowledge.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[12:55:07]

MACFARLANE: And that is a beautiful place to end this edition of "One World" today. I'm Christina Macfarlane. Thank you so much for joining us.

Stay tuned for "Amanpour" coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END