Return to Transcripts main page

NEWS STREAM

Pope Francis Accepts Resignation of Top U.S. Cardinal; International Pressure Mounts on Saudi Arabia on Missing Journalist; Hurricane Michael's Deadly Aftermath; Government of Nauru and MSF in Mental Health Dispute; U.S. Officials Work to Free Pastor Brunson; Asian and European Markets Gain; IMF Chief on Partnership for Inequality; World Bank-IMF Meeting Tackles Inequality Problem; Stars React to Kanye West's Bizarre Meeting with Trump; Mice Born from Same-Sex Parents Via Gene Editing. Aired 8-9a ET

Aired October 12, 2018 - 08:00   ET

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


[08:00:00] KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to a special edition "News Stream." I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. I'll soon be joined by my

colleague Becky Anderson with the latest on the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Also this hour, the pope has accepted the resignation of a top U.S. cardinal, and I'll be speaking to Melinda Gates, the philanthropist about

bringing the benefits of technology to the world's forest.

International pressure is building for answers in the disappearance of prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. And here are the latest

developments. A source close to the investigation tells CNN that Turkish authorities have audio and video evidence that shows Khashoggi was murdered

inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last week. Now, we do have Becky Anderson in Istanbul covering the story for us. Let's go to her now. Becky.

BECK ANDERSON, CNN HOST: Thank you for that. You're right. International pressure building for (inaudible) in what is this mystery, this

disappearance of a prominent journalist here. The latest developments for you, a source close to the investigation tells CNN Turkish authorities have

audio and video evidence that shows Khashoggi was murdered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last week.

That's just minutes from where we are here. And we are now learning a Saudi delegation has arrived in Ankara to take part in the investigation. That,

according Turkish state media. Well, media organizations and other companies meantime, pulling out of a high profile business conference in

Riyadh later this month.

And the BBC now reporting that Khashoggi said he didn't think he could return to Saudi Arabia just days before he went missing. Well, CNN's

international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson is outside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. What is the very latest on the ground there, Nic?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, one of the key issues that has faced Turkish investigators here, Becky, has been able to

get inside the consulate. The forming last night of a working group between Saudi and Turkish officials, the agreement to form that working group, to

begin the process presumably of letting those Turkish investigators get into the Saudi consulate which is Saudi soil inside that building behind

that high brick wall with a razor wire on top of it.

At the moment, we don't see any evidence of any Turkish investigators going in, that the Saudi delegation has arrived into the country here. It's not

clear what percentage of the delegation is investigators and what percentage of the delegation may, in fact, be diplomats, you know, coming

to talk with their opposite numbers here in Turkey.

But what has become clear overnight is that Turkey has shared what it says is evidence of Jamal Khashoggi's murder inside the consulate, both video

and audio recordings with their intelligence partners around the world.

Some of those partners have seen or at least heard this evidence. And they say that it is deeply, deeply shocking. It has taken them some time we're

told by the source who's been briefed by one of these intelligence agents that (inaudible) information for the Turkish authorities that is deeply,

deeply shocking and has taken them time to sort of -- if they will get their heads around it. It is outside the normal occurrences that they're

used to.

So, the pressure if you would, the public pressure on Saudi Arabia on this now is mounting in the light -- the fact that Turkish authorities have

shared with their allies the evidence that they have and those allies are really all calling on Saudi Arabia to comply and help with the

investigation Turkish authorities want to carry out, Becky.

ANDERSON: Yes. Fascinating. And still few if any official lines direct from either the president or the government here about what they intend to

do next. Is it clear why that is?

ROBERTSON: It certainly leave space for, you know, for this to be dealt with at a diplomatic and political level. The view in Saudi Arabia is very,

very clear and adamant. They didn't have an involvement in this. The 15 men that the Turkish authorities say came from Saudi Arabia, came to the

consulate the day that Khashoggi disappeared, that the Turkish authorities believe were involved in his disappearance.

[08:05:03] Saudi officials are saying these were people who were here merely as tourists. So, they're knocking that down. So there's a huge

amount of daylight between the two sides at the moment, but by forming this working group, it does open the door to a possibility that, you know,

through conversations, a way around resolving what happened to Jamal Khashoggi and squaring the evidence that Turkish authorities say they have

of this murder with Saudi Arabia's denial.

This is a first step in that direction, but of course, as we can all see, that's a very large gap between the two positions. What we are hearing is

from the Saudi Arabias allies in the region, both the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Official there have been very clear in their support for Saudi

Arabia and I think that's perhaps the point here.

Their support is for Saudi Arabia. It comes first in the region. It's the most important thing for the region, that's the narrative, rather than

saying that they support the leadership in Saudi Arabia. They are very much saying that they support Saudi Arabia. But that is a unifying position and

will certainly bolster Saudi Arabia as it goes into these talks with Turkish officials.

ANDERSON: Let's talk more about that now with my next guest. Nic, thank you. Some of the new evidence was reported to "The Washington Post," of

course, where Jamal Khashoggi was a columnist. His colleague, Jason Rezaian, is a CNN global affairs analyst based in Washington. Previously he

served as "Washington Post" correspondent in Iran where he was imprisoned by authorities for a year and a half.

We continue to do the leg work on the ground here in Turkey to try to get to the bottom of exactly what has happened to Jamal. But, Jason, his

disappearance, as Nic was alluding to there, flushing out what are very partisan, very polarized messaging and narratives across social media and

mainstream media in this region, which you will be familiar with, of course.

How do you see that polarization of the narrative shaping public opinion here and what is it the impact will be, again, as I point out in caveat as

we still continue to try and get to the bottom of where Jamal is at this point?

JASON REZAIAN, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Right. Well, as you and Nic both rightly pointed out, there is still so much distance between the

official Turkish narrative and the Saudi one, but I think, you know, from my perch here in Washington, D.C., the question is what is the American

response going to be to this?

And you know, in past years and for many years, you know, the American input on such a massive potential crime against human rights and freedom of

expression would be sort of an important moral element to the equation. And so far, we're missing that. I mean, you know, we have corporations pulling

out of business deals and this investment conference in Saudi Arabia that is supposed to take place later this month.

We have senators and congressmen calling for possible sanctions and definitely an investigation. And then we have a president who has sort of

said, well, let's see what happens. And I think that that is incredibly disconcerting for those of us who work in journalism here in America and

should be the case around the world.

ANDERSON: Well, you rightly point out that you are in Washington where his disappearance is building up ahead of steam. And the media coverage of this

has played no small part in that. How do you assess the impact?

REZAIAN: Well, I think that it's been main driver of the demand for answers. Whether it's, you know -- whether it started at "The Washington

Post" or whether it's in the Arab and Turkish media where these are being discussed.

The point is that people want to know and people are horrified by what they're hearing might have happened to what was or hopefully is a person

who was a strong voice, giving voice to the people of Saudi Arabia and their criticisms of their leadership. And, you know, it's a voice that we

need now more than ever.

ANDERSON: Jason, I don't want to speculate on what's happened because, as I say, we're doing the legwork on the ground. We are doing our best to try

and get to the bottom of what is going on. We know that there is now a Saudi delegation here. There has been this establishment as we are told by

official leaks effectively telling us that there is a working group now between the Saudis and the Turks.

[08:1006] But on the flip side we've also learned that there is audio and video from inside the embassy. So, until we get to the bottom of exactly

what is going on, I just want to finally ask you, do you see this as a watershed moment?

You yourself have been party to the detrimental effects of being a journalist in this region. We know that this is a disappearance which is

high profile but I have to say not unfamiliar to those of us who work in this region. Is this a watershed moment? Will things change?

REZAIAN: Well, I think if it comes out that the Saudi regime was indeed behind what happened and the reports of what are potentially on the tapes

that the Turkish officials have said exist turn out to be true, I think it will be. I mean, I think that people are asking what kind of people would

do such a thing to anybody, to a journalist, but anybody inside the consulate of an ally of the United States.

On the soil of a NATO ally. And the answer, if it turns out to be Saudi Arabia, means that we have to really reconsider our relationship with that

country in terms of politics, of security and business.

ANDERSON: Jason Rezaian is in Washington. Jason, thank you.

REZAIAN: Pleasure.

ANDERSON: Meanwhile, a source tells CNN U.S. officials believe they are on the brink of securing Andree Brunson's release from here in Turkey. Now, he

is the American pastor who has been detained here for more than two years, accused of helping to plot a coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Brunson denies the charges. He is in court right now and there is hope that he will be freed. CNN's Ben Wedeman joins us live now from outside that

courthouse. What do we know at this point, Ben?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we know is that we're now in the second session today of this trial with Andrew

Brunson and so far, some interesting developments. With the first session lasted just under an hour.

And during that time, three of the witnesses for the prosecution seemed to contradict themselves, almost recant their testimony which goes some way to

perhaps undermine the case against Reverend Brunson, who, as you said, he's facing 35 years, possibly, in prison for these accusations.

And we -- CNN has received indications that the United States and Turkey are in the process of discussing a deal whereby the United States would

lift sanctions it's imposed, for instance, it's frozen the assets of the interior and justice ministers of Turkey. It has imposed tariffs on Turkish

exports of aluminum and steed. It has halted a deal to sell Turkey F-35 fighter aircraft.

If they lift all of those sanctions, Turkey might allow indirectly of course, because President Erdogan has made it clear he cannot interfere

with the judiciary, but there may be a ruling whereby the house arrest of Reverend Brunson could -- or Pastor Brunson could be lifted followed by at

some point a lifting of the travel ban. That doesn't mean he's going to be judged innocent or pardoned.

It merely means that despite an ongoing trial, he could be allowed to leave the country, and once out of the country, may decide never to come back.

And that would certainly go a long way to ironing out the very rough relationship at the moment between the Trump administration and the

government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Becky.

ANDERSON: Ben Wedeman outside the courthouse here. Kristie, busy times in this country, two developing stories, and the more we get on both of those

of course, we will bring it straight to our viewers. For the time being, back to you.

LU STOUT: Yes. Absolutely, very busy times. A geopolitical winds there can certainly turn dramatically. Becky Anderson reporting. Thank you.

You're watching "News Stream." And still ahead, an embattled cardinal steps down from a powerful position in Washington. We got the latest on the

fallout from the Catholic Church's ongoing sex abuse scandal and cover-up.

Plus, a Florida beauty spot is among many towns reduced to rubble and heartache. We are on the ground in Mexico Beach with survivors looking at

Hurricane Michael's aftermath.

[08:15:03] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong, welcome back. This is "News Stream."

A stunning fall from grace from one of the most powerful Catholic leaders in the U.S. After weeks of speculation, Pope Francis has accepted the

resignation of Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the embattled archbishop of Washington. Cardinal Wuerl was named in a recent Pennsylvania grand jury

report that accused church leaders of covering up abuse. He is known as a key ally of Pope Francis and sits on the Vatican committee that vets and

appoints bishops around the world.

John Allen is CNN senior Vatican analyst and he joins us now from Rome. John, thank you for joining us. We know that in addition to accepting

Cardinal Wuerl's resignation that Pope Francis has issued a letter. What does it say?

JOHN ALLEN, CNN SENIOR VATICAN ANALYST: Well Kristie, this letter is full of praise for Cardinal Donald Wuerl. It's a two-page letter and the

highlights of which would be that Pope Francis praises what he calls the nobility of the way that Cardinal Wuerl has handled this situation and

saying that Wuerl could have chosen to defend himself but instead has chosen to step aside for the good of the church that he led.

He also said that he believes this is not a case of Cardinal Wuerl intentionally covering up abuse but making mistakes and said that he is

proud of him for the way he is stepping away. So I think that the take away here, Kristie, is that while Cardinal Wuerl may have lost his job today as

the archbishop of Washington, he does not appear to have lost the pope's confidence.

LU STOUT: Yes, and this is an interesting dynamic here. You know, we know in the background the church has been embroiled in this global sex abuse

scandal. We do have this high profile resignation, but we also have this letter that praises Cardinal Wuerl so, is this just not going to be enough

to bring about a news beginning for the church?

ALLEN: Well, it certainly can bring about a new beginning for the church in Washington because it means that fairly soon a new archbishop will be

named and they can sort of turn over a new leaf. But I suspect for survivors of clerical sexual abuse and for the people most outraged by

these scandals around the world, you know, I don't think they wanted to see Donald Wuerl step away with a letter of papal praise in his pocket and I

suspect that this is for them at least, going to reduce the value of this resignation.

Lu STOUT: John Allen, our senior Vatican analyst joining us live from Rome. John, thank you very much indeed.

Survivors of Hurricane Michael, they are facing a daunting recovery. At least 11 people have been killed in one of the most powerful hurricanes to

eve hit the U.S. Gulf Coast.

[08:20:03] And we have been getting and viewing and screening these shocking images of some of the destruction this storm has left behind. This

on your screen is Mexico Beach, Florida, an area described as ground zero for this disaster. CNN's Brooke Baldwin brings us now the latest from

Mexico Beach.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From the air, it's clear. Much of Mexico Beach is gone. From the ground, we see up close the

devastation to the seaside city. Home after home on this stretch of beach destroyed while most of the 1,200 residents evacuated, a small number

stayed behind.

We don't know yet how many survived the near direct hit from Hurricane Michael. Scott Botwell didn't make it out in time. The bridges closed and

he was stuck.

(on-camera) How does it make you feel to look around at everything just leveled?

SCOTT BOTWELL, SURVIVOR: Well, the thing is, you know, this is a small little town, you know. This is our little town and so every restaurant is

gone, every store is gone. And then all of my neighbors, everybody's home is gone and so, when you think about it, you know, all their lives are

gone, do you know what I'm saying? What do you do?

BALDWIN (voice-over): Scott says he lost most of his possessions, but he will stay and rebuild.

BOTWELL: So the stuff that I thought I had -- the stuff that I had (inaudible) is even gone. You know, it's hard to talk about it.

BALDWIN (voice-over): All over the area, we heard this constant high pitched beeping. They are fire alarms buried in the rubble, warnings that

perhaps came too late. Again and again, I heard from survivors here who told me they are simply grateful to be alive. These three friends were

searching for one of their homes. It was hard for them to even recognize the street.

There are just no -- there are no words.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, there is not. There's so many memories here.

BALDWIN: This woman named Sherry says she didn't have time to grab anything but some clothes and her jewelry box.

And to see this --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

BALDWIN: Feels like what?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't describe it. It's just terrible. It's -- I just can't describe the feeling and I know I'm not the only one here that

feels the same, like they've lost everything.

BALDWIN: Mexico Beach is virtually cut off from the rest of the state. Though emergency crews are working throughout the area, roads are still

blocked, power is out and cell service is nonexistent.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hallie, it's mama. I'm OK. I'm OK. It was a lot more and a lot rougher than we thought. How are you guys?

BALDWIN: Our satellite phone was the only way for these women to contact their loved ones.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love you, too. Bye.

BALDWIN: Oh, your daughter.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're OK. They're all I've got.

BALDWIN: Yes.

I just really want to underscore the generosity of spirit, if you've never been to this part of Florida, you know, the way people were offering us

bottles of water and even gasoline and batteries off of a truck so that we could even provide a live signal to shine a light on this hardest area,

this ground zero in the Florida panhandle for all the nation in the world to see.

It is pretty spectacular. I will say that as we talked to fire and rescue personnel who were going around Mexico Beach, it's still too early to tell

any sort of death count. Obviously a number of people did survive including one man we spoke to who rode it out. But it's still so preliminary and, you

know, fire and rescue just holding their breathe that most people heeded the warnings, Kristie, to get out when they could.

LU STOUT: Wow. It's incredible to hear from Brooke Baldwin there highlighting the generosity of spirit on the ground there even in the wake

of such devastation.

The government of Nauru accusing Doctors Without Borders of conspiring against it soon after it abruptly kick the humanitarian group off the

island. The group which goes by the initials MSF, Medecins Sans Frontieres, has provided mental health care services since last November to refugees

who have been stranded there.

Some 900 asylum seekers are being detained on the island under Australia's immigration policy. Many have been there for years. A psychiatrist with MSF

spoke about the situation on the island described as beyond desperate. Listen in

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[08:24:56] BETH O'CONNOR, PSYCHIATRIST, MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES: -- amongst the refugee, and asylum seeker population. We were seeing that

people's mental health was declining and with conditions such as depression anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder resulting in self-harming

behaviors, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. We were also seeing this in children as young as nine-years old who were having suicidal thoughts

and making suicide attempts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: There is just too much needles suffering. You're watching "News Stream." We'll be back right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. You're watching "News Stream" and these are your world headlines.

A CNN source says Turkish authorities have shared evidence with its allies that show journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, was killed inside the Saudi

consulate in Istanbul last week. A Saudi delegation has arrived in the Turkish capital for the investigation into the disappearance as according

to Turkish state media.

Hopes are rising in the U.S. that the American pastor Andrew Brunson will be released today. A source tells CNN that U.S. officials believe that they

are on the brink of securing his release after more than two years in detention. Turkish authorities accuse Brunson of helping to plan a coup

against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a charge the pastor denies.

European markets have opened higher after two days of market turmoil triggered by a sliding Dow Industrial Jones. Asian stocks have also

recovered some ground after their big sell-off on Thursday. Markets in Japan, China, Hong Kong, as you can see on the screen, all green arrows

(inaudible) Friday.

New government data show that China's exports are surviving the trade war with the U.S. at least for now. Exports rose nearly 15 percent in September

compared with the same month one year ago. Analysts warn that performance may be short lived. Right now, exports are benefiting from the drop in the

value of Chinese currency and exporters may have rushed through orders in September before a new wave of U.S. tariffs kicked in.

The chief of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Legarde, has been warning against the trade war between the U.S. and China. At the IMF-World

bank Meting in Bali, Lagarde, has also been talking about the need for partnerships between countries to tackle inequality particularly when it

comes to technology.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTINE LEGARDE, CHAIRWOMAN, INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND: Tackling inequality will require partnership. It requires government, private

sectors, civil society working together to do what? Well, to eradicate the discrimination against women, to design the right labor market reforms, to

strengthen education, training and social protection system, to include people, not exclude them, and prepare them for the future of those

technological transformations

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[08:30:11] LU STOUT: Melinda Gates, co-founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is also at the meeting. She is also the co-chair of the

Pathways for Prosperity Commission. The group helps developing countries to harness new technology in ways that are inclusive to all, even the world's

poorest.

In a report, the commission says numbers about job losses due to automation are misleading. It says they ignore the upsides of technological progress

in creating new economic opportunities. The report also says manufacturing isn't the only way to transform an economy and countries need to be

digital-ready, meaning investing additional infrastructure to enable and encourage innovation.

Earlier, I spoke with Melinda Gates about the report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELINDA GATES, CO-FOUNDER, BILL AND MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION: We know that technology absolutely is benefiting everybody, but if we want to make sure

that the societal gaps that exist today aren't furthered by technology, we have to put the right tools in place and the right regulations to make sure

that cellphones are not only in the hands of everybody but that everybody can reach the internet.

Today in low income countries, you know, three-quarters of the world's population owns cellphones but in low income countries, only 12 percent of

people connect to the internet.

Part of that has to do with pricing. If you look at the price of the internet in a place like Madagascar, it's very cheap. But if you look in

other countries in Africa, it' two times somebody's monthly wages. So we got to get the pricing right and we have to get the regulations right so

that everybody has access to the cellphone, to the internet and to a mobile wallet, quite frankly.

LU STOUT (on camera): Absolutely. And we can get more people more connected and reap the economic benefits of that, but we've also seen the

dark side of technology. You know, fake news campaigns in Myanmar, viral messages inciting violence in India. Is the answer education or regulation

or something, you know, as more people come online?

GATES: Yeah, I think technology is (ph) technology. And as you said, there is a downside to it and there is an upside to it. And so as a world, we

have to make sure that we bring forward the upside and we minimize the downside.

And so on the downside, yes, it takes regulation. We need to think very carefully about people's privacy. We need to think very carefully about how

information is provided to them and how people know that the information that is coming their way is quality information.

And so that takes good government practice and good regulation. And that's part of what we're talking about in Pathways Commission and frankly also

the U.N. high level panel that I am on about digital technology. How do we me sure it accesses -- everybody accesses it equally and that the quality

is really there.

LU STOUT (on camera): Now, technology can be empowering but what about artificial intelligence? You know, as AI continues to evolve, a number of

jobs will be taken over by automation, you know, manual labor work, factory jobs, et cetera. Is this a trend that can be stopped or is this just

inevitable?

GATES: Yeah, I think that with technology, we have this natural fear that it's going to -- that robots are going to take jobs away. And that's

honestly been the conversation at the global level the last 18 months or two years. But what we saw with the studies we're doing with this Pathways

Commission is in fact the converse is true.

If you go back and you think about spreadsheets, yes, spreadsheets when they came out took 400,000 jobs away from clerks, but they created 600,000

jobs for skilled accountants in the economy. And so with technology, it actually -- it requires more skills but we bolster the jobs that are there.

I think today we can't even know yet what is going to come with technology 30 years in the future, both the data mining that we can do and with

artificial intelligence. But we do know that if you put the right tools in the hands of people and you have a skilled workforce, that is they have

access to good health, good education, they will create the jobs of the future with digital technology.

And I'm seeing with all kinds of companies that are being born on the continent of Africa or here in Indonesia or in China or in India, so it

makes me quite optimistic about where this can go.

LU STOUT (on camera): Melinda Gates, thank you so much for joining us.

GATES: Thanks for having me, Kristie.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now, as a kid, you may have gotten the talk about where babies come from but not like this. Just ahead, right here on the program, a

breakthrough from scientists in China that enables two same-sex mice to produce healthy offspring. Stay with us.

[08:35:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong on a Friday night, welcome back. This is "News Stream." Now, stars have been taking the social media

to react to Kanye West's bizarre Oval Office meeting with President Trump. Rapper T.I. for one says his patience with Kanye is gone. CNN's Athena

Jones reports on Thursday's rather surreal scene.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KANYE WEST, AMERICAN RAPPER: Trump is on his hero's journey right now, and he might not have expected to have a crazy mother (bleep) like Kanye West

run up --

ATHENA JONES, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: A remarkable display in the Oval Office Thursday afternoon. Cameras capturing controversial rapper

Kanye West delivering a lengthy profanity-laced soliloquy, praising President Trump and his "make America great again" message.

WEST: There was something about when I put this hat on, it made me feel like Superman.

JONES: West pontificating on a wide range of topics including his own mental health and his appointment with a doctor.

WEST: He said that I actually wasn't bipolar. I had sleep deprivation.

JONES: Even weighing in on what type of playing he believes the president should be flying in.

WEST: I brought a gift with me right here. This right here is the iPlane 1. It's a hydrogen-powered airplane and this is what our president should

be flying in.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We'll get rid of Air Force One. Can we get rid of Air Force One?

JONES: The White House build the meeting as a discussion about urban revitalization, workforce training, African-American unemployment and

criminal justice issues.

But it was West's stream of consciousness speech that drew attention with people on social media and elsewhere questioning the president's decision

to have this meeting in the aftermath of a natural disaster and others expressing concern.

WEST: I love this guy right here. Let me give this guy a hug. I love this guy right here.

TRUMP: That's really nice.

JONES: It wasn't the first time West made headlines with a MAGA hat and a pro-Trump message.

TRUMP: Just friends.

JONES: There was this post-election visit to Trump Tower.

TRUMP: We've been friends for a long time.

JONES: And after West performed on "Saturday Night Live" last month, these remarks were captured by former SNL cast member, Chris Rock, as the credits

rolled.

WEST: You know it's like the plan they did, to take the fathers out the home and promote welfare. Does anybody know about that? That's a Democratic

plan.

JONES: The Grammy winning rapper has been featuring Trump's image and dropping Trump's name for years.

WEST: I know Obama was heaven-sent but ever since Trump won, it proved that I could be president.

JONES: And Trump clearly appreciates the praise.

TRUMP: Kanye West must have some power because you probably saw I doubled my African-American poll numbers. We went from 11 to 22 in one week. Thank

you, Kanye.

JONES: His friendship with number 45 is a far cry from his relations with past presidents. After Hurricane Katrina, he slammed President George W.

Bush.

WEST: George Bush doesn't care about black people.

I'm really happy for you. I'll let you finish.

JONES: And he earned this criticism from President Obama after stealing the spotlight from Taylor Swift at an award show.

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: She's getting her award. What's he doing up there?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why would he do that?

OBAMA: He's a jackass.

JONES: Athena Jones, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[08:40:01] LU STOUT: In a feat for gene editing, scientists in China have enabled mice of the same sex to have babies. It has been done before to

female mice, but this time mice pups created from two male mice were also carried to term. While it would be a leap to do this with humans anytime

soon, one of the study's coauthors says that this research shows us what is possible. And for some, it raises a slew of ethical questions.

Joining me now, Richard Behringer. He is a professor of genetics at University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. His research focuses on

developmental mechanisms in mammals, including stem cells, evolution, and organogenesis.

Richard, thank you so much for joining us here in the program. Let's talk about this breakthrough. This is not the first time that two female mice

have given birth to a live baby mouse, but this Chinese researchers, they took it further. Tell us how.

RICHARD BEHRINGER, PROFESSOR OF GENETICS, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER: Right. They used a little bit of a different method and

they made an extra genetic change and they were able to get viable female mice born from two mothers and they appeared normal and were fertile and

could have babies.

LU STOUT: And the question a lot of people are asking right now, if this worked for these two same-sex female mice, is this technolgy ready to make

the leap to us humans?

BEHRINGER: No. The way they did it, it was many steps, and they had to do genetic modifications to the mouse. And that raises a lot of questions and

ethical concerns about genetically modifying humans. That's not permitted yet.

One thing, though, is you can't imagine what the new technologies might be within 10 years. So, there may be ways to modify this approach and make it

simpler.

LU STOUT: Yeah. As you said, we can't predict what these new technologies can do next and the powerful tools are out there that scientists can use.

You know, CRISPR/Cas9, genome sequencing, stem cells, et cetera.

So, as a scientist, you know, how do you try to factor in all the intended and unintended consequences of such work?

BEHRINGER: Well, certain things can be done in the mouse because it's quite easy, although, you know, the people who did this study, it was a

tool for technical achievement. But it is even may be harder to do with human. The efficiency that they got these mice born from two mothers or two

fathers was pretty low.

So, maybe for the females, it's only 15 percent and with the males, it's only less than five percent. That's not very efficient to make the jump to

human.

LU STOUT: Richard Behringer, we'll leave it at that. Thank you very much for joining us here on the program.

And that is it for "News Stream." I am Kristie Lu Stout. We do have some breaking news coming in from Turkey. We are waiting confirmation that the

American pastor, Andrew Brunson, will be released. We have new information on that. Turkish prosecutors requesting that his house arrest be lifted. We

have more on the story. Keep it here. You're watching CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:45:00] (WORLD SPORT)

END