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One of Two Crew Rescued After Fighter Jet Shot Down in Iran; U.S. Intel Shows Iran Still Has Major Missile Capability; White House Seeks to Boost Military Spending to Highest Level in History; Artemis II Crew Releases Stunning First Images From Space; Orion Capsule Set to Fly Record-breaking 252,021 Miles From Earth; Judge Tosses Most of Blake Lively's Claims Against Justin Baldoni; Rapper Pooh Shiesty Charged in Dispute With Gucci Mane's Label; Amazon Adds 3.5 Percent Surcharge as Fuel Costs Soar; U.S. Economy Added 178,000 Jobs in March, Unemployment Rate Dips. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired April 03, 2026 - 13:30   ET

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

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[13:30:13]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": Back now to our Breaking News, sources telling CNN that U.S. forces have rescued one of two crew members of an American fighter jet that was shot down over Iran, and we're told the crew member was found alive and is now in U.S. custody receiving medical treatment. The status of the second crew member is unclear as search and rescue operations continue. We have CNN National Security Correspondent, Natasha Bertrand with us now on the very latest here.

What do you know, Natasha?

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: We don't know a whole lot. Good news is that one of these crew members was rescued, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter. What we don't know at this point is exactly what happened here. Was this an Iranian missile that took down this fighter jet? Roughly when did it happen?

And of course, you know, there are so many questions around what this means about Iran's missile capabilities as well and how their military clearly has not been as degraded necessarily as the U.S. has suggested. Now, we haven't gotten any information on the condition of this individual who was rescued from Central Command or from the White House. We are told that they are alive, but it's not clear at this point what happened to that second crew member who apparently has yet to be recovered.

And search and rescue operations are still underway for that individual. But this is the first time that a fighter jet has been downed over Iran as part of this particular conflict. And we should note that there was another instance just last month when a fighter jet, an American fighter jet, was hit by Iranian fire, but it was able to land safely.

So this is obviously a very significant escalation. And right now, the search and rescue is underway for that second crew member.

KEILAR: And you and your team have some new reporting about Iran's missile launching capabilities.

BERTRAND: Yeah. So we are told that based on U.S. intelligence assessments over the last couple days, Iran still retains roughly half of its missile launching capability, as well as thousands of one-way attack drones, accounting for roughly 50 percent of its drone capability. And that is after about five weeks of war here.

And that could help explain why the Iranians are still having success in targeting American assets in the way that they clearly did today. Now, the White House and the Pentagon, they have said repeatedly, well, ballistic missile launches, cruise missile launches, drone launches from the Iranians, they are significantly down. They are down about 90 percent from when the war started.

So they're not firing as much. But at the same time, we're told that could just be Iran strategically holding back a lot of its stockpile, because this war really does not have a clear end in sight, despite what President Trump said just a couple days ago that this is going to go on for only two or three more weeks. We have been hearing that for quite some time now.

So all that to say that the Iranians still do retain significant military capability, not to mention the fact that they apparently, according to our sources, still have significant naval capability when it comes to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which is part of what is helping keep the Strait closed. They're able to hold that Strait at risk and essentially, you know, hold the global economy hostage, despite this five weeks plus of U.S. military action.

KEILAR: Natasha, thank you so much for the great reporting. We appreciate it. Boris?

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": Let's discuss now with Republican Congressman, Mike Haridopolos. Congressman, thank you so much for sharing part of your afternoon with us.

What are you currently hearing about this search and rescue effort? What's your reaction to it?

REP. MIKE HARIDOPOLOS, (R-FL): Well, we're all concerned. My son is in the United States Air Force, and I'm very concerned about what could happen next. So it's very important we, one, take care of our, of course, downed member there in Iran.

But we're optimistic that we can continue to push this against Iran so they no longer threaten not only that region, but the entire central part of Europe.

SANCHEZ: You've said previously that your constituents' biggest concern is how long this war is going to go on. Do you think that this development complicates the president's two- to three-week timeline for an end to this conflict? HARIDOPOLOS: Well, surely. I mean, we're all concerned about what's happened to this downed pilot. We need to do everything we can to recover that pilot and also continue to destroy Iran's ability to project power in the Middle East.

SANCHEZ: As you just heard --

HARIDOPOLOS: I'm optimistic that we can knock them out, because --

SANCHEZ: Go ahead, go ahead.

HARIDOPOLOS: It's so essential that they take away that threat to the Middle East. You remember, all of Iran's neighbors, Qatar, Jordan, Kuwait, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, are all aligned with us because the regime is such an evil entity.

SANCHEZ: Yeah. So when you hear this reporting about recent U.S. intel assessments showing that Iran still has roughly half its missile launchers, thousands of one-way attack drones remaining, and that the regime is more hardline now than it was before the start of the war, are you confident the U.S. is going to end this conflict with a more peaceful Middle East with an Iran that is not potentially belligerent against its neighbors?

[13:35:20]

HARIDOPOLOS: Well, we're not exactly sure who's in power in Iran in some cases. What we do know historically that Iran never tells the truth. They lied to Obama, they lied to Trump the first time, they lied to Biden, now of course, who knows what they're saying out there in public to try to save face. What I do know is that we have destroyed much of the Air Force, their Navy, their missiles and some of their factories, but there is clearly more work to do in order to try to bring peace to this region for the first time since 1979.

And I hope that we can work together with our allies to open up the Strait of Hormuz.

SANCHEZ: So that's a very different message than we've heard from President Trump not only on the Strait of Hormuz where he has said that U.S. allies should go and take it, but also on being ahead of schedule when it comes to destroying Iran's offensive capability. Do you think the White House needs to clarify where we are in this war? Because the argument that we have dominion over the skies of Iran is contradicted by some of the events that we've seen like today.

HARIDOPOLOS: Well, I think we're still trying to find exactly what happened that F-15 jet and what we want to do is make an opinion once we know all the facts before us. But there is clearly a threat in Iran and again, but this is the very reason why we went in. Marco Rubio clearly outlined the concerns we all have, which is if they continue to stockpile these weapons whether it be drones or missiles, they would be an increased threat if we did nothing and they would have the ability to create a nuclear weapon and using these as a defense so we could not get an atom again. Again, we all got to be rooting for the United States here because the evil regime that is Iran. I mean think about it, they killed 30,000 of their own people, imagine what they want to do with us could they have the opportunity with a nuclear weapon.

SANCHEZ: There's no doubt about the regime and Tehran's intentions when it comes not only to the broader Middle East, but to the West as a whole. I guess the question is, what it would cost the United States to truly affect change there because if your definition of success is crippling their military capability or at least half of it as of right now, and then the same regime stays in place in order to rebuild that capability in a matter of time, would you define that as success?

HARIDOPOLOS: Well, Boris, these are the questions we're all are asking now and then this is why the president is going to be giving a full report along with Marco Rubio. But I think we all recognize the Navy of Iran is gone.

We also recognize that anything on the Air Force wise is gone and we have knocked out their leadership structure like never before. But there is more work to do. But remember thousands of Americans have died at the hands of the Iranians since 1979.

SANCHEZ: Sure.

HARIDOPOLOS: And we know they are the source of evil, meaning terrorist activities in the Middle East. And we have to do everything we can to try to diminish that threat. But they are still a threat and I think that's why the president has continued to take an offensive action against Iran and we hope our allies can help us defeat Iran once and for all, and allow the people of Iran to live in freedom as opposed to fear.

SANCHEZ: I mean what you're saying in terms of defeating Iran, it sounds like regime change.

HARIDOPOLOS: Well, what I'm saying is, I think that people of Iran have been destroyed as a people since 1979 where a small number of people have all the power and you've taken away the rights of women and across the board.

I think what the president is trying to do is create a situation much like we have in Venezuela where it's a more tenable situation and I hope that our allies can help us keep pressure on Iran. And what has helped us a little bit is that of course that we have a more independent oil supply here in America where we're not as reliant on the Middle East as we were in previous administrations.

SANCHEZ: But Congressman, the difference between Iran and Venezuela is that in Iran, you have a regime that is dedicated to martyrdom for their cause which is, essentially, a refutation of everything that the West stands for. They're willing to die before they surrender.

In fact, they cherish the opportunity to die for their cause. So it's not like you can easily find someone like Delcy Rodriguez to try to leverage her into opening an economy or taking on a more Western- friendly position, a more U.S.-friendly position. Is this just an effort to find a way to change a regime that seems to be impossible to change at this point?

HARIDOPOLOS: Well, I think the people of Iran want freedom. It is a micro click here that have been oppressing their own people, killing their own people and I think we're hoping that this strong show of force by both the United States and Israel and all of their neighbors are saying, Iran, it's time to change your colors.

[13:40:11]

HARIDOPOLOS: And hopefully, we'll see a situation where the people can move in a position where that new leader, whoever that might be, can actually stand up for basic human rights and not fund evil murderers who are surrounded not only Israel, but other parts of the Middle East and Christ (ph), all types of death and destruction.

I don't pretend it's as easy as Venezuela, but it is a situation where we need to handle this once and for all, because whether it be a Republican or a Democrat president in the past, we all recognize the threat of Iran. And sadly, even all that money that President Obama was able to give them and try to reduce sanctions did not change their mindset. Sadly, they only understand force.

SANCHEZ: Congressman, one final question. The White House seeking a roughly $1.5 trillion defense budget as part of their fiscal 2027 budget request, that's a 40 percent increase from last year. Would you support that?

HARIDOPOLOS: At this time, we don't have enough information. But what we are focused on is trying to get DHS funding. We're hoping that the Democrats will support us in that measure, considering Michigan's been attacked twice, Texas, Virginia on the homeland. And so we want to hit that first.

The president has got to make a strong case to increase spending by that dollar amount in order for us to move forward.

SANCHEZ: Congressman Mike Haridopolos, we have to leave the conversation there. Appreciate you sharing your time.

HARIDOPOLOS: Thank you, Boris.

SANCHEZ: Of course. Coming up, they're awake. The crew of Artemis just shouted a good morning and they are ready to get started on their next steps in this historic mission. And they're sharing some new photos of home. Stay with CNN.

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[13:46:30]

KEILAR: You are looking at the first pictures from NASA's historic mission around the moon, taking humankind farther than we've ever been. Artemis II's mission commander capturing his first glimpse of Earth and saying, the big blue marble looks spectacular, which it does. I think we can all agree on that.

With some 100,000 miles behind them, the four astronauts on board have now about 160,000 more to go. About 45 minutes ago, the crew woke up to Mission Day 3 to "In a Daydream" by the Freddy Jones Band. CNN's Randi Kaye is at Johnson Space Center with the very latest on this.

Randi, you know, with the beginning of that song, you might have almost thought it was a Saturday morning, there was a lawnmower going. But now that the crew members are awake, what are they up to?

RANDI KAYE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, as Commander Reid Wiseman said when he woke up, he said, now it's time to get some science done. Let's go. So they have plenty of science ahead of them today, Brianna.

About 6:30 tonight, Eastern Time, they're going to do what's called an OTC-1 burn. That is an orbital maneuver where they will fine-tune their path on the way to the moon. And then at 11 p.m. tonight, they will do a lunar flyby cabin configuration. It's basically rearranging the deck chairs, so they can set it up from their launch to be ready for the lunar flyby. So they have the cabin the way they want it.

And then they're going to test deep space communication. They're going to use these huge antennas that are on the ground that communicate with things that are really far away, like the Voyager spacecraft, which is 16 billion miles away. So they're going to test that and make sure that works because they will be in deep space. But, of course, the big success that everybody's talking about is this translunar injection burn, which took place yesterday evening.

It was about a six-minute burn. That really put them on the path to the moon. It upped the velocity for the Orion capsule and set them up for their path. And it really switches the orbit from circular, which is what they were doing around the Earth, to elliptical, which is how they will get to the moon, and then it will bring them back to the Earth.

Now, Commander Reid Wiseman was talking about just the fact that they're going to the moon and how it's finally really settling in for him, and this is what he had to say.

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REID WISEMAN, MISSION COMMANDER, ARTEMIS II: And I don't know what we all expected to see at that moment, but you could see the entire globe from pole to pole. You could see Africa, Europe, and if you looked really close, you could see the northern lights. It was the most spectacular moment, and it paused all four of us in our tracks.

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KAYE: And he also said there is nothing normal about this in terms of going to the moon, how wild it feels to him. Brianna?

KEILAR: Yeah, and also talk to us a little bit about it. It's so exciting. We get really into all these cool little moments, and we also witnessed that from the astronauts. But this mission, it's not without risks that they're facing as they're heading toward the moon.

KAYE: Yeah, absolutely, and we do have to keep that in mind. There's the risk of space junk. They could get hit by space junk up there. There's the loss of cabin pressure that could happen. Something could happen with the life support system. These are all the things that they are testing while they're there.

And there's also the risk of a solar event where they could be exposed to radiation. They have a compartment on board where they are practicing getting into that compartment for safety if need be.

[13:50:00]

So they are prepared, and hopefully none of this will happen.

KEILAR: Yeah, hopefully. Good to know they have that sort of safety compartment. Randi, thank you so, so much.

KAYE: Yeah.

KEILAR: And let's look at some of the other headlines that we are watching this hour, Boris.

SANCHEZ: Let's do that, Brianna. One month before trial, a federal judge has tossed out Blake Lively's sexual harassment claims against co-star and "It Ends with Us" Director Justin Baldoni. Lively accuses Baldoni of harassment during production and of orchestrating a retaliatory smear campaign, allegations he has denied. The judge dismissed most of the lawsuit though three claims remain, all against other defendants that do not include Baldoni. Jury selection is set to begin next month.

And a rapper known as Pooh Shiesty is facing armed robbery and kidnapping charges in connection to a contract dispute with Rapper Gucci Mane's record label. Authorities searched the home in Tennessee owned by Pooh Shiesty this week, after identifying him as an alleged ringleader. Investigators say he and others kidnapped and then robbed three men at gunpoint in Texas earlier this year. One of the alleged victims, identified by the initials R.D., is described as the record company owner, the same record label owned by Gucci Mane.

As oil and gas prices surge because of the war with Iran, it's having a new impact. Amazon now slapping new surcharges on third-party sellers. The company says starting in two weeks, it's going to apply a 3.5 percent fuel and logistics surcharge to cover higher operating costs. This fee could lead to higher prices for customers if sellers decide to pass those along.

Still to come, the new Jobs Report beat expectations but is this trend going to last, especially with the Iran war still raging and gas prices creeping higher and higher. That story is next.

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[13:56:49] SANCHEZ: A new report shows the U.S. labor market beating expectations last month, adding 178,000 new jobs, while the unemployment rate went down slightly to 4.3 percent. Today's report is one of the first major pieces of economic data released since the war with Iran began. Some economists are warning that the health of the labor market and the broader economy is going to hinge on the scope and length of the conflict.

CNN Senior Reporter, Matt Egan joins us now to break down the data. Matt, what did you see?

MATT EGAN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, Boris, the job market raced back to life in March. Hiring was up. Unemployment was down. But we do need a bit of an asterisk because this report is based on surveys that were taken in early and mid-March, long before $4 gas and $110 oil. This is really just a snapshot of what the economy looked like at the early stages of the war, a war that may ultimately hurt the job market.

But keeping all that in mind, let's go through some of the key numbers. As you mentioned, 178,000 jobs added in March. That is basically triple the consensus forecast. In fact, this is higher than even the most optimistic economists that Bloomberg had surveyed. And this is the highest number for any month since late 2024.

It's also a significant improvement from February, which was revised significantly lower to reflect a loss of 133,000 jobs. And when you look at the trend, you can see that it's been a pretty bumpy ride. This green line reflects zero. And so you can see that some months, there's been significant job loss. Some months, there's been big job gains.

Wolfe Research Economist, Stephanie Roth, she told me that if you take these numbers at face value, it suggests that the economy was imploding in February and that it was on fire in March. When in reality, she said, neither of which is true. RSM Economist, Joe Brusuelas, he says that we shouldn't take March at face value. He thinks that some of the statistical changes that the BLS has made overstated the strength in March.

That's why it's helpful to take a look at the average. So let's do that. When you look at the monthly average job gains in the U.S. economy, last year was a terrible year for job growth. Just 12,000 jobs were added per month. However, look at this. Through three months so far this year, the economy has added almost 70,000 jobs a month.

That's not a gangbusters number, but it is enough given aging demographics, given less immigration, it is enough to keep unemployment stable. And so we did learn that the unemployment rate unexpectedly fell in March to 4.3 percent.

I should note that also reflects the fact that some people dropped out of the labor force, and that is not a positive sign. One other thing I want to point out is where the jobs are. And this does reflect some one-time factors.

First off, the biggest strength was in healthcare, adding 76,000 jobs in March. That reflects in part the fact that some nurses who had been on strike, they're no longer on strike. So they got added back to the payrolls.

Also, warmer weather appeared to help leisure and hospitality and construction, both of them adding jobs. Manufacturing adding jobs as well. However, other parts of the economy lost jobs. Another 18,000 jobs lost in the federal government. And finance and information also lost jobs.