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Iran Vows Retaliation After U.S. Strike on Key Oil Hub; Two Injured After Iranian Strike in Southern Israel; White House Scrambles to Contain Fallout from Iran War; FBI Says Attack of Synagogue was "Targeted Act" Against Jewish Community; Two Terror Attacks Rattle Americans' Sense of Security; Trump Lifts Some Sanctions on Russian Oil to Help Ease Price Pressure; Agriculture Secretary Says White House Working to Help Farmers; Long Lines at Airports as Government Shutdown Drags On; FBI Reveals Messages Between Jeffrey Epstein and Sarah Ferguson. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired March 14, 2026 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:01:56]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Hello, again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

And we begin with the latest on the escalating war with Iran. Today, Iran is retaliating after the U.S. military says it destroyed missile storage sites on Iran's Kharg Island, the country's main oil export terminal. President Trump says the U.S. obliterated the island's military sites, avoiding for now riskier oil infrastructure.

After Iran vowed to hit back against energy sites linked to the U.S., a security official says pro-Iran militias have attacked an oil refinery in Iraq. This comes as the U.S. embassy in Baghdad was hit by two drones. The U.S. State Department is urging U.S. nationals to leave Iraq now.

And Iran's military says ports and docks in the United Arab Emirates are also in its crosshairs. Video taken today shows plumes of smoke pouring out of a major oil hub in the UAE after a drone attack there.

But as the war's impact on the global economy grows, Trump is warning there could be more attacks threatening to bomb Iran's oil sites if the country continues to block ships from passing through the vital Strait of Hormuz.

CNN international correspondent Nada Bashir is in London with more on the significance of the Kharg Island attack and how Iran could escalate the war even further.

NADA BASHIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, Fredricka, given the fact that the Iranian regime has maintained a very clear message when it comes to its oil infrastructure, that any attack on its energy sector would trigger a fierce response from the Iranian regime and its military, clearly now this has shifted the playing field somewhat. President Trump announcing that the U.S. had carried out significant

overnight strikes on Kharg Island, as you mentioned, a five-mile strip of land just off the coast of Iran. And it's an island which is an oil hub. It handles some 90 percent of Iran's crude exports.

Now, according to the U.S. president, in his words, every military target on Kharg Island was struck by the U.S. military. He described this and characterized this as one of the most powerful bombing raids in Middle East history.

Now we are waiting for further confirmation on the details of the scope and scale of this attack. It is understood that oil infrastructure on the island was not hit, was not targeted. However, President Trump has suggested that this could be next if Iran fails to allow vessels to pass safely through the Strait of Hormuz.

Now we've heard from Iran's new supreme leader from a purported statement written by him, read out on state TV. They have vowed to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed as a pressure tactic. But of course, this has really caused upheaval in the shipping industry, in the oil market as well. And so President Trump has vowed to push even harder if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened.

Of course, we are also hearing new threats today from the Iranian regime, as you mentioned, with regards to ports in the United Arab Emirates.

[15:05:04]

They have accused the U.S. of using ports in the UAE to carry out such attacks. And as they have previously warned, they have warned their neighbors that any military bases, any assets like ports being used by the U.S. would be in their eyes a legitimate target.

WHITFIELD: All right. Nada Bashir in London, thanks so much.

Today, Iran is launching new strikes in the southern part of Israel.

CNN's Oren Liebermann is in Jerusalem with more on the attacks and how Israel is responding.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF AND CORRESPONDENT: Iran has launched several waves of ballistic missiles at Israel throughout the course of the day here. It is the 15th day of the war. One of those missiles, according to Magen David Adom, Israel's emergency response service, injured two people in the southern Israeli city of Eilat, right on the tip of southern Israel there. One of those, a 12- year-old boy who was seriously wounded.

Other missiles were intercepted or didn't cause any injuries. But we have seen reports of damage across parts of central Israel and in Jerusalem here. So it's unclear whether that's shrapnel or cluster munitions, as we've seen Iran use throughout the course of the war that split up and were able to pierce Israel's aerial defenses. Meanwhile, Israel carrying out more strikes on Iran and in particular

in Tehran. The Israeli military says they targeted the Iranian Space Agency as well as manufacturing capacity for Iran's aerial defenses. So Israel still working its way down that extensive target list with all the indications now that this will continue either intensifying or at this intense pace for many days, if not weeks.

Meanwhile, on Israel's northern border, it remains an intense fight with the Iranian proxy Hezbollah, as well. According to Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health, one Israeli strike on a town in southern Lebanon killed 12 health workers. That strike was on a medical facility, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. That as the number of people killed in Lebanon since the start of the war nears 800.

Israel keeps carrying out strikes targeting Hezbollah not only in southern Lebanon but in particular in the capital as well. That area of Dahieh, that's considered a Hezbollah stronghold. Israel has also warned both Lebanon and Hezbollah that it may target civilian trucks and ambulances saying Hezbollah is using these to transport weapons and rockets. So that's obviously something we'll keep an eye on as well.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Oren Liebermann, thank you so much.

All right. Also today new CNN reporting outlines just how the White House is scrambling to contain the fallout after its decision to attack Iran.

CNN's Julia Benbrook joins us now from West Palm Beach, Florida, near the president's home in Mar-a-Lago, where he's spending the weekend.

Julia, what are you learning?

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, as we enter now the third week of this conflict, President Donald Trump is back here in Florida at his Mar-a-Lago estate. That's where he monitored those first joint U.S.-Israel strikes against Iran. And then according to new reporting from our CNN colleagues, prior to those strikes, there was intelligence that showed that Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, as well as other top officials, were going to be meeting.

And that led the U.S. and Israel to accelerate plans for the attack, with the goal of taking out the regime's top leadership all at once. Now, those strikes were successful in taking out the supreme leader and dozens of high-ranking officials, but also potentially that creates another issue as some that the Trump administration had considered as potentially leading Iran in the future were also taken out.

That's something Trump acknowledged publicly in the following days as he said most of the people we had in mind are dead. So then there's the focus in on an exit strategy here. And according to several that are familiar with internal discussions, the administration does not seem any closer to being able to articulate a defined strategy for bringing this conflict to an end as it becomes more and more complicated by the day.

As we've heard timelines, there have been a variety of predictions from Trump. At one point, he said it could last two to three days through the week. Of course, we're past that now. He's recently been saying four to five weeks, four to six weeks but emphasizing it will be as long as it takes, whatever it takes. Just last weekend, he was speaking to a conference of Republican lawmakers also in Florida, and he said, we've already won in many ways, but we haven't won enough.

Taking a step back to some of the briefings that have been held on Capitol Hill, we know that both Republican and Democratic lawmakers pressed top officials on the objectives for the war. The potential timeline, and then the longer term outlook as they account for the ripple effect that will take place. And lawmakers who were in the room for some of those discussions said that they did not get a lot of specifics on those questions.

[15:10:01]

WHITFIELD: OK. And then, Julia, you know, the president commented today on the Strait of Hormuz, saying that, quote, "Many countries will send warships to keep it open." Any more details on that?

BENBROOK: Yes. In this post he said they will. He also said he hopes. So we are seeking clarification on exactly what the plans look like here, but I want to pull up part of this for you. He did this in a social media post just hours ago now, and he wrote, quote, "Many countries, especially those who are affected by Iran's attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending warships in conjunction with the United States of America to keep the strait open and safe. We have already destroyed 100 percent of Iran's military capability, but it's easy for them to send a drone or two, drop a mine, or deliver a close range missile somewhere along or in this waterway no matter how badly defeated they are."

He then added that he hopes China, France, South Korea and the United Kingdom will send ships. He said that the United States will be bombing the shoreline in the meantime.

WHITFIELD: All right, Julia Benbrook in West Palm Beach, thanks so much.

All right, still ahead, new details about the man who drove into a Michigan synagogue in a targeted attack against the Jewish community. What we're learning about his ties to the Iran backed militant group Hezbollah.

Plus, the war with Iran is putting a strain on crucial farming supplies. Why you could soon see food prices soar.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:16:19]

WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back.

We're following new developments in Thursday's terror attack on a Michigan synagogue. The Jewish community there vowing not to let hate keep them from coming together after a driver rammed a truck filled with explosives and opened fire on Temple Israel. They held Shabbat service last night at a nearby location.

Rabbis from the temple spoke with CNN's Anderson Cooper about worshiping under threats of violence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RABBI ARIANNA GORDON, TEMPLE ISRAEL: So as a Jewish institution, we're always concerned about security. We always worry that we are a target. I don't think anyone was necessarily more concerned in the last week or two than we have been for the last number of years, and all of our security for that length of time has really reflected that we are fully aware of what the world looks like today for the Jewish community.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: CNN's Brian Abel joining me now from the scene in West Bloomfield Township.

Brian, what more are you learning about how that attack unfolded?

BRIAN ABEL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fred. The suspect Ayman Ghazali, according to the FBI, pulled into a parking lot here at Temple Israel around 10:00 in the morning on Thursday, the day of the attack, and stayed in his truck for more than two hours before starting that drive and slamming through the doors and barreling through the hallway here at Temple Israel. At one point hitting a security guard with his vehicle before getting caught between hallway walls.

He was trapped inside as a result of that. That's when he began opening fire through the windshield. There was an exchange of gunfire. I should note, what was inside the vehicle as all this was happening was a rifle, a commercial grade fireworks and jugs of flammable liquids. Now at one point during the exchange of gunfire, Ghazali did kill himself. He died by suicide, turning the gun on himself and also the engine of the vehicle caught fire.

So Ghazali, he was the only person killed in this attack, Fred, though first responders, they were treated at nearby hospitals for smoke inhalation after running in to make sure that everybody got out OK. Ghazali, according to the FBI, his motive is still unknown, but we are learning new details about him that may help answer the question of motive. Ghazali did not have a previous criminal history.

He wasn't a subject of any FBI investigation before now, but law enforcement did know who he was. He, of course, is a Lebanon man who became a U.S. citizen in 2016. Law enforcement briefed on this say the Ghazali appeared in federal government databases as having connections to, quote, known or suspected terrorists associated with Hezbollah in Lebanon. That is where Ghazali had family in Lebanon and a mayor of a city there where his family lived say that family members were killed.

Others injured during an Israeli airstrike a week before this attack, including his two brothers being killed. One of those brothers, two children being killed, his parents as well as those brothers' wives injured in this attack.

Now, back, speaking of this attack, I do want you to listen to the rabbi here telling the congregation how after all of this they can move forward.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RABBI PAUL YEDWAB, TEMPLE ISRAEL: Our sanctuary is not a building. Our Mishkan is not made of wood and bricks. It's you. It's us.

[15:20:00]

We are Temple Israel. We are Temple Israel. You are Temple Israel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: So clearly a powerful moment during the service last night. During the attack, more than 100 kids were here between daycare and school in a different area of the building than where the car rammed in at. There were more than 600 law enforcement officers that responded to the scene of those, more than 60 were treated for smoke inhalation -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Brian Abel in Michigan, thank you so much.

The FBI is also investigating a deadly shooting in Virginia at Old Dominion University as an act of terrorism. It happened on the same day as that attack on the Michigan synagogue. The two terror attacks, hundreds of miles apart, are rattling Americans' sense of security.

CNN's Holmes Lybrand is joining me right now.

Holmes, great to see you. First off, you know, bring us up to speed on what we know about that attack at Old Dominion.

HOLMES LYBRAND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right. So this attack which occurred also on Wednesday, it's actually the deadly, the more deadly of the two attacks when a man came into an ROTC class, asked twice if it was an ROTC class before shouting, Allahu Akbar, and opening fire. He killed the instructor there, wounded two others before being subdued by ROTC students who also killed that suspect.

Now, this also occurred, this man, he was sentenced 11 years ago to attempting to support ISIS both by donations as well as trying to purchase firearms to support an attack by ISIS. That was 11 years ago. He was out of prison in 2014. I mean, sorry. I'm so sorry. In December of 2024. And he has been on -- he's been on kind of this administrative leave where people are checking in on him regularly. At least the last one was over a month ago, checking in on him.

This is, of course, the second attack that's being investigated as terrorism by the FBI.

WHITFIELD: And then, you know, I wonder if you can give us an idea kind of the scope of the unease that people are feeling across this country, especially since the war with Iran got started.

LYBRAND: That's right, that's right. We are talking about several attacks that are at least being investigated as being related to a potential backlash on the war with Iran. Now, especially in the wake of the two attacks on Wednesday, police departments across the U.S. are ramping up security for religious institutions in the city. This has been kind of increasing as the weeks have gone on in this war.

Now we also have the Secret Service that has increased Donald Trump's security as this war goes on. So this is a kind of all approach to security as we have these lone wolves. And you have to remember, these are lone wolf attacks. It is very hard to predict these, to prepare for them, so this posture of protection is really what police officers right now see their best course as.

Now, of course FBI also going through and looking at known or suspected subjects that might also be inclined to perpetrate these attacks.

WHITFIELD: Indeed. All right, Holmes Lybrand, thank you so much.

LYBRAND: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, still ahead, President Trump is easing sanctions on some Russian oil in an attempt to contain soaring energy prices here in the U.S. But it could have consequences for the war in Ukraine. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:28:04]

WHITFIELD: All right. With the price of oil remaining near $100 a barrel, Americans are seeing no relief at the gas pumps. The national average is higher again today at $3.68 per gallon according to AAA. A month ago, it was just $2.93. California is being hit especially hard. The price of regular is $5.49, and if you want a bargain, head to Kansas. The average there is just $3.12 a gallon.

So in order to help ease pressure off the price of oil, President Trump says he is lifting some sanctions on Russian oil.

As CNN's Lynda Kinkade explains, that decision is ruffling a lot of feathers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): A show of unity between France's Emmanuel Macron and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy, allies throughout the toughest times of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But it's another war and the surprise actions of another ally that's raising new concerns in Ukraine as well as other parts of Europe. PRES. VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINE (through translator): This single

easing of sanctions by America could provide Russia with approximately $10 billion for the war. This certainly does not help peace.

KINKADE (voice-over): The U.S. is temporarily loosening sanctions on the sale of Russian oil at sea to try to bring down oil prices that have surged since the war in Iran began, an unsettling move for many European leaders, who together with the U.S. have used economic leverage against Russia to try to end the war in Ukraine.

PRES. EMMANUEL MACRON, FRANCE (through translator): Russia may believe that the war in Iran will offer it a respite. It's mistaken.

KINKADE (voice-over): The U.K. and many European nations are united against the U.S. decision, saying easing sanctions, even on a limited basis, will help to replenish Russia's war chest.

FRIEDRICH MERZ, GERMAN CHANCELLOR (through translator): Russia continues to show no willingness to negotiate. We will and we must therefore have to increase the pressure on Moscow.

[15:30:03]

I want to make this very clear. Easing sanctions now, for whatever reason, is something we believe is wrong.

KINKADE (voice-over): But Russia welcomed the change, saying its oil is badly needed to stop global oil prices from spiraling out of control.

DMITRY PESKOV, KREMLIN SPOKESMAN (through translator): In this case, we see the United States taking action in an attempt to stabilize energy markets. In this regard, our interests align.

KINKADE (voice-over): After four years of war, some residents in Kyiv say they're disappointed in the U.S. fearing the new revenue gained by Russia will be used against them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Sanctions that are important to us are being lifted against our aggressor. They will not change anything for them. On the contrary, things will only get better for them. And they will use their funds to produce even more missiles, drones and similar weapons.

KINKADE (voice-over): Ukraine recently offered its expertise to countries in the Gulf about how to combat drone attacks. A Western intelligence source says Russia is advising Iran on drone tactics.

Two wars far apart, one diverting attention from the other and giving Russia an unexpected boost that Ukraine and its allies did not see coming.

Lynda Kinkade, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:35:58]

WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back.

Iran's threat to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed indefinitely is keeping the price of oil hovering near $100 a barrel. For U.S. consumers that means higher fuel prices. For farmers, that means higher costs to grow the food that we eat, and that's not all they have to worry about. The Strait of Hormuz is also a key waterway for the ingredients in fertilizer, pushing those prices higher.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says the White House is working on a plan to help.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BROOKE ROLLINS, AGRICULTURE SECRETARY: Our farmers are moving into planting season right now, so the president is very aware of these challenges and these issues. We are very close to having an announcement on some solutions on what that looks like. We're looking at every potential avenue to keep the fertilizer costs down as these farmers are going into planting season. No big announcements yet, but it is coming.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: With me now John Boyd, Jr., founder and president of the National Black Farmers Association.

Great to see you. So are you looking forward to those possible solutions from the White House?

JOHN BOYD, JR., FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, NATIONAL BLACK FARMERS ASSOCIATION: Fred, I'll tell you, it's been a tough time. And fertilizer prices are up 30 percent because of this war. That is $140 a ton for people who don't understand that. And diesel fuel prices are up. I have a tractor that holds 100 gallons of diesel fuel and $4.69 for diesel. So that's $469 that cost me to fill that tractor up with diesel fuel.

And the president keeps saying all of these things are temporary. And on his Truth Social media post he had the high cost of oil, you know, we're going to make some money. Well, who is we? Because it's certainly not farmers and truckers. Those are the two people who are directly affected by this. America's farmers and the American consumers are going to pay, you know, in the grocery stores in the coming --

WHITFIELD: All right. OK. We had a little snag on that signal. Hopefully you can hear me. So I'm wondering, you know, so how are you managing? Because already, you know farmers, including yourself, a soy farmer, have been hit hard by tariffs, with China not buying as much or any U.S. soil. Exports to China plummeted in some cases, what, 75 percent below previous levels? And farmers were facing some $10 per acre in losses. So what are you experiencing now? And how are you hoping to get

through this?

BOYD: Well, farmers are, you know, right now, we, Fredricka, we have 170 pending farm foreclosures. And I'm in Oklahoma today meeting with two of those farmers who are facing farm foreclosure. And I want to send my condolences to the George Roberts family, a key member of the NBFA. We lost him, and I was able to attend the service yesterday, but we're in a troubled time and we're losing, Fredricka, 63 farmers a day.

WHITFIELD: Wow.

BOYD: And anywhere in the United States that would be a farm crisis. And USDA hasn't come up with any solution (INAUDIBLE), decision curtailing that. The president's tariffs I think will help eventually. But right now we haven't seen any of those monies that the president is saying is going to come back to farmers these billions of dollars that we lost in tariff revenue. The president says we're going to get it back.

And that's what's going on here. He keeps saying these things. I'm not sure if you call them untrue. So you call them outright lies. I'm not sure of the correct definition, but the farmers are struggling and we need help right now and this administration isn't coming to the aid of America's farmers fast enough.

[15:40:00]

WHITFIELD: I mean, 63 farmers a day that you just mentioned. That's an incredible loss. So I'm, you know, I'm wondering how is it that you remain hopeful? How is it that you are able to keep going when so many of your colleagues are falling by the wayside? And as you mentioned, even foreclosures, too.

BOYD: Yes. And, Fredricka, right now I have a seed bill that I really haven't satisfied from last year. And the administration says farmers are going to get this $12 billion for row crop farmers. I am one of them row crop farmers, and $1 billion for other specialty crops. But keep in mind, farmers lost $54 billion just in soybeans. That doesn't count corn and wheat and beef cattle, all these things.

And the president keeps saying, again, he loves farmers. This is temporary. But it's a compounding effect that's equating to that 63 figure that the farmers that were losing. In this country, we lost 15,000 farmers last year, and nobody is talking about it. And the president shows up in Iowa. He says he loves these farmers and he's going to help them out. But meanwhile, as my daddy would say, Fredricka, the grass is growing, the cows are starving, and we're going out, you know, record numbers here in this country.

WHITFIELD: I mean, those are huge numbers, 15,000 farms last year alone, you mentioned.

BOYD: Yes. WHITFIELD: My goodness. So, you know, just, I wonder if I could ask

you then when the White House says that they are looking at some solutions, what would be among the solutions that would help keep the number of 15,000 farms lost last year from growing this year.

BOYD: A complete farm moratorium, a complete farm moratorium entails USDA direct loans, guaranteed loans, agricultural lenders that lend to farmers. We shouldn't be losing our farms for a manmade crisis, which is this president calls these things. But meanwhile it continues the farm foreclosure. And the last time we was on your show, Fredricka, you asked me about the farm meeting that they were having at the White House, and I wasn't able to take part in that meeting.

It was a -- everybody at the meeting were all white farmers, all people, everybody in the audience were white. This administration has to come to a decision that, you know, black farmers are going to be at the table, too. And that's something that --

WHITFIELD: So meaning you weren't invited? You weren't invited, and that's why you did not attend.

BOYD: Well, the administration said they were moving away from DEI. That's what they told me. There's no DEI on my farm, Fredricka. My cows eat the same amount of hay as anybody. You know, cows and my tractors burned the same amount of diesel fuel. There is no such thing as --

WHITFIELD: Yes. There is a legacy -- right. The legacy of black farmers, black farming in America.

BOYD: Yes. And we should be at the table when he has a farm meeting. So he had the other farm groups there and they're saying that, you know, I couldn't come to the meeting.

WHITFIELD: Wow. All right. I'm so sorry this signal is --

BOYD: There's no (INAUDIBLE).

WHITFIELD: Yes. So sorry the signal is breaking up, but we're getting your message loud and clear, and you are continuing to fight the fight for your own farm's existence, as well as that of so many farms across the country, many of which happen to be black farms that have been, you know, been going for many, many generations.

John Boyd, Jr., I'm so glad to talk to you. I know we're going to connect again and hopefully we'll work on our signal, too, to make sure we can get every word. Thank you so much.

BOYD: Thank you, Fredricka, for having me. God bless you.

WHITFIELD: Thank you. All right. Coming up next, long lines at airports around the country as TSA workers miss their first full paychecks. Now, employees are warning that wait lines could get even worse.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [15:48:55]

WHITFIELD: All right. More on the war with Iran in a moment. But first, you know, to the fallout from the partial U.S. government shutdown. President Trump thanked TSA agents for going to work. And in a Truth Social post, he blamed the radical left for refusing to honor the deal approved and voted on by Congress. His quote there.

The president promised he would not forget TSA employees and urged them to go to work. His post comes as more than 60,000 TSA employees are missing their first full paychecks.

CNN spoke to one TSA employee who explains how this shutdown is impacting workers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AARON BARKER, TSA EMPLOYEE AND LOCAL PRESIDENT, AMERICAN FEDERATION OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES UNION: With that shutdown that happened back in November or October, going into November, officers had resources that they could tap into and things like that. With the proximity so close to this shutdown, those resources are not there anymore. So they don't have the ability to go and say, can I get more? They were working on paying back what they've already taken out. So it's absolutely worse than it was the first time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: CNN's Camila DeChalus is at Reagan National Airport.

[15:50:02]

Camila, are airports doing anything to help these many TSA workers?

CAMILA DECHALUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right, Fred. What we're hearing is that several airports across the country, they're setting up donations online. Americans can just donate food, clothes, money to TSA workers that are in dire need.

I spent the last few hours talking to TSA agents here and even behind me, you see that the lines are moving relatively quickly, that there's no major delays here. But that is not the case for airports across the country. And even though there's no a lot of disruptions here, what you don't see is just the emotional and financial toll this partial government shutdown has taken on several TSA agents here. I've heard how a lot of them just the sentiments that have been expressed to me is saying that they're very fed up about what is going on in Washington, D.C. right now, especially among lawmakers and the fact that they cannot join together and really strike a deal to pass funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

One person told me that they're thinking about putting in their two- week notice just because they cannot take just the emotional and financial stress this partial government shutdown has taken. And this is something I'm hearing time and time again is that they are really feeling like they're collateral damage on what's going on in Capitol Hill right now. And they just really feel like just in these past few months, there has been shut down after shutdown after shutdown.

And this has really just given a toll. And so that is just something that we're bringing along, especially when I'm on Capitol Hill talking to lawmakers. I asked one TSA agent, what is their big message to lawmakers that are on Capitol Hill, and they just told me this. They said, really think about the people that are being financially impacted by this and about the emotional toll this has taken.

A lot of them still have rent and bills to pay, and the fact they cannot do this right now because the government shutdown has gone on for this long, we're on day 29, and they're really telling me, Camila, enough is enough.

WHITFIELD: All right, Camila DeChalus, thank you so much there from Reagan National Airport.

All right, coming up, new details on the close relationship between the former Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, and Jeffrey Epstein. Ferguson calling him a special friend and a legend even after Epstein became a convicted sex offender.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:56:50]

WHITFIELD: All right. The House Oversight Committee says it is requesting an interview with a prison guard who was on duty the night Jeffrey Epstein died. And it comes as we're learning much more about Epstein's associates including Sarah Ferguson, formerly the Duchess of York and ex-wife of former Prince Andrew.

CNN's M.J. Lee has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

M.J. LEE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Almost 15 years after her highly publicized divorce from former Prince Andrew, Sarah Ferguson privately leaned on a man she described as the brother I have always wished for, for career advice, moral support and money, Jeffrey Epstein.

According to CNN's review of the Justice Department's Epstein files, Ferguson, widely known as Fergie, exchanged dozens of messages with Epstein between 2009 and 2011, including while he was serving jail time for procuring prostitution from a minor. In one instance, in April 2009, Epstein laid out in an e-mail to Ferguson his vision for a company that she could run called Mother's Army.

Ferguson's response was effusive. "My dear, spectacular and special friend, Jeffrey, you are a legend and I am so proud of you," she wrote to the convicted child sex offender, who still had months left of his 18-month jail sentence. Ferguson added, "Thanks for being such a great friend," and signed the e-mail with "lots of love" and several X's. Within a week of Epstein's release from jail, Ferguson was eager to see the financier in person. She made plans to visit him with her daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie,

who were 20 and 19 at the time. It's not clear whether that meeting materialized. The Epstein files show that Ferguson, who has not been accused of crimes related to Epstein, frequently turned to her friend for financial advice. In the fall of 2009, as one news story branded Ferguson as "the duchess of debt," Ferguson messaged Epstein, "I urgently need 20,000 pounds for rent today. Any brainwaves?"

Several months later, Ferguson asked Epstein whether there was any chance she could borrow $50,000 or $100,000 U.S. to help her get through the small bills that were pushing her over. Epstein responded that he could not help, citing current restrictions. While he didn't elaborate, Epstein was serving out a year of house arrest at the time.

PHIL BLACK, FORMER CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is the headline that started it all this time, "Fergie 'Sells' Andy for 500K."

LEE (voice-over): Ferguson was again engulfed in scandal later that year, caught on video appearing to accept money in exchange for access to her ex-husband, Andrew. Turning once again to her friend Epstein in her moment of desperation, she even encouraged Epstein to hire her to be his house assistant. "I am the most capable and desperately need the money. Please, Jeffrey, think about it," she wrote.

But less than one year later, Ferguson disavowed Epstein publicly, telling "The Evening Standard" in an interview, "I abhor pedophilia." She vowed that she would repay the money that Epstein provided to pay Ferguson's former employee and to have nothing ever to do with Jeffrey Epstein ever again. But not only did Ferguson fail to cut ties with Epstein, in private, she asked her friend for forgiveness.

"I know you also feel hellaciously let down by me and I must humbly apologize to you and your heart for that," Ferguson wrote to Epstein in April 2011. "You have always been a steadfast, generous and supreme friend to me and my family. I did absolutely not say the P word about you."