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Trump urges China, Allies To Help With Strait of Hormuz crisis; London Police Arrest 12 People After Rival Protests; Oil Prices Open Higher As War In Middle East Rages; Volodymyr Zelenskyy Warns Iran War May Divert Ukraine Aid; Michigan Synagogue Attacker's Brother Was Hezbollah Commander; U.S. and Israel Indicate Iran War Will Keep Going for Weeks; Oscars Honor This Year's Biggest Films and Top Talents; 100 Million People Under Threat for Severe Storms Across U.S.; Hundreds of TSA Agents Quit Amid Partial Shutdown; FCC Chair Threatens U.S. TV Networks over Iran War Coverage; Opinion Remains Divided on U.S. War with Iran; March Madness. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired March 16, 2026 - 01:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:00:31]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN Breaking News.

BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Ben Hunte in Atlanta. It's morning across the Middle East and as the war of Iran pushes into a third week, new strikes are being reported, including in Tehran.

And there's new focus on the Strait of Hormuz too. President Donald Trump is urging other countries to help keep the critical waterway secure. In an interview with the Financial Times, he warned NATO faces a quote, very bad future if U.S. allies fail to assist in securing the strait. He spoke more about that earlier aboard Air Force One.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: We are talking to other countries about working with us for the policing of strength and I think we're getting a response. If we do, that's great and if we don't, that's great too.

Remember, like as an example of many cases in NATO countries, we're always there for NATO. We're helping them with Ukraine. Many instruments got a notion of independence doesn't affect us if we help them. It'd be interesting to see what country would help us with a very small endeavor which is just keeping the straight up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: We do know that Australia will not be sending a ship to the Strait of Hormuz which has been effectively shut by Iran since the war began. Let's talk about it some more. CNN's Ivan Watson joins us now live from Hong Kong. Ivan, thanks so much for being with us.

Let's start with the Strait of Hormuz, if that's okay. How serious is the disruption right now?

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's serious enough that the price of oil has now gone to the highest level since 2022, basically in four years above $105 a barrel. And there are ripple effects for other commodities that people need from the region like LPG.

So it's a very serious consideration. And it's also curious enough that now more than two weeks into the joint U.S.-Israeli attack against Iran, this bombing campaign, suddenly President Trump is calling on countries that are not party to the conflict to help try to secure this vital shipping lane so that underscores just how important this is, where 20 to 25 percent of the world's oil is believed to move through this narrow chokehold, which is about 20 to 25 miles wide at its most narrow point and 31 to 33 kilometers.

And if you want to know how dangerous it is, look at these scenes of Thai merchant mariners returning to Bangkok airport, 20 of them after their ship was struck in the Strait of Hormuz. They were on a cargo ship and it was hit on Wednesday. They've made it home safely. Three of their crew members are still missing, and the prognosis is not good for them.

And their ship is one of more than a dozen that have been believed to have been targeted in the Strait of Hormuz and in the Persian Gulf over the course of now more than two weeks of this conflict. So President Trump is calling on other nations to help out, while the U.S. still doesn't have its own force in place to try to figure out how to protect vessels from Iranian asymmetric warfare.

So that's sea mines, that's underwater drones that have been used to attack tanker ships, for example. thus far. We know that Australia has said it hasn't been formally asked to contribute and it won't send any ships to the region. Japan's prime minister has talked about this in the last couple of hours and said, quote, we have not yet made any decisions whatsoever regarding the dispatch of naval vessels.

And some countries are clearly trying to negotiate agreements with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Case in point, India, which announced that it successfully secured passage of two, excuse me, LPG tankers over the course of the weekend that they successfully and safely crossed, and they're expected to be reaching Indian ports today and tomorrow.

India's foreign minister saying that his direct negotiations with the Iranian government has yielded results. But that's where we stand right now. As of now, the Strait of Hormuz is still mostly closed.

HUNTE: OK, thank you for that. And on the wider fighting, we are seeing strikes continue across the region.

[01:05:01]

Do you see this conflict escalating further and settling into a much longer war?

WATSON: Sure. I mean, the Israeli government announced that it carried out some 200 different bombing raids in a 24-hour period. The Iranian government says that it has fired over the course of this conflict some 700 ballistic missiles and more than 3,600 drones.

One of the places recently hit was Dubai International Airport, where, well, you're looking at Tel Aviv, a street in Tel Aviv that was hit by some kind of cluster missile from Iran that wounded at least three people. And these are images from Dubai Airport, which has been battling a fire at some kind of a fuel installation there, resulting in the airport shutting down all traffic in and out temporarily, resulting in large numbers of people stranded and the flagship carrier, Emirates Airlines, urging people not to go to the airport.

And that's not the first time that Dubai Airport has been targeted by Iranian drones. The death toll continues to rise. We have more than 1,300 people reported killed in Iran thus far, with hospitals hit, as well as tens of thousands of residences.

In Lebanon, another major front in this conflict. The death toll has reached at least 850 people killed, with close to a million people displaced by what Israel describes as evacuation orders for large swaths of the country.

But are kill zones, areas that the Israeli airstrikes can target and anybody caught in them can be killed. So this is a conflict that does very much continue to rage and shows no sign of lighting up anytime soon. Ben.

HUNTE: OK, well, thank you so much for that update. For now, Ivan Watson, appreciate it. Thank you.

Onwards. Iran's foreign minister says Tehran is open to holding talks of countries wanting to safely access the Strait of Hormuz and has already been approached by several of them. Speaking with CBS News on Sunday, he shut down President Trump's claim that Iran has asked for a ceasefire. Have a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABBAS ARAGHCHI, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: No, we never asked for a cease fire. And we have never asked even for negotiation. We are ready to defend ourselves as long as it takes. And this is what we have done so far. And we continue to do that until President Trump comes to the point that this is an illegal war with no victory.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: Law enforcement officials say 12 people were arrested after rival pro and anti-Iran government protests in London. The rally against the war was organized to mark Al Quds Day, an Iranian event established under past Islamic regime leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Traditionally, held on the final Friday of Ramadan in solidarity with Palestinians. The dueling protest unfolded just across the River Thames. Law enforcement had previously alerted both groups that showing support for a, quote, prescribed organization would lead to possible arrest. Let's bring in Ali Alfoneh, Senior Fellow at the Arab Gulf States

Institute, and he's joining us live from Washington. Thank you so much for staying up with me late, sir. How are you doing?

ALI ALFONEH, SENIOR FELLOW, ARAB GULF STATES INSTITUTE: Thank you for the invitation.

HUNTE: It's good to see you. We are now more than two weeks into this war, with shipping still badly disrupted, oil prices still elevating. What is your assessment of where things stand right now, and what do you think the realistic pathways are for this conflict to end?

ALFONEH: Most unfortunately, President Trump has entangled America in a war without a clear objective and without a strategic way out of the conflict. What is the exit? I cannot see it. And President Trump is very confusing in his answers.

The prime -- the minister of foreign affairs of this Islamic Republic did not say that it was actually President Trump who had offered Iran a ceasefire, but Iran did not accept it because they believe that if they accept ceasefire right now, there will be possibly another round of attacks six months away from now.

So they are trying to wage a war of attrition and economic warfare, which is, from their perspective, hopefully can defeat President Trump at the ballot in November. That is their way of waging the war.

HUNTE: Can you just help us understand the power structure occurring inside Iran right now? With a new supreme leader in place who still hasn't appeared publicly, who really holds the power behind the scenes?

ALFONEH: There are many rumors concerning Mr. Mojtaba Khamenei's health, but we know so much that he's alive and he was elected leader. But in reality, the country is run by a collective leadership comprised of the president, the parliamentary speaker, the judiciary chief, one representative from the regular military, and most importantly, one representative from the Revolutionary Guard.

[01:10:10]

The Revolutionary Guard appears to be the one institution which has benefited most from this war because they are now consolidating their power. For many years they have tried to seize control over Iran. But the killing, assassination of Ayatollahi Khamenei, I think is the catalyst for transformation of the regime into a military dictatorship.

HUNTE: Even when Iran has faced enormous pressure in the past, though, the regime has managed to survive. What explains that resilience inside the system?

ALFONEH: In part, this has to do with the fact that this regime was born out of crisis, born out of a revolution. And throughout its existence it has tried to protect itself and against assassination of its leaders, against foreign invasion, as the case was with Iraq, throughout eight years long war.

And now it has a collective leadership and also a decentralized structure of the Revolutionary Guard which makes it difficult to decapitate in the same way that President Trump managed to do in Venezuela.

HUNTE: We know that President Trump says Iran wants to negotiate, but Tehran's foreign minister insists that Iran hasn't asked for talks at all. What does that tell us about where diplomacy really stands right now?

ALFONEH: The regime in Tehran does not trust President Trump and they believe that what they must do is to punish President Trump in order to prevent another U.S. attack against Iran six months away from now.

This is why they're showing this degree of resilience. This also shows us -- this is the reason why they are waging a regional war and not just a war against the United States. It's also the Allies, most unfortunately.

HUNTE: And from Washington's perspective, if the President says there's no reason yet to declare any victory, what could victory actually look like? What would it have to look like for this conflict to end?

ALFONEH: As for the political objectives of the war, President Trump has been improvising all along. And I suspect that whenever he loses interest in the war or believes that it no longer serves his political purposes and interests, he will declare victory using any pretext. It could be really anything. And the weight and importance of the deed is not so important in itself.

HUNTE: OK, we'll leave it there for now. Thank you so much, Ali Alfoneh, we really appreciate it. Thank you.

Onwards. The disruption in the Strait of Hormuz is sending oil prices soaring to their highest level since 2022. Brent crude, that is the global benchmark, surpassed $106 a barrel. Right now it's at 104.7 per barrel. U.S. oil has of course, also spiked.

The surge, causing U.S. gas prices to rise some 24 percent since the start of the conflict, according to AAA auto association. That is the U.S. Energy secretary had this to say about the pain that Americans are feeling at the pump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you really sure it's going to be short term? Can you guarantee it'll just be weeks before prices go down?

CHRIS WRIGHT, U.S. ENERGY SECRETARY: Hey, there's no guarantees in wars at all. I can guarantee this situation would be dramatically worse without this military operation to defang the Iranian regime. This is short term pain to get through to a much better place.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HUNTE: For more on how the markets are reacting to the escalating conflict in the Middle East, CNN's Hanako Montgomery joins us live. Hanako, thanks so much for being with me.

Oil prices are being massively impacted right now. The price of gas here is crazy. How bad could things get?

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Ben, I mean, things could get a lot worse before they do get better as the U.S. President Donald Trump is very hopeful for. Asia markets, for example, on Monday opened to a lot of news from over the weekend, particularly related to the Strait of Hormuz, and Trump suggesting that some allies of the United States and China could help guide ships through that narrow waterway.

Now, on Monday, we saw Japan's index benchmark, the Nikkei 225 dipping as low as 1.27 percent so far. And also South Korea and Australia stocks dipping slightly as well. Now we are expecting stock markets to really continue to react to news about the Strait of Hormuz, to news that the war, the U.S. and Israel's war with Iran is going into its third week.

Now, Ben, you asked how bad things could get. And right now a lot of countries in Asia are actually looking to their emergency stockpiles of oil to actually fight against this rising rate and rising price for oil.

[01:15:08]

For example, on Monday in Japan, the government will be releasing 80 million barrels of stockpile. That's about a tenth of the country's entire emergency stockpile for oil. And again, this is to make sure that the price of oil doesn't get so high for consumers.

Now, this is its biggest release for its stockpile so far in its history. So this is really, really big news for Japan. And Japan actually far better prepared than a lot of its neighbors, like, for example, India, Thailand, Indonesia, which have far fewer barrels of oil in its stockpile.

Now, about the Strait of Hormuz, and Trump suggesting over the weekend that U.S. allies and China could help. He said on Air Force One on Sunday, quote, China, as an example, gets about 90 percent of its oil from the Hormuz Strait. And it would be nice to have other countries police that with us and will help more militarily. We've, as far as I'm concerned, we've defeated Iran.

So again, just suggesting, I believe it was the U.K., France, South Korea, Japan and China sending ships to the Strait of Hormuz to help vessels go through that narrow waterway as it is effectively closed. But this is a lot easier said than done then.

For example, Japan, it has a pacifist constitution. It can't legally get involved in wars that it doesn't actually have a lot of skin in the game for. So, for example, Takaichi, the Japanese prime minister, said last week that Japan was not going to send any minesweepers as per Trump's request. And again, as Trump's requests begin to escalate, it looks as though

Japan, South Korea, other allies of the United States are being put in a very awkward position as they try to deal with Trump and deal with his requests, while also trying to alleviate these concerns about very, very tumultuous times when it comes to their oil stocks.

Now, one thing to watch out for this week, Ben, is the Japanese prime minister is heading to Washington on Thursday for a key summit with Trump. And we are expecting Trump to raise these concerns once more during that meeting. And we're going to have to see how Takaichi will respond to that because, again, it's so reliant on the Middle East for oil, but it can't legally get involved just yet then.

HUNTE: OK. Thank you so much for the update. Hanako Montgomery in Tokyo. We appreciate it. Thank you.

All right. Still to come, growing concerns in Kyiv that the Iran war is shifting U.S. attention away from Ukraine. We'll have more just after this. See you in a moment.

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[01:21:27]

HUNTE: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukrainian teams are in the Gulf region assisting countries facing Iranian attacks. Speaking to CNN's Fareed Zakaria, President Zelenskyy also said Russia has been providing Iran with drones.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Russia gave drones already, the Shaheds. They are using Iranian licenses. You know that they built and produced a lot of drones. They gave them. I have 100 percent facts the day that Iranian regime used against American bases and against all Middle East in Middle East, I mean and Middle East neighbors of Iran, they used these drones. We saw intelligence shared with us some details and it was Russian details in these Iranian drones.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: The Ukrainian leader also highlighted growing concerns in Kyiv that a conflict in the Middle East will divert U.S. attention and weapons from their ongoing war with Russia.

We are learning more details about the man who drove a vehicle into a Michigan synagogue. The Israeli military now says Ayman Ghazali's brother was a Hezbollah commander. CNN's Gloria Pazmino is tracking the story for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. And we had actually reported a few days ago that Ayman Ghazali, the man who law enforcement say drove a vehicle packed with explosives into a synagogue in Michigan, had actually been previously flagged in U.S. law enforcement databases for having a suspected connection to known members of Hezbollah.

And now we are learning more about that connection. We are told that Ghazali had brother. He's been identified by the Israel Defense Forces as Ibrahim Mohamad Ghazali. And we are told that he was a Hezbollah commander who was killed in an IDF strike on March 5th.

Now, this is according to a spokesperson for the IDF who said that day struck a Hezbollah military building believed to be used to store weapons. And in that strike, Ghazali was the brother of the man who drove this vehicle into a synagogue in Michigan last week. He was killed during that attack.

We know that this incident remains under investigation by federal authorities here in the United States. And that attack on the synagogue in Michigan unfolding as one of several incidents that authorities are investigating as acts of terrorism ever since the beginning of U.S. military action in Iran. Gloria Pazmino, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: OK. We have more breaking coverage on the war with Iran. Coming up, the latest on where the conflict stands as the U.S. and Israel warn of an expanding military timeline. See in a moment.

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[01:27:54]

HUNTE: Welcome back. President Trump is ramping up pressure on NATO allies as his administration calls on other countries to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The president's push to get naval escorts for oil tankers in the region comes as the war enters its third week.

President Trump says the U.S. is not yet prepared to make a deal with Tehran to end the war. U.S. and Israeli officials are now indicating that the conflict may keep going for at least several more weeks. CNN's Nada Bashir has more details for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Tehran, morning traffic moves under banners of Iranian missiles. Two weeks of bombardment and life keeps going. On Saturday, thousands turned out for a rally in support of the country's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, a leader rallying his people from the shadows. He has not been seen publicly since taking power. President Donald Trump questions whether he is even alive.

But the strikes keep coming, too. Isfahan hit on Sunday, smoke rising over one of Iran's oldest cities. The bombardment is relentless, and for now, there is no indication Washington wants to slow down.

Trump posted on Truth Social this week. His words. The United States of America has beaten and completely decimated Iran. But the countries of the world that receive oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage.

Israel's foreign minister said the war would end when the U.S. and Israel decide it's appropriate to do so. Interceptors lighting up the sky above Tel Aviv. Most brought down. But the message is clear. Whatever Washington and Jerusalem say about timetables, Iran is still in this fight.

Tehran has a counter move. Iran vows to keep fighting and is squeezing the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off one of the world's most important supply routes for crude oil and natural gas.

MOHSEN REZAEI, IRANIAN EXPEDIENCY COUNCIL (through translator): The threat of Hormuz will not be open to shipping. Not a single American Navy vessel will be allowed to enter the Persian Gulf. How this war ends is in our control.

[01:30:05]

BASHIR: Prices are jumping, insurers pulling back, shipping companies finding longer routes.

And so the new target for U.S. strikes, Kharg Island, Iran's main crude export hub, handling about 90 percent of its oil exports. Up close, a vast industrial complex built to pump Iran's lifeblood to the global economy now in the crosshairs.

Another country in the crosshairs is Lebanon. For a moment, the sky above Beirut's southern suburbs holds something other than smoke. But on the ground, there is no such reprieve. Nearly a million people in Lebanon are on the move, fleeing strikes across the country.

In Sidon, the aftermath -- shattered buildings, emptied streets. In Beirut's suburbs, entire blocks reduced to rubble, families camped out on Beirut's beloved corniche, escaping Israeli military moves through southern Lebanon. Each advance pulls this country deeper into a war it has no capacity to absorb.

Two weeks of bombardment, and Iran's government is still standing. That is the point. Tehran is not trying to win militarily. It is trying to make this war too expensive to continue.

With Hormuz under pressure, Gulf terminals threatened, and Lebanon now bearing the human cost, that pressure is coming from every direction.

Nada Bashir, CNN -- in London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR: Ok. Ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, a night of glamor and celebration at the Oscars. Just ahead, we'll take a look at the big winners from the Academy Awards.

See you in a moment.

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[01:34:54]

HUNTE: Welcome back.

The Academy has spoken and celebrations are kicking off this year's Oscar winners, the newly crowned best and brightest of the film industry.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICOLE KIDMAN, ACTRESS: To -- "One Battle After Another".

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: And that was tonight's big winner, Paul Thomas Anderson's "One Battle After Another". The film won six awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. It also raked in a win for Sean Penn as Best Supporting Actor.

Ryan Coogler's "Sinners" had earned a record-breaking 16 nominations. It won for Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best Cinematography. The Best Actor Oscar went to Michael B. Jordan for his role as twin brothers in the film.

Jessie Buckley won Best Actress for her very emotional performance as a grieving mother in "Hamnet", becoming the first Irish winner of a Best Actress Oscar.

Well, for more on all of this year's Academy Awards, I want to bring in Sandro Monetti. He's a film producer, writer, director, and editor- in-chief for "Hollywood International Filmmaker Magazine". You're a busy, busy dude.

He joins us live from L.A. Thank you so much for being with me, sir. How are you doing?

SANDRO MONETTI, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, "HOLLYWOOD INTERNATIONAL FILMMAKER": I love the Oscars. This circus of celebrity where art meets heart. You know it's a roller coaster ride of drama and disappointments. It's a metaphor for life, really. Ben.

HUNTE: I love that. I also love this suit. that is everything. Give me the details later. Ok, let's get into it.

MONETTI: (EXPLETIVE DELETED) are out tonight in Hollywood.

HUNTE: Paul Thomas Anderson finally took home his first Oscars after nearly three decades in the industry for "One Battle After Another". What do you think made that film resonate so strongly with voters this year?

MONETTI: It was the right movie at the right time. Yes, it had intense drama, nonstop action, but it also spoke very well in terms of social anxiety about authoritarianism.

It was really -- spoke to the times and tapped into a lot of anxiety that's going on at the moment. And so yes, it -- it worked just enough to edge out "Sinners". It was

one battle after another between those two films. They went against each other in 11 categories. But yes, you know, both great movies, but "One Battle" ultimately won the big battle.

HUNTE: Yes, it did.

Michael B. Jordan also had an absolutely huge moment tonight, winning Best Actor for "Sinners" while playing twin brothers in the film. How big a moment is this for him and for his career do you think?

MONETTI: It is great. He has really sort of cemented himself among the legends and he has a lot of people to thank. Ryan Coogler, other collaborators, but probably no one more so than Timothee Chalamet, who was the runaway favorite in this category before shooting himself in the foot by alienating so many of the Oscar voters with his controversial comments.

I'm still sore over the fact that Timothee was robbed last year. Should definitely have won for his performance as Bob Dylan in "A Complete Unknown", beaten by Adrien Brody.

He had seemed all set up to win it this time but his campaigning rubbed people the wrong way. And that opened the door for Michael B. Jordan to get a very deserved win and a wonderful speech.

HUNTE: Were there any surprises for you in the actress categories?

MONETTI: There was not because I predicted everything. What can I tell you, you know, Oscar expert.

But it's so nice to see Jessie Buckley, whose career I followed closely since she came second in the BBC talent contest, "I'd Do Anything" when she was 18 and she's really, you know, been a rising star for years.

This was her second Oscar nomination. And now she really you know, hit the big time with the -- with the win here.

And great to see Amy Madigan for "Weapons" representing a horror movie, you know winning in Best Supporting Actress.

But can we talk about Sean Penn?

HUNTE: It was my next question. I'm going to go -- I'm going to read through it because I want to get all the details in.

We did see Sean Penn win for Best Supporting Actor, but then he wasn't there. What happened?

MONETTI: You know, he's robbed Oscar lovers like me and you of that iconic moment. Because now, this was his third Oscar and he didn't show up.

I only wish Sean Penn loved the Oscars as much as we, the fans sort of love him and love seeing him succeed. [01:39:49]

MONETTI: But let's face it, you know, he gave his first Oscar away to Vladimir Zelensky. He threatened to melt down the other one. So it doesn't seem to mean as much to him.

But clearly he is adored. He's now among the greats, you know. He's won three Oscars now in his career. The all-time record is four held by Katharine Hepburn.

Who's to say he won't break that? It's more likely for him to break it than to actually show up.

HUNTE: There was even a rare tie in one of the categories, which led to a pretty chaotic moment on stage.

And it was in -- in my opinion, I loved "Friend of Dorothy" and I was surprised that that didn't kind of --

MONETTI: Thank you very much.

HUNTE: Ok. So this is what I was going to say. Did you predict -- surely you didn't predict that one? Surely.

MONETTI: No. Biggest shock of the night that "Friend of Dorothy", starring Stephen Fry and Miriam Margolyes, which you know, can be, you know, should be seen around the world, didn't win. And instead it was for only the seventh time in Oscar history, we had a tie between "The Singers" and "Two Strangers Exchanging Saliva".

And so yes, they won it. And so the short film category turned out to be the longest presentation because you had two winners.

It's more of the magic of the Oscars and finally, there was some unpredictability. But guys, what was with that decision, really?

HUNTE: Interesting, right? It's so interesting.

Ok, Sandro Monetti, thank you so much for that. We appreciate it. I'll speak to you again very soon.

MONETTI: Thanks.

HUNTE: Right. For our international viewers, "WORLDSPORT" is next. For those of you in the U.S. And Canada, I'll be right back with more CNN NEWSROOM.

See you in a moment.

[01:41:30]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HUNTE: Welcome back.

Millions of people in the eastern half of the U.S. are facing the threat of severe thunderstorms and potential tornadoes. This sprawling storm has everything, bringing snow and blizzard conditions for parts of the Midwest and Great Lakes, to roaring winds and fire weather concerns in the Plains and Rockies.

CNN's Allison Chinchar has the latest from the CNN Weather Center.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLISON CHINCHAR, AMS METEOROLOGIST: More than 20 million people are under winter weather alerts across much of the Midwest right now. And that's just the winter side of this storm.

We also have the severe thunderstorm side of this, and that's really going to impact folks from New York all the way down to Florida. That's more than 100 million people impacted just by the potential for damaging winds of 60, 70, even 80 miles per hour. The potential also for a few strong tornadoes.

Now, the target point is really going to be this red area right here. That includes Washington, D.C., Richmond and down through Raleigh. But any of these areas you see highlighted here have the potential for those strong to severe thunderstorms.

We've already got some that are continuing through the overnight hours here. You can kind of see as we play through the remainder of the evening. You've got that strong line of storms still going 2:00, 3:00, 4:00 in the morning.

By the start of morning rush hour, its likely going to be pretty dicey there for places like Atlanta and then also up into the northeast as that early wave slides through areas like New York and Boston.

Then again, for the afternoon commute you're still looking at the potential for some strong thunderstorms across New York, Hartford, Boston, even Providence.

The good news is, at least across the southeast, most of that line is now starting to exit the region. But you do have some of that wraparound snow on the colder side of the system that will end up eventually sliding in across portions of the northeast.

Wind however, is certainly going to be the most widespread impact that we have from this particular system. All of these areas you see here in the yellow or even the red color, are under those high wind alerts.

Some of these areas, as we mentioned, 50, 60 even as much as 70 mile- per-hour wind gusts in some of these locations as we go through the rest of the day on Monday.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: Hundreds of TSA airport security workers are quitting their jobs during the ongoing partial government shutdown, likely because they're not getting paid.

More than 60,000 workers went without their first full paycheck over the weekend. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says at least 300 workers have now left their post, and call outs are doubling. He warns the situation will get worse.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN DUFFY, U.S. TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: These are men and women who don't make a lot of money, and so some of them are making choices to go, you know, whether they're driving Uber or, you know, waiting tables, they have to put food on their family's table. And in these places where this is happening you're seeing really long lines.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: The House of Representatives canceled Monday's vote due to the storm, and now it's expected to hold its first votes of the week on Tuesday afternoon.

Onwards.

The Trump administration is threatening to go after U.S. TV networks for their coverage of the war with Iran. The head of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr is warning local broadcasters could lose their licenses over what he deems as fake news coverage.

CNN's chief media analyst, Brian Stelter breaks it all down for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: Hey, the Trump administration's threats against TV stations are back, front-and- center. And this time it's happening as the president is fuming about how the Iran war is being covered and scrutinized by American media outlets.

Trump's handpicked FCC chairman, Brendan Carr, used his public megaphone on Saturday to threaten broadcasters seemingly trying to pressure them into softening news coverage.

First Amendment advocates, free speech scholars -- they were appalled by what they called an authoritarian and unconstitutional post by Carr. It's certainly unheard of in modern American history.

But the threat is ultimately pretty hollow because there's very little Carr can actually do to follow through and he'll likely be stymied by the courts if he tries to.

TV stations are not at serious risk of being banned from the U.S. airwaves because of the crusade (ph), but Carr's comments do still carry a lot of weight because he represents the U.S. government.

[01:49:40]

STELTER: Carr was in Florida visiting Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday when he posted this on X. Quote, "Broadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions, also known as the fake news, have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up. The law is clear," Carr wrote, "Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, or they will lose their licenses if they do not."

Now, as a practical matter, the FCC has not denied a license renewal in decades. If the government tries to take a license away, it will probably cause a protracted legal battle. And given Trump's tendency toward retribution and his public comments against TV networks, it could be a really strong First Amendment case.

So the system seems to favor existing station owners. And we should keep in mind, cable channels like this one, CNN, are not licensed by the U.S. government, and neither are streaming platforms like Netflix.

But yes, local TV and radio stations are licensed. And we've seen in the past year how some media companies with station licenses have caved or submitted, or even self-censored sometimes trying to win U.S. government approval for mergers.

That was a concern last year at CBS parent company Paramount. And now Paramount is planning to buy CNN's parent company, Warner Brothers Discovery.

So, Carr's threat gained a lot of attention and a lot of criticism over the weekend. And it seemed he probably wanted that attention because he's using his bully pulpit in order to influence network choices and station choices.

Many Democrats came out and condemned Carr for doing so. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer reacted by saying, quote, "This is vindictive, fascist stuff." And he said, "If Carr continues down this route, Democrats will hold him accountable. Threatening broadcasters licenses for war coverage this administration doesn't like is the worst thing Carr has done, and that's saying something."

Now Trump might say it's the best thing Carr has done. He praised Carr in a Truth Social post on Sunday night, saying quote, "Looking at the licenses of some of these corrupt and highly-unpatriotic news organizations is the right thing to do."

Now, the key line there, the key word is "unpatriotic". Trump and his allies are trying to smear news outlets as being unpatriotic for independently covering the Iraq war.

But history shows that most people see through that kind of rhetoric. Most people want and expect the press corps to provide independent coverage, independent scrutiny of what is going on when lives are at stake.

Brian Stelter, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: Opinions on the war in Iran do remain sharply divided in the United States. CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION" heard from both sides of the political aisle on Sunday.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz touted the success of the operation. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE WALTZ, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: Militarily, the U.S. military has decimated Iran's air force, their air defenses, their missile capability, their missile production capability.

This has been a dominant victory the likes of which we haven't seen in modern American military history.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: Democratic Senator Cory Booker shared his frustration over Congress' lack of action regarding the war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CORY BOOKER (D-NY): If we allow this to happen, then we give Trump the permission to say ok, finished with Venezuela. I went to Iran. Now I'm going to go to Cuba. Now I'm going to go to North Korea.

It is outrageous and never conceived of that we could have this level of a military engagement without authority -- without the people's House, Congress, doing something about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: Some of the latest polling shows Americans are divided over President Trump's decision to go to war.

CNN's chief data analyst, Harry Enten breaks down the numbers for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: Yes. Why don't we just talk about President Trump, first of all, right. I've heard a lot of the president's critics, you know, say, hey this is going to basically bring the President Trump's second term to an end. He won't be able to do anything more.

But here's the thing. President Trump is liked as much now as he was before the war started. I mean, just take a look here. Americans who approve of Trump.

In late February just before the war started, it was 41 percent. And now, it's the exact same 41 percent. There has been no movement in the average poll. And I have to say, this doesn't really surprise me very much because President Trump's approval rating has been just so consistent over his term that even a war in the Middle East can't seem to move it at least a little bit.

Ok, so let's talk beyond just the fact that President Trump's approval rating has been so static, right? Why don't we talk about how Americans feel about the war itself? And this is where it gets really interesting, because there are a lot of different polls, and they say a lot of different things. Ok, this is the net approval of the U.S. military action in Iran. This

is the seven most recent national polls, the net approval rating and percentage points. Look at this. You can find polls where its negative -14, -13, -12, -11, -11.

But then you can also find two recent polls that where you actually see that Americans are either equally divided or actually slightly more likely to approve than disapprove, as is the case in the most recent "Washington Post" poll.

So the bottom line is this. While there are plenty of people who dislike the war, there are polls that actually show that Americans are evenly divided or slightly more likely to actually favor the war than oppose it.

[01:54:52]

ENTEN: And therefore, it's not really much of a surprise that Trump's numbers haven't moved because the American people seem to be fairly evenly divided.

This, to me is probably the most fascinating part of this segment, right? Because there are a lot of Americans who really do care, and there are a lot of people who, of course, have family in the Middle East that really care.

But take a look here, ok? Americans who say they care about -- a lot about the U.S. economy, 84 percent. How about the Iranian situation? It's just 45 percent of Americans who say they care a lot about the Iranian situation.

So I would expect that number to climb if in fact, gas prices go up and there's an effect on the U.S. economy. But at this point, for a lot of Americans, they simply don't actually care that much.

So it's not that much of a surprise that, in fact you're not seeing President Trump's numbers move, because at this point, the thing that the Americans care about is the U.S. economy. They don't necessarily care that much about a situation overseas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: The war in Iran has canceled another soccer match, the Finalissima Soccer Match, set to be played between Spain and Argentina in Qatar later this month has now been canceled.

The Union of European Football Associations, or UEFA, issued a statement saying it tried to find another venue to host the match. However, the Argentinian Football Association actually rejected those alternative options.

Get ready college basketball fans, and there are many of you. March Madness is upon us. The men's NCAA tournament bracket was revealed on Sunday.

The Duke Blue Devils are now the top overall seed. Michigan, Florida, and Arizona and the rest of the number one seeds. In all, 68 teams will now battle it out for the next three weeks for a shot at this year's championship.

The first games begin this week, with the final four playing on April 4th and the national championship on April 6th.

Ok. That's all I've got for you. Thanks so much for joining me and the team. I'm Ben Hunte in Atlanta and I will see you next weekend.

There is so much more news just after this break. Rosie, over to you.

[01:56:59]

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