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U.S. Embassy Compound In Baghdad Struck In Missile Attack; First Shabbat Service At MI Synagogue Targeted In Terror Attack; Trump Says U.S. Bombed "Iran's Crown Jewel" Kharg Island; Trump Says United States Bombed "Iran's Crown Jewel" Kharg Island; "SAVE America Act" Passes House, Uncertain Ahead Of Senate Vote; Gas Prices Spiking Amid War With Iran. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired March 14, 2026 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Breaking overnight. A missile attack at the U.S. embassy compound in Baghdad. Details coming in on the damage and who's responsible.

REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): This war is not something that Americans voted for in 2024.

BLACKWELL (voice-over): GOP Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene says President Trump is not living up to his promises to voters when it comes to no new foreign wars. More on her message to the president ahead.

GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER (D-MI): This is targeting babies who are Jewish. That's anti-Semitism at its absolute worst.

BLACKWELL: The community of West Bloomfield, Michigan, reeling after an attack at a synagogue. The new details we're learning about the suspect and his ties to a terror group overseas.

JONATHAN WALDROP, RESIDENT, CONNECTICUT: If 87 gets to like $4 -- $5, I can't -- I might as well stay in the house.

BLACKWELL: Gas prices increasing as the war in Iran impacts the global oil supply. And officials say it's only going to get worse.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Welcome to CNN THIS MORNING. Saturday, March 14. I'm Victor Blackwell. And we start with the breaking news.

New video in the CNN shows smoke and small flames rising from a building near the U.S. embassy compound in Baghdad. Now, Reuters cites security officials who said that this is a missile strike. But it's still unclear the extent of the damage. Now, CNN has reached out to the State Department for more information on the developing situation. Meanwhile, President Trump says the U.S. bombed every military target on Iran's Kharg Island. Now, that handles about 90 percent of the country's crude oil exports. According to Iranian state media, no oil infrastructure was damaged in the attacks, but the president threatened to attack the island's oil infrastructure if Iran continues to block ships from traversing the Strait of Hormuz.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President, when will the Navy start escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It'll happen soon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: In Lebanon, at least 12 medical workers were killed when an Israeli strike hit a health care center in southern Lebanon. The country's health minister says doctors, paramedics, and nurses were among those killed. We have team coverage in the region with CNN's Paula Hancocks in Abu Dhabi and Matias Grez in Doha.

Paula, I'm going to start with you and the latest on the U.S. and Israeli strikes in Iran overnight. What do you know?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Victor, if we start with those strikes on Kharg Island, now this is a very key island for Iran. It's tiny. It's only about five miles wide. But it does account for about 90 percent of crude exports for Iran. So, this is really the economic backbone for the country.

Now, the U.S. has said, or President Trump has said, that they have destroyed all of the military targets, but they have not as yet touched the oil infrastructure. Now, we have had a number of warnings from Iran about this. We heard from the parliamentary speaker saying that if the islands were targeted, then they would "Abandon all restraint" when it came to retaliation.

We've just had a fresh look at the response from Iran as well. The spokesperson from the armed forces has just given a warning to the UAE, saying that targeting -- they will be targeting the origin of U.S. missile launches from shipping posts, docks, and military hideouts in the UAE cities. Now, this we believe, is a response, since that Kharg Island has been targeted.

Now, of course, military hideouts is very open-ended. We know there's likely to be very few, if any, U.S. military on the basis that they generally use in the UAE and across the Gulf Nations, at this point. And Iran could believe that they are elsewhere. So, it really is open- ended what they are going to target at this point.

Looking at Baghdad as well. We did see that there has been damage to a building within or in the vicinity of the U.S. embassy compound. Images showing some of that damage.

Now, this is one of the biggest U.S. embassies in the world. It is within the green zone, this heavily fortified area. And it has come under repeated attack recently -- missile and drone attack by some of the Iranian proxies that are in Iraq. These are the militia that are funded and trained by Iran.

They had protests outside the embassy as well in recent days. As far as we know, though, there has been no reports of casualties. We know that all non-emergency staff have been ordered to leave the country earlier this month.

[07:05:09]

And also, Oman. We know now that Oman is -- the U.S. State Department telling its non-emergency personnel and families to leave Oman because of security risks. This was the mediator between the U.S. and Iran when talks were still ongoing.

Just a couple of weeks ago, Oman prides itself on not taking sides and believed it was insulated from the war. But again, Iran's retaliation, it appears no Gulf Nations are insulated from that. Victor.

BLACKWELL: Paula Hancocks for us in Abu Dhabi. Thank you. Iran has been retaliating with massive airstrikes on Gulf countries allied with the U.S. Today, its defense ministry says Tehran will begin using more destructive ballistic missiles. Matias Grez is in Doha. Matthias, what's the latest there?

MATIAS GREZ, CNN PRODUCER: Well, it had been a very quiet 36 hours or so for us here in Doha. It was around Thursday afternoon, the last we'd heard of any kind of alert sent to our phones. But that all changed last night.

The first in a series of incidents came around midnight, when the Ministry of Interior here sent a warning to people's phones, telling them to evacuate from a couple of areas around the city. And then that was followed around 1:30 in the morning, first by an emergency alert sent to people's phones, followed by a strike soon afterwards. And then that happened again just before 6: a.m. this morning. Another alert and more strikes.

And I have to say, those strikes overnight, in particular, the one around 1:30, were among the loudest, if not the loudest that we'd heard so far here in Doha. I mean, the force with which the one at 1:30 shook the building I was in, not far from here. It was quite incredible.

And earlier this morning, we saw gun-mounted helicopters circling over Doha. This area, of course, is a really popular commercial and residential area, both for locals and for tourists.

But some good news, at least for some Americans that might still be stranded here. Qatar Airways told us that they are continuing repatriation flights today. The ministry of interior said last night in a statement that around 8000 travelers that had been stuck here have been repatriated. Nearly all of them are home.

And over the last couple of days, we know there have been around 15 flights in and out of the city every day. And Qatar Airways confirmed with us this morning that they're expecting another 18 departures today and another 17 arrivals. And, in fact, we've had a CNN colleague here in Doha who's been trying to get back to London since Wednesday, but has had a number of his flights canceled. But he told us not long ago that he did manage to board that flight back to London.

But Qatar Airways told us they are still urging people to keep checking their phones, to keep checking the status of their flights online. This is, of course, a really fluid situation. They're telling them to keep their emergency contacts updated because they're still operating within a very narrow flight corridor and in -- and constant contact with the Qatar aviation authority to ensure the safe arrival and departure of those flights.

BLACKWELL: Yes. Some work still to do, but some progress at the start of week three of this war. Matias Grez for us there in Doha, thank you. Joining me now to discuss is Retired Lieutenant General William Caldwell. General, good morning to you.

And I want to start on Kharg Island because the president said that they obliterated the military targets -- the U.S. obliterated those military targets. Save the oil infrastructure. But if Iran does not let passage through the Strait of Hormuz, he'll reconsider that. Iran says that if the U.S. and Israel target their oil infrastructure, they'll target oil and energy in the region. What do you see as the potential for this fight over Kharg to be an accelerator or a tipping point in this war?

LT. GEN. WILLIAM CALDWELL (RET), U.S. ARMY: Well, obviously, Kharg Island is huge. It's the -- as you've already mentioned, 90 percent of their oil flows through there. You shut that down, there is no capability for them to develop any more revenue. And the country starts having some real challenges internally.

And again, I think that's part of the overall plan that -- you know, that the U.S. is looking at is how do you set those conditions within Iran to where the people have the ability to decide their own fate in the future, whatever that fate may be, that they want to pursue and follow that currently they cant. But they're already targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz. They're already indiscriminately shooting into the 13 Gulf countries around that area with rockets and mortar -- you know, drones.

So, it's not like their threat is something new. They're already doing what they say they might do. So, for us, the United States and others who are looking at Kharg Island, we -- I think we want to keep that island functional. We want to have the ability to win the Iranian people decide their own future fate.

[07:10:01]

They have a revenue source. They've got that facility still available to them to generate, you know, which we know is 90 percent of their oil. I mean, ultimately, in the end, we want an Iran that's fully integrated back into the world that's, you know, not anti-American -- doesn't have to be pro-American, but not anti-American either. You know, that doesn't have proxies operating all over the Middle East and other locations. Not nuclear.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

CALDWELL: It's not like America wants to take over that country. We don't want to put boots on the ground, I don't believe. We don't want to try to steer the direction of where that country and those the Iranian people want to go. They're incredibly smart, bright people. They have a great future, but they have a suppressive regime over the top of them that right now, they are unable to personally just take care of.

BLACKWELL: So, let's look at the near term before we get to the future of leadership of Iran. The president was asked yesterday about when he will know this war is over. Now, the president said the war is won or the U.S. is winning, or the U.S. will win. The question is, when will the kinetic energy -- when will the fighting be over? Here's his answer.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

BRIAN KILMEADE, HOST, THE BRIAN KILMEADE SHOW: When are you going to know when it's over?

TRUMP: When I feel it.

KILMEADE: When I feel it in my bones.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: The president says he'll feel it in his bones. Now, that seems to alleviate the administration of metrics or objectives. What do you make of that answer from the president?

CALDWELL: Well, I can tell you that the Department of Defense is not operating that way. The military planners who are involved in this operation have very clear, concise objectives and outcomes that they're working towards. They're not going to feel it. They're going to know it.

And they're actually measuring and making assessments continually. They're looking at things like, are there defections occurring in the leadership of the Iran -- of the Iranian leadership over there? Are we seeing defectors? Are we seeing military units starting to fall apart in the country?

Allegedly, we just hit their major banking system in the last 24 hours and took out the ability to pay any of their soldiers within the Iranian army, which is going to start having a second and third huge order effects. By having done that, we're now targeting and going after the IRGC militias, the checkpoints that are all over the country that are used to control the people with very targeted strikes. The more that we have that air dominance that we've been able to establish right now, the more ability to get in and go after these very selective, targeted locations. And the more the troops flee and don't enforce this regime's rule, the more that people are going to take back control of their own country. BLACKWELL: Yes. The president announced on social media that Kharg Island strike, but also the Pentagon is now deploying these Marine expeditionary units, one of them to the region. 2500 Marines and sailors.

Our team out of Washington reports that these have been used for large-scale evacuations, amphibious operations that require ship to shore movements, including raids and assaults. It also have ground and aviation combat components.

It won't make it there overnight, right? So, it will take some time to get there. But what do you make of this deployment -- these additional resources, if the rhetoric from the administration and from the Pentagon is we've won, it's nearly over there, decimated -- obliterated?

CALDWELL: Well, again, 2300 Marines on the ground, a division-ready brigade from the 82nd Airborne Division of 3500 paratroopers. Whatever they decide they were going to bring in if they needed some boots on the ground, so to speak, are easy to get there. They could have forces there in 36 hours if they wanted. The U.S. military could.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

CALDWELL: But at this point, there's not a need to put boots on the ground. And I'll be honest. Everybody I have been talking to will tell you there is no intent to put boots on the ground. The military does not want to do that. We don't want to become embroiled in some kind of conflict like that.

What we're doing right now is, in fact, achieving the objectives of making sure they don't have a nuclear capability, of starting to take down -- eliminate their proxies, to reducing their own military, causing it to start getting fragmented and to fall apart --

BLACKWELL: Yes.

CALDWELL: -- to reduce their leadership. So, those things are taking place without the need to put boots on the ground.

BLACKWELL: Yes. And three-quarters of Americans have been polled recently by Quinnipiac say that they do not want or do not support ground troops in Iran. It would be highly unpopular. Lieutenant General William Caldwell, thank you so much for the analysis.

Two terror attacks in the U.S., hundreds of miles apart, one on the synagogue, and the other at a university. What we're learning about each of those attacks. Plus, President Trump pressuring Republicans to pass a federal elections overhaul bill. But what is the Save America Act, and why is it so important to the White House? Also, a fiery explosion after a fuel tanker exploded in North Kentucky. What we know about the crash that caused it.

[07:15:25]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [07:20:01]

BLACKWELL: We are following breaking news out of Amsterdam. The city's mayor is denouncing what he called a terror-targeted attack against the Jewish community. Four teenage boys were arrested after officials say they threw an explosive device at a Jewish school. Now, that blast hit the outer wall of the building. No injuries were reported.

Well, two terror attacks hundreds of miles apart in the U.S. are rattling Americans' sense of security. Sources say the suspect in the Detroit area synagogue and preschool had connections to members of Hezbollah. Last night, Temple Israel went ahead with its shabbat service. The synagogue's leaders honored the teachers who used their security training to keep more than 100 children, all under five years old, safe.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our teachers are magnificent. They are heroes. They love our children because our children are their children, too. And because of their quick and decisive action, their courage and their strength, every single baby, every single one was wrapped in their parents' arms by the end of this terrible day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: And the other attack in Virginia. Authorities released this photo of Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Shah. He's the man, a 36-year-old, convicted ISIS supporter, allegedly killed at Old Dominion University. CNN's Leigh Waldman has the latest on both incidents.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As snow falls on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, officials are sending a clear message.

WHITMER: This is not a political moment. This is not a political debate. This is targeting babies who are Jewish. That's antisemitism at its absolute worst.

WALDMAN (voice-over): The Department of Homeland Security identified the suspect as 41-year-old Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, who was born in Lebanon and became a U.S. citizen in 2016. Officials say he drove his vehicle filled with explosives into the synagogue with a rifle. Ghazali died at the scene. At the time, more than 100 children aged five and younger were attending school at the synagogue, according to Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

WHITMER: We must lower the rhetoric in the state and in this country, especially at this moment, where we have seen such a rise in antisemitism and more attacks on the Jewish community.

WALDMAN (voice-over): At least 30 law enforcement officers were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation, authorities said. And a security guard who helped stop the attack was hit by the suspect's vehicle and is expected to be OK. Meanwhile, in Virginia, authorities say two Old Dominion University students were hurt, and one person was killed when a former Virginia National Guardsman and convicted ISIS supporter began shooting on campus.

DOMINIQUE EVANS, SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE, FBI: The brave ROTC members in that room subdued him. And if not for them, I'm not sure, you know, what else he may have done.

WALDMAN (voice-over): The gunman, who was identified by the FBI as 36- year-old Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, was killed at the scene. I'm Leigh Waldman reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Officials were monitoring the suspect in the synagogue attack. And last hour, I asked Senior National Security Analyst Juliette Kayyem about the challenges of knowing when someone they're watching becomes a threat.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: It is so hard to know right now what put him in the threshold category. It's -- the way that we do targeting is you have the sort of bulls eye list, people who are known to be part of a terror organization. And then you have a whole bunch of concentric circles around them, depending on the nature of the ties.

Threshold is pretty far out. Threshold means that they're -- he had contacts with suspected or known members of Hezbollah when he was in Lebanon. And it's hard for some people to understand this, but when you're in Lebanon, those -- you know, Hezbollah is part of the government. Those contacts aren't necessarily proof that you indeed are a terrorist. And that's the challenge.

The other thing is he's a part -- he's from a part of Lebanon in what's called the Beqaa Valley. Beqaa Valley is a sort of south of Beirut. That is the area -- that is a Hezbollah stronghold. So, even family connections may have put him on the threshold list without him actually being a terrorist when he came through the border that last time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Authorities say Ghazali died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Juliette also says that what the counterterrorism community is focused on in this environment is minimizing risk and increasing defenses. We're staying on top of the developments in the Middle East.

New threats from Iran after U.S. forces hit Kharg Island, that critical oil export hub. How the strike could impact prices around the world. And could Russia be the real winner in this Mideast fighting? How Ukraine's president says Russia is benefiting from the war with Iran.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [07:29:13]

BLACKWELL: President Trump said on Friday that the U.S. has destroyed every military target in Iran's Kharg Island or on the island, a critical crude oil export hub. Iran's state media says no oil infrastructure was damaged in the strike. And tensions are rising as Iran threatened retaliatory strikes against U.S.-linked oil facilities in the region if its own energy infrastructure is attacked.

In Iraq, there are new images that show the damage to the U.S. embassy in Baghdad after earlier footage showed some smoke and flames rising from the compound's vicinity this morning. Several Gulf states reported interceptions overnight, including Qatar, where the U.S. embassy there is under a shelter-in-place order.

[07:30:00]

CNN's Nada Bashir is joining us now. So, what's the latest on these U.S.-Israeli strikes over -- overnight?

NADA BASHIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL REPORTER: Well, President Trump has been very clear, Victor, in stating the emphasis and significance of this strike on Kharg Island, as you mentioned, that five-mile strip of land off the coast of Iran which handles some 90 percent of Iran's crude oil exports. And this is a significant target for both the U.S. and the Israeli military.

President Trump has described this, speaking just overnight, saying this was one of the most powerful bombing rates in the history of the Middle East.

And he is also, of course, as you mentioned, threatened to go after Iran's oil infrastructure on the island. He did say that, that was not part of the strikes. He said he had targeted almost every military target on that island so far, but that the -- had decision had been taken not to go after the oil infrastructure at this stage.

Of course, we have reached out to us officials to confirm the scale of these strikes they have seen by the U.S. military. Still waiting for response on that. But, of course, this has drawn this criticism and backlash from the Iranian regime, which has also threatened to target oil infrastructure where there are significant U.S., interests, U.S. companies operating in this region.

Of course, we have continued to see Iran targeting what they have described as military targets connected to the United States across the Middle East. We have heard overnight strikes reported in Kuwait and Qatar, for example. Officials in Oman told to evacuate from the U.S. Embassy.

And of course, as you mentioned, we have also said reports now a strike at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, or an explosion, at least, we are still waiting for more details on this.

But, of course, this comes just days after we did hear from Iran's new Supreme Leader. In a statement, which was purportedly written and shared by the supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, which is read aloud by anchor on state T.V., in which he did threaten, according to this statement to continue striking U.S. assets, U.S. military bases in the Middle East.

He also, of course, threatened to keep the Strait of Hormuz. That key shipping route, closed, as a pressure tactic.

Now, President Trump has, of course, been very focused on the Strait of Hormuz. We have seen at least 16 vessels struck since the beginning of the war by Iran. As a result, that continued threat from the Iranian regime to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed.

President Trump has touted the idea of potential Navy escorts through the Strait of Hormuz. But whether this can be actually realized without the threat of an Iranian attack remains to be seen.

And then, of course, within Iran, we are still seeing that heavy bombardment by both the U.S. and Israeli militaries. Iranian officials say some 42,000 civilian units have been struck. That's according to Iran, and of course, we have also heard from both the U.S. and Israel, saying they are focused on military capabilities being struck, in terms of missile launches, defense units, as well as storage depots, and manufacturing sites.

BLACKWELL: Nada Bashir, reporting from London. Thank you.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, says the U.S. is looking to postpone the upcoming trilateral peace talks that include Russia. Now, the negotiations were scheduled to begin on Wednesday.

Speaking from Paris, the Ukrainian leader also said the war in Iran is creating an opening for Moscow. The U.S. is temporarily easing some of its sanctions on Russia, trying to tame soaring oil prices.

President Zelenskyy claims the step could provide Moscow with around $10 billion to fund its war in Ukraine. He says that, that certainly does not help peace.

Former Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene criticized President Trump over the war in Iran. She join Kaitlan Collins on "THE SOURCE" last night.

Greene slammed the president over his decision to strike Iran.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): This war is not something that Americans voted for in 2024. As a matter of fact, we voted for the opposite. We voted for no more foreign wars, no more regime change. And we were told by many members in the administration throughout the campaign, J.D. Vance, Tulsi Gabbard, and others. That they believed that going to war with Iran would be a terrible idea. It was something that Charlie Kirk himself had said over and over again.

And Donald Trump -- President Trump, I voted for him three times, fought for him to become president, and I still want him to be successful. But he told -- he told Americans for over 10 years and even longer, that he thought foreign wars and regime change was really a bad direction for America to go in, and we trusted and believed him that we wouldn't be doing this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Greene went on to say that Americans voted for the president to help the affordability crisis, and the president should focus on that.

President Trump's push to reshape how the country votes faces an uncertain future. The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility or SAVE America Act recently passed in the House, but has stalled in the Senate.

[07:35:07]

Now, the House version would require Americans to show proof of citizenship to register to vote and a valid I.D. to vote. But it also aims to end no excuse mail voting. There are many other elements in the bill as well.

Let's now bring in Politico's congressional reporter Mia McCarthy. Mia, good to have you. And let's talk about those other elements. Because what the House passed is not what the president is asking for out of the Senate. And we'll forgive people if they have not been following every variation of the bill.

But what is he wanting in addition to that proof of citizenship, things that have nothing to do with voting?

MIA MCCARTHY, CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER, POLITICO: Yes, the House has passed two versions of the SAVE Act, or the SAVE America Act, at this point. But now, the president is advocating for an expanded version of that. That includes some policy provisions that, frankly, are unrelated to election reform.

So, the original bill, like you said, it requires proof of citizenship to vote, but now, he is expanding it to, obviously, include limits to male-in-voting, but then, also things like preventing transgender women from participating in women's sports, banning transgender surgeries for minors. Things that are not related to elections at all.

And so, if he really wants this to get across the finish line, you know, the House is going to have to pass a third version, which currently, GOP House leaders have not committed to another vote on this.

BLACKWELL: So, let's talk about the numbers. Republicans don't have the numbers to defeat a filibuster. The president and some in the conference want a talking filibuster, which would require Democrats to continue to talk and hold the floor indefinitely to block the bill.

Leader Thune says that that's off the table. So, they are going to take it up next week. What is on the table? What's the strategy from Senate Republicans?

MCCARTHY: Yes, at this point, and you know, Senate Majority Leader John Thune has been saying this that currently, they don't have the votes in the Senate to pass this. So, he is putting it on to the floor, but it's basically going to be dead on arrival.

I mean, it's not going to receive the 60 votes necessary to pass, ultimately, you know, stalling this bill even further.

And again, this version does not include all of the expanded policy provisions that the president is asking for. So, even if this did pass, it wouldn't include the things that the president told House Republicans he wants included in it last week.

So, we'll see where it goes from here. But again, it's not looking like it's going to have the 60 votes that it needs to pass. And again, it's not the right version to begin with.

BLACKWELL: Yes, the president was asked yesterday on the tarmac if that Leader Thune could not get this passed through the Senate and Congress couldn't get it to his desk, does the Senate Republican Conference need new leadership? And he sidestepped the question.

But the president has soured on Senate Republican leaders before, and looked no further than Mitch McConnell after 2021. What does this mean for Thune's future relationship with the president? The president says he is not signing any other legislation until he signs the SAVE America Act.

MCCARTHY: Yes, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, he was asked this by reporters last week about what his relationship is like with the president. He described it as being like a family, you know, having to work through some differences.

But again, that is something we are going to be watching, especially, you know, as the midterms approach. But ultimately, what it comes down to is, Thune knows that he is on -- or sorry -- that Senate Republicans are on the ballot this November, and Donald Trump isn't. And I think that's a lot of what we are watching play out. We'll see, though, how their relationship carries right now.

Again, nothing super strong besides telling Thune to take this bill up, but we'll see how that relationship develops over time.

BLACKWELL: All right. Mia McCarthy with POLITICO, thanks so much.

The cost of gas across the U.S. is rising. No signs of stopping. Coming up, how most drivers are dealing with the increase?

And if you are heading out, you can stream our show from anywhere in the U.S., right from the CNN app.

[07:39:18]

You can also watch at cnn.com/watch.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: Funeral services will be held later today for Georgia high school teacher Jason Hughes. The 40-year-old math teacher was killed last week in a high school prank gone wrong.

Now, as a school tradition, students were rolling the trees of his home with toilet paper. Now, when Hughes came outside, he tripped and fell and then was run over as the students started to drive off.

But at the request of the Hughes family, all charges, including a homicide and trespassing charge, have been dropped against the students involved.

A federal judge has rejected the Justice Department's attempt to subpoena Fed Chair Jerome Powell. The judge says the DOJ has not provided any evidence that Powell is suspected of a crime and that instead, the evidence suggests that the subpoenas were meant to pressure Powell into voting for lower interest rates or resigning. The DOJ plans to appeal that ruling.

Parts of a major highway in Kentucky were shut down after a massive fire erupted.

[07:45:02]

We have got video here shows a section of the highway covered in flames after a fuel -- a car and a fuel tanker collided. A tanker fell on its side, causing fuel to ignite and then spread. Two children and a woman were hospitalized with minor injuries.

The man driving the tanker was treated for injuries at the scene and then released, no word yet about what caused the accident.

Two weeks into the war with Iran, gas prices still rising. Overnight, the national average of a price of -- for a gallon a regular jumped four cents to $3.67.

Our Sherrell Hubbard now has more on how drivers are adjusting.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JONATHAN WALDROP, RESIDENT, CONNECTICUT: Work, but I can't afford it, like, so much.

SHERRELL HUBBARD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The bigger the tank, the harder the pinch.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These trucks consume a lot of fuel with the -- even, you know, the pack car motors, which is what I got.

HUBBARD (voice over): The transit restriction through the Strait of Hormuz, which around 20 percent of the world's crude oil passes through, is a big factor in the equation concerning oil and gas price hikes. The global price of oil has skyrocketed past $100 a barrel.

In a Truth Social post, Thursday, President Donald Trump wrote: "The United States is the largest oil producer in the world by far. So, when oil prices go up, we make a lot of money." That was without explanation of who was meant by "we".

EVELYN RUIZ, RESIDENT PHILADELPHIA: Because of all this that's going on in the war, everything is affecting us. We are paying for it. Whatever he is doing is causing us. The consumer, we are paying for it.

HUBBARD (voice over): I'm Sherrelle Hubbard, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Another big win for Team USA at the World Baseball Classic. Andy Scholes is in studio, has your highlights coming up in "SPORTS".

And as the film industry gathers to celebrate its biggest night, the Oscars, a new flashdoc looks at the influence of the international filmmakers on Hollywood.

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ROSS MELNICK, PROFESSOR OF FILM AND MEDIA STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA: The awards really do matter, because somewhere right now, there is a 14-year-old that is dreaming of being an actor or a filmmaker, because they saw somebody win an Academy Award.

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BLACKWELL: Be sure to tune in "HOLLYWOOD AND THE OSCARS STILL GOLDEN?" It's now streaming on the CNN app.

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[07:51:34]

BLACKWELL: Let's get you caught up on the top stories. We are following. Iraqi security officials say a missile struck a helipad inside the U.S. embassy compound in Baghdad. This sprawling embassy complex is one of the largest diplomatic facilities operated by the U.S.

CNN has learned the suspect in the attack on a Michigan synagogue had ties to members of the terror group Hezbollah in Lebanon. Authorities say the attacker crashed a truck into the synagogue on Thursday. A security guard was injured, but none of the children or the teachers inside was hurt.

This morning, flights in the Washington, D.C. area are back to normal after a rough night of delays. You see, the problem started at a regional air traffic control facility in Virginia. The workers there reported a strong chemical smell in the building. Officials later traced it to an overheated circuit board and they replaced it.

There is increased security across Los Angeles ahead of tomorrow's Academy Awards. Earlier this week, the FBI reportedly sent a memo to local law enforcement that Iran allegedly aspired to conduct a surprise attack. Now, officials say no credible threats have been made against the Oscars.

Team USA has punched its ticket to the semifinals of the World Baseball classic. "CNN SPORT'S" Andy Scholes is with me now.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Well, victory, once again, found ourselves going up against our neighbors from the north. Right? U.S., they beat Canada in both men's and women's hockey for gold at the Olympics. So, we couldn't let them get their revenge in baseball.

All right. Now, the men's Olympic hockey hero, Jack Hughes, he sent an inspirational message to the team ahead of the game, and U.S. is able to jump on Canada early bases loaded here for Alex Bregman, hit it between third and short. Abraham Toro, tried to make play be throws it into the dugout.

So, that made it 3-0 in the third for the U.S. And a huge moment in the seventh. Scores now, five to three. Canada has second and third no outs in this inning. But David Bednar gets out of it, striking out. Oh, and Casey to end the inning. U.S. is all pumped up. And then, Mason Miller, he came in in the ninth inning and absolutely closed the door, strike and out the side. U.S. wins. They now head to the semifinals in Miami.

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PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG, OUTFIELDER, TEAM USA: I think we know what we have in this clubhouse. And I mean, we got guys like Beddy (PH) that are going to go shutting things down like they did tonight. But I think it's just most important that when it's not always the easiest or the cleanest, we are still getting the job done some way, somehow.

So, you know, we are -- we are looking to really wake up one of these days soon.

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SCHOLES: Team USA will have ace Paul Skeens on the mound for the semis against the Dominican Republic and the dhar (PH) with another impressive performance.

Look at the slide by Juan Soto on this play. Somehow, he avoided that tag and got his finger to the plate to score that run. Pretty incredible. Then, in the seventh inning, Yankees catcher Austin Wells a three-run home run in the WBC, you can get run rule, just like youth baseball. That was a walk-off home run.

Dominican Republic wins 10-0 over Korea. Their game for the U.S. can be tomorrow in Miami at 8:00 Eastern.

Elsewhere, Iowa State and Arizona played an absolute thriller in the big 12 semifinals last night. Under 20 seconds to play, Tamin Lipsy, the three here for Iowa State to tie the game at 80.

Wildcats didn't have the ball. Chance to win it. Jaden Bradley coming through in the clutch. The fade away at the buzzer, right in front of his bench and his teammates all mob him right there. Arizona wins 82 to 80. They are going to play Houston tonight for the big 12 title.

[07:55:04]

And Victor, tomorrow, selection Sunday. The brackets are going to come out. And hey, when you are filling out your brackets, Arizona, that's a team you might want to wrote all the way. They are impressive.

BLACKWELL: Noted. Andy Scholes, thanks so much.

All right. "FIRST OF ALL," is coming up at the top of the hour. The U.S. war with Iran is escalating, with the fight over a key corridor for global oil and ramping -- and gas is ramping up. House Intelligence Committee member Andre Carson will be here to react to that.

Plus, I'll get his thought on the Islamophobic rhetoric from fellow members of Congress. He is one of just four elected Muslims on Capitol Hill.

Also, this morning, remembering the victim of this week's terror attack at Old Dominion University. I'll speak to a close friend of Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Shah, who trained with him when they were cadets.

And later, for the first time, during -- first timing, during the ongoing funding fight over the Department of Homeland Security, TSA workers this time are getting a zeroed-out paycheck. A leader of the Union at the busiest airport in the country, here in Atlanta will share what his fellow TSA workers are up against and what you will be up against at those lines.

Those stories and conversations you will not see anywhere else coming up after a short break on "FIRST OF ALL".

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