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Pentagon Identifies Airmen Killed In Iraq; Iran Threatens Retaliation For U.S. Strikes On Kharg Island; Trump Says He's Not Ready To Make Deal With Iran To End War; War With Iran Enters Third Week With No End In Sight; Average U.S. Gas Prices Climb 23 Percent Since Start Of War; Vice President Vance Mostly Quiet On War With Iran; Trump Reiterates Push For Global Effort To Secure Strait Of Hormuz. Trump Defends Temporarily Lifting Sanctions on Russian Oil; North Korea Test-Launched Multiple Ballistic Missiles; Mayor: Amsterdam Jewish School Blast was Targeted Attack; TSA Workers Miss First Paycheck; Judge Blocks Subpoenas Against Fed Chair Powell. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired March 15, 2026 - 07:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:01:22]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: New this morning, the Pentagon has released the names of six airmen killed in Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, he had a million dollar smile. If when people see this, see my cousin, they're going to be like, that smile was going to take him places and took him to his dream job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: How family members of the fallen service members are remembering them this morning. Plus, President Trump says he wants other countries to send warships to help secure the Strait of Hormuz. Other countries are saying not so fast.

And in the meantime, gas prices continue to rise. Plus, North Korea launched a barrage of missiles this weekend. The message Kim Jong-un may be trying to send the U.S. as the war with Iran continues.

Plus, as lawmakers fight over funding for the Department of Homeland Security, TSA workers are still not being paid. With Congress coming back to Capitol Hill this week, could we finally see some movement?

Welcome to CNN This Morning. It's Sunday, March 15th. I'm Victor Blackwell. We begin with breaking news. The Pentagon has identified the six U.S. airmen killed when a refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq on Thursday.

Their names are Major John Klinner, Captain Ariana Savino, Tech Sergeant Ashley Pruitt, Captain Seth Koval, Captain Curtis Angst, and Tech Sergeant Tyler Simmons. Now, the crew members' deaths brings the number of U.S. troops killed since the war started to 13. The cause of the crash is still under investigation, but their heartbroken families are speaking now about their losses.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tyler's gone. Oh, help me, Jesus.

CHERYL SIMMONS, TYLER SIMMONS' MOTHER: He was truly an amazing man. And to do the job as an air refueler is a special person.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Strikes lit up the sky above Tel Aviv in the latest attacks from Iran and Hezbollah. Authorities said munitions fell in several locations in central Israel. Emergency crews said two people were injured, but no deaths were reported.

New video geolocated by CNN shows thick plumes of smoke over Isfahan in central Iran. It's not clear what caused the smoke, but Iranian state media is reporting several points in the city were targeted by missiles from U.S. and Israeli fighter jets.

Meanwhile, President Trump says he's not ready to make a deal with Iran to end the war. He's also urging other countries to help the U.S. secure the Strait of Hormuz by sending warships to the Middle East. But some lawmakers back home are still not convinced the Trump administration has a plan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. EUGENE VINDMAN (D), VIRGINIA: President, this administration entered this war without a plan. They're a real plan. Their current plan is based on hope. Hope that American air power is sufficient to bring the Iranians to their knees and hope that the Iranian people rise up against this regime.

And over the course of the last two weeks, I've not seen anything that looks like the Iranian people are in a position to rise up. And air power so far has not been sufficient to open the Strait of Hormuz. So I want to see a real plan. I want to know what the achievable objectives are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: All right, let's talk more about these angles with CNN's Nada Bashir in London and CNN's Eleni Giokos in Dubai. Nada, let's start with you. The latest on the strikes overnight. What do you know?

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we've heard recently now from the Israel Defense Force stating that the Israeli military carried out what they've described as a massive wave of attacks against Iranian regime infrastructure in the west of the country.

[07:05:12] We had, of course, heard reports of large explosions and a potential strike, according to state media, in the city of Isfahan. We've seen video, which CNN has geolocated, which shows thick plumes of smoke over the city. And we have been able to hear from one resident of the city who described the scene as horrifying, saying that buildings in the vicinity of these apparent strikes were shaking upon the impact.

And, of course, this comes following a continued wave of strikes carried out by the U.S. and Israeli military. Just overnight into Saturday, we saw a significant strike on the Kharg Island, a 5-mile strip of land off the coast of Iran, which is essentially an oil hub for the country. It handles some 90 percent of Iran's crude exports.

Now, President Trump has said that all military targets on the island were targeted, but that the U.S. military did not target oil infrastructure, but indicated that could be next if Iran fails to allow ships to pass safely through the Strait of Hormuz.

Now, Iranian -- the Iranian regime has been very clear. Any attack on its oil or energy infrastructure would trigger a like response from the Iranian regime on U.S. energy and oil infrastructure assets in the region. They have issued fresh warnings to civilians living in the UAE, for example, and in the region near U.S. assets, and they have said to evacuate these areas for their safety. At this stage, no clear indication of the scope and potential scale of this threatened attack.

BLACKWELL: Nada Bashir, reporting in London, thank you.

And new this morning, President Trump says that he's not ready to make a deal with Iran to end the war. In an interview with NBC, the President claimed that it's Iran that wants to make a deal. He also questioned whether Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was alive. That's because the Supreme Leader has not been seen publicly since taking over after his father was killed.

CNN's Eleni Giokos is with us with more. Eleni, good morning to you.

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Very good morning. I mean, a lot happening. You've got this rhetoric from President Donald Trump saying he's not ready to make a deal. The terms are just not good enough. A lot of questions around the status of the new Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, saying he doesn't believe that he's alive.

There are a lot of narratives that are moving across, not only from Iran, but also from the side of the United States. But most notably, Victor, we saw a post on social media calling on allies to come and assist vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz. And he called on France, the likes of Japan, South Korea, the U.K., interestingly, China.

But we've had reaction to this. And I think a lot of analysts that I've spoken to this morning saying, isn't it interesting that the, you know, the U.S. is saying they've always been ready for disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, but yet took to social media to request this naval assistance. Japan says that any naval deployment would face high hurdles. South Korea saying they're going to communicate closely and make a decision after careful consideration. China, the embassy in Washington, not deciding to say whether they're going to deploy or not, but they're calling for cessation of hostilities. The U.K. is discussing with allies how to safely get vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

And, of course, what we're seeing happening there is the reason we've got high oil prices. We're seeing a major squeeze on oil and, of course, a huge disruption. That's what the International Energy Agency has warned on, that this is the largest disruption of oil in global markets ever.

And it just shows how acute this issue is. The fact that President Trump had mentioned insurance guarantees for vessels trying to pass through the Strait last week and also promising naval escorts, it seems that that is still weeks away. The shippers that I've spoken to saying they have not heard any indication of assistance.

In the meantime, Iran is saying they have complete control of the Strait and only allowing vessels to pass that they have given clearance to.

BLACKWELL: Eleni Giokos for us there in Dubai. Thank you.

Drivers across the U.S. are seeing high prices at the gas pump. I don't have to tell you that part, but I can give you an update on the number. Spring break is coming. The prices are rising quickly. According to AAA, the national average has ballooned out of $3.70 a gallon. That's a 23 percent increase since the start of the war.

Global oil prices closed this week at their highest level since 2022. Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, settled on Friday above $103 a barrel. The U.S. crude finished just under $99 a barrel.

Still ahead, we're getting a closer look at the decision making process of President Trump and his closest advisers. Plus, security lines at America's airports. They're getting longer as this partial government shutdown enters another month. We're hearing from TSA employees still working without pay.

[07:10:09]

BLACKWELL: And a tale of two seasons. Winter in the eastern U.S., summer in the west. Allison Chinchar monitoring the severe weather threats across the country.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:15:02]

BLACKWELL: The war in Iran has officially entered now its third week. And as the war rages on, gas prices are going up. Joining me now to discuss Ernie Suggs, race and culture reporter for the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Kaitlyn Ross, a reporter for 11Alive Atlanta and Rahul Bali, politics reporter for WABE. I just gave the number for the break. Welcome to everybody.

$3.70 a gallon now for a regular unleaded. On the day the war started, it was $2.98. Kaitlyn, this is something that is the daily reminder of the cost of war for Americans.

KAITLYN ROSS, REPORTER, 11ALIVE ATLANTA: Well, that's such a good point, Victor, because you can't escape it. You drive down the road and you see these huge billboards everywhere. It's in your face. You go to the pump. I drive a beater CRV, cost me $60 to fill it up. It's shocking.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

ROSS: And so it's that immediacy. It's right in your face every day. You can't escape it. That's why it's just so visible to people.

RAHUL BALI, POLITICS REPORTER, WABE: And there are two other things. First of all, the price of diesel. That's even a more eye popping number. And when you think about all the things, all the work that has to be done with diesel, what takes me to my other point is to think about the knock on effects, is that all these prices going up on fuel. Eventually those costs are going to have to be passed on, whether it's, you know, diesel that fuels the groceries that come in the truck that brings groceries to your grocery store.

BLACKWELL: Yes. And we talked yesterday with a housing expert who said that it's even going to influence the mortgage rates because of the inflationary pressure of everything that's impacted by the cost of gas. We were talking during the break is that there is no billboard on the side of the road for the price of beef.

ROSS: Right.

BLACKWELL: But you see over and over the cost of gas. And I wonder, is this something that is going to impact public approval of the war as it goes on more than some of the other elements?

ERNIE SUGGS, RACE AND CULTURE REPORTER, ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION: I think that's what they're going to be the key, because once -- you know, when you're in these wars and we're in these conflicts, once it starts hitting your pocketbook, that's when it starts impacting because we don't pay attention a lot, you know.

But once, you know, your gas prices are going up, your vacation prices are going up, your food's going up, everything is going up and it's hitting your pocket. That's when people start paying attention. That's when the polls go down and that's when people start talking about this is something that we don't need to be involved in because it's affecting us directly.

BALI: And that's when the administration's really going to have to answer the question of why. Why are they there when people are being affected that way?

BLACKWELL: Well, former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene is asking the question now of why is the administration there? She was very critical of the President's decision when she was on with Kaitlan Collins. Here's what she had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE, FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE: 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, JD Vance, Tulsi Gabbard and others that they believed that going to war with Iran would be a terrible idea.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: She was once an ally of the President. No longer. But you've got Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, other allies of the President influence who are questioning why the U.S. is here. What's the influence of this high profile criticism?

BALI: So the important thing I remind people of is when we were on the campaign trail, it was number one inflation and -- it was number one inflation in prices. Number two, immigration. But no foreign wars, no forever wars. Those were things I heard from voters on the trail.

And that's -- what becomes the bigger issue is not just in the November elections, but the upcoming primaries around the country. Will Republican voters and those voters who voted on that issue decide not to show up at the polls?

BLACKWELL: Yes. I will say, though, that the latest Quinnipiac poll shows that the support for the war among Republicans is 85 percent.

ROSS: Wow.

BLACKWELL: And so that number is still strong at this point in the war, Ernie.

SUGGS: Yes, I mean, they're going to support President Trump as much as they can, as virulently as possible, because they love him and because they love the idea of war, they love the idea of what he's doing. But as we said before, as we continue to go along, people are going to stop.

You know, you just had the report about the people who were killed in Iran, the seven lives that we lost. And in addition to all the other lives, in addition to all the prices that were -- that are going up. So as we continue to go along and as this war, you know, he said we won it on the first day.

We're now entering the third week, of the fourth week of this war. And as it continues to go on, we're going to continue to have questions and we're going to continue to have Marjorie Taylor Greene out there on the stump.

BALI: But the important thing is, it is 85 percent, but those 15 percent who don't approve may matter in a swing state like Georgia, where we're sitting in right now. So, you know, people see the 85, I'm looking at the 15 going, could that make a difference in a close state?

[07:20:02]

BLACKWELL: Yes. Let's -- one person we haven't heard a lot from from the administration is the Vice President JD Vance. And I will play here just to remind this is him Friday talking to gaggle outside of Air Force 2. But during the campaign, JD Vance was one of the leaders of the narrative that if you do not want these forever wars, Donald Trump is the candidate for you. And he spoke specifically just days before the election about a U.S. war with Iran.

Here's a reminder.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JD VANCE (R), VICE-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Our interest, I think, very much is in not going to war with Iran, right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.

VANCE: It would be huge distraction of resources. It would be massively expensive to our country. Israelis, Gulf Arab states don't like Iran. So let the Israelis and the Gulf Arab states provide the counterbalance to Iran. America doesn't have to constantly police every region of the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: And so that is inconvenient, but we don't have to look back to 2024. This may be about looking ahead to 2028.

SUGGS: Yes, exactly. I mean, you had -- you sent us a story last night about how President Trump has directed his cabinet to how to think. And JD Vance is a perfect example of that. And Marjorie Taylor Greene is a perfect example about what happens when you don't think the way that the President wants you to think.

So JD Vance, you know, he wrote The Wall Street Journal article. He said that this -- that an Iran war would be a distraction on us as a country. Now he's not saying a lot. So I think a lot of us are romantic in the fact, you know, we all read Doris Kearns book about team of rivals and about how presidents had these teams that can consult with him and tell him things that are, you know, just how to how to move throughout a war.

That doesn't seem to be happening in the Trump administration. And JD Vance is an example of that because he has gone out on the stump saying that this is not a good war. This is not a war that we want to be involved in. Now he's not saying anything.

ROSS: Well, to your point, Ernie, yes, we're not hearing a lot from him and that is what's so jarring. It's because we're so used to so much communication with this administration.

SUGGS: Exactly. ROSS: We have X, we have Truth Social, we have these phone calls. And then to not hear anything, it's like, well, wait, what does he think about this?

BLACKWELL: And so much that we heard from the Vice President specifically out front on Russia versus Ukraine on Israel versus Hamas. He was the President's delegate to go to the Munich Security Council that first conference that first year.

BALI: Can I put a date in your mind?

BLACKWELL: Yes.

BALI: April 14th.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

BALI: Vice President Vance is going to appear before Turning Point USA. And I'm going to be interested to see what he says to an -- that audience, which is obviously going to have, you know, supporters of the President. But also there may be some skeptical voices in that audience somewhere along.

BLACKWELL: All right, everybody, we've got more to talk about coming up after the break. North Korea, Kim Jong-un is trying to send a message to the U.S. What experts are saying about the country's latest ballistic missile test.

And Formula 1 is calling off upcoming races in two Middle Eastern cities. Details about security concerns just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:27:31]

BLACKWELL: This morning, President Trump is calling on other countries to help secure safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump specifically called on China, France, the U.K. and others to help. Shipping traffic has been at a virtual standstill in the Strait, caused gas prices to spike. In a new interview with MS NOW, Iran's foreign minister disputed the claim that the Strait is closed.

CNN Correspondent Julia Benbrook has more.

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is a big area of focus right now as roughly 20 percent of the world's oil travels through the Strait of Hormuz. And President Donald Trump has posted about this several times over the weekend.

I want to pull up part of one of those posts for you now. In it, he said this, "Many countries, especially those who are affected by Iran's attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending war ships 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 added that he hopes, emphasis on hopes there, that China, France, South Korea and the United Kingdom will be sending ships. In the meantime, he says that the United States will be bombing the shoreline.

Now, in a separate post, he reiterated his calls for other countries to help secure shipping in the passage, adding that he believes this should have been a team effort all along and now it will be. He said the United States will be helping with coordination to ensure that this is done quickly, smoothly and well.

And this comes as Americans are feeling a direct impact here, as there is a surge in gas prices. And while Trump has said he is confident those will eventually go down, this could be an attempt to ease some of those growing concerns. Iran's foreign minister has denied claims that the Strait is completely closed, instead saying that they are blocking vessels with ties to the United States and Israel. Victor?

BLACKWELL: All right, Julia, thank you.

President Trump defended his decision to temporarily ease sanctions against Russia's oil industry. In an interview with NBC, the President said he wants the world to have oil and that the sanctions will go back as soon as the crisis is over. But Virginia Democratic representative yesterday called the lifting of the sanctions unacceptable.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. EUGENE VINDMAN (D), VIRGINIA: You know, the Russians are our adversary, they're not our friend. And the President is just waving his hand at this like, well, we support the Ukrainians, they support the Iranians. No, this is American blood and American treasure. We have had 13 casualties. For the president not to take this seriously is frankly outrageous. For him to lift sanctions at this moment is obscene and completely unacceptable. We need to hold this president's feet to the fire on this point.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: The U.S. military says North Korea has launched several ballistic missiles. U.S. Indo-Pacific Command says yesterday's test launches do not pose an immediate threat to U.S. staff or allies in the region. CNN senior international correspondent Will Ripley has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: North Korea says it launched a barrage of a dozen nuclear-capable rockets in its latest show of force. It's the third major weapons test this month, part of a steady drumbeat of launches. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watched over the weekend. Standing beside him is teenage daughter, believed to be named Kim Ju Ae. She's been appearing a lot more frequently at major military events and is widely seen as a possible successor in training. South Korea and Japan say they detected about 10 ballistic- type projectiles fired from near Pyongyang's airport. The weapons flew more than 200 miles before hitting targets at sea.

Analysts say the timing is likely a response to the ongoing U.S.-South Korea freedom shield military exercises, drills Pyongyang has long called a dress rehearsal for invasion. But the war in Iran may also be looming in the background. Some experts say Kim may be signaling that North Korea's nuclear arsenal is meant to prevent exactly the kind of strikes that Iran is now facing, reinforcing Pyongyang's long-held belief that nuclear weapons are the guarantee of the leader's survival.

Just last week, Kim and his daughter also oversaw cruise missile launches for North Korea's new 5,000-ton warship, part of a broader push to modernize the country's military. At the same time, there are fresh hints diplomacy could reemerge. South Korea's prime minister says President Donald Trump asked him at the Oval Office last week whether President Trump might want to meet again.

President Trump is expected to return here to Asia later this month, raising the possibility that even as weapons tests continue, talks could also come back into play.

Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Will, thank you. Amsterdam's mayor is calling the explosion of a bomb at a Jewish school a targeted attack. Now, this blast struck the exterior wall of the building. Good news is no one was injured, but police say they have images of the person who allegedly detonated the device. Amsterdam officials say they've increased security after similar attacks happened at synagogues in Rotterdam and Belgium. All of the incidents have taken place after the start of the joint U.S.-Israeli war in Iran.

Still ahead, lawmakers return to Capitol Hill this week, but will there be movement on a bill to end a partial government shutdown? That and more after the break.

And as always, if you're heading out, you can stream my show from anywhere in the U.S., right from the CNN app. Also, go to cnn.com/watch.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:35:00]

BLACKWELL: Back with me now, Ernie Suggs, race and culture reporter at the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Kaitlyn Ross reported 11Alive Atlanta and Rahul Bali, politics reporter at WABE and NPR.

We are now in the second month of this partial government shutdown, Department of Homeland Security, and it comes at a moment where we've had two attacks on Friday within hours of one another at the synagogue and school in Michigan, Old Dominion University in Virginia.

And, Ernie, I'll start with you. In this moment where the threat may be higher, do you think this creates any pressure on Capitol Hill to come to some resolution to get, of all departments, the Department of Homeland Security fully funded?

ERNIE SUGGS, RACE AND CULTURE REPORTER, ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION: Well, the people I've talked to said they should produce pressure on our lawmakers to make a deal, but I'm not sure if it is going to happen because, you know, it's all in Washington, D.C. Everything is about movement. Everything is about leverage And I think that at this point right now, even though we've had these two attacks that could have been very, very seriously, I don't think that they're -- that's going to be a clear enough incentive, unfortunately, for them to get to the table to make a deal.

BLACKWELL: Yes. Let's talk TSA, because they lost or missed their first full paycheck on Friday. And you've been talking to TSA, to these transportation safety officers.

KAITLYN ROSS, REPORTER, 11ALIVE NEWS ATLANTA: There's so much frustration there. Frustration, but also desperation. People who aren't getting paid, who don't have that backfill of savings, expected to show up at work without a paycheck, oftentimes having to work second jobs to afford to keep going to their job that they're not getting paid at. So, there is a lot of frustration there.

But also, what is the end date? How are we closing this? I think they're in a situation where they have no control over whether or not the government makes a deal. And they're feeling really helpless at this point. So, it's a really frustrating situation.

RAHUL BALI, NEWS POLITICS REPORTER, WABE/NPR: And you were telling us about, like, some of the things they're having to do to make up their paycheck.

ROSS: Yes, we were talking about that in the break room, just that people are driving Uber Eats on their off shifts. They're looking to pick up gig work because they can't afford to keep going to work and not getting paid.

BLACKWELL: And what you don't want is a tired TSO officer coming in and having to, because they can't miss a single thing.

ROSS: Right, exactly.

BLACKWELL: When it comes to the safety of that flight. I spoke with a transportation safety officer. He's actually the president of the local chapter of the union that oversees the busiest airport in the world here in Atlanta. His name is Aaron Barker. Watch.

[07:40:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) AARON BARKER, TSA EMPLOYEE: It's worse because 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)

BLACKWELL: So, the bit of savings they might've had the payday loan, they might've taken out to get through the first 43 days shut down. That's gone. And when you look at it, who among us most of Americans live in paycheck to paycheck can survive missing five full or partial paychecks in a span of six months.

ROSS: And then what's the end date? I think that's the other thing. The officers who I'm talking to are saying, OK, maybe I can float this for two or three weeks, but at what point does that run out? And then what do you do from there?

SUGGS: And it just messes with your, your mind. It messes with your morale. It messes with, you know, am I valuable? Am I valued at this job? And you know, if I'm got -- if I got a job at Uber Eats, and there's nothing wrong with driving Uber Eats, but if you've got to drive to support your family and still go to work, that does something to your morale, that does something to your psyche.

ROSS: Great point.

BALI: And let me put something in folk's mind. There are a handful of airports in this country that have private screening. You may see some other airports start thinking about that. Start putting that on the table.

BLACKWELL: Let's talk about the SAVE America act. We know that the Senate will take it up this week. The majority leader, John Thune said that he has expressed to the president that they simply do not have the votes to get this passed, to break a filibuster.

What started as a bill to require a proof of citizenship to register to vote now has anti-trans surgery legislation in it has language that prevents athletes from trans athletes from playing on teams that align with their identity. What happens next if the president says, I'm not signing anything else until I sign this, which he has, and he doesn't get it?

SUGGS: I just think it's going to keep going. It's just going to go on and on and on. And I -- you know, you know, you know about -- you've covered the House. You've covered the Senate about these tack ons to bills. And this is what this is tack on to bills. And you're talking about half of this country doesn't have a passport. We're talking about travel right now. Half of us don't have true passports. Half of us don't have our birth certificates.

So, you're putting all these impediments in place about something that's not happening because there's no voter fraud. There's no widespread voter fraud.

BALI: The bottom line is what is Senate leadership willing to do to force this legislation through and get it done? That's really what it's going to come down to.

BLACKWELL: Well, Thune says he doesn't have the votes and we've seen the president sour on majority leaders in the past. We've seen what happened to his relationship with Mitch McConnell. And in the second half of his term, what will that relationship look like if the SAVE Act doesn't make it to his desk?

Last thing here before we move on with the show, a federal judge quashed subpoenas for Jerome Powell, the federal reserve chairman and Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney in the District of Columbia was not happy about it. Here's part of what we saw from her this week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEANINE PIRRO, U.S. ATTORNEY FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Oh, cut it out. Do you know how many convictions we've got? Cut it out. You're in one lane. We have cleaned up this city. Yes, historic. Really? I'll tell you what's historic. What's historic is that I prosecute everything other than 10 percent of the cases where the United States attorney before me didn't prosecute 67 percent of the cases. That's what's historic.

I'm willing to take a not guilty. I'm willing to take a no true bill because I'll take all the crimes and put them in. Thank you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROSS: Is this actually a press conference from a U.S. attorney or is this our show?

BLACKWELL: Yes. Yes. Yes. This is someone who knows the cameras well.

ROSS: Yes. Yes. This is just unbelievable. I mean, this is just another example of just how they're putting the subpoena up against Powell to force him to do something that he doesn't want to do, that he doesn't feel that's right to do. And she's using this bully pulpit as a U.S. attorney general, as a U.S. attorney to have a press conference, which is unprecedented to talk about a decision that a judge has made, which is crazy.

BLACKWELL: Yes. The judge, Boasberg, he wrote, quote, "A mountain of evidence suggests that the government served these subpoenas on the board to pressure its chair into voting for lower interest rates or resigning." Of course, we've heard from President Trump dissatisfied with the pacing of reductions of the interest rate from the Fed. Ernie, Kaitlyn, Raul, thank you all.

All right. A huge day for basketball fans. It's Selection Sunday. I feel like that should have an echo. Coy has a March Madness preview next in sports.

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BLACKWELL: Formula 1 has canceled races set for next month in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Organizers say with the ongoing conflict across the Middle East, it's no longer safe to hold either race. Both countries have been struggling to keep the race going. During Iran's response to joint U.S. and Israel attacks, the promoters of the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia say they support the decision. No replacements have been announced.

Tighter security expected for the Oscars tonight after reports that the FBI told local police that Iran hoped to launch a drone attack on the event.

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The California's governor later said, there is no imminent threat. But officials say they are still being careful with bomb sniffing dogs and SWAT teams on standby.

CNN and Variety are live on the Red Carpet for the biggest night in Hollywood, CNN and Variety Red Carpet Live Tonight at 4:00 on TBS and the CNN app.

A significant, and that may be an understatement, winter storm is hitting much of the country, bringing multiple threats. CNN's Allison Chinchar is here. Allison, what are you watching?

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: A little bit of everything, but basically the whole kitchen sinks. So, we start off with the winter side of this particular storm. You can see the blizzard warnings, winter storm warnings, winter weather advisories, all across portions of the Northern Plains and into the Midwest. That's where we have the active snow right now across Minneapolis, Green Bay, even into the UP of Michigan.

You got a little bit of a mix right here in that pink color. And yes, even some thunder snow coming down and thunder sleet in some of these places. Now, the warmer side is going to be down to the south where you've got some thunderstorms itself down across Waterloo, Iowa. But this system as a whole is going to continue to shift off to the east, but it is going to bring significant amounts of snow. We are not just talking three, four, or five inches, some of these areas, especially that dark purple, you're talking two to three feet of snow that is expected to come down over the next 24 to 36 hours. Even some of this pink area you see surrounding it, you're look still looking at about a foot of snow to come down.

Now, on the southern side, you've got the still the moisture from this system, but much warmer temperatures, and that is going to fuel the potential for strong to severe thunderstorms. We're talking damaging wind gusts, 60, 70, even 80 miles per hour, tornadoes and even some hail the size of golf balls. On Monday, the severe threat is still there, it just shifts farther to the east. So, now, you're talking New York all the way down towards Florida. That target point is really going to be in that red area, that's a level four out of five significant damaging wind threat there and also strong tornadoes. We're talking EF-2 or even EF-3 potential for Monday.

Here's a look at the timeline. Again, here's the rest of this morning. You still have the snow aspect, mainly across the Midwest, but once we get to the afternoon, the heating of the day starting to ramp up some of those severe thunderstorms, they will continue through the evening and overnight. So, if you are in some of these areas late tonight, please make sure you have a way to get those emergency alert. Once you go to sleep, to wake you up, if something does occur overnight.

Now, by Monday morning, we start to see some rain already across the northeast, but the stronger line of storms is really going to be focused across the southeast, and then it will continue to slide off to the east, even bringing the severe potential to the Northeast and the Mid-Atlantic by the latter half of the day Monday.

BLACKWELL: Yes. A lot going on, as you said. Allison Chinchar watching it all, thank you. College teams continue to punch their ticket to the big dance. The remaining five tickets will be punched today. Coy Wire is here to walk us through it all.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes. Happy selection Sunday.

BLACKWELL: Thank you to you too.

WIRE: The men's draw begins at 6:00 p.m. Eastern, and then we have the women's draw at 8:00. Nobody has ever picked a perfect bracket. You have a one in 9.2 quintillion chance. Researchers at the University of Hawaii say there are about 7.5 quintillion grains of sand on earth. So, we have a chance.

BLACKWELL: There's a chance.

WIRE: There's a chance. Yesterday, Saturday was wild. Tickets being punched everywhere, and a clash of two teams with final four aspirations. Number two Arizona knocking off number five Houston, 79- 74. The Wild Cats enter March Madness as a number one seed on a nine- game win streak, that includes six wins over ranked teams. They have not been to the final four in a quarter of a century.

Number one Duke will undoubtedly be a number one seed as well in March Madness after beating number 10 Virginia 74 to 70 win their second consecutive ACC tournament. Isaiah Evans led the blue Devils with 20 points. While the Boozer brothers, Cameron and Cayden, sons of former Duke Legend two-time NBA All Star Carlos Boozer, they combined for 29 points in the game.

Look out for Zuby Ejiofor and number 13 St. John's Zuby with a doozy of a block. They finish at the other end with a two-handed windmill dunk. The red storm beating number six UConn 72 to 52. They're back- to-back big East Champs for the first time in program History Zuby and Bryce Hopkins had 18 each. St. John's looking to avenge a disappointing second round March Madness exit last season.

World baseball classic, the defending champions Japan taking on Venezuela and Ronald Acuna Jr. of the Atlanta Braves hits a home run on the second pitch of the game, but Japan's Shohei Ohtani says, hold my beer. Both teams leadoff hitters go on yard to start the game. But check this out, Wilyer Abreu put Venezuela ahead for good. The Red Sox two-time gold glove winners setting off raucous scenes in Miami. Venezuela wins eight to five to advance to the semis where they will face, surprise, semi-finalists Italy on Monday. Japan hadn't lost a game in the WBC since 2017.

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We'll have all our favorites, right, in March Madness, including our very own Victor Blackwell in the MEAC men's tournament, the number one seed Howard Bison and Ose Okojie slam home the 70 to 63 win over NC Central. Howard our MEAC champs --

BLACKWELL: Hit you.

WIRE: -- fifth ever appearance in the big dance. And the women's tournament, Howard had lost to Norfolk State in the last three MEAC title games, but they finally get over the hump winning 53-46. Howard went 13 and one in the regular season, Victor. They're on a 14-game winning streak headed into March Madness.

I don't know how you do it, but every year this man right here is always at the top of our anchor bracket challenge. So, I need some tips. Give Victor, you know, Ali and I some tips.

CHINCHAR: Oh, I feel like he's probably going to boost Howard up quite a bit on his --

BLACKWELL: I mean, you all might be surprised. I'm not. H-U love my bison. Coy, thanks for slipping that in.

WIRE: Yes.

BLACKWELL: All right. Thank you for watching this weekend. Inside Politics Sunday with Manu Raju is next.

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