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3,100-plus "No Kings" Rallies Planned Across All 50 States; Iran-Backed Houthis Enter War Launching Missiles Toward Israel; New American Approval Polling Out this Week; Coast Guard Families Uncertain as Shutdown Continues; Thousands Of Coast Guard Civilian Employees Caught In Govt. Shutdown; Americans Grapple With Food Costs As Prices Rise; Rising Gas Prices Altering How Americans Spend And Save Money; Tiger Woods Released From Florida Jail After DUI Arrest, Crash. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired March 28, 2026 - 18:00   ET

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

PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: Rick Barnes gets them to their first ever, Final Four. They will play Michigan who beat Alabama on Sunday.

So, how is it all looking, let's look at the big picture. Two teams will punch their ticket on this Saturday to the Final Four. Iowa looking to keep their dream run going as they take on Illinois in an all Big Ten battle. The Big Ten still with four teams alive that game, by the way, tipping off in just a few minutes from right now, that one is followed by Arizona as you mentioned, taking on Purdue.

Now, last night was a great night for Duke, all around. The women's team taking on LSU in a nail biter in the Sweet 16. The Tigers were down nine with three-and-a-half to go, but they rallied.

In the closing seconds, Mikaylah Williams getting the offensive rebound and then is fouled. She would make both free throws to give LSU the lead with nine seconds left, but Duke get it in to Ashlon Jackson, she makes a nifty move then a three rolls around the rim and in at the buzzer. Her teammates mobbing her.

Duke winning it 87 to 85. The women's team trying to get to the Final Four for the first time since 2006.

Are you feeling the excitement, Omar? Are you feeling the tension? Back to you.

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN HOST: Unbelievable. Patrick Snell appreciate it.

A new hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.

[18:01:19]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

JIMENEZ: Welcome, everybody.

If you've been here, welcome back. For those, welcome, I am Omar Jimenez in New York. Jessica Dean has the night off. Massive crowds of protesters gathering across the country. Today marks the third iteration of No Kings rallies since President Donald Trump took office last year, and as you can see here in Los Angeles, for example, demonstrators showing up in droves speaking out against president Donald Trump's policies.

More than 3,000 No Kings rallies were scheduled to happen today in major cities, suburbs and small towns across all 50 states. And remember last year, organizers reported that millions of people attended the two previous No Kings protests.

Since the last rally took place five months ago, the Trump administration has carried out those sweeping immigration enforcement operations in several cities, entered into a war with Iran, which has also prompted gas prices to skyrocket so people don't have to look far to choose something to protest there.

But you're seeing a little bit of, I believe, Fort Worth, Texas, as people have been marching through the streets there. I mentioned all sorts of cities we've been seeing and not too far, and then over in California, we've seen protests in Los Angeles, for example, also San Francisco.

But L.A. is where we find our Julia Vargas Jones who has been out there over the course of today. So, Julia, we've been watching or as we've been seeing you watch people blow up balloons getting ready to get out there. People have been dancing, there has been music.

What have you been seeing now?

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, people are starting to amass. Actually, right behind me, it seems like, start this march. Speakers are still going, Omar. There has been some music dropping starting right now next to us.

Some of the main issues that we've heard from people that we've been speaking with here are, of course, immigration is top of mind. It is Los Angeles City that has a very, very high population of Latinos. It is also, of course, the war in Iran with many people saying that the U.S. should get out of that immediately.

It is also the Epstein files. A lot of people here with signs that say the FBI files and the atmosphere has remained quite just family friendly. We are seeing kids, we are seeing elderly people, Omar, coming out, in this almost 90-degree heat here, but it has remained one of the priorities for the organizers here and around the protests around the country to keep this a very family friendly and positive atmosphere, it does feel more like a party.

I told you before that we could see lots of taco trucks and hot dog stands around here because of course its Los Angeles, now we are seeing ice cream, a lot of -- all over here as well to help people deal with the heat. Organizers handing out water for free as well.

Again, this is a march that is still amassing people. We are still seeing people coming down this hill next to me between right in front of City Hall and Downtown Los Angeles, descending onto this area. And then they will march across downtown to a small loop around downtown Los Angeles.

And all of that, voicing their discontent with these policies from President Donald Trump and top of mind, I cannot stress that enough, how important the issue of immigration is to Angelenos, to the city that has their Chicano, their Mexican-American identities, such a part of the fabric of this city, Omar.

And I just spoke to a man who said, look, I am a citizen and I am Latino, and I am here because so many of my community can't be here because they're too scared that something like what happened in Minneapolis or what happened here in Los Angeles last summer would happen again.

[18:05:21]

So, he said, he felt he that would come out to voice all of that today on this No Kings rally.

JIMENEZ: Yes, I mean, Los Angeles is really the first major city where we saw the real force of these increased immigration enforcement crackdowns that then went to other cities like Chicago and Minneapolis as well.

Julia Vargas Jones in Los Angeles for us in the middle of these protests. Appreciate it.

I want to bring in CNN's Shimon Prokupecz, who is on the ground in St. Paul, Minnesota, where you've been out with people over the course of today. Obviously, you know, people are leaving a little bit now, but I just wonder what stood out to you, mostly from talking to people at today's rally there.

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Julia is getting to experience 90-degree weather. We've got like a balmy 50 degrees now, but the sun has gone down. People have left. They are leaving. They are in line now to get on the train to start making their way home.

I just met a couple of people who drove in from last night from Iowa. They spent the night in their truck. They were here all day. And now, they are getting back in their truck and they are getting home.

You know, Omar, people here, for them, this was an important day to get together for the people of Minnesota, people from Minneapolis, the surrounding areas, just because of what they have all been through here.

This has been the epicenter in many ways of the harsh treatment that communities have received because of the immigration policies and because of the enforcement actions that we saw throughout the first few months of this year.

And of course, the death -- the death of Alex Pretti and the death of Renee Good that really brought this community together, that then in essence, brought change to the immigration policy, and we are not seeing that kind of hard handed enforcement that we saw from the Trump administration after the death of Alex Pretti.

The Boss, Bruce Springsteen came out. He sang that song that he wrote after the death of Alex Pretti. That was a defining moment. And then, of course, you had your politicians from the governor, the lieutenant governor, the attorney general here who is investigating the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.

People here have been through a lot, and just to be able to come together and enjoy this day, I think that is the message here. You know, I saw a lot of signs about empathy and courage, signs about sticking up for what people believe and that's been the message here all day.

And I met a woman who is 27. This was her first time attending a march, attending a protest, and then I spoke to the mother of a four- year-old little girl who has been to many marches. This wasn't her first march.

So that's what we saw out here today. People -- for some people, the first time for parents and their children, it was a day to get them out here and let them see that it is okay to stick up for your neighbors and your community, and to speak up.

JIMENEZ: Yes, and to see people out there by the thousands. Clearly, a lot of people on the same page there.

PROKUPECZ: Oh, incredible.

JIMENEZ: Shimon, yes, Shimon Prokupecz, appreciate the reporting all day for us out there. Meanwhile, we are following a lot of other news today as well, including Iran backed Houthi rebels from Yemen, now entering the Iran War with two attacks on Israel. We are following the very latest there.

And then rising food prices, forcing many Americans to think twice about eating out and what they buy at the grocery store. We will talk all about it coming up. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:13:32]

JIMENEZ: Today, a major fire in Kuwait after a drone strike hit the fuel tanks at the airport and you see some of the footage here showing the flames and thick smoke while firefighters are working to try and contain the fire and the country's air defenses detected 15 drones over the past 24 hours.

And in Yemen, Houthi rebels are claiming responsibility for new attacks launched today against Israel, really marking their entrance into the month-long conflict that shows no signs of letting up at this point.

And then 11 people injured from falling debris from missile interception in Israel, where the injuries were caused by glass shrapnel, as we understand.

And then at least 10 U.S. troops are reported injured after Iran attacked a U.S. base in Saudi Arabia, and U.S. Central Command announced that 3,500 sailors and Marines have now arrived in the Middle East.

A lot going on. CNN's Matthew Chance is in Doha, Qatar for us, and Julia Benbrook is traveling with the President in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Matthew, I want to start with you. How are all of these developments being seen in the region right now?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, there is a great deal of anxiety, I mean, and anger actually about what has happened. This region, particularly the Gulf Arab States, and I am talking to you from one of those states, Qatar, right now, they have suffered enormous economic losses over the course of the past month or so since this Iran War began.

Billions of dollars' worth of lost revenue in oil and gas production and exports. Now, the Qatari Foreign Minister have described their losses as catastrophic.

[18:15:06]

And I think you can probably kind of say the same thing for all the other five Arab Gulf monarchies that border the Persian Gulf as well, like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and all the others, and so it has been an enormously costly period.

But there are concerns in this region that worst may be yet to come, that if this conflict with Iran escalates, if, for example, the united states puts in ground forces, as it is -- you know, there are lots of speculation it could soon do. And if there is not a negotiated settlement to the conflict very quickly, there could be more of this kind of military action. There could be more retaliation to the U.S. and Israeli strikes by the Islamic Republic. And that's going to mean more destruction for the energy infrastructure that that cities like Doha here in Qatar have built, and that's something that fills governments here and people in these Arab states with a great deal of concern.

So, a lot of trepidation about what the coming days and weeks could hold -- Omar.

JIMENEZ: And obviously, a big question in all of this, Julia, is what the United States will do next and really, the magnitude of what comes next, as we've heard some conflicting messages from to this point from the President over how much progress the U.S. has made versus how much work actually has to be done.

What are you hearing right now?

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we are four weeks into this conflict since those first joint U.S.-Israel strikes against Iran. President Donald Trump monitored those first strikes at his Mar-a-Lago estate here in Florida, and he is back here this weekend.

But as you pointed out, there are still a lot of questions about how and when this could all come to an end. We have heard the President say repeatedly that it will end very soon. He has thrown out a number of different predictions, including four to six weeks in total. But most recently, he has avoided being tied down to a specific time frame.

Now, before he traveled here, he did speak yesterday at a Saudi-based investment conference in Miami, I was able to attend that in person and hear those remarks and wrote down one line that really stood out to me, because it just highlights the uncertainty here.

He said, "It's not finished yet. It's sort of finished, but it is not finished" about the conflict. He also said that the Iranians are "begging to make a deal."

Now, in addition to the President speaking at that conference, his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as well as Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff, they both spoke and Witkoff said that he is hopeful that there will be meetings with the Iranians next week. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE WITKOFF, US SPECIAL ENVOY TO THE MIDDLE EAST: Well, my definition of real negotiating would be right here, and we don't leave until we are done.

And we have offered that, and we think there will be meetings this week. We are certainly hopeful for it.

Ships are passing. That's a very, very good sign. And I think the President wants a peace deal. But he also believes in -- and I believe in it, too -- peace through strength.

Without pressure, you never get anybody to the table.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENBROOK: Now, those comments came shortly after Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that the United States had not received a full Iranian response to their 15-point proposal to bring the conflict to an end.

Rubio also said on Friday that he believes the Trump administration can achieve its objectives without ground troops. But as to why so many service members are being sent to the Middle East, he said the President needs to be able to prepare for all contingencies, and that's an important point there, because so far, most Republican lawmakers have supported, at least publicly, the President's efforts here.

But many of them are urging him to quickly end this fight and to avoid putting boots on the ground.

JIMENEZ: All right, Matthew Chance and Julia Benbrook reporting for us, really appreciate it.

We also want to look at new polling this week that reveals how the American people really feel about the United States and Israel's war with Iran.

CNN chief data analyst, Harry Enten runs the numbers.

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: Hey there, Omar. Happy Saturday to you.

Look, as the Iran military operation drags on, the American people have never been more unhappy with the President of the United States in his second term.

What are we talking about? Well, let's take a look at two polls that came out this week and these are term two lows in both of them.

According to Fox News, look at this, Donald trump 18 points underwater, the lowest of term number two. You think that is low. Take a look at the Reuters-IPSOS poll. Look at this. Donald Trump is 26 points underwater, way, way, way down there.

And I will note, in the aggregate of all of the polls, his net approval rating has also been at an all-time low this week. And of course, one of the key reasons why Trump is falling through the floor, the floor crumbling beneath him is because of the military operation in Iran. And I think the Fox News poll that came out this week is quite telling.

It was one of the few polls at the initial point of the military operation in which, in fact, the military operation was not that unpopular. You see this in early March, according to Fox News. Look at that, breaking even 50 percent for, 50 percent against. But now look at that. The majority against. We are talking about a net approval rating, get this 16 points underwater.

Every poll at this point, reputable poll that has come out in the last week about the military operation has shown that it is unpopular with the American people. And you look among Independents, just 28 percent, just 28 percent of Independents, according to the Fox News poll, actually support the military operation in Iran going on right now.

And of course, this is part of a larger portfolio, right, Omar? A larger portfolio when it comes to Trump's foreign policy and you can see it here. Take a look at the Reuters-IPSOS poll. This has been a theme in this segment, term two lows. And you see it here right here for foreign policy for Trump's net approval rating, back in January of 2025, look, Trump was on the positive side of the ledger at plus two points. Now, again down he goes.

I feel like I am a swimmer right there, like diving in. My goodness gracious. I feel like Greg Louganis. Look at this. Now, Trump 27 points underwater, a nearly 30-point switcheroo and just 22 percent of Independents, according to Reuters-IPSOS actually approve of the job that Donald Trump is doing on foreign policy. Of course, the military operation in Iran has contributed to rising gas prices, rising gas prices. It is affecting the economy here in the United States of America. And you can see it here.

Look at this, Trump's net approval rating on the economy. Again, another term two low. In January of 2025, Trump again was on the positive side of the ledger. He was at plus six points. The economy was the big -- the key reason why he won a second term back in November of 2024, but the American people have very much moved against the President of the United States when it comes to the economy.

Look at this, 33 points underwater, 33, was a great number for Patrick Ewing, but negative 33, a horrible, horrible net approval rating for Donald Trump when it comes to the economy and on the cost of living, 41 points underwater.

That simply put is not sustainable if you're Donald Trump to maintain your popularity, and it is certainly not a number that congressional Republicans like to see as we head into the midterm elections, because if these numbers hold, as I've said, its adios, amigos. Goodbye to the Republican Majority in the House and maybe the Senate as well.

And therefore, I wish you as well an adios, goodbye -- Omar.

Happy Saturday.

JIMENEZ: No one makes numbers more interesting. Harry Enten, appreciate it, as always.

All right, meanwhile, a hot meal on the table or gas in the tank? Rising prices are creating a lot of tough decisions for many American families. We will talk about it coming up.

And still to come, from New York to the California Coast, blue cities and even some ruby red towns, demonstrators take to the streets.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:28:01]

JIMENEZ: All right, we are back following the many No Kings rallies happening across the country today. Here is a live look at Los Angeles as demonstrators have been out on the streets today protesting President Trump's policies like rising costs and the war with Iran as well.

Obviously, Los Angeles, not the only city that has seen massive crowds today, including here in New York City, where CNN's Donie O'Sullivan has been speaking with demonstrators.

DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Omar, this demonstration taking over all of Midtown Manhattan, we spoke to some of the activists who showed out today and asked them why they were here. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMIT SINGH BAGA, ORGANIZER, OFF NYC: This democracy is only as strong as the people who defend it. And so what we are seeing here in New York and across the country is that as we have more incursions from this President, from the MAGA movement, attacks on public education, on health care, on immigration, on workers, tenants, consumers, queer people, that every day Americans are realizing that we have to come together to stand up to defend our democracy.

MANUEL VASQUEZ, ATTENDING PROTEST: People like me, the youth, are against this administration. We are anti-fascist. We are anti- authoritarian, anti-tyranny, and we do not believe in ICE, nor Israel, nor the war in Iran.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'SULLIVAN: As you can hear there, a whole ton of reasons. People are here anti-ICE, people who are protesting the war in Iran. And many, as you can see with many of the signs here, people who believe that American democracy is under threat -- Omar.

JIMENEZ: And Donie has been out. You've been out covering a lot of the protests in New York City over the course of today.

We showed you Los Angeles. Chicago is also seeing large protests where CNN's Veronica Miracle has been throughout the day and takes us inside the crowd and shares what protesters have been saying there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VERONICA MIRACLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We've been marching quite some time with the protesters here in Chicago, and one of the points that they wanted to come to, one of the landmarks they wanted to pass by was Trump Tower here.

Of course, this is the No Kings protest. A lot of people here, anti- Trump, they are here for many reasons, but there has been a lot of anti-Trump rhetoric, as you can imagine.

And so you can hear everybody shouting "shame" as they stop here in front of Trump Tower. They are going to be continuing on and making their voices heard all throughout Chicago, but of course, a very important point for these protesters here and I just spoke with a woman, who both of her parents who were interred at Japanese Interment Camps in World War II, she says, that is the reason why she needed to be here today. Take a listen to what she had to say.

[18:30:36]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEAN FUJIU, PROTESTER: The problem is, as they say, never again is now. And it shouldn't be happening. It's outrageous that it's happening here in the United States. People before me that came before me worked hard to make sure it wouldn't happen again, but here it is happening again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MIRACLE: Organizers say the last No Kings protest here in Chicago, there were about 250,000 people. They're hoping today that those numbers were far exceeded. Hundreds of thousands of people certainly here today, and it has been very peaceful, very calm. There are hundreds of volunteers to de-escalate any kind of situation, but we haven't seen anything like that here in Chicago. Back to you.

JIMENEZ: People of all ages marching, even someone with a baby behind Veronica there. Veronica Miracle, appreciate the reporting in Chicago.

Meanwhile, coming up, the partial government shutdown is impacting more than just security lines at the airport. We'll explain how the U.S. Coast Guard is now taking a hit from the funding battle in Congress. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:36:19]

JIMENEZ: So, all week and beyond, we've been talking about long lines at airports across the country because of this partial government shutdown. Adding to that, Congress tried and failed to overcome the six-week funding standoff and is now on break. But before leaving Washington, House Republicans last night rejected a Senate-passed DHS funding bill. But it's not just airports. The Coast Guard, for example, are caught up in all of this.

Coast Guard military members are getting -- are getting paychecks, but civilians are not. Paycheck or not -- the Coast Guard remains on duty. And so, I want to bring in Brooke Millard. She's the CEO of Coast Guard Mutual Assistance and is retired from the Coast Guard.

And Brooke, I just want to start with, who is this impacting in the Coast Guard and how?

BROOKE MILLARD, CEO, COAST GUARD MUTUAL ASSISTANCE/USCG RET.: Omar, first of all, thank you for even asking about the Coast Guard. There's so many civilian employees who feel that they've been forgotten by the U.S. government. There's about 8,000 civilian employees who support Coast Guard operations. And for about five weeks now, they have not been paid.

However, the shutdown affects, you know, even greater, broader effects on the Coast Guard at large, because some of these civilian employees, while they're showing up to work without pay, but there's also civilian employees who are furloughed and they've been told not to even engage in work.

JIMENEZ: Yes. And, you know, for these civilian employees, I mean, they -- they do really critical work, including engineering, navigation, really -- in -- in those support capacity. You can't really operate fully without the work of these civilian employees. How are the families of these employees impacted by this? And -- and just for perspective, how many families are we talking about?

MILLARD: Well, there's 8,000 civilian employees. I would imagine that more than half have families, right? It's a ...

JIMENEZ: Yes.

MILLARD: It's -- it's pretty widespread. There's a lot of anxiety right now. Like I said, they -- they feel that they're forgotten. There's some anger, obviously, when you don't receive a paycheck, but you're expected to show -- show up at work. I was just in Houston yesterday at a Coast Guard event that my organization sponsored to support them. And I'm -- I'm -- I'm hearing that we have a lot of civilian employees who are quitting, you know, and can you blame them? I mean, this is the -- the second government shutdown in less than six months that have affected our civilian employees.

JIMENEZ: And, you know, Stars and Stripes is reporting that the shutdown has prevented the Coast Guard from paying more than 5,000 utility accounts, which -- which puts the Coast Guard in imminent danger of widespread utility shutoff and refusals of fuel deliveries. Just based on what you're seeing, and obviously you have experience in the Coast Guard, are we in danger of seeing the Coast Guard unable to operate? What are the contingencies here?

MILLARD: Well, I don't -- I can't speak to the contingencies. All I can speak to is what I ...

JIMENEZ: Sure.

MILLARD: ... what I experienced. And I was the XO, second in charge of the Tall Ship Eagle back in 2019 during that partial government shutdown, which affected both active duty and civilian employees. And we did -- we missed a couple of paychecks, too. And what I can tell you is operations will likely continue. However, they become far more dangerous.

If you recall, Omar, from probably college days, a theory called Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, which basically suggests, and that's human behavior theory, that somebody can be a thriving member of their team, their church, their work environment, their unit, but until you take away a foundational need, like whether that's, you know, food on their table or a roof over their heads or if they're worried about putting gas in their car, they become very distracted. And our brains automatically go to thinking, how am I going to satiate that foundational need?

[18:40:02]

And in 2019 on Cutter Eagle, I saw that. I saw work continuing to get done, but everyone was distracted because they're trying to find out where they can get the free dinner, who's giving out gas cards, what sort of, you know, what a -- organizations are providing them with -- with some money so that they can put food on their table. And -- and that's where it becomes really dangerous.

JIMENEZ: And I know we were talking a little bit about what these civilian employees do, maintenance, engineering, navigation, things of that nature, but can you just lay out for us the -- the significance of the work of the civilian employees on things like those rescue operations, for example?

MILLARD: Right. So, at Sector Houston, we have several civilian employees who work in the command center, and they -- they run rescue operations offshore. And these are the employees who are still showing up to work without getting paid. Eventually, they might say, you know what, I don't want to do this anymore. I'm going to find alternate employment.

But in the Houston Ship Channel -- that Houston Ship Channel, you know, there's over $200 billion of commerce that -- that moves on those ports. And there are civilian employees who work in the vessel traffic system at the Houston -- for the Houston Ship Channel. And what they do is they're kind of like air traffic controllers, but for a major shipping lane, right? And -- and so we have ...

JIMENEZ: Yes.

MILLARD: ... several civilian employees who are -- who are coordinating, you know, vessel movements in this -- in this shipping channel, and they're not getting paid either. And we're starting to see, you know, morale getting affected, probably -- I'm sure they're getting distracted. And so, it can become dangerous, not just for the individuals who are impacted by not having paychecks. It puts places a lot more stress on the active-duty members who are showing up to work and have to cover some gaps, because their civilian teammate isn't there, because they're furloughed.

And -- but it also creates some risk for like the United States, right, with the -- with regard to safety and our prosperity.

JIMENEZ: And as you talked about, that dynamic of, at the very least, distraction over trying to figure out how you're going to plan to move forward with your families or otherwise. Brooke Millard, really appreciate the time and perspective. Thank you for being here.

MILLARD: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Omar.

JIMENEZ: Of course. All right. Tomorrow night here on CNN, on a brand- new episode of "The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper." I will take you to the front lines of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown going across the border as well, where this story really begins. Let me show you a quick preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIMENEZ (voice over): We're heading to the Suchiate River, separating southern Mexico and Guatemala. It was a major transit point for migrants on their way north to the U.S.-Mexico border. This was 2023 some days. The river was full of migrants on makeshift rafts that day, hoping to continue their journey.

In 2026, many of those same types of rafts sit empty or handle everyday commerce. Those who run them remember what it used to be like.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: (Foreign language) You were working here in 2023?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Foreign language) Yes, 2023.

JIMENEZ: (Foreign language) And what did you see here that year?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Foreign language) This was when all the migrants passed by. When the migrant caravans passed by. The whole place was full of just migrants.

JIMENEZ: Wow.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Foreign language) Around 500 people you see a day crossing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ (voice over): They say they started to notice a difference in the months after President Trump was inaugurated, not just because people were afraid of being turned away at the U.S. border. They were also afraid of what could happen if they did cross over.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: (Foreign language) What do you hear about what's going on in the United States?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Foreign language) The truth is, a lot of people complain they're scared of going out of the street there, where ICE might grab them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JIMENEZ: You won't want to miss it, my special report on "The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper, Immigration Crackdown: A Year of Enforcement," airs tomorrow at 8 P.M. Eastern and Pacific, only on CNN. We also went to many major American cities that have been sort of the faces of these immigration enforcement crackdowns as well.

All right, so to come tonight, with soaring gas prices, some Americans are having to choose between groceries or filling their tanks. Next, we're going to talk to an expert about how you can do both without breaking the bank. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:49:06]

JIMENEZ: Rising food costs are changing the way Americans grocery shop and eat out. In a new LendingTree survey, for example, 49 percent of people say they're having a hard time affording food right now. Findings also show more than 80 percent are cutting back on spending at restaurants, while nearly 90 percent are turning to new strategies to save on groceries. I want to take a closer look at these numbers with Matt Schulz, Chief Consumer Finance Analyst at LendingTree. He's also the author of "Ask Questions, Save Money, Make More: How to Take Control of Your Financial Life."

Matt, good to see you.

Can you just tell us more about changes Americans are making to offset higher food costs here?

MATT SCHULZ, CHIEF CONSUMER FINANCE ANALYST, LENDINGTREE: Yes, I mean, the -- the good thing is that when prices are rising, people aren't just taking it sitting down. They really are making changes. And it's important because we kind of tend to be creatures of habit when it comes to things like grocery shopping and shopping for gas.

[18:50:08]

But there are plenty of things that you can do, including just shopping around at different stores, coupon clipping, focusing more just on the price in general, and also doing things like buying store brands or generics. So, there's a lot that people can do. And the good news is that they are doing them.

JIMENEZ: You know, what's interesting is -- is sort of leading into this. Obviously, inflation has been a major issue over the past few years or so. It's contributed to sort of what people have described as this K-shaped economy, as sort of the macroeconomy has done pretty decently, at least until -- well, not a good time to talk about it as it's down right now. But overall, generally speaking, macroeconomy has done pretty well.

And -- but -- but what I think is interesting is your study indicates even Americans considered high income are making changes. And I wonder, do you see any significance in that?

SCHULZ: I do to a degree, but I think the bigger point to that is that just because you make a whole lot of money doesn't mean that you know what to do with it. We see all the time where people making six figures plus take on debt and make mistakes. And some of that is that they have the luxury to do it, because taking on a little bit of debt and paying a little bit of extra interest doesn't matter to them as much when you're making a ton of money.

But also, the truth is that there are plenty of people making six figures plus who are on pretty tight budgets and who are living paycheck to paycheck.

JIMENEZ: Yes. And, you know, this research highlights the affordability crisis, obviously, that -- that many Americans are facing. And I wonder, what did you find most insightful about the study?

SCHULZ: The -- the thing that, again, stuck out to me the most is that people are actually reacting, because it's really easy to feel hopeless and powerless when all of these big macroeconomic things are happening. But the truth is that people have more power over their money than they think they do. And when you're a little nervous and you're a little concerned, controlling what you can control by adjusting your budget, shopping around, clipping coupons, that sort of thing, is a really good way to not only feel more empowered, but to make a real significant difference.

JIMENEZ: And, you know, as of late, especially, I mean, gas prices have been increasing. I think that the future of gas prices is still, at the very least, uncertain right now. And it's another factor, obviously, impacting people's ability to afford everyday things. How have you found Americans to be adjusting their budgets to this increase that -- that we're seeing at the pump as of late?

SCHULZ: Yes, a LendingTree survey that we did a few days ago showed that about a third of Americans are already adjusting their spending and savings behaviors as a result of rising prices. And another third or so said that they would do so if these prices kept rising for a month or more. So, there -- there's no question that people are keeping an eye on things. Some people are even going and filling up with gas a day or two early to get ahead of things because they know that it's probably going to cost more in a few days. So ...

JIMENEZ: Yes.

SCHULZ: ... again, people are taking action and that's a really good thing.

JIMENEZ: Yes, yes. People at least trying right now to find ways, at the very least, to get creative with all of these external factors going on. Matt Schulz, really appreciate the time and insight. Thanks for being here.

SCHULZ: Thanks for having me.

JIMENEZ: All right, still to come. Golfing legend Tiger Woods out of jail after being arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. We'll have new details after a quick break.

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[18:58:40]

JIMENEZ: Golf legend Tiger Woods has been released from jail after being arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. Police say Woods was taken into custody Friday after being involved in a rollover crash in Martin County, Florida. You can see the aftermath here.

CNN Sherrell Hubbard has more on what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHERRELL HUBBARD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Tiger Woods is facing a DUI after police say the Land Rover he was driving clipped a pickup truck, pulling a small trailer. The collision caused Woods' vehicle to roll onto its side. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF JOHN BUDENSIEK, MARTIN COUNTY: The individual driving that Land Rover was able to crawl out the passenger door of the car and was identified to be Mr. Tiger Woods.

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HUBBARD (voice over): Investigators say Woods appeared to be driving erratically in the moments before the crash and after the crash, he was uninjured but showed signs of impairment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUDENSIEK: Mr. Woods did a breathalyzer test, blew triple zeros. But when it came time for us to ask for a urinalysis test, he refused. And so, he's been charged with DUI, with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUBBARD (voice over): The golf phenom has had previous DUI arrests and car accidents. In 2021, he was involved in a high-speed rollover crash in Los Angeles that resulted in significant leg injuries.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With your heel touching your toe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUBBARD (voice over): He was arrested in 2017 for a DUI and was cited for careless driving in 2009.

[19:00:02]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I feel so badly. He's -- he's got some difficulty. There was an accident and that's all I know.