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CNN This Morning

Flyers Face Varying Wait Times As TSA Officers Unpaid; Thousands Across Oahu, Hawaii Evacuated Due To Major Flooding; Trump Says He Is Considering "Winding Down" Iran War; Iran Unsuccessfully Target U.S.-U.K. Base In Indian Ocean; Thousands More U.S. Marines Head to the Middle East; U.S. Airport Wait Times Escalate As TSA Workers Go Unpaid; American Student Found Dead in Barcelona. Aired 6- 7a ET

Aired March 21, 2026 - 06:00   ET

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

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[06:00:32]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That line was insane, went forever. You couldn't even see the end.

SEAN DUFFY, TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: If they do, if a deal isn't cut, you're going to see what's happening today look like Child's Play.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: So it's 6:00 a.m. Eastern and we're already seeing hours long lines at TSA checkpoints where there's already a two hour wait. We'll tell you where that is and what we know about a Friday meeting between Democrats and Republicans to get the TSA workers paid.

Plus, President Trump says the U.S. is closer now to winding down military action in the Middle East. But we're learning that more U.S. troops will soon head to the region.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the largest flood that we've had in Hawaii in 20 years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Breaking news out of Hawaii. Flash flooding has led to evacuations and rescues in Oahu. Thousands of people were told to leave their homes. We have an update from the governor and a big victory for reporters who cover the Pentagon. A judge says the Defense Department trampled on the rights of journalists.

Hey, it's Saturday, March 21st. Welcome to CNN This Morning. I'm Victor Blackwell. Yes, it is early, but the wait times at airports across the country have been climbing all morning. Look at this. You can see the wait times. We're going to put them up on the screen for you throughout this report.

It is a busy weekend as spring break travel the ramps up and travelers they're getting frustrated.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That line was insane. It went forever. You couldn't even see the end. You just wound around and around. It just -- it was -- and that was the TSA line precheck. The regular line was even longer. It was nuts.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I got there three hours early and I made it to my gate like 20 minutes before. They were border it was bad and there was people behind me who were missing flights and it was really bad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: So the urgency is increasing on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers met last night in an attempt to end the Department of Homeland Security shutdown. They are still at a stalemate though over ICE tactics.

Democrats left the meeting tight lipped didn't say much about what happened, but several Republicans said the GOP bolstered its latest offer. And Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says the shutdown needs to end now or those wait times, they will get worse.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DUFFY: I think as we come into next week, that second paycheck is due a week from today as they're going to miss that. If they do, if a deal isn't cut, you're going to see what's happening today look like child's play. This is going to be, these are going to be good days compared to what's going to happen a week from now as America tries to travel.

And again, is this still safe as you go through the airport? Yes, but it takes a lot longer because you have less agents working and.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Time is running out to reach a deal because Congress will go on a break in about a week. CNN's Rafael Romo is now joining us live from Atlanta's Hartsfield Jackson International Airport, the busiest airport in the world. What do you see in there?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Victor, you know this airport very well because you have used it many times yourself and you are familiar with this area. This is the atrium and this is as far as we've seen the lines go this morning. But take a look at this side, those people. This is like a secondary holding area where people are waiting. This is not the main checkpoint yet.

And so what they do here is they ask people to wait, they make two separate lines. And so you see the people waiting here. I just wanted to give our viewers from other parts of the nation an idea of how long you have to walk before you actually get to the main checkpoint area. You see it there.

And one of the things that I was noticing, Victor, is that out of 18 possible windows that can be open this morning, only eight are open, which tells you a lot about the staffing situation that TSA is going through.

Now, I was talking a moment ago with a family from here that was flying to Denver. They told me they got here at 2 in the morning. I was hoping to talk to them live, but they just made it into this general area. That's the main checkpoint area.

In previous days we had seen that the monitors here, like that one right there behind me, they were showing wait times. They're off for some reason this morning.

[06:05:00]

So people are hoping and praying that they can make their flights but the reality is that nobody really knows.

Now this is only general boarding. On the other side of the airport, the north side you see people in wheelchairs making a very long line. And then on the south side you see people waiting who are pre-checked. So it's a combination of different lines.

The line that I was showing you a moment ago, this one right here in front of me, that's only one side because as you can see on this other side there's another line that is just as long Victor of people waiting. Take a look at that. A lot of those people trying to make flights at 8, 9 in the morning may or may not make them.

So this -- that's the situation that people are going through here at the airport. Victor.

BLACKWELL: Yes, I was in that line on Sunday, stretched it pre-check all the way back to baggage claim. Again, if people have been through Atlanta's airport, that is a long, long line. But it was efficient, it was moving. But as you see that the call outs have increased there at the airport. Rafael Romo giving us a live picture of what things look like at six in the morning on a Saturday. Rafael, thank you.

Let me now get you the latest on the breaking news out of Hawaii. Hundreds of people have been rescued. Their evacuation orders after severe flooding hit the island of Oahu. The catastrophic flooding has destroyed homes caught off towns in the northern parts of the island.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was a scary situation for us. Pretty much lost things, lost everything. I mean, got us. Yes. But you know, everything else, yes, it's our house, that's our home up there.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BLACKWELL: Officials are also closely watching a dam they say could overflow near thousands of homes. Despite this danger, so far everyone in the area appears to be safe and accounted for.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. JOSH GREEN (D) HAWAII: I have to proudly report that there have to our knowledge been no fatalities and no unaccounted for individuals so far. I am happy to report that my chief of staff spoke to the White House today and they are offering their assurance that we're going to have support. The same can be said of FEMA. They've been with us from the beginning as they were with us in the fire and before. We have support and we will come through this together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: The governor says the storm could ultimately cost more than $1 billion in damage across that state. CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar is with me now. This threat is ongoing. This is not a storm that is passed and over.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, we still have a lot of the flash flood warnings and the flood warnings in effect for this area. Now, keep in mind that doesn't always necessarily mean that they're still getting pummeled with all this rain. But that takes time to go away. And so they leave those alerts up to give people extra time.

So here you can see a map that will kind of show you where some of these warnings are going to be located. Again, you've got the flash flood warnings in effect right there for the main island of Oahu and then still just some regular flood warnings because the system as a whole is actually sliding off to the east, taking with it a lot of the rain that has hit them the last few hours.

So take a look. This is a 24 hour loop. You can see just a lot of those storms just training over the city, same spot and the same spot over and over again for much of the very early hours of Friday, continuing through the morning and even through the afternoon hours.

As I mentioned, the storm itself is moving east. So those folks there will start to get a break. But the other islands will now start to see more rain.

BLACKWELL: All right, Allison, thank you. Breaking news, the war in Iran. A U.S. official says Iran launched two ballistic missiles at a joint U.K., U.S. military base in the Indian Ocean. But the officials say that the missiles missed the base.

President Trump has signaled that he's considering his words here winding down U.S. military operations in the Middle East. But officials say thousands more Marines and sailors are headed to the region.

Here's what U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said about the possibility of ground troops during CNN's town hall last night. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE WALTZ, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES: I don't think anybody should expect this to look anything like we saw back in 2003, two decades ago with a massive invasion. I think that's a lot of misinformation that's out there.

They have the capability to go and take WMD in a very targeted way. There are other options on the table, but I think if President Trump could avoid that, he absolutely would. If we can do this and degrade those capabilities from the air and from the sea, that would be the preferred option.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Waltz also defended President Trump lifting sanctions on 140 million barrels of Iranian oil. He said it was targeted temporary and only applies to oil that's already on ships and in storage.

The president lashed out at NATO allies. He called them cowards for not helping to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which continues to be virtually closed for oil transport.

[06:10:04]

Team coverage, we have for you this morning on the war. From Abu Dhabi, we have CNN's Paula Hancocks. But first, we're going to turn to CNN's Jerusalem bureau chief, Oren Liebermann. Oren, good morning to you. What's the latest you know?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Victor, we'll walk around the region here, but we'll start in Israel where we have seen continued incoming ballistic missile fire from Iran, including this morning where a missile fragment or potential cluster warhead hit a kindergarten in Rishon LeZion on Israel.

It is, of course, Saturday here. So the kindergarten was empty. But that is part of the continued waves of attacks we've seen here. Even as Israel and the United States have said it's far below the numbers we saw at the beginning of the war. There is still what is becoming a fairly steady barrage here on a daily basis.

In fact, one missile yesterday from Iran, a fragment of it or a cluster munition, potentially hit the old city of Jerusalem on the Muslim holy day of Eid al-Fitr, one of the holiest days in the year here.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society saying one person was injured and taken to the hospital as a result of that strike.

Meanwhile, Iran also attacking in the Indian Ocean some 2,300 miles away from Iranian territory, the island of Diego Garcia, which is a crucial logistics hub and a hub for U.S. heavy bombers to operate from. According to officials here, they fired two missiles at the base there, but neither of those missiles hit. Meanwhile, Iran also claiming they have fired once again at Baghdad at

a U.S. logistics facility there. They say they fired three times on Friday. We have reached out to the Baghdad embassy for comment.

It is worth noting we have seen Iran hit the back the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad several times here since the start of the war with drones getting through the aerial defenses there.

We have also seen those aerial defenses activated and shooting down Iranian drones. Still, even with the punishment that Israel and the U.S. have unleashed against Iran, they have shown a military capability that they still retain at this point.

The fire back not only at U.S. bases in the region and U.S. facilities and obviously Israel as well, as we have seen on a daily basis, but also at the energy and oil infrastructure around the region that's driving up those soaring costs of gas, not only in the U.S. but around the world.

Meanwhile, as you pointed out, President Donald Trump said on social media that he might be wrapping up the war soon. And yet just a moment ago, as I was sitting here from Defense Minister Israel Katz, the Israeli defense minister, he says that the U.S. and Israel will only intensify the strikes over the coming weeks. And that seems to match what Iran has said, that they are not seeing any letting up of the war effort as we reach the three week mark here today. Victor.

BLACKWELL: Oren Liebermann in Jerusalem, thank you. Paul Hancocks and Abu Dhabi up next. And Paula, hello to you. Let's start with the latest on the effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Victor, we are seeing more countries around the world signing up to an agreement to talk about how they could do it. Now, of course, this isn't an actual plan in place at this point. This was a statement that came out on Thursday from a number of E.U. nations and Japan and Canada.

We're seeing more countries adding their names to that list saying that they would be willing to try and figure out a plan to go forward. We know Bahrain has just signed up. That's the first Gulf nation showing its willingness.

And also South Korea, which obviously relies very heavily on oil from the region, has signed up. But again, this isn't a plan that is actually being hammered out necessarily. This is the sign of willingness to engage.

So, any kind of multinational effort to try and keep the Strait of Hormuz open or reopen it I should say is going to be some time away. In fact, we did hear from U.S. President Donald Trump in that Truth Social media post saying that it'll have to be guarded and policed as necessary by other nations who use it. The United States does not.

So what we've seen is a bit of a change in tack there from asking for other countries help to saying they don't need other countries help to now President Trump saying it is up to other countries to do it. The U.S. doesn't need it anyway, although saying if asked, we will help.

Now a quick look at what we saw in this region overnight. We did see a continuation of Iranian missile and drone attacks on a number of nations. There were alerts and interceptions overnight here in the UAE, also in Kuwait, which had one of its oil facilities hit on Thursday and then again on Friday.

We also saw Saudi Arabia intercepting drones heading towards the eastern part of the country where those oil fields are. And we've had another warning from Iranian military, this time saying that they are warning the UAE that it's put port city of Ras Al-Khaimah will be hit if the U.S. and Israel continue to target islands.

Now we have already heard warnings from Iran to the UAE saying docks and ports will be targeted. And they did carry out that threat.

[06:15:04]

So this threat being taken seriously. Victor.

BLACKWELL: Paula Hancocks in Abu Dhabi. Thank you. We've got more on the war in Iran ahead, including how the White House is struggling to contain the political fallout from both voters and lawmakers as the president weighs sending more American troops to the region.

Plus, a federal judge says Pentagon rules limiting independent press access are unlawful. What this means for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's new policy.

And K pop sensation BTS will perform their first show today after a nearly four year hiatus. It kicks off their global comeback tour. We will take you to Seoul live.

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[06:20:24]

BLACKWELL: Well, the White House is struggling to contain the political fallout from the war with Iran. On Friday, President Trump posted on social media that he's considering winding down the military operation in the Middle East. But that is not square with the fact that thousands of U.S. troops are heading to the region.

The possibility of U.S. ground forces there is not sitting well with voters. According to a recent CNN poll, Americans oppose sending troops to Iran by a fight 5 to 1 margin.

Joining me now to discuss is Meg Kinnard, national politics reporter for the Associated Press. Meg, welcome back to the show. So we saw that poll and how the American people feel about U.S. Ground forces. Let's listen to some Republican members of Congress about the possibility of U.S. forces on the ground in Iran.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think Congress needs to be briefed if there are boots on the ground?

SEN. LISA MURKOWSKI (R-AK): Yes, absolutely.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If there was a deployment of boots on the ground, do you think that Congress needs a separate vote?

SEN. JOSH HAWLEY (R-MO): Yes, I think then we have to go back and look at what the statute requires.

REP. TIM BURCHETT (R-TN): I don't want to put Americans on the ground out there in any shape, form or fashion.

REP. MICHAEL MCCAUL (R-TX): I think boots on the ground, I think has pretty much been ruled out.

SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R-TX): I don't believe American boots on the ground are going to be required or a good idea.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: So you heard from a few members there that they believe that boots on the ground, as they phrase it, has been ruled out. Mike Waltz, who was on with Dana Bash, U.N. Ambassador, did not rule it out. The president hasn't ruled it out. Neither has Secretary Hegseth. But how bright of a line is it for Republicans in Congress, ground troops in this war?

MEG KINNARD, NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER, ASSOCIATED PRESS: Hey, Victor, you know, you took the words right out of my mouth. That's exactly the phraseology that I would use to kind of describe this moment. It does appear from what we're hearing from members and also just kind of taking the temperature of the Republican electorate at large, that does seem to be that bright line, that dividing line of okay. So we've been okay as a people with the strikes that we saw in Venezuela, for example, and now in Iran, these military operations that are kind of, you know, in the moment, but not necessarily an influx of U.S. troops.

But if that does happen, if there is an official deployment, certainly we're hearing from members of Congress that they think that would be the moment where their permissioning would be needed.

But also for the voters who will be considering a lot of candidates on the ballot in the midterm elections, as well as kind of giving their sense of President Trump's success in his first couple years in this second term, that does seem to be a marker that they're willing to lay down and say, OK, so if we get to that point, that will definitely make us feel less comfortable with this operation and perhaps we'll show that in terms of our votes.

BLACKWELL: On the household economic cost of this war, I want to play first something that President Trump said, actually said it many times during the 2024 campaign. But this clip is from a rally in Wilmington, North Carolina, September of 2024. Let's watch. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Under the Trump economic plan, we will cut your energy prices in half within market down with and you can get very angry at me if we don't do it within 12 months, your energy prices will be cut in half.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Well, that didn't happen. And since the war, those prices have increased. There's actually a poll out from Reuters Ipsos that shows that more than 80 percent of respondents believe that the cost of gas will go up even further over the next month. 76 percent of Republicans.

How much do congressional Republicans think this will the cost of energy specifically will impact their races in the midterms?

KINNARD: Well, I'm sure that they're absolutely hoping that it won't. Obviously, you and I both know the economy and issues related to kitchen table economics for Americans across the country. That's the number one issue that we hear leading into elections. That's what they care about. That's what they want to see candidates delivering on.

And as we get closer to, I mean, primaries are already happening across the country, certainly. But as we get closer to those midterm elections, that is absolutely something that any candidate who's on the ballot, particularly those members of Congress where control, partisan wise, is very much an issue for these midterms, that's something that they are hoping they'll be able to deliver on and at least will be in a little bit better situation heading into that general election.

BLACKWELL: TSA wait times, as we talked about at the top of the show, are beyond two hours already Atlanta, extending in cities across the country.

[06:25:07]

There were talks, negotiations between the parties last night, Thursday night. Where do those talks stand to try to end this stalemate before they go into the spring recess?

KINNARD: Yes, we're seeing something that we don't often see and that's a weekend session for lawmakers to really try to hammer out some of these issues. You're absolutely right. I have flown. I can't even count how many times in the past two weeks I've gotten lucky. I've heard from a lot of other travelers who have been in those very long TSA lines. And it's understandable with agents going without pay during this DHS shutdown.

So, lawmakers are definitely seeing those. I'm sure they're hearing from their constituents. And again, with the elections in the offing, they are really hoping that they'll be able to wrap up this kind of situation. So it's something that their voters, that they're going to be going to in the elections won't be remembering necessarily by the time they get around to November.

BLACKWELL: Meg Kinnard with the Associated Press, as always, thank you.

Still to come, those airport delays tied to the partial government shutdown and not going away, at least not yet. We'll discuss how this is impacting the entire travel industry.

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[06:30:00]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, ANCHOR, CNN THIS MORNING WEEKEND: More on the developments out of Iran this morning as the world reacts to President Trump's conflicting rhetoric and timeline about the war. So, after saying he's considering winding down military efforts in the region, thousands of marines are being deployed to the Middle East.

This is a sign that the military operation is ramping up as the war now enters the fourth week. CNN's Zach Cohen breaks down who these marines are and what their deployment means for the next steps of this war.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZACHARY COHEN, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER (on camera): The U.S. military is sending thousands of additional marines to the Middle East in support of the ongoing operations targeting Iran.

We're learning from sources that the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit and the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group are both now going to be headed to the Middle East, as their deployment timeline has been accelerated.

Now, these two units were initially expected to be deployed to the Indo-Pacific, but we're told that they are now going to join the U.S. forces already in the Middle East that are conducting ongoing operations against Iran.

Now, it remains unclear exactly when this additional Marine Expeditionary Unit will arrive in the region. We reported recently that a second Marine Expeditionary Unit is just days away from entering the Middle East, and is expected to provide support for ongoing U.S. military operations that are already underway.

Now, it also remains unclear if this additional Marine Expeditionary Unit will overlap with the one that is about to arrive. And it's also unclear what the mission for these troops will be when they get there. Now, these units are effectively the Swiss army knives of military capability.

They historically have supported large-scale evacuation operations and other ground missions. But they also carry logistical capabilities that can be used to relieve the pressure for some of the U.S. forces that are already involved in these strikes.

And so, it all comes as President Donald Trump has said in recent days that he does not plan to put U.S. boots on the ground, with the caveat that if he was going to take that step, he wouldn't tell reporters about it anyway. Zachary Cohen, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Zach, thank you very much. If you're flying this morning, good luck, because the wait times for security at airports across the country are climbing. Some airports to talk here about Hartsfield- Jackson in Atlanta, two-hour wait times as early as 4:00 a.m.

Of course, it's because TSA funding is tied up in a political stalemate on Capitol Hill. Their call outs increasing of some of those TSOs. Some industry experts say the longer this continues, the worse the outcome could be.

The Senior Vice President of the U.S. Travel Association said this, "Congress should be so lucky that it's just wait times that pressure them to a deal, and not something worse happening like a security lapse."

With me now is the President of the U.S. Travel Association, Geoff Freeman. Geoff, good morning to you. First, let me just get your reaction to the reporting that the congressional members are talking. They were at it late last night. They were at it Thursday. First thoughts?

GEOFF FREEMAN, PRESIDENT & CEO, U.S. TRAVEL ASSOCIATION: Yes, I don't get as excited, Victor, to know that members of Congress are doing their job. I mean, that's what we expect them to do. We expect them to talk. We expect them to avoid putting Americans in situations just like this.

Right now, what's happening across the country is unconscionable. Most notably, the 50,000 TSA workers who are going to work, showing up every day without getting paid for more than a month. And this is the second time we've put them in this situation in just the past several months.

They were only made whole on the last shutdown three weeks before this shutdown began. We're asking too much of these TSA officers. It's why we're seeing these delays. And as my colleagues mentioned, it could create security concerns.

BLACKWELL: Yes, you know, I talked with the head of the TSA Workers Union who said that the little bit of savings they had, they used that up in October and November. And so, the resources that would typically get them through a shutdown just are not there this time around.

So, it's worse, even though it's not been nearly as long so far. Let me ask you about the more than 300 TSOs who have left the job and the impact that will have.

[06:35:00]

Those people, how long does it take to replace them? Because I can't imagine there are many people who are applying now for a job that doesn't pay. What's the residual impact and how long do you think that will last?

FREEMAN: Yes, as you said, we've lost more than 300 in just the first couple of weeks. We're going to lose more as time goes on. And every new officer takes up to six months to train before they're out there in the airports. So, this is a long-term problem we're going to see.

Let's face it, this is not a high-paying job in the first place, about $40,000 a year. So, these are people that are concerned about their rent, they're concerned about groceries. They're concerned about the other daily staples that all of us have to -- have to worry about.

And now, we're giving them no money, and now they've got to deal with all of us as well, right? All of us as travelers are not necessarily the most calm, cool and collected people as we're going through the airport. We're asking a lot of these transportation security officers.

I think it's unconscionable that we're putting them in this situation. You know, members of Congress in a previous piece, you talked about the fact that they're now talking, but they've got a recess coming up here at the end of the week.

They've got up to two weeks of their paid vacation coming up. I think there will be hell to pay if Congress leaves town without making sure TSA is paid.

BLACKWELL: Jet fuel prices have increased dramatically since the start of the war. On February 27th, the day before the war started, according to the Argus U.S. Jet Fuel Index, it was $2.50 a gallon, yesterday, it was $4.56.

Is there a correlation between the increase in prices and the number of people booking? I mean, if the cost of the ticket goes up, are you seeing fewer people flying?

FREEMAN: I think one of the things we've seen as we've come into this year, we saw it in 2025, booking windows have actually shrunk. So, I don't think we're seeing a run-on booking or anything as people try to play what may happen with the cost of flying.

The truth is that the cost of flying was actually diminishing before the war in Iran began. Travel in general has not seen the same inflationary increases that other industries have seen. So, I think travel will remain.

Something that is available to all levels of the economy. But there's no doubt, there's new complexities, there's security concerns, there may be increased costs. And there are all of these unpredictabilities you can't count on with your trip.

Who this really hits, Victor, is less the leisure traveler who is a little bit more tolerant and resilient. They told their kids they're going on that trip; they're going to go on that trip. Who this really hits is business travelers.

And that's what -- pulled back. First, meetings and conventions. Now, those one-on-one business meetings that are so important to hotels, to airlines, to other aspects of the system. That's where we're most concerned right now.

BLACKWELL: Let me get one more in security before we go here. San Francisco International is the largest of about 20 airports across the country that contract private security. They do not use Transportation Safety Agency there. How real is the private security expansion conversation now?

FREEMAN: Yes, it's a possibility. Even in San Francisco, they are living up to the TSA level requirements. They're paying for it separately or they've hired separate people. But they're living up to the TSA level requirements.

My opinion is, industry opinion is, TSA has actually done a very good job innovating in recent years. And while there are opportunities within the system to privatize certain aspects of it, turning the whole thing over to privatization is probably not the right path in the near term, but we should always -- we should always be looking at ways to improve this process.

The truth is, the traveler puts up with too many inefficiencies at the TSA checkpoint. We can do better, and we look forward to working with TSA to do that. But let's -- paid first.

BLACKWELL: Yes, Geoff Freeman, thank you so much. Coming up, an unprecedented heat wave in the west broke the all-time record for March. We have the latest temperatures. That's next. And remember, if you're heading out, you can stream my show from anywhere in the U.S. right from the CNN app. You can also go to cnn.com/watch.

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[06:40:00]

BLACKWELL: Headlines for you this morning. A federal judge says the Pentagon's policy limiting independent press access is unlawful, because it violates the First Amendment. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has tried to control press coverage by suspending or revoking journalists' credentials.

The judge ordered that those credentials be reinstated for several reporters. An American student was found dead in Barcelona on a Spring break trip. James Gracey, he'd been missing since leaving his friends after a night out on Tuesday.

Barcelona police later discovered his body in the shallow ocean water in front of a club. Investigators say early signs point to an accident, though the cause and circumstances are still unclear.

Man, have you seen this one? It is a classic buzzer-beater moment. Friday's men's opener, the game of the weekend so far, maybe even of the March Madness tournament. The underdog, Santa Clara Broncos had the lead against Kentucky after a clutch-three pointer, 2 seconds, 2.4 to play.

[06:45:00] But then Kentucky sent it to overtime with nearly a half-court shot as

the buzzer sounded. Broncos couldn't hold off the Wildcats from there, Kentucky won 89-84. All right, we're on the verge of all-time heat record.

Scientists say it would not be possible without human-caused climate change. The historic heat wave is peaking across the west and expanding into central U.S. today. It's expected to break Thursday's national record of 108 degrees this weekend.

That's 20 to 40 degrees above average. Meteorologist Allison Chinchar is back here. Twenty to 40 degrees above average, triple digits in March.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And I want to point out, we may have actually broken that record.

BLACKWELL: Wow --

CHINCHAR: Unofficially, it came in very early this morning, like literally three hours ago. Unofficially, Yuma, Arizona has hit 109 yesterday --

BLACKWELL: My goodness --

CHINCHAR: So, again, don't have to go back, they'll have to double check everything.

BLACKWELL: Yes --

CHINCHAR: But if that holds, that becomes the new national record for the month of March, which is just insane to think about, because that actually is warmer than they normally would be in April. So, again, it's not just that it's warm, it's that it's incredibly warm.

And they're not the only place. You look at some of these other areas, all of these dots that you see here on this map represent a record, not a daily record. These are March records. So, every single one of these broke the entire monthly record for their specific location, and some of them could do it all over again today.

This is where you have some of the greatest threat for the heat. You've got a lot of those heat alerts in effect, and more of those are going to shift eastward as we go through today and tomorrow, because the heat is going to do the same.

So, now, all of these dots you see here could potentially be daily records as we go through today and tomorrow. Some of them could potentially break them both days. So, you look at the records and the numbers themselves.

Take a look at this. Again, Phoenix, the high forecast today is 105. The record that currently stands is 97. You're talking about breaking the previous record by almost ten degrees. Albuquerque, Amarillo, Lubbock, all looking at all of those temperatures.

Look at this, Victor, 105 for the Phoenix forecast today. That would actually break the April record if they hit that.

BLACKWELL: Time to put on the Schutz.

CHINCHAR: Yes.

BLACKWELL: All right --

CHINCHAR: Yes --

BLACKWELL: Allison Chinchar, thank you. Still to come, the BTS comeback concert is today. We'll take you live to the venue in Seoul to find out what fans are saying about the K-pop groups return. And do not miss this week's "THE WHOLE STORY WITH ANDERSON COOPER", "THE RISE OF CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM" airs Sunday at 8:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

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[06:50:00]

BLACKWELL: All right, let's get you caught up on the top stories we're following. It looks like we are in for another day of long TSA security lines. Already seeing the wait stretch more than two hours at some of the nation's largest airports.

You can check the current TSA wait times at cnn.com. President Trump says he's considering winding down military efforts in the Middle East, even as officials say more marines are on the way there. This morning, we learned that Iran launched two ballistic missiles at a joint U.S.-U.K. military base at the Indian Ocean.

None of the missiles made it to the base, which is a key airfield for U.S'. heavy bomber fleet. Hundreds of people had to be rescued after severe flash flooding hit the island of O'ahu in Hawaii late Friday.

Thousands of others have been evacuated from their homes near a dam, officials fear could overflow. And the governor says so far, there are no reports of deaths and everyone is safe. And BTS army, we are just minutes away from a concert, almost four years in the making in Seoul there in South Korea.

Mega-hit K-pop band BTS is back together. They had to go on hiatus as members completed their mandatory military service. They dropped their new album "Arirang" on Friday. And today's reunion concert is free. More than 250,000 members of the BTS army are expected to be there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(BTS MUSIC PLAYING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: The concert --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I cannot put it in words, like we waited for

them for almost four years, and I became an army almost eight years ago, and it's my very first time to see all seven of them on stage. I saw them in their solo concerts, but never as a group.

So, it's my very first time to see all of them on stage, and I cannot put it in words. It's impossible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: The concert will be live-streamed to 190 countries via Netflix, and CNN's Hanako Montgomery is live now at the concert. It's just a few minutes away. What's the energy like?

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And Victor, there is a heavy police presence at this venue because again, we are expecting a massive crowd of basically more than a quarter of a million people.

I've seen sniffer dogs; I've seen SWAT teams as well patrolling the area. And we also know that thousands of police officers are here just to make sure that this concert is safe, that people are having a good time, and that there isn't too much congestion, especially because, again, this isn't a very public space.

This has never been pulled off before. It is a massive undertaking to hold such a huge concert in a public square of such historic significance. And again, "Arirang"; the album that they released just a day ago, has already broken records.

[06:55:00]

According to Apple Music, which is where the album has been released. They are already -- that's the biggest pop album by a group and the biggest K-pop album based on the first day stream. So, again, the entire world is just so excited to have BTS come back.

I don't know if you can hear, but people are actually chanting and just being -- just yelling really out of excitement. So, again, so much excitement, Victor. And in just moments, we will see BTS back again. Back to you.

BLACKWELL: Yes, I know the BTS army goes hard for those seven guys. Hanako Montgomery for us in Seoul, thanks so much. Coming up next hour, the U.S. and Israel are trying to destroy Tehran's munitions, including its missile launchers. A CNN analysis on Iran's underground missile cities is ahead.

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got there three hours early, and I made it to my gate like 20 minutes before.