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Early Start with Rahel Solomon

Iran's Supreme Leader: Security Must Be Denied To Country's Enemies; How The NFL Is Betting Big On Sports Gambling; BTS Drops First Album After Four-Year Hiatus For Military Service. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired March 20, 2026 - 05:30   ET

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

[05:30:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAED AL-NAMS, MEDIA DIRECTOR, PALESTINIAN RED CRESCENT SOCIETY (through translator): -- and receive medical services depending on the nature and type of their illness.

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BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Jerusalem's historic Al-Aqsa Mosque, meantime, remains closed today, the first time in 60 years that the place of worship has been shut during Ed al-Fitr. Israeli authorities closed the mosque at the start of the Iran war for security reasons as they described it. The gates remained sealed on Friday, forcing worshipers to pray as close to its sacred ground as possible.

Shutting the mosque is especially significant since Eid is a celebration breaking the Ramadan fast -- a time of festive meals and gift-giving. The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, known to Jews as Temple Mount, holds religious significance for both Jewish and Muslim people. Well, through its recent years it's become a particular point of tension, including restrictions on Palestinian Muslims' access to the site.

I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi. We will be right back.

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[05:35:40]

RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to EARLY START. The time now is 5:35 and this is your business breakout.

Let's start with where U.S. futures stand ahead of the opening bell on Wall Street for the final day of the trading week. And futures are lower in what could become the fourth losing week for the S&P in a row. We'll see how it all shakes out.

All right, let's take a look at some of the other business headlines.

This morning more than 10 percent of TSA officers nationwide did not show up for work Wednesday causing long lines and delays at airports. For over a month now TSA officers have been expected to work without pay as the Department of Homeland Security remains unfunded by Congress. With no end in sight to the partial government shutdown officials are preparing for lines to get even longer.

The U.S. and Japan are set to announce new joint energy investments in the U.S. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi met with President Trump at the White House on Thursday. The joint investments, worth tens of billions of dollars, are part of a trade deal agreed last year. The money will go into U.S. nuclear and gas energy.

And the Treasury Department says that it will take responsibility for federal student loans that are in default. The department says that more than seven million student loan customers are in default, which is defined as at least 270 days without payments. The treasury will eventually take full control of the education department's nearly $1.7 trillion loan portfolio.

And still ahead for us the attacks on oil and gas facilities across the Middle East continue to wreak havoc on global financial markets. Coming up we'll hear from an expert who is adding up the cost straight ahead.

Plus, the stalemate over DHS funding drags on. What lawmakers are saying about their meeting with the White House border czar.

Stay with us. We'll be right back.

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[05:41:52]

ANDERSON: And welcome back. I'm Becky Anderson from our Middle East programming headquarters. Here are some of the stories that we are watching for you today.

And several Middle Eastern countries say they are intercepting new drone strikes. Israel's military identified missiles launched from Iran and says its defense systems were working to intercept them. Meanwhile, Iran's state media reports its defenses were activated against "hostile targets in Tehran."

President Trump says he may soon ask Congress for $200 billion to fund the war with Iran. He says it's a "small price to pay." But sources tell CNN that Republican leaders don't believe they have the votes to back his request without far more detailed plans from the White House.

Well, Thursday, global benchmark Brent crude surged to $119 a barrel before settling back at $108 for the day. That is the highest closing level since July 2022. The U.S. benchmark settled at $96 on the barrel after hitting $100 earlier.

And some news just coming in to CNN. Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei is reportedly saying, "Security may be denied to internal and external enemies and granted to all our compatriots."

Now this follows the killing of a senior intelligence minister in Tehran earlier this week. Now rhetoric aside, it is important to note this was from a message published Friday and sent to the Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Khamenei has still made no public appearance since being chosen to succeed his father on March 9.

Well, here in the UAE and around the region it's been a tense and restless night for many residents with the sound of interceptions heard in parts of this country as Iranian attacks continue. All of this unfolding as communities across the Emirates and around the region mark the Eid holiday.

In a message to residents here, UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed said, and I quote, "Eid Mubarak to all who call the UAE home. In this blessed time we stand united as one community. Our nation remains resilient and strong through the dedication of those who protect us and the solidarity of our people. May God bless the UAE and fill your homes with strength and reassurance."

And to those who have been observing Ramadan and are now celebrating Eid, Eid Mubarak.

Let's get you back to Rahel Solomon in New York for more of the day's top stories.

SOLOMON: OK, Becky. Thank you.

The top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee tells CNN that a deal to reopen the Department of Homeland Security is a long ways away.

[05:45:00]

Lawmakers have spent weeks without any breakthroughs as Democrats push for a significant overhaul to immigration enforcement.

A group of Senate appropriators met with White House border czar Tom Homan on Capitol Hill Thursday. One of those senators, Republican Katie Britt, signaled that negotiations are at least moving in the right direction.

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SEN. KATIE BRITT (R-AL): It is my hope that we can get something back from the Democrats in short order just so that we can continue to see, you know, what is the pathway forward. Is there one, what is it, and then how do we work through any differences we may have? But the first step is dialogue, and this is the very first time that we've had that today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: President Trump's pick to lead Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, is one step closer to getting the job. Democratic Sen. John Fetterman joined Republicans on the committee to advance Mullin's nomination on Thursday, which means that the full Senate is to vote on it as early as next week. Fetterman explained his decision saying that he went into the confirmation hearing with an open mind. He says that he chose to back Mullin because of their "strong, committed, constructive working relationship."

All right. Still ahead, big news about the return of BTS. Just ahead we will have a live report from South Korea about the new K-pop album that millions of fans have been waiting for.

We'll be right back.

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[05:50:45]

SOLOMON: Welcome back.

It's estimated that fans will gamble roughly $3.3 billion on March Madness this year but that's only a fraction of the money wagered on another sport, football -- an estimated $30 billion last season. Sports betting is clearly exploding across the country, but who is actually profiting?

CNN's Nick Watt takes a look at how the NFL, the most bet on league in the country, is cashing in.

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NICK WATT, CNN REPORTER (voiceover): Distances, speeds, times, individual player stats -- that data means we can now bet on pretty much anything and everything.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So they pulled out the BetMGM app and put together a live parlay.

WATT (voiceover): Live during a game.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: BetMGM Sportsbook. Make it legendary.

WATT (voiceover): The ads are everywhere and leagues like the NFL are making a lot of money selling that data to sportsbooks.

HARRY LEVANT, GAMBLING ADDICTION THERAPIST: I'm in favor of the legalization of sports gambling, but that's not what this is. This is AI technology taking a known addictive product and delivering it at light speed in ways that couldn't be done without the leagues being complicit partners.

TIMOTHY FONG, CO-DIRECTOR, UCLA GAMBLING STUDIES PROGRAM: If you're gambling on sports with higher frequency there's going to be a much higher likelihood that you have a gambling disorder.

WATT (voiceover): A year or so ago I made a documentary about sports gambling and sat down with an NFL executive VP.

WATT: How much money do you make on selling your data to the sportsbooks?

JEFF MILLER, NFL EXECUTIVE VP FOR COMMS, PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND POLICY, HEALTH AND SAFETY INITIATIVES: We have a licensing deal with Genius Sports who then sends it to the sportsbooks.

WATT: Which -- but how much money do you make?

MILLER: I don't think we necessarily disclose that, but we don't make anything on any individual bet. It's just a typical licensing deal.

WATT (voiceover): Well, not exactly. The NFL actually owns a chunk of Genius Sports by taking shares in exchange for data. They won't tell us how much. SEC filings show at least six percent right now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's take a look at BetVision.

WATT (voiceover): This is Genius Investor Day in December. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is front and center. A lot of talk of BetVision, a new Genius product that allows fans to place a bet live by tapping a player.

MATT FLECKENSTEIN, CHIEF PRODUCT AND TECHNOLOGY OFFICER, GENIUS SPORTS: The end result is an immersive intelligent interactive tool to convert traditional fans into high engagement, in-play bettors.

LEVANT: The NFL, let's be clear, has invested in a company whose stated mission is to convert their fans. Not only get them to gamble but convert them -- turn them into live in-game bettors, which are most profitable for the gambling industry.

WATT: And most problematic from an addiction point of view?

LEVANT: Without question.

WATT (voiceover): The NFL declined an interview for this story. "This partnership allows us to monitor betting patterns, identify suspicious activity, and take action to safeguard the integrity of the game," a spokesperson wrote in an email -- adding, "We work with experts and community partners to address and mitigate gambling risks..."

During the battle to legalize sports betting, Goodell argued very strongly against all this back in 2012. The NFL and others sued to stop it. Asked under oath about the greatest threat to the integrity of football, Goodell said, "Gambling would be number one on my list." And he said, "If you're a 49er fan, we want you rooting for the 49ers to win, not to lose but I win my bet."

ROGER GOODELL, NFL COMMISSIONER: We're investors also.

WATT (voiceover): Goodell has changed his mind dramatically. Genius posted his Investor Day interview on YouTube.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So you say you're happy with the relationship the first five years?

GOODELL: Yes, we are very happy. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our goal is simple. We build products that help sportsbooks increase handle, improve margins, and engage and retain players.

WATT (voiceover): Handle is the amount of money the public gambles. An estimated $30 billion was wagered on the NFL last season and --

JACK DAVISON, CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER, GENIUS SPORTS: And the U.S. market is expected to nearly double over the next five years.

LEVANT: The goal is a livestream where you can bet 100 percent of the time that you're watching that game in a live feed.

WATT: Tell me how I should behave to do it properly, responsibly -- to enjoy it but not be overwhelmed by it.

SHANE KRAUS, DIRECTOR, BEHAVIORAL ADDICTIONS LAB, UNLV: Place all your bets before the game starts and no more bets. That's it.

WATT: Really?

[05:55:00]

KRAUS: Yeah. And the goal is going to be eliminating I think some of the very high-risk things, live betting and parlays.

FONG: Gambling disorder had one of the highest rates of suicidal thinking. We classify it in the same chapter that we do with all the other addictions -- tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, opioids, cocaine.

WATT (voiceover): The NFL's investment in Genius grows with gambling well beyond the gridiron. Genius has more than 650 global sportsbook partners. On some of the deals Genius takes a share of revenue, not just a flat fee.

More than 400 leagues and federations sell their data through Genius, including England's Premier League soccer where bets are now live 97 percent of the time in games and AI offsetting has improved the margin for one sportsbook by 23 percent.

DAVISON: These are structural improvements to the economics of in-play trading and another way we're empowering our sportsbook partners to maximize their revenue.

LEVANT: Revenue -- that's what the gambling industry calls it. You will not hear me use that word because what we're talking about are losses. How much the public loses. This is not what the American people asked for. We liked our sports before it became the equivalent of a nonstop slot machine.

WATT: I reached out to Genius Sports for comment. They passed me on to the NFL and the NFL said listen, when sports gambling became legal, we really had no choice but to engage so that we can check the betting patterns and make sure that it's all on the up and up. They also flagged their education, prevention, and support initiatives to help problem gamblers. But when I asked them about this issue of converting traditional fans into high-engagement, in-game bettors, they didn't really answer that question.

Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.

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SOLOMON: Our thanks to Nick.

BTS is making a comeback. The super-popular K-pop group released a new album called "Arirang" a short time ago. This is their first album after taking off for four years to complete mandatory military service. The new album is a modern take on a beloved traditional Korean folk song of the same name, which focuses on themes of love, loss and separation.

Let's get to CNN's Hanako Montgomery who joins us live this morning from Seoul, South Korea. And we can see the stage behind you, Hanako. They're not actually supposed to perform until tomorrow but clearly, excitement is already building. What's it like out there?

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Rahel. I mean, we're in the public square where you just mentioned the concert will be taking place on Saturday. The venue is just behind me -- I mean, lit up in orange and yellow and red. I mean, very, very festive here in Seoul as people are preparing to see their favorite K-pop band come back after a four-year hiatus.

I mean, you can see there are huge crowds just walking by, also gathering by the venue. I'm not sure if you can see that over there but there is just a constant stream of people walking towards the venue trying to get at least one good photo, one good video of this stage that they've been building for the past few days now.

So again, Rahel, just so much excitement about BTS coming back. And as you mentioned, they had to go on a hiatus because they were serving in the military, right? It's a mandatory military service in South Korea.

And I remember in 2022 when BTS said that they were going on this hiatus they told their fans listen, this is going to be temporary. We're going to come back. Just wait for us. And, of course, they've delivered on that promise. They're coming back.

They've just released a new album, "Arirang," a few hours ago and already one of their music videos has racked up tens of millions of views. So it just really speaks to the long popularity of this group despite, again, that four-year break.

Now we did speak to one fan earlier today who said she had no words when describing just how excited she was about this moment. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I cannot put it in words. Like, we waited for them for almost four years. And I became in 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 this is my very first time to see all of them on stage and I cannot put it in words. It's impossible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MONTGOMERY: And Rahel, you mentioned that "Arirang," the name of this album, is taken from this traditional song in South Korea -- a folk song. And really, there does seem to be emphasis from this album about connecting BTS' roots to South Korea and their culture, talking about their heritage.

And it's really important to note that, of course, BTS is a massive commercial success. I mean, they've racked up millions of dollars from their worldwide tours but also they are a huge cultural export. They've taken Korean culture and they've brought it to the entire world and, of course, have millions of fans now because of this.

[06:00:10]

So a huge moment for BTS and BTS' many, many fans -- Rahel.

SOLOMON: Yeah, lots of excitement around the world for that. CNN's Hanako Montgomery in Seoul for us. Hanako, thank you.

And thank you for watching EARLY START. And our thanks to Becky Anderson and the team in Abu Dhabi for joining us today. I'm Rahel Solomon in New York. Have a great weekend. "CNN THIS MORNING" starts right now.