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One World with Zain Asher

Secretary Hegseth Says He Visited Troops Fighting in Iran War; Pentagon Gives First Briefing on War in Nearly Two Weeks; Russian Oil Tanker Docks in Cuba Amid U.S. Fuel Blockade; Iran War Complicates U.S. Push to Export AI to Middle East; Data Centers Caught in Crossfire as Gulf States Invest Billions in AI; Trump-backed AI Ambitions in Middle East Tested by Conflict. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired March 31, 2026 - 11:00   ET

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

[11:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ZAIN ASHER, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: Right. U.S. Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, putting allies on notice today. "One World" starts right now.

Hegseth's comments come after President Trump lashes out that foreign leaders reluctant to join his war, telling them go and get your own oil

from Iran.

Plus, a tank of oil is arriving in Cuba, but experts say it won't do much to relieve the country's energy crisis, and the countdown is on for NASA to

launch its first crewed mission to the moon in more than 50 years. I'll speak for the NASA Administrator about what's on the line.

All right, coming to you live from New York. I'm Zain Asher. You are watching "One World". U.S. President Donald Trump, once again criticizing

European countries for not getting more involved in the war with Iran.

As the president's attacks on America's allies on social media, his Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, makes a bold claim about regime change.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE HEGSETH, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: President Trump doesn't bluff and he does not back down. You can ask Khamenei about that. The new Iranian regime

should know that by now this new regime, because regime change has occurred, should be wiser than the last.

President Trump will make a deal he is willing, and the terms of the deal are known to them. If Iran is not willing, then the United States War

Department will continue with even more intensity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: This comes amid fresh Iranian attacks. Here you see damage after a fire broke out on a Kuwaiti oil tanker off Dubai. Authorities say it was

hit by an Iranian drone, but no one was injured, and there is no oil spill. As for the Strait of Hormuz, its fate remains uncertain.

President Trump threatening to completely obliterate Iran's energy sources if a deal is not reached soon. Meantime, there is mounting speculation over

a possible U.S. ground operation in Iran. Earlier, Secretary Hegseth saying the U.S. military needs to be, quote, unpredictable when it comes to boots

on the ground.

We are also tracking a new target inside Iran, Tehran, dealing with power outages as Isfahan came under heavy bombardment overnight. Let's go

straight now to our Jim Sciutto, who's tracking all of these developments live for us from Tel Aviv. So just in terms of Pete Hegseth's comment this

idea that a regime change has occurred.

Obviously, a lot of people are, of course, skeptical about that. We do know the Israelis did strike the Isfahan province overnight, including attacking

some military sites. But the fact is, as the secretary of defense talked about, the Iranians are proving much more resilient.

They do still have missile capabilities. They're lasting a lot longer than I think the Americans anticipated when they first got involved in this war,

Jim.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF U.S. SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, listen, first of all, there's no one in Israel who believes regime change has occurred in

Iran. I've spoken to multiple officials currently serving, formerly serving, they believe this is the same regime by a different color, if even

that, right, just lower-level figures who now moved up.

And arguably a greater role for the Revolutionary Guard Corps, which is, of course, the most extreme part of this Iranian government. So that is the

defense secretary and perhaps the president, creating their own reality that their closest ally in the region does not share.

To your point, Iran, while certainly debilitated by these attacks, still maintains an ability to strike out. Every day we have the air raid warnings

here in Tel Aviv, and some of those missiles, while the majority, the vast majority, are intercepted, some get through the formidable Israeli air

defenses.

Earlier today, one of these cluster warhead missiles unloaded over the city, and one of the smaller munitions landed 100 yards that way. So,

they're still getting through. And if you go to the northern part of the country, as we did over the weekend, Hezbollah fire still gets through.

And Iran has proven itself able to strike ships in the Strait of Hormuz, to strike its Gulf neighbors, and also to strike U.S. bases in the region with

effect so capabilities diminished inside Iran, but not eliminated.

ASHER: Right, Jim Sciutto live for us there. Thank you so much. Right, as we mentioned earlier, U.S. Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth and General

Dan Caine, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff held a press briefing earlier at the Pentagon.

[11:05:00]

Hegseth announcing, if Iran is wise, it will cut a deal, and if not, the U.S. would continue the war with even more intensity. He also echoed a

social media post from President Trump who pressed America's allies to help secure and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HEGSETH: That there are countries around the world who ought to be prepared to step up on this critical waterway as well. It's not just the United

States Navy. Last time I checked, there was supposed to be a big, bad Royal Navy that could be prepared to do things like that as well.

He's pointing out, this is an international waterway that we use less than most, in fact, dramatically less than most. So, the world ought to pay

attention to be prepared to stand up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: CNN Jennifer Hansler is live for us in Washington. So, Jennifer, I think that the important thing to note here is that this administration is

really used to coercion as a primary negotiation tactic that is clearly not working this time, because at least economically, just in terms of the

Strait of Hormuz, in some ways asymmetrically, Iran does have the upper hand.

When it comes to negotiations, Pete Hegseth talks about this idea that the sort of preference is to sort of find some kind of settlement, some kind of

way to negotiate their way out of this. But the fact is, both sides really do remain really, really far apart in terms of their wants and their

demands. Walk us through it, Jennifer.

JENNIFER HANSLER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Well, that's absolutely right, Zain, in terms of these negotiating points, we saw the

U.S. put forward this 15-point proposal, a lot of the demands made in that proposal, according to our sources, were very similar to those put forward

before the launch of this war.

There were demands that Iran dismantle its nuclear program, cease its support for proxies in the region, and also degrade its missile program.

Iran came back with their own set of demands here, including sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. This is something U.S. officials say is a no go.

So, what we heard from Pete Hegseth earlier today in that Pentagon briefing was this idea that they are going to continue to ratchet up the pressure

militarily as they try to drive Tehran back to the negotiating table. Take a listen to how he put it earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HEGSETH: Our job is to ensure that we compel Iran to realize that this new regime, this regime in charge, is in a better place if they make that deal.

And so, we'll continue. We're working hand in hand, but the primary effort is a deal. We want that deal to be accomplished, if at all possible. If

not, then we're prepared to continue.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANSLER: Now, of course, Zain, this comes as the U.S. President has claimed there has been progress with this new, more real, reasonable excuse me,

regime, as he put it, he has also levied this threat of striking Iran's desalination plants, its oil and energy facilities.

This is something that could cause extreme repercussions in the region. There are also concerns about the civilian risk with targeting these

infrastructure sites. This was something that Hegseth and General Caine were pressed on earlier today. Caine said they always, you know, evaluate

what the risks are and take steps to mitigate them.

However, there is a clear sign that they are going to try to continue to ratchet up this military pressure, to try to drive Iran back. There is no

sign, though, that Iran is taking that seriously after almost a month of war now. They have continued to have these strikes on their infrastructure,

and they have continued to rebuff publicly these negotiating points.

And of course, as you pointed out, they do have what they see as a key asset in these negotiations, and that is their ability to snarl the Strait

of Hormuz. Of course, the U.S. is ratcheting up pressure, on its own allies to try to open this strait. We heard from Trump earlier today on Truth

Social saying that they should just screw up their courage and go in and take it.

This is, in sharp contrast to what we heard from Secretary of State Marco Rubio last week, who described a coalition that needed to be formed that

would take action after any sort of ceasefire. So, a lot of mixed messaging in terms of timing on any sort of international efforts, and a lot of

questions of whether this pressure tactic will be enough to get these negotiations back to the table there, Zain.

ASHER: Right, Jennifer Hansler, live for us. Thank you. The FBI says an attack on a synagogue in Michigan earlier this month was an act of

terrorism inspired by Hezbollah. Officials say the suspect rammed a truck filled with fireworks and explosives into the building while more than 100

children were inside for school.

The attacker himself after exchanging fire with the building security officers, he killed himself rather after exchanging fire with the building

security officers. The FBI says that he acted alone, but was inspired by Hezbollah propaganda just days after members of his family were killed in

Lebanon in an Israeli air strike. CNN's Holmes Lybrand joins us live now. Holmes, what more do we know?

[11:10:00]

HOLMES LYBRAND, CNN REPORTER: That's right. So, something that the FBI detailed yesterday was how this individual was consuming Hezbollah

propaganda since as early as January. Now he did not start to formulate a plan to attack this synagogue until days before the attack.

Now, want to take a listen to the FBI on some of those searches and some of his planning for the attack.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENNIFER RUNYAN, SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE FOR FBI DETROIT FIELD OFFICE: During the morning and early morning of March 10th, he continued his online

searches with specific search terms and phrases such as the largest gathering of Israelis in Michigan.

Orthodox synagogues, Israelis near me, what time is the Trump rally in Michigan, as well as a center affiliated with the Israeli embassy in

Michigan. He later attempted to try and delete these queries, but we were able to recover them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LYBRAND: Now during these searches, he was also amassing 35 gallons of gasoline, as well as $2,000 worth of commercial grade fireworks that was in

order to create, as he said, a booby trap in his vehicle. He also purchased a firearm and went to the gun range and practiced.

Now the morning of the attack, before he rammed his truck into that synagogue, he recorded several videos where he proclaimed his loyalty to

Hezbollah and their mission, and also said he, by God willing, wanted to kill as many individuals as he could. Now, the only individual he ended up

killing was himself.

But this is the sort of attack that FBI and law enforcement officials are very concerned about as the conflict with Iran continues. Individuals who

can be motivated can be quickly radicalized by Iran and its proxy's propaganda. So, we've seen this before in the U.S. and certainly it's

something that officials are concerned about for the future.

ASHER: Holmes Lybrand live for us. Thank you. All right, it is the news you don't want to hear. Of course, gas prices are going up, and they will

continue to go up rather, before they go down. We'll break down when you hopefully will see some relief at the pump, after the break.

Plus, a Russian tanker full of crude oil has docked in Cuba, breaking the months long U.S. blockade. But how much will it help the struggling nation?

Will take you to Havana as well later on the show too.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:15:00]

ASHER: All right, let's give you a quick check on oil prices. Brent crude, the global benchmark. Actually, this is WTI, $103 a barrel, and that is, of

course, the U.S. benchmark. Let's go straight now to our Matt Egan joining us live now with more on this. So Matt, it's interesting, oil obviously

above gas prices above $4 a barrel now.

MATT EGAN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Yeah.

ASHER: When just a month ago, they were just under three. I mean, that is a significant jump, and it really does affect how people spend their money.

So, if they're spending money on other things, or less money on other things, and that doesn't, of course, have ripple effects through the entire

U.S. economy.

EGAN: That's right, Zain. Look, I mean, we learned about those ripple effects four years ago when energy prices skyrocketed after Russia invaded

Ukraine. Now one of the ironies is coming into this year, energy prices were really low. This was one of the bright spots in the U.S. economy, and

really the world economy, but the national average for regular gas topped $4 a gallon today.

For the first time since 2022, gas prices are up by more than $1 a gallon relative to where they were before this war started. Now, obviously the big

problem is the situation in the Middle East. This is a massive supply disruption, right, bigger than after Russia invaded Ukraine, bigger than

the first Gulf War or the second Gulf War.

We are living through the biggest oil supply disruption in history. And of course, the problem is the Strait of Hormuz. All of the oil that would

normally be coming out of this region that's produced in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and UAE, a lot of that has been derailed by the war.

And yes, some analysts are warning that prices could go even higher. Bob McNally, Veteran Analyst, he told me that he thinks that the national

average in the U.S. could hit or even exceed $5 a gallon if this war lingers on. The Investment Bank, McCarthy, Australian bank, they're saying

that you could see $200 oil if this war continues through June.

I mean, Zain, that is $7 that's equivalent to $7 a gallon gasoline. Now hopefully that's not, of course, what happens. Hopefully they reach some

sort of a resolution to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Because look, Zain, the longer that this lasts, the bigger the damage to the economy and to

financial markets and really to consumers around the world.

ASHER: All right. Matt Egan, live for us there. Thank you so much. My next guest argues in her latest piece, the United States is disproportionately

susceptible to price spikes because U.S. Gross Domestic Product GDP relies more heavily on oil consumption, dollar per dollar, than pure economies.

For more on this, let's bring in Rosemary Kelanic, the Director of the Middle East Program at Defense Priorities. Rosemary, good to see you. This

is something that I find really interesting, because President Trump has talked about this, this idea that the U.S. isn't necessarily that

dependent, per se, on oil coming from the Middle East, but the global economy is really interconnected.

So even though you have a situation where the U.S. essentially became a net exporter of oil back in 2020 and as you point out in your piece, it leads

the world in oil production, it is still interconnected. So, these price spikes are hurting everybody around the world.

And on top of that, you have a situation where other countries have made themselves, like China, for example, made themselves a lot less dependent

on oil. They've invested heavily in EVs. You're arguing that the U.S. it's now time for them to do the same.

ROSEMARY KELANIC, DIRECTOR OF THE MIDDLE EAST PROGRAM AT DEFENSE PRIORITIES: That's absolutely right, and you've summed it up really well.

Even though the United States is the world's leading oil producer, that doesn't insulate U.S. consumers from oil prices, because oil prices are

global, and so everybody in the United States and everybody in the world is affected by this supply shock.

Not only that, the U.S. is especially affected because oil is such a cornerstone input the U.S. economy, and has been for a very long time.

ASHER: So, explain the differences between the U.S.'s oil vulnerability compared to China, for example, sort of you talked about in your piece this

idea, you know, in many ways, China is still developing, so it is quite surprising that they are a lot less heavily sort of oil dependent than the

United States.

But explain the differences between the world's two largest economies on that front.

KELANIC: Yeah, the differences are huge, and it really is amazing. I mean, not only does the United States burn more oil per unit of GDP than China.

We burn about 40 percent more, and we even burn 20 percent more than Russia, which is a petrostate. So that's really quite astounding.

And the reasons are several. One of them is just baked into the U.S. economy. We are a car loving culture, and we have been for a very long

time, in a way that has not been the case in China. I mean, there are just more cars per capita in the United States than China by far.

[11:20:00]

China has also worked very assiduously over the last almost 20 years now, to try to fuel the adoption of EVs in their country, so that they would be

less vulnerable to swings in global oil prices. And what caused them to do that wasn't any fears about Hormuz. It was fears about U.S. naval power

that if the U.S. and China got into a war, the U.S. Navy could try to interdict oil shipments to China that go through the Strait of Malacca.

And so, it's been called the Malacca dilemma that China has. So, they've pushed EVs, because, by fueling, by -- you know, using EVs for transit, you

can actually detach yourself from global oil markets. The reason being, oil is not burned to produce electricity in large amounts in almost every

country.

There are a few exceptions, but industrialized countries like the U.S. and China, oil is used for transportation, not for electricity. So, if you run

on EVs, you are removing a huge source of your oil intensity in your economy.

ASHER: So, one of the solutions you touch on in your piece is this idea, listen, it's now time for the U.S. to essentially electrify its car fleet,

not just because it's good for the environment, but because of national security. And you've obviously seen not just this particular oil shock with

the war on Iran, but of course, just four years ago, we had the start of the war with Russia and Ukraine, which also -- oil prices rising as well.

That is not necessarily an easy thing to do. I mean, how long would that really take? Obviously, it's happening in small amounts now, gradually. But

it's not something that can happen just like that, Rosemary.

KELANIC: It can't happen just like that. But there are many things that can speed the adoption of EVs in the U.S., you know, fortunately/unfortunately,

because this oil shock is unfortunate, but this over lining of it is that it will make EVs relatively less expensive on the overall use of the

product, if people think the oil prices are going to be high and stay high for a long time.

So, there will be adaptation, even if The U.S. government doesn't do anything to encourage it. But yes, it will take time. But you know,

depending on policy changes that the United States makes, if we reinstituted, you know, subsidies for produce, for buying electric

vehicles, or we helped infrastructure be built for charging electric vehicles.

We could speed that adoption, and that's something that we should do, you know, not just for climate change, environmental reasons, as you said. I

mean, this is something that could break U.S. dependence on the Middle East. It could break our dependence on oil and oil shocks from everywhere,

including Russia.

And at the same time, even if you plug an EV into a coal fired power plant, you're still emitting less carbon than if you were driving an oil powered

car. So, it's really an everyone wins kind of situation, and there's no reason the U.S. should stand in the way of this happening, and in fact, we

should encourage it.

ASHER: It's interesting, because just even aside from the United States and obviously China, is obviously shielded from this, as you touch upon, but

there are other countries in Asia that are really suffering because of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Countries that depend heavily on oil from

the Middle East.

And some are telling drivers to stay off the road. Others are shortening their work weeks. You have a situation whereby, by some reports, Iran is

charging certain ships at least $2 million. It's sort of a toll, a toll that you pay, potentially to pass the Strait of Hormuz.

So, this is not just a lesson for the United States. This is a lesson for many, many other countries as well that are heavily dependent on oil well,

oil in general, but especially from the Middle East right now.

KELANIC: That's right, and the U.S. is less dependent, like we are less oil intensive as an economy than the global economy as a whole. And so that

means that, you know, there are other countries out there, mostly developing countries, that are more oil intensive and will be hurt more.

Asian countries are also hurt first, because they're seeing the physical shortages show up first, because they were getting oil from Hormuz and from

the Persian Gulf. Eventually, supplies from elsewhere in the world will get rerouted to Asia, and there'll be like arbitrage that makes prices go up a

little bit more everywhere, but it will help with the shortages.

So, they're seeing the worst impacts first. But yes, absolutely, developing countries will be hurt the most.

ASHER: And now that the Houthis have essentially joined in this war. I mean, I think you and I spoke, I think it was about a week ago about what

would happen to the Red Sea if the Houthis actually, you know, basically closed off a key Red Sea choke point. We talked about this idea of certain

ships passing around South Africa instead.

But just this idea that you now have, potentially, yes, the Strait of Hormuz being closed, but also potentially, not yet, but potentially the

Houthis sealing off part of the Red Sea as well. I mean, how much does that add to the chaos when it comes to energy prices do you think?

[11:25:00]

KELANIC: It definitely would make it worse. So right now, Saudi Arabia, you know, they've rerouted about 5 million barrels a day that used to go

through Hormuz to go through the Red Sea. So usually, you know, oil markets, 100 million barrels, 20 million barrels went through Hormuz,

that's lost.

Now 5 million barrels are going back through the Red Sea. So that's like a 5 percent difference in total amount of barrels. That's pretty important,

right? But if the Houthis start attacking shipping in the Red Sea, that can have several consequences. So, the Houthis, you know, hang out by the Bab

al-Mandab Strait, that's the area where VLCCs some of the largest oil tankers out there that can carry 2 million barrels of tanker.

They can travel through the Bab al-Mandab fully loaded, but they cannot travel through Suez fully loaded. And so, it would further suppress the

ability of oil to get to market, if you have to half load your VLCCs to get them through Suez. And then after that, they subsequently have to go all

the way around Africa, and, you know, pass the Cape of Good Hope to get to Asia.

So that could have a major impact in terms of lengthening time, increasing costs, et cetera, et cetera.

ASHER: Rosemary Kelanic, always good to see you. Thank you so much for that. All right, still to come, Trump had big ambitions for AI in the

Middle East, but is the war in Iran, a major setback. Our tech reporter takes a look, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHER: Right, welcome back to "One World". I'm Zain Asher in New York. Here are some of the headlines we are watching for you today. U.S. Defense

Secretary Pete Hegseth says the primary focus of the United States is pursuing a deal with Iran. At a Pentagon briefing earlier, Hegseth said if

Iran is unwilling to make a deal, the U.S. military will continue with even more intensity.

The state-run Kuwait News Agency says a direct Iranian attack caused a fire on this Kuwaiti oil tanker of Dubai.

[11:30:00]

It says no one was injured. And there was actually no oil spill either. Israel's Parliament passed a law on Monday to expand the death penalty for

Palestinians convicted of terrorism or nationalistic murders. The bill says any West Bank resident who kills an Israeli, to quote, negate the existence

of the states of Israel, will be sentenced to death by hanging.

The bill championed by the far right excludes nationalistic murders carried out by Jewish Israelis against Palestinians. A Russian tanker full of crude

oil has docked in Cuba. The White House says it's allowing the tanker to deliver fuel for humanitarian reasons, and insist this is not a policy

change that would reverse its months long fuel blockade of the island.

So how significant is this and what relief will the tanker actually bring at Cuba? CNN's, Patrick Oppmann reports from Matanzas port in Cuba.

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're on the Bay of Matanzas, Cuba, and right behind me, something we've not seen in months, a tanker that has come

across the ocean carrying fuel, Russian fuel. That is incredibly significant, because, of course, Cuba has been under an oil blockade.

It's been going on now for over three months. No oil has entered, oil that you need to power electrical grid here to fuel cars, to essentially have

any kind of life. That is why the power has been out. That is why on our drive out here, we saw so few cars on the road. Cuba has been dying a slow

death, and so this will help.

This is the Anatoly. Go look in. It is a ship that the Kremlin has sent to Cuba breaking Donald Trump's oil blockade. It has enough oil for about two

weeks once it's refined, turned into diesel to help power the electrical grid. Here is what energy analysts tell us, from a week to two weeks is all

that is bringing.

And still, that is incredibly significant to Cubans, who have been suffering, really some of the worst economic hardships of their entire

lives, which says something. And so, the Trump Administration cautions this is a one off. They are letting this in. They claim they reach a deal with

the Russians out of humanitarian purposes, and that maybe they will let other donations like this one come in.

Perhaps they won't -- we don't know at this point there are still sanctions on this kind of activity. So, what the Russians have done here is

essentially violated those sanctions, the Trump oil blockade, and will it continue? We just have to see this is a situation we are living day by day

here.

But I will say this, it is incredibly significant Russian oil, and once again, they feel the Russians are old -- Cuba.

ASHER: That was Patrick Oppmann in Cuba reporting there. Right, as the war rages in the Middle East, AI infrastructure is getting caught in a

crossfire, and it's threatening President Trump's vision for tech in the region. Last spring, the president toured Gulf states along with an

entourage of big tech CEOs making deals aimed at bringing the Gulf into the global AI race.

Nine months later, the region's AI ambitions are being threatened as Iranian attacks have hit critical data centers in the UAE and in Bahrain.

CNN Business and Tech Editor, Lisa Eadicicco joins us live now from New York. So, Lisa, this idea that, you know, Iranian forces essentially

targeted data centers, tech centers in the UAE and in Bahrain that includes Amazon Web Services facilities as part of their retaliatory campaign.

It's really important because it just shows that AI infrastructure is really now considered to be legit targets in this war. Walk us through

that.

LISA EADICICCO, CNN BUSINESS TECH EDITOR: Yes, Zain, exactly. So, this really is kind of a big moment, I agree. And I think this is something

really critical, because a lot of these companies, a lot of their future hinges on these AI build outs, and there's lots of obstacles for them to

overcome.

But I think this is one that was pretty unexpected. A lot of these major tech companies and hyper scalers are used to kind of thinking about cyber

security threats and those kinds of potential road blocks and issues, but I think this kind of physical threat is something new, and it's the first

time we've seen something like this happening during the AI boom.

So that is something that these companies are going to have to keep in mind moving forward. But I've spoken to some analysts, just in general, about

what the situation in the Middle East means for the future of AI and investment in areas like the UAE and Saudi Arabia, both of which are really

shaping up to be big AI hubs in the future, lots of partnerships with big U.S. tech companies.

And really what it comes down to is how things play out in the long term. A lot of the analysts that we've spoken with have said that if this is

something that gets resolved in the next couple of weeks or even the next month, things might kind of continue progressing the way they had initially

planned.

[11:35:00]

But if this is something that drags out into the deep spring or the summer or really the coming months, a lot of these companies might have to kind of

reassess their plans, go back to the drawing board in certain cases. And I think that's something that a lot of analysts and investors will be asking

about on upcoming earnings calls that we have coming up in April.

And you know, beyond the physical impacts to data centers, like you mentioned, I think a lot of people are also watching, what are the economic

implications of this? That's really going to be a big factor here that plays into how these companies are spending on AI moving forward.

ASHER: Right, Lisa Eadicicco, thank you so much. Right, the U.S. Supreme Court has released a major decision backing religious counselors challenge

to Colorado's ban on conversion therapy for gay and transgender minors. Does not strike down the law, but it does mark another legal setback for

the LGBTQ community.

PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: This is one of the big cases they've been watching. This is a challenge to the State of Colorado's

ban on conversion therapy. That's the discredited practice that purports to convert homosexual people to heterosexual people and transgender people to

cisgender folks.

Here it was challenged, saying it was a violation of the First Amendment. And during arguments, it looked like the conservative super majority was

willing to back those challengers and actually strike down this law. But in the decision, we got just a few moments ago, we really didn't get a final

answer on whether this law is constitutional, but we did get some insight into what the justices are thinking.

So instead of making a final ruling, they are taking this entire case and throwing it back down to the lower court, saying that it needs to be

reviewed this question with a heightened level of scrutiny. So, while the State of Colorado is not really officially losing, it is likely that once

this goes through another round of litigation and this issue comes back up, that this law very likely will be struck down on First Amendment grounds.

ASHER: Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the opinion for the court, calling the First Amendment Right to free speech a shield against the government.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the sole dissenter, saying the ruling risk grave harm to Americans health. Right just ahead, wedding bliss with a

big price tag.

We'll take you inside the wedding industry in India, where some families money is certainly no object, while for others, getting married is a

financial burden. We'll explain the differences, after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:40:00]

ASHER: Right, wedding costs can, of course, break the bank for couples around the world, but in India, many families spend a lot of their life

savings on the event, which can last for several days. And for the bride's family in particular, the financial burden can sometimes be unbearable.

CNN's Will Ripley has more on India's booming $100 billion plus industry.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Indian weddings go for days, and several couples have invited me along. Kabadian

Abhinav (ph) have been planning this for their families for two years.

RIPLEY: This is an industry that's worth over $100 billion here in India. It's an entire economy. What's the average cost for a wedding in India

today?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're looking at about 500,000 USD.

RIPLEY: $500,000.

RIPLEY (voice-over): You heard right. This luxury planner says clients easily spend half a million.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Few million USD is what we have done recently.

RIPLEY: Which is just mind blowing to me. There are some reports that say here in India, families will often spend twice as much for the wedding as

they will for their child's education.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Indians, on average, earn less than $200 a month. So, what happens when families cannot afford all this?

RIPLEY: Got up around 06:00 a.m. and had to hit the road early because we have to drive to this wedding venue outside Delhi. It's not just one couple

getting married. It's 11 all at once.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Many of these are arranged marriages, like 19-year-old Anamika (ph). Mass weddings like this are common in India. Anamika (ph)

imagined a wedding in her village, but the price would have left her parents deep in debt.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whenever a parent marries their son or daughter especially daughter the debt is taken by the poor parents for dowry. Then

they keep trying to pay it back in installments. Many time I have seen people commit suicide.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Dowry is when the bride's family gives money and gifts to the groom's family. It's technically banned by Indian law, but the

custom is so widespread. There's a World Bank study that says many families spend several years of their household income on dowry.

India's Crime Records Bureau says there are thousands of murders and suicides every year tied to dowry.

RIPLEY: Right now, we're headed to go see a detective. His job is basically to investigate potential brides and grooms usually hired by the families.

What's the most common thing people lie about?

AJIT SINGH, PRIVATE DETECTIVE: They try to show them that, you know, we have such and such properties. We have such and such business. They lie on

their salary. If you see these matrimonial sites, 50 percent of the people are fake there.

RIPLEY (voice-over): He says, one bride ended up in tears.

RIPLEY: Why?

SINGH: Because the guy, he told the job, it was fake. Everything was fake. And she started crying, because just after two weeks, she was going to

marry with that guy.

RIPLEY: When it comes to this whole issue of money, you know, things can get really ugly.

RIPLEY (voice-over): We're on our way to meet a young woman who says she was kicked out of her in laws house for not giving enough dowry money.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My father got me married well. He got me married in a banquet hall. He gave them everything. Gold, silver, jewelry and so on. A

fixed deposit of 250 thousand rupees ($2700). A motorbike. All of that was given.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Altogether court filings say Priyanka's (ph) family paid nearly $35,000 but she says it was not enough. She says her husband

and his family wanted more money and more expensive gifts, including a house, and she says they severely punished her for not delivering.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I got cheated. My father got cheated.

RIPLEY: And this was an arranged marriage.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. My husband hit me with a broom in the middle of the night while I was pregnant.

RIPLEY: Do you think they would have killed you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- maybe.

RIPLEY (voice-over): We did manage to reach Priyanka's (ph) husband. He insists he never physically abused her, saying, quote, they have run these

cases to harass me. I 100 percent deny it. He does acknowledge Priyanka's (ph) family covered most of their wedding expenses and gave him a

motorcycle, but says his family never demanded dowry. Will Ripley, CNN Taipei.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ASHER: My goodness, that was a lot to digest. Many thanks to our Will Ripley for that report. All right, still to come, the countdown to NASA's

historic launch, sending humans back to the moon, a mission more than 50 years in the making, all that and more, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:45:00]

ASHER: All right, it took just three minutes and they were gone. Three paintings by Renoir Cezanne and Matisse have been stolen from a museum in

Northern Italy for thieves wearing hoods burst into the museum, grabbed the paintings and ran out combined. The stolen pieces are said to be worth more

than $10 million the heist happened more than a week ago, but was only revealed now.

Police are still searching for the suspects. It seems that some criminals have quite a sweet tooth.

[11:50:00]

Thieves in Europe made off with a truck full of Kit Kat candy bars. The truck was on its way from Italy to Poland and was carrying 12 tons of the

chocolate covered wafers -- delicious. Leslie says that over 400,000 Kit Kats were stolen. A spokesperson says that they applaud the thieves' taste

would like their chocolate back.

A golden toilet on a marble throne has been placed at Washington, D.C.'s National Mall in protests on President Trump's White House renovations. The

installation features a plaque that reads a throne fit for a king. But it's unclear who's behind the sculpture.

It goes on to criticize President Trump for prioritizing White House renovations at a time of, quote, unprecedented division, escalating

conflicts and economic turmoil. Visitors to the mall gave their take on the installation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, it is so artistic. The Grecian marble, the gold plated from Hobby Lobby. It is just the finest and a testimony to United

States greatness. We're truly exceptional.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, very, very similar to the Oval Office. And I'm sure this is maybe just outside the Oval Office, perhaps as well

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The golden throne --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The golden throne, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah, it's inspiring.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, he likes to stir up -- So anyway, this is very appropriate. I hope they keep it up here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: The U.S. Army is investigating a video posted by the singer Kid Rock last week. It appears to show two army Apache helicopters hovering outside

his home in Tennessee. Kid Rock caption the video, saying in part that it was a level of respect the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom will never

know.

Newsom jokingly banned Kid Rock from California earlier this year in a social media post. The U.S. army says now looking into why the helicopters

were there and if the fly by violated regulations or safety standards. The spokesperson for the 101st Airborne Division told CNN, quote, appropriate

action will be taken if any violations are found.

All right, the countdown clock is running for the Artemis II mission, NASA's first crew to flight around the moon in more than 50 years. Four

astronauts are gearing up for a 10-day flight to evaluate the Iran's spacecraft's life support systems and pave the way for future moon

landings.

Launch is set for Wednesday evening from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As of now, there's an 80 percent chance of favorable weather

conditions. That is, according to NASA. Joining us live now from the Kennedy Space Center with more about this historic moment, is Lakiesha

Hawkins, NASA's Acting Deputy Associate Administrator.

Lakiesha, this is so exciting, right? I can see by the smile on your face that you certainly feel the same as well. I think the big question is, I

mean, obviously it's been 50 years. Just talk to us about how Artemis mission is going to differ from Apollo's mission all those decades ago.

LAKIESHA HAWKINS, NASA ACTING DEPUTY ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR: I am excited to be here from Kennedy Space Center, and all systems are gone. And we are

embarking upon history tomorrow. If all goes as planned, Artemis is going to be different from Apollo.

While we are returning to the moon, we are using this as the first step to open the door to few future missions. We are ultimately planning a moon

base on the surface of the moon, and that is going to establish the infrastructure for humans to be a long-term presence on the moon, to live

and work and conduct science on the surface of the moon.

And so, while we planted flags with Apollo, we are definitely going back to stay for a sustained presence. Artemis II this check out test flight will

test our initial systems that will be able to slay the stage for that long term vision.

ASHER: That is incredible, this idea of a sort of permanent base on the moon. I believe that the Artemis II should have launched back in February,

but it was temporarily postponed because of hydrogen fuel leaks. Just in terms of the crew, I mean, this is a very different crew.

Apollo sent basically only men to the moon all those decades ago, and now we're seeing a much more diverse group of individuals, including people of

color, women, you've got a non-U.S. citizen as well. Talk to us about that.

HAWKINS: Absolutely, so Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and our Canadian partner, Jeremy Hansen, make up the crew for Artemis II.

[11:55:00]

They are a very diverse group, but they are all very experienced pilots and astronauts. Many of them have great experience on the International Space

Station and living and working in space, and all four of them have spent months training and preparing themselves for this moment.

They know the system inside and out. They know the mission inside and out, and they are prepared for both a nominal mission as well as if things go

not as we intended to. They are going to check out all of our systems to make sure that these systems are set up to sustain life and to be able to

control the spacecraft and they'll prepare us for our next missions, where their colleagues will take on next missions.

ASHER: Yeah, can you give us a bit more detail -- 30 seconds in the show about the level of preparation and how the crews prepare for a moment like

this?

HAWKINS: Well, it takes practice, right? First of all, they have been practicing with mock ups of the spacecraft. Going through all of the flight

rules, going through all the contingency planning, both on their own, as well as with the operations team at Kennedy Space Center, as well as at

Johnson Space Center, which is in Texas, as well as the landing and recovery teams.

They practice everything from the lift off to the checkout systems to the fly by, as well as landing and recovery.

ASHER: Well, as I understand it, the weather is going to cooperate. You never know, right up into the last minute, but we hope fingers crossed.

Lakiesha Hawkins, thank you so much. Good luck with everything. Stay with CNN. There is much more "One World" with my colleague, Bianna Golodryga,

after the short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END