ABC News Live Prime: Mar. 30, 2026

[0:01] Tonight on ABC News Live Prime, Iran destroys a key U.S. radar plane as Iran fights back. [0:07] Images of a heavily damaged U.S. Air Force jet hit during an Iranian attack on an air base in [0:15] Saudi Arabia. The plane is critical to tracking enemy movements and coordinating military [0:20] operations. Now fears that Iran is still capable of striking back at Israel and Arab nations. [0:25] President Trump warns of widespread destruction, signaling he wants to take Iran's oil from the [0:31] facility on Karg Island. The attacks come as thousands more American troops pour into the [0:36] Middle East. Engine fire aboard a Delta flight forces an emergency landing. Passengers panicking [0:44] in the cabin. Video shows parts of the engine falling off near the runway. I'm Will Reeve at [0:50] Newark Liberty International Airport. As long lines and wait times are easing at airports around [0:56] the country, TSA workers are finally getting their paychecks during what is now officially [1:00] the longest partial government shutdown in history. [1:03] But some say the amount they received isn't enough. This all as Congress goes on break for [1:09] two weeks. Questions tonight about a military flyby over the home of Kid Rock. The rapper [1:15] posting a video showing him saluting two Apache choppers hovering over his home. Depositions from [1:21] Doge employees offer the clearest glimpse into the decision making behind those massive government [1:26] cuts and reveals that sometimes those choices were made by chat GPT. Did you reduce the federal? [1:32] No. [1:33] Tonight the first images of the flight attendant who survived the deadly runway collision at LaGuardia Airport ejected more than 300 feet from the plane while still strapped into the jump seat. What her daughter is saying about her mother's condition. Our conversation with New Jersey Democratic Senator Cory Booker about the ongoing partial shutdown, the war and his new book stand. I think that our politics is failing us. And Artemis 2 on the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida as we count down to the first human moon mission in more than five years. [2:04] Good evening everyone. I'm Lindsay Davis. Thanks so much for streaming with us. It is a busy Monday night and we begin with new images from the war in Iran more than four weeks into the war. Iran is showing it is still very much capable of fighting back. We just learned a new tanker was hit near the Strait of Hormuz today and new photos show a heavily damaged U.S. Air Force jet hit during an Iranian attack on an air base in Saudi Arabia. The E3 sentry was hit near the Strait of Hormuz. [2:41] The E3 was one of only six stationed at the base. These planes are critical to tracking enemy movements and coordinating military operations. Iran is also launching attacks on Israel and Arab nations. A huge fire broke out today in an Israeli oil refinery in Haifa. Israeli officials say it was caused by debris from an intercepted barrage of missiles. All of this comes as funding for the Department of Homeland Security remains in limbo after days of long lines at airports. Last Senator Cory Booker about it all coming up at first. [3:11] Matt Rivers leads us all from the region tonight. [3:44] Matt Rivers leads us all from the region tonight. [4:13] Matt Rivers leads us all from the region tonight. [4:14] We're going to be asking for a couple of other things. [4:21] But Iran insisting there are no direct talks with the U.S., saying the president's 15-point plan includes many requests that are excessive, unrealistic, and illogical. Our Rachel Scott pressing the White House today. [4:33] So how do you square that? How do you explain that discrepancy between the two? [4:38] I think the American people are smart enough not to take the word of a terrorist regime that has chanted death threats. [4:44] I think the American people are smart enough not to take the word of a terrorist regime that has chanted death threats. [4:46] And tonight, thousands more U.S. forces arriving in the Middle East, including the USS Tripoli. [4:52] With 3,500 Marines and sailors as President Trump weighs his next move. [4:57] The New York Times now reporting hundreds of U.S. special operations forces, including Navy SEALs, are also now in the region. [5:04] And could be used to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, seize Iran's critical oil hub, Karg Island, or to hunt down Iran's highly enriched uranium. [5:12] Tonight, smoke. [5:14] and flames billowing from this oil refinery in Israel. And as Iran launches attacks around the [5:20] region, a top Iranian official tonight warning Iran is waiting for the arrival of American [5:25] soldiers on the ground to rain fire upon them. And tonight, amidst all this uncertainty, [5:30] U.S. crude oil prices closing above $100 a barrel for the first time since 2022 when Russia invaded [5:37] Ukraine. And gas prices in the U.S. now at $3.98 on average, with many drivers across the country [5:44] already paying far more than that. Matt Rivers joins us now from Dilha, Qatar. And Matt, [5:50] what can you tell us tonight about a new hit on a ship near the Strait of Hormuz? [5:55] Yeah, Lindsay, a new report from the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations Center saying another tanker [6:00] near the Strait of Hormuz has been hit by an unknown projectile. It sparked a fire on board. [6:06] And Lindsay, it's a clear reminder that the Strait remains extremely dangerous and effectively [6:10] closed. Volatile time indeed. All right, Matt Rivers for us. Thanks so much, Matt. [6:15] After weeks... [6:16] Of chaos at airports across the country, those long lines and wait times are starting to ease [6:21] finally with TSA officers getting paid again. But questions remain about thousands of other [6:26] Homeland Security employees who are still not getting paid during what is now the longest [6:30] partial government shutdown in American history. Our Will Reeve has the latest. [6:35] After hours-long security lines and record-breaking numbers of unpaid TSA officers [6:40] calling out of work, tonight, some relief. As TSA workers who have gone more than a month [6:46] without a paycheck finally start getting paid after President Trump's Friday night memo ordering [6:51] funds from the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill be used to pay the workers. TSA officer Angela [6:57] Grana says she got her money by direct deposit this morning. It does not cover any overtime. [7:02] It does not cover any shift differential. So it's, no, not what I expected. DHS says most TSA [7:09] employees received a retroactive paycheck today that included at least two full paychecks. But a [7:16] population might see a slight delay. What do you make of the news that TSA officers are finally [7:21] going to start getting their paychecks right now? He should have been getting it the whole time. [7:24] But while TSA officers are getting paid along with uniformed members of ICE, CBP, Secret Service and [7:31] the Coast Guard, the support staff and other agencies are not, including FEMA and CISA, [7:37] the agency in charge of protecting everything from the nation's cybersecurity to power grids. [7:42] And until Congress can make a deal, that won't change. [7:46] At 45 days and counting, this is now the longest partial government shutdown in history. [7:53] And Lindsay, right now, Congress is on that two-week paid spring recess. So the White House [7:57] and the union that represents TSA workers both calling on Congress to come back to the Capitol [8:02] to work out a deal. Lindsay? [8:05] Will, thank you. Evermore now, we are joined by New Jersey Senator, my home state. [8:11] Yes. [8:12] Mr. Cory Booker, we thank you so much for the time. Really appreciate it. [8:15] Thank you for having me. [8:16] So we're going to get to the book, Stan. [8:18] And in a moment, but first, I want to just talk about some news of day items. [8:22] Many Americans, regardless of fault, want to know why they're still standing in long lines at the airport. [8:29] Meanwhile, Congress is on vacation. How do you explain that? [8:32] It's very frustrating. And now the president says he's going to pay TSA, which we're starting to see happen. [8:37] Why didn't he just do this months ago? It's what Democrats have been asking. [8:41] Pay TSA, keep ICE out of our airports, and don't fund this reckless agency until there's real massive reforms. [8:48] If at all, because the way they're doing immigration enforcement right now is dangerous. [8:52] They're hurting Americans, detaining Americans, and we've seen killing them. [8:56] The TSA has nothing to do with that. We should have funded them weeks ago. [8:59] I'm glad it's being funded now. And we still have to attend to the problems with ICE. [9:04] Of course, Democrats really push for this DHS shutdown in the wake of the deaths of Alex Prudy and Renee Goode. [9:11] But yet with that Senate bill that we saw pass on Thursday night, there were no ICE reforms in there. [9:16] And so I guess I'm curious. [9:18] Your reaction to Democratic leadership and how this has been handled? [9:22] Because this is the second time that we've seen this kind of holdout and then no change and the government reopens. [9:30] Well, remember, this is the exact deal Democrats were pressing for for weeks, which is fund ICE, fund FEMA, fund the Coast Guard. [9:38] But no, not one more dollar goes to ICE until you step forward and do reform. [9:42] So we've gotten that deal. The pressure is still on. ICE is still not getting funded. [9:47] And what we are going to do is continue. [9:49] That fight. I over and over again, I've wanted Democrats to stand strong. [9:54] Unfortunately, in past times, we didn't. [9:57] Some people broke. But this is an opportunity for us to make it very clear. [10:01] This is a violation of our values. No American wants this across the political spectrum. [10:05] What ICE has been doing is wrong. And we need to stand up and stand together until changes are made. [10:12] Let's move on to the war in Iran. This is now day 31 of the war. [10:17] Is it your understanding that if this conflict is. [10:19] Is to go beyond 60 to 90 days, then Congress would have to approve it? [10:25] And if so, do you think that Congress would do so? [10:27] So it's my belief that Congress should have proved it to begin with. [10:30] Let's see the standard that Donald Trump is saying is that I can declare war in any country. [10:35] I can spend tens of billions of dollars. I could put American lives at risk. [10:39] Thirteen people have died, over 300 injured, and I don't have to go to Congress. [10:43] And he's telling us next will be Cuba. This is a warmongering president who's not respecting the law. [10:49] Of our land, which is that only Congress can declare war. [10:53] And so what I've been doing is leading with a group of Democrats to try to force the Senate to do its damn job, [10:59] which is to actually provide oversight, checks and balances, to hold an out-of-control executive accountable. [11:06] But Republicans in the Senate have refused to even hold an open hearing. [11:10] This is outrageous. And Americans are paying the cost. [11:13] Not only the $25 billion, which could have been used to save people's health care, to fund our public schools, [11:19] but no, we're paying the costs by all of our consumer costs going so high up, [11:24] not only at the gas pump, but also consumer goods, energy costs and more. [11:29] This is a price shock that's hurting Americans and causing chaos at home and abroad. [11:34] And your reaction to President Trump's post on Truth Social today, [11:37] basically saying that if the Strait of Hormuz is not opened in a certain time period, [11:42] that he is going to go after Iran's water and power. [11:45] Yeah, this is a guy that wants to escalate and not de-escalate the situation. [11:49] The Strait of Hormuz was open before he started this, and he didn't anticipate that. [11:54] That's been now made clear. This is not in any way strategic. [11:58] This is an impulse by our president to engage us in a war that is deepening beyond what he expected, [12:04] and he does not have an off-ramp. [12:07] And so what is he threatening to do is to cause more and more damage in that region, [12:11] put more American lives at risk because they just moved thousands of troops, of our troops, into that area. [12:17] So this is going to go down as one of the worst. [12:19] Foreign policy follies, blunders, costly mistakes that have been made in the modern era. [12:25] And it's outrageous that the Republicans won't even call the administration in [12:29] and have hearings where we can provide oversight and, frankly, demand accountability, [12:34] which is what the American people deserve. [12:37] Our thanks to Senator Booker. [12:38] And we asked the senator about his new book and his 2028 presidential aspirations coming up. [12:43] Tonight, the Army is now investigating video showing two Apache attack helicopters [12:47] hovering, flying directly in front of Kidron. [12:50] The performer is seen saluting the crew, what the Army is saying tonight. [12:54] Here's Martha Raddatz. [12:56] Tonight, the Army investigating this video showing an Apache attack helicopter [13:03] hovering directly in front of the Nashville, Tennessee, home of Kid Rock on Saturday. [13:09] Another doing a flyby above it. [13:13] The singer standing beside a replica of the Statue of Liberty [13:16] is seen clapping and then saluting the crew before they fly away. [13:21] Kid Rock, a staunch MAGA supporter of President Trump, [13:27] with a sign reading the Southern White House over his head, [13:31] posting the video online saying, [13:33] God bless America and all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to defend her, [13:38] while disparaging California's Governor Gavin Newsom. [13:42] The Apaches are part of the 101st Airborne Division, [13:46] based 60 miles to the north in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. [13:49] In a statement, the Army saying, [13:52] Army aviators, [13:53] must adhere to strict safety standards, [13:56] professionalism, [13:57] and established flight regulations. [13:59] Appropriate action will be taken if any violations are found. [14:03] The Army adding that the helicopters were in the Nashville area for a training exercise. [14:14] Martha Raddatz joins us now. [14:16] Martha, do we know if Kid Rock got a heads up that helicopters would be nearby? [14:20] Actually, Lindsay, we don't have any idea whether he did get a heads up [14:24] that the helicopters would be hovering there in front of his house, [14:27] but his residence is very well known, very distinctive, [14:32] and he may have heard those helicopters hovering outside his home just as they approached. [14:37] Lindsay? [14:37] Martha Raddatz for us. Thanks so much, Martha. [14:39] Tonight, Israel's parliament, the Knesset, voted into law, [14:42] a controversial measure mandating the death penalty for Palestinians in certain circumstances. [14:47] Here's our Britt Klennett in Jerusalem tonight. Hi, Britt. [14:50] Lindsay, Israel has passed a law which will make the death penalty by hanging the default punishment for West Bank Palestinians [14:57] Palestinians convicted of murdering Israelis. Now, the bill stipulates the death penalty for anyone who intentionally or negligently causes the death of an Israeli citizen out of racist or hateful motives and to harm Israel. It is a highly controversial bill with rights groups saying it's discriminatory because the law wouldn't actually apply to Israelis who killed Palestinians under similar circumstances. [15:22] The bill, it was devised by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gavir, who wore noose-shaped lapel pins in the weeks before this vote. Capital punishment, it does exist in Israel, but rarely used. A Nazi war criminal was the only person to be executed in Israel in 1962. But the new law, it could still be blocked by Israel's Supreme Court. Lindsay. [15:46] Britt, thank you. The U.S. has formally reopened its embassy in Caracas, Venezuela after a seven-year closure. [15:52] This follows the Trump administration's capture of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro earlier this year. Tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela have escalated for decades, which led to the rupture of diplomatic relations between the two in 2019. [16:05] And the U.S. government has not had an ambassador in Venezuela since 2010. Today, the State Department said in a statement that the move marked a new chapter for a diplomatic presence in Venezuela. [16:15] An engine fire sparked panic aboard a Delta flight from Brazil to Atlanta, forcing an emergency landing. [16:21] Incredible footage. [16:22] Incredible video captured the harrowing moment. Our Trevor Ault has that story. [16:30] This is the terrifying moment passengers on board a Delta flight bound for Atlanta watched the left engine burst into flames. [16:38] Dramatic video shows sparks flying as the Airbus with 286 people on board was taking off from Sao Paulo, Brazil, and gaining altitude. [16:50] The airline is calling a mechanical issue, sending loud boom through the cabin. [16:54] In this video, parts of that engine seen as it moves off screen, falling down. [16:59] The plane is standing near the runway, igniting a brush fire. [17:01] This is an engine that's disintegrating internally. [17:04] And what you see coming out the back, those sparks are actual pieces of the engine as it falls apart. [17:10] Panic erupting on board. [17:15] You can hear several people screaming. [17:17] The pilots leveling off their ascent at 4,500 feet, immediately transitioning to an emergency landing, staying in the air for roughly 10 minutes. [17:25] Tonight, Delta is apologizing to their customers, saying the safety of their passengers and crew is their highest priority. [17:31] And also tonight, trouble on a separate flight to Atlanta. [17:36] You need to lighten up. [17:40] Authorities say an unruly passenger allegedly made a bomb threat as a Frontier Airlines jet from Columbus, Ohio, was taxiing to the gate. [17:48] I'll take the bomb off. [17:53] Flyers on board terrified. [17:55] Jessica Kinder was just a few rows away. [17:57] The flight attendant started saying, heads down, hands up, heads down, hands up. [18:01] The plane parking in a remote location as the FBI soon swarmed the plane. [18:05] Trevor joins us now. [18:07] Trevor, where do things stand with the investigation? [18:09] The investigation into the Delta flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil. [18:13] Yeah, Lindsay, so because this was taking off from Brazil, Brazilian authorities are investigating what happened here, not the FAA here in the United States. [18:20] But what we have heard so far, specifically from Delta, is that they say this is not a bird strike. [18:25] Now, we're still waiting to get the official word on what the cause may have been, but we have Brazilian authorities looking into it. [18:30] Delta, of course, is looking into it as well. [18:32] Lindsay. [18:33] Trevor, all for us. [18:34] Thanks so much, Trevor. [18:36] We move on now to the deadly shooting at a high school outside San Antonio, Texas. [18:39] A teacher was wounded. [18:41] A 15-year-old shooter then took his own life. [18:43] Here's Peter Thomas. [18:44] This morning, shots fired at a Texas high school just as school is starting. [18:49] Respond to 615 Mustang Vista for active shooter. [18:54] And the words that no parent wants to hear. [18:57] A teacher was shot, and she has been transported to the hospital. [19:01] Authorities were scrambling to get to the scene, but the student, a 15-year-old male, is believed to have shot himself and died at the school. [19:08] So the student shot the teacher. [19:11] And then what we believe, it looks as though the student turned the gun on himself and shot himself. [19:19] The high school placed on lockdown. [19:21] We heard, like, five big, like, shots. [19:24] We didn't really know what happened. [19:26] And then we looked down, and then we saw our debate teacher. [19:30] And she was like, she was like, get in the room, get in the room. [19:34] Distraught parents racing to the scene to find their child. [19:37] I'm really sad that this is something that we can't do. [19:39] I know. [19:40] This is something that we have to think about these days. [19:43] And that we, that this is a reality for our kids in school. [19:49] Lindsay, authorities are investigating whether there's a connection between the teacher and the student. [19:54] And tonight, Lindsay, no word on the teacher's condition. [19:57] Pierre, thank you. [20:00] Tonight we're seeing the first images of the flight attendant who survived that deadly runway collision at LaGuardia Airport a week ago. [20:06] She was ejected more than 300 feet from the plane while still strapped into her jump seat. [20:10] Here's what her daughter is now saying about her condition. [20:12] Here's Erin Katursky. [20:14] Tonight, a week after Air Canada Express Flight 8646 collided with a fire truck on the runway at LaGuardia Airport, [20:20] we're now seeing the first image of the flight attendant who survived being ejected from the plane, still strapped to her seat. [20:27] Solange Tremblay now recovering in a New York hospital. [20:30] Her daughter is saying in a GoFundMe post her mother will need multiple surgeries and intensive rehab to walk again. [20:36] Tremblay suffered two shattered legs and a fractured spine [20:38] after she was thrown more than 320 feet, nearly the length of a football field. [20:44] Her daughter says Tremblay was seated directly behind the cockpit, found still strapped in her jump seat, lying on the tarmac. [20:50] She says Tremblay was conscious for all of this. [20:53] The two pilots, Antoine Forrest and Mackenzie Gunther, were killed, [20:56] making it the first deadly crash at LaGuardia in more than three decades. [21:00] As for that flight attendant, Lindsay, who went through it all, thrown more than 320 feet, conscious the whole time, [21:07] her family says she's going to go to the hospital. [21:09] She may be in the hospital here in New York for the foreseeable future. [21:12] Her struggle's far from over. [21:14] Lindsay. [21:15] Aaron, thank you. [21:16] An update now on the investigation into the Temple of Israel attack in Michigan earlier this month, [21:20] where a suspect drove a pickup truck into the building. [21:23] The FBI confirmed the 41-year-old gunman, a naturalized citizen from Lebanon, [21:27] searched guns online several times since January and posted anti-Israel comments on social media the day of the attack. [21:34] A U.S. attorney added that the assailant was inspired by Hezbollah propaganda [21:38] to carry out the attack. [21:40] The suspect fired multiple shots into the building before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. [21:45] Another high-profile art heist, this time in Italy, [21:48] where three famous paintings were stolen in less than three minutes. [21:51] Police say the middle-of-the-night heist took place last week [21:54] at a private museum in the northern Italian city of Parma. [21:57] Paintings by Cezanne, Renoir, and Matisse were taken, each worth millions of euros. [22:02] According to local media, the thieves were able to escape across museum gardens. [22:06] The museum says they've leaked the documents. [22:07] Cezanne says they believe an organized gang is responsible. [22:10] Still ahead, as the Iran war pushes gas and oil prices higher, [22:14] GasBuddy's Patrick DeHaan answers your most pressing questions. [22:17] Plus, in tonight's prime focus, deposition videos of former Doge employees [22:21] shed new light on the department's massive grant cuts last year. [22:25] And we're counting down to NASA's historic Artemis II moon launch, now just days away. [22:30] Welcome back, everyone. [22:34] It's now been just over a month since the war in Iran began. [22:37] As we've been reporting, the ongoing conflict, [22:39] and the relative closure of the critical Strait of Hormuz, [22:42] have caused oil and gas prices to soar. [22:45] Let's take a look at those prices by the numbers. [22:47] Global oil is now trading at $115 a barrel, up 2% since last week, [22:52] and on track for its biggest monthly rise. [22:55] Oil in the U.S. specifically is up by the same amount, trading at about $101 per barrel. [23:00] Meanwhile, the national average cost for a gallon of regular gas in the U.S. [23:04] reached about $3.98 today, according to GasBuddy. [23:07] That average price is up $1.04 since the war began, [23:11] and prices are only expected to keep rising. [23:13] The state with the highest prices for regular gas? [23:16] California, which today reached $5.86 a gallon on average per GasBuddy. [23:21] As we mentioned, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has been a major factor, [23:25] but two container ships did successfully cross the Strait for the first time since the conflict began. [23:30] That's according to the Ship Tracking Service Marine Traffic. [23:33] But traffic through the Strait is still down significantly, [23:36] with 103 fewer ships crossing each day, according to Bloomberg data. [23:41] Earlier, ABC News Live First anchor Diane Macedo spoke with Patrick DeHaan of GasBuddy. [23:46] GasBuddy released this list of frequently asked questions about Iran and how it's affecting gas prices. [23:53] So I kind of want to go through those with you. [23:55] The first one was pretty simple. [23:57] Why do gas prices rise when something happens thousands of miles away? [24:01] Yeah, you know, it's a great question. [24:03] Popular refrain. [24:04] It's one of the most globally integrated commodities in the world. [24:07] You think about electricity. [24:08] That can't really be shipped overseas. [24:10] But oil is one of those things that can be slapped on a ship and sent virtually everywhere. [24:14] So oil prices, if there's a wrinkle anywhere in that global supply chain, [24:19] there is right now in the Strait of Hormuz through the de facto closure, [24:22] it's having a huge impact on the global price of oil. [24:25] And nobody can escape that globally determined balance of supply and demand, that price. [24:30] And so that is why it doesn't really matter where the event may be. [24:33] If it's a big disruption to the price of oil, [24:35] or I should say the supply chain, [24:37] supply of oil or demand, [24:39] we generally see a big price reaction. [24:41] Another popular question was why do gas prices rise if the U.S. is energy independent? [24:48] Yeah, you know, the phrase energy independent gives the impression [24:52] that the U.S. is somehow insulated from the price of oil or supply shocks elsewhere. [24:57] But oil is globally traded. [24:59] What oil comes from Texas can be replaced by something from Brazil [25:02] and something from the Middle East can head to China. [25:05] It's a globally connected commodity. [25:07] And so our barrels can be replaced. [25:09] It can be impacted because oil sellers, [25:11] just like you and I might sell our house at the highest bid price, [25:14] oil companies do the exact same. [25:16] And so when somebody in China or India suddenly no longer has access [25:20] to that Middle Eastern crude oil that's blocked by the Strait, [25:23] they start to go to the same countries and sellers that we do. [25:26] And that forces prices higher. [25:28] America is not directly dependent on oil from the Strait of Hormuz. [25:32] So a big question was why oil prices rise even if we don't get much oil from that Strait. [25:37] Yeah, I know. [25:39] It's because the global oil market really doesn't care [25:41] where the oil is coming from. [25:43] It cares about the total balance of crude oil. [25:46] And so if you take, again, 20% of the world's oil is stuck in the Strait of Hormuz, [25:51] it doesn't care where it comes from because oil can be moved so much around the world. [25:56] That's why global prices react even if the U.S. doesn't receive much oil [26:00] because oil can be sent virtually everywhere. [26:03] Question number four was why can't the U.S. just keep its own oil? [26:08] Yeah, you know, that's a popular refrain. [26:11] U.S. oil exports have increased. [26:13] It's only risen to record levels in recent years because the U.S. and oil companies can export that. [26:18] They can sell it on the global market. [26:20] And so while we could keep more of our own oil, our refineries generally aren't handling this type of light oil. [26:27] We generally use something that's heavier. [26:29] And so much of that excess oil is not even destined for the U.S. market. [26:33] And if we were to suddenly block that flow off, U.S. oil production would plummet in the long term, [26:38] and that would push prices up in the long term as well. [26:42] And finally, gas prices have jumped. [26:44] On nearly a daily basis over the past month. [26:47] So why are prices going up if stations have cheaper gas in their tanks? [26:53] Yeah, it's all about the replacement cost. [26:55] Gas stations look at the next cost, the next tanker. [26:58] It might be $500 or $1,000 more. [27:00] And especially in this environment, that next tanker could cost them $5,000 more. [27:04] So it's always about replacement costs. [27:07] When that replacement cost starts declining, stations will start lowering prices before they sell through that next tank. [27:13] Many times right now when prices are going up, [27:16] it's that they're going to raise prices based on the next tank going up several thousand dollars. [27:20] And just like during COVID, you'll remember, prices didn't wait a month or two to start declining. [27:25] They start declining immediately. [27:27] So if this problem suddenly is resolved overnight, gas stations will start lowering prices in the next 24 to 48 hours. [27:34] All right, Patrick DeHaan, thank you. [27:36] Our thanks to Diane for that. [27:38] Coming up, the Russian oil tanker that arrived in Cuba [27:41] and why the White House says they allowed it to happen. [27:44] And New York's bravest and New York's finest come to blows at a charity hockey game. [27:54] Welcome back to Prime. [27:55] Here's a look at the stories making headlines right now. [27:57] New images from the war in Iran. [27:59] A critical U.S. radar jet was destroyed in an Iranian attack on an air base in Saudi Arabia. [28:04] Fifteen American service members were injured. [28:07] The E3 Sentry jet is critical to tracking enemy positions and flight operations in real time. [28:12] More than 50,000 American troops are now in the region. [28:15] This is President Trump threatens to expand U.S. strikes on Iran's infrastructure if they do not agree to a peace deal. [28:21] And finally, some relief at U.S. airports from long security lines. [28:25] TSA officers began to receive their first paychecks in more than 40 days [28:29] and are expected to get at least two full paychecks in back pay under President Trump's memorandum [28:34] after lawmakers failed to reach a deal to restore funding. [28:37] At 45 days, this is now the longest partial government shutdown in American history. [28:42] President Trump today allowed a Russian oil tanker [28:44] to pass through a blockade to reach Cuba. [28:47] The tanker is carrying roughly 730,000 barrels of oil. [28:51] This marks the island's first such delivery this year [28:54] as it faces an ongoing energy crisis due to the American-led embargo. [28:58] The president said he had no problem with the Russian tanker delivering relief to Cuba. [29:02] And an emotional comeback win for PGA golfer Gary Woodland. [29:06] He won the Houston Open Sunday after undergoing brain surgery more than two years ago. [29:11] And just two weeks ago, he opened up about his fright [29:14] and struggles with PTSD. [29:16] Woodland is now heading to the Masters. [29:18] And still ahead, video testimony of former Doge employees [29:21] that give an inside look at how last year's massive grant cuts were made [29:25] and the role ChatGPT had in the process. [29:28] And heated rivalry on the ice as all hell breaks loose at a charity hockey game. [29:33] That story coming up. [29:35] Welcome back, everyone. [29:43] It's been about a year since Elon Musk and employees in Doge [29:46] ended hundreds of government grants [29:48] and recently depositions from two staffers [29:50] about their actions were made public, taken down, [29:53] and then ordered to be made public again. [29:55] The video has offered the clearest glimpse yet into the decision-making [29:58] behind which program stayed and which went. [30:01] And in many cases, staffers were relying on ChatGPT [30:04] to make those life-changing decisions. [30:06] Our Peter Haralambos has tonight's Prime Focus. [30:09] Do you think it's inappropriate in any way that someone in their 20s [30:14] with no experience with grants or federal government [30:18] was making personal judgment calls about [30:20] what grants to cancel? [30:22] Um, no, I don't think it's inappropriate. [30:24] A revealing behind-the-scenes look [30:26] at Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency [30:29] and its unusual process for cutting federal spending last year. [30:33] Two former Doge staffers were testifying about cuts made [30:36] to federal grants for humanities research [30:38] that came to more than $100 million. [30:40] Why is a documentary about Holocaust survivors EI? [30:48] Objection. [30:49] It's the gender-based story [30:56] that's inherently discriminatory to focus on this specific group. [31:03] It's inherently discriminatory to focus on what specific group? [31:08] The gender-based, so females during the Holocaust. [31:20] The deposition videos were released as part of a civil lawsuit [31:23] brought by a group of nonprofits whose grants were eliminated last year. [31:27] They argued that Doge staffers like Nate Kavanaugh and Justin Fox [31:30] didn't have the authority to make those decisions. [31:33] They said they used ChatGPT [31:35] and hunted for keywords they considered tip-offs [31:38] to diversity, equity, and inclusion. [31:40] Words like homosexual, immigrant, and melting pot. [31:43] How were you otherwise finding grants that were DEI? [31:46] Was it not through certain terms, certain words? [31:51] Uh, you would search DEI, DEIA, equity, inclusion, [31:56] BIPOC, LGBTQ, LGBTQ+, etc. [32:03] What do you find wasteful about grants relating to black, [32:08] homosexual, or LGBTQ subjects? [32:12] Objection. [32:14] It is non-critical spend, meaning nobody's life is at stake. [32:21] But you didn't screen for white, Caucasian, or heterosexual, right? [32:32] We could have. [32:33] But you didn't. [32:34] We didn't. [32:35] They fed more than a thousand grant descriptions into ChatGPT [32:38] and asked the following prompt. [32:40] From the perspective of someone looking to identify DEI grants, [32:44] does this involve DEI? [32:46] Respond factually in less than 120 characters. [32:50] Begin with yes or no, followed by a brief explanation. [32:54] Do not use, quote, this initiative, close quote, [32:58] or quote, this description, close quote, in your response. [33:02] Did I read that correctly? [33:03] Yes. [33:04] And that's the command for ChatGPT? [33:07] Is that right? [33:08] Yes. [33:09] But nowhere in that process did they clearly define DEI. [33:13] How do you interpret DEI? [33:14] There was the EO explicitly laid out the details. [33:29] I don't remember it off the top of my head. [33:31] That's okay. [33:32] I'm asking for your understanding of it. [33:33] Yeah. [33:34] My understanding was exactly what was written in the EO. [33:36] Okay. [33:37] So can you? [33:38] I don't remember what was in the EO. [33:39] So right now, do you have an understanding of what DEI is? [33:41] Yeah. [33:43] Okay. [33:44] So what's your understanding as you sit here today in this deposition? [33:47] Well, it was exactly what was written in the EO. [33:52] And so anytime that we would look at a grant through the lens of complying [33:57] with an executive order, we would just refer back to the EO. [33:59] Right. [34:00] And assess if this grant had relation to it. [34:03] Okay. [34:05] But I guess I'm stepping back from your methodology strictly in terminating the grants. [34:11] Do you have an understanding as you sit here today of what DEI means? [34:14] Yeah. [34:15] Okay. [34:16] So what's your understanding of what it means? [34:17] Well, it is exactly what was written in the EO. [34:23] The men had no experience in government, but were given unprecedented authority to slash [34:27] federal spending. [34:29] And they were making recommendations that became the basis for the largest mass termination [34:33] of federal grants in the history of the National Endowment for the Humanities. [34:37] Did you ever find it problematic that you were alongside Nate shortlisting for termination [34:49] projects that had hits on words like black, homosexual, LGBTQ plus? [34:59] Objection. [35:02] What do you mean problematic? [35:07] What did you think about it? [35:08] Let me put it that way. [35:12] We were identifying wasteful spend in the government. [35:15] Based on administration direction. [35:20] That was the whole reason we were there is to find savings. [35:23] These videos have become controversial themselves. [35:26] Publicly released in March and according to lawyers with the Department of Justice, [35:30] resulting in a torrent of threats against the two men. [35:33] In response, a judge temporarily ordered the videos be taken offline before allowing their [35:37] release, saying the embarrassment and reputational harm wasn't enough to overcome the public [35:42] interest in the videos. [35:44] The judge asked DOJ lawyers, are they not proud of what they did? [35:46] Are they not proud of what they did a year ago? [35:48] Can they not stand behind the work they did? [35:50] In fact, when asked a version of that question during their depositions, the men said they [35:54] had no regrets. [35:56] You don't regret that people might have lost important income to support their lives? [36:04] No. [36:05] I think it was more important to reduce the federal deficit from $2 trillion to close [36:09] to zero. [36:10] Did you reduce the federal deficit? [36:12] No, we didn't. [36:14] Our thanks to Peter and coming up, the Kit Kat heist. [36:17] Do inspectors have a budget? [36:18] Do inspectors have a break in the case after 12 tons of chocolate went missing? [36:23] And the buzzer beater in college basketball that's being called one of the greatest shots [36:28] of all time? [36:33] We have a Sticky Fingers on the loose with 12 tons of chocolate Kit Kats. [36:37] The March Madness buzzer beater to remember. [36:40] And you may know Kiss the Bride at Buc-ee's. [36:43] These stories and more in tonight's Rundown. [36:50] The men's Final Four is now set with this phenomenal moment. [36:54] That's freshman UConn guard Braylon Mullins, [36:56] sinking an incredible game winner against the top seed Duke Blue Devils last night. [37:00] The shot locked up the Huskies' eighth trip to the Final Four and was so improbable, [37:05] it even left announcers Bill Raftery and Grant Hill speechless. [37:09] Caravan, two seconds, moshes it up. [37:11] Arizona, Illinois, Michigan, and UConn all punching their tickets to Indianapolis. [37:17] UConn will face Illinois next weekend for a trip to the national championship. [37:22] In New York City, a charity game between the FDNY and NYPD on the ice turned into a total [37:29] brawl. [37:31] Gloves went flying for some of the players on the ice. [37:33] The NYPD came up on top with a 3-2 win over the FDNY, [37:37] the first time in a decade that the police bested the firefighters. [37:41] Thieves are breaking off a piece of 12 tons of Kit Kat bars. [37:46] A truck loaded with the chocolate bars went missing somewhere between the Nestle plant in Italy and Poland. [37:52] The theft could lead to shortages just days before Easter. [37:55] Nestle is not saying how the truck was stolen. [37:58] Love is a winding road. [38:01] And for one newly married couple, that road began at a truck stop in the Smoky Mountains. [38:06] Bob Hespin and Melanie Curtis both love road trips. [38:09] So when Bob proposed to Melanie and they were thinking of where to tie the knot, [38:12] he suggested Bucky's Truck Stop in Tennessee, where they often stopped on their trips. [38:17] To his surprise, she thought it was a great idea. [38:19] They found an officiant online, and on Sunday, the couple, dressed in their wedding finest, [38:24] gathered at the statue of Bucky the Beaver in the parking lot and got hitched. [38:28] Celine Dion is making her comeback. [38:32] The announcement came today on her 58th birthday. [38:35] This year, I'm getting the best gift of my life. [38:39] I'm getting the chance to see you, to perform for you once again in Paris. [38:49] Celine revealed a series of shows for September and October in Paris. [38:52] This residency marks the beginning of her first concert since being diagnosed with stiff person syndrome in 2022. [38:59] Celine shared this return as, quote, the best birthday gift of her life. [39:03] The countdown is on for the first show. [39:07] The show is set to be a human moon mission in more than 50 years. [39:10] Artemis 2 on the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. [39:13] Four astronauts who arrived in Florida on Friday are now in quarantine going over their mission plan. [39:19] They're scheduled to slingshot around the moon during a 10-day flight. [39:22] In the nearly two and a half years since Artemis 1 made its trip around the moon, [39:26] engineers have been preparing to send humans with new spacesuits meant to sustain life in an emergency, [39:31] becoming a personal-sized spacecraft that can last up to six days. [39:35] The launch window opens Wednesday night, and you'll be able to watch it happen right here on ABC News Live. [39:40] Senator Cory Booker is out with a new book titled Stand. [39:47] Here's more of our conversation with Senator Booker, where we also asked him about his 2028 presidential aspirations. [39:53] All right, let's talk about your new book, Stand. [39:57] Congratulations on the book, by the way. [39:59] Thank you. [40:00] In it, you refer to your dad, who you like to call Daddy-O. [40:04] Yes. [40:05] He suffered from Parkinson's disease later on in life. [40:08] And you say that he was your greatest hero. [40:09] Thank you. [40:10] And I'm just curious what you would say the lessons are that you learned from Dad that you now apply as a senator. [40:19] Well, I appreciate that. [40:20] I wrote this book as a response to people saying to me, what can I do? [40:24] I'm hurt. [40:25] I'm scared. [40:26] I'm angry. [40:27] And what this book is about is to provide inspiration and instruction from stories from our past and present of people like my father and that generation and others [40:35] who showed us in the worst of times, if we show the best of who we are, [40:39] we can not only win, but overcome any challenge. [40:42] And so my father's generation, they have legions of accomplishments. [40:46] They saw horrific challenges from the civil rights movement to, frankly, even some of the rights we take for granted right now when it comes to living. [40:54] Even buying your home, your family childhood home. [40:57] Yes. [40:58] In a predominantly white neighborhood. [40:59] And that story from the very first chapter is about really how an activist, all of us are activists, all of us are the heroes we've been looking for. [41:07] This shows just somebody just choosing to do one more hour of volunteer work triggered this chain of events that really enabled me to be who I am today. [41:14] You talk about a run-in. [41:16] It may have been at a store with a constituent shortly after Donald Trump won. [41:21] And he was kind of saying, well, where's that Cory Booker who did this? [41:24] And you were saying, hey, look, the Republicans have control of the House and Senate and the presidency. [41:31] And he said, are you an American or an Americant? [41:34] And you go on to talk about that. [41:36] That is all of our superpower. [41:38] Yeah. [41:39] That we can do what we can do. [41:41] Yes. [41:42] And is that the overarching message that you want the reader to take away? [41:47] 100%. [41:48] And he was one of my constituents doing what I love in my community. [41:51] This guy had been voting for me since 1998. [41:53] And he goes, where is this guy that did a hunger strike or lived in mobile homes? [41:56] Why aren't you showing up now? [41:58] And pushed me to do, actually, the 25 hours that we did in protest on the Senate floor. [42:03] But it does. [42:05] And that is the call of this book. [42:07] If you are hurting right now, frustrated right now, and want to know how do we win, this is a strategy about how we win. [42:15] And how we win is not by looking for short-term convenience or doubling down on darkness and division. [42:21] We win by standing up for the best of who we are even amidst the worst of times. [42:26] You mentioned that early on as a senator you were told by another senator there are two types of senators. [42:32] There's a politician and a statesman. [42:33] Yeah. [42:34] What's the difference between the two? [42:35] I think that our politics is failing us. [42:38] And it's easy to blame the other side. [42:40] But right now this tribalism in our country is failing us. [42:43] We have a lot more that we agree on than we disagree on. [42:46] And the leaders, the statespeople that I've looked up to in my life are those that call us to be bigger than our politics, to come together and do things that others think are impossible. [42:56] That's what John McCain, of all people, challenged me to do as he was an old lion getting ready to leave the Senate in his last lap. [43:03] To a young man that's coming in and saying what America needs. [43:06] And he was saying that not again. [43:08] He was saying that to a Democrat that we need an American renewal. [43:11] And that's what I believe we need to leave for now. [43:14] And lastly, you have said that you will not rule out running for president in 2020. [43:19] What would be the determining factor? [43:21] Well, I'm married and have this extraordinary partner now. [43:23] Congratulations. [43:24] Thank you very much. [43:25] And I think both of us feel something coming in America. [43:28] Sometimes, you know, the old saying, it's always darkest before the dawn. [43:33] I think we're in a very dark period that's going to see some worse days ahead. [43:37] But I've got this excitement in me. [43:39] I often think you can't have great hope unless you've confronted great despair, great courage, if you don't know great fear. [43:47] And I think in this time, it is the makings of something exciting. [43:51] And so no matter what, I have to get reelected in November. [43:54] I hope New Jersey will embrace me for another term in the Senate. [43:58] But I want to be a part of a larger conversation that brings on a new day in America. [44:02] We're all tired of politics as usual. [44:04] We're all tired of the political divide that does nothing but seems to drag us all down. [44:09] I'm very excited for the 28th election, not to be about what you're against, but to start to reimagine what we all could be for. [44:16] And I'm very excited about being a part of that conversation, whether I'm a candidate for president or a great senator from New Jersey that's trying to shape what the next generation of leadership is going to look like. [44:26] Senator Cory Booker, thank you so much. [44:28] Thank you for having me on. [44:29] I really appreciate it. [44:30] Thank you. [44:31] Your time is now available wherever books are sold. [44:34] Last week, we introduced you to a woman returning to the hospital where she once worked as a janitor, this time as a medical resident. [44:40] We recently learned more about how she reached her goals, and the outlook, she says, carried her to this moment. [44:47] Shae Taylor Allen recently opened an envelope that would change her life. [44:54] The fourth-year Howard University medical student officially matching with Yale New Haven Hospital for her residency in anesthesiology. [45:02] A long road that's come full circle for the 32-year-old, who's about to head back to the [45:08] very hospital where she once worked as a janitor, this time as a doctor. I'm born and raised in New [45:16] Haven. Just my mom and my two brothers. She was a single mom of three. Despite graduating in the [45:22] top 10% of her high school class, Shea says she didn't know what would come next. I started at [45:28] Yale Hospital as a janitor at 18 years old, working there for a few years before I went to [45:33] undergrad at Southern Connecticut. And it wasn't until my sophomore year when my mom became ill [45:39] that I realized that I wanted to become a doctor. But she didn't know what that would entail. [45:43] I did not know the process. So I literally had to sit there and Google the whole process and [45:48] everything that I need to go to to become a doctor. Feeling like I'm in a dream because I [45:54] could have never imagined that I'll be going back to the same hospital that I was not only born at, [46:00] but I'm going to be going back to the same hospital that I was not only born at, [46:00] but a janitor at, to be a doctor for my community. [46:03] Tonight, Shea shares what got her this far. [46:06] Keep going. You have to take the losses in order to get where you need to go. [46:11] You literally have to visualize it for yourself and keep moving. [46:17] That is our show for this hour. I'm Lindsay Davis. Be sure to stay tuned to ABC News Live [46:21] for more context and analysis of the day's top stories. Thanks so much for streaming with us.