CNN 5 Things

Hey, from CNN, I'm Ifeoma Dike with the five things you need to know for Friday, March 20th.

A federal judge in Washington has invalidated parts of a policy that would have given the Pentagon more control over press coverage. The judge said the measures were unconstitutional. The ruling can be appealed. Visit CNN.com for more details.

President Donald Trump called NATO allies cowards for not helping open the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively shut down. On Truth Social, he said that's the reason for high oil prices and claimed that the fight to stop Iran was, quote, "militarily won."

From a military standpoint, all they're doing is clogging up the straight, but from a military standpoint, they're finished.

That's Trump speaking to reporters outside the White House before leaving for Florida on Air Force One. He also downplayed the prospects of a ceasefire with Iran.

You don't do a ceasefire when you're literally obliterating the other side.

Benchmark oil prices fell to $110 a barrel, but analysts at Goldman Sachs warned prices could stay elevated through 2027. Meanwhile, officials tell CNN thousands more U.S. Marines and sailors are headed toward the Middle East as the war enters its fourth week. And Iran's new supreme leader has issued what appears to be a second major statement read out on state television without audio or video since he was chosen to succeed his father earlier this month. In the message, he called for unity within Iran and claimed he had ridden the streets of Tehran anonymously in a taxi. He also said security must be denied to all of Iran's enemies, following the killing of a senior intelligence minister earlier this week.

More news coming up, including new legal woes for Harvard.

This is going to look like child's play what's happening right now. You're going to see small airports, I believe shut down. You're gonna see extensive lines and air travel is going to almost come to a grid halt stop.

'That's Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy telling CNBC yesterday that air travel walls will get much worse without a funding deal soon. TSA agents already missed one paycheck and are on track to miss another, as the Department of Homeland Security shutdown drags on for more than a month with no end in sight. Today the Senate once again voted against advancing a DHS funding bill. Democrats demand changes to ICE tactics and procedures following the shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minnesota. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has warned that he may cancel the chamber's two-week recess, which starts at the end of next week, if the department is still shut down.

The Trump administration is suing Harvard University again. It alleges that the school violated a civil rights law and has failed to protect Jewish and Israeli students from a hostile environment. It's asking a federal judge to require the school to pay back millions in grant payments and stop more than $2.6 billion in existing grants. The lawsuit comes as high level talks toward a settlement have gone nowhere. The university responded in a statement that it has taken actions to address the root causes of antisemitism and that the lawsuit represents another retaliatory action by the administration.

Now to the second round of layoffs at CBS News since David Ellison took control at Paramount last summer. The network laid off about 6% of its entire workforce and is shutting CBS News radio. Executives explained the cuts as difficult but necessary reallocation of newsroom resources. The radio unit would go off the air on May 22nd, which means its 700 affiliated stations have two months to come up with a replacement. This comes at a moment of intense change for CBS News, with more in store in the coming months. Paramount is awaiting regulatory approval for its deal to buy Warner Brothers' Discovery, including CNN. But sources at CBS said the possibility of Paramount owning CNN in the future didn't factor into the planning of the current layoffs.

Coming up, details on how the White House wants to regulate AI.

'The White House has released its long-awaited National Artificial Intelligence Legislative Framework. It stems from an executive order President Trump signed last December that blocked states from enforcing their own laws around AI. CNN's Hadas Gold explains.

Hi Ifeoma. This framework stems from an executive order President Donald Trump signed in December that blocks states from enforcing their own regulations around artificial intelligence. This framework is essentially a roadmap telling Congress in general terms what the White House thinks they should do on regulating AI. It covers six broad objectives on subjects from data centers to AI scams. Those who want more AI regulation said the framework though lacks substance. Those in favor of this lighter approach called it a big step. The White House, for its part, says that it will now work with Congress in the coming months to turn this framework into legislation, but that could be a tough hill to climb.

That does it for us. Tune in tomorrow for a new episode of 5 Good Things.