The Headlines - Trump Says More U.S. Casualties Are ‘Likely’ in War With Iran, and Oil Prices Jump After Attack

Episode Date: March 2, 2026

Plus, what to know about the A.I. videos that kids are watching.  Here’s what we’re covering: Trump Says War Could Last Weeks and Offers Contradictory Visions of New Regime, by Zolan Kanno-Youngs, David E. Sanger and Tyler Pager F.B.I. Investigates Whether Texas Bar Shooting Was Act of Terror, by Pooja Salhotra, Sonia A. Rao, Chelsia Rose Marcius and Ramón Ramirez Antitrust Trial to Challenge Live Nation’s Grip on the Music Industry, by Ben Sisario and David McCabe How A.I.-Generated Videos Are Distorting Your Child’s YouTube Feed, by Arijeta Lajka Tune in every weekday morning, and tell us what you think at: [e-mail]. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

From the New York Times, it's the headlines. I'm Tracy Mumford. Today's Monday, March 2nd. Here's what we're covering. Combat operations continue at this time in full force, and they will continue until all of our objectives are achieved. The United States and Israel struck more than 2,000 more targets in Iran yesterday, not letting up on the assault that's taken out the country's senior leadership

and set off a wave of violence across the Middle East. These actions are right, and they are not. necessary to ensure that Americans will never have to face a radical, bloodthirsty terrorist regime armed with nuclear weapons and lots of threats. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatolli Ali Hamine, was killed Saturday, along with several high-level military leaders. In retaliation, Iran has fired a barrage of missile attacks at Israel and at U.S. military bases in the region.

One strike killed three U.S. soldiers at a base in quarantine. And sadly, there will likely be more. Before it ends, that's the way it is, likely be more. President Trump acknowledged the U.S. toll in a short address yesterday, saying their deaths would be avenged. And he called on the remaining Iranian military and the country's Revolutionary Guard to surrender or be killed. My colleague Zolinkano-Young spoke with Trump yesterday and asked the president, how long he thought the operation in Iran could last. Trump told him it could go on for four to five weeks. I also pressed the president on wanting Iran's security forces to drop their weapons and surrender. I asked him, well, who are they supposed to surrender to? And the president

said that he hopes that these security forces surrender to the people of Iran. It's worth noting here, though, that these were the same security forces just earlier this year, that we're were opening fire on street protesters and killing thousands. Now the president is saying that he hopes security forces will drop their weapons and surrender to the same people that they were targeting. Really what the interview reflected is the degree to which the administration remains uncertain about what the next few weeks will hold. And it comes at a time in which the entire world is really watching the Trump administration,

the conflict in the Middle East, and wondering, if this will expand into a broader conflict, and what steps President Trump will take after launching this extraordinary action? As of today, we have every right, every legitimate right, to defend ourselves. What the United States is doing is an act of aggression.

Iran's retaliatory strikes have killed at least nine people in Israel, and across the Gulf, four others were killed and more than 100 injured after Iran fired missiles and drones at cities including Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, which had been considered safe havens in the volatile region. Iran's foreign minister said yesterday in an interview with ABC, it would keep fighting. We are defending ourselves, whatever it takes, and we see no limit for ourselves to defend our people, to protect our people. Inside Iran, the toll of the attacks is not yet clear.

Large explosions have rocked Tehran and cities out. outside the capital. A girl's elementary school in the south of the country was hit, killing 115 people, according to Iranian state media. The school is adjacent to a naval base. The conflict has also spread to the water. The U.S. has been trying to sink Iran's navy, and commercial ships are on high alert in the Strait of Hormuz, where a significant amount of natural gas and one-fifth of the world's oil passes through. Traffic on the strait has now plummeted, Videos, verified by the Times, showed one tanker on fire there yesterday. Oil prices have started to climb, underscoring the economic risks of the widening conflict.

Meanwhile, this is a disaster. It is illegal. And the president is obligated under the Constitution to come to Congress and ask for an authorization of military force. Democrats have overwhelmingly opposed the president's decision to strike Iran without seeking congressional approval. And the claims about we're going to change the regime, we're going to stop a nuclear program. There was some threat. All of the intelligence I've seen in 13 years on the Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees tell me there was no imminent threat from Iran that justifies sending our sons and daughters into war. Some have questioned the administration's rationale for the strikes.

Trump is also facing criticism from some prominent MAGA figures, too, who are arguing that Trump has betrayed his campaign. promise to pull the country back from foreign wars. In Austin, Texas, this is obviously an extremely significant moment and a very significant event. Authorities are investigating whether a deadly shooting at a downtown bar early Sunday morning was an act of terrorism. Police say the gunman drove by the bar, a popular spot with college students, and fired from his SUV. He then parked nearby, got out and opened fire again.

Two people were killed and more than a dozen were injured before police killed the gunmen. In terms of specifically what type of terrorism, we're just at this point prepared to say that it was potentially an act of terrorism. The shooter has been identified as a 53-year-old man who lived in the area. He was wearing a sweatshirt that read, Property of Allah. A source familiar with the investigation told the times he was a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Senegal. The FBI's joint terrorism task force is now assisting with the investigation. Across the U.S., there are heightened security concerns that the U.S. strikes on Iran could spur retaliatory acts of terrorism. In other news, a federal court case is set to kick off today that could shake up the whole live music industry.

The Justice Department has accused Live Nation of building up a monopoly in the concert business, stifling competition and driving up. ticket prices for fans. Last year, the company, which owns Ticketmaster, sold over 600 million tickets around the world. It also owns or controls almost 500 venues and manages hundreds of artists. The government is arguing that Live Nation has pressured or even threatened venues to sign exclusive ticketing deals. In one case that's expected to be brought up in the trial, it allegedly routed tours away from the massive Barclays Center. in New York after the venue tried to partner with its competitor, Seat Geek. Live Nation has denied that allegation.

Some of Live Nation's most vocal critics, though, have been small venues, who say that the company's dominance makes it harder for them to put on shows. The executive director of the National Independent Venue Association told the times, we are not competing, we're barely surviving. In all, 39 state attorneys general have also joined the case as plaintiffs, underscoring that taking on the issue of high prices for consumers is politically popular with both Democrats and Republicans. For its part, Live Nation denies that it has a monopoly and says that government lawyers have presented barely a molehill of evidence that the company has eroded competition. And finally, on YouTube, a growing number of the videos aimed at young kids are generated by AI.

At first listen, okay, maybe they don't sound that different from other kids programming. They're happy, bubbly, bouncy. But if you watch a few, they're bizarre. An animated horse hatching from an egg, snakes with mermaid tails, warped faces, extra body parts. The Times reviewed more than a thousand videos being recommended to kids, and found that YouTube's algorithm is often pushing this nonsensical content. The videos are often short, just 30 seconds. seconds or so. Some of them claim to teach things like the alphabet, but they're riddled with

misinformation and incoherent narratives. And while there are not many studies yet on how short-form media affects young children, one developmental psychologist told the times that the videos move too rapidly for kids under five, whose attention systems are still developing. Other experts worry that the sheer volume of these videos will displace more quality content that has educational benefits. Some channels are churning out these AI videos at a rate of multiple clips a day, and many have a million-plus views.

All those views can rake in profits for the owners of the channels. When the Times asked YouTube about the videos and shared some as an example, the platform then suspended those accounts from appearing on YouTube kids. The Times also talked to some parents. They say it's hard to keep AI videos

out of their kids' feeds, They're left trying to figure out the motives of who made them, especially when the videos claim to be educational. One mom said she has to wonder, is it that they're really wanting to help, or is it that they're trying to grab your kids' attention? Those are the headlines. I'm Tracy Mumford. We'll be back tomorrow.