Lead On Monday, March 2, 2026, Pentagon official Pete Hegseth used a combative press briefing at the Pentagon to cast the massive US–Israeli military operation against Iran as an unapologetic, anti–”politically correct” campaign, framing it as a decisive, limited strike rather than a traditional nation‑building war. He defended actions tied to Operation Epic Fury and … Read more
Lead: Early on March 1, 2026, a mass shooting outside Buford’s on West Sixth Street in downtown Austin left multiple people dead and dozens hurt. Authorities identified the shooter as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, who was shot and killed by Austin police at the scene; officials said the death toll would rise after an additional victim … Read more
Lead: Megan Moroney scored her first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 dated March 7, 2026, as her third studio album Cloud 9 opened atop the U.S. albums chart in the week ending Feb. 26. The set moved 147,000 equivalent album units, driven by a career-best 78,000 in album sales and 69,000 streaming-equivalent units (71.54 … Read more
The short form of The Minutes this week: as conference tournaments ramp toward Selection Sunday, the Big East’s much‑heralded revenue‑sharing edge has not translated into a multi‑bid league; instead, Connecticut remains the conference’s lone national title contender while several programs underperformed. Over the next two weeks more than 300 teams remain alive in postseason play, … Read more
Lead Video recordings of depositions involving Bill and Hillary Clinton in the Jeffrey Epstein litigation were released, and footage of Bill Clinton answering questions about a now-public hot-tub photograph drew focused attention. The segment, published at 21:17 GMT, shows Clinton saying he was “almost sure” the photo was taken in Brunei at the end of … Read more
Lead: A Miami-Dade jury declared a mistrial on Monday in the prosecution of former University of Miami player Rashaun Jones, accused of fatally shooting teammate Bryan Pata outside his apartment on Nov. 7, 2006. The panel had been deliberating since Thursday but reported it could not reach a unanimous verdict. Judge Cristina Miranda formally announced … Read more
Early Monday, three US F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets were mistakenly shot down over Kuwait during the third day of a wider regional air campaign, US Central Command (Centcom) said. The incident occurred at 11:03 p.m. ET on Sunday; all six aircrew ejected and were recovered and are in stable condition, Centcom added. Kuwaiti air-defence … Read more
Lead: On March 2, 2026, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar began privately urging allied governments to help convince President Donald Trump to pursue a diplomatic “off‑ramp” that would keep any U.S. military operations against Iran limited and short. The push, described by people familiar with the matter, aims to build a broad coalition to … Read more
Lead: Apple announced the iPhone 17e on March 2, 2026, at its Cupertino communications channel as a lower‑cost member of the iPhone 17 family. The 6.1‑inch device ships with Apple’s latest A19 chip and the new C1X cellular modem, a 48MP Fusion camera system and baseline storage of 256GB. Pre-orders begin March 4, with units … Read more
President Donald Trump on Monday presented the Medal of Honor to three U.S. Army service members at a White House ceremony in the East Room, honoring acts of extraordinary valor from World War II, the Vietnam War and the war in Afghanistan. The awards recognized Master Sgt. Roderick W. Edmonds for leadership and resistance as … Read more
Lead The Detroit Lions have agreed to trade running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans, according to multiple reports via NFL Media. The exchange sends Montgomery, 28, to Houston for a package that includes a Houston fourth-round pick, offensive lineman Juice Scruggs and a seventh-round pick. Montgomery finished the 2025 season with 716 rushing … Read more
Lead President Trump said Monday he will not rule out sending U.S. ground forces into Iran and reiterated a projected four- to five-week timeline for the military campaign, while saying the operation could run longer if needed. The remarks came as Operation Epic Fury entered its third day, with U.S. officials reporting strikes on Iranian … Read more
Lead Senator Lindsey Graham told Fox News late Sunday that President Donald Trump has exceeded former President Ronald Reagan on foreign policy and signaled Cuba could be the next U.S. focus after a weekend escalation in the Middle East. The remarks came amid reports that Trump ordered major strikes against Iran and that Tehran and … Read more
A series of attacks attributed to Iran and Iran-aligned groups across the Middle East have intensified debate about whether the United States can still reliably offer sanctuary to its forces, partners and commercial interests. In recent months, strikes on military positions, shipping lanes and diplomatic facilities have forced Washington to reassess posture and deterrence options … Read more
Lead: On March 2, 2026, Spurs center Luke Kornet publicly asked the Atlanta Hawks to cancel a planned “Magic City Night” promotion tied to the Atlanta venue Magic City, saying the event sends a troubling message about women and could harm the NBA’s image. Kornet, 30, published an open letter on Medium calling on the … Read more
