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Hannah Jewell
Now on its third day, the joint US Israeli attack on Iran is expanding into a regional crisis. That's where we're starting the Seven from the Washington Post, I'm Hannah Jewell. It's Monday, March 2nd. Let's get you caught up with today's seven stories. At around 1:00am Eastern Time on Saturday morning, U.S. air Force and Navy jets launch launched an attack on Iran. In a phone call with the post around 4am President Donald Trump said his goal was freedom for the Iranian people. Since then, the US Military says it has struck more than a thousand targets in Iran. Among those killed so far are Iranian leaders and civilians. That includes Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. And according to Iran's Ambassador to the UN More than 150 children were killed in an elementary school in the southern part of the country. In response, Iran launched deadly retaliatory strikes that targeted Israel, US Military sites and other targets in the Gulf. Yesterday, three US Troops were killed and five others were seriously wounded. Trump released a video statement after their
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Donald Trump
killing as one nation, we grieve for the true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation even as we continue the righteous mission for which they gave their lives. We pray for the full recovery of the wounded and send our immense love and eternal gratitude to the families of the fallen. And sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That's the way it is.
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Hannah Jewell
Trump has said combat operations would continue until all of our objectives are achieved, but he has not defined what those are, and it appears he has pursued the toppling of Iran's government without a plan for what comes next. Democrats demanded an immediate vote to restrain Trump on Iran. That's our second story. Top Democrats this weekend called for Congress to return immediately to Washington. They want to vote to try and halt further military action in Iran after President Trump foreshadowed a possible extended conflict there. The two resolutions they intend to vote on would be the latest test of a long shot strategy to reassert lawmakers war powers. Democrats have so far not managed to stop Trump from ordering military strikes without authorization from Congress. Trump has ordered strikes in at least seven countries, led a deadly campaign against alleged drug smugglers from Latin America, and has made threats against Greenland and Cuba. Some Republican supporters of Trump are also not happy about his latest military operation. For some voters, it has marked a clear break from the America first policies that once defined his political appeal. Number three, Tomorrow's Texas Senate primary will shape the the midterm elections. Democrats may need to flip Texas blue this year to have a shot at regaining control of the Senate. But first they have to pick their candidate. One option is Representative Jasmine Crockett, who is leading in recent polls and just got endorsed by former Vice President Kamala Harris. Here is Crockett at a campaign event in Fort Worth, Texas, last month. I care. I connect with working class folks. I connect with people that are not okay with politics as usual. That is my strength as a candidate. Crockett is facing off against State Representative James Talarico, who is lesser known here. He is campaigning in Richardson, Texas, last week. We have a moral imperative to win. If we don't win, we can't help anybody. This contest is raising thorny questions of race and gender for Democrats. Crockett has accused her opponent of supporting ads that she says are racist against her. Talarico denies this and has no control over the super PAC airing the ads that Crockett objects to. Meanwhile, on the Republican side, incumbent Senator John Cornyn is in an even more bruising primary. He is facing off against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Representative Wesley Hunt. If Cornyn loses, he would be the first sitting senator from either party to succumb to a primary challenger in nearly a decade. 4. An Ohio newspaper's newest star writer isn't human. The 184-year-old Cleveland Plain Dealer is sporting an unusual new byline. Some stories feature a reporter's name paired with the words Advance Local Express Desk. That means the article was drafted by artificial intelligence. The paper's editor, Chris Quinn, has been pushing to let AI drive the news. He has said that doing so generated more than 10 million page views last year. But journalists at the publication have had mixed reactions to the new technology. Several spoke to the Post, mostly anonymously, and said the AI initiatives have caused concern within the newsroom. Some see it as an existential threat, but Quinn sees things differently. He says the technology gives reporters time to do more of the things that AI can't, like inviting a mayor or police chief to coffee. He also says that all AI articles are checked by staff. Another winter storm will hit the US this week. That's number five. Here's a fun fact for for meteorologists, March marks the beginning of spring. We made it, meteorologically speaking. Unfortunately, though, that won't stop the wintry weather that is forecast for today and tomorrow. In the Midwest, Mid Atlantic and Northeast, there could be more snow early this week. Freezing rain could make travel difficult in several cities. And sorry to parents, there may be school closures, too. Across much of the east, this winter season has been the coldest one in more than a decade. But the season has been one of extremes. About 114 million people experienced warmer than average weather conditions, and later this week the Midwest and East can expect temperatures that hit the 60s, 70s and even the 80s. It's hard for me to remember what that even feels like. Number six we got a doctor to answer your burning questions about microplastics Microplastics are everywhere. They're in our livers, our blood, and even inside our brains. And whenever the Post shares news about them, our readers send in lots of questions like should we be worried about storing frozen food in plastic bags or plastic water filters? Or Invisalign retainers? We put all of these questions and more to Dr. Tricia Pasrica when it comes to plastic bags. She noted a small 2022 study found that when ultrapure water was frozen in plastic bags and then thawed, it had more microplastics than bags stored at room temperature. But Bazricha says that she herself still uses frozen veggies that come in plastic bags. Anne says that if you don't have time to focus on everything, the main thing to avoid is heating food in plastic containers or wrapping. And as for plastic water filters, the best thing you can do is transfer water to a glass or stainless steel container quickly after it's filtered. You can find more of her advice like how to feel about retainers in our newsletter today. Just follow the link in our show notes and at number seven you might want to wake up early tomorrow to see a rare lunar spectacle. If you're a little stressed out about the news right now, what could be a better tonic than rising early to behold the great Celestial dance? Early tomorrow morning, the moon will turn a rusty red color as it slips into the Earth's shadow. This total lunar eclipse will be visible over the entire lower 48. The blood moon will be at its most dramatic starting at 6:04am Eastern or 3304 Pacific and the east coast we'll get to see something even more remarkable. A Selinelian. That's an ultra rare special planetary alignment. It's when you can briefly see the sun rising and the totally eclipsed moon setting on opposite horizons. As always, do not look directly at the sun, but let me know if you did manage to catch this beautiful sight. Alright, you're all caught up. It's more important than ever to stay informed with reliable trusted news. If you're not ready to commit with a subscription, the Post is now offering short term passes. You can get a one week pass for just $7 that doesn't renew, and it gets you seven days of unlimited access on our app and website. Find all the details@washingtonpost.com subscribe I'm Hannah Jewell. I'll meet you back here tomorrow.
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