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

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.

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Al-Hamanay, was killed Saturday, along with several high

level military leaders.

And the U.S. is now continuing to target military sites in Iran and the country's navy.

These actions are right and they are necessary to ensure that Americans will never have to

face a radical bloodthirsty terrorist regime armed with nuclear weapons and lots of threats.

In retaliation, Iran aspired a barrage of missile attacks at Israel and at U.S. military bases

in the region.

We grieve for the true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

One strike on a base in Kuwait left three U.S. service members dead.

And sadly, there will likely be more before it ends that's the way it is likely be more

but we'll do it.

President Trump acknowledged the U.S. casualties 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, Zolan Kano Young spoke with Trump yesterday and asked the president, how

long he thinks the operation in Iran will continue.

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've asked him, well, who are they supposed to surrender to?

And the president said that he hopes that the 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 were opening fire on street protesters in 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.

Meanwhile, inside Iran, the toll of the attacks is not yet clear.

Major explosions have rocked Tehran and other cities.

In the streets, large crowds have gathered to celebrate the Supreme Leader's death, while

others have turned out to mourn him.

Once that has been the soundtrack of ongoing strikes, 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.

We have every right, every legitimate right to defend ourselves.

What the United States is doing is an act of aggression.

So far, Iran's remaining leadership has been defiant.

The foreign minister told ABC yesterday he sees no limit to Iran defending its people.

It has carried out deadly strikes against Israel and targets across the Gulf states, firing

missiles and drones at Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha.

The Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah also joined in the retaliation, and Israel responded

with strikes in Lebanon, shattering the year-long ceasefire in place there, and heightening

fears that even more countries could be drawn into the spiraling war.

The conflict has also spread to the water.

Commercial ships are on high alert in the strait of Hormuz, where videos verified by the

times showed one tanker on fire yesterday.

A significant amount of natural gas and one-fifth of the world's oil passes through the

strait, but that traffic has now plummeted, and oil prices have started to climb in early

sign of the conflict's economic risks.

And in Washington, this is a disaster, it is illegal, and the president has obligated

another 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 justify sending our sons

and daughters into war.

Some Democrats have also questioned the administration's rationale for the strikes, and Trump is facing

criticism from some of his right-wing supporters, too, who are arguing that he betrayed his campaign

promise to pull the country back from foreign wars.

In Austin, Texas, the FBI is working in a lockstep with our partners with Austin Police

Department.

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 gunman.

In terms of specifically what type of terrorism were 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 Alla.

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 New York, for example, the police department says it's increased patrols at sensitive areas,

such as diplomatic and religious sites.

Now in business news today, a federal court case is set to kick off 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 and even threatened venues to

sign exclusive ticketing deals.

In one case that's expected to be brought up in trial, it allegedly routed tours away

from the massive Barclays Center in New York after the venue partnered with its competitor,

SeatGeek.

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 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 AI videos and shared a few examples, the platform

then blocked those accounts from appearing on YouTube kids.

The Times also talked to some parents who say it's hard to keep AI videos out of their

kids' feeds, and they're left trying to figure out if the content online is really educational

or, as one mom asked, are they just trying to grab your kids' attention?

Those are the headlines.

Today on The Daily, more on the situation inside Iran, as President Trump urges people there

to topple the regime from within.

You can listen to that in the New York Times app or wherever you get your podcasts.

I'm Tracy Mumford.

We'll be back tomorrow.